When SJ awoke the next morning, her head felt like she had a herd of elephants stomping in it. Groaning loudly, she sat up.
“Are you ok?” Dave asked.
“My head,” SJ replied, holding it in her hands. She didn’t think she had drunk that much the previous evening, but it was still enough to make her feel bad.
“Drink a potion. You have one from Darjey’s loot in the wardrobe.”
“It’s a bit extreme using a potion to get rid of a headache.”
“It’s not a headache; it’s a hangover. Your body is dehydrated, and it’s only a minor. They only heal 1-8 health; the lessors you got are better at 8-16, but unless you have potions of rejuvenation. Which basically rebuilds your cells. It’s the fastest cure.”
Walking over to the wardrobe, she took out one of the smaller vials, uncorked it, and drank it. The potion didn’t take long to start working. Her body began to feel more invigorated, and the thumping in her head faded. In under a minute, she felt as right as rain again.
“I wonder if that is how Darjey and Malcolm had been managing to drink so much. Using potions to heal themselves between drinking bouts?”
“I don’t think they were ever sober enough to even consider them,” Dave replied.
Walking to the window, she looked out into the town square. The rain had stopped at some point overnight, and the cobbles appeared to be steaming as the remaining water slowly evaporated from them. The usual bright, clear skies had returned, and the sun blazed down. The street vendors moved crates and barrels and tipped the excess water from their stall awnings, while the shop owners opened their shopfronts, letting in the sun’s rays.
“I need to sort out the loot I have. See Fran and Fizzlewick. Go and train and pick up some more quests.”
“We have much to investigate and discuss,” Dave added.
“What do we need to discuss?”
“Everything. What is happening here is not normal. Every day, the mechanics of what should be a starter town are being challenged. I am trying to investigate the code to see what is happening, but I still haven’t fully sorted my loophole out since the emergency patch.”
“You mentioned that before, but everyone in town was here long before I arrived, so it has to be a normal starter town.”
“I spoke to Malcolm’s AI last night before he was reassigned. He said he had also noticed strange things with levels and the general town function. A starter town having a hostile settlement so close is unheard of. It leads us to believe that the System is losing more and more control over what it implemented thousands of years ago. Autonomy is taking over, realigning things more. I think that it is part of natural balance and that due to the good nature of the town, the hobs appeared as a balancing act.”
“This must have happened before if that is the case.”
“Not that we are aware of. It seems to be a recent change. I have messaged some of the AIs on other continents, but they won’t be able to respond about their actual Legionnaires until they pass. Being able to talk about you and your experiences with other AI while I still support you is only due to the waiver. I am not held to account.”
“Won’t that anger the System, though?”
“They can’t do anything about it now. Interference with an existing AI is one of the primary rules. They would have to break their own to do so. That reminds me, I completely forgot, I heard back from the adjudicator.”
“Oh. What did they say?”
“They accepted your statement. Therefore, the initial full experience will be assigned upon completion of the quest.”
“That means I can go and see Gladys this morning, then,” SJ replied, smiling. Yesterday, when she had come upstairs and walked into the bedroom, she had removed the choker. Picking it up from the bedside table she walked back through to put it on, looking in the mirror. It was a beautiful piece.
“Ok. It’s time to complete the quest and see if Fran is free to check in about flying.”
“I am not sure you need to. Your flying is natural now.”
“I know, but she said she would like to go on a flight with a fae again.”
After grabbing some breakfast, SJ began the walk over to the Mill. She could have flown, but after yesterday’s deluge, she enjoyed walking in the morning sun. Several of the townsfolk waved to her this morning as she walked along, recognising some of them from yesterday’s battle and time in the inn but not knowing many of their names. She smiled back, offering pleasantries in response to greetings.
“You are getting popular. I am surprised…”
SJ’s display triggered.
Congratulations! Your reputation with the town of Killic was raised to Liked after you supported the town during the recent hobgoblin raid.
All future town interactions will offer a 40% experience bonus for quests completed.
“…and there it is,” Dave finished, chuckling.
“Yes,” SJ whispered ecstatically.
“That will help speed things up again.”
“I need to get more quests once I complete this one.”
Approaching the mill, the sails were slowly turning, and Hubert was busy moving bags of flour onto the back of a wagon.
“Good morning. Would you like a hand?” SJ asked, smiling.
Hubert turned to look at her, slightly taken aback, not hearing her approach. “You!”
“Yes. Me.” SJ replied, getting ready for a confrontation.
“Lucinda said what you did yesterday.”
