by A F Kay
Ruwen picked Fighter and changed his level to thirty. That would be two to three times the monster’s level and should be enough to deter it. He didn’t want to go higher, fearing the ability might fail. He tightened his grip on his staff. If it came to a fight, the staff wasn’t ideal in the tightly packed trees of the forest, but he might be able to push the creature away.
The Leopard Bat had to be close now, and he needed to act. He wished he had a better idea or another option, but he didn’t. Taking three deep breaths, he pushed himself away from the tree and walked down the hill.
He casually looked from one side to the other and then up into the trees. His eyes immediately found the glowing red creature above him. It had gotten close enough that, with Detect Temperature, he could make out some details.
The creature had the smashed face and wings of a bat and the compact lithe body of a cat. Its eyes were huge, and Ruwen locked gazes with it. He forced his breathing to remain even, but his heart raced. If the creature’s hearing allowed it to hear Ruwen’s heartbeat, the charade would be over.
Ruwen kept the eye contact for a few seconds, not changing his pace at all, and then continued to scan the area around him like the Leopard Bat didn’t matter at all. As he walked under the creature, it took all his self-control not to run. If the bat attacked him, he wouldn’t survive. Doubts flooded his thoughts, but he forced them down. Despite the cold air, he resisted the urge to wipe the sweat beading on his forehead.
The next minute felt like a year as Ruwen slowly made his way down the hill. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he stepped to the side and placed his back against a tree. Part of him feared that when he turned back to look, the Leopard Bat would be right there. He knew it was irrational since the creature could have killed him a minute ago and didn’t. Slowly, he eased around the tree and looked back the way he’d come.
Detect Temperature didn’t find the bat. Ruwen scanned the sky and didn’t see anything either. A notification had appeared, and he opened it.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Deception
Level: 3
Effect: Increase Persuasion by 3%.
His act for the Leopard Bat had been rewarded. Not wanting to push his luck any further, he strode toward the camp, but this time he walked as quickly as the darkness allowed him.
The remainder of the trip to camp occurred without issue. Ruwen stopped a couple of times to listen, hoping he might hear Sift. Worry that Sift had actually been ambushed in the tent, instead of being stuck out here like Ruwen, gnawed at his thoughts.
When Ruwen’s map told him he was within half a mile of camp, he changed Fabricate back to a level two Worker. The sky had lightened, and Ruwen moved more quickly through the trees.
He walked into the Fighter section of camp at 6:43 AM and headed east toward the Worker section. A few minutes later, his tent came into view. Or, more specifically, the area where his tent used to be. His breath caught as he saw a crowd of people, including Big D and Hamma, around the smoking ruins of his tent.
Their backs were to him, and he sprinted toward them.
“Is Sift okay?” Ruwen asked as he arrived.
Hamma jerked and then whipped around. Her eyes looked glassy, and she immediately gave Ruwen a hug.
“Where have you been?” Hamma asked.
Big D turned and faced Ruwen, her face a neutral mask.
Ruwen had prepared for that question. He knew if Sift had been ambushed, it might not have been a quiet fight, and people might have gathered around.
Ruwen pushed forward to look at the tent. He didn’t see any bodies or charred remains. The tension he felt eased a little.
“Is Sift here?” Ruwen asked again.
Big D narrowed her eyes. “He isn’t with you?”
Ruwen relaxed a little more. If they didn’t know Sift’s whereabouts, then it was highly unlikely a fight had occurred here. It was far more likely that whoever had burned the tent down had destroyed their portal, and both Sift and Ruwen had stepped through an unstable connection. As worry for Sift lessened, another concern replaced it.
“Someone burned my tent,” Ruwen said.
“You are really observant,” Hamma said. “Where were you?”
Ruwen gave his prepared excuse. “I had to use the bathroom. I thought I saw a Hooded Owl, and I guess I lost track of time chasing it.”
“A Hooded Owl?” Big D asked.
Ruwen cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
“And Sift?” Big D asked.
