Perla Online, Book One: Toris (A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure)

by Shawn Wyatt

  "At your service," he said.

  "You're an NPC?" Bastion asked.

  "A Sylvan," I said. I remembered the racial choice from the character select screen. After the forced teleport, all players had been human, so any racial options had been lost.

  "Right you are," he said. "My kind is not well known, even among the people of Toris, so you have my complements for knowing what we are. And my gratitude for helping to dispatch of this beast. It has eluded the grasp of the Terrawalkers for some time."

  "You're welcome," I said. "And thank you for your help in bringing it down. I'm not sure we would have fared as well without your aid."

  "Nonsense. The three of you are quite strong, though I must confess my surprise at encountering three adventurers this far in the wilderness. Most people have taken to avoiding the forest since this darkness set in."

  "We're making our way to Nyfed," I said.

  Bell turned to Wish. She gave a shake of her head, but Bell just raised an eyebrow. "In that case, you're welcome to join us. Wish and I were just heading back there ourselves."

  Wish sighed, but stayed silent.

  "You must forgive her," Bell said. "She's not the most social person, though I thought she would be more excited at the prospect of meeting others like herself."

  "It's okay," I said. "It's a lot of news to take in at once. The three of us have had time to come to terms with our situation, but every adventurer had the same reaction when we first learned we were stuck here."

  "Ah, yes. 'Stuck.' I'd like to discuss your position at length when the time arises," Bell said. "Until then, let's make way. The sun is rising and the day is young."

  How he could tell the time underneath the trees, I hadn't a clue. I still had not slept, and what energy remained the fight had stolen away, but for the moment adrenaline held the exhaustion at bay. "Let us gather our things and we will be ready to go."

  I walked over to the fallen serpent. Withered creatures vanished after death, but this one remained. Did it have something to do with Wish's ability? Its scales had deflected our attacks with ease, and the fangs had hosed with us poison. I snapped the fangs from its mouth and inspected them.

  The channel for the poison was about the same diameter as a gun barrel. Maybe I could have a new pistol crafted from this. I didn't want to continue fighting with only a single weapon. I stashed the fang into my bag, and gathered twenty fallen scales from the ground around the creature.

  2x Serpent Fangs

  12x Hardened Scales (Good)

  8x Hardened Scales (Excellent)

  With luck, these components would be helpful. I returned to the group. "I'm ready when you are."

  Bell nodded. "Then follow me. Nyfed is not far, if you know the way."

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE SACRED GROVE

  We arrived in Nyfed with little warning. Bell had led the way, his interest in our world apparent from the way he engaged us in conversation. He questioned Evey, Bastion, and I at length about the differences between Toris and the world we came from. As far as he understood, Earth was just another realm. He didn't grasp that it was another reality--the only reality, as far as we knew.

  During this time, Wish had barely spoken, despite Evey's attempts to start a conversation. I could see the gears turn in her head as she came to terms with the realization that others were in the game, too. Maybe she believed she alone had been trapped inside.

  Maybe it had been easier to be the only one trapped than to know that hundreds or thousands more shared the same fate. Whatever her thoughts, she resisted any and all attempts to speak. Any questions she did answer received no more than a grunt or a shrug in response.

  Bell held up his hand and signaled for us to wait. A moment later, he smiled, and continued forward. The damp gloom of the forest vanished and was replaced by a warmth that settled on my skin.

  We had passed through another barrier.

  The sound of music filled the air, but it was unlike any music I had ever heard. The notes held an ethereal quality. Around us, trees grew high into the sky, their top-most branches lost among the clouds. Their bases were as large as houses. Creatures filled the air with motion as they flitted between the boughs and branches.

  Rope bridges stretched between the trees. At different heights up the trunks, a series of living pathways grew between the trees and connected treehouses together. On the underside of these pathways wildlife made their homes; I spotted bird's nests, a family of squirrels, and a large hole that held an owl, its eyelids heavy with fatigue.

