The Land: Catacombs (Chaos Seeds Book 4)

by Aleron Kong

  The tired sprite woman had each man of the war party kneel before her. While he waited for his turn, Richter sent the mist workers over to the east side of the village. Sumiko performed the same incantation, ridding each of them of a latent infection that had not even produced an icon in Richter’s vision yet. She complained while she helped them. “Absolutely irresponsible to hunt creatures and have no idea of the dangers.” “You all deserve the middle rot. Do you know what the middle rot is?” “If I was the healer of this village, things would be different!”

  Richter received his healing and then stood before the diminutive sprite woman. “Will you be the healer of this village?”

  His question caught her off guard. He didn’t wait for her to answer, but instead pressed forward, “You have already done more for us than I have any right to expect. I have benefited both from your magic and your wisdom. The Mist Village is young, though, where the Hearth Tree is venerable. I do not know if you can bind yourself here or if you must return someday to the wood sprite home, but if you would stay, I would feel honored to have you as the healer of this village.”

  Richter delivered his offer with as much verve and sincerity as he could muster. As he spoke, Sumiko stood taller, and the crotchety old woman persona that she had been portraying fell away like a discarded cloak. “The people of the Hearth Tree are not prisoners. I can pledge myself where I wish, young Lord. The question is, what do you stand for? Why should I pledge myself to your service?”

  Richter looked at her, searching her face for a hint of what she wanted to hear. The men stood around them, completely silent. They wouldn’t risk interrupting their lord and the Life master. More than that, though, they wished to hear Richter’s response as well. He considered various answers and decided to just tell the unvarnished truth.

  “My people have a saying,” he began, “that the meek shall inherit the Earth. What history showed again and again, however, was that the meek would only be abused and killed. I believe a greater wisdom is that freedom is not free. I will live my life as I choose. What I have chosen is to make a haven for those who cannot simply live their lives elsewhere. I do not plan to just be a shield, however. I am not here to always stand between the helpless and oblivion. I am here to rid the helpless of their weakness and make them strong. I have no illusions. I will have to spill blood to make this village into something special, and I will make these rivers red if that is what is necessary. I am not here to conquer though. I am here to live.”

  The sprite looked up at Richter and said, “Life magic is not just about keeping people alive. It is about accepting the cycle of creation and destruction. In my heart, I know that you are an agent of change. I do not know if that change will be good or ill for the forest. Good or ill for The Land. Good or ill for Life itself.” She paused, considering her next words. “I do know that you have a good heart now, though. I will stand by you in the hope that I can keep it so.”

  With a grace that belied her age, Sumiko went down on one knee and said, “I formally swear allegiance and loyalty to you, my Lord Richter. From now, unto my very death, I will protect you and your interests, to the best of my ability and without deceit.”

  Richter placed his hand on her shoulder. “I accept your oath of fealty, and swear to honor your pledge with the same gravity in which it was given.”

  He helped her up and asked, “Does this mean you will be the official healer of the village?”

  As if she had not just been discussing the existential matters of good and evil, she again adopted the mantle of a termagant grandmother. “Well of course it means I’ll be the healer. I didn’t get my knee dirty because I like grass stains. I’ll also be in charge of the Life magi. They have a lot to learn. And we will need to start making more health potions for those of you going out to hunt. Also, I better get a healer’s hut built immediately! I can’t be expected to deal with every little cut and scratch, especially not out in the fields without a roof over my head! You warriors are always brave until you get a little bruised. If I had a copper for every time…” She kept up her verbal stream of consciousness as she walked away from the gate, heading back into the village.

  Richter looked after her with slightly wide eyes, wondering what he had just signed up for. Sion looked at him, laughing, and said, “Be careful what you wish for, brother!”

  CHAPTER 18

  The guards that had accompanied Richter went off to handle their previously assigned duties. The members of the war party looked at one another.

