by J D Astra
“Help,” I pleaded, my voice husky. I stretched my hand out toward the Dawn Elf man harder, my eyes misty from a forced, stifled yawn. The guard crept closer, his eyes scanning over my haggard appearance.
“What happened?” he asked as he dropped to a knee a few feet from me.
I gasped. “Attacked by... bandits.” Oh man, was I overacting this thing? I was seriously out of breath, but my response just seemed so cliche for this era.
“How long ago? Did they follow you?” He raised his bow and pulled his arm back. His gaze snapped from me to the straight line of his arm to his arrow. Whatever class this man was, it must’ve been similar to Tracker. This Dawn Elf was reminding me of Renzik.
“In the night,” I wheezed and climbed to my feet, scurrying behind him. “They ambushed me and my maester as we were on a pilgrimage of knowledge to the Grand Archive of Alaunhylles. He helped me escape, and I don’t think anyone followed.”
“What is it?” someone asked from back at the road.
The Dawn Elf relaxed his shaking bow arm and returned the arrow to its quiver at his back. “No current threat!” He shouted back to the caravan, then looked to me. “We are on our way to Alaunhylles. If you’d like to travel with us, we can leave you with the authorities to get your incident reported.”
I smiled, putting my hand to my heart. “That would be so kind of you. I can’t thank you enough for coming to my aid.” I dropped the smile, my brows coming together in worry. “My poor maester, he’s still out there somewhere. He sacrificed himself.” I paused, yawning with my mouth closed and forcing a frown to help my eyes mist up. I gasped and let the tiny little tear roll down my cheek. “He saved me.”
He put his hand around my arm, guiding me toward the road. “When we get to town, I’ll take you to the authorities to report this, and we’ll find him.”
An alert filled my screen at his words.
<<<>>>
Item Passive Triggered: Leader’s Bandolier!
You have inspired the young man before you with your performance, and he will accompany you to find your lost maester.
<<<>>>
Well hot damn, it freaking worked for once. The context clue of “my performance” was the missing piece. I hadn’t known I needed to act to use the belt. I’d have to call on those middle school abilities more often.
“Thank you, sir.” I brushed away the little tear, unable to contain my victory smile.
“Of course. Anyone of the scholarly ranks is under my protection. I’m Hiroto Matsuda.”
Oh shit. Abby Hollander was a wanted person’s name. I couldn’t be Abby Hollander. Why hadn’t we planned better?
“It’s nice to meet you, Hiroto, though it would’ve been more pleasant under different circumstances.” I smiled and took a few deep breaths. We were only a few yards from the road, and if something went wrong right here, I would surely not only botch the quest, but get myself killed as well.
His grip tightened ever so slightly on my arm. “Yes, of course. You are?”
“Oh! Forgive my manners, I was so distraught.” I smiled, nerves tightening my stomach. He smiled, suspicion clear in his narrowed eyes.
“I’m Jean Grey,” I finally offered, and he bowed.
Jean freaking Grey. Really? That was all I could come up with? No wonder I’d gone with my real name for my avatar. I tried not to cringe at my own stupidity as we emerged from the shadow of the forest and came to a stop in front of the guard carriage.
A tall Imperial woman with shining silver armor and a hammer with a head the size of my thigh approached us. “Who are you?” She looked me up and down, then tightened her grip on the hammer’s shaft.
“This is Jean Grey. She and her maester were ambushed by bandits in the night as they were on their way to the Grand Archive at Alaunhylles.”
“Yes,” I interjected. “My maester, Charles Xavier, and I are from Glome Corrie. He’s a war historian at the archive there. We were making camp when a group of men demanded our money and carriage in exchange for our lives.” I paused, looking at the ground and contorting my face with distress. “Our tomes are sacred to us, and we had to defend them, but the bandits were too many.” I kept my lips shut as I forced another yawn and brought tears to my eyes. Hiroto patted my back as I sniffled.
“And your maester, Charles, where is he now?” she asked, unfazed by my waterworks.
