The blade hadn’t appeared to do much at first, a nasty wound to be sure, but nothing that a simple healing spell wouldn’t fix, until it, along with the knife, started to glow a sickly shade of green.
Now, describing the multiple screams that came out of Aldok’s mouth as merely ‘unsettling’ doesn’t do it justice, much like saying ‘brutal’ doesn’t quite put into words the horrifying and gruesome scene of Aldok falling to his knees, snapping backwards, and sending a plume of red and green smoke high up into the cavern.
It was some time before the whole ordeal was said and done, but even when it had finished up I was left standing there, staring with my mouth gaping open like a teenager seeing his first real vagina.
After a while though, and a great deal of internalised therapy, I managed to look away, and discovered that a little notification had buzzed and I hadn’t even noticed.
Progress made in mission: Back From the Dead.
Objective completed: Kill Aldok Dethrisr.
Objective added: Go to the Innkeeper in Brathil Moal.
Guild Rank Changed!
Guild Rank: Supreme Necromancer.
‘In climbing the ranks of the Necromancer Order by assassinating the original Supreme Necromancer, you discover that your physical appearance has begun to change. Your skin cracks, and a sickly green glow can be seen in the fissures as it flows through your body. The undead now see you as a deity, but those among the living, particularly those who walk the path of light, can see the true evil within you.’
“Heh, neat.” I said as I looked over my body and saw that it had, in fact, begun to crack and split, “Didn’t see that coming.”
With all my fellow masters thoroughly butchered by yours truly, I decided that it was in my best interests to leave the cave of gore, and walked out through this weird sort of back door on the opposite side of the cavern to where I came in.
It was early morning, and the small, obscured, rocky ledge I found myself on once I’d walked out through the door was absolutely coated in snow and the light glimmers of barely frozen dew.
“What a beautiful day.” I proclaimed as I looked out over the rich forest at the base of the mountain, “Now, how the flippity shit do I get down?”
Armelia: Chapter 5
I eventually managed to find a way down by using the tried-and-true method of walking in long diagonals, but once I reached the bottom a pit formed in my stomach as I realised that I hadn’t thought about Gerry in at least fifteen minutes.
Anyone who’s lost someone close to them will be able to tell you that that is possibly one of the worst feelings in the world.
At first there’s this guilt that sort of builds up and screams at you, and there’s a few minutes of near-unbearable sadness, and then, to top it all off, the cold depressive state returns and you’re back to being dead inside.
I hated it.
It made me feel weak, like I was some whingey little girl who couldn’t control her emotions, but at the same time the logical half of my brain was telling me it was completely natural to feel the way I did, and that anyone else in my position would undoubtedly feel the same way.
That didn’t help though.
Nothing did.
I knew, in my heart of hearts, that all I could do was try to distract myself as best as I could and hope that the moments in between would be fleeting enough that I wouldn’t be able to dwell on them long enough to feel suicidal again.
Wow, that got surprisingly grim, didn’t it?
Well, doesn’t matter, because right before I got the chance to start thinking about logging off and going to have a good cry, Shadow-Stal, my big, beautiful black stallion, showed up, covered in blood with the closest thing to a smile that he could manage.
“Oh-ho-ho,” I laughed between choked back tears as I walked over to him and started running my hand over his blood-covered neck, “what’ve you been up to?”
Shadow-Stal, unsurprisingly, didn’t say anything, and instead opted to trot at the ground purposefully a few times before letting out a proud huff.
“Is that right?” I asked as I climbed up into the saddle, “Killed a bunch o’ twats with spears and helmets?”
Again, Shadow-Stal huffed proudly.
“That’s a good boy,” I replied before pulling up my quest log and scrolling through it, “that’s a good boy…”
There were a few missions that I could do, the most appetising of which was the one where I went ahead and sliced a bunch of necromancers to pieces, but the closest, not only geographically, but also to completion, was the ‘Back From the Dead’ one.
After ensuring that I had the right place on my map marked, I gave the reins a tug and started us on the path toward Brathil Moal.
Armelia: Chapter 6
“This is rather boring, innit?” I asked after a solid fifteen minutes of silent riding through the woods, “Sure could use some company…”
I was briefly worried that that little external thought was going to lead to another bout of sadness, but instead it just gave me an idea.
Summoned Miss Fluffy-Scaleskin.
“You seem a whole lot more fitting,” I said with a smile as my snake coiled her way around my body, before giving Shadow-Stal a good pat on the side of his neck, “as do you. Now that we’ve abandoned that goody-goody act, I don’t care if we make people uncomfortable as we ride into town.”
And I really didn’t.
In fact, the more uncomfortable people were, the better I’d feel.
It sounds sociopathic, I know, but I had this thing inside me that made me feel like things would be at least a little better if I could make the arseholes around me feel at least half as crappy as I felt.
Misery loves company and all that.
“What’s that?” I asked as we approached an odd structure in the woods, “Just up there, do you see it?”
