“Alice,” SJ called, seeing her hurrying towards the Inn from the direction of the docks.
“I am so sorry it took me so long to get here. The sound didn’t travel to the island,” Alice said.
“The island?” SJ asked, frowning.
“I live on the fisherman’s isle.”
SJ had no idea that Alice lived near Setu. There had only been a few homes on the Island. SJ could now understand Zigferd’s anger and frustration when the bridge was damaged if Alice had been stuck there.
“Kerys, here, take these,” Alice said, handing her some keys. The cottage opposite the Church hall is empty, and you can use it for now until the Inn is repaired.”
“Thanks. I will grab a few items and head over.”
“SJ. I received confirmation this afternoon after we separated. You need to sign the paperwork in the morning.”
“That’s fantastic news, and the timing couldn’t be better. Thank you, Alice,” SJ replied.
“Bert. Are you going to stay at your cousins?”
“I am,” he replied, nodding.
“Ok. Great, now to sort Floretta out.”
“She can stay with me,” SJ said.
“Are you sure? I wouldn’t wish to impose,” Floretta replied.
“Of course, and there are some fruits you may be interested in,” SJ said.
“All those who had rooms. Will be accommodated at the Barracks,” Alice said.
SJ had paid no attention, but three others were still standing around the Inn. She had noticed Fhyliss speaking to them but had no idea they had been staying there.
“OK. Floretta, should we go to our new home,” SJ smiled.
Walking away from the Inn, leaving Fhyliss and Kerys to sort the other patrons out with Alice, SJ led Floretta to the small cottage that she could call her new home. Opening the cottage door, she found it furnished but bare of day-to-day items, and she would need to go to the market and get supplies tomorrow.
“This is very nice,” Floretta said.
“A previous council member moved back to Asterfal.”
“That must be Miss Prewitt,” Floretta said.
“Alice didn’t tell me her name.”
“Miss Prewit was lovely. She had a caring soul and did everything she could for the town. I was sad to hear she was leaving when her sister fell ill. It has been a while now, though, since she left. I am surprised that this place has been empty for so long.”
“I need to get some sleep. I think I have had enough excitement for one night,” SJ said.
“I will just be in the lounge,” Floretta said.
“Do you not want to use the bedroom at the back?”
“No. I am good. I have a book to read so I will sit here,” Floretta answered, sitting in one of the chairs at a small dining table.
“If you wish,” SJ smiled, walking into the bedroom.
“The bedroom had a large double bed, and SJ dropped the blanket with her belongings on the floor, tipped them out, and then climbed onto the bed, wrapping herself in it. It took her moments for sleep to take her.
The smell that filled SJ’s nostrils was the heavenly scent of fried hogling. Sitting up on the bed, she heard whistling. Walking through the lounge area. Making her way down the short hallway to the kitchen at the rear of the cottage. The kitchen was small, and SJ opened the door to see Floretta cooking a wholesome breakfast.
“Morning,” SJ said.
“Morning,” Floretta replied, turning and smiling. “I thought you may like some food, and I thought it only fair after you allowed me to stay here.”
“You didn’t need to, and where did you get the food from?”
“I went back to the Inn and took what I needed. It’s my pantry, after all. The water is just heating for coffee.”
SJ walked over to the stovetop, where a kettle was sat as it began to boil. Picking it up, she placed it down, allowing it to cool briefly before making the coffee. A barista boyfriend back on Earth had told her never to make coffee with boiling water, and it had stuck ever since.
“Go through to the lounge. I will bring it through in a few minutes when finished,” Floretta said.
SJ wasn’t going to argue and returned to the lounge area, sitting at the small dining table. Looking out of the window, she saw that the sun was already bright in the sky, and she checked her display. It was nearly 10:00, which was much later than she usually got up, but considering the disruption from the fire, she felt she needed it.
Floretta walked through from the kitchen, whistling a merry tune, and placed the perfect-looking full breakfast on the table for her. “Enjoy,” Floretta said.
SJ’s mouth watered at the sight, replying, “Thanks,” she took her cutlery from her inventory and began to eat.
“I will go to the Inn later and see if we can still get food sales, at least. I moved some tables and chairs out this morning and should still be able to serve from the kitchen into the garden at the rear. At least that way, Kerys and Fhyliss will still have income.”
“That sounds great,” SJ replied, grabbing mouthfuls of delicious fried hogling and mushrooms. After finishing the breakfast, she sat back in her chair and patted her stomach. “I could get used to this.”
