by Edward Brody
Jax clenched his teeth and made a first. “If I had it my way, now,” he huffed. “But… realistically, maybe a squad of level 30s could infiltrate the Sparrows, based on what I saw in the winery hideout.” He shook his head. “But I have no idea what level the Dark Hand is or what level the goons in his other hideouts are. We need to get stronger and gather more intel first.”
“Alright, then in the meantime, we’ll just work on leveling up and growing our little town, village, whatever you wanna call it.” I tossed the runestone back into the crate and picked up the treasure map that I had looted from the Sparrow in Knuckle Bay.
You’ve received: Weathered Treasure Map. Durability: 32/50. Quality: Average. Rarity: Rare. Weight: 0.1 kg. A map to hidden treasure.
“Maybe I can figure out this treasure map…” I said as I unfolded the parchment.
The map was a dark tan color and finely drawn. Landmarks like trees and hills could be made out, and there was a big “X” right beside a large rock and not too far from a body of water. But otherwise, there was no way for me to know exactly where in Eden’s Gate the map indicated.
“A treasure map?” Ozzy asked, perking himself up straight. “You never said anything about a treasure map.”
I shrugged. “We’ve been busy in Edgewood. I didn’t want us to lose focus on what’s important.”
“Spoken like a true guildmaster,” Aaron tutted with a grin.
“Let me have a look,” Jax said.
I passed him the map. “There was a key with it as well.”
“Probably the key to the treasure.” Jax shook his head as he eyed the map. “But you’re going to have to see a cartographer to get coordinates. This could be anywhere. I don’t recognize it.” He quickly handed the map back to me.
“Where’s a cartographer?” I asked.
“There’s one in Highcastle,” Jax said.
“I guess I know where I’m going when the rain clears.” I threw the treasure map back in the crate and noticed the Igniting Touch spell that Ozzy had stolen from Conrad’s home in the Freelands. I could return the spell to Conrad on the way.
In there was a ring—Dexterous Band—that I had looted from a Sparrow, which gave me a +8 to dexterity. It was a great find, but I decided to leave it in my crate, because the two rings I was already wearing gave me mana regen and intelligence, which were better boosts for training Arcane Magic.
There was another thing in the crate I had looted but wasn’t familiar with.
You’ve received: Kroka. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.1 kg. An illicit substance used for incredible enhancements. Be wary of addiction and side-effects!
“I picked up some kroka from one of the dead Sparrows as well.” I said. “Any of you used it before?”
Ozzy and Aaron shook their heads. Jax and Keysia chuckled.
“Go ahead and try it,” Jax urged.
“Now?” I asked. “You’ve used it before?”
“Yeah,” Jax nodded his head lightly. “A couple times.”
“And you, Keysia?” I inquired.
“No,” she said. “I could never afford it even if I wanted to.”
“So… judging by the description and the way you guys laughed, I guess it just makes you high?”
Jax looked to Keysia. “They call it the Mad Magician’s drug. When you take it, you’ll feel elated and powerful. The effects can be random, but generally your mana regenerates rapidly, your intelligence is heightened, your wisdom is increased, your strength goes up, and your body becomes numb to pain.”
“I’m guessing there’s a ‘but’ somewhere in there,” Aaron said. He must not have worked on the ‘illicit drugs’ team during Eden’s Gate development.
“But,” Jax said, “it’s highly addictive and the comedown from a kroka high can be pretty rough. If you get addicted, the only thing you can think about is your next fix of kroka. Doctors often give diseased patients kroka to numb the pain, but addicts have been so hooked that they’ve killed for it. From the stories I’ve been told, soldiers in Highcastle used kroka in battle, but after many of them returned home with addiction issues, the King outlawed the drug in both Highcastle and the Freelands. It’s illegal in most major cities of Eden’s Gate.”
“So, I’m holding contraband?” I asked.
“Edgewood is overseen by Queen Faranni,” Jax clarified. “I know of no such laws in the forest.”