“Lucinda?” SJ asked, not recognising the name.
“Mrs Larper, she runs the best bakery in town. You were fighting on the frontline.”
“I was.”
“Well, thank you,” Hubert replied
“I only did what anyone else would have done.”
“Not of your kind,” he replied, throwing another sack onto the wagon. “Gladys is inside,” he replied, climbing onto the wagon and moving towards town.
SJ wasn’t sure if he meant fae by his statement or Legionnaire, but she didn’t want to challenge him causing an argument. The mill door was open, and when looking inside, SJ could see the mechanism she remembered from a school trip to an old mill back on Earth. A large mill bin sat at the bottom of a wooden chute, and looking up on the inside as she entered, she could see the large grinding stones slowly crushing the grains. The grinding stone and creaking of the wooden structure were loud in the confined space of the insides. She noticed Gladys on the floor above.
“Hi, Gladys.”
The woman looked down and, on seeing SJ, hurried down the ladder.
“Hello, dear. I’m so glad you’re back. I heard what you did yesterday in town. I received the notification that the cottages were clear. Thank you so much.”
Her display triggered.
Quest – Investigate the cottages - Complete
The cottages are clear due to the undead leaving the area, and the source has been located. You may claim your reward for identifying the source and location of the necromancer behind the recent events.
Rewards: 200xp +40% 280xp awarded
Return to Gladys to receive your gift.
SJ smiled, seeing the increased experience gained due to the new reputation level with the town.
“Here, please take this,” Gladys said, handing SJ a small vial of liquid.
On taking the vial, SJ looked at the liquid, which was pale white.
“What is it?” SJ asked.
“It’s a cure potion. It will treat any toxins or poisons that you have suffered.”
“That’s amazing, thank you.”
“I heard what happened to you during the battle yesterday and thought it may benefit you more than the coin I had planned.”
“You heard about me being poisoned?”
“The whole town has. You are the talk of it.”
“I am? I noticed more people waving to me today, but I didn’t think I had done that much, and no more than those who gave their lives.”
“We probably would have lost many more if it wasn’t for you, though.”
“Thank you. I have something to tell you as well.”
“What?” Gladys asked.
“With Zej and Lythonian’s help, we cleared the necromancer from over the other side of the lake. That is where the undead had come from. Three of the skeletons have been freed and are currently staying in one of the cottages. I have asked them to take care of your cottage while they are there. I am planning on going to revisit them in a few days. Lythonian checked all their alignments so they can all be trusted.” SJ finished seeing that a worried look had started to appear on Gladys’s face.
“If the venerable Lythonian checked them, then that makes me feel better,” Gladys said, now smiling again.
“I am going to go and see Mistress Francisca at the academy while I am over this way.”
“Thank you for what you have done. I will visit the cottage in a few days myself and see what state it was left in.”
“Oh. They had never entered it. They were using the storm cellar for storage.”
“That is a relief,” Gladys replied.
“Let me know if you need anything else done at any time,” SJ said as she turned to leave.
“I will, and see you soon.”
Walking the short distance from the mill to the mage training grounds, SJ took in the wonder of the magic being demonstrated as she approached. Various coloured lights could be seen competing against the bright sun. There were many more outside compared to her initial visit, and Fran stood in front of them all, giving instructions.
“We need to improve our offensive strategy. I know many of you are new mages, but our weaknesses were revealed yesterday. We should be able to stop the hobs in their tracks, yet every time we suffer, we suffer due to too many defensive spells rather than offensive ones. Today, we train offensively. Now, I want you to break off into pairs and practice with each other, and I will check in and see how you are getting on.”
SJ walked over to where Fran stood, speaking to the goblin clerk.
“Hi, Mistress Francisca,” she said as she approached.
Fran turned to see SJ, then her gaze drifted down to her choker. Her eyes grew a little wider before she hurried towards her. Without saying a word, she took her by her elbow and turned her, walking into the main building. SJ was taken aback but didn’t resist allowing herself to be ushered.
The inside of the building was different from what SJ had expected. She had images of alchemy sets and bottles and potions lying everywhere, and instead of walking inside into a laboratory setting, she was met with a common room with sofas, a dining area, and then a corridor that ran down the centre of the building. It was nicely furnished, and there was no clutter. The images of witches and wizard laboratories from films were what she had imagined being far from the truth. Fran led her to a side door and opened it, showing her inside.
“Sit,” she said sternly.
SJ did as she was asked and sat down. Fran walked to the other side of a desk and sat.
“Are you ok?” SJ asked, a little concerned.
