by Ember Lane
We trod wearily up a trail and toward a sheer face of gray rock.
“They never found this place,” Pog told me, and I instantly knew who they were.
His shock of blond, curly hair now cascaded around his shoulders, just shy of his black cape. Every item of his clothing was the same color—his knee-length boots, his heavy pants, and ribbed tunic. A silver knife was tucked into a silver and leather belt, and I saw he had a sole, black ring on his finger. We followed as he vanished into the rock just by a small stream.
“The stream drains the lake,” he told me, as he followed its twisting, turning path. “You can’t get up here after its been raining, it’s just a gushing, angry white spurt of water—that’s why no one ever bothered looking.”
From what I’d heard, I knew why he’d gone looking for a hideaway.
It was a treacherous way, not a simple path, and we had to stop for Mezzerain twice. Sedge had fully recovered, and like me, he was just staring around, wide-eyed. The split in the rock was daunting—cubes of gray shelves covered with moss. It was a crack in the world that defied logic as surely not enough light could reach down here and make the place so…comforting…so warm. The farther we ventured along it and up, it changed and became somehow more vibrant, more…abundant. Birds chirped from overflowing nests, their calls alerting others of our encroachment. As the crack widened, the first divots of long, green grass surrounded tumbled scree and wedged boulders. I swore I heard snoring coming from a cave a few dozen feet up.
“What is this place?” I asked him, but his cheeky little face just whipped around and told me to be patient.
Pog skipped from one rock to the next, his ease betraying his knowledge of the way, one that opened farther to a valley, thin at first, but soon widening. I saw that it was just a lake encompassed by a narrow belt of land and hemmed in on all sides by gray and craggy mountains with curious black stains exploding up their faces. In the blue sky, I saw dozens of birds circling, swooping down to the lake to scoop up a flapping fish. It was a curiously vibrant place, an impossibly warm place, and I thought I saw the lake’s surface shimmer, thought I saw some larger disturbance.
“We can camp over there,” Pog told us, but then looked at Mezzerain.
“You’ll feel better here,” he said. “It always healed me—that infuriated them.” He skipped off around the bank.
Sedge and I swapped looks. Star shrugged. Mezzerain said, “He’s not wrong.” And for the first time, the big warrior took his hand away from his wound. “It feels…like it’s truly on the mend. It feels warm…”
Pog forged forward, and we followed. Soon, we were traipsing down a small path that wound within the shadows of a narrow stand of trees, the light tinted emerald by their leaves. I smelled a tinge of smoke and with a twist in the trail, I saw Pog sitting atop a rock, staring out over the tranquil, sapphire lake, flames already taking hold of a ready fire.
Sitting beside him, I looked out too. The others all fell on the ground near us, though. It was a truly magical place. Not like Shyantium and its twisted ways. This place was filled with pure magic, pure intent, pure peace, and the land around it thrived because of it. This place epitomized what this world should be like. This place was harmony.
“You’d best attend to…” Pog said, and for the first time, I noticed the flashing blips of a dozen or more notifications. I cycled through the skills notifications, satisfied that I’d leveled up my attack magics, amazed that my luck hadn’t been bumped up.
Congratulations! You have found The Thief. Your ways are interwoven; your paths are now one. You have passed through the second veil. The land rewards you with 3000 XP, 2000 gold, and upgraded Navigation. You are now Navigation level 8. At level 8 you have an effective range of 80 miles and can track 2 active targets, and 8 passive targets. You can also map buildings from level 4 up. Navigation level 8 enables you to plot courses underground — range inhibited by 80% — clarity by 50% — targets allowed halved.
Congratulations! You have exceeded 25,000 XP. You have leveled up. You are level 10. At level 10 you must choose a profession. You have 6 unallocated attribute points.
The glow in my stomach started, it tried to course through my body, but fizzled to a halt, as if it knew I just wasn’t in the mood, as if it knew I was mentally exhausted and just had to rest. As if it knew having Pog sat next to me was reward enough.
I shrugged. “Not bad, what did you get?”
“What I wished for,” Pog replied.
I ruffled his hair. “And what was that?”
“To fulfill a promise.”