  “I do believe most of us need to have some repair work done on our armor,” Krom said. He plucked at one of the ragged holes that the skath’s claws had left. “I know I do. I will get started on the repairs now. I won’t be carrying yer armor for ye up to the Forge, though! I nae be a bloody messenger!”

  Richter checked his own weapons and armor. His chest plate definitely had some scoring on it, but nothing so bad that it decreased the defense potential. He checked his sword too and was amazed that despite the serious work it had just done, the durability had only decreased by 12. Looking at the ragged armor of the other war party members, it really underlined what a difference better gear made. If they had to fight another monster right now, many of the party members might not make it with such large holes in their armor. His personal fighting ability on the other hand was undiminished. As he thought more about it, he realized that this particular facet of The Land was the same as how things were on Earth. A Navy Seal with special forces gear could be a veritable god compared to the average American. The conclusion of his line of thinking was obvious. He had to get his people better gear and training.

  “Krom is right. Go repair your armor and sharpen your swords. Tomorrow we are going out again. Or maybe we will go down into the lower levels of the catacombs.”

  The dwarf perked up. “That stairway off the Great Seal? I’ve been dying to get down there. Probably treasures galore!”

  “I will admit that I have been curious as well, my lord,” Terrod said. “I wouldn’t mind knowing more about what is beneath us.”

  “The catacombs it is then. We will leave tomorrow after the morning meal.”

  “Should I find another guard to replace Sedrin?” Caulder asked.

  “No. We received a challenge after our battles today. If we can survive four more battles we get a bonus, but we fail the challenge if we add any more party members. We will make do.”

  “As you command, Lord Richter,” Caulder said.

  Krom and Terrod echoed, “As you command.”

  Richter nodded to them in response. Then he reached into his Bag and handed over the soul stones he had collected as well as two of the special stones. Krom’s eyebrows rose as he saw the boss grade souls that two amber gems held. Richter told him to use his best judgement and only to use the special stones if he was making something truly amazing, but to use the higher level and lower stones as he saw fit. Krom promised that he would use them well, then he and the guards walked off in the direction of the Forge. Ulinde tried to hand back the unused moonstone arrows along with the one he had retrieved after the battle, but Richter told him to keep the ammo. He asked if the archer would be ready for another battle tomorrow and got a smile and a nod in return. Ulinde walked off, and Jean said his farewells as well, saying his wife would kill him if he didn’t check in with her now that he was back. The Air mage agreed to be ready to fight again in the morning.

  Beyan, Sion, and Richter looked at each other. Futen floated nearby and Alma flew in lazy circles above. Richter looked at Futen and said, “Check on the village. If the mist workers are still waiting in the center, make sure they are put to good use. In fact, if they are free, run them back to the spot where we found the moonstone vein and have them harvest as long as they can. After you’ve checked on everything, report back.”

  “As you command, my lord.” The remnant floated away.

  Richter looked at Beyan. “Let’s go take a look at the bodies we brought back. Who knows what we
might find. Sion, I’m sure you’d like to learn more as well. Why don’t you come with us?”

  The sprite took the hint and readily agreed. Beyan’s face had the resigned look of a man walking to the electric chair, but he agreed as well. The three of them slowly walked along the inside of the village wall. The earthworks were gradually being replaced with marbled quartz, but there was a great deal more work to be done. The sun shone down on them and each step released the faint scent of crushed grass.

  Richter checked a prompt that had appeared.

  Congratulations! You have uncovered another Job of your Village. You have filled the position of: Healer. Your village will benefit proportionally to the skill of whomever you have chosen. Life mage Sumiko is an excellent choice. Her highest healing skill has the rank of: Master. Diseases are less likely to spread. All healing spells cast within the village domain are increased in power by 10%. All healing potions are increased in power by 10%. Health of the village will increase by +5 per week. In light of your choice being a master Life mage, you are awarded +250 to Health.

  DING!

  The Health of your village has increased from Neutral to Healthy. Good health is the bedrock of a thriving settlement. Your village has made strides towards a brighter future. Reward(s): +5% to Population Growth, Morale, Loyalty, and disposition of your villagers towards you.

