by J. T. Wright
The Stone containing Night Sight drifted back towards Dreq and the Dog, seeing Trent’s fingers unlock, jumped forward, his nose bumping the Stone free. It clattered to the ground, and Dreq pounced after it, chasing it until the round escapee was trapped against the wall. Dreq captured the Stone between his paws and settled in to lick and gnaw at it.
Trent watched as the Stone grew smaller as Dreq worried at it. That was proof enough for Trent that the Skill had ended up where it was meant to be. He pushed Felicia’s share towards her and claimed the thin green ring that was left for himself. Kerry had already picked up the weapon set aside for him.
Trent slid the ring onto his right hand. It had felt heavy when he held it, but once it was in place, it was barely noticeable. He channeled a stream of Mana into it and felt a ‘click.’ The leather-wrapped hilt of a sword filled his hand, as the ring was replaced by the weapon it contained. A blade, single edged and two feet long, extended above a short cross guard.
The weight of the sword was comfortable in his hand, but Trent found himself frowning at it. The metal of the blade was a dirty green, ugly with an unfinished look. The sword ended in a flat line as if the tip had been sheared away and roughly sharpened. It looked more like a machete than a longsword, a weapon for hacking rather than refined swordplay.
With a Damage Rating of 25, the blade was slightly inferior to Sorrow and Strife. However, with bonuses from his Class and Skills, the sword’s potential soared. It might not suit his style of fighting perfectly, but there was no doubt that a sword was the weapon for a Swordsman.
A fact that Kerry was quick to point out.
“A sword for a Swordsman.” Kerry hefted the weapon he had picked up, as he glanced at Trent. “Not exactly original. It does make you look the part, though. What is this thing anyway? Some kind of weird mace?”
“It’s a flail,” Felicia answered him, “and you can’t keep it.”
“Flails have chains, and this is just an off-centered knob on a shaft,” Kerry argued, tapping the round protrusion on the floor. “I think it’s a mace.”
“Insert Mana into it like you would the shield ring,” Trent advised. “The chain will grow depending on how much MP you use. You will need to practice with it.
Kerry concentrated, and when the ball of the flail dropped from the haft to dangle from a foot of chain, he gave an excited chuckle.
“Learn the Skill first.” Trent reached out and stopped Kerry from swinging the flail. “You'll hurt yourself without it. And move away before you hurt one of us.”
Kerry picked up the Skill Stone with a certain amount of trepidation. He licked his lips as his brow furrowed. He willed himself to learn what the Stone contained and when the orb crumbled, he opened his Status to double-check that there was an addition there.
After six months of training, and he finally had a weapon that felt comfortable in his hand. Six months of being an Adventurer, and he was finally starting to feel like one. Glowing with pleasure, Kerry opened his mouth to thank Trent.
“Why?” Felicia cut in before Kerry could speak. She hadn’t touched the wand or circlet that Trent had pushed to her. “Why are you doing this? It’s too much.”
“What strengthens one of us, strengthens us all.” Trent leaned back and dismissed his sword as Felicia glared at him from beneath the brim of her hat. “You have more use—"
“Not good enough!” Felicia huffed. “You hardly know us. Platitudes won’t cut it. It’s one thing to team up temporarily and talk about equal shares. It is another for you to hand over loot we haven’t earned. What do you get out of this?"
Trent’s head swiveled away from Felicia’s insistent eyes. It swiveled again as Kerry put his flail down and joined the Mage in staring. Seeing Dreq standing with his hackles raised at the two, a snarl lifting his lips to expose his teeth, Trent found the answer to Felicia’s question. He patted his thigh, beckoning Dreq to come close, and with the Dog leaning on his leg, he faced his companions’ demands.
“Company,” Trent said simply. “The Trials are more interesting with company.”
“To what end? Are you looking to form a permanent group?” Felicia did not let up, but her pining eyes couldn’t hold Trent down anymore.
He stood and began removing his waterlogged clothing. “I'm wet again. And tired. Now that you two can defend yourselves, I can sleep easier. Then we clear this floor. Or you can go back. It’s up to you.”