  "Come, let us meet the elders. You are a welcome sight here, but by ancient decree all visitors must first meet with the Seers before they are granted leave to roam freely through our lovely home," Bell said.

  The trees of Nyfed grew in a ring around a central clearing with a single raised dais of earth. More trees flanked the dais and shaded the two figures that sat on it. Though we were too far away to make out detail, I guessed those were the Seers.

  In front of the Seers, on the ground several feet lower than the dais, another group fantailed out. Bell pointed to them. "Those are the Nyfedian Guard. They protect the Seers, the two figures above them. The Seers represent Nature itself, and its duality. Light and dark. Male and female. Heavens and Terra. It would be wise to show them respect," he said, his gaze leveled on Wish.

  She shrugged. Bell just sighed and beckoned for us to follow.

  Though no one approached us, I became aware of the many eyes and curious glances we earned as we descended the winding pathway between the trees. Small creatures flittered behind us, but flew away before I could get a good look at them. Bastion lagged several steps behind. "What's slowing you down?" I asked.

  He pointed to the ground. "Flowers. I'm trying not to step on them."

  I followed his hand. Flowers of all colors and shapes carpeted the forest floor. Ivy crawled up the trunks of the nearest trees and bloomed a rainbow of hues.

  Evey drew a sharp breath. "It's beautiful," she said. We all paused for a moment to take in the sight, and then I heard Evey mutter under her breath. "Uh oh."

  "What?" I asked.

  "Has anyone seen Boris?"

  The absence of our bear companion became acutely apparent. He had been with us as we crossed into Nyfed, but must have been separated from us somewhere along the way.

  After a moment, Bastion spoke. "You've got to be kidding me." He pointed.

  Boris loped toward us. His tongue trailed behind him, a complement to the dopey bear grin he wore on his face.

  His entire coat had been covered in flowers. They had been braided into his fur. On his back rode several of the small flying creatures that still worked to weave even more flowers into his fur.

  Another creature flew in front of him and baited him with a piece of honeycomb.

  I wanted to laugh, but the surprise overwhelmed even that response. I glanced to Evey, but she just shook her head. "He'll be insufferable after this. He'll expect us to put flowers in his fur every day."

  Bell chuckled. "It would seem the sprites have taken a liking to Boris. Don't worry. The children of the forest will care for him while we speak to the Seers, though I can't promise they won't overfeed him a bit. Come, the Seers await."

  I took one last look at the flower-covered bear. He had caught the lead sprite, and rolled on his back as he scarfed down the honeycomb they offered him.

  The glutton.

  The path to the Seers widened, almost as if the flora itself parted to grant us entry. As we rounded to the front of the dais, the Nyfedian Guard came into view.

  Fanned in front of the Seers stood a mixture of races. Sylvan, Elf, and even Sprite faces regarded us with suspicion. Several of the guards carried no weapons. As they caught sight of Bell, they all dropped to a knee as one and bowed their head.

  Their leader, a tall Elf that brandished a staff made of petrified wood, spoke. "Welcome back, Foresworn. How was your journey?"

  "I am afraid it revealed little we did not alrea
dy know, but I am pleased to report the serpent that plagued our lands is no more, thanks to my companions here."

  The leader looked up at us. "You have our thanks, adventurers. Far too many of our people were lost trying to bring down the beast. Its powers far outstripped that of similar corrupted beasts."

  I nodded, a bit taken aback. The interaction held an air of formality I was not familiar with.

  "We are here to speak with the Seers. These adventurers seek their boon to travel freely within the Grove," Bell said. "I vouch for them."

  The leader nodded and stood. The other guards followed him to their feet, then stepped to the side and allowed us to pass. We ascended the raised platform on steps that had grown out of the ground itself. The Elder Seers sat, legs crossed, on patches of thick moss. Bell dropped to one knee.

  The rest of us followed suit.

