The Deep Below
Author: R.J. Castiglione
Date: 2017-07-30 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy
Description: After a hair-raising flight from Elatha, Michael and his allies find themselves holed up in a remote region in Fjorgyn, surrounded by potential enemies. They must rid themselves of the threat of an unfriendly horde of goblins while they discover the reasons behind a dire threat in the forested realm around them. They must do all this while feeling alone and abandoned in this harsh world. Although he wants nothing more to do with going underground and always fighting for his life, the threat of a pursuing Elathian army headed by the cruel king, Ankou Levent, requires Michael jump into action to

Fjorgyn: The Deep Below

Book II

A LitRPG Novel

RJ Castiglione

Copyright © 2016 by RJ Castiglione. All Rights Reserved.

Cover design by German Creative

Editing services by Sheryl Lee
http://sherylleee.wixsite.com/editor

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 1

Secret name: Slanaitheoir (savior)

Character name: Michael Dian-Cecht

Race: Spirit Elf

Age: 27

Class: Undefined

Talent: Undefined

Level 14 (1,791xp to next level)

Health: 324 (244)

Mana: 419 (244)

Stamina: 244

Fatigue: 75%

Armor: 80 (1.1% damage mitigation) - 2.1% damage mitigation with skills.

Unassigned: 12

Strength: 12

Intelligence: 16

Wisdom: 15

Constitution: 16

Agility: 12

Luck: 6

Alignment: Chaotic Good (+1)

Racial Traits: +5% to herbalism, +5% to all non-metal crafting, +5% to nature-based healing and damage spells, +5% to mana regeneration

Profession: Undefined

Company: Bracken Corps

Modifiers: +20% movement speed, Spirit Elf (+10% to all damage and healing done. -10% to all magical damage taken. +10% increase to all physical damage taken), 25% threat reduction, +8% to damage and spells (gear)

Skills:

Novice Blades 1 (.25% increase damage): The ability to deal damage with knives and blades. Drains stamina. Increase in rank reduces stamina drain and increases additional damage.

Novice Staves 8 (1.8% increased damage, 2.5% increased chance to block): The ability to use a staff weapon to attack and block enemies.

Novice Grappling 1 (1% increase damage): The ability to deal physical damage through hand-to-hand combat.

Novice Light Armor 6 (1% reduced damage/movement speed): Wearing light armor grants a bonus to damage reduction. Increase in rank improves movement speed and reduces damage taken.

Novice Observation 6: You are keenly aware of your surroundings. You can glean useful information from those around you to aid in your understanding of your world.

Novice Stalking 7 (1.6% chance of remaining hidden): The ability to stealth through the world. Increases fatigue. Increase in rank improves hiding, reduces fatigue increase and improves movement speed while moving silently.

Apprentice Herbalism (Rank 45): The ability to craft powerful potions, elixirs, and poisons. Increase in rank to make mixtures requiring more ingredients. Increase in rank to make mixtures of better quality and class.

Novice Tailoring 1 (1% reduction in time to craft, quality of item): The craft of creating cloth armor and goods.

Novice Tracking 1 (10% chance to find trails and tracks in nature): The art of finding your way through nature. Useful for hunting creatures or humanoids alike. Also aids in discovering new paths.

Apprentice Leadership (Rank 27): The ability to persuade and command others. Increase rank to be a more effective leader. Can command war party of 25 people. Higher ranks provide skills unique to leading and commanding groups of people.

Novice Cooking (Rank 5): The ability to create amazing dishes to reduce fatigue. Advanced creations offer other temporary benefits. Higher ranks improve the quality of creations.

Spells:

Novice Nature's Grace I (Rank 4): Cast this to infuse your target's wounds with natural magic, healing them for 3hp per second for 4 seconds. Mana cost: 10. Cast time: 1 second. This cannot be dispelled.

Novice Living Seed I (Rank 18): Cast this to plant a seed of natural magic in your target to heal them for 4hp per second for 10 seconds. Upon expiration, the target is healed for another 10hp. Mana cost: 26. Cast time: 2.5s Increase the rank of this spell to increase its potency. Can be modified by Wisdom, enchantments, and racial abilities. Can be dispelled.

Novice Dual-Cast (Rank 2): Weave two spells into one for 2.5x the normal mana rate. This may backfire causing damage and a waste of mana. Spells of the same type will be 3x more effective. Spells of varying types will yield different results. Chance of backlash: 50%

Novice Mana Infusion (Rank 3): Infuse your mana into a spell to amplify its effects. At your current rank, you must use all remaining mana. Increase in rank to gain more control over how much mana you expel.

Spirit Trek (no rank): Once per week, you may summon a portal to bring you and your party from your current location to your resurrection site.

------

I stood in the bedroom window of Brackenvale Manor and surveyed the fort-village below. Figures shuffled between buildings that night like zombies through a graveyard. Everyone was exhausted. Some were looking for water while others looked for bathrooms that didn’t exist. I made a mental note of the things we needed to do the next day, hoping to turn Brackenvale Keep from a ruin into a home. For now, though, I still ached from the injury in my leg, one received when Clifford, my former master and now lover, spirited me through a portal during our escape from Elatha.

I had thought our flight from Elatha would be the difficult task, but it turned out to be easy compared to the task of survival. We needed food for hundreds of people. We needed more shelters for them. We needed a clean and private place for people to void themselves. Clifford was right when he said this was a ruin. I could see that now. Some of the buildings had cracks in the walls. A few even had grass growing on their roofs. Pouring over all the details for potential improvements triggered a cluster headache. Massaging my temples and jaw helped relieve the pain.

"Michael, are you coming to bed?"

I looked over at Clifford lying on a pile of blankets and furs in the back of the room. Scratching the stitches in my leg, trying to scare off the ghost-pain of the arrow once embedded there, I wondered when it would heal. Only eight hours ago, Nila's portal spell destroyed my mana pool, bringing it from full to zero to -500mp. While necessary to guarantee our escape, her drawing mana from me had tapped into some unknown source within and drained me into the negatives, something no one ever saw before. It was regenerating about as quickly as a snail crosses a sidewalk. My mana was now -325. It would take another day to return to full.

"On what bed?" I scowled a bit at him, and he shrugged his shoulders and turned away. I could tell my tone flustered him, and instantly regretted using him like a proverbial punching bag. I hopped across the room to join him, lowering myself to the ground with care.

"I'm sorry." I held out my hand and rubbed the back of his head. "I shouldn't have snapped at you. Forgive me?"

Cupping my face, he smiled for a moment. "Always."

Although I tried to force a grin, I couldn't feign a good mood. I shuffled to my feet, favoring my uninjured leg. "I won't be able to rest tonight. You sleep. One of us should be functional in the morning, and I know it’s not going to be me. I'm going for a walk."

“Do you need me to come with you? You shouldn’t be walking on your leg now,” he said.

Wanting to be alone, I declined his offer.

I left the bedroom to explore the manor further. It was slow going. The top floor was easy enough. The building’s design was familiar given my previous excursions in Fjorgyn: Online. The manor formed a square with an opening exposing the floors below and allowed defenders to fire arrows into the lower levels should enemies breach the defenses.

My bedroom was at the front of the building. It was the largest room on this level—a lord's bedroom if there ever was one. The furniture had long since decayed leaving only stumps of wood and mildew. I heard whispers coming out of the other bedrooms, some from my friends and others from villagers I hadn't met yet. Cilden and Rose took the room beside ours. Their door shook on its hinges, vibrating from Cilden’s snoring.

"Mental note," I said to myself, "find Neeta and Junta a separate room."

I didn't know where Baridorne, Moga, Nila, or Petey stayed. They shuffled into the manor hours ago and sprinted up the stairs to claim any rooms that happened to have functioning windows.

I labored down the stairs to the second level. Some of the stones were loose and wobbled under my good foot as though they were intentionally trying to stall my progress. The second story was much like the first, although with more rooms. The door to one was open, revealing heaps of sleeping bodies sprawled on the floor. The silver rings of their slave collars reflected moonlight.

The room seemed to be a library. Broken shelves lined the walls, cluttered with rotting refuse once a compilation of hundreds of volumes. Whoever last lived here left in a hurry. Books were prized possessions in Fjorgyn. Even non-magical ones cost hundreds of gold each, having been hand-copied by some scholar or another. I learned from Clifford that magical tomes could run between 5,000 to 50,000 gold depending on the rarity of the spell in question. "It was cheaper," he said, "for you to find spellbooks in dungeons." That is how he found the Living Seed tome he offered me months ago.

The first floor of the manor was three times as wide as the top two. It contained the remnants of a kitchen, a war room with a shattered table, and a great hall. There was also a chapel to an unknown god, a larder, and a private dining room.

The main house also had some garderobes —primitive toilets that were nothing more than indoor outhouses. I hadn't seen any working toilets in the more rudimentary buildings outside as most of the other stone structures only contained two or three rooms.

I wondered for a moment who last occupied the keep and why they abandoned it. The furniture that remained, the books, the number of buildings, and the secure location told of a ruling family of wealth and means, yet it all looked abandoned for hundreds of years with no sign of struggle. There were no shattered buildings or discarded weapons suggesting a battle occurred.

I abandoned the manor house and walked along the eastern edge of the keep towards the dungeon entrance. The wall was more visible here, stone structures giving way to open grass. The must and rank odor of the village also faded, replaced by a sweet and earthy smell. This part of the keep looked like a garden. Untamed trees rose out of beds of moon grass and various flowers. I took a moment to rest on the ground, near the stump of a silver birch. The light of the moon danced through the swaying branches above, and a feeling of melancholy swept over me like the wind coursing through the valley.

"Vindur, I could really use you right now. You left too early," I said to the sky. I thought back on the first creature I met after my resurrection. While he was first a crow, I grew fond of him as a lemur. He was my guide and friend and left me only when he felt I was ready to stand on my own, having reconciled the differences between Fjorgyn: Online and Fjorgyn, the actual world I now called home.

Nothing and no one responded. I could use his guidance. While I was accustomed to running a company, I've never once had to lead an entire village.

Shaking the negative thoughts from my head I focused on the only available task at hand: allocating my attributes and reviewing my settlement interface.

I had twelve unassigned points to commit. Laughing under my breath about having shot up six levels from one quest, I opened my interface.

Looking my attributes up and down, I thought about my previous encounters. My constitution was already high for my level, a choice I made when I was still a slave in a misguided attempt to raise my health high enough to escape the damage-inducing barrier surrounding Elatha. Had I known Clifford would gift me enchanted armor I would have placed those points elsewhere. Now we were all safe I could focus on my strengths. I was never going to be an amazing melee fighter or tank. My brain didn’t work that way. I cringed at the thought of me slinging arrows. I was never any good with a bow and archery didn’t come naturally to me. I was more likely to kill a friend than an enemy.

No. My strengths were in healing and spell casting, and that meant Wisdom and Intelligence. I committed five points to both and placed the remaining two points in Luck. One can never have too much luck. Once I submitted my choices, I felt my connection to my own mana source widen and grow deeper. My mana pool increased from 244 to 256. The change wasn't drastic yet, but it made a substantial difference at higher levels.

For good measure, I pulled a mana potion from my bag and swallowed it. Nila had given it to me earlier. Chugging the potion down offered all the effects and feelings of my mana regenerating, but the counter did not change. Whatever this unknown source of negative mana happened to be, it was stubborn. I guessed it was a hidden blessing from Balama. If only I discovered it earlier and learned from Vindur how to tap into it.

I pulled up my village interface, never having seen one before. There were four sections to the interface: Information, resources, buildings, and quests.

Village Information:

Brackenvale Keep

Level: 1 (5% to level 2)

Population: 417 (overpopulated)

Village Morale: Low

Current renown: Unknown

Regional Defenses: Rocky shores, sheer cliff face, Acid Ferns, Switchback, Hidden entrance to the valley

Keep defenses: Ten-foot by three-foot wall, cliff face, gate and portcullis

Allies: None

Enemies: Wraithheart Company

Village resources:

Water: Unlimited

Food: Two month supply

Crops: None

Animal feed: None

Seed: One season

Weapons: Minimal

Buildings:

Manor with War room

Stables with animal paddocks

Generic Stone buildings: 47

Village Quests: None

The log also had locked sections I hoped to reveal later.

------

"Michael, wake up." Petey stood over me, shaking my shoulders.

"What happened?" I rubbed sleep from my eyes. I had fallen asleep in the garden, resting there while the moon set and the sun rose. I tried to open my eyes, but the brightness of day was a relatively new experience for me. It took me a minute before I could see again. When I did, I spotted dozens of villagers standing in the lower half of the field basking in the sun’s warmth.

"Nothing happened. The others are having a meeting and sent me to get you. Why are you out here?" The young man helped me to my feet.

"I went out for a walk. I must have been more tired than I thought and fell asleep without realizing it."

I wrapped my arm around his shoulders for support, allowing us to hustle back to the manor. When I entered the building I heard vague yells coming from the war room.

"We need food!"

"We need defenses!"

"We need shelters. And toilets!"

Nila, Moga, and Cilden were arguing when I walked into the war room. Their raised voices echoed through the empty manor.

"Finally! Someone to end this bickering." Rose was present as well and greeted me when I walked into the room. She knelt down to look at my leg, pleased that her sutures were still in place, then demanded I sit in the only functional chair at the end of the broken war table.

"You're all correct." I waved my friends in closer. "We do need all those things. There's no reason why we can't do them all at once. The most important, however, is to make sure we give every able person outside something to do."

The room quieted down, everyone eager to hear my plan. Why did I always have to come up with the new plan?

"Let's start with food. I know nothing about crops, but I know we have dirt, water, and seeds enough for a year. Cilden, what can you do with that?"

The stout man was more than happy to go first. He began to explain the various types of seeds and how to best grow them. He went on for minutes before I raised my hand to silence him.

“The short version, please.”

