Origin ARS 3 (Origin A.R.S.)

by Scottie Futch

  <<< Quest! >>>

  Liberate the Mermaid Grotto!

  The mermaid Neira has asked for your help in liberating her home from the fishy forces of the Shar-Shar. Crush them with your mighty power, or barring that, rescue a few of her friends!

  Difficulty: Moderate

  Reward: Improved intimacy with the mermaids. A special reward based on effectiveness of the liberation effort.

  Requirements: Locate and liberate the mermaid grotto. If the Shar-Shar have occupied the area, exterminate them all. Rescue any mermaids in the area.

  Time Remaining: 3 days

  <<< * >>>

  Scott could not believe that the quest only rated as moderately difficult. The Shar-Shar would be numerous and higher in level. His magic would do terrible damage to them if he managed to target them in groups, but the average level of his party was below twenty even with the mermaid’s levels added.

  He looked back to see how the girls were doing. He had taken last watch while they rested. Soon they would leave and head for the grotto. It would take only a few hours to reach it now that they could swim quickly enough to keep up with the speedy mermaids.

  The sorcerer thought about all of the changes that had occurred recently. In many ways it was like a chapter of his life had closed, and a new one was opening. Much of the emotional baggage that burdened his heart had flowed away, like a current in the sea. It would still take time to truly accept his own feelings, but he had admitted them clearly. That simple admission made him feel lighter, stronger.

  He did not know what would happen in the coming days, but right now he had wonderful people in his life. He did not have to pretend to be someone else or hide behind the mask of his former profession.

  Scott thought about how things had changed, and then thought about his recent decisions. Some had worked out, but a few of them had been too close for comfort. He had even lost out on his armor and weapons from before.

  The coral armor he had found only worked for Shar-Shar or other naturally aquatic people. His transformation ability did not offer him the capacity to wear that armor for some reason. He had literally spent the last few days wearing nothing more than a set of bikini briefs and a handful of low-grade accessories that were more for appearances than any actual utility.

  As far as weapons went, his spear was nice enough. It even allowed for synchronization of his spells. Yet, he missed his rat fang gauntlets. Underwater combat training had been lucrative in many ways, but despite how much he enjoyed both that and the company of the mermaids, he was ready for a good old fashioned land based adventure.

  Sometimes it was still hard to believe that this was his life now. Life in a game-like world was fun and certainly interesting. He could not help but wonder if there was more to it, however. Rhea had claimed that she brought him here to be her champion, but he was not really certain what that meant. He had thought that it meant that he had powers similar to one of the gods who played this game in mortal form, but something seemed off about that.

  He decided to ask her more about his true purpose once they finished their work here. Questions like that one could be asked in Eizen, as he felt that it might prove to be a distraction at present.

  The sun peeked out from the curtain of night. Dawn on the sea was a magical time. The music became livelier. The scents changed to a more delightful aroma. The sky took on myriad colors, and the sun gleamed beautifully.

  A soft voice echoed inside his mind. “Wow, how pretty!”

  Ero separated from her host and looked around for a moment. After she enjoyed the view for a moment she turned and gave Scott a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, Scott.”

  He reached up and gently caressed her cheek with his pinky. “Morning Ero.”

  She smiled sweetly but then pouted. “Don’t you want my morning to be good?”

  “I want all of your mornings to be good.” said Scott.

  Ero threw her arms open and hugged the side of his face. Scott instinctively wanted to tell her to stop, but he remembered recent events and allowed her to embrace him in her preferred manner.

  She dropped down to his shoulder and took a seat. Ero was quiet for a time, but she could not resist speaking. She unleashed a slow, content, sigh. “This is so nice.”

  “Yes, watching the sun rise with your BFF is a good thing.” said Scott.

  Ero smiled gently. “I’m still your BFF, huh?”

  “Yes, forever and ever and ever and...” began Scott in an overly cheerful voice.

  The fairy laughed in a sweet way. “I’m glad. I know it was a lot to dump on you recently.”

  Scott reached his hand up and she clasped one of his fingers with her hands. “You’re someone important to me, Ero. You can talk to me about anything.”

  She kissed the tip of his index finger then sighed. “I’m a little selfish, I guess. I know you and Rhea are together, or at least together enough that I make things difficult for you.”

  Scott was quiet for a moment. He took that time to formulate his thoughts. Finally, he spoke. “You’re my Ero. If things are difficult that just means that you’re someone who is worth having strong feelings for.”

  The fairy’s smile grew three sizes, but her eyes began to mist over. She was on the verge of crying. “Y-you really think so, Scott?”

  “Yes.” he said simply.

  “I... That makes me so happy.” Ero pressed her face to his finger and began to cry a little.

  Scott smiled at the rising sun. She was a sweet girl. It was good to see her honestly express herself. He knew how hard that sort of thing could be when you were afraid of speaking it aloud.