Ruwen shrugged. “Not sure. Maybe he got worried and went looking for me.”
“Here he comes now,” Hamma said.
Sift slowed his jog when he noticed the group of people around the tent. His face was splattered with blood. He nodded at Ruwen and gave Hamma a small wave.
“Our tent burned down,” Sift said.
“Uru help me,” Hamma muttered.
“Everything okay?” Big D asked Sift.
“Yes, very okay. I just went to use the bathroom. I really had to go,” Sift said.
“It must have been urgent since your face is covered in blood,” Big D said.
Sift’s eyes widened, and he ran a hand across his face. It smeared the blood in a swath down his face. “Oh, that. I, uh, got attacked by an ugly flying cat.”
Ruwen realized Sift couldn’t see the real names of creatures because he didn’t have an Ascendant’s interface.
“Leopard Bat,” Ruwen said.
Sift nodded. “Yes, a Leopard Bat.”
“Did you follow Ruwen?” Big D asked.
Sift raised his eyebrows and looked at Ruwen, who gave a tiny nod.
“Yes,” Sift said.
“To the bathroom,” Ruwen added.
“How did you two get separated?” Big D asked.
“Well, I wanted to give him some space,” Sift said and then pinched his nose. “If you know what I mean.”
Ruwen’s cheeks grew warm, and Hamma laughed.
“Shouldn’t we be trying to figure out who burned our tent down?” Ruwen asked.
Big D nodded. “I have Wip and Qip asking around. I’m just trying to get a timeline. So far, I have you going to the bathroom and then running off into the forest after an owl and him,” Big D pointed at Sift, “following you, using the bathroom, and getting attacked by an ugly flying cat.”
“Leopard Bat,” Sift said with a nod.
“While you two were gone, someone set fire to your tent. I assume they thought you were still in it. Any idea when you left the tent?” Big D asked.
“Six,” Ruwen said.
“Five,” Sift said at the same time.
Ruwen and Sift locked gazes, and Ruwen frowned.
“Five-thirtyish,” Ruwen said.
Big D shook her head. “I don’t know what you two are up to, but no more running off into the forest. It’s dangerous. And Sift, you can’t leave Ruwen alone, no matter how bad he smells.”
“Hey!” Ruwen said.
Sift laughed and waved a hand in front of his nose. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Someone obviously wants you dead,” Big D said. “You need to be extra vigilant. From now on, always take Wip or Qip with you. Even to the bathroom. Wip said he never saw you two leave the tent. That’s why we were so worried.”
Ruwen nodded. “I understand.”
“I need to figure out a better sleeping solution for you. This is obviously not going to work.”
Wip and Qip came sprinting up to the group.
Both men bowed low to Ruwen.
“Our deepest apologies,” Wip said. “We are relieved you are safe.”
Ruwen felt terrible that Wip would be blamed for not watching the tent closely enough, when in reality, Ruwen had never left.
“Sift and I snuck out the back of the tent. We thought it would be safer in case someone was watching the front. We should have let you know. I’m the one who should be sorry,” Ruwen said.
Wip and Qip bowed ag
ain, and Ruwen returned it. Big D nodded at him with a small smile.
Big D pointed at Wip. “Keep asking around. Someone must have seen something, and then get some rest. Qip, you’re on guard duty for today’s excursion.”
“Where are we going?” Ruwen asked.
Big D smiled. “The mine.”
The mine was the source of most of Deepwell’s wealth, and Ruwen had always wanted to visit. But someone had tried to kill him again and it dampened his enthusiasm. He looked around at all the people going about their business and wondered how many of them wished he’d died.
Chapter 20
Their trip to the mine got delayed because an argument erupted between some of the Figher and Order Ascendants, and they had pulled out swords to settle it. The Fighters had made of fun of the Ascendants who planned to take the combat path in the Order Class. They wanted to be Enforcers like Ruwen had seen that morning. The Fighters looked down on them as wannabe Fighters, and it had escalated from there.