“And the Dark Elves aren’t organized enough to have laws,” Keysia added.
“We should try it, man. Fuck!” Aaron said, sitting his book down and sitting up straight. “Getting drunk here is not so different than back home. Let’s get high while we wait out this storm.”
“Sounds risky,” I said.
“Risky?” Aaron questioned. “Jax took it before and he’s okay. We’re Reborns, so it’s not going to kill us or anything.”
Aaron had a good point, and as I looked up, Ozzy was also gazing at me in anticipation.
“By the way,” Jax said. “A bag of kroka sells for about five hundred gold out here in the Freelands, and if you find a buyer in Highcastle, you can get a thousand or more. Carrying it around in Highcastle is risky though. If you’re caught, you’ll be jailed ‘til you can stand trial before the King.”
A thousand gold? Not a bad sum, I thought. There was no reason for me to attract trouble in Highcastle, so I thought I wouldn’t have to feel worried about carrying it into the city and selling it to someone. A thousand or more gold was a lot of money for such a small item.
I tossed the kroka back in the crate and closed the lid. “I’m sure you’ll all agree a thousand gold will go further than a pointless high.”
Aaron rolled his eyes and moaned before picking his book back up, thumping his back against the wall.
I also wanted to see what it was like to get high in Eden’s Gate. I had never really tried drugs back on Earth due to health risks, but now that I was immortal, the idea didn’t sound too bad. Other than the threat of addiction, how much different was kroka in comparison to, say, a mana or intelligence boosting potion?
Still, I was smart enough to hold back on temptation. A thousand gold was big haul for our small guild. If I couldn’t sell it in Highcastle, I could sell it somewhere else.
There was another loud boom, and I leaned my head back against the hard wall. I hadn’t thought to bring any of my sleeping gear over from the shop, but I didn’t feel like going back out in the rain or seeing the dead body outside.
I closed my eyes, exhausted from the long day of fighting, and listened to fire crackling in the fireplace and the rain pattering against the wood of the house. The next day would be a new adventure; I was going to see a big city for the first time—Highcastle. If it was any more spectacular on the inside as it appeared when I passed it the first time, then I was in for a treat.
My mind switched to Adeelee.
More important than adventure, I needed to get my Arcane Magic to level 10, so I could quickly travel to the Vale. I missed the princess, and she owed me a date.
I fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of a bustling city and beautiful, green-eyed elves.
Chapter Four
1/19/0001
I woke to the sound of steel clanging against steel. Light was shining through the windows of the house, and I was alone.
I stretched out my arms and yawned as I stood up. I flipped open my storage crate and grabbed the treasure map, keychain, kroka, marked runestone, recall scroll, and igniting touch scroll from inside. I placed them in my bag and headed out the door. I didn’t really need the recall scroll or runestone yet, but the runestone was a gift from Adeelee and arguably the most valuable item I had. Without a lock on my crate, I didn’t want to risk my most valuable items getting lost or stolen while I was away.
Jax and Ozzy were in the clearing between our houses, sparring. Surprisingly, Ozzy was wielding the Hammer of Stunning that we had looted during our outing in the Vale.
Ozzy swung the ha
mmer in a sweeping motion, and Jax jumped, avoiding the blow, then Jax whipped his sword around, holding it to the side of Ozzy’s neck.
“Again,” Jax said.
Ozzy sighed and pinched his lips together. “Fuck!” He stood up straight, and his eyes found me. “Morning, Gunnar,” he said with a tilt of his chin.
“Morning, guys,” I replied.
“Trying to level up my blunt weapons skill,” Ozzy said, holding up his hammer. “Jax is helping me out. You wanna join us?”
I shook my head. “I’m going to go work on my magic and make my way to Highcastle. You guys are welcome to tag along.”
“Unless you need me…” Jax stated, “I’m going to do some scouting after I finish up with Ozzy.”
“I’m going to keep grinding,” Ozzy said.
I nodded.
