The Stone Raiders kept it pinned, not allowing it to get up.
The norbu lord couldn’t do anything but try to get people with its tail and mouth, leaving its long sides completely open.
Everyone got into a rhythm, chipping through the norbu’s Health pool as Lucy’s supporters went around checking on people’s Health, Mana, and Stamina, using spells and buffs to help where they could and giving out food and potions.
The norbu lord let out a screech before it fell to the ground, its Health pool finally at zero. Someone made sure it was dead.
Everyone relaxed, panting and recovering from the massive battle. It had taken five days just to reach the cliffs that they had fought in. Then, another three days to get to this point.
A notification appeared at the end of the raid area as several chests overflowing with loot appeared.
Norbu Infestation Raid
Stone Raiders
Josh’s notifications bar blinked at him, demanding attention.
Norbu Infestation Raid
You and your Raid party are the first to finish this area. As such, you get a +10% modifier to XP and +40% increase to Raid’s bounty!
Josh didn’t know who started it but they started whooping and cheering, celebrating their victory and holding up their weapons, excited for the hard-won victory and the prizes that they had gained.
It took some time before it settled down.
“All right, well, I say that we camp here for tonight, see how this norbu tastes and then head back to Selhi tomorrow morning!” Josh yelled out.
Again, there were cheers and yells of agreement.
“Play hard, party harder?” Dwayne asked, a grin on his face and his helmet tucked under his arm.
“Stealing my words, mate?”
“Only when they aren’t completely ridiculous.” Dwayne smiled.
“I’ll have my mages lay out tripwires and the like,” Kim said, through their party chat that allowed them to hear one another at all times.
“Thanks. Don’t want some other creatures smelling all this blood and thinking they can make a meal out of us.” Josh felt as if he was forgetting to say something. “Oh, damn, my memory’s going. Dave just finished with the Benvari Mountain’s Dwarves. The party is looking to meet up with us as soon as possible.”
“I’m interested to see how they’ve grown,” Lucy said. “They certainly had a few interesting ideas of how to use their powers when they left.”
“With that lot, expecting to be surprised is probably the best bet,” Kim chipped in.
Chapter 33: Good-byes and Good Travels
Gorrund, Jesal, and Lovan saw them off as they headed away from Benvari and back up the path toward Nadorf.
Dave had made new and improved Abscondita armor for himself and Deia; the old armor he’d reformed to meet Anna and Suzy’s sizes. Induca and Malsour still wore their matching cloaks with different interiors.
As they walked, two metal golems and one Earth golem wandered with them. Suzy’s strength had increased in leaps and bounds at Benvari.
All of them had gotten much stronger with their stay. Now, they had some coin in their pocket and a destination.
“Suzy, let’s see if your golems can keep up.” Deia went from a walk to a jog and then a full-out run. Dave smiled as she jumped into the trees that were on either side of the road.
“Malsour, Induca, you’re it!” Dave called out as they were the last two to make it into the trees.
The golems were too slow to keep up. The rock golem turned back into its core but the metal lost some weight and turned into drones that easily kept up with them.
Well, that could be very useful in the upcoming battles.
They came down out of the trees after a few games; Dave was the one winded first now.
“We’re going to have to work on that Agility of yours. Your Endurance is high but even at the speeds we’re going, your lack of Agility will weigh on your Endurance,” Deia said.
Dave just nodded and agreed as they continued on at a run but not a full sprint so that he could recover his Stamina somewhat.
“Seems that my student has not been keeping up with his training. I will have to remedy that!” Deia yelled as Dave had half of his Stamina bar filled. She chased after Dave with her sword drawn.
“What are you doing!?” Dave jumped into the trees to get away from her.
“Training my student! ’Bout time you had some fighting practice. Best we learn just how rusty you’ve gotten spending all your time hammering metal into submission!”
Dave didn’t have a good feeling about it as he started being attacked by Deia while running through trees. Crap, I have gotten worse and she’s gotten a lot better! He fought her off as they continued on their journey.
None of them needed more than a few hours of sleep and they all had good night vision, so they continued running into the night. It took them just over a day and a half to get to Nadorf, instead of the two days it had taken to get to the Benvari Mountains.
They camped outside Nadorf, waiting for the gates to open in the morning.
“Well, either we wander around and check out Nadorf, or we go over to Selhi right now. Selhi is three hours behind us, so right now they’re still asleep,” Deia said.
“Well, I vote for checking out the town. There is a mages’ guild here, after all,” Suzy said.
“It has a respectable selection,” Malsour said.
“And I already have a guide.” Suzy smiled and tapped Malsour on the back.
“I’ll come as well—interested what they’ve got on Fire magic,” Induca said.
“I would only be too happy to help you both with your studies.” Malsour led them into the town and off toward the mages college.
Dave made to follow them but found Deia’s arm on his elbow.