He nodded, understanding my desire for brevity. "Give me enough people, and we can prepare the fields and plant seeds in a few days. We have some nutritious and fast-growing plants, although I suggest we start with cabbages and wheat. We can harvest a variety of vegetables in three months."

"And we only have two months worth of food, so we’ll need to supplement that.” I paused to look at their reactions. A row of blank faces stared back at me. “We need hunters."

"There's not a ton of game animals in this valley," Clifford interjected.

"We need hunters who are willing to leave the valley and bring back food." I smiled at him. "Moga, can you see to that?"

Moga was the only one not standing with the group, preferring the corner of the room over the clustered bodies in the middle. From there, he huffed his consent.

"Now what can we do about buildings and toilets?"

Everyone looked at me, clueless for a solution.

"Okay. Baridorne and Cilden, you both have the building skill, right?"

"Yeah, but we've only built sheds. We need someone with a higher skill who can make stable structures."

"Alright, let me think about that one. As for defenses, I agree that we need them. We're safe for now. Even if someone knows where we are it'll be weeks before they can muster an army and get at us. Baridorne, can you find the stronger villagers and form a unit of guards? They can patrol the wall and perimeter of the grounds. That'll have to do for now. Until we gather more resources and start crafting weapons and armor, we won't be able to do better."

Those with assigned tasks left the room. Petey, Rose, Nila, and Clifford remained.

"Now. What do you four want to do?"

They had blank looks on their faces.

"Alright. Petey, what are you good at?"

He wasn't sure how to respond. He was born a slave. He was once a miner and was once a whore. He had no definitive skills outside swinging a pick. And we certainly weren't going to open a brothel. Many of the freed slaves were forced to become sex workers in Elatha. I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes here.

"I can heal," he mumbled.

"Yes! Yes, you can, so let's start with that. People are always getting hurt. How would you like to be our village healer?"

The young man gleamed, pleased with the idea.

"When we figure out buildings, we'll be able to make a clinic for you where sick and injured people can go."

I turned to Rose. "And would you like to help him? I'm certain we can find a fair number of villagers to cook for everyone. I can't think of anyone better to be our herbalist. I can teach you what you need to know to cure poisons and diseases. And when we explore outside the valley we'll find ingredients to make more. Neeta and Junta can help you. That will give them something to do where you can keep an eye on them."

She was happy with this arrangement. She and Petey rushed off to discuss their plans for a functional clinic.

Only Nila and Clifford remained.

"Well, that went well," I said to them.

"There's still quite a bit to discuss. What should I do? I’m not one to sit around all day." Nila was at a loss.

"You—both of you— are professional Scholars. What does that mean, exactly?"

I felt foolish for not asking Clifford about this earlier. And guilty. He spent the last five months focused exclusively on me and my emancipation, sacrificing everything to see us all freed from the dark grip of Elatha. I haven't been a great companion or lover to him.

"We read, we write, and we broker information," Clifford said. "Our responsibilities in Elatha were mostly administrative, although we were trained in novel and book creation."

"So you can create spellbooks?"

"Nila can, but only spells she knows. Even then, one book can take a month to make. It's easier to teach spells, but most people in Vros refuse to do so unless paid heavily. Spell trade is incredibly rare."

Nila's body stiffened a bit and she stepped away from us. She knew what I was going to ask her.

"Nila?"

She alternated looking at Clifford and me while both of us stared at her, hoping to convince her to give me the spells I needed.

"Alright! Alright! I'll teach you what I can, but only privately. Teaching someone a spell is draining. I can only handle the process a few times a month."

I thanked her profusely. Even without knowing what spells she had available I needed to expand my arsenal. I couldn't always trust having my friends around to defend me.

"Nila, I'd also like you to be my Chamberlain. Clifford and I won't always be around. In our absence, could you keep things in order? I can't think of anyone better. You're the most organized person I know." Clifford jabbed me in the ribs, faking offense at my placing her skills above his own.

"And you, Cliff, are the second most organized person I know."

The two of them started laughing. I took the laughter as a sign that she wanted the job.

"Great. I think we're done here, then."

"Well, what about me?" Clifford asked. "What should I do?"

"What you do best. The people outside recognize me as their leader. They know you are the person closest to me. They're going to bring all of their problems to you first. I trust your judgment and will respect your solutions to problems."

Clifford was too valuable to me for any mundane job. I needed him to be my second in command. He accepted without hesitation, as companions often do.

"But first, I need you to help me up. My leg is stiff, and I'm starving. Can we get breakfast?"

------

Breakfast was uneventful since everyone else had already eaten. Clifford and Nila left me in the kitchen before spiriting away to their new tasks. I was left with a glass of water and some dried fruit to munch. I took the opportunity to review new updates to my settlement interface. It had two more tabs: Forces and Offices.

Village Information:

Brackenvale Keep

Level: 1 (5% to level 2)

Population: 417 (overpopulated)

Village Morale: Low

Current renown: Unknown

Regional Defenses: Rocky shores, sheer cliff face, Acid Ferns, Switchback, Hidden entrance to the valley.

Keep defenses: Ten-foot by three-foot wall, cliff face, gate and portcullis

Allies: None

Enemies: Wraithheart Company

Village resources:

Water: Unlimited

Food: Two month supply

Crops: None

Animal feed: None

Seed: One season

Weapons: Minimal

Buildings:

Manor with War room

Stables with animal paddocks

Generic Stone buildings: 47

Forces:

One guard captain

Officers:

Hand - Clifford Grey

Chamberlain - Nila Hislop

Captain of the Guard - Baridorne

Village Herbalist - Rose Thane

Village Healer - Peadair Byrne

Village Scholar - Nila Hislop

Head Hunter - Moga

Village Farmer - Cilden Thane

Chief Clerk - None

Chief Planner - None

Chief Blacksmith - None

Chief Enchanter - None

Chief Tailor - None

Village Quests: None

I also had a few notifications to review:

You have received a quest: Find Village Planner. Search through your ranks to find a qualified planner and builder to construct more buildings.

Reward: village XP, new buildings

Do you accept? Y/N

You have earned 13 village experience. 70xp to next village level!

Congratulations! You have finished the quest “The land is my home.” You have made Cilden Thane a farmer again.

Reward: +50xp

With everyone arranging their new tasks, I took the opportunity to explore further. Clifford and Nila settled on the manor’s steps along with a cluster of other former-masters. Villagers lined up in front of them, taking turns having their collars removed. I discarded mine yesterday. It was resting at the bottom of one of the garderobes where it belonged.

Nila cast a spell on each collar, illuminating the filament within, after which Clifford snipped them off with a pair of shears. Relief washed over the faces of the villagers when their collars hit the ground. These leather chokers were the last anchor to their prior lives. The line of those waiting for removal ran down the path from the manor to the front gate, hundreds waiting for their chance to be truly set free.

I spotted Baridorne and Moga closer to the front entrance, interviewing folks in line, looking for new recruits. Although many appeared eager to offer their services, most were not. Baridorne waved at me, gesturing me talk to him away from the crowd.

“What is it?”

“Most of them are willing to fill the role, but not without pay. They refuse to work for free.”

This was a problem as I only had four gold to my name. I could ill-afford to pay everyone's salaries on my own.

“I understand. They were slaves and don’t want to be taken advantage of again. Do you know the average wage for city guards?”

The half-giant shrugged. While he had previously been a commissioned soldier, he had never been a guard or a hunter. Moga joined us after encountering a similar problem.

“Moga, will the hunters work for a portion of their kills? They can prepare the skins and either keep the meat or sell it to other families.”

The Nissean shrugged at me, offering no value to the conversation.

“Well, can you go ask them? We will allow them to keep one out of every ten kills. We can negotiate based on skill, but shouldn’t go below one out of five.”

He nodded at me and walked back to the crowd. After a few minutes of negotiation, he held up eight fingers, confirming an agreed rate. I consented and smiled at the thought of having twenty new hunters.

"Baridorne, how much does a standard meal cost?"

"Most inns will offer you a room and a meal for ten silvers for one night. The meal is usually only two silvers."

"Since we're not charging rent for these hovels," I paused to peel a lump of moss from the ruined house next to me, "why don't we offer each willing guard twenty silver a week. Once we get established and can create some form of an economy, promise them increased wages. When we repair the buildings, we can start charging rent and raise their salaries some more to cover that."

My friend agreed, excited to discuss terms with his new guard unit.

"Oh, and Baridorne!" I talked to him loudly enough for his new guards to hear. "Let's limit it to five working days out of seven. Adjust the rotation to cover every day. Time off from work is a must."

The guards all laughed and cheered in response to my additional demand. They were more amenable to working under proper circumstances.

"Guards don't usually get days off, you know." Clifford snuck up behind me, rested his hands on my hips, and pulled me into him.

"I know. It's a new practice I hope will catch on. Imagine the look on Levent's face when his non-slave workers start demanding weekends and holidays!" Clifford chuckled with me, although he apparently found this idea less funny.

"Are you done with the collars for now?” I asked him. “I could use you as a crutch. I want to explore outside the walls."

"Yeah. I gave the scissors to an ex-slave. They seemed to like it better when they removed the collars themselves."

Chapter 2

I hobbled across the bridge exiting Brackenvale Keep, my arm flung over Clifford’s shoulder for support. The oppressive aroma of must and mildew gave way to the sweet smells of the forest, the field, and the sea. When the wind blew westward, I could smell the ocean on the air.

“How are we going to pay all these people?” I asked Clifford, interested in hearing his solution.

“We thought of that. Between all the masters, we were able to bring a total of 5,000 gold that we’re donating to the village. It won’t pay everyone forever, but it will give us enough breathing room to start the economy. Eventually, we’ll want to charge rent or collect taxes.”

I cringed at the thought of taxing my people.

“Okay, no taxes. What would you suggest?"

I pondered the question for a minute, reviewing multiple options in my head.

"Rent, for sure. But nothing too extreme. No one will be homeless here as long as we have enough houses. We can create a market for crafted goods hosted by the company and tax the profits, a portion of which pays our salaries. The remainder can fund the company."

"You've done this before?" he asked, the corner of his mouth upturning into a gentle smirk.

"Yes. And I like to think I did it quite well. Anyhow, we won't have to pay everyone. I'd rather most men and women earn their money through trade and services. Those who do not will earn a wage."

He agreed with me. Then again, there was nothing provocative about my suggestions for him to protest.

We crossed the bridge and were able to see the entire valley in daylight for the first time. I was eager to walk the area to learn more about my new domain. After ten minutes of hobbling through tall grass, we reached the eastern edge of the field. A dense forest filled the valley from north to south, offering only a few game paths to travel along.

"It's fifteen miles to the ocean," Clifford said. "There’s a cave there that leads out of the valley to a hidden exit, although it's not the safest way to leave."

"It's more dangerous than the bracken?"

"No. It just involves fighting." Clifford grew downcast. He let me go, left me hobbling on one leg, and walked a few feet into the forest to look around.

"What is it? Fighting what?"

"Goblins, although I don't know how many. My mother and I tried to exit the valley along that path once. They ambushed us and she forced me to run back to the valley. I almost didn't make it."

"And your mother?"

"I don't know. I never saw her again." He sniffed through his nose and blinked a few times to hold back rising tears.

I didn’t quite know what to say to him and felt even more guilty for not having asked about his mother before.

"She could still be alive."

"I doubt it." He turned his head away from me, his chin quivering. I limped over to Clifford and forced him to face me. Tears trickled down his cheeks, salty drops dripping into the dirt beneath him. I wiped some of the tears away and looked into his eyes. They were red and brimmed with water.

"Do you want to find out what happened to her?" I asked, extending my arm out to him, drawing him into a tight embrace. I rested my head against his quivering chest.

"Yes," he said, inhaling through his nose to better his breathing. "Can we? I mean not now, but soon. I want to recover her ring. It's important to me. My father sold or burned her other possessions, leaving nothing for me to remember her by."

I grimaced at the idea of his father purging her from their lives.

You have received a quest. "Mother, where art thou?" Help Clifford Grey learn more about the fate of his mother.

Requirements: Clifford Grey must be present to complete the quest.

Reward: XP

Bonus Objective: Find his mother's lost ring.

I accepted the quest without hesitation. Clifford hugged me tighter, appreciative that he would finally have a chance to discover his mother's fate. He started breathing easier and even began to smile again, only with a dampened mood.

"We'll find out what happened. I promise."

He released me from his tight embrace. Leaving my arm around his shoulder and his hand around my waist, we continued to shamble across the valley. He answered some of my questions about the goblins. He didn't know how many there were but knew they wouldn't venture far from the safety of the cave. He assumed that this side of the cave system was unused by them. If it had been their entrance, his mother would have spotted danger signs before entering.

Despite Clifford's assurances, I made a mental note to inform Baridorne. The cave itself would need to be monitored. Guards would have to escort any hunters or fishers through the east end of the valley.

We walked along the river on our way to the western side of the basin. The water was as clear as glass, and the current looked gentle. Leaves danced along its surface as though they were floating on air. The southern bank sloped gently towards the cliff towering above it. A reflection of the rockface rippled in the water below. Along the eastern edge of the glade, men and children stood in the cool water relieving themselves. The current spirited their waste away, sending it downstream to the ocean. I was glad my people found a clean enough way to take care of business instead of pissing in any random nook they found.

Upstream from them, others bashed laundry into some flat rocks they pulled out of the river. Even further west, I spotted Cilden and a gaggle of men and women. They had designed rudimentary tillers and were forcing them through the earth in straight lines, prepared to plant the first seeds to grow food for our quaint village. He waved at me when we hobbled by, smiling from cheek to cheek. His clothes were caked in dirt.

"Who's going to do your laundry?" I yelled to him.

"Didn't you hear? You are!" Cilden practically spun around in joy, his red hair shining in the sun as though it were on fire.

The far western edge of the glade was empty, save a handful of people walking away from the river with buckets of water. I wasn't happy that the water source was so far from the keep, but it would have to do for now; at least until we found someone to build a well.