Aaron was busy slamming a hammer into something on his anvil, and Keysia emerged from the guild’s shop, walking over to me with a smile on her face.
“The body disappeared,” Keysia said, pointing towards the ground. “We picked his stuff off the ground and put it in the shop this morning.”
The hairs on my neck twinged. I had totally forgotten about what had happened the prior night. I looked down to where the dead guy had been, and there was nothing but dirt and light remnants of blood and mud. I guess he had been a Reborn after all.
I shook my head back and forth, still feeling a bit ashamed that the guy had been killed in our little startup. He was a newbie, and maybe with a little bit of training, he could have reached guild potential. It was hard to fault him for making newbie mistakes like stealing when he was so inexperienced with the world. Gamers were accustomed to a little thievery in games, and while Eden’s Gate was more than a game, it was hard to disassociate it from other games when you had menus, levels and other stats thrown in front of you on a daily basis. Underneath his mistake he may have been a good guy.
I sighed and looked to Keysia. “Want to accompany me to Highcastle?”
Keysia twisted her lips and took a deep breath. “Highcastle?”
I nodded.
“I wouldn’t mind spending time with you, but it’ll just cause unnecessary drama if I go with you there. I’m a dark elf, Gunnar,” Keysia explained.
“I don’t care what people think. You’re a guildmate.”
Keysia took a deep breath. “It’s not just what they think. It’s how they behave. You won’t attract attention if you’re alone. Besides, I should stay here and keep an eye on Edgewood. It’s the first full day that the new road is open to travelers.”
I shrugged and nodded. “I suppose we will need someone keeping an eye on the road. Maybe next time.”
Keysia just smiled, and I turned to walk into our store.
Gerard was standing behind the counter looking comfortable as usual. “Morning,” he called.
“Morning, man.” I walked up to the counter and held an upward pointing hand out to him. He smiled and slapped his palm into mine.
“How much gold does the shop have now?” I asked.
“About 750 on hand, Sir.”
“Sir?” I asked. “No need to call me ‘Sir’. I’m Gunnar.”
“About 750 on hand, Gunnar.”
I chuckled. “I’ve got 449 in my purse. How much will we be hurting if I take 551 to bring me to 1,000?”
Gerard twisted his lips, and his eyes lifted towards the ceiling. “That’ll leave us around 200 gold, but I think it’ll be enough to cover us for now. A few big sales and we’ll have things back up.”
“Alright then,” I said. “Give me 551 gold from the treasury. I want to make sure I have enough to cover whatever purchases I need to make in Highcastle. I’ll be back soon.”
Gerard nodded and handled me the requested amount of coins from the treasury box under the counter.
I said my goodbyes to Gerard and exited the shop.
Aaron stopped pounding the top of the anvil when he saw me exit the shop and walked up to me with a thick piece of metal in his hands. “Your lock is finished,” he said. “I’ll install it on your crate today.” In his other hand, he held out a key.
You’ve received: Storage Key. Durability: 100/100. Quality: Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.1 kg. A basic, silver key used to lock and unlock storage units
“Thanks,” I said. I reached into my bag and added the key to my keychain. “I’m going to go train arcane magic and visit Highcastle to find the cartographer. I take it that you don’t want to come?”
Aaron rubbed his chin a moment. “I’d like to pay a visit to Highcastle, but ask me again when you’re not planning any magic training. The only thing I want to train right now is crafting.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I groaned. “Anything you need me to pick up?”
“If you see any interesting crafting schematics, grab ‘em. Otherwise, I’m good.”
I held my palm out to Aaron, and when he slammed his into mine, I pulled him forward, and we gave each other a half hug and a couple of light pats on the back. I was thankful that Aaron was committed to crafting for the guild, but I really missed adventuring with him.
“Don’t corrupt Keysia while I’m gone.”
Aaron pulled away and smiled. “I can’t make any promises about that, but be safe out there, man!”
I shook my head and grinned. “I won’t be gone long.”