“You’ve had enough time cooped up in dark and dingy places. We need to get you back into good shape. You got stronger but your Agility has had little to no improvement. You’ve been sitting still and not fighting. This will give you a chance to limber up. You are always on the front lines, so it’s time we started getting you fighting ready.”
Dave made to argue but Anna stepped in.
“Dave, you’re the only other person who can fight at the front. Deia is better suited for hitting someone with her magic or from behind with one of her ranged attacks. Malsour and Induca are pure mages but their natural abilities make them deadly in a fight, if they’re in their Dragon forms. Suzy doesn’t have those capabilities.
“If either me or Deia go down, you are going to be the frontline fighter. You are a good fighter, but we’re going to Heval. If Opheir is a level-one continent, then Heval is a level-four. You need to be ready for those kinds of threats.”
“All right, well, let’s start. I feel like I’m going to regret this all too soon,” Dave said.
“Possibly.” Deia smiled.
For the good of the party. I know they’re looking out for me and the others. I really wanted to check out the mages college—maybe later?
The three of them went through exercises, and then through fighting. Dave didn’t realize how sloppy he’d become after the months of smithing. His Strength was impressive but his Agility was indeed lacking. They moved him through different Agility training regimes to see what leveled up his Agility the fastest. In the end, they went with obstacle courses.
They were much harder than the forest as there was a set path that stretched a person’s abilities to the limit. There weren’t any branches to swing off of, or close-knit trees to jump from and to. Sure, there were obstacles like that. Though there were others like sand running, or cargo nets that you had to climb up. It didn’t simply work on the speed at which you could do things; it worked on technique, thinking your actions through.
After four hours, Dave was panting, drinking from his waterskin, and regretting ever putting his Agility training on hold. He was certainly paying for it now.
They moved into more sparring.
Deia and Anna were a sight to behold. Many groups of Players and POE turned to watch their fights as their blades rang out through the air.
Dave watched them, studying their movements as well as their weapons.
Seems that those new blades can finally handle her full strength, Dave thought with a bit of pride as Deia kept pressuring Anna to make a mistake as Anna threw Deia’s blades away and out of her way.
Deia took the blows, using them to pivot and drift out of the way.
Anna slammed into Deia; Deia danced. Their two ways of fighting were very different but their skill with each turned it into one hell of a show.
Anna put her foot in Deia’s instep; she slammed her knee into Deia’s, whirling out and around so that her big great sword rested next to her neck before Deia could even move.
Why is it that I have the feeling Anna is holding back? It was a scary thought but the burst of speed at the end made him doubtful that she had been using her full talents.
Being able to match someone for skill and only use the minimal amount of extra force to finish a match—that took a lot more work than someone who was just a few levels above.
That was the work of a master.
“Dave, your turn!” Anna said.
“Shit.” Dave sighed and moved to take Deia’s spot. She would be watching so that she could see his form. They both fought with dual weapons; seeing Dave’s ability would allow her to understand where he was at.
“Don’t beat me up too much because I didn’t train,” Dave asked as he lowered himself down. He turned off all the Abscondita’s enhancements and pulled out his twin axes from his belt loop. He meant to do something about them, but making everyone else’s weapons and gear had come first.
Dave moved the axes, feeling their balance once again as he automatically triggered Touch of the Land, creating a detailed picture of the area around him as well as Deia and Anna.
Anna’s high levels and her magical abilities made it hard to see through her personal space. He increased the Mana use, seeing her heartbeat and the muscles that were held tense, ready to act.
“Just act and react,” Dave said to himself, taking a deep breath.
Anna didn’t say anything but moved forward to attack him. Dave saw it. Even though he wouldn’t have been able to see her muscles through her armor, now he could see them contract and release, the flow of blood as she prepared a diagonal slash.
Dave jumped backward onto his right foot, before he rushed in and brought his left axe toward her head as her great sword cut through the space between them.
She dodged, bringing her sword up to deflect Dave’s right axe; her great sword came across to collide with his left hand.
Dave brought his left axe in, slamming his axe head against her great sword; he had a few moments to slow her momentum and get clear of her reach. Dave was breathing heavy as he squared up with Anna again.
“Well, seems that not everything was lost on you,” Deia said.
Anna came in again, this time faster. Dave’s eyes picked up her actions and reactions. His perception was actually working with his Touch of the Land ability and letting him see Anna’s actions as they were happening on a muscle level.
There was no room for conscious thought on Dave’s part. Only his high Intelligence was allowing him to intercept her hits. His brain was firing fast enough to make up for his body’s slow reaction speed.
She opened up his defense and slammed her shoulder into his chest. He lost his standing, toppling over to find her great sword near his groin.
“Watch out, he’s rather useful down there,” Deia said playfully.
“Ow.” Dave dropped his head to the training area’s dirt ground.
“You’re not as fast as Deia, but you’re not as rusty as I was scared of.” Anna held out a hand to him.
“Thanks, I feel so much better.” Dave took her help up to his feet.
“Your footwork is good, your speed is lacking, and your blows—you’re fighting like you’re beating your opponent into submission. Kind of like you think the air is the ore you’re working with,” Deia said.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Dave said.