“Where did you get it?” she asked flatly.
“Get what?”
“The choker?
“Oh. Mayor Maxwell gave it to me for helping yesterday as a thank-you gift.”
“Do you know what it is?”
“I have identified it, yes.”
“So, you know it is fae?”
“I wonder what her problem is?” Dave said, sounding concerned.
“I do. Is there a problem?”
“That is the Choker of the Earth Stone, right?”
“Yes. How do you know?”
“It is a lost treasure of the fae. It has been missing for centuries. It is one piece of a set lost during the dark elf wars.”
“How do you know what it is, though?”
Fran took out a key and unlocked a drawer in the desk, lifting out a parchment. Placing it on the table, she unrolled it. On the parchment was a list of various items and pictures of each one neatly drawn and painted. In total, the parchment had nearly thirty items listed. Halfway down the page was the image of the choker she now wore. It was identical. Beneath it were four other items which made the set. The Tiara of the Earth Stone, Earrings of the Earth Stone, The Earthen Breast and The Belt of the Earth Stone.
SJ was amazed to see her choker and the four other items. “What does this mean exactly?”
“You are wearing a fae heirloom. Its true power is unknown, to my knowledge. It has been centuries since the set was combined.”
“Oh. Do I need to return it to someone?”
“No. It cannot be taken from you now you have worn it, not without you being killed. It is soul-bound.”
Looking at the item details again, she noticed a new comment next to where it had indicated it was 1 of 5 in a set.
Soul Bound
“I had not realised.”
“The fact that it is now back in the hands of a fae is the best we could hope for. The chances of finding the other pieces to the set are virtually zero. There have been sightings of various heirlooms over the years, but this is the first time I am aware that one has reappeared again in fae hands.”
SJ’s display triggered.
Quest - Earth Sentry
The fae heirlooms have been missing for centuries. You have received one of five pieces of the Earth Sentry set. Find the other four remaining pieces to complete the set. This is a racial quest and has no territory limitations.
Progress: 1 of 5
Rewards: Earth Sentry status
“Now that is a proper quest,” Dave said.
Ignoring Dave, SJ looked at Fran, a little concerned that she may have painted a target on her back. “Does this mean others will hunt me down?”
“Hunted down, no. Be looked at differently by fae, perhaps only if they know what you wear. I know because of my position as an enchanter and my previous time in the fae capital, the heirlooms have been missing for so long that many have forgotten about them.”
“I didn’t realise you were an Enchanter.”
“I am, and Mayor Maxwell sent a message yesterday about lightning protection on your boots, stopping the mage’s shield from damaging you. I am currently looking into learning it so we can enchant more gear.”
“The mayor thinks it would help significantly, having melee fighters able to attack.”
“It would. One of the biggest issues is that using mage spells against magic shields is like using a thimble to extinguish a fire. Especially the shield that the hobgoblin mage uses. It is arcane dark magic, not elemental like most mages.”
“I have no idea about how magic interacts. There are a lot of mages here, though I would have thought you would be able to do the hobs much more damage?”
“Most of the mages here are less than level five. They may have a barrier spell, which you would have seen at the docks, but they don’t have offensive capabilities. When you consider a mage, having a barrier or personal shield is their priority over anything else. Many mages never even learn offensive magic as they have no need for it. They focus more on magic that helps with normal everyday life.”
“I automatically assumed mages would be casting fireballs or lightning bolts everywhere.”
“Ha, no,” Fran replied, smiling. “Most are learning work skills. Water mages are highly sought after in the desert regions. Fire mages in the ice regions, etc. Many learn only to support.”
SJ was surprised at this information, assuming that all mages would be combat-oriented. Given the lack of sciences she had witnessed so far, it made sense that they would be more of a support class.
“Are any combat focused?”
“Some are, but it’s a rarity. Those that are usually work for the larger cities as protectors.”
“Could you not have created a shield to protect the town from the hobs, blocking them from approaching.”
“It is not as easy as you may think, especially with the lower-level mages we have. They can only hold it for a short period of time before it dissipates, and due to limited mana, they then become useless without potions. The hobgoblin mage is very skilled. He has a permanent invulnerability shield that, once cast, remains until it is destroyed and projects a personal skin shield to Bordon.”
“Are you not as powerful?”
“No way near. I have also split my elemental alignments, not focusing on one specific element to the same degree. Although I am a water mage, most of my spells are support-based.”
The revelations of the mages’ class system were not what SJ had expected, but they did make more sense of why they had not been very effective in combatting the hob raid.