Clifford and I approached the bracken wall blocking the path. I analyzed the plant at a distance, unable to touch it.

Name: Stinging Bracken

Properties: Toxic. Releases sap that causes fire damage.

Herbalism analysis: Potent health poison, ???, ???, ???

Herbalism skill required: 50

I couldn't see the other hidden properties yet. If I could hold the plant, I could reveal another. I had never worked with this specimen before and had no knowledge of its secrets.

"Are you going to teach me how to pass through here?" I asked Clifford.

"Sure, why not?"

He turned to me, grabbed both of my hands, and drew me closer to him. Taking the standard posture required to teach someone a spell, he pressed our foreheads together. Even after five months of intimacy, my cheeks still reddened when I was close to him. I had forgotten the intimacy required for spell-sharing, having done so only a few times before. Spells were rare and hard to come by in Fjorygn. Those who had lower level spells often did not increase them high enough in rank to be able to teach them.

Clifford closed his eyes and focused on the task at hand. Pulses of white light escaped his forehead and dissolved into mine. He began to tremble from the process, his mana and stamina reducing steadily. Beads of sweat collected on his brow.

After a minute of meditation, he collapsed into me. We faltered like two drunken sailors, his height and weight overwhelming my injured leg. We regained our balance, allowing me the chance to look at my notifications.

Congratulations! You have learned a new spell! Merrow Song (rank 1). Raises the spirit of the Merrow to put all living things to sleep. Caster is immune. Caster is nullified (cannot attack enemies). Can be resisted. Can only be cast once per day. Mana cost: Variable.

"How does this work?" I asked him.

"You can control how much mana you use when casting the spell. More mana makes the spell cover a wider area. It also makes it harder to resist. When I used it last night, I fed it all of my mana. That was enough to cover the entire forest and allow us through, although some people had trouble resisting." He paused, his mind wandering for a brief moment.

"When my mother used to cast it, it put me to sleep. If you used your entire mana pool, you would most likely put the entire valley to sleep for two hours. I wouldn't recommend it. You can use 50 mana to create an area of effect broad enough to get a small party through the bracken. The spell has other more useful properties when you increase in rank. My mother never told me what they were.”

The spell transfer left Clifford drained. He was now too exhausted for me to use him for support, although we tried. We laughed as we pulled one another back to the keep. From a distance, anyone who spotted us might think we were both drunk and disorderly. When we reached the entrance, he was able to stand again, although he was in dire need of a nap.

Baridorne waited outside, yelling orders to guards now stationed at the wall.

"You've set a roster already?" I asked him.

"Yes. They'll be trained, of course, but I want to get them used to shifts first."

The guard rotation was impressive enough. Three people patrolled the wall. I could see two more guards circling the glade, patrolling the western and eastern edges. While we would need more guards, this was a good start.

Baridorne stopped me from reaching the gates, his gentle hand pulling me back in a "we need to talk" motion.

Clifford continued to the village, more eager for a meal and a rest now.

"What is it?" I asked the half-giant.

His mouth formed no words. His eyes, however, told a story. They were wet and puffy, revealing a man who was on the verge of an emotional collapse.

"Your wife and daughter, right?"

Baridorne perked up, pleased that I remembered his months-old request.

"I know it's only been a day, but I can't stop thinking about them. If it weren't for the bracken or my respect for you, I would have left last night."

I sympathized with his plight. We share the same pain, both having been separated from our families. The only difference was, he could get his back.

"It's a big forest. Do you know where they may have gone?"

"I have some ideas. There's a cave near our village where she could hide. We agreed to go there if we were ever separated." He turned away from me. "It's only two days away from here. They should be there. They have to be there. I need them to be there!"

Baridorne tried to banish his tears, wiping his eyes with his giant, trembling fingers. For the first time since my rebirth, I worried about consequences. I didn't have to lead slaves to freedom. We could have accepted our lot in life, serving the Grey household the rest of our days. No one would have thought less of me for having accepted my fate. No one would have blamed me if our escape failed.

If I ignored Baridorne now, I could lose his friendship entirely. What if we found his wife and daughter? What if soldiers captured them and we left them in Elatha? What if they were dead?

Baridorne huffed in front of me, impatient for an answer. I noticed a change in his face. He had grown older since we first met. Lines formed around his eyes. His skin was lackluster. I saw a man who had cried himself to sleep every night for months on end. I couldn’t say no.

"If my leg heals, we'll leave in the morning," I said to him. I braced myself for another bear hug. The last time I agreed to help him, he almost crushed my ribcage. Now he just stood erect and saluted me as his commander and chief. His lips quivered as though he were trying to suppress his delight.

"And don't salute me. I don't like it."

"Sorry, chief," he said, turning to walk away from me.

I called out to him to stop him from leaving.

"Baridorne, I'm certain we'll find them. They wouldn't have gone far."

This time, he did smile. A little color even worked its way back into his pale cheeks.

Opening the gates to Brackenvale Keep revealed organized chaos. All the villagers had finished removing their collars. A heap of the leather bindings now burned in the middle of the square and black smoke billowed above us, to be swept away by the wind. Villagers peeled moss and ivy from the walls of their new homes. Men, former slaves and masters both, shoveled clumps of dirt and grass off the roofs. Waves of people circled in and out of all the buildings, including the manor, throwing refuse and broken furniture into the fire. They looked like a line of ants hunting for food and bringing it home.

Rose, Petey, and Nila orchestrated the crowd. A Nissean man stood next to them with a scroll stretched out in his arms. Compared to the three of them, he looked more like a podium, raising the parchment above his head high enough for them to read.

Nila called me over to introduce me to her new friend.

"This is Gerec, our new builder."

I analyzed the Nissean.

Name: Gerec
Race: Nissean
Age: 52
Class: None
Talent: None
Level: 11
Health: 235
Mana: 200

Stamina: 227
Alignment: Lawful good (+3)
Profession: Builder
Disposition: Neutral
Company: Bracken Corps

I admired the man's talent page; Level 11, and he already had a profession? I shook his hand, eager to discuss the plans circling in my head.

"Pleasure to meet you, Gerec. And lucky, too, I might add."

"Lucky, indeed," Nila said. "I hoped to find a builder with a higher skill than Cilden. I didn't expect to find a professional." She bowed to Gerec, causing the man to blush.

"Luck's got nothing to do with it. It wasn't luck that made me a slave. And it wasn't luck that freed me. It was you all," he said. His voice was husky and low, like Moga's, although he was a man of many more words.

"And I love making buildings. So what do you need first? Guard towers? Healer's hut? Barracks? Domiciles? A forge? A granary? With enough supplies, I can make them all!"

"Toilets. We need toilets," I said.

The rest of the group glared at me. Gerec dropped his scroll on the ground. His eager grin faded, dismayed by my request. I picked up his discarded scroll. It was a map of the entire village with notes all over the place. His plans called for demolishing half our buildings, replacing them with apartment-style houses. If I understood the dimensions, each apartment would only fit one or two people. I rolled it up and handed it back to him. He started to say something, but I cut him off.

"Gerec, I accept your help. You must understand, though, that we have priorities. People need a place to use the bathroom away from where we all live, eat, and sleep. They need a place within the walls to bathe. We already have enemies. We don't need disease as well."

I hobbled away from the group. The fact that they trailed behind me made me chuckle. There were perks to being in charge, like having meetings on the run. I motioned for Petey to walk with me, placing my arm around his shoulder for support. I didn't have to turn around to see Rose glower. She fussed over my injury more than my mother would.

Filing between the buildings, I led my entourage to the east side of the keep. The wall snaked up the hill to meet the mountain. I couldn't see the entire area last night. It was larger than I thought, easily the size of a football stadium. I almost lost focus on the task at hand as ideas on utilizing this new space poured through my mind. Gerec cleared his throat loudly, pulling my focus back to him.

"We can build the bathrooms here," I said, pointing at a barren section of the north wall. "It's far enough away from the other buildings that it shouldn't pose a problem. And the waste will leach beyond the outer wall. Can you build it without compromising the defenses?"

Gerec nodded. "I have the tools. I just need wood and some help. The wall won't be a problem. I've seen one like this before. It digs ten feet into the ground. We'll dig down a foot below that, shore it up, and run five feet out."

"How long will it take you?"

"A few days if I can have thirty people? Can I cut some trees down outside the walls?"

I looked at Nila. She carried a notepad she had been scribbling in all day.

"Yes on the trees. And the people. I cataloged the village. We have two hundred laborers."

"And they'll be paid?" I asked.

"Yes. We'll pay each laborer ten silvers a week for now. Our gold won't last long. We'll either need to make our own currency or bring in some more gold in the future."

I shrugged her concern about money away. It wasn't our most pressing problem.

"And five day work weeks as well, correct?"

She nodded. I could tell she wasn't pleased with the idea.

"Sounds like we have a plan, then. Gerec, you're promoted to Chief Planner. Come find me when you're done with this task so we can discuss the next one."

The Nissean smiled at me, already sifting through his inventory to start the work. Leaving my friends, I limped to the manor, reviewing my notifications on the way. I completed the village quest to find a builder, receiving 2 more experience. Only 68 to go until Settlement Level 2. My mana was now -123. At this rate, I'd reach zero by morning and be able to heal my leg. Until then, I needed patience. No amount of complaining was going to change the fact that I needed to have at least one point of mana for a healing spell to take hold.

Chapter 3

I'd never had stitches removed before. It was a curious sensation. I carefully cut the thread with small scissors that Rose procured. After each snip, I drew the thread from my skin. It felt like I was pulling a single hair out at a time. Rose and Petey observed in earnest, interested in seeing how I removed the sutures. They were both eager to learn any tricks my limited medical skills could bestow.

"Must you do that now?" Nila asked, eyeing the cluster of discarded thread on the table. "People need to eat here. And put your pants on!"

I dismissed her protests. There was nowhere brighter to do this inside, and I was not about to sit half-naked on the steps outside for all to see. The other rooms didn't have nearly as many front-facing windows. As for my pants, I had to take them off to get to my leg. They were resting on my lap to protect my modesty.

My mana had finally reached zero just before sunrise. I was asleep at the time, but Clifford was awake. He cast a healing spell on me to close the wound, although it may have been wiser to remove the sutures first.

After removing the last thread, I cast Living Seed on myself. The mana drain blurred my vision for a split second. The spell's green magic encompassed my wound like a grass poultice. When the light faded, only a thin scar remained, evidence that the wound healed by itself before being magically cleansed.

I shot up and jumped up and down like a professional boxer, holding my pants over my groin to avoid flashing everyone. It felt good to be back to my old self. Not only was I healed, but I could cast spells again. I thought about the last two days in my head. Absent mana, I had become a real downer. When I was done testing my skinny legs I slid back into my pants and took a moment to see what Rose and Petey were up to today.

They spent the better part of the morning making potions and managed to set aside a pile of supplies for the group of us who would soon venture out: Clifford, Baridorne, Moga, Cilden and me. I protested Cilden coming along, but he heard none of it. I didn't realize Baridorne’s wife was his sister.

Nila, meanwhile, would remain behind and manage cleaning up the village.

“Before I leave,” I said to her, “what are we going to do about the two Elathian soldiers we captured?”

“Oh! I forgot to tell you!” Nila flipped through a few pages of her clipboard and scribbled some notes down. “They hung themselves in their room last night.”

I gasped and sunk back onto a countertop. “What?” I asked.

She started laughing at me. “I’m only joking! I talked with the two last night. They have no family or close friends in Elatha and are more than willing to stay here. We’ll keep an eye on them, for sure, but they’ve been given jobs and a guard detail until we know we can trust them.”

I raised my hands in the air, upset at her inappropriate humor and walked out of the room. She apologized and followed me as I left.

I exited the manor and stepped into the sunlight for the first time that day. Even though I spent most of the prior day in the sun, the warmth of it brought me comfort after five months in Elathian darkness, where the magical ward surrounding the city made the sun look more like a cloud-cloaked moon. My party waited for me, eager to depart.

"Are we ready?" Baridorne asked, half-facing the village gates eager to go, like a hyperactive puppy excited to be let outside by his owner.

I checked my over-crowded inventory, pulled out my dagger and strapped it to my leg. I also removed my original leather armor set and gifted them to Nila. She would be able to find a new owner for my discarded gear. I exchanged my healing staff for my Staff of Force Push, preferring the ability to defend myself over the boost in healing. I also thought about my spell arsenal. I needed to get another offensive spell before we left.

"Go on," I said to my four friends, "I'll catch up to you."

They all agreed and strode down the road, leaving only Nila and me on the steps of the manor.

"You said you would teach me one of your spells. Does that offer still stand?"

The slight woman nodded, although I could tell she was hesitant. After seeing Clifford yesterday, I understood why. Teaching a spell was a demanding process and Nila wasn’t as conditioned as Clifford to handle it.

Nila and I entered the house for more privacy.

"I have three spells I can offer you," she said. She reviewed the spells with me. Ignite would set my target on fire, damaging them over time. Frost would freeze and slow the target. All damage from this spell would happen at once. The last spell peaked my interest.

She laughed at me. "You really love your nature magic, don't you? So be it. In another month, I'll have another nature spell I can teach you. I just need to increase the rank by another two points."

She stood in front of me and placed her hands on my shoulders. Drawing me in, she touched our foreheads together. While this step was essential to convey the properties of a spell, I couldn't help but feel less overwhelmed by her performing it. It was more intimate and meaningful when Clifford offered me Merrow Song.

When her mana finished draining, I caught her in my arms, guiding her down to the floor to rest. I received a notification:

Congratulations! You have been gifted a new spell. Brambles (rank 1). When cast, encases a target in thorny vines that inflict 4hp damage per second for 5 seconds. Mana cost: 15. Cast time: 1 second. This can be dispelled. Increase in rank to improve the spell.