Now, I think it’s important to clarify here that I wasn’t expecting a response from either of the animals in my company, Hel, I probably would’ve flipped my biscuit if either one of them started chatting away, but there was some part of me that needed to hear a human’s voice.
Anyway, it was a cabin, only it appeared to be made of some kind of flat, porous wood, and had an… odd paintjob around the windows.
“Are those…” I trailed off as we drew nearer to the house and little colourful rocks became visible around the property line, “No, they can’t be…”
They, in fact, were.
“Gumdrops?” I let out confusedly as we finally reached the break in the forest where the cabin sat, “I just… Gumdrops? That doesn’t-”
A child screaming from within the house pulled my attention away from the large sugary treats, but I had yet to draw either of my blades.
“What do you think?” I asked Shadow-Stal as I stood watching the house while my snake continued to wrap around my body, occasionally stopping to see what I was doing before going back to her work, “Think we should investigate? Could be fun?”
Shadow-Stal hoofed at the ground.
“I know it’s a bit closer to the hero side of things, but-”
Again, Shadow-Stal stomped.
I hesitated for a few moments, then sighed and shrugged, “I suppose your right, if we ran to every screaming child we’d never get anything done.” I said before climbing back onto Shadow-Stal, “But you’re the bad guy here, not me, that’s the story I’m gonna tell.”
Shadow-Stal let out a disinterested breath at that while Miss Fluffy-Scaleskin went to work slithering her way off of me and took the lead.
“Sorry,” I muttered to the child as I returned to my journey, “witches gotta eat too.”
Armelia: Chapter 7
To be perfectly honest, I was actually curious as to why I’d reacted the way I had back at the witch’s house.
Any other day and I’d have gone in there, blades flashing and magic burning, but I just hadn’t felt that drive, that desire to do something good.
It’s as if I’d
actually allowed what happened with Aldok and the others to change me on a deep and psychological level, and I didn’t wholly mind.
I had purpose, and I wasn’t about to get thrown off that by the promise of a potential small reward and some fuzzy feeling inside, a fuzzy feeling that I was more or less convinced that I was incapable of feeling for the time being.
Anyway, we eventually found the road, and with it, an easier time of travelling.
I hadn’t realised just how much time was wasted going between trees and avoiding rocks in my path until we were on that long, bare stretch of heavily trodden dirt.
Miss Fluffy-Scaleskin levelled up!
Miss Fluffy-Scaleskin is now Level 4!
“What have yo-woah…” I let out in stunned surprise as I saw my snake devour an entire rabbit in a single bite, “How did you manage that?”
Fluffy responded with a simple, quiet belch, then grew another foot.
“You’ll have to be careful,” I whispered to Shadow-Stal, “one of these days she’s going to have a go at you.”
Shadow-Stal ignored my half-concern, and continued on clopping his way down the road, snubbing the overfilled cart coming our way.
“Please don’t talk to me, please don’t talk to me…” I muttered as the straw-hat of the entirely too happy elf rendered, “If you talk to me, I swear to-”
“Morning!” the elf, labelled as Glippo, exclaimed as our paths crossed, “Isn’t it just a wonderful day?”
“It is,” I replied as politely as I could without stopping, “safe travels.”
“Now say, is that a sword on your back?” Glippo asked while I continued to avoid eye contact, “My, I don’t suppose you’d be interested in a little bit of a wager.”
“No, sorry, no wo-wait… a wager?” I asked as I spun around, “What kind of wager?”
“Well, a fight of course!” Glippo replied elatedly from where he stood barefoot a dozen or so feet behind me, “If my blade wins, I take your horse, if yours does, then… well, let’s just say that I’ve a heavy purse, a very heavy purse.”
I didn’t particularly approve of his sly wording, it was obvious that there was some kind of treachery afoot, but shy of bringing out a literal giant, I couldn’t see what he could do to best me.
“Just how heavy of a purse?” I asked as I disembarked from Shadow-Stal, trying not to sound too eager as I did so.
Glippo’s smile widened, knowing that I was basically ensnared in his web, “More than enough to buy you five horses such as yours.” he said confidently, “How about this, if you agree to the duel now, I will give half the contents of my purse, even if you lose.”
“We have a deal then.” I practically blurted out without thinking, immediately regretting it once the mission popped up.
Mission Started: Dancing Swords.
Objective added: Watch the Duel.
“Wait, what?” I managed to get out before, with a dainty little clap, Glippo had summoned both our swords, his being made entirely of blue energy, out in front of us, clashing against each other.
“Oh…” I trailed off as I watched the two blades glance off each other in spectacular fashion, “this could be a problem…”
Armelia: Chapter 8
To say I was concerned about the outcome of a battle that I had no way of interfering with would be a massive understatement.
It was like watching a younger sibling play in your profile in an online shooter, knowing that you could do a better job, and subtly panicking about whether or not they were going to completely ruin your stats.
“Come on…” I quietly muttered as Glippo and I watched the fight unfold, “Come on…”
The battle was indescribable beyond simply saying it was like watching two invisible warriors battle it out, and even that didn’t take into account the fact that the swords moved in ways that didn’t leave any room for a person.
