“Well, I don’t know what to tell you,” I said with a shrug, gesturing to my wet clothes, “but I ain’t eaten.”
“I can see that.” Davyk replied, a look of unmistakable concern spread across his face, “I’ll have one of the other guards see to the cause of this at once. Tell me your business here.”
“You.” I said boldly after confirming he was the guy I was looking for with a quick search, “You have proven unfit in your duties, and the Captain doesn’t believe you can continue to adequately serve as this island’s jailor.”
“That’s preposterous!” Davyk cried, “Not a single man has escaped in my tenure, and-”
“A woman wasn’t able to simply swim here.” I finished for him with a grin, “What would’ve happened if I’d have had weapons? Or what if I had simply decided to kill the guards here by myself and help the prisoners escape.”
“I-I-I-”
“That’s right, you don’t know. So, it is my place to tell you that I am here to relieve you of your command.”
“But I-”
“No buts, my orders are from the Captain himself, and unless you’re questioning his-”
“No!” Davyk practically shrieked before quickly regaining his composure, “I mean… no, no I understand. I will… I will clear out my things.”
+1 Speech Skill.
Progress: 16/100.
+20 XP.
Progress: 140/8000.
I silently pumped the air for a moment at the bonus XP, but almost immediately returned to the conversation, hoping that I hadn’t timed it out.
“No need to do that.” I said as Davyk turned to start packing up his gear, “I will be using it.”
“What!?” Davyk growled in response, “What makes you think I’d-”
He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before I jumped out of the conversation, opened my map, and quickly fast travelled back to the island.
There was a few seconds’ delay as I plopped down on the island just a few metres down the shore from Davyk’s hut, but then, to my damn near orgasmic elation, I heard his voice.
“You there!” the guard bellowed exactly as he had before, “How did you reach this place?”
“Heh,” I chuckled to myself as I made my way back up to his hut, “this is gonna be easier than I thought.”
Armelia: Chapter 24
+1 Speech Skill.
Progress: 100/100.
+20 XP.
Progress: 1820/8000.
‘You’ve attained true mastery over your tongue, and in doing so have become one of the most charismatic, intimidating, and influential people in Tarthirious. Silver-tongued does not begin to explain your power of persuasion, so much so in fact that you will find that you will often find yourself able to escape conflict using only your words.’
Custom Journal altered.
Learn magic.
Go to the MoDA.
Work on increasing:
Archery (22/50)
Singlehanded Blade (38/50)
Speech (100/100)
Enchanting (1/50)
Smithing (51/100)
Okay, so maybe I went slightly overboard, and maybe I sent myself into a wee bit of a coma by repeating that mind-numbingly boring process well over a hundred times, but I’d done it, I’d crossed something off my list, and that was something to be proud about.
I think…
Anyway, with my desire to escape the island having reached new and unbearable heights, I decided to never find out what would have happened when I took over the island, and made for the moon-bathed lake.
It was like something out of a fantasy graphic novel, the way the moonlight played with the water, and as I looked over at Shadow-Stal, who was still patiently waiting despite all my nonsense, I couldn’t help but feel like I really enjoyed being in Tarthirious sometimes.
“Alright,” I said as I stepped into the water, “on the off chance that there are man-eating piranhas in the water…”
Summoned Miss Fluffy-Scaleskin.
Fluffy, ever so elegantly, plopped down into the water with a splash so large that the final droplets landed a good ten feet up the shoreline, before deciding that she liked the whole ‘water’ thing and went absolutely nuts.
“You like it, huh?” I asked as I climbed in and started the long, relaxing swim back to Shadow-Stal, “Should’ve probably brought you out to the water ages ago.”
The snake, unsurprisingly, didn’t respond, and instead continued coiling around and playing in the water, which would’ve looked absolutely terrifying in the dark lake if I didn’t know her.
I used the swim to start compiling my thoughts as best as I could with the knowledge that I had responsibilities in the real world, and while it certainly was difficult, I managed to get a rough idea.
Well, the internet gave me an idea.
Alright, the internet gave me a methodically laid out action plan complete with images, maps, and a bunch of other tertiary information, you happy?
Point is, the next skill I wanted to hone was archery, and it looked like there was only one really easy way to do that, but it meant going back to the college, and, if I’m being completely honest, that didn’t sound like a ton of fun.
Still though, it was better than cleaning, myself or otherwise.
So, when I finally reached the shore and climbed up onto Shadow-Stal, I got ready to fast travel, stopping only when I realised that Fluffy was still swimming around in the lake.
“Come on, time to go.” I said, trying my best not to sound dejected, “We’ve still got a lot to do, and I’d like it if it could get done sooner rather than later.”
Fluffy wasn’t listening though, she was too busy having the time of her bloody life.
“Alright, I’m sorry about this, but we need to go.” I sighed somewhat brokenheartedly before sending Fluffy to her void in space-time, “You ever worry I’m going to figure out how to do that to you one day?”