Aaron headed back to the workstation where he was crafting, and I started due east through Edgewood.
I paced myself through the forest, firing off Arcane Missiles at anything I could see. For the most part, I only ran into a few squirrels and birds, but I eventually spotted a large deer that took four Arcane Missiles to its body before falling to the ground. None of the game I killed was of any value, since I didn’t have skinning skills, but it still provided a small boost to the progression of arcane magic every time I landed an attack.
When I reached the border of Edgewood, I took a good look around at all the beautiful rolling hills of the Freelands. I had spent almost all my time in Edgewood since we had returned from the craziness in Knuckle Bay, so it was a nice change of scenery.
I knelt down and slammed my hand into the soil. “Sora!”
Sora had also been in the Otherworld since coming back from Knuckle Bay. I had been missing her, but since I had been basically hanging around the village with guildmates and trying to gain XP, I wanted to give her some time to relax and grow rather than summoning her in vain.
I turned my head around, looking towards the trees and then in each direction of the Freelands, and there was no sign of Sora approaching. It was the first time Sora hadn’t appeared right away when I tried to call her, so I wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Sora!” I called again, dropping and slamming my hand down into the ground, this time even harder. A wave of energy pulsed away from my hands and across the ground, so I knew that I was casting the ability as usual.
I could hear birds chirping in the forest behind me and the sound of wind rushing across the Freelands’ hills, but still, no sign of Sora.
I was confused. Why wasn’t she answering my summons? Had I lost her as a companion somehow? Did something happen to her in the Otherworld? Was that even possible? I had no idea what was going on.
In the far distance, I could see the outline of mountains near Highcastle. I had expected to ride Sora there, but it seemed like it was still possible to make the long trek on foot. But, then I remembered the town of Newich that was a little further East. I had yet to visit the town, but it would be an easy walk, and with 1,000 gold in my pocket, I had more than enough to rent a horse for the journey.
I sighed and slumped my shoulders as I started the hike towards Newich on foot. What the hell happened to you, Sora?
Father… a voice said in my head.
I quickly turned, not knowing where the voice came from, but having the strange sensation that someone was nearby. I was right—Sora was trotting slowly up behind me, her steps completely silent.
“Sora!
?” I huffed and smiled when I saw her, relieved that she was okay.
She had grown larger than the last time I had seen her. Adeelee had warned me that she may one day be larger than Fenris, and by my guestimate, she was now at least the size Jax’s wolf, if not a little larger.
I’m sorry for delay, I heard the voice in my head speaking again. The voice was clear and feminine, but had a snakelike, slightly more whispered tone than a human.
“What?” I asked, scrunching my brow. I knelt as Sora approached, which was barely necessary now that she stood so tall, and rubbed my hands across the sides of her neck.
You still cannot understand me? the voice asked.
I rattled my head. “What? I uhh… Yeah, I can understand you. But it’s you?”
Yes, Father.
“And you understand me? Holy shit.”
I’ve understood you for some time, Father.
“Wow, so it was you I thought I was hearing before,” I said. I stood up and rubbed my hand across the length of Sora’s back. You’ve grown so big, I thought.
Great beasts reach their full size at level fifteen. I can still grow in strength, but this is my natural growth limit.
“Wait! You can hear my thoughts too?”
Only the thoughts that you direct towards me or don’t purposely shield.
So, you can hear what I’m thinking now?
I can. Sora replied.
“Wow, that’s awesome,” I said. “I uhhh… don’t know what to say.”
I sense that you needed me for transportation somewhere?
“Well, yeah. Do you mind letting me ride you to Highcastle?”
Sora purred and lowered herself near my feet.
I swung my foot over her back and adjusted myself to having her much larger frame underneath me. She picked me up with ease as soon as she felt the grip of my hand and knees.
You’ll have to direct me to Highcastle, Father. I don’t recall the location.
“This way,” I said. I mean this way, I thought. Do you prefer me talking or just thinking?