  You have been offered a Quest: House of Healing I. Your new Healer has demanded that you make a place for her to attend to her patients. Though it was not discussed beforehand, she made it clear that you have no choice in the matter. You must build a Healer’s Hut within one month. Reward: Societal bonus from building a healer’s hut. Penalty: Decreased relationship with Sumiko. Daily haranguing from Sumiko.

  No choice? No CHOICE! Richter got ready to get all huffy about the prompt, but then he just dismissed it with a sigh. Sion had been right. It was important to be careful what you wish for. Those penalties sounded like a pain in the ass. Having Sumiko as the village healer would be worth him sacrificing a little pride. Besides, he thought, looking at Beyan, he had more important things to think about.

  None of them spoke and none of them were in a hurry to break the silence. Richter had learned long ago the benefit of allowing people to do things in their own time. He also knew from personal experience that difficult topics were easier to discuss when one’s hands were occupied. If Beyan hadn’t started talking by the time they were done with the messy task of searching the bodies for useful components, then Richter would broach the topic himself. He decided he would give the gnome that time, though.

  They walked up to the area where the hunters skinned and dressed their kills. The men were standing around the bodies of the skaths, poking and prodding them. The workers had managed to bring back the bull and three of the females. The saber bear’s carcass had already been skinned and the hunters had rigged a large drying rack for it. Richter smiled. It was good to work with industrious people.

  Richter singled out the mist worker carrying the eggs and had it stand to the side. The others he gave orders to run back to the site of the fight with the skaths and to bring their bodies back here as quickly as possible. He also told them to keep a lookout for more eggs and that if any were found to store them safely and then bring them directly to him. The two workers moved off at a slow jog. He cast Haste I on one of them before they got out of range, and Sion buffed the other one. The spells wouldn’t last long, but Richter figured every little bit helped.

  The hunters praised the three of them for bringing down such dangerous creatures. Sion joked with the men, saying they should have seen the really big ones that were left out in the forest. That got a round of laughs, but Richter saw that Beyan was feeling strained at getting such attention. He thanked the hunters for their praise, but said they would be digging into the monsters and didn’t want to spoil the good meat nearby. A quick order later and the mist worker had dragged the saber bear carcass a short distance away from the cleaning area. The hunters would still be within eyeshot, but they should be far enough away that Beyan could feel comfortable speaking, though with elf hearing you could never be too sure.

  Before Richter moved off, two of the hunters who had become Life magi handed over a handful of basic soul stones. Each was glowing with an inner light, showing that they were filled, but the lights shone with various intensities. When Richter checked them individually he saw that most of the souls were only poor or weak quality. Still, every little bit helped. He thanked the hunters. The two men prepared to leave, but stopped at Richter’s command.

  He gave them a copper for each weak and basic level soul and also handed over four empty common soul stones. Richter told them to spread the word that a similar bonus would be paid in the future, and that any common level soul would earn them five coppers. The men smiled as they pocketed the coins. From the happy expressions on the hunters’ faces, he was fairly certain more stones would be coming his way in the near future.

  Once Richter, Sion, and Beyan were around the dead monsters, they took out their knives and got to work. The air filled with the scent of blood and after a while, buzzing insects filled the air, feeding on the offal. They only spoke when they found something useful. Their efforts were not in vain.

  You have found: Moonstone Claw. Durability: 178/178. Item Class: Uncommon. Weight: 0.8 kg. Traits: Smelting three of these will produce a masterwork quality moonstone ingot.

  You have found: Moonstone Fang. Durability: 178/178. Item Class: Uncommon. Weight: 1.9 kg. Traits: Smelting one of these will produce a masterwork quality moonstone ingot.

  You have found: Saber Bear Scent Gland. Durability: 5/5. Item Class: Uncommon. Weight: 0.03 kg. You feel that this could be a component of a potion or ring to give you a “sixth sense” regarding nearby metal deposits.