"That's one of my favorites," she huffed, still winded from the ritual. "Now go on. They'll be waiting at the forest’s edge." I moved to leave the room before she called out to me one final time. "And Michael? Come back safe. You're all needed here."

I bowed my head at her, taken aback by her rare expression of concern.

I left the manor with a hop in my step, running after my friends, prepared to go on my first grand adventure in Fjorgyn. Villagers rushed out of my way as I zoomed by. I saw a group of laborers on the south wall digging a trench for our new latrines. Gerec was stripping bark from a tree, prepping the trunk to lay down the foundation for the new building. When I ran out of the front gates, I spotted a group of hunters skinning animals just across the bridge. They needed a new place to do that. Farmers were still tilling earth and planting the first wave of crops. Others were still busy collecting water. All in all, the explosion of work and life and activity in Brackenvale elated me.

I spotted Baridorne, Cilden, Clifford, and Moga talking to guards at the edge of the forest, waiting for me to catch up.

By the time I reached them my stamina had hit the floor. I gasped for air while an alert flashed in the corner of my eye.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill! Novice Athleticism: The ability to run for lengths of time. Increase in rank to reduce stamina drain while running. Current Rank: 1.

Cilden clapped me on my back, laughing at how out of shape I was.

"You've never run before, have you?" he asked.

"Give me a break. I was born five months ago."

He chuckled and helped me upright.

"Don't worry about it. I hope we're not going to do much sprinting. Anyhow, given your rate of skill increase, you'll be running laps around us in no time."

Before we set off I invited them all to a party and took a moment to analyze my friends. Clifford was level 18 and would act as our tank. His health and stamina were double my own, but my mana pool surpassed his by almost 200 points. When I met him, I was only level 3. Thanks in part to his trusting me with ownership of Brackenvale Keep and Balama’s blessing, I would soon be a higher level.

Cilden was the lowest level among us at level 12, although from what I gathered he had grown used to cutting his way through creatures and monsters alike. After I had Clifford cast Merrow Song and the bracken retreated into harmless fiddleheads, the only noise our party made was the clanking of Cilden's sheathed sword against his pack.

Baridorne, a level 14 half-giant, followed behind him. The man intimidated me when I first met him. He was two feet taller than me and a foot wider. When I played 'Fjorgyn: Online,' very few players selected the giant race and for a good reason: the world seemed designed for normal-sized people. While creatures and bosses always dropped form-fitting gear, crafters often only knew the styles appropriate for the primary races. My initial intimidation turned out to be unfounded. He was as gentle a friend as he was dangerous an enemy.

Moga directed the group, keeping watch for unknown enemies. He always seemed to be looking for trouble around every corner. For a Nissean, he was quite fast. One would think someone only three feet high would be slower, but he crept and ducked his way through the forest as though we were sneaking through enemy lines. During our months of slavery I tried to pry his story from him. Nisseans are usually crafters and spell casters. I never met a Nissean player who chose to be a hunter, but that was in Fjorgyn, the game, not Fjorgyn the world.

We walked for another two hours before clearing the forest and reaching the switchbacks. We waited until Merrow Song ended. The whoosh of the fiddleheads unfurling into the deadly stinging bracken still shocked us all. I wiped beads of fresh sweat from my forehead. After leaving the cold valley air, it became quite warm. It took us another thirty minutes to stumble up the switchbacks to the cliff marking the end of the valley and another thirty minutes to climb down to the forest floor below.

"Is someone going to say something?" Cilden turned around to face the group, eyebrows furrowed in frustration from the silence. "We're not walking through a war zone here. This forest is as dangerous as a eunuch's cock!"

The four of us stood there, dumbstruck from his out-of-character metaphor, that is until Moga keeled over in laughter.

"Enough," Baridorne said, "we have a long way to go. I'd like to try to reach the cave by tomorrow. This is no time to joke around! Or do you forget why we're out here?"

Cilden frowned at his brother-in-law and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find them, don't worry. They're alive. I know they are."

"And how do you know?" Baridorne asked, his voice unsteady while he uttered the words.

"Because they have to be. I don't know what I'll do if they aren't."

In dark spirits, we continued walking through the woods. I pulled up my map while I walked just to give me something distract me. For the first time in Fjorgyn, my final destination was known to me. Not only could I see the expanse of the entire region, thanks to map updates from my party members, but I saw a glowing dot on the map, only a few dozen miles from where I first resurrected.

When we stopped for lunch, I pointed out the location of Finlyon to Cilden and Moga, both of whom were more familiar with the region.

"Are you sure this is where you resurrected?" Moga asked me.

I nodded. "Why? Is there something odd about this place?"

"I'll say," he added. "It's the entrance to Boginki's lair."

I raised an eyebrow at the name, unfamiliar with the lore of this part of Fjorgyn. Moga huffed, frustrated with my ignorance. He walked away, leaving Cilden to explain.

"Boginki is a bog witch. She's harmless enough to most folks but wouldn't hesitate to capture any low-level people who enter her lair. You're lucky she didn’t take you."

"I wasn't there for very long, and only stayed near the entrance. Anyhow, surely she wouldn't bother us if we stopped there for the night given there are five of us? We can make it there before sunset."

"It's as good a place as any to make camp," he said.

The others shrugged, not caring where we spent the night. We put away our food and continued our long hike. It would be six or seven more hours before we made it to Boginki's lair.

The remaining daylight hours followed a similar pattern. We walked for 55 minutes, stopped for 5 minutes, rinsed, and repeated. Moga headed the group, driving us at a pace I found uncomfortable. We struggled behind the others, fatigue high and feet aching for respite for the night.

We reached the lair just before sunset. I was taken aback at how different it all seemed. When I first resurrected, the cave didn't have an ominous feel of a dark spirit. The hollow below was illuminated by the mid-day sun, light reflecting at least a few dozen feet into the cave. Now it was a black hole with no daylight to shine in. The cavern leaked eerie emanations that sent shivers down my spine, causing me to tighten my grip on my staff until my knuckles turned white.

The ambiance didn't stop Moga from jumping into the hole. He slid down the rocky slope until his boots thudded at the bottom. Moments later, sparks filled the darkness, and a crackling fire roared to life. Smoke escaped the hole in the ground and burned my eyes.

The rest of us joined Moga at the bottom of the slope, eager to sleep, only by the time Clifford and I reached the bottom the others were poking a pile of refuse located next to the flat stone in the center of the cave.

"Michael, was this all here before?" Baridorne asked, prodding through the bundle of discarded items.

I thought back on when I resurrected, recalling only Vindur, a candle, and my player journal.

"No, the cave was empty."

"Baridorne, look," Cilden mumbled, holding up a small wooden baby rattle and a red silk scarf. "It can't be."

"What's happening?" asked Clifford. Up to this point he had only been half paying attention to the conversation.

"What madness would bring them down here?" Cilden asked, only to be cut off by Baridorne screaming for his wife and daughter. He charged into the back of the cave to find them.

Chapter 4

"Claire! Una!" Baridorne vanished into the darkness screaming their names. The moment he faded from view the hole above us slammed shut, blocking out any and all moonlight. Only the campfire remained. Smoke billowed in the now enclosed cavern, stinging our eyes and burning our throats. We had no choice but to flee the fire and follow Baridorne into the black.

Congratulations! You have found 'Boginki's Lair.' Dungeon rank: Medium. Creature Class: High intelligence. Level range: 15-23. +35xp

I took a moment to wince at the level range. Even with our group, fighting a level 23 boss was not going to be easy.

"Baridorne, wait," I yelled out to him and followed the others in pursuit. As we worked away from the fire, our eyes began to adjust to the dungeon. Silver radiance shining from bioluminescent moss replaced the red and white glow of embers. The cavern opened before us, revealing an underground gallery, oversized pillars of rock supporting the forest floor above. The silver haze of moss gave way to brilliant red, green, blue, and yellow crystals all glowing in the darkness, drawing my attention away from the rest of the cave.

Baridorne's hulking silhouette stood thirty feet in front of us. He collapsed to his knees, shaking in fear and anger. I approached him carefully, not sure if he would lash out at the first living creature in his way.

"Baridorne," I whispered, "if they're here and alive, we'll find them. Moga said Boginki captures those who stumble in here, not kills. There was no blood back there, no bones or bodies. If they've been taken, we'll get them back. But we need to be smart about it, and quiet."

I kneeled before him. His pupils dilated in the darkness, and his face grew pallid and worn. The stress from his lost family left him tired and broken. He looked less like a giant and more like a vengeful ghost. It took Clifford, Cilden, and I all our strength to help him to his feet.

"Moga, have you been here before? Do you know where to go?" I asked while rummaging through my inventory to pull out and put on my gear.

Moga was already geared up at this point and had an arrow notched and ready to strike.

"I've never wanted to come in here. I only know stories about it," he said.

"Fine, then. Let's clear this room first. It's not very large, but it will give us a safe place to retreat to if we run into anything we can't handle." I exchanged my Staff of Force Push for my Staff of Druid's Healing. After a few minutes, Baridorne managed to calm himself down enough to do the same. He was distraught, not stupid, and an unfamiliar dungeon required protection. We were trapped in here now. The only way out was to reach the end.

"Have you been in a place like this before?" I asked Clifford.

He shook his head. "I've only ever read about wild dungeons, growing and adapting to the will of an evil creature. This place is not going to be like Nott's Sanctum. Wild dungeons mess with your head."

He was right. Nott's Sanctum felt rather tame, more like a cave one might delve into on Earth. This place was haunting. Even the luminescent crystals felt cold, as though they were sucking all the happiness out of my soul. A chill pressed against our backs, compelling us into the heart of the gallery. We passed rows and rows of pillars, each two stories high. Glowing stones encrusted the top of each column, all growing towards the far side of the chamber like plants toward light.

As we pressed on, Clifford led the pack with Baridorne at the rear. Silence broke around us. Scratches and scurries tickled my ears and sent shivers down my spine. Hundreds of scurrying legs tapped in the dark. The owners of them couldn't be seen. As the noise grew louder, our group huddled in the center of the chamber. My friends formed around me, one at each cardinal direction.

"Protect Michael," Clifford mumbled to the others. Before anyone could respond, the first enemy floated down from the ceiling. A two-foot tall spider danced down a silk thread that looked more like a rope. I analyzed the creature.

Creature: Damhan
Creature Type: Arachnid
Level: 15
Health: 98

The moment the first spider settled, bobbing and hissing at us, dozens more descended from above and surrounded us, three spiders thick in some locations. The creatures had needle-like hairs on their legs and their fangs dripped with venom. They outnumbered us at least five to one.

The spiders stood still as if waiting for a signal to attack.

"What have my little pets found now?" a woman's voice echoed through the gallery. "What's this? A merry band of adventurers comes to smite me? I haven't been this lucky in centuries!"

A gust of wind rushed through the room, almost knocking me off my feet. Clifford steadied me before I fell.

"And a familiar face, it seems. The healer, in the middle. You've been here before. I would have said hello, but your little bird held me back. Where is he now? What was his name?"

Another gust of wind struck my face, this from a different direction.

"That's right. Vindur, Balama's little puppet," the voice cackled, causing the cavern to shake. Dust fell from the ceiling and tickled my eyes.

"That's enough, you bitch!" Baridorne yelled. "Where is my wife? Where is my daughter! Give them back, or I'll gut you!"

His angry posturing did nothing to halt her laughter. In fact, the room shook more violently, the roof splintering overhead.

"Now is that how you to talk to your host?" Boginki asked. "Your presence makes sense now. You're here for that little elf and her half-breed baby. I see. They've been particularly boring guests. The little one likes nothing better than to cry for hours and hours on end. If you want them, you must find them."

The violent wind ceased and the chamber stopped quaking.

"Children, enjoy your supper," Boginki said before her voice faded into silence.

We quickly adopted defensive postures. Baridorne and Clifford clapped their swords against their shields to draw the attention of as many creatures as possible.

One launched into the air, slamming into Clifford's shield, only for him to slash at it with his broadsword, inflicting critical damage and setting it on fire. The remaining spiders backed away, afraid of the flames.

Baridorne repeated the gesture; only his sword was not lethal enough to cause much harm. Moga shot an arrow, sticking the creature. Cilden was busy swinging his short sword at a group of spiders that encroached on him.

Hacking and slashing at the spiders was not going to work. There were too many of them. Already, Baridorne and Clifford protected us from a handful of spiders focused on them.

The arachnid I first analyzed crept forward and prepared to jump at me. I cast Brambles, encasing it in thorny vines that ate away at its health, boosted to 5 damage per second for 5 seconds.

"Moga, we need a fire!" I yelled, recalling how Moga was able to construct a fire in a matter of seconds when we first entered the dungeon.

Clifford, understanding where I was going with this, began to slash violently at any spider within reach, hoping to engage his fire enchantment. Unlike my Staff of Force Push, his sword couldn’t trigger manually. It required some luck.

I cast Brambles again on the spider, buying me more time and bringing it down to half health. At this point, Moga started a fire. The heat of it singed some of my leg hair.

The horde of spiders was less aggressive now, having pulled away from the flames. They preferred single, targetted strikes at Baridorne and Clifford, who had taken some damage and were already at half health. Their injuries consisted mostly of pin pricks from the spider's’ legs, although both of them were envenomed and losing health from the debuff. I cast Living Seed on Clifford, my strongest healing spell. I backed it up by casting Nature's Grace on both him and Baridorne and waited while their health pool trickled upwards.

I rinsed and repeated, slinging a wave of Nature's Grace on everyone in the party. With healing magic coursing through their veins, the group no longer had to react defensively. Cilden and I picked out some burning branches and used the fire to divide the creatures into manageable groups. Moga, Clifford, and Baridorne cut their way through small clusters of arachnids, Clifford killing each one with a single blow while the others whittled them down with their inferior weapons.

Our method of divide and conquer went on for a few more minutes, offering me the chance to exchange my healing staff for force push, which I was able to slam into the ground, sending the creatures scurrying away.