Before that was settled, another commotion broke out between two Mages and a group of Merchants. The Mages tried cutting the breakfast line because “their time was more valuable than the time of mere Merchants.” Surprisingly to Ruwen, Slib wasn’t one of the Mages who’d started it. Maybe because he had a parent of each Class.
The Observers, true to their Class, watched it all silently. Workers were too busy to cause problems, and continued cooking, cleaning, and maintaining the camp.
Ruwen watched how Big D handled each group. She had been forceful and used direct language with the Fighters and used logic and propriety with the Mages and Merchants. In both cases, neither group had been happy, but they had ended their conflict.
After breakfast, the Ascendants all formed a long line, with adults scattered among them. Most of the adult Workers stayed at the camp to watch over it and prepare for the return of all the Ascendants that evening. Ruwen, Sift, and Hamma walked with Big D near the front of the column.
Before they left, Big D turned and shouted at all the Ascendants.
“Stay in line and keep up. The mine is an hour away. Pay attention and learn how your Class contributes to Deepwell’s most important industry.”
A notification appeared, and Ruwen opened it.
Ting!
You have received the quest…
It takes all kinds
Pit Boss Durn wishes you to learn how Workers contribute to Deepwell’s mining operations.
Reward: Satisfaction that your Class plays an essential role in Deepwell’s success.
Reward: Enhanced shaker in the shape of your Class symbol.
Accept or Decline
Ruwen didn’t know how useful the shaker would be, but the mine interested him, and he would be paying attention anyway. This quest wouldn’t take any effort at all, and he accepted it.
Ruwen briefly looked for House Captain Juva but didn’t see him or Slib. Maybe they’d stayed behind. With the line so long, it was hard to know for sure. One thing was almost certain though, it had been one of those two who had burned his tent. Although, what if it was Naktos’s people? Could they have found him already?
“I should have put the Observers between the Mages and Merchants,” Big D mumbled.
“Isn’t the point of this excursion to have the Classes interact? Maybe we should all be mixed together,” Hamma said.
Big D smiled. “Tomorrow, teams start going into the dungeon, and you’ll see how successful mixing is. Integrating everyone is exactly what the Council wants, and I’m doing my best without getting anyone killed.”
“We’re going into a dungeon tomorrow?” Ruwen asked.
“That’s what you took away from my speech?” Big D asked.
Ruwen’s cheeks grew hot.
Big D sighed. “That’s okay, I remember how exciting my first dungeon was.”
Ruwen smiled. While the dungeon tomorrow wouldn’t be his first, he was still excited to go. He looked forward to gaining some experience in a place that wasn’t as dangerous as Blapy.
Thoughts of Blapy reminded him of his request to Ky. He glanced at Hamma. Ky had said she would talk to Hamma and give her an Adventurer's mark. But he hadn’t had the chance to speak to Hamma in private, so he didn’t know if Ky had succeeded.
They had walked for just over an hour when Sift motioned to Ruwen in Shade speak. Watched. Prepare. Fight.
Understood, Ruwen signed back.
As casually as he could, Ruwen looked around. But he didn’t see anything. If they were attacked, what should he do? He decided not to take out his staff because it would raise too many questions. Instead, he unhooked his Baton of a Thousand Uses from his belt and acted like he was studying it. He kept his finger on the protrusion that turned into a shovel. The shovel had served him well.
Ruwen tensed when a woman appeared on the path, fifty feet in front of them. No information appeared over her head. She must have all her information set to private, just like Ruwen. The fact that his Perception couldn’t discern anything meant either her level was a lot higher than his, or she had skills to counteract his Perception. Or both, similar to the Shades in the Black Pyramid.
The people in front of Big D stopped, but the Pit Boss kept walking. Ruwen glanced at Hamma and Sift to see if they were going to follow Big D, but they just stared back at him. It felt wrong to let the small woman walk up to the stranger alone, so Ruwen quickly followed her, and Hamma and Sift joined him.