  You have found: Skath Poison Sac. Durability: 3/3. Item Class: Common. Weight: 0.01 kg. You feel this could be used to make a slow-acting hallucinogenic poison. If squeezed into water, it also functions as a fish and frog attractant.

  You have found: Skath Fat. Durability 5/5. Item Class: Common. Weight: 0.2 kg. This can be converted into a highly flammable oil.

  You have found: Bull River Skath Pheromone Gland. Durability: 6/6. Item Class: Uncommon. Weight 0.02 kg. You feel this could be used to enrage river skath cows. It might be useful to make a Strength potion or appetite suppressant.

  Whenever one of them found something useful, they would call out and the item would be set to the side. It was gory work, but the components they found made it worthwhile. The bear alone provided enough raw material to make eight moonstone ingots, and the scent gland could prove to be invaluable. The time spent harvesting also served a much deep purpose. After a few minutes, Beyan began to speak.

  CHAPTER 19

  “My family comes from across the Beckoning Sea, south of the Plains of Gold. We served the local ruler as magicians. For generations, our services were valued and our family was respected. I was from a proud bloodline.” Beyan’s voice was thick with bitterness and regret, like a once sweet syrup that had turned rancid. “We were always strong in various magics. My uncle was an accomplished Earth mage and my grandmother was a Dark mage. It was known, though, that Death magic was the true strength of my family. It was the magic that my grandfather was born with. It was the magic that I was born with.”

  Beyan laughed without any real humor. “I remember how, as a child, I was praised. The local assessor discovered that my starting Death affinity was 100%. My family was so proud and all I heard for days was how wonderful my life would be. I sometimes wonder if they were right. If my life might have been great if…” His voice caught. Richter and Sion looked at one another, but neither spoke. Beyan kept sawing at the body of the skath he was working on. They went back to work as well.

  After a few minutes, the gnome started speaking again. “My grandfather was a powerful Death mage, but he was more interested in creating life. At least that was how he explained why he dove between the legs of ev
ery woman in the kingdom. My grandmother turned a blind eye to it, but one day he chose a target that she couldn’t ignore. He bedded the wife of the local duke. The fool! To make matters worse, the duke’s son found them in the act, and my grandfather killed him.”

  Beyan barked a short, dark laugh. “My bastard of a grandfather was gravely injured as he made his escape. He only just managed to make it home before he succumbed to his wounds. Mind you, he didn’t warn any of the family of what he had done or what danger he had placed us all in. He simply hid in his room and died.

  “The duke had already started mobilizing his men to search for my grandfather. If there was one thing my family was known for more than its magical ability, it was my grandfather’s philandering ways. It didn’t take the duke long to know exactly who was responsible for the cuckolding of his wife and the murder of his son. To make matters worse, he had used death magic to kill the noble heir. There was no doubt as to my grandfather’s guilt.”

  Beyan shook his head. His hands continued to saw back and forth. They were all doing their best to preserve the skath hides while they harvested. He collected himself again and added, “The duke was known as a brutal man. My entire family would have been tortured before death in retribution, if not for my grandfather’s warning.” Beyan’s voice quavered at the end and he grew silent again.

  A few more minutes passed and Richter couldn’t resist asking, “But I thought you said that your grandfather spoke to no one before he died?”

  Beyan smiled with sick fatalism. His hand continued its bloody work. “You forget. There was another Death mage in the family. They discovered my talent when I was five years old and for the next year, I practiced incessantly until I reached skill level eleven and could cast the spell Commune with Dead I. It would only work on the recently deceased, but it forced spirits to appear and tell the truth for a short time.” He chuckled darkly. “You have no idea how much ‘loving’ family members were willing to pay to get the truth out of a dearly departed husband or uncle. My chores didn’t consist of sweeping the floor or washing pans. Instead I added to the family by hearing spirits confess to murders in detail or reveal where they had hidden money from their families. I will say one thing about being a Death mage. It gives an unvarnished and stark view of life.