With two-thirds of the horde culled, the remaining spiders acted more like fodder on the group's swords and daggers. I abandoned my burning branch and returned to healing, alternating between Nature’s Grace and Living Seed to bring my companions to full health. I cast an occasional Brambles spell on a damhan to increase its rank.

With the last monster killed, Baridorne and Clifford collapsed to their knees, both fatigued and low on stamina. My own mana pool was suffering, diminished to 10%. Moga and Cilden were in a better state and took the opportunity to loot the creatures and scout the rest of the gallery, including the ceiling, for more of them.

I reviewed my notifications while we recuperated.

Quest Update! You have discovered the location of Claire and Una Thane. They are being held prisoner by Boginki deep within her lair.

You have killed a level 15 Damhan * 23. 12xp each. +276xp
You have killed a level 16 Damhan * 13. 13xp each. +169xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 9 in Staves. .1% additional damage when attacking. .1% additional chance to block.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 in Observation. Congratulations! You have reached rank 28 in Leadership. Congratulations! You have reached rank 3 of Brambles. Congratulations! You have reached rank 6 of Nature’s Grace. Congratulations! You have reached rank 19 of Living Seed.

After our health, stamina, and mana had returned to full, Cilden handed me the extra loot: a handful of gold pieces, some silk pods, and venom sacks. I offered half of the venom sacks to Moga, who could use them to coat his arrows. I added the rest to my inventory and ignored thoughts of potential applications until later.

With the gallery purged of enemies, we were able to explore the entire room without the threat of another attack. There were two doors to select on the far wall, both leading in different directions. We selected one at random and stepped into a dark and descending hallway. The air grew colder around us as we worked our way into the darkness.

After five minutes of walking, we came to a wooden door, swollen in its frame from the damp air around us. Baridorne, eager to reach his wife and daughter, threw his weight into the door multiple times. After the third strike, the door flew open to reveal a chamber floored and walled by alabaster stone. Magical torches lined the walls, their soft light offering only enough illumination to make out small details. In the center of the room, a humanoid figure meditated with his eyes closed.

Creature Name: Gorta
Creature Type: Undead Boss
Level: 18
Health: 3045
Mana: 4023
Stamina: 2804

"How does he have so much health?" I asked Clifford, stepping behind him to shield myself from any unsuspecting attack.

"He's a wild dungeon boss. Unlike Nott's Sanctum, dungeons get stronger and more dangerous when fewer people attempt to clear them. No one’s raided this place in ages," he said. He pressed back into me. I felt him shuddering, unsure if we could attack something so powerful and live to see the sunlight.

When we pressed through the doorway and into the room, the door slammed shut. Gorta remained transfixed, neither moving or acknowledging our presence. The creature was emaciated. Wearing only a loincloth, you could count its ribs from across the room. Its skin was as white as the alabaster stone surrounding it, only broken by black stands of hair patchworked across its skull. It looked more like a corpse than a person.

An empty clay bowl rested on the floor in front of the creature. It was the only other item in the room.

"What do we do?" asked Cilden, cautiously moving closer to Gorta. He orbited the silent creature, expecting an attack at any minute. While he did this, Moga notched an arrow and aimed it at the boss, unsure about attacking. Baridorne took the time to approach him, poke him, ask him a few questions, and push him over. Every time, Gorta ignored him.

At last, his patience faded and he picked up the bowl and tossed it across the room in frustration. Baridorne’s hostility elicited a response from the boss, which shot to its feet, opened its eyes and yelled "Hungry!"

A red light shot from its eyes and enveloped the sconces on the wall, painting the alabaster room the color of blood. Baridorne raised his sword and shield and slashed at the creature, inflicting 25 damage. Moga released his arrow, penetrating Gorta in its torso and inflicting 45 damage.

I cast Brambles, but the monster resisted my mediocre spell, shedding the magical vines off its body before they could inflict much damage.

"Hungry," it shrieked again. Gorta extended its arms and cast a spell on the three of us. Red tendrils shot from the creature and wrapped around our bodies, piercing our flesh and draining our essence.

"Blood magic!" yelled Clifford. He hacked into the tendril attached to me until it severed. The remains of the blood vein crumbled into dust.

I pulled up my notifications to learn more about the spell.

You are inflicted with Blood Drain. Vein-like tendrils envelope hostile targets, transferring 5 health per second to the caster until tendril is cut.

In the time it took Clifford to cut the tendril connected to me, I had lost 20 health. Baridorne and Moga had lost 50 before Clifford and Cilden saved them. I cast Nature's Grace on the three of us to restore some of our lost health.

"Hungry!" the creature bellowed a third time, this time raising its hands in the air and casting an unfamiliar spell. A shockwave emanated from him and launched us into the nearest wall. The impact inflicted between 10 and 20 damage to each of us. By this point, Gorta restored himself to full health.

I stood back to heal while the everyone attacked the creature. It attempted to cast another spell, but Clifford interrupted it with Shield Bash. The others launched their most powerful attacks at Gorta, reducing its health by 230.

I chugged a mana potion and analyzed the situation while casting another round of Nature's Grace on all of us. My hands formed the energy of the spell before I aimed it at an ally or drew it back into myself.

While I was busy casting, the creature regained its footing and cast another Blood Drain, piercing the others but leaving me unaffected.

I drew my dagger and sliced at the tendrils. The dull blade required I hack three times before undoing each. I started with Cilden who had the lowest health among us. Already he was down to 50%. I moved onto Moga, then Baridorne, then Clifford. By the time I finished, Gorta had regained all lost health and stood patiently in the middle of the room.

"Hungry!" he yelled at last, casting his sonic spell again, forcing us to a wall and me to the ground. To the boss, we seemed nothing more than play things. The impact shaved 30 health from each of us this time. The creature grew stronger with each impact, our blood fueling its rage.

"Hungry!" Its voice shook the room, cracking one of the floor tiles.

Rising to my feet, I cast Living Seed on Cilden, now closer to 25% health. The others were still on their knees, trying to regain themselves from the previous impact.

Gorta raised a hand towards me. "Hungry," it said, this time absent his former anger. I realized he wasn't attacking. He was defending.

Moga drew an arrow to attack the creature again, only to find me standing in the way, hand extended.

"Wait," I said to them. "Why are we attacking it?"

"Because it wants to suck us dry!" Moga yelled, more boisterous than I've ever heard him.

I ignored the obvious sexual joke I could make. "No, he doesn't. Just look at him, Moga. He's only draining those of us who hurt him."

"Hungry," the creature said, casting his sonic wave again, this less powerful than the last, only taking 5HP from each of us.

I walked over to his discarded bowl and set it down in its original spot. Gorta carefully followed my every move, not sure what I was about to do. Pulling some bread, fruit, and dried meat from my inventory, I filled the bowl and kneeled before him.

"Hungry," it said, sitting down on the ground, staring at the bowl.

I picked it up and offered the food to the creature, hoping this was the answer. I didn’t wait long. Gorta seized the food and stuffed his face. Fruit juice dripped down its jaw only to be swept up again and sucked into its mouth.

"We're sorry," I said to Gorta. "We didn't understand."

The creature's eyes met mine, red light fading to reveal the eyes of an old and suffering humanoid. The sconces on the wall lost their crimson hue and returned to their pale and white illumination.

Gorta grinned and bowed, set the empty bowl on the ground, and settled into his former meditative stance. It was only then that I saw a thick chain holding him to the ground. He was both a boss and a prisoner here. A tile on the wall collapsed, revealing a shelf lined with items, ours for the picking.

You have defeated Gorta. +250xp.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 of Nature’s Grace.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 20 of Living Seed.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 in Observation.

"Can we free you?" I asked the creature. He didn't respond, but I was sure I wasn't the first or the last person to ask.

I stood up and began casting a few healing spells on my friends, stopping when I ran out of mana. The four of them were dumbstruck by how quickly the fight ended, all standing in a semicircle near the boss.

"Michael, we would have died without you," Cilden said to me.

I shrugged at him. "And I would be naked in a slave pit without you," I said, referring to his kind gesture of clothing when I first arrived in Fjorgyn.

I walked over to the wall to examine the treasures Gorta offered us.

Recurve Bow of Blood Boiling. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Damage: 27-38 DPS. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +20 stamina. Inflicts the target with 10 additional fire damage. Cannot be dispelled. Charges: 100/100

Shield of Crimson Vitality: Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Blunt Damage: 10-15 per strike. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +25 HP, -10% reduction in stamina loss.

Sword of Blood Freezing. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Damage: 29-35 DPS. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +20 stamina. Inflicts the target with 10 additional frost damage. Cannot be dispelled. Charges: 100/100

Dagger of Blood Siphoning. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Damage: 23-30 DPS. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +20 stamina. Drains the target of 8 health, transferring it to the wielder. Cannot be dispelled. Charges: 100/100

Spell Tome: Nature's Aura I. This spell encompasses a thirty-foot area in a circle of natural healing magic, healing all friendly targets for 2hp every 5 seconds for five minutes. Targets standing in the area gain 20% additional mana and stamina regeneration. Cannot be dispelled. Mana cost: 100. Cast time: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 20 minutes.

Spell Tome: Sonic Shock I. This spell forces a target backward 5 feet, inflicting 15 blunt damage. Mana cost: 10. Cast time: None. Cooldown: 1 minute.

"Does anyone want the spellbooks?" I asked them. They all shook their heads, still in shock from the fight. I managed to shatter their shock by handing them each an appropriate loot item: the bow to Moga, the shield to Clifford, the sword to Baridorne, and the dagger to Cilden.

I also absorbed both spell tomes to add additional variety to my healing and damage spell inventory.

When we reached the main chamber for the second time, it was evident that we needed a break. My fatigue was climbing closer to 90%, and I wasn't alone. We collapsed by the door to the next area and took the time to eat. Baridorne patrolled further away from the group, eager to move on. He relaxed only after Cilden called him over. He was no good to us if he collapsed from exhaustion in the middle of a fight.

Clifford settled his head in my lap and nodded in and out of consciousness, drained from the long hike and the last two battles. We were in this dungeon for an hour already, making it close to midnight.

I ran my fingers through his hair, hoping that massaging his scalp would help him sleep. I wasn't as tired as the others. They were the ones who had to take the brunt of the damage. All four of them spent the last two fights rolling and dodging, slashing and jabbing at the monsters we faced. A hint of guilt tugged at my mind. I wondered whether my decision to focus exclusively on healing hurt my friends more than helping.

"Protect Michael."

I recalled Clifford's words from earlier. While it made sense to protect your healer, I hoped it wouldn't always be the case that they saw me as defenseless. When I played the game I was a powerhouse of crowd control and could hold my own if I needed to sling offensive spells. Now I was low level again and classless. I needed to find a druid again. I missed having the full range of spells the class had to offer. I made a mental note to talk to Rose when we returned. Her clan had to be nearby somewhere. Surely there were druids in their ranks. I also had to ask her about the other elves in the valley. Why did they call me Slanaitheoir? Clifford was the only one who knew my secret name.

Sleep washed over me, and I struggled to keep my eyes open until I finally gave in. There was no reason to stay awake. We weren't going to move forward until our fatigue recovered enough to finish the dungeon and save Baridorne's family.

Chapter 5

I woke up drenched in sweat. The toll of the previous battles still banged in my head and my torso ached with a phantom pain from Gorta's Blood Drain. Clifford and the others were arranging their inventories while I bemoaned the task at hand. This dungeon was only going to get more difficult, scaling up to level 23.

I picked myself off the ground and joined the others near the next door, wondering for a moment how long I'd been asleep.

"Are you okay?" Clifford asked me.

I nodded and wiped some of the sweat from my forehead.

"Let's get this party started," I said to him, motioning for him to press forward.

The screech of the rusted hinges made my hair stand on end. A gust of hot, putrid air rushed from the now open hallway, stinking of must and sulfur. Walking down the corridor was difficult. The walls and floors were lined with the same bioluminescent moss from the entrance to the dungeon. This moss was different, though. It was slick and slimy, sending us skidding down the inclined hallway as though we were on a slip-and-slide. We regained our footing after a minute as the moss carpet faded away to a patchwork of mushrooms and tepid lichen.

After pressing forward for another ten minutes, the hallway widened to reveal a steaming, underground quagmire. Giant mushrooms, ferns, and nettles blanketed this new gallery, all glowing an assortment of neon colors that danced on pools of open water. This room played tricks with my eyes, although it was an herbalist’s heaven. A range of familiar plants and fungi offering dozens of potential applications.

As I approached a patch of ferns, I heard slithering noises coming from the thicker parts of the underbrush and saw balls of light floating through the air, dancing around the dozen or so blue-bark trees serving as ceiling support.

Creature: Mire Wisp
Creature Type: Nature Spirit
Level: 15
Health: 15
Mana: 500

Clifford approached a wisp with great care, extending his palm to cradle it. The floating light settled for a moment, only to flutter away. One by one, wisps scurried away from us, hiding in trees and ferns to protect themselves from our unexpected invasion.

Absent their soft azure glow, the swamp around us felt more ominous, as though we'd stumbled into a trickster's playground. I pushed my staff into the ground, sinking in a foot before I hit the cavern floor. If we had to fight on this surface, things were going to be challenging.

Entering the heart of the room was challenging enough. Our boots stuck deep in the mud with every step. Moga was in a more precarious position, sinking up to his belt. Baridorne yanked him from the mud multiple times. At last, we reached the center of the room. A mound of high grass offered us a shadowed respite from the surrounding bog.

"What is this?" Cilden asked, walking around the perimeter of a blue-barked tree. If all of us linked hands, we wouldn't even circle it. Placing my palm on the tree, I could feel a pulse emanating from its core. The bark expanded and contracted, as though the tree had a heart and lungs. As I attempted to peel off a bit of bark to examine further, I felt a vine wrap around my ankle, dragging me backward with the might of many men. I slid by Baridorne and Clifford, who caught my flailing arms while Moga hacked at the tendril, its thorns digging into my calf and ripping at my flesh.