“Ha. I bet you could. You don’t always have a full breakfast. Only normally twice a week, the other mornings you have either toast or cereal, and rarely porridge.”
SJ looked at Floretta before replying. “I assume you know what most people eat?”
“I know all the regulars.”
“That must make it easier to provide for them.”
“I pretty much know what I need daily. Only occasionally do things change. Most have their favourites that they stick to.”
“I will have to tell you more of the recipes from Earth and see if there are any more you can create here on Amathera. That reminds me: a Grapey tree is in the rear garden.”
“I had forgotten about Miss Prewitt’s tree. I hope someone has been looking after it.”
“Seeing how the cottage was left, someone has maintained it. I don’t know who, though I must speak to Alice and find out.”
“Probably Kevin. He is the most dab hand at gardening, even better than many druids.”
“Is that his profession, then?”
“Yes. He is a mage who is so negative about other mages that I always chuckle. He always has a go at enchanters, which many mages are. He has a habit of hurling abuse regularly at the academy mages but is one himself as a water mage, although only low level. He only uses it to support his gardening, but it is somewhat contradictory.”
“Are you able to make anything special with the grapey?” SJ asked.
“I am, yes,” Floretta smiled her skeletal smile. “I can make hogling jerky.”
“Jerky? With a fruit?”
“Yes. It goes well with hogling and gives it a sweetness to support the meaty taste of the strips when dried. It also gives nice bonuses.”
“Oh. When I arrived, you made that pie with the Bellpops, but I never used it as it went off in my inventory. Jerky I am guessing lasts a long time?”
“It does, yes. Once made, it will last for about a year, although it starts to lose its potency over time.”
“What bonuses does it grant?”
“It will imbue someone that eats it with +5 constitution for 8hrs.”
“That’s amazing! That is a huge step in health.”
“It is. Grapey is so highly sought after if you can get a fruit-growing tree. The fruit growing is the rarity.”
“How long does it take to make?” SJ asked, excited at the thought of boosting her constitution so easily.
“That is the downside. As it is a Jerky, it takes over a month to cure and flavour properly.”
Considering how long SJ may live in her new life, a month was a mere second in comparison.
“That isn’t too long. If we get some from the tree, could you make some?”
“Of course, it would be my pleasure to make some. There are very few ingredients around this territory that can add bonuses to anything when cooked.”
Considering the potential of the benefits that food could bring and the buffs they may induce was something SJ knew from games but hadn’t even considered since the initial Bellpop pie. It was a profession to keep at hand, and having a Master level chef was a huge bonus for the town, which she believed was not being fully used or appreciated.
“Is the mayor or others aware of the benefits you can get from your cooking?”
“Several are, but the ingredients are rare or costly for most items.”
“Food items are a massive thing in large cities with a population large enough to justify the outlay,” Dave interjected. “Here in Killic, though, it is so small a population in comparison that there isn’t the same need or uptake, especially as they have no dungeon or similar near here that they can use as justification.”
“Floretta. Do you know how large the population of Asterfal is?”
“I am unsure, but I think it is nearly 50,000.”
“Wow. That is much larger than I expected.”
“It is a large city. Not the largest as the cities further north are much larger, but for the Southern region, it is the largest by far.”
“Is the population that sparse here?”
“It is not that the population is sparse; it is more that there are many more tribal or clan-based factions in the south than in the north. The northern region around the capital is diverse and heavily populated.”
“You have been to the capital?”
“Yes. I worked there for a while, many, many years ago now. I was the personal cook for a guild until it went under.”
“Went under?”
“It collapsed because the guild leader syphoned off too much of the income from the members. There was a revolt and a dispute that caused it to break up.”
Guilds were still a way off from SJ’s consideration until she reached level 20, but because the town had now increased its base level and allowed an auction house, she would need to speak to Zigferd about the potential for guilds. There was so much to consider with the continuing expansion plans of the town and what it may entail, and SJ had decided the more they could plan the better. If the next trigger occurred when she reached level 20 in the town, she would want them to be ready.
“I am going to head to the Inn and see what is happening this morning,” SJ said.
“If you see Fhyliss or Kerys, let them know I will be over for lunch to cook as usual. I think we will still get a few patrons coming through.”
“I will do,” SJ replied as she stood to leave.
Leaving the cottage and heading back towards the Inn, SJ suddenly had a thought.
“Dave?”
“Yep.”