“Felicia, why do you sound like you hope he’s looking to recruit?” asked Kerry, scooting around until his back was to Trent. “You haven’t even told him about your condition yet. All these questions, but you’re the one holding out.”
“I'm not hoping for anything…” Felicia was grateful for the distraction. She turned away from Kerry and started answering before his words registered. When they did, she pushed her hat back to properly glare at Kerry. “My condition? What condition?”
“Maybe that’s the wrong word.” Kerry scratched at his cheek. “Your circumstances? Whatever. You know what I'm talking about. You should tell him before he starts depending on us.”
“Why don’t you tell him,” Felicia said in a chilly voice. “I'll correct you if I think you’re getting it wrong.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Kerry patted her hand, not noticing how her knuckles went white as she gripped the cloth of her robe. “The whole Academy knows. We understand. Trent will too.”
“Felicia may have learned the Spells you gave her,” Kerry lifted his voice to address Trent, “but she can’t cast them. She is a support Mage because her religion doesn’t allow her to kill or eat meat. She’s an Elf.”
Trent dropped his shirt on the floor, next to his armor, and stared at the back of Kerry’s head. He had seen the Mage eating dried meat with dainty bites and obvious enjoyment a few hours ago. At least half the Warrior’s statement was wrong and, judging from the angry flush that crept up Felicia’s neck, she didn’t appreciate the misconception.
“Is that what they say about me around the Academy? That I can’t fight because I’m an Elf?” Her voice was sweet as Felicia removed her hat, revealing her pointed ears and green hair.
“It’s alright,” Kerry replied comfortingly. “We get it. No one holds it against you.”
“Of all the… pigheaded… ignorant… childish…” Felicia wrung her hat between her hands, and Kerry, sensing that another slap might be headed his way, dove out of reach.
“I am an Adventurer, just like everyone at the Academy.” Felicia felt around behind her back until she found the circlet, and wand that had been left there. “I profit from the Dungeons and death. If I belonged to the religion you mentioned, that wouldn’t be allowed.”
She settled the circlet on her head and flourished the wand in Kerry’s direction. “Elves have produced some of the finest Warriors the world has ever seen. Ask Trent if you don’t believe me. His people know…”
She clamped down on that thought hard before words, as insulting to Trent as Kerry’s had been to her, could escape. Trent’s ears had perked up, but he showed no signs of wanting to join the conversation and busied himself with getting dressed.
“Okay, calm down.” Kerry held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Then why don’t you—"
“Because!” Felicia let out an explosive breath and carefully set the wand down in her lap. Kerry had no way of knowing why Felicia had chosen to fill support roles in the past. His ignorance was as infuriating as it was understandable.
“Because,” she continued after a moment, “tier-one Spells aren’t strong enough. I'm not strong enough. As I am now, weak Spells deal a set amount of Damage. Weak Fire Spells, which are usually all that show up in Bellrise, are the worst. They kill slowly, painfully. Not wanting to burn a creature to death and being unwilling to fight are two very different things.”
“I've been trying to craft a wand that will empower my magic enough to make tier-one Spells more effective. Like this one.” Felicia held up the wand in her lap.
She turned without thinking and was relieved to find Trent dressed and laying out a hide on the cold stone.
“That’s why I needed the insect legs,” she explained. “I still don’t like the idea of using Fire, but with this wand, and circlet… Thank you, Trent,” she finished gruffly.
Trent waved away her thanks and set out a second set of hides. “We'll take turns standing guard. We could all use a rest. Who wants to go first?”
“Kerry does.” Felicia moved to the hides and settled down on one. “He has a lot to think about."
Kerry tried to share a glance with Trent in which they would silently agree that women were unpredictable and found Trent had already rolled up in his hide. Kerry sighed as he stood and faced the tunnel which led deeper into the Dungeon. He began running through the moves of Basic Flail, taking advantage of the downtime to familiarize himself with his new weapon.