“What is with this place and vines?” I yelled.

After Moga severed the tendril, a larger vine lashed out and knocked him fifteen feet away. He rolled out of the impact and landed back on his feet with his bow and arrow at the ready. A loud screech echoed through the room, and two large creatures slithered into the ring, propelled by sizable roots at their base.

Creature: Mire Spriggan King
Creature Type: Nature Spirit
Level: 18
Health: 2036
Mana: 5018
Stamina: 2154

Creature: Mire Spriggan Queen
Creature Type: Nature Spirit
Level: 19
Health: 2304
Mana: 5425
Stamina: 2473

The shrieking spriggans attracted wisps, who abandoned their hiding places to surround our dry patch of land, turning it into an arena. The Spriggan King rushed towards me, vine arms extending outward to envelop me in a vice grip. I raised my hand in defense and cast Sonic Shock, inflicting damage and sending the creature stumbling back five feet. This allowed Clifford enough room to step in. He raised his shield, swung his fire sword, and inflicted critical damage on the dazed monster, 140 health removed in a single attack.

Meanwhile, Baridorne charged the Spriggan Queen and pinned her between his shield and the tree, inflicting 35 damage. This didn't prevent the queen from slashing his face with her talon-like claws, causing considerable damage.

I took stock of the situation and my allies. Baridorne, Moga, and I had already been harmed, and the combined bosses were most likely capable of inflicting a world of hurt. I called Cilden and Moga to my side to defend me while I cast Nature's Grace on the three of us and began the long cast of Nature's Aura, adopting the meditation posture the spell required.

Halfway through my cast, the Mire King backed away from Clifford and extended his hand towards the ring of wisps. Two of them broke the circle and flew towards the king, impacting its bark-skin and disappearing into his body to heal him for 100hp.

I finished casting Aura, pushing the magical energy towards the ground and enveloping the entire arena in a yellow-green hue. The ground itself bled healing magic as though I untapped a natural spring. The spell began to work, healing us all 24hp a minute. It wasn't the most powerful healing spell I had now, but it could mean the difference between victory and death.

I drew and swallowed a mana potion to bring my total MP closer to full. While I relocated to a more favorable position, Moga shot arrows at the Mire King while Clifford slashed away, bringing the creature to 1600hp.

It wasn't phased by our attacks, summoning what seemed to be an endless wave of wisps to heal it, always one or two at a time. The Mire Queen, meanwhile, focused on Baridorne after freeing herself from him. She raised both hands and cast an offensive nature spell. A ball of green light shot from her arms and encased him like lightning, dealing moderate damage before fading away.

I cast Living Seed on Baridorne and Clifford, both of whom were taking physical and magical damage at a faster rate than I could heal.

The Mire King slammed into Clifford and knocked him to the ground. The creature's arms engorged with vines, forming large clubs. I charged the monster, casting Sonic Shock again, knocking it into the tree.

Moga released an arrow that pierced the creature and pinned it to the trunk, inflicting critical damage, reducing its health by 300. The Mire King whimpered, enraging the Queen who beat on Baridorne all the harder. Three wisps broke through the circle and made towards the injured spriggan. Before they reached him, I stepped between the king and the wisps and absorbed them myself, increasing my health back to full.

I extended my arm to Clifford with a giant grin on my face and helped him to his feet.

"Let's do this," I said.

Clifford jumped into action and triggered a flurry ability I had seen him use before, but never with so much energy and fervor. His stamina quickly reduced, but so did the health of the Spriggan King. While he attacked, Moga, Cilden and I danced around the arena absorbing wisps as they tried to heal their master.

Clifford stopped his assault only when the Mire King screeched its last. The queen was enraged at the death of her other and the wisps transformed from their soft blue to demon red.

"Avoid the wisps!" I yelled at the group, casting my two healing spells on Baridorne. Each hammer against his shield reduced his stamina. Clifford and Cilden flanked the creature, stabbing it and retreating. They had to flee. Every time they struck the Mire Queen, a wisp shot towards them like a fire arrow. One hit Cilden in the chest for 30 health and left a burning debuff larger than my heals could handle.

Clifford also joined my healing efforts by casting a low rank of whatever spell he had on Baridorne and Cilden, but it didn't stop them from losing health at the same pace as the Queen. I was out of options. Dual-Cast could backfire, Nature's Aura was about to expire, and I couldn't cast my offensive spells. Merrow Song was the only spell I had remaining. After swallowing a mana potion, I channeled all my magic into the words of power and summoned the spirit of the Merrow into the quagmire. A lullaby blanketed the arena, and the wisps returned to their original, docile state. Cilden passed out from the song, snoring before he hit the floor. The Mire Queen's movements became staggered and weak. My remaining three allies resisted the effects, having experienced the song twice before and being at a higher level. They hacked and slashed away until they, at last, vanquished the Queen.

With the fight over, the three succumbed to the lullaby and collapsed to their knees.

"You're a godsend," Clifford said, a smile on his face.

"You're a bastard," Moga joked, fighting to stay awake.

He lost that fight. They all did. After struggling for a minute each of them lay on the ground and fell asleep. And they would remain asleep until the spell faded.

I knelt down next to Clifford, casting healing spells on the others to bring them back to full health. Healing was second nature to me by this point, allowing me to review my notifications at the same time.

You are afflicted with Creeping Vine. -10hp per second until vine is broken.
You have defeated Mire Spriggan King. +250xp
You have defeated Mire Spriggan Queen. +270xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 2 of Sonic Shock.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 of Nature’s Grace. This spell has evolved to Nature's Grace II. Now heals for 5hp per second for 4 seconds and costs 15mp.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 21 of Living Seed. This spell has evolved from Living Seed I to Living Seed II. Now heals for 6hp per second for 10 seconds. Upon expiration, the target is healed for another 15hp. Mana cost increased to 32.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 2 of Nature’s Aura.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 2 of Merrow Song.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 in Light Armor. Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 in Observation. Your keen ability to detect changes around you now allows you to identify low-level hidden compartments and traps.

I was distracted from my notifications by a red flash in the corner of my eye and an audible click in the room. I had been casting healing spells on my friends with disregard, bringing them to full health and then some until I depleted my mana. At the same time, the trunk of the tree opened and revealed a secret cache containing loot from the boss fight.

Spell Tome: Healing Wisps II. Summons three wisps that circle you at all times. The wisps can be directed at any target or absorbed to heal for 20hp instantly. Requires 10% of your base mana pool to sustain. Cooldown: 60 minutes.
Ring of Magical Insight. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. +50mp.
Ring of Defender's Might. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. +3 Strength.
Ring of Defender's Stature. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. +3 Constitution.
Ring of Major Archery. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. +5% damage with bows.
Ring of Major Fortitude. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. +50hp.

I slipped on the mana ring, now wearing two loops on each hand, the maximum I could wear. I also learned the healing spell and cast it for the first time. My mana pool shrank to sustain the ability. White wisps appeared a few feet from me and circled like puffs of smoke in a still room.

"You're enjoying your new trinkets, aren't you, child?" Boginki's voice shattered the bog's silence. I shot to my feet and scanned the area, hoping she wouldn't summon another horde of spiders.

"Now don't be like that, little elf. First, you kill my little ones. Then you feed my husband against my wishes. Then you kill my siblings? You and your friends are very persistent."

The bioluminescence of the mire faded, leaving me in darkness save the wisps around me.

"You’re different from the others, aren't you? I can tell. Most adventurers who wander into my lair try to punch their way to me. Your friends are the same, all brute force and ignorance. You're not, though, are you? You're crafty. They take their cue from you. Why?"

"Where are you, witch? Show yourself!"

Boginki shook the chamber in response to my anger. I took to my knees and covered Clifford’s head to protect him from any falling debris.

"Now, now. No need to be rude, my child. I'm here to make a deal with you."

I swallowed hard to remove tension from my throat, knowing full well she could kill us at any moment. I looked at Clifford's sleeping mass and placed my hand on his head, sliding my fingers through his hair. This place wasn't a game. It was my world now, and these were my friends. I might not die, but they very well could.

"What can I possibly offer you?" I asked her, my voice cracking from fear and tension.

"The deal is simple. I will let you have either Baby Una or the woman who calls herself Claire. You can take one from this place, but not the other. And then you leave here and never return."

"That's unacceptable! We came here for both, and we will leave with both!" I shouted at her. My entire body was quivering now, full of both anger and fear. Boginki's laughter shook the room.

"Silly boy. Maybe you're not that smart. You don't need to decide now. Talk it over with your comrades and let me know what you decide. You know where to find me. And if you don't take the deal I won’t hesitate to kill you all, starting with that handsome man you seem so fond of."

Her voice departed as quickly as it arrived and the room shot back to life, moss glowing, snakes hissing, wisps flying, and friends sleeping. The only difference was the center tree. I placed my hand on the blue bark and felt nothing. Whatever spirit once brought the tree to life was gone, taking with it the warmth that made the gallery feel truly alive.

I spent the remaining hour emptying the gallery of useful plants and fungi, making a note of their curative or poisonous properties before separating them into a keep or toss pile. Applying these ingredients to a potion or elixir meant spending more time with Rose and her children—a period of rest I craved.

After the hour had expired and another rank of Herbalism was earned, the others came to, Clifford and Moga first, then Baridorne and Cilden.

Clifford yawned as I had never heard him yawn before. He stretched his arms and arched his back as far as his heavy armor would allow.

"What did we miss?" he said, raising his eyebrows at the state of me. I was covered up to my knees in grime, and my arms and hands were caked in mud. A pile of mushrooms rested on both sides of me.

"What?" I asked the lot of them. "I was bored." Shoving the keep pile in my herb pouch, I stood up, brushed myself off, and pointed the chest out to the others. They all scurried to claim their new rings before we moved on.

What took us minutes to slide down took the better part of an hour to climb. The slippery slope proved to us an even greater challenge. We were growing weary of battle and still had at least one more boss fight to go.

I tried to explain Boginki's offer to my friends before we reached the top, sparking a fury in Baridorne. He uncharacteristically slammed his fist into the tunnel’s wall, causing a layer of lichen and moss to peel off.

"Baridorne," I said, holding onto Clifford's cuirass while he dragged me up the slimy tunnel. "We're not going to leave either of them. That's not an option. Boginki's going down."

The man was huffing by the time we reached the top of the tunnel, covered in grit and grunge. The rancid warmth of the swamp faded to the smoky must of the central gallery. Our previous fire had since extinguished, leaving a cloud of smoke hovering above our heads.

We crept towards the remains of the campfire, keeping a careful eye out for any signs of change. As we reached the middle, Moga relit the fire to give us heat and light. Shadows of the flame danced on the walls of the chamber, now revealing three doors instead of two. With the former lair bosses defeated, the way to Boginki's inner sanctum was revealed.

Baridorne led the way into the new tunnel until darkness swallowed him. Cilden and Moga followed behind, leaving only Clifford and me alone in the gallery.

"I admire them, you know," he said to me. "If you weren't around, they still would have come here even if it meant their deaths."

I shrugged, not sure how to respond. I admired them too, but even after six months together I still felt like an outsider. Ever since they all learned about my origin, they'd treated me like a foreign god. They offered me more praise and respect than I felt I deserved. And with that came a feeling of isolation.

Clifford, apparently sensing my emotions, lifted my chin up and kissed me, pulling away only after I started wanting more. He looked me in the eyes, smiled, and pulled me into the dark doorway, raising his sword to protect us from behind as we made our way to the boss's lair.

After we crossed the threshold, the tunnel behind us sealed itself. Even if we wanted to, there was no returning to the safety of the central gallery. Two lights swayed in the darkness about forty feet ahead of us: Cilden and Moga both held up torches to light their way. We jogged to catch up to them.

The hallway was tiled like the central gallery. It felt more like it belonged in a castle than it did underground. The floors, walls, and ground were nearly seamless and extended as far as our torches illuminated. We continued down the corridor for almost an hour, our dungeon maps ever expanding. While the map revealed that the path was meandering, I couldn't tell from sight alone. The slopes and curves were too minimal.

Another hour passed before we spotted the end on our maps: an intersection in the hallway that led in three new directions. I zoomed out on my map and saw we were heading in the direction of our valley entrance.

"Let's go left first," I said to the group, breaking our uncomfortable silence.

"Why left?" Moga asked.

"Because we're looking for Claire and Una. Unless they're with the boss, they're going to be either to the left or right."

They looked at me, confused by my logic.

"The boss is almost always the middle path," I said. My words didn't sway them, but they gave up the argument absent a better idea. We had to pick one direction.

It only took a minute to reach the end of the left tunnel. A wooden door was propped open on its hinges. The door creaked as we slid it open to reveal a single bedroom with a burning fireplace. Baridorne and Cilden sped across the room and up the stairs to a separate loft to search for any signs of their family. From what I could tell, the only life in the room aside from us was a cluster of potted plants.

I poked around looking for any clues about the fight ahead, but all I stumbled upon was a herbalist station and an enchanting table. I pocketed a few soul stones from the table, the first time I've encountered the items since my resurrection. Clifford poured over the contents of a nearby bookshelf, rescuing some choice volumes to be read or sold later.

Aside from being posh and well decorated, the room offered no additional insight beyond the fact that Boginki might have potions and enchanted armor. We left the room a skeleton of its former self to explore the right hallway. This hallway led to a locked door. Cilden struggled with the handle, but the door was fixed shut.

Baridorne squeezed by us and began kicking the door until it cracked, splintered, and fell off its hinges. We stepped onto a platform and saw an open staircase into a dungeon-like room.

Shrieking penetrated my ears, causing my knees to buckle from vertigo. I panicked when my vision blurred, slumping against Clifford who seemed less affected by the sound. The others charged down the stairs to face our boisterous enemies.