Shadow-Stal let out an obviously displeased huff at that, before turning us away from the lake and walking us toward the woods.
“Oh, come on, you know I didn’t mean it.”
Looking back on it, it might have been better for me if I’d just gone ahead and made friends with some random and, you know, stopped talking to my digital horse.
But hey, we all deal with trauma in different ways, right?
Right?
…Well at least I wasn’t killing anybody.
Armelia: Chapter 25
“Well… fuck.” I muttered after Shadow-Stal and I had fast travelled to Girit, allowing us a front seat look at the still very much broken college, “Guess this shit’s still broken.”
“Grand Master,” Joliv said as he came down the stairs, proving that his body apparently completely healed, “glad to see you’ve returned to us.”
“Yes, well, I’m only here temporarily.” I replied after hitching Shadow-Stal and walking past Joliv into the college, “Is the magic blocker still off?”
“Well, you see, the thing about that is…”
It was hard hearing Joliv stammer because I knew that could it could only mean one thing.
Bad news.
“What’s happened?” I asked as we walked into the courtyard where most of the students were working on trying to clear the rubble.
“I made a mistake,” Flari said, coming out of the library and making his way towards us as he did so, “I turned off the magic blocker again, as you requested I do following my round of healing, and there was a… collapse.”
“A… ugh, what do you mean?” I grumbled before walking past Flari as I had with Joliv and into the library, bringing both of them along after me like I was an asteroid with a heavy gravitational pull.
“Well, at first we were fine, and then we were not fine.” Flari replied.
“See, what you’ve just done is answered my question without actually saying anything at al-oh my God… What did you do?” I groaned as I saw the destroyed door to the lower leve
ls and the tons upon tons of rocks that had collapsed onto the stairs.
“I… I don’t know, the magic blocker reacted in a way that I didn’t expect and…” Flari trailed off before letting out a long, defeated breath, “I don’t know what else to say other than I’m sorry.”
I wanted to scream at him, then rip his bloody eyeballs out and strangle him with his optic nerves, but I decided against that and instead simply rubbed my brow and sighed, “How long do you think it’ll take to clear it?”
“That’s the thing,” Joliv replied before Flari could, “there’s no way of knowing. The students here are unaccustomed to working with their hands, just like library destroyer here, and then you’ve got people like me and a few of the semi-capable fighters who know what they’re doing, but aren’t exactly social enough to teach people what to do.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that you have the skills, but not the patience.” I said, understanding more or less exactly where Joliv was coming from.
“Precisely, but only with people. Shifting the same rocks all day, no problem. Explaining how to shift rocks to a group of fools incapable of learning is… well, it isn’t easy.”
“I’m sorry,” Flari interjected, “did you just call me a fool? I may have been lenient before, but I will have you know that I stabbed the Grand Master here.”
“Oh please, you stabbed everyone here.” Joliv scoffed, “I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason you used to be so happy all the time.”
“That’s it, I’m-”
“This is hardly the time or place.” I snapped, silencing the both of them in an instant, before returning my attention to the collapsed stairwell, “Alright, send some of the students in here. Our first priority has to be clearing this section and deactivating the magic blocker.”
Joliv responded by running outside to get the students, while Flari opted to stand there and just stare at me with this sort of embarrassed expression.
It was uncomfortable, sure, but after a few seconds Joliv had returned and I was able to turn my attention away from the ashamed Flari and to the student mages turned construction workers.
“All of you are going to clear this section,” I said, taking note of the dialogue options available to me, “and when you finish, return to me and I’ll give you a new task.”
The students didn’t say anything, and instead simply went to work on completing the job I’d set for them.
“Joliv, Flari, make sure they don’t get themselves killed.” I ordered as I made my way for the exit, “And if any of them don’t seem busy, send them out to me.”
“Of course.” Joliv replied right before I stepped out the door and started shuffling toward the gap, “You heard her, put your backs into it!”
A smile played across my face as I pictured Joliv as some pissed off Drill Sergeant, but that quickly faded as I noticed the task window that had popped up at the top of my vision.
Repairing the College:
Clear the Stairwell.
Clear the Library.
Repair the Library.
Clear the Halls.
Repair the Halls.
I tried to read the rest of the long list, but my eyes just refused to do it, and I quickly found myself sitting on the bench in the courtyard, watching as the students pulled the rubble out piece-by-piece.
From there I kind of, sort of faded in and out of consciousness, my brain struggling to keep up with what was going on as I would blink with no one in front of me, then the position of the sun would have changed and I’d have a small group of mages waiting for orders in my field of view.
I didn’t wholly mind though, it was like I was using some kind of speed cheat, when in actuality I was using a powernap cheat.
Anyway, after a few solid blinks, and a dozen different orders being given, of which I only remembered half, I was jolted awake by a familiar sound.
Progress made in mission: Responsibilities of Leadership.
Objective completed: Repair the Mage’s College.