He heard Felicia murmuring curiously behind him, and then she began casting her Evaluate Spell. He didn’t think much of it and kept concentrating on the ball and chain in his hand.
“Did you use a Charm to cure a Dire Bear hide!?” Kerry almost dropped his flail when Felicia’s angry tirade began. A broad smile split his face as the Mage explained in great detail and scorching terms exactly how foolish Trent was. For a person who didn’t like setting fire to living beings, she showed Trent no mercy. Kerry suspected the next time he wanted to share a commiserating look, the Swordsman wouldn’t let him down.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
It turned out that the Prepare Hides Charm was meant to be used on animal skins. Anything greater, even a Basic Beast, and the Spell did more harm than good, decreasing the value and limiting what could be made from the hide. Trent was well-schooled on the principles of appreciating rare and hard to find materials before he was allowed to sleep.
Talk about forming a permanent party never came up again, but the idea lingered at the forefront of Kerry’s thoughts as they explored the second floor. Waves of Ants couldn’t distract him. It was too tempting. The progress he had made in the last two days was phenomenal. Although Trent still carried the party by leading the way and clearing all serious danger himself, Kerry and Felicia made increasing contributions with every step.
It was intoxicating to Kerry. He had always been relegated to the role of stationary obstacle in prior delves. He had been a barricade for Holly and Silas to hide behind, a wall to keep Jace from being overrun. With Trent, Kerry became a damage dealer, a fighter. He was living the life he had dreamed about, and a new ambition was forming. The dream of a permanent party with Trent leading, and a life where he never had to lift a shovel again, had Kerry in its grip.
Felicia was full of denials, but Kerry thought she shared his thoughts. Why would she have brought it up otherwise? Why would she have learned the Spells she obviously hated? It was written on her face every time she gritted her teeth and threw a bolt of Fire into a swarm of insects. There was more to her reluctance to kill than she admitted.
Kerry didn’t push her on it. He had his own worries, and presently, teaming up with Trent was still up in the air. However, much they might be willing, Trent had no reason to accept them beyond this delve. The student Adventures were barely pulling their own weight. Proving themselves came first, had to come first, before talk about a team could be broached.
The second floor was bigger than the first. Tunnels wound in unpredictable directions, seeming to circle back and splitting at odd intervals. Ants crawled from the ground or dropped from the ceiling without warning, and Traps frequently littered the path, slowing their exploration.
Kerry didn’t mind any of it. He hummed to himself as he set his flail to whirling. They were taking a short break while Trent gathered cave moss, and Kerry was eyeing the open cavern a few feet away, ready to get moving. The cavern should hold the second floor’s Guardian. He had never been this deep into the Dungeon.
“That’s the last of it,” Trent announced, twirling his modified spoon while checking the notifications that his Herbalist Profession had leveled up. “Are you guys ready?”
“No,” Felicia’s answer came before Kerry could open his mouth. “There’s one last thing we need to do. Display partial Status.”
Name: Felicia Ithruen
Age: 15
Race: Human/Elven
Level: 10
Class: Mage Apprentice Level 10
Profession: None
Health: 90
Stamina: 90
Mana: 230
Strength: 11
Agility: 15
Dexterity: 16
Constitution: 9
Intelligence: 23
Wisdom: 24
Free Attribute Points: 0
It was the last thing Trent expected Felicia to do. He read over her attributes, puzzled about why she chose this moment to display her Status. He clicked his tongue over her low Constitution, and whistled to see an Intelligence rating higher than his, but he wasn’t overly impressed by what he found. He turned his gaze from Felicia’s Status to her face so that she could make her point.
Felicia’s eyes were locked on Kerry, who was studiously avoiding eye contact.
“I've leveled up.” Felicia’s head bobbed and weaved as she tried to force Kerry to look at her. “You’re a lower Level than me, Kerry. You must have gotten enough XP to level twice or more since we started.”
“Could be.” Kerry rolled his shoulders and gave his flail a casual swing. “I don’t check those things very often. It’s bad luck to level up in a Dungeon.”