“I don’t know,” I whimpered, covering my face as I sobbed. I rubbed my eyes hard, trying to bring more liquid to them. “He is a powerful Battle Warden, and I just a young Sorceress. He told me to run, to find help. I ran for my life, his, and our tomes, but I fell into the bandits’ trap!” I held out my robes to show the mud marks and cuts I’d inflicted on myself earlier.
“It wasn’t until morning I was able to finally crawl my way out and find you. Thank the gods I did.” I put my hand on Hiroto’s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smiled, receptive to the gesture. I suddenly understood why Eisen was asking me to tell him stories. Being a member of the rebellion required quick thinking and convincing tales. There were plot holes in my story, but hopefully my excellent performance glossed over them.
The plate-armored woman removed her helmet and holstered her warhammer. She stepped forward and bowed. “My apologies for your travel terrors, but what happened to your guard?” When she came up from the bow, her eyes locked on mine, glinting with the satisfaction of exposing me for a liar. She wanted to play it hard, alright then.
I made my eyes large and my lips pouty. “We have been traveling without a guard. Funds at the archive have been dwindling, as the Glome Corrie taxes are being redirected toward the renewed war efforts. With my maester, Charles, being a seasoned Battle Warden, our grand maester thought we would be capable enough on our own. We thought so too...” I trailed off and looked at my hands, forcing one more tear-inducing yawn. “How wrong we were!” I burst into hysterics, dropping to my knees and covering my face.
Hiroto rubbed my back, saying gently, “There, there. We’ll find him and bring those bandits to justice.”
“We’re losing daylight!” a crotchety old voice shouted from two carts back.
I sniffled back the very few fake tears and looked up to the plate-armored woman. She had a sour expression puckering her lips as she looked off in the direction of the older voice.
“Hiroto, she’s your ward,” she said, almost a threat, and then stomped off to the front of the caravan. “Move out!”
The driver of the front cart whipped his donkeys, which hee-hawed loudly before sauntering into action. The tall wheels rolled forward, and the caravan was underway. At that, a quest pop-up appeared.
<<<>>>
Quest Update: Rebels in need are Rebels indeed
You’ve successfully infiltrated the caravan to the Grand Archive at Alaunhylles. Be on your guard, for the checkpoints into the city are scrupulous and unforgiving of intruders.
<<<>>>
I’d done it! Now, we just needed to get Otto on board and make it past the checkpoints in the city, and we’d have the information on Faction Seals, and the Bindings Book, before sundown.
“You’re weary,” Hiroto said as he touched my shoulder, and I played along. I closed the update and wobbled as I held my face. “Come, sit on the back of the cart.” He guided me to the slow-moving vehicle.
There were two guards sitting on benches in the back, with some provisions at their feet and littering the other seats. The white sheet that covered the back of the cart was ripped in strategic places, letting the seated guards watch for anything trying to flank the caravan.
The two in the back regarded me with nods as Hiroto helped me up to the bench. He unhooked a flask from his belt and passed it to me. “Rest now,” he said with a hushed voice, “we’ll reach the city in a few hours.”
I accepted the bladder, inspecting it as I did. Just water. I popped it open and took a long drink. The water was warm, but felt good in my raw throat nonetheless.
“Thank you,
Hiroto,” I said as he stepped back from the cart. “You’ve saved my life.”
He grinned from ear to ear, bowed, and returned to his post at the side of the caravan. Mr. Donovan, my middle school drama teacher, could kiss my ass. I was a great actress, obviously.
I checked the in-game time: 8:30 AM. The cart bumped along at a brisk walking pace, but still slow enough that we wouldn’t reach the archive until almost midday. I sat back against the canvas cover and closed my eyes. There’d be a few minutes of calm before we reached Otto, and I was going to revel in every second of it, maybe even get a moment of rest.
“Killed over twenty-five Wolf’s Fangs in the Blackwillow Woods single-handed—no weapons but a crossbow and some traps.” A male voice was coming up beside the caravan.
“That’s unbelievable. What did you say his name was?” a woman asked.
“Osmark.”
I shot upright and leaned out the canvas backing as the pair of Imperial riders passed on horseback at a trot. They were dressed in soldiers’ garb, but looked lower level, like they were fresh into the military.