  ***

  It was just after midday before they came within sight of the grotto. At least, Ero could see something in the distance that resembled what the grotto was supposed to look like. Scott had the team spread out at twenty meter intervals. He had the group traveling in a method that would be difficult to impossible on land, but was useful when you had to travel in an open environment with no dedicated surface to walk upon.

  Ero worked overwatch from a distance high above. Her tiny size would not alert any on duty Shar-Shar, and she could see a great distance through the water due to the fact that she was considered to be an elemental water spirit in her own right.

  Rhea had been assigned the low-forward position. She was over forty meters in front of Scott, but also forty meters below him. Thankfully, the fisherman transformation allowed them to avoid certain negative aspects of the water, such as how rapidly they could change depths in a safe manner.

  The mermaids were flanked wide to the left and wide to the right. They would be able to create a triangle of madness as Scott liked to call it, by picking a designated point where their screams intersected.

  The traveling method used was designed with a specific purpose in mind, and that purpose would soon be tested. Ero spoke through the party messaging system. “Scott, six Shar-Shar at um six-by-um...eight. Yeah, six-by-eight at two hundred, shallow ten... no twelve.”

  Scott responded. “Alright, let’s get ready team.”

  The group swam straight down for around ten to twelve meters and then turned toward the left slightly. He was sure that the army had probably thought up something similar for underwater battles, or even space scenarios. However, he had not trained for either.

  Scott had spent a little time during their training to design a simple system for navigating and battling as a team while in the water. He had trained the girls to see threats as being similar to intersecting clocks. It was not perfect, but it would give general directional headings. They had no special equipment for measurement and distance, so they needed something to visualize.

  The mermaids had not easily understood the concept during the first few hunting trips, but after a while they picked up on it. They had never seen a clock before. Rhea knew about them, and Ero had access to Scott’s memories. So, they had adapted with greater speed. Afterward, they helped to train the mermaids.

 
; He had been forced to explain it to Neira and Kiley in simpler terms. So, he had used his finger. He showed them the hunting method via rotating his finger in a circle. He had placed his hand straight out, pointed to the left, and then rolled his hand in a small circle. He had then turned his finger straight up and moved his hand like he was stirring a pot. Eventually, they had understood.

  The system he had devised used one clock face to determine the general position of the opponent in relation to the team’s position. The second clock told them exactly where they were oriented. Shallow meant that the opponent was below them but not more than forty meters. Had they come from above, Ero would have used the term rise.

  Ero had told them that the Shar-Shar group was to their lower-left. They were positioned at a small downward angle that was roughly twelve meters down and two hundred meters forward of their position. Now they were at the right depth.

  They turned to the left a little then waited. It did not take long before the Shar-Shar noticed their presence. The monsters gurgled something menacing then raced in with their spears. The background music immediately changed to a battle tune.

  “Wait for it.” said Scott.

  Neira and Kiley tensed. They would be up first. Rhea was at a position a good distance below them even though she was a bit forward compared to the rest of the team. The Shar-Shar might break off and attack her, but they fought best in a straight line. That was the weakness of their underwater strategy. They were strong opponents in the sea, but they typically performed the aquatic version of a spear unit charge. It would work great against finnies, or the occasional large sea beast. However, it was a terrible strategy against a prepared party.

  “Now!” cried Scott.

  The mermaids screamed out their songs simultaneously. Their powers crossed each other perfectly at precisely the right point. The fish-men immediately clutched at their heads and cried out in shock.

  Scott whirled his spear around overhead then slammed it downward before he cried out, “Howling Gale!”

  An underwater tornado erupted outward from his position. It tore at the closest of the Shar-Shar, and then dragged the more distant members in with its potent vacuum effect. The closest ones died quickly but the ones that had been farther away did not receive full damage. They were greatly weakened, however.

  Unfortunately, for the confused fish-men their torment was not over. Rhea streaked upward and began to hack, stab, and slash at them with great skill. She tore into their confused body and quickly ended the lives of the remaining monsters.

  A few seconds after the absolute slaughter ended, the music shifted back to its serene aquatic theme. Scott said, “Good job team.”

  <<< Battle Report >>>

  Congratulations!

  Your team defeated twelve Shar-Shar!

  + 1832 EXP

  + 1056 Fayth

  + 24 Ability Points

  Item(s) Acquired

  Cracked spear X 3

  Fish scale X 8

  Fang X 7

  Fish Eye X 1

  Shar-Shar Fillet X 2

  Coral Spear X 1

  <<< * >>>

  “Not bad...” The Shar-Shar represented a lot of experience points at the moment since they were at a higher level than he was. Without the human experience bonus, he would have earned roughly one-third of that amount.

  “Right.” said Neira. The mermaids were higher level than the Shar-Shar, however. They gained little to no experience most of the time, and the Fayth was slim. They still gained ability points usually, however.

  Scott smiled at the girl. She smiled back then fanned her tail slowly.

  He asked Ero, “Are there any other groups nearby?”

  “No, I don’t see any.” replied the fairy.

  “Alright, do you think you can handle a little experience transference?” asked Scott.