“Thankfully, your fiancée and good friend Anna will endeavor to correct your problem areas.” Deia’s smile was like that of a hungry wolf.
Dave did not feel one bit safe after seeing that expression.
“We’ve got two more hours until we meet up at the teleport pad. Anna, you good for a few more rounds?”
“Yep.” Anna jumped, her armor shifting around until she was comfortable.
“Well, let’s get going. Less rest breaks should mean that your Agility increases a bit faster,” Deia said.
“What the hell did I get myself into?” Dave asked as Anna came at him with her great sword. With friends like this, who needs enemies!?
***
Induca chuckled as Dave, Anna, and Deia made it to the transport pad.
Malsour found it hard to not grin at Dave’s appearance. He looked as if he’d been training all day by the sweat and the way he was barely staying upright.
“Transport to Selhi capital,” the transport hub’s manager said in a bored tone as the transport hub glowed. People moved toward it and disappeared in one side as people from the Selhi capital departed out the other side of the transport pad, heading toward the guards who processed all new arrivals.
“Well, it sure as hell beats flying,” Dave said.
“You look like crap,” Suzy said.
“Find anything good in the mages college?” Dave asked, ignoring the statement.
“Not much—few things. Might find something interesting in Selhi,” Malsour said as they walked with the line.
“You used one of these before?” Induca asked Suzy.
“Nope. Anything that I should be worried about?”
“Nah, you’ll be fine unless you get motion sickness. You ready for this, bro?” Induca asked with a wicked gleam in her eye.
“No,” Malsour said.
Damn unnatural looking things, swirling rainbows and lights. I’m a Dragon, but if I’m riding a carriage or a transport pad, I feel nauseous as all hell. He tried to not think of it as he kept walking.
“Does Selhi have a mages college?” Dave asked.
“It does.”
“Ahh, it’s good that we get to see the Mages College of Heval right away.” Dave sounded relieved.
“There is more than one mages college in Heval. After all, Heval is controlled by four main groups separated by mountain ranges.”
“I thought Heval is as big as Opheir.”
“Did you never look at a map?” Deia asked.
“Well, no.” Dave scratched his head.
Deia sighed, opening her interface and sending him something.
“Oh wow, okay. I did not think that Heval was that big. Opheir is tiny! Only Per’ush is smaller and they’re technically floating city states.”
“There are a number of mages’ guilds on Heval. Per’ush still have the strongest, but Heval’s mostly deal with nature and alchemy as they have a thriving economic situation,” Malsour said.
“I would think that with all of those different kingdoms and such, it would make things complicated?” Suzy turned the statement into a question.
“Well, with Players being around, there are plenty of economic opportunities. There is also the threat of attacks. When there are no Players around, nations are known to fight—though in the last two hundred years, there has nearly always been an active cycle of Players.
“There are armies, but they usually work with one another to fight Players who are harming the People of Emerilia or they are looking to secure their own lands from mobs and the native aggressors of Emerilia. Politicians and royalty deal with alliances and trade agreements more than war and issues of violence, except in Ashal.”
“Ashal?” Deia asked.
“You must’ve heard of their expansion wars,” Anna said.
�
��Well, yes,” Deia said as they continued on, getting closer to the transport pad.
“The Ashal continent is the only continent where the kingdoms, empires and whatever groups there are, actively try to increase their claim of the land, whether or not there are Players on Emerilia or not. It is the highest rate land mass at Level 5. They have the most Rare and Legendary class resources with more dungeons, higher-leveled enemies, and events nearly every month or more. People of Emerilia in Ashal usually range about level 100, with fighters around level 150. A rare few of them are even 200 and up,” Malsour said.
“It is rare to see someone of that high of a level as other groups will make temporary alliances to deal with those higher-leveled people. They also actively look for Players to aid their wars.” Induca frowned.
“It has calmed down in recent years as my father has limited the Jukal influences on the different leaders. It used to be that Jukal people could spend money to gain a position of power, becoming enlightened advisors to the leaders of Ashal groups. They would use their armies and forces like a chess set to try to win control of Ashal. Now, the wars have gone on for so long, few know why they are happening,” Anna said.
“Well, Emerilia is certainly filled with surprises,” Dave said.
Malsour looked up at the transport pad.
“I hate this bit,” he muttered, before he stepped onto the transport pad. He focused on a point in the distance as he saw a swirl of colors all around him. His foot hit the ground and he was walking out of the transport pad and into Selhi’s capital city.
He was a bit wobbly on his feet, better than Suzy who came through not realizing that she was still walking. Induca caught her before she fell over. Suzy went bright red for her near-accident.
Deia did the same for Dave as he came through and almost faceplanted.
They all grouped together, heading for the line talking to guards.
“Shit, you’ve even got customs here,” Dave said.
Emerilia will be continued in For The Guild.
Benvari Mountains (Emerilia Book 2) Page 31