“How is a winner decided?” I asked as Glippo’s blade did this bizarre movement where it spun around like a helicopter blade and then used the momentum to smash the broad side of Sparky, wracking my ears with a screaming clashing sound.
“When the other blade is destroyed, of course.” Glippo replied gleefully, “How else?”
I went to talk about some kind of point system, but decided that it’d be lost on someone like Glippo, and instead returned to standing in tense, unwavering silence.
Each clash, each brutal explosion of sparks sent flying from metal-to-metal contact sent almost painful shivers up my spine.
It was like having someone poking my television screen, only my sword was practical, and I’d lose one of my only friends if it decided to give up and smash into a million pieces.
I was right about to call it quits, and by that I mean I was going to stab Glippo in the gut and take everything he had of value, when suddenly, with a burst of blue energy, Sparky McStabby-Stab destroyed Glippo’s sword.
Mission Started: Dancing Swords.
Objective completed: Watch the Duel.
Objective added: Collect your Prize.
“Yes!” I whooped while Glippo did nothing but stare at the light rain of blue that was peppering the road, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
My sword returned to its rightful place on my hip, while Glippo’s did whatever it is atomized swords do.
I wasn’t being the best of sports, sure, but the fact that he’d come into the fight with such confidence made it all-too satisfying to shut him down.
“So, I’ll be collecting my reward then?” I said, sticking my hand out in front of me and smiling, “Or do you need a minute to collect up what is left of your blade?”
Glippo shot me a fiery glare, but quickly simmered down when he apparently realised that he had no means to back up his anger, “Alright,” he replied with a little smirk before pulling out a purse and dumping it in my hands, “there’s your reward.”
Received Bag of Rocks: Weight 8(-8), Damage: 15.
Equipped Bag of Rocks.
Mission Completed: Dancing Swords.
+50 XP.
Progress: 1760/7500.
“What the Hel is this?” I snapped, waggling the bag around in front of Glippo’s smug face, “Where’s my gold?”
“Gold?” Glippo asked, “What gold? I don’t recall gold ever being mentioned, let alone offered.”
“The implication was obvious.” I growled.
“Well, it’s your fault for assuming then, isn’t it?” Glippo replied with deeply annoying confidence, “Now, I bid you good day.”
In case you hadn’t guessed, I wasn’t altogether pleased with that outcome, and before I knew what I was doing, I was bashing the back of Glippo’s head in with his own bag of rocks.
The first hit little but stunned the elf, but the second? Ooh-wee, that second hit made one bloody big mess, with an emphasis on bloody.
“Screw. You!” I barked between bashings before I managed to knock the apparently incredibly weak Glippo to the ground, “Don’t. Make. Deals. You. Don’t. Intend. To. Keep!”
I didn’t get a point in any skills.
I didn’t get any experience.
I didn’t level up.
All I got was satisfaction.
Gory.
Violent.
Laughing.
Satisfaction.
Looking back on it, that should’ve been around the time I started considering therapy options, but, you know, who has two spare hours every other week?
Armelia: Chapter 9
It took a while, but I eventually got around to searching Glippo’s possessions and wasn’t entirely surprised to discover that there wasn’t anything of much value hidden away amongst the dozens upon dozens of random knick-knacks.
“Well,” I said as I mounted Shadow-Stal and got us back on track, “that was a complete waste of time, wasn’t it? I vote no more distractions, deal?”
Shadow-Stal let out what I guessed was an affirmative huff and picked up the pace slightly after I gave him a light kick in the ribs.
The citizens scattered as I breached the threshold of their town, and I couldn’t help but chuckle as we passed a group of children who, upon seeing me, began to scream to the point where their parents had to come rushing out to ‘protect them’.
“I could get used to this,” I said as we came to the front of the inn, “would make shopping a Hel of a lot easier.”
I dismounted and hitched Shadow-Stal to the post outside the inn, and gave Fluffy a few seconds to come over and wrap herself around me before going through the doors.
The inn immediately fell silent as I stepped inside, those who’d been enjoying a pint or a good laugh among friends suddenly staring at me, clearly waiting for something to go horribly wrong.
“You the innkeeper?” I asked the burly man behind the counter.
“Aye,” he replied, showing that he wasn’t in the least bit afraid of me as he wiped down a wooden tankard, “name’s Ritlo, take it you’re ‘ere about that pesky business in the mountains?”
Progress made in mission: Back From the Dead.
Objective completed: Go to the Innkeeper in Brathil Moal.
Objective added: Talk to Ritlo the Innkeeper.
“Pesky business?” I scoffed, “You talking about the Supreme Necromancer who was plotting to take over the world?”
“Aye, that’s the one.” Ritlo said disinterestedly, “S’pose you’ll be wantin’ your reward then?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.” I replied sardonically, “I’m sorry, but aren’t you in the least bit concerned about all… this?”
“You referring to all that green?” Ritlo asked, “Nah, that’s ‘bout what I expected would happen to whoever decided to take that contract.”
Legends of Tarthirious: The Complete Collection Page 55