"What are they?" I yelled at Clifford, barely able to separate the sound of my voice from the shrill shrieks.

"Harpies," he yelled back at me. He tore fabric from his shirt, made up two wads that I held against my ears while he wrapped a third strip of linen around my head to keep them in place.

Although the high-pitched screech was still audible, my vertigo abated. I analyzed the floor below and counted six harpies hovering above the floor, black wings buffeting them above my friends. Their legs and hands were human enough, although they had sharp talons instead of toes and fingers.

Creature: Bog Harpy
Creature Type: Avian
Level: 20
Health: 235
Mana: 179
Stamina: 246

"Stay here!" Clifford yelled. He cradled my head in both his hands, making sure I understood.

He bounded down the staircase after the others. I scanned my friends who were already taking damage from the creatures. Casting Nature's Grace on them bought me time to examine the room. Cells lined the walls to the left and right. The back of the prison had a stone altar with chains and manacles. My stomach soured after I spotted piles of bones lining the far wall.

One harpy dove towards Moga and wrapped its talons around his shoulders. The creature lifted him into the air and tossed him across the room, sending him twisting and tumbling. He took consistent and considerable damage in the process. Another one dove towards his throat. I raised my hand and cast Brambles. Vines formed around the creature and encased its wings. It fell to the floor and writhed in pain upon impact, taking 25hp in spell damage and 60hp in falling damage.

After directing a healing wisp to Moga, I continued casting Brambles on the remaining creatures to force them to the ground. This allowed the others to hack and slash them to death.

With the last harpy slain. Clifford withdrew his sword from the charred remains of one of them. Blood splattered across the floor. He wiped the blade off on the corpse of the monster and looked up to me, saying something I couldn't hear. I yanked the cloth from my head and walked down the stairs, meeting him at the bottom.

"What did you say?" I asked him.

He held up his sword to me with a frown on his face. "I'm out of charges."

I couldn't help but laugh at him. He looked less like the man I had grown to love and more like a child who broke his favorite toy. Fetching a soulstone from my bag, I took his sword from him and rubbed the stone into its blade. The sword absorbed soul energy from the stone until it was recharged. I pocketed the stone since it still had some energy left.

Congratulations! You have learned a new skill! Enchanting (rank 1). The ability to infuse magical properties into weapons, armor, and accessories. Increase in rank to improve the enchanting quality.

Clifford smiled at me, stepped back, and swung his sword a few times in the air, pleased to have his fully charged weapon back.

"Are you finished?" I asked him, not eager to entertain his silliness in this prison.

He nodded and sheathed his sword, joining the others to finish exploring. Moga stayed behind to loot the harpies, plucking as many feathers as he could from their oversized wings.

"Claire!" Baridorne and Cilden rushed to a cell in the back of the room. I tossed a ring of keys to them I found hanging on the wall. The two struggled against the door but quickly broke into the cell, freezing in the middle of the room to take a close look at the heap of a woman shuddering in the corner. Baridorne knelt down next to the woman, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Claire, Moon Blossom, it's me. It's Baridorne," he whispered in a voice so gentle it wouldn't wake a cat.

He extended his other hand, attempting to draw her closer to him but she retreated further into the corner in defense.

"Claire, it's okay." Cilden knelt next to Baridorne.

The woman turned away from the corner a bit when she heard her brother's voice. Her eyes were swollen and puffy and darted from left to right in fear. She fixed her gaze on Baridorne. It took a moment for her to believe he was there. At last, she launched out of the corner and into her husband's arms, melting into him and releasing a long, anguishing cry.

"Baridorne! She took her. She took Una!"

He stroked his wife's matted hair, trying to comfort her.

"I know, sweetheart. We'll find her. I promise-"

"I tried to stop her. I did. She was crying. She wouldn’t stop crying!"

Claire began to hyperventilate, unable to separate her words from her gasps. Tears formed in my eyes, knowing full well what it meant to lose family. I turned my back to the cell, walked to the altar and planted both hands on its rough surface. The stone cut into my skin and a few drops of blood trickled to the floor. I cursed, pulled my hand back, and sucked at the abrasion before casting a healing spell on myself.

Clifford walked up behind me and rested his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

I attempted to suppress my emotion, but my wet eyes gave me away. Clifford turned me around to face him and slouched down to look at my face.

"I'll be okay. This is all just catching up to me. This world, I mean." I took a moment to find the right words. I still didn't tell him that his world was based on a video game in mine. I didn't know how to tell him. He wouldn't understand what a video game was and certainly wouldn't know that we used a simulation of a world like his for entertainment. That fact alone made me feel dirty.

"I was just reminded of my own family. I'm tired and want to get out of here." I embraced him, taking a moment to relax my arms and shoulders. At this point, every muscle in my body ached and yearned for a soft bed to rest on.

"And my ears hurt," I mumbled against his cold metal armor.

"I know they do. If I knew there were harpies in here, we would have covered your ears before we broke down the door. I still don't know how you didn't black out. Your hearing is much stronger than ours. You should have been bleeding from your ears."

I chuckled at the thought, pressing my forehead into his armor. At this point, every bit of me wanted to be back in our room at the manor. And if that was going to happen, we needed to beat Boginki and find Una.

I released Clifford and walked back over to the cell. Cilden, Baridorne, and Claire were still sitting on the floor although she was less distraught now and able to breathe and speak.

"We need to go. Now. I don't know what the boss will do when she finds out we aren't taking her deal."

"Deal? What deal?" Claire asked. "And who are these two?"

Baridorne helped his wife to her feet while explaining who we were. We collected Moga, still fixated on plucking feathers, and left the room ready for what might be the hardest fight of our lives.

Chapter 6

The center path extended southward another five minutes before expanding out into a great hall, the roof of the room lost in darkness. I shivered at the sight of it, feeling as though we were standing beneath an abyss that would devour us any moment. Clifford and Moga led the group further into the chamber, creeping forward at a snail's pace to avoid detection. We passed pillar after pillar, each one reaching skyward until it was swallowed by the blackness above. The room was otherwise without decor, save soft-glowing sconces anchored to each post to light our way, the gray light turning our already pallid faces even paler.

Even the three wisps, recast before I entered the room to replace the one I cast on Moga, were tempered. They looked more like balls of fog now than creatures of light.

My ears twitched as we moved forward, picking up sounds from the back of the room. Now that I was paying closer attention to my own body, I was more focused on sounds I could hear that others couldn't. Although it sounded more like an echo, I heard a child laughing. I silenced the group with a wave of my arm.

"I hear her. Una is in the room somewhere," I whispered, unsure if my voice would alert Boginki.

Claire whimpered and scanned the room, trying frantically to spot her stolen daughter. I held up a finger to silence her. She made too much noise.

"Moga, I don't hear the boss. Can you scout ahead and see what we're up against?" I made sure not to say Boginki's name aloud. Last time I said a dungeon master's name in an inner sanctum, it brought the roof down on me.

"Alright," he whispered. "But if you hear me yelling, you come and save me."

He disappeared behind a wall dividing the room in two while we crouched behind it, me listening with my full attention for any changes. A few minutes later, he crept around the corner again, shrugging his shoulders at us. "I don't see the witch. I only see Una."

"Is she okay?" Claire asked, voice amplified by a mother's fear and worry. She bit her lip to prevent another outburst, but it was too late. The room shook dust and debris from the ceiling. An infant's cry pierced through the rumble, sending Baridorne and Claire into action. While I stopped Claire from running forward, it took both Clifford and Cilden to hold him back.

"Not yet," I said to them, loud enough to be heard over the rumbling. "We'll go first and distract the witch so you can get Una away."

Baridorne's chest was heaving up and down, barely able to suck in enough air to keep his calm, but he nodded knowing that rushing in would mean all our deaths.

"So, little elf, you're not as smart as I thought you are," Boginki said, her calm and hollow voice filling the entire room. The rumbling ceased as the sconces on the wall blazed to life, filling the room enough to scare away the darkness above. The roof of the chamber was now visible. It was lined with giant stone spikes that appeared ready to fall at any moment.

I waved Clifford, Cilden, and Moga to my side, telling them to keep their eyes on the ceiling as much as possible. If I was right, one mechanic would involve her shaking the room and raining the deadly projectiles down on us.

As we approached the back of the lair, everything began to shake again and a great white light flooded the chamber. I held my arm up to shield my eyes, although that offered no respite from the blinding heavenly light. As it faded, I saw only stars, shadows, and my notification screen.

You are afflicted with Blindness. Duration remaining: 10 seconds

I've experienced blindness in Fjorgyn before, but it was never quite like this. When I played the game, the spell caused my vision to grow dark. This, however, was painful. My eyes felt like they had been set on fire and the absence of all visual control left my heart pounding in distress.

I focused my thoughts, closed my eyes, and began casting Nature's Aura, aiming the spell in front of me to encompass our target area.

"So, Michael, you think you can defeat me with your little healing spells? It's going to take a lot more than that," Boginki said. Her shrill voice penetrated my very core.

I felt something slash my shoulder and remove 15hp although it wasn't enough to break my concentration. I finished casting the spell just as the blindness faded. The area was now basking in the glow of my healing magic. I rubbed the pain from my eyes. When they refocused, I saw Boginki for the first time and gasped in shock and awe. Where I first imagined a monstrous demon or grotesque hag, a beautiful woman stood on an elevated platform, awash in white silk that flowed off her shoulders like a gentle waterfall. Her blonde hair shimmered in the light of my healing spell.

Creature Name: Boginki
Creature Type: Undead Witch (Boss)
Level: 23
Health: 2589
Mana: 3214
Stamina: 1864

I pulled up my notifications to see what struck me but only saw an alert indicating melee damage. I looked at Clifford and the others, who had begun circling her like lions preparing to pounce.

"Enough of this, Boginki. We're here for Una. Give her to us, and we'll leave."

"Now don't be like that, handsome boy. I offered you a very fair deal. I'll give you one last chance. Either take the child or the woman and flee from this place or die. It's your choice. I'm growing tired of my husband. Perhaps you can take his place once I’ve killed you."

I nodded at Clifford, signaling him to attack. He raised his sword and charged Boginki.

"Very well. Have it your way." She raised her hand, channeled magic and chanted an incantation, releasing a shockwave of blood-red energy towards us. The magic washed over us, and a notification triggered.

You have resisted Lover's Charm.

Having seen the spell before, I immediately pulled my dagger and examined my party interface. Moga and Clifford had also resisted the spell, but Cilden raised his blades and charged towards me. I swung my dagger as he drew close, slicing his arm and inflicting a small amount of damage, although it was enough to break the spell. Cilden stopped in his tracks and looked me in the eyes, shocked by the idea of nearly attacking me.

"Wrong one," I said to him, gesturing at Boginki. Anger and frustration replaced the shock on his face, and he circled to attack the witch. For a moment, I felt a pang of guilt for bringing him. Nott's Sanctum was one thing — it was a dungeon for children. This was a real place and a real threat, and Cilden was a lower level than me and had no true aptitude for fighting.

I turned my attention to Boginki to see Clifford and Moga fully engaged in the fight. Clifford slammed his shield into the witch, inflicting moderate damage and sending her stumbling back. Moga, meanwhile, released poison arrow after poison arrow, each bolt sinking into the witch before vanishing. Toxins seeped into her body to form a stacking debuff.

"Enough!" Boginki yelled. Her voice shook the chamber, and I immediately flicked my gaze to the ceiling. A large number of stalactites broke loose. As expected, shadows formed on the ground where they would strike. I dodged each projectile, although my knees buckled when the giant spikes punctured the ground. Despite not being hit, the shockwave alone caused 30hp of damage. I cast Nature's Grace on each of us, watching as the spells worked their healing magic.

Worming my way around the fallen stalactites, I moved close enough to Boginki to cast Brambles while Clifford attacked her from the front and Cilden sliced at her from behind. Thorny vines encased her, but she shrugged them off with a dispel.

The witch raised her arms, and two thin, silver chains fell to the floor. Each chain was lined with metal barbs. I held my shoulder, realizing this was the weapon she used to strike me.

She swung the sinister weapons through the air. Cilden and Clifford ducked and rolled away when they whistled overhead. I also tumbled backward to avoid the chains, but as Boginki yanked them back to her the barbs caught on my armor and pulled me forward, causing me to collide with one of the fallen stalactites. The impact struck me for 200hp.

Clifford dropped his guard, distracted by the damage I took. Boginki responded by raising her arms and casting a sonic shock spell, sending him barreling across the room. I flinched as he lost 20% of his health and received a five-second dazed debuff.

Stumbling to my feet, I absorbed a wisp and sent another to Clifford, chasing it with another round of Nature's Grace.

"Hide!" I heard Moga yell. I looked at Boginki. The witch, now at 1575 health, was casting a long spell while Moga and Cilden ran away from her, each ducking behind a nearby pillar. I saw Clifford, still dazed and confused, out in the open. If I didn't act he would take the full brunt of whatever attack she was channeling. I charged toward her, arms extended to dual-cast Sonic Shock. My spell hit her just before she was going to finish. She slammed backward and crashed into the wall behind her. Although my attack only struck her for 51hp, it was enough to interrupt her spellcasting, sending her into a raging fury.

She met sonic shock with sonic shock, sending me for a flight across the room and a particularly painful landing. After my impact, I only had 97 health remaining.

I absorbed my final wisp and recast the spell, absorbing the three new wisps while I regained my senses. As I rolled to my feet I saw all three of my friends charging at Boginki, weapons at the ready.

Instead of retreating in fear, the undead witch merely smiled, mumbling an incantation and extending her hand in my direction. Another blinding light fractured the room, sending us all stumbling back. Unlike the first spell, this one did not cause blindness. Instead, Boginki's screams assaulted my ears and invaded my skull. I lost all control of my body. Wave after wave of agony pulsed through my limbs until every bit of me was compromised.

You are afflicted with Mind Control. Duration: 2 minutes.