“Just four nights ago... I wonder what he’s done since, what he’ll do tomorrow?” the woman said with awe.
The man chuckled. “Take down the rebellion, maybe. He’s a Traveler, but I’ve heard whispers he’s got grand plans to continue the Ever Victorious march across Eldgard. We’ll—”
They were out of earshot, but the man’s words lingered with me. Twenty-five Wolf’s Fangs, whatever that was. I opened my map and checked for the Blackwillow Woods. Words blinked in a small patch of forest between New Viridia and Glome Corrie. There it was. The title on top of the small patch dissolved, leaving the map looking clean apart from the big city names.
He was close. Much too close for comfort. I wondered what the Wolf’s Fangs were. Given the man’s statement, maybe some part of the rebellion against the Imperials. That would make sense. Osmark would want to get his favor up with the Imperial-allied factions as fast as possible, and taking out their enemies was a surefire way to do it.
“By the gods,” I heard the distant shout of the man who’d mentioned Osmark.
“He’s dead!” the woman screamed.
That was my cue.
Risi on the Road
THE CARAVAN CAME TO a grinding halt and I tipped myself out of the back of the cart, falling face-first toward the dirt. I put my hands out just in time, shaving off a small fraction of my Health as I crumpled into a heap on the ground with a yip. Hiroto rushed to my side.
“Are you all right?” He put a hand on my back.
I was going to have this dude eating out of the palm of my hand before we got to Alaunhylles. “Yes,” I said with a wince. “I’m not too badly hurt.”
I sat up and cast a curious glance around us, then asked, “What happened?”
“It would seem there’s someone in our path.” Hiroto’s gaze shot toward the front of the caravan and he stood.
I looked under the cart, between the donkey’s legs, and found Otto lying on his side, one arm bent at an awkward angle behind his back. His Health was only at 35%, and I wondered what he’d had to do to hurt himself so badly.
A pair of Imperial boots hit the ground next to him as the man who’d mentioned Osmark dismounted his horse. “Sir, are you alive?” he asked, false confidence shaking in his voice.
“Charles!” I screamed and scrambled to my feet. I rushed past the captain of the guard, the woman who’d given me such a hard time, and skidded to a stop at Otto’s side. I grabbed his hand, shaking it with hysteria. “Maester Charles Xavier, can you hear me? It’s Jean Grey, your acolyte!”
Otto groaned, rolling to the side. There were gouges and stabs along his neck and arms, but his chest was mostly untouched, apart from one bloody slit in his robes.
“Jean?” he asked as his big gold eyes searched my face.
“Yes, it’s me!” I pulled a Health potion from my inventory and moved it to his lips. He grunted, took it from me, and drank it down. His Health shot back up to 65%, and I checked the potion I gave him. It was definitely a level-two healing potion, which restored 500 points of Health. 500 points was only 30% of his total Health! Damn, I needed to get good.
Otto pushed himself up, but as he did, the Imperial soldier stepped closer, unsheathing his sword. “Who are you to lie about in the Empire’s road, sir!”
Otto’s face contorted with rage and he sucked in a breath to lay into the man. I stood, putting myself between Otto and the Imperial. “Please, sir, this is my maester, Charles Xavier. We’re from the archive in Glome Corrie. We were ambushed by bandits in the forest in the night. Maester Xavier saved me,” I said, and with each word, the man’s sword dropped a little farther. “I’d surely be dead now if he hadn’t helped me escape.”
The man frowned and sheathed his sword. “Bandits, you say? Did you recognize their brand?”
“Wolf’s Fang,” Otto grunted from behind me. “They fought like demons—”
“We lost all our tomes.” I cut him off before he started into any details that would contradict those I’d already told the captain of the guard and Hiroto.
The man who’d just mentioned the Wolf’s Fang stroked his chin. “They are spreading farther south than we previously believed.”
The woman barked a laugh. “Not for long with that Traveler, Osmark, around. He’s been doing them in with ease.”
Otto’s brow pinched with what appeared to be anger, and his hands balled to fists. I could see there was a furious retort at the tip of his tongue he was struggling to hold back.