“The reason I came to see you was I have been flying,” SJ said, changing the conversation.
“Excellent. How have you been getting on?”
“Great, I think, at least. There are no aches or pains, and it feels so natural.”
“Show me then.”
SJ stood from her chair before changing to her miniature form, immediately taking off and hovering.
“Great.” Fran transformed herself and flew over the desk. “Shall we go for a flight?”
“Do you not need to watch the apprentices?”
“I should, but they can keep practising. They will need to keep allowing their mana to recharge, so it is a process that takes time. We don’t just have limitless mana potions available. We save them for the raids.”
There was a window at the rear of the office, and Fran flew over, lifting the latch. It pushed open easily, and she flew outside. “Come on then.”
SJ followed. Once outside, Fran set off steadily, flying over the training ground. The mages below were busy testing each other, and SJ watched the spectacle as they flew over. After glancing at SJ and seeing that she was coping with her speed, Fran slowly began to pick up the pace. Increasing her speed to match. SJ hadn’t paid attention to the speeds she had been flying at before, but now she had realised how fast the ground was starting to flash below her.
“Let’s go higher.” Fran suddenly changed direction and flew straight up. SJ could not turn as swiftly, and aligning and following took her a moment. Trailing Fran and trying to chase her down, she had increased her speed again. Fran moved quite a distance away straight up before stopping, and SJ pushed hard to reach her.
She realised that she was now panting slightly from the exertion and came to a hover at her side. “That was harder than I thought it would be.”
“Your speed will increase over time; you are already very fast for a new flyer,” Fran said, smiling.
Looking down for the first time since chasing Fran, the realisation of how high they were made her feel giddy. “Whoa. This is high,” SJ said, her eyes wide as she stared at the ground far below. They must have flown a few hundred feet straight up. “Do we have limits?”
“Limits in height we can fly. No. The only thing that would stop us is air temperature. If we went much higher than we are now since we are in the mountains, we would soon start to feel it.”
Understanding the general specifics of Earth and altitude, it made sense that Amathera would have similar conditions even if it were larger than Earth. From their height, SJ could see over the mountains and across the wide-open forest area and farmland that surrounded the town. The width of the lake from this height was truly awesome. The town now looked like the model on Mayor Maxwell’s table.
“This view is amazing.”
“It is rather beautiful and peaceful up here,” Fran replied.
SJ looked over at the mountaintop in the distance, where the considerable form of Bob had been, and realised that he was no longer there.
“I wonder when the dragon left?” SJ said.
“I saw him leave yesterday before the rain came. He took off heading North again.”
“That will stop you from having to protect yourself from the lake surge.”
“It will. We only just managed to stop the first one. The second surge we were better equipped for.”
“I saw you at the docks. It was an amazing sight.”
“You would have seen the shields then. That is all many mages can do apart from throwing the occasional minor offensive spell. The timing of the shields was critical, and several mages suffered from serious mana fatigue afterwards.”
SJ had heard about mana fatigue from games she had played and books she had read, so she didn’t need to ask what Fran meant.
“Seven o’clock up three hundred feet,” Dave suddenly said.
SJ turned, looking upwards, and saw a large bird in the distance. Fran followed her gaze.
“You must have strong senses,” Fran said, raising her eyebrows.
Not responding, SJ watched as the bird adjusted its flight and started to align with them.
“That looks like a Falcon. We better head down.” Fran said.
Fran turned and began to descend, SJ following.
“It’s moved off,” Dave said.
Looking backwards, SJ saw that it had indeed changed direction and was flying over the lake towards the thick forest on the far side.
“It’s stopped following,” SJ said.
“I should get back anyway,” Fran responded.
The descent was gentler than the ascent, and flying back over the training ground again, they entered Fran’s office through the window before transforming back into their larger forms.
“I enjoyed that. I last flew with a fae many years ago. You are very natural, and your speed will increase more. Over the next few months, you will soon learn your limits.”
“Thank you. I would never have got to where I am without your help.”
“It is my pleasure,” Fran replied, “I better go and check on the apprentices.”
Walking out of the building, SJ noticed two mages standing arguing. Fran immediately turned and headed over to them.
“Thanks,” SJ called. Fran turned and waved briefly before turning back to speak to the apprentices.
“That was invigorating,” SJ said, “and thanks for the warning.”
“No need to thank me,” Dave replied.
Smiling at how Dave had naturally warned her about the bird made SJ feel happy, and a grin broke on her face.
“Wind again?” Dave asked.