  "Welcome, adventurers," the Seer on the left said. "You may raise your heads. Understand that while here we exist in deference to the natural order of things, we also recognize that your kind does not exist under the same hierarchy. You need feel no obligation to bow, though we thank you for the respect for our culture."

  Bell spoke. "Elders, these three come to request an audience with you, as well as to request the freedom to travel within our borders. They have proven themselves to be most capable allies. Ren, if you would hand me the fang in your bag?"

  I reached into my pack and felt around for the serpent's fang, then placed it in Bell's outstretched palm.

  "As you can see, they helped to fell the Withered Hamadryad. Though they did not know they aided our cause at the time, they helped Wish and I complete our quest. They also seek information that will benefit the greater good of their brethren."

  "Raise your heads, adventurers. Let us see your faces." This time it was the one on the right that spoke.

  I raised my head and made eye contact with the Seers. Both were Elven, and possibly as old as the forest itself. The one on the left was male, the one on the right, female. Scores of wrinkles lined both of their faces, though the age lines were most numerous around the eyes and mouth.

  The Seers caught me studying their faces and smiled. A sense of joviality and warmth washed over me, and I wondered what sort of magic these beings possessed. Despite everything in this world I had encountered thus far, I felt inclined to trust these two--the same way one would trust a particularly friendly elderly couple.

  The male Seer spoke. "I am Glenndiril. This is Althea." He gestured to the woman. "We welcome you to our home, and grant you leave to come and go as you would. Your aid in bringing down the beast is most welcome."

  "Thank you, sir," I said. "Your hospitality is appreciated. Nyfed is much more welcoming than the forest outside."

  Glenndiril laughed. "I can imagine so. These are dark times, and those that cannot read the forest struggle even in normal times. Let me ask, what brings you to Nyfed? What need was so great you would undertake such a dangerous journey?"

  I looked to Bastion and Evey, and both nodded. "We seek information on how to defeat the Waldgeist," I said. "We encountered the creature, but no one in Grenay knew how to defeat it. They said the Terrawalkers of Nyfed would be the only ones with knowledge of how to do so."

  At the mention of the Waldgeist, both Glenndiril and Althea grew solemn. Even Bell looked surprised. "You did not tell me you had encountered that devil," he said.

  "It's built an army for itself and blocks anyone from reaching the airship landing that connects Toris to the other realms," I said. "If we are to continue our own quest and find a way to return to our world, we have to kill it."

  After what seemed too long, Glenndiril spoke. "This request is most unusual. The Waldgeist is the manifestation of the angered forest."

  The ground beneath our feet rumbled. I looked around in surprise, but Bastion and Evey stared up, mouths agape.

  The trees behind the Seers had moved. A massive shadow fell over our group as the head of a deer raised from the ground. It's body curled in the clearing behind the dais, and its massive eyes turned on our group.

  ::Under normal circumstances the Waldgeist serves as a warning, but it too has been touched by the darkness.::

  The voice echoed in our skulls. I knew without a doubt it came from the deer, although its mouth had not moved.

  Both Glenndiril and Althea looked between each other, and then turned to face the deer. "The Waldgeist too has been corrupted? But what does this mean for the forest?"

  The deer moved its massive head again. ::The hope of the forest lies in these four adventurers. Tell them the history of Nyfed.::

  Glenndiril lowered his head to the deer. "As you say." He turned to us and took a deep breath. "Through time immemorial, the forest has survived. No matter the ravages of nature, be they fire, flood, or pestilence, we Terrawalkers have stood guard here in Nyfed to keep it safe. The entity behind us, Duneyrr, is the guardian spirit of the forest, the manifestation of all the life on Toris.

  "We had assumed the current corruption was nothing more than another plague. Only recently did we discover it was caused by the work of a necromancer--the one you call Foscor. The darkness has laid heavy upon us. Many of our allies within the forest have been turned, and there is naught we can do to save them.