“The territory increased in level when I reached level 10. Does that mean if a Legionnaire who is level 20 comes here, they will trigger the next border changes?”
“Ooooooo. That is a very interesting question.”
“Dave?”
Silence.
Dave didn’t reply for several minutes.
“Sorry. I raised an immediate concern, which meant it went straight to the adjudicator panel. I have the answer, and it is no. Only a Legionnaire who originally started in a location can increase the threshold further.”
“They could tell you that?”
“Yep. It is my first time interacting with them since the border alignment. The adjudicators are more well-informed than us Administrators!”
“They know what is happening then?”
“Nope. I asked that question. They are only being given specific details about the changes. I am guessing that Fizzlewick probably knows more than they do.”
It still amazed SJ that one of Amathera’s beings, even if a god, could know more than those supposedly overseeing the interfacing.
“I wish he would tell us.”
“I bet he couldn’t even if he wanted to. If he knows details, he will be under a stricter Oath than anything you will probably ever see.”
“If a Legionnaire who started in an area is the only method of triggering growth, that means I am the town’s only hope for it to continue.” The realisation hit SJ like a train. She had personally disposed of the other two Legionnaires in the town who had originally started there and, to her knowledge, was the only one who could potentially trigger the next growth effect. “Do you know if I left the area, it would stop the impact of the growth?”
“I asked that same question already, and no. As long as you are alive and levelling, whichever town you originated in will continue to expand territories as you level, whether you stay here or not.”
“That means several towns may not even know what will happen to them.”
“I agree. It will bring a little more chaos to Amathera.”
“A little! It will be like playing roulette and never knowing when the ball will land on your number.”
“Roulette. Now that is a game I enjoy playing,” Dave sighed deeply.
“Sorry. That was a bad reference to make.”
“There’s no need to apologise; I need to deal with it. I have stayed clean long enough now, and I have you to keep me busy,” Dave replied cheerily.
“I am assuming that new Legionnaires are starting in more advanced areas,” SJ said.
“Unlikely. There are five continents, remember, and from what I am aware, only this continent is being trialled. That means there are still many starter towns that can be used outside of the influence of the sandbox.”
A screeching sound suddenly filled the air, SJ wincing as her heightened hearing picked up the horrendous sound. “What was that?” SJ said.
“Oh no. I was afraid of this.”
“What?”
“It seems we have a cross-border visitor.”
“What is it?” As SJ asked, a swift-moving beast flew over the street she walked down. She ducked instinctively from the cast shadow.
“Wyvern,” Dave answered.
SJ stared at the sky above but could see nothing as the surrounding buildings blocked her view. A harrowing scream came from up ahead, and she began to run towards the sound. Others who had been on the street stood looking skyward.
“Wyverns are vicious predators. I didn’t catch its level, but they are normally 30 plus.”
Turning the street corner and following the shouting that had erupted, SJ came onto a horrendous scene. An orc lay face down, blood pouring from wounds that had been torn across its back.
A gnoll guard SJ recognised screamed for them to grab him and get him off the street. Looking up, SJ saw what could only be classed as a Dragon soaring above the town and turning back towards where the members had gathered.
SJ ran towards them as another guard member pointed a crossbow at the flying beast. The wyvern let out another screech as it again swooped towards where they stood. The guard released his bolt, and it flew towards the wyvern, who saw it coming and twisted its path, continuing its dive.
“MOVE,” SJ screamed.
Those near the fallen orc began to scatter, some grabbing his bleeding body as the wyvern approached. SJ had no ranged weapons. As those on the immediate street were moving, the guard who had fired stood reloading his crossbow. He wasn’t paying attention to the wyvern cursing as he wound the loading mechanism. It looked like a heavy crossbow with a very slow loading time. SJ had witnessed them being used at the training ground.
As the wyvern swooped, SJ turned and sprinted towards the guard who was the wyvern’s target. Hurtling into his side as the wyvern reached him, talons extended, the guard was unceremoniously pushed to the side, staggering and groaning from the force of SJ’s hit.
It meant SJ was now standing in the guard’s position, and the wyvern’s talons struck true. The force of the impact and the pain from the flying beast’s strike flung SJ backwards, sending her hurtling towards one of the building walls. Her display flashed madly as she crashed into the wall. It could not have been a killing blow as her precognition hadn’t triggered. Banging her head against the stone surface, she saw stars and slid to the ground.
“STAY AWAKE,” Dave screamed at her as she lapsed into unconsciousness.