Kerry found it harder to avoid looking at both Felicia and Trent. He backed away as they closed in on him, Felicia’s eyes narrowed, and Trent’s mask was somehow accusatory. He looked for an escape route and found Dreq blocking the only way out. The Dog’s jaws were slightly apart as if he understood what was happening and was ready to unleash a Paralyzing Howl.
“That’s crap!” Felicia spouted. “We’re about to face a Boss. Unless you have a convincing reason not to, you should spend your XP before we go on!”
“How do you know I haven’t?” Kerry hunched his shoulders and put the haft of his flail between himself and Felicia.
“You haven’t gotten any stronger or faster than you were since you drank the potion,” Trent answered for the Mage, “and you just said it was bad luck to level up in a Dungeon.”
“It’s the charter, isn’t it?” Felicia grabbed Kerry’s chin as his back hit the tunnel wall. “That’s why your Attributes are so skewed.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kerry said, jerking his head away. “There’s nothing wrong with my Attributes!”
“I thought so.” Felicia let the Warrior retreat, pity filling her eyes and anger flaring her nostrils. “There’s a clause, right? A requirement for how you spend your Points and preventing you from talking about it? I knew Jace was a bastard, but I never thought he would go that far.”
“What’s this all about?” Trent had thought he was following the conversation, but Felicia’s questions and Kerry’s refusal to answer had him stumped.
“It’s a way for Adventuring companies to control low-leveled members. Dictate how they level, and by the time they can leave, the newbie’s Status is so messed up no one else will take them.” Felicia missed her hat. Normally when she was angry, she would grip the brim. Her new circlet was more powerful but lacked an outlet for her to express herself when she was upset.
“In the long run, it makes the new member practically useless, unless all you need is someone to fetch materials for a company’s craftsmen or to complete simple Quests for quick coin…” Her voice grew soft, and she glowered at the floor. “The Academy’s instructors should have caught this. It’s illegal! At least, it is in the Al'dross territory.”
“Hey, let’s not slander my—" Kerry offered halfheartedly. There was no clause saying he had to be enthusiastic about the defense of his party. He almost swallowed his tongue when Trent cut him off.
“Shut up!�
�� Trent’s voice was cold and harsh. His sword flickered into existence in his hand. Kerry’s situation was familiar to Trent. It wasn’t unlike his own start in the world.
Only, Kerry had no Michael to step in when Kirsten had gone too far. He had no Cullen to teach him, and no Orion to watch his back when enemies closed in. And Kerry’s enemies were always close. They called themselves his friends. Those that should have watched out for him had failed.
A heat built in Trent’s chest. Heart of the Inferno pulsated, feeding off his anger and stoking it. It was fortunate that Kerry’s tormenters weren’t in the Trial. There were no laws here. Had Jace stood before him, the so-called finest Warrior in the Academy would have found out that the flattery of his peers did not give him the right to interfere in people’s lives.
Oddly, had the charter that controlled Kerry’s actions been beneficial to the Warrior, Trent would have approved. Hadn’t Trent been bound, compelled, and grown stronger for it? Didn’t the Guard’s Recruits learn under similar circumstances when they took their oaths? The only regret Trent had was being separated, not from his Bond, but from a man who lectured, yelled, and twisted every moment of the day into a “learning experience.”
Perhaps it was a good thing that Trent’s fury stole his voice. Felicia and Kerry would have thought him insane to hear what Trent objected to about Kerry’s treatment.
With no way to articulate how he felt, Trent pivoted on his heel. Activating Dash and Dodge, Trent stormed into the Guardian’s chamber, silent and vengeful, too quick for Felicia and Kerry to stop him. The darkness folded in around him while they watched, stunned, and Dreq howled reproachfully.
The Guardian, a Winged Silver Ant Queen, had little time to react before Trent closed in on her. Her wings fluttered, raising her off the ground and she began to speed towards Trent. Angling his blade high, Trent swept by the Ant Queen, his blade a blur as he used Long Slash to slice through paper-thin wings. Deprived of her means of flight, the Beast crashed into the floor.