  "We will tell you what you need to do to defeat the Waldgeist, but in turn, we ask that you help us. The serpent you defeated is but one in a long line of creatures that has launched an attack against Nyfed. Though the corruption cannot enter the grove due to Duneyrr's power, the beasts have begun to mass outside our borders. It is no longer safe for us to leave the borders of the grove."

  I looked between the Seers and the guardian spirit. I struggled to accept the size of the creature. "What can we do to help?"

  ::The Waldgeist in its current form is fueled by the corruption. Defeat its three strongest allies, and you will weaken the demon enough that you can destroy it. We of the Grove value life, so pains us to take life. The Waldgeist knows this, and has thus taken several of our strongest allies under its thrall. I ask that you free them.::

  "And by free them, you mean kill them?"

  ::Only if necessary.:: The great deer looked down, sadness upon his face. ::I would ask that you break the grip the darkness has on them if you can.::

  Althea spoke. "Take this." She waved her hand in front of her, and a flower, its petals heavy-laden with pollen, appeared in the air. "When your foe has been sufficiently weakened, sprinkle the flower's pollen over them. It should give them the strength to break free of the darkness' power."

  I took the flower and examined it.

  Gaia's Stem

  Legendary Item

  Taken from a sapling of the world tree itself, this flower contains pure life energy. The full effects and uses of this item are unknown.

  I stowed it away. "Thank you," I said. "We will do what we can to spare your allies."

  A system prompt appeared.

  Quest Complete: Seek Out Nature's Guardians

  The Elder Seers of Nyfed have provided you with the information you sought on how to defeat the Waldgeist and what steps you must take from here.

  The moment the prompt vanished, a new quest prompt appeared.

  New Quest: Break the Darkness

  The Elder Seers of Nyfed have requested you free three of their allies. The first, the Forest Giant Sloziar, lives in a clearing to the east.

  The Seers and Duneyrr nodded to our group. Duneyrr spoke again.

  ::The darkness's hold is weakest on Sloziar, a forest giant. However, he is still a formidable ally to the Waldgeist due to his power. He is also the stoutest of our allies. If you can spare only one of these beings, let it be Sloziar.::

  "Where can we find this Sloziar?"

  "He lives to the east, in a cave formed by the roots of a fallen tree. Sloziar is a gentle creature, despite his size. However, the darkness has touched him, and he has not contacted us since. He felt its power on him, and chose to sequester himself rather th
an risk turning his arm against us." Althea shook her head. "Still he remains, fighting a solitary battle against the darkness. We do not know how he fares."

  "We have given you quite a bit of information to digest," Glenndiril said. "Take your leave and rest. You will be better able to resist the darkness when you have had a proper night's sleep."

  Bell once more bowed, and I followed his example. "Ren, your weapon was damaged in the battle against the serpent, yes?" he asked.

  I nodded. "I hoped to modify its fang to function as a gun."

  "Leave it with me. I'm actually quite the craftsman, though I may not seem like it. I'll have the result for you when you wake."

  We took our leave. A sprite appeared before us after we left the dais and showed us to a hollowed room in the lowest level of one of the massive tree trunks. "You can stay here," it said, its voice high-pitched. "You will be safe. Welcome to our grove."

  I sat my bag on the bed and slumped against it. The warmth of the Sacred Grove--and the exhaustion of the night before--had caught up, and the promise of sleep played a siren song.

  Boris wandered in, his eyes heavy, his lips sticky with honey. He huffed happily and nudged Evey. She gave him a disapproving look. "Are you happy with yourself?"

  He huffed again. Her laughter and Bastion's sigh were the last I heard before sleep took me.

  I did not realize Wish had not joined us in the temporary quarters.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SLOZIAR

  I woke later that day. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the holes in the trunk and bathed the interior of the tree with a warm glow. Bastion and Evey still slept, though Boris had made his way back out into Nyfed—-no doubt to find more honey. I sat up and stretched, not eager to leave the bed. Stolen moments of luxury and laziness felt all too brief these days.