“What promise?”
“To look after you.”
The End
So, that’s the end of book 3, and what a ride it was to write, and hopefully for you to read. The next book – “The Secrets Of Starellion: The Court Of Lincoln Hart” is ready for you. Find out what lurks within that abandoned castle!
If you liked Hero Hunting, please leave it a little review. They spur me on and keep me writing! For updates on the releases, join my Facebook Group, or the mailing list.
Stuck for something to read while your waiting?
All the best,
Ember
Ending Stats
Name: Alexa Drey. Race: Human. Type: Chancer.
Age: 24. Alignment: None. XP: 25,250.
Level: 10. Profession: None. Un/Al pts: 6. Reputation: Known.
Health Points: 550/550 Energy: 510/510
Mana: 1040/1040 Shadow Mana: 0/3000
HP Regen: 55/Min EN Regen: 51/Min
MA Regen: 57/Min SMA Regen: NA
Attributes: (Level, Bonuses)
Vitality: (12, 38), Stamina: (12, 5)*3, Intelligence: (26, 0)*4, Charisma: (6, 6), Wisdom: (11, 8)*3, Luck: (7, 5), Humility: (2, 0), Compassion: (3, 0), Strength: (3, 20), Agility: (19, 0)
Skills: (Level, % to next level, Boosts %, Level Cap)
Running: (6, 22, 25, 12), Perception: (5, 44, 0, 15), Commerce: (1, 0, 0, 6), Concealment: (7, 12, 0, 15), Night vision: (4, 71, 0, 10), Blades: (8, 72, 0, 25), Close-Q-fighting: (6, 33, 0, 25), Archery: (8, 46, 0, 28), Swordsmanship: (8, 25, 28, 20), Staff fighting: (8, 77, 0, 60), Horseriding: (4, 28, 0, 8), Climbing: (3,8,0,14), Stealth: (4,18,0,22), Rope law: (3,28,0,4), Crafting: (5,0,0,5), Navigation: (8,0,0,14), Pickpocketing: (4, 14, 0, 5), Herbalism: (2, 22, 0, 12), Alchemy: (1, 0, 0, 8)
Magic Tree
Magic: (9, 98, 0, ∞), Spell Casting (9, 98, 0, ∞)
Mana pool available: 1040
Shadow Mana allowed: 3000
Healing branch: Level 6
Subskill – Poultices and potions: (6, 44, 0, 24)
Subskill – Heal over Time: (6,10,0,10)
Subskill – Group Heal: (6,21,0,10)
Subskill – Solid soul: (5,11,0,10)
Subskill – Mana Drain: (5,23,0,10)
Subskill – Mana Transfer: (5,0,0,10)
Subskill – Stitch and Stem: (7,85,0,10)
Defensive branch: Level 5
Subskill – Stone Mirror: (4, 56, 0, 50)
Subskill – Arcane Shield: (9,12,0,100)
Subskill – Zombie Claws: (4,38,0,30)
Attack branch: Level 6
Subskill – Flame of Demon: (6, 3, 0, 25)
Subskill – Fork of Lightning: (6,76,0,60)
Subskill – Quazede’s Trident: (7,46,0,50)
Stealth branch: Level 1
Subskill – Acquire: (1, 0, 0, 50)
Talents:
Tongues of Time, The Veils of Lamerell.
Quests:
Seek out the Legend of Billy Long Thumb. Status: Incomplete. Reward: Unknown.
The Veils of Lamerell. Status: Incomplete. Reward: Death.
Subquest: The master is now the slave, his command now his prisoner. Free the gambler, end his torment and confront one of five. Status: Complete.
Subquest: Catch a thief. Status: Complete.
About Barakdor
The Land of Barakdor was conceived over ten years ago as homage to a few MMORP
Gs namely Evony, Lords of Ultima, Dragons of Atlantis and the like. ZyBandian played a number of NA worlds, and a few Ultima servers. Alexa Drey was known to ride the odd dragon. Barakdor is an on going series, with six books currently written and a seventh in the mill. The series will conclude at eight books
I hope you enjoy them, and thank you for reading,
Ember
Website - www.emberlanebooks.com
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