  “Oh, yes! Give it to me, Scott!” Ero cried out excitedly then clapped her hands.

  Rhea rolled her eyes then smiled. The little fairy was always enthusiastic about that.

  Scott called up Ero’s information screen then began the transfer. She was level nine already. This would put her at nearly level ten. Scott had transferred his experience to her regularly since he had risen to level eighteen.

  Ero cried out passionately as she felt his experience points entering into her. She started to whisper and babble random words. After the transfer ended she giggled softly.

  “You alright?” asked Scott.

  “Mnn, oh yes. I am so alright, right now.” replied the fairy in cheerful tone.

  “Can I, like, have some of what she’s having?” asked Kiley.

  “Yeah... No kidding.” said Neira.

  “Sorry ladies.” said Scott. He offered them a friendly smile, but he could see their disappointment quite easily.

  The mermaids pouted at him then fanned their tails cutely. Rhea called out, “Maybe we should get moving.”

  “Sounds good. Alright, team, back in formation and check your distance.” said Scott.

  “Yes, sir!” cried Neira before giving him a salute. She followed it with a wink.

  Scott grinned at her. She had really enjoyed doing that once he had taught it to her.

  The girls returned to their positions, and the team moved forward once more. They were almost at their destination. Once they arrived on the outskirts of the grotto a message appeared.

  <<< Message >>>

  You have entered an area currently under occupation by an opposing force. You may not set this location as a salvation point while it is occupied.

  <<< * >>>

  “So, that settles the question of whether this place is occupied or not.” said Scott.

  Neira growled under her breath, a strange sound underwater. “Those nasty Shar-Shar!”

  “Oh, like, what do we do now?” asked Kiley?

  “Do?” asked Scott in a light tone of voice.

  The mermaids turned toward him, their eyes wide and curious. This was a serious problem, after all. The Shar-Shar would be able to use this place as a spawn location in the future.

  “We evict their scaly asses.” said the man with a feral grin.

  Neira’s eyes lit up. She looked at Kiley and the mermaid glanced at her in kind. They looked back to Scott with great excitement. “Can we really do it?”

  He smiled at them, further bolstering their courage. When they began to smile at him tentatively, he said, “I have no idea.”

  “Wha-?” asked Neira. Where had his confidence gone?

  “Oh, my hopes....” said Kiley.

  Scott laughed softly. “We need to scout the place first. We need to know how many Shar-Shar are here.”

  “Oh, right!” said Kiley. Her hope for the future had returned.

  The sorcerer sent Ero out to investigate the area. She could hide easier than anyone else due to her size. If they saw her at a distance, the Shar-Shar might think she was a weird little fish.

  A short time passed while the fairy investigated. The rest of the team hid within a rocky area and waited to receive word from their adorable little spy.

  Ero returned about an hour later. The little fairy was super excited by what she had seen. She spoke about her adventure in detail for a few minutes.

  “And there was this really fat one in front of the cage!” exclaimed Ero. She thrust her arms out sideways for emphasis.

  Scott grinned at the enthusiastic little thing. “Good job, secret agent Ero.”

  She clasped her hands together and placed them near her thighs then rocked back and forth while giggling. She had been praised and it felt so very good.

  He turned to the rest of the girls. “It seems like most of the Shar-Shar are on the beach overhead. If we come at them from the cave we should be able to clear it quickly. Our mermaid team members can hold that position with their screams, since they are not collared like the other girls.

  Ero had revealed that there was a small prison area that contained several depressed mermaids. Each had
a collar around her neck. Rhea had supplied the information regarding what those collars probably did. It had made sense to Scott that the Shar-Shar had to have had a method to keep the mermaids under wraps. Otherwise their screams would have been too much, even on land.

  Kiley had been kept away from the fire pits a short distance, so she had not needed to be collared, though the Shar-Shar had given her a wide-berth before her release.

  “We sneak in, fry some fish, release your friends, and then make a lot of noise to draw in the rest of the group on the surface.” said Scott. He continued to plot out their attack strategy for a moment then asked for input.

  The girls listened to his general plan then brought up useful things to help him formulate a more concise strategy. Eventually, they settled on their strike method.

  “Alright, let’s go team.” said Scott enthusiastically.

  The girls quietly whispered out, “Yeah!” and then everyone swam off toward their goal.

  They moved deeper into the sea and then found one of the remote entrances to the grotto. There was a natural honeycomb of caves in the area that the mermaids had used as homes, and the chosen entrance would lead them to their goal.

  It was strangely easy to infiltrate the place. They had seen no guards anywhere. It was like the Shar-Shar were so confident in their occupation that they did not fear another armed force taking their new real-estate away. It was understandable. The only people in the area who would have bothered them were either another group of Shar-Shar, or maybe pirates. Neither was likely to attack an armed encampment.

  They did not see a single Shar-Shar in any of the outer caves. They moved further into the area. The place remained empty for quite a while. Ero had been right. It seemed like everyone was on the surface.