“Yipee…” I droned out as I struggled to get to my feet and the students piled into the newly repaired courtyard, “time to get that spel-ah, fuck it…”
I wanted to care about getting the spell, I really did, but the fact of the matter was I was abundantly aware that when I left Tarthirious I had a whole mess of things to do in the real world, and the more I thought about them, the less I felt it was acceptable to continue playing.
“Alright, students? I need you to go and reconstruct the town.” I said as leaderly as I could while blinking one eye at a time so I didn’t pass out again, “Joliv, Flari, I need you two to work on ensuring no one comes into the town until it’s repaired.”
“Are we allowed to use magic?” the young woman who’d tried to get me to stay before asked with no small amount of snippiness in her voice, “Or should we continue to use our hands like common folk and waste even more time?”
I wanted to scold her, berate her in front of all the mages and make an example of her, but I just didn’t have the energy to do so.
“Use magic if you so choose, but know that there will be a time when magic won’t be available to you again.” I said in a voice that was far more intimidating and threatening than I’d intended, “Trust me when I say that, in the long run, it will be in all of your best interests to learn how to work without the aid of your magical abilities.”
I was met with a few nods and a couple of uncomfortable faces, but overall it seemed that everyone accepted my leadership, which was all I needed to feel comfortable to log off.
“Get to work.” I ordered sternly, “Let’s bring Girit back to life.”
Kylia: Chapter 2
It was pretty late by the time I’d stumbled away from the computer, and my arse and legs both had a pretty severe case of pins and needles, but I was confident that I’d be able to get at least some work done before the morning rocked around.
Figuring I’d get dirty whilst cleaning, I decided that showering would be the last thing on my list of things to do, and started with collecting all the pizza boxes into one pile.
You ever take out a bucket of bottles at the end of the week and dump them in the bin only to have it sound like you kicked over a shelf at a bottle shop and realise that you might have a problem?
Yeah, imagine that, but with pizza.
Initially I thought that I might be able to utilise the boxes, perhaps use them to create some kind of fort or cosplay armour, but the idea of doing that without Gerald just made me miserable.
And, with that single thought of Gerald, I became useless again, my heart dropping into my stomach as I flopped down on the sofa and looked on at the disgusting mess that was my flat which I couldn’t help but compare to me and my life in general.
I wanted to feel better, I really did, but every time I got anywhere near close I’d have a moment like that where I realised I’d never be able to do anything with him ever again.
That feeling of dependency was just so Goddamn foreign to me.
“Come on, you can do this…” I muttered as I forced myself off the couch, “Just get through the next five minutes…”
That quickly became my mantra.
Finally finished clearing out all the rubbish?
“Just get through the next five minutes…”
Get that shower I so desperately needed?
“Just get through the next five minutes…”
Getting some real sleep?
“…”
Okay, so maybe I didn’t say it to myself while in bed, but you bet your sweet arse that when I got up the next morning and got dressed it started right back up again.
And then there was a knock at the door.
“Just get…” I trailed off with a sigh, “You can do this.”
Another knock, heavier than the first.
“I’m coming!” I barked with a tenacity that I hadn’t intended.
I could’ve just left the door shut, I really could have, and the thought di
d cross my mind about fifteen times as I wandered lazily towards the entrance of my flat.
“Kylia?” Griegs called through the door, “We had a deal, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah…” I grumbled as the sheer act of talking quickly drained the life from me.
‘No,’ I snapped at myself, ‘you need to get on top of this. Now.’
Brain-voice was right, I couldn’t allow myself to slip back into a state of depressed uselessness again.
I needed to be better.
I needed to start living again.
‘Ugh, work on your wording.’
“Kylia?”
“That’s me.” I said with perhaps just a tad too much perkiness as I opened the door, “How are you today?”
Forcing myself to smile? Emotionally taxing.
Griegs’ face when I opened the door? Priceless.
“I’m… good.” the MP finally replied after spending a few moments staring at me with utter bewilderment, “You reckon you’re up for a guest today?”
“As I’ll ever be!”
‘Tone it down,’ I snapped internally, ‘he’s going to think you’re trying to get someone to torture.’
“That’s… good.” Griegs replied, clearly not enjoying the fact that he’d said ‘good’ twice, “Anyway, yeah, your neighbour. Apparently she wants proof of life, and seeing as photos are so easily manipulated…”
Literally anyone else, someone random from work, a stranger off the street, would’ve been less stressful than spending any more than five minutes with Lily.
But I had to, for sanity’s sake, I had to.
“When?” I asked, doing my best to maintain my Joker-esque smile while thinking about the emotional hoops I’d have to jump through in order to keep up with Lily’s incessant happiness.
“Few hours,” Griegs said with a half-smile as he tried to match me in terms of happiness, “are you sure you can handle her? I mean, we can set something up for tomorrow instead?”
‘Yes. Yes. YES.’
“No, that’s fine,” I replied, smothering the negativity in my mind with a psychic pillow, “better that she knows I’m okay sooner rather than later. Will you be joining us?”
Legends of Tarthirious: The Complete Collection Page 61