I attempted to resist the spell but every struggle and twitch against Boginki's will felt like a dagger twisting in my gut. I tried to speak, but my lips wouldn't move. I tried to collapse, but the force of her magic kept me standing. The only sensation I felt was my own tears burning my eyes and streaming down my cheeks.

As the light faded, I found myself beside Boginki, casting healing spell after healing spell on her and a combination of Brambles and Sonic Shock on my allies. Clifford crouched in a heap on the ground, his shield protecting his body. Cilden cowered behind a pillar, his health nearly depleted. I could hear Una screaming in the background, her infant senses overwhelmed by the violence surrounding her.

Boginki was cackling beside me, her previous angelic form having transformed into that of an undead hag: dirty wool replaced white silk, and her beauty pageant physique became an old and decrepit hag. Her skin was now tired and gray, absent any sign of life and vitality. Her hair was patchy and thin and her fingernails were long and razor sharp.

Driven by her will, I pulled my dagger from its sheath and walked towards Clifford and Cilden, Boginki's mind beckoning me to kill.

"That's right, my new husband. Kill your friends. Kill your lover."

While hunting for my allies, I tripped over Moga's bow and quiver. Compelled by the witch's dark impulses, I searched for him to no avail. I circled around the fallen spikes looking for him with no success until I saw a blinding flash a few feet away. At last, I saw Moga charging Boginki to my right. He had both of his daggers drawn before he lunged into her, sinking them into her pale flesh. He activated a flurry ability that sent his stamina plummeting. His blades moved faster than I could see. She dropped to her knees, shocked by the ferocity of Moga's assault. As her health approached zero, she raised her hands and drove them forward into Moga's small frame, fingernails piercing his body like ten fillet knives. I saw the points of her nails popping out of his back. Blood oozed from his wounds.

Moga stopped his attack and coughed up blood. Every ounce of my will wanted to scream at her and spend the rest of my mana healing him back to full, but his health was dropping faster than I could heal even if I were in control of my body. Even if I poured all of my remaining magic into a dual-cast, mana-infused heal, he would still die. I could only watch in horror as Clifford depleted his remaining mana into his meager healing spells.

As his health pool started flashing red, the Nissean raised his daggers for one final blow, sinking his blades into Boginki's throat for the killing strike before succumbing himself. Both Boginki and Moga sank to the floor, bodies rolling down the steps like lifeless dummies. Her psychic magic expelled from me with the force of thunder. I stood in shock at Moga's sacrifice while my vision darkened until I fell prey to my injuries. Before I blacked out completely, I heard Cilden scream and saw him clutching Moga's body. The world faded to black, my knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, utterly spent.

------

The feeling of cold stone pressed against my back greeted me when I regained consciousness. Although I wanted to open my eyes, I couldn't muster the courage. I have never witnessed a death before, or at least never one with consequence. Images of the fight poured through my head as though I was speeding on a highway. What could I have done differently? Why did Moga sacrifice himself? Surely there was another way to finish the fight with us all standing.

I pictured my mind controlled body walking towards my friends, dagger in hand. My skin still stung from the tight grip I had on the blade. I began to shiver from the thoughts and felt as though all the warmth in my body was being sucked out. In truth, I knew what was happening. I'd felt this sensation before. The silver glow of my hair was transforming to a darker hue. My skin became tepid and gray. My race was changing, and there was nothing I could do about it. My eyes burned from a combination of welled tears and divine magic transforming them.

Know this! The death of your friend and ally has profoundly affected you. Your race has been modified from ‘Forest Elf’ to ‘Shadow Elf.' -10% damage and healing during the day. +10% damage and healing at night and in dark places. You have developed Night Eye and can see short distances in the dark.

"Michael," Clifford whispered. I felt his hand brush through my hair and lift my chin, compelling me to open my eyes to meet his. The room was now absent nearly all light. Baridorne held a torch in one hand and Una in the other, his wife kneeling beside her brother in a shallow attempt to comfort him.

The chamber was illuminated now by a gray haze only I could see, outlining even the tiniest pebble on the ground.

"I was going to kill you," I said, words broken apart by my quivering chin. I was doing everything in my power not to lose it right now. Not only had the witch assaulted my mind, but she also compelled me to kill my friends and the man I love.

Clifford knelt before me and embraced me, attempting to comfort me as best he could. It was no use. I pushed him away and escaped to the back of the room and kicked Boginki's corpse with all my might. The force of the impact rotated her body, so she was lying on her back, sagging skin melting away from her old bones. It also seemed to shatter a bone in my foot. When I looked at her face, I became even more enraged. She died with a smile on her lips, obviously pleased she was able to kill one of us in her final moments.

The whimpering noises of the room were silenced by my roaring. I lifted both hands to dual cast, pouring all of my mana into a sonic shock. The spell released effortlessly, fueled by my anger. Boginki's body twisted and contorted as it soared across the room. Her bones cracked and shattered as they slammed into the opposite wall. Her remains stuck to the wall for a moment as though we were in a cartoon before tumbling to the ground in a broken and unrecognizable heap.

The mana drain from my spell left me staggering. I stopped screaming only when my voice cracked and I fell to my knees again, this time more emotionally spent than physically.

Baridorne left Una in Claire's arms and helped me back to my feet. Clifford cast a healing spell to repair my damaged foot. He had no words to offer me. None of them did. But we finished what we came here to do, and it was now time to leave.

"Let's get out of here," I said. My voice was hoarse and absent strength enough to project. Baridorne and Clifford nodded in agreement. We had been in this dungeon for over a day now. Remaining any longer served no purpose but to prolong our grief. I spotted a door in the back of the room with a chest next to it, our prize for defeating Boginki. I didn't care about the loot and stuffed it into my inventory without even looking.

I motioned for Clifford to help Cilden while Baridorne carried Moga's spent frame and we departed the chamber as we had arrived: in silence.

As we climbed higher and higher, I became frustrated by the blinking of notifications in the corner of my eye. I reviewed them quickly, hoping a distraction might help.

You have killed a level 20 Bog Harpy * 6. 17xp each. +102xp.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 in Light Armor. 1.2% reduced damage/increased movement speed.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 28 in Leadership.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 of Brambles I. Spell evolved into Brambles II. Now deals 6hp damage per second for 5 seconds. Mana cost: 20. Cast time: 1 second. This can be dispelled.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 of Sonic Shock I. Spell evolved into Sonic Shock II. Now forces a target backward 8 feet, inflicting 18 blunt damage. Mana cost: 15. Cast time: Instant. Cooldown: 1 minute.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 12 of Nature's Grace.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 22 of Living Seed.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 4 of Healing Wisps II.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 of Dual-Cast. Chance of backlash reduced to 45%.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 of Mana Infusion. You can now withhold 5% of your remaining mana.

You have defeated Boginki. +340xp Congratulations!

You have completed "Family Bonds" +578xp. Bonus reward for finding his family alive: +500xp.

Congratulations! Your dedication to Baridorne and his family has changed your relationship. Your disposition with him has increased from Ally to Companion. Your interests and fates are now intertwined. Do not forsake your companions. Doing so comes at a high cost to you both. +150xp

Congratulations! Your actions in reuniting Claire Thane with her daughter and husband has earned her respect. Your disposition with her has increased from Neutral to Friendly. +25xp

Congratulations! You have reached level 15. You have 2 attribute points to assign. +1542xp to next level.

Without thinking, I committed my points to Wisdom and Intelligence and felt my mana pool deepen and strengthen. My spells would now be ever-so-slightly more powerful and harder to resist. This thought did not cheer me up.

After twenty minutes of climbing up and out of the dungeon, we finally reached the exit, a barely noticeable cave entrance on the side of a cliff. After exiting it faded from sight, a sign that Boginki's lair was still an active and wild dungeon. The thought of Boginki living to fight another day sickened me.

I pulled my map to see how far we had traveled. It took us an entire day to get to the entrance of her lair. The text labeling the entrance changed from a recommended level of 15-23 to 7-13, a sign that dungeon bosses do suffer consequences as well when they are defeated.

I tried to examine our surroundings, but the shift from dark to light blinded my new eyes. When they adjusted to the sunlight a lock of my now black hair blocked my vision.

Scanning the forest around me, I felt a strange sensation, as though we were being watched.

I hushed the group, crouched and began moving forward.

"Who's there?" I yelled into the trees, hoping no one would respond. My ears twitched after picking up the sound of snapping twigs. I motioned Clifford to my side and caught the sound of him drawing his sword. Before he had it fully unsheathed, however, body after body descended from the trees, landing like superheroes ending their flight. I stumbled back, caught off guard by the sheer number of them.

Person after person sailed down from the canopy, each clad in leaf-covered armor that had previously concealed them. As they stood up, they quickly notched an arrow and aimed at us. Baridorne, still holding Moga's body over his shoulder, positioned himself between the unknown attackers and his family, growling at those putting his wife and daughter in danger.

After twenty had fallen from the sky, a small contingent of elves stepped out from behind nearby trees: two men and a young woman. I scanned one of the men, hoping to learn more.

Name: ???
Race: Forest Elf
Level: 59
Age: ???
Class: ???
Talent: ???
Health: 958
Mana: 1204
Stamina: 735
Alignment: Lawful good (+24)
Disposition: Unfriendly
Company: ???

Chapter 7

"Greenleaf, what's the meaning of this!" Cilden stepped out from behind me, red eyes highlighted by his redder cheeks. I was surprised by his anger, never seeing this side of him before. He rushed forward as if to attack the elf, but Clifford and I both grabbed his shoulder and held him back.

The elven leader, now known to be Greenleaf, hesitated for a moment before calling for his archers to stand down. He stepped away from the shadows of the forest. Now standing in full sunlight, my heart dropped at the sight of him. He carried a staff that was meticulously carved with figures of animals and runes I used to know very well: symbols invoking the spirits of nature. Sun reflected off his green armor, making him appear more like a spirit of the forest than a person.

I took a knee, instantly recognizing both what he was and what opportunity this man could offer me: he was a High Druid of a unique and powerful caliber. Leaves and plants on the ground willed themselves to collect under him as he walked, ensuring a smooth and clean surface for him. Clifford followed my lead, although confused by my reaction.

Greenleaf completely ignored me, instead focusing on Cilden before he ran forward and embraced the man like a father would his son.

"Cilden! You're alive!" He let go of my friend and looked him up and down, grimacing at the dirty state of him. "Are they alright? Rose and the children? Are they alive?"

"They're fine. Why do you care?"

"Why do I care? She's my daughter, and they're my grandchildren! I know we had our falling out, but my heart broke when we found out your village was sacked. We searched the surrounding area for months, but found no sign of you."

A gust of wind blew through the forest, sending a chill down my spine. Greenleaf looked over the rest of us and saw we were all in a desperate state.

"Moga," he said under his breath, taken aback when he saw the Nissean's body. "Let's not talk here. It's not safe in the woods today. And you, Shadow Elf, stop that pointless reverence. Our village isn't far from here. We have much to discuss."

We trailed after the contingent of elves, struggling to keep up with them on their familiar and worn paths. Even Cilden, the fastest among us, had trouble keeping up. He had to pack away his armor but kept his sword at his side, still not trusting our current guides.

Gusts of wind ebbed and flowed through the trees. In the last day and a half the forest had adopted a chill that wasn't there before. The entire landscape felt ominous and tense. I scanned the other elves walking with us: men and women ranging from levels 15 to 27. Greenleaf was the highest level among them. The young woman walking with him was level 20, a hunter by the look of her.

We were led further north, closer to the entrance to Brackenvale. If only I had acted faster I could have cast Spirit Trek and gotten us home. After our last ordeal I most wanted to spend time locked in my bedroom with Clifford.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as though aware I was thinking of him.

"No. I don't think any of us are." I stumbled on a root and almost fell, but Clifford grabbed my arm and kept me upright. "I mean I'm happy we rescued Claire and Una and escaped the dungeon, but we lost one of our own. Moga and I weren't close, but we were friends. And I failed him. I failed all of you."

Clifford stopped in his tracks and spun around to face me.

"You didn't fail us," he said. "You saved us three times in that place. Without you and your mysterious insight, we would have died multiple times. What happened with Moga was unavoidable. We attacked a creature stronger than us, and we paid the price."

"I just wish I was the one who could pay it. I could have come back. I could have fought harder. I got cocky and thought we could beat her easily."

Clifford placed his hands on my shoulders and bent down to look me in the eyes. He pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped a stream of tears from my cheek, leaving the fabric wet and stained with dirt.

"Enough of this. Boginki killed Moga, not you. Fjorgyn is not Earth. People die here. This is a hard world to live in. Moga was the first for you, but he won't be the last. But good things happen here too. You happened. We happened. We're still here, and we need to keep fighting to keep it that way."

I held his hand for a moment. The warmth of his touch sated me, scaring some of my dark and brooding thoughts away.

"I know. I just wish things were different. The rest of Fjorgyn isn't like this. Part of me wishes we could escape this horrible country, leave everything behind, and find a safe place to live out our lives. Skos was never like this." I bit my lip, realizing I had just revealed more about my knowledge of this world than Clifford was aware of.

"Skos? What do you know about Skos?"

"Only what I've heard. That it is a land of peace where all races work together to help one another. Levent would have us believe the rest of the world has fallen to darkness and that Vros is the only free and uncorrupted land remaining. I've heard dictators say that before. I hope we can go there someday so I can prove the mad king wrong."

Clifford smiled at me, although I could see him struggling with my words.

"You know he's insane, right? That he's lying to you. He said the world outside Vros is dark and dangerous; that demons and monsters roam Fjorgyn. The only darkness and danger I see here starts with him. He's a servant of Mannana, and his empire is a cancer in this world. The only question I have is why the other nations have done nothing about it."

Clifford shook his head, and his eyes widened a bit. He smiled, looking around the forest like a child seeing the world for the first time.

"Let's go," he said. "The elves