I put myself in front of Otto to shield his reaction from the guards. “I thought you were lost, Maester. I’m so happy to see you alive!”
Otto scowled for a moment, then smoothed out the look. “I’m relieved to see you are unharmed.”
“You’re Maester Charles, then?” The captain of the guard stomped forward, her heavy plate jingling as she approached.
Otto nodded. “It is a relief to see my acolyte Jean has fallen in with such generous company, Captain, second class.”
The woman stopped a few feet short of us, her eyes narrowing for a mome, then flicking to the Imperial soldier who’d challenged us. “Get back on your horse, Patrolman, there’s no issue here.”
“Ma’am,” he said with a salute, and mounted his horse. The female soldier with him did the same, and off they trotted for Alaunhylles.
“We’ve found your maester?” Hiroto asked with a smile from his post at the side of the guard carriage.
“Yes!” I shouted back with a level of enthusiasm that felt a little sickening to me. The bubbly, helpless damsel persona was not so fun to play, and I was ready to drop her. We still had another several hours to Alaunhylles... perhaps I’d made a mistake in picking this character to act out.
The captain, second class apparently, stepped closer to Otto. She straightened and leaned back a bit to look up at him. “How long have you been with the Glome Corrie Archive, Maester?”
“Only three years, Captain.” He put his hand out to shake hers. She accepted.
“Terra,” she replied to his unspoken question with her name. “You’ve not been with them long at all.” They broke the greeting gesture and she slapped him once on the back as she turned him toward the caravan. “How do you like serving in your home?”
Holy shit, did he just get in with a few words, when it took me arguing with her for minutes? I followed behind them, trying to hide the frustration I felt from his ease of entry. I’d done the majority of work setting up our reputation, that was probably what he was riding on.
“It’s an honor to work with the skilled archivist maesters at Glome Corrie. We hope to be of great service to them, and at Alaunhylles.”
“Yes,” I interrupted, “we hope to devise new battle tactics to root out the rebel factions taking hold in our great cities. That’s the purpose of our travel, to research past rebel movements and discover their patterns.” I held a clenched fist up as I gave a
s much ambitious sparkle to my eyes as possible. Terra and Otto looked over their shoulders at me, and I smiled.
“You have a very exuberant and faithful acolyte, Maester Xavier,” she said with a hint of sarcasm, and I gritted my teeth. So, my performance didn’t work on everyone. Fine, that was fine. Hiroto was still under my spell.
“We’re behind schedule and there’s Wolf’s Fang about. Let’s move, double time!” Terra yelled, her voice projecting far to the back of the single-file caravan. The driver up front whipped the donkeys back into action.
Terra walked us to the back of the guard cart. “You must be exhausted from your battles and daring escape, Maester. Please rest here while we make our way to Alaunhylles.”
I pursed my lips, doing my best not to appear pissed off.
“Thank you, Captain. We’re grateful the gods led us to you.” Otto bowed his head and Terra did the same, then returned to her post at the front of the caravan.
Otto stepped up onto the back of the cart, struggling with his long robes. Finally, he hiked them up, showing off his chainmail leggings, and pulled himself into the back of the canvas-covered vehicle, leaving his feet dangling off the edge. I walked behind the cart, keenly aware of my grumpy mood left from the feeling of injustice.
“Don’t look so happy to see me, Jean,” Otto whispered with a smirk.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Maester Xavier, do I look unhappy?” I whispered back with a bite to my words. “I had to make up so much on the fly to get in here, and then you just stroll in and reap the rewards of my hard work.” I crossed my arms and looked away. Hiroto cast a furtive glance at us, then turned his eyes back to the forest around the road.
From my periphery I saw Otto lean forward, a grin ripe with revenge plastered to his face. He said in a childish, hushed voice, “Now you know how it feels.”
My cheeks flushed with heat and I could feel all the words I wanted to snap back at him pounding against my willpower to keep my mouth shut, keep our cover. Otto chuckled and sat back. Damn him, oh I wanted to give him a piece of what was running through my mind and he knew I couldn’t! I was going to get him later.