As they approached, Ruwen got a better look at the woman. She wore brown and green leather, the colors mixing, which created a blotchy effect. She had a short bow across her body, and the top of an arrow-filled quiver peeked past her neck. Her black hair had been pulled into a tight braid, and she stood as still as a statue.
“Bekka, am I so dangerous they had to send you?” Big D said as she stopped in front of the woman.
Bekka gave a tiny smile. “They would have sent the mine’s Guardians if they could.”
Big D held out her arm, and Bekka gripped it.
“It’s good to see you, Yasmine,” Bekka said.
Bekka stepped back, cupped her hands over her mouth, and whistled like a bird.
“That’s a Winter Wren,” Sift said.
Hamma and Ruwen stared at Sift.
“What? I thought studying bird calls might help me with my…you know…issue,” Sift whispered the last word.
“What issue?” Hamma asked.
Sift puckered his lips.
Ruwen waved his hands in front of Sift’s face. “Please, for Uru’s sake, not right now.”
“Fine, but maybe this is the piece I’ve been missing. Maybe out here in nature, it will all finally come together,” Sift said.
Before Ruwen could respond, over twenty people stepped out of the trees. They were spaced evenly down the entire line of people.
Big D waved at Ruwen to join her, and he reluctantly stepped forward, placing the baton on his belt.
“Bekka, this is Ruwen. He’s our newest Band,” Big D said as she lifted Ruwen’s left wrist. “Ruwen, Bekka is head of external security for this mine, and you will probably see a lot of her in the future. The mine uses you Bands to move valuables around.”
Bekka held out her arm, and Ruwen grasped it. “Well met, Ruwen.”
“Well met, Bekka. External security? How much security is there?” Ruwen asked.
“More than you can see, and I only know about the stuff outside,” Bekka said. “Someone else is in charge inside. Separation of duties and all that.”
“I assume they told you we were coming?” Big D asked.
Bekka nodded. “They’re ready for you. You have a lot more than your usual.”
Bekka moved down the trail, and they all followed.
“It’s the first time we’ve been able to bring them all,” Big D said.
“Anyone die yet?” Bekka asked.
Big D glanced at Ruwen. “Not yet.”
Ruwen slowed down and let Big D and Bekka move ahead. In a few seconds, Ham
ma and Sift had caught up to him.
“This group is good. There is barely anything for me to sift. They have tight control over themselves,” Sift said.
“Can any of you see their Classes or level?” Ruwen asked.
Hamma and Sift both shook their heads.
“This is Uru’s largest terium mine. The heavy security makes sense,” Hamma said.
Ruwen lowered his voice as he spoke to Hamma. “Hey, did you have any visitors last –”
“Ruwen!” Big D called.
Ruwen gritted his teeth and jogged up to Big D.
“Bekka is going to point out some checkpoints to you. If you do any work for the mine, you’ll need to know them,” Big D said.
Fifteen minutes later, Hamma and Sift had rejoined Ruwen as they turned onto a stone-packed trail and headed directly toward the mountains. A few minutes later, a large building, built right up against the mountain, came into view. It stood three stories high and a couple hundred feet long. Windows lined the top two floors, and Ruwen guessed this must be where the miners stayed. The entire building looked to be made from the same granite as the mountain, and as they approached, he realized it actually blended into the mountain. In fact, it appeared like the inn had been pulled from the mountain itself.
“That must have taken some powerful Stone Mages,” Ruwen whispered.
“I see four Guardians,” Hamma said.
Ruwen had seen the two Guardians bracketing the door, and looked around until he found the other two. They were the same dark grey as the stone and sat on the top corner on each side of the building.
Ruwen and his friends followed Big D and Bekka through the double doors of the entrance. The entire first floor was one large open space. Long tables arranged in neat rows took up the right half of the room. Ruwen figured the room could sit a few hundred people. An open kitchen took up the entire right wall, and high tables ran in front of it with a variety of foods. The left side of the room had a bar at the far end, and round tables were spaced around the area. Along the back wall were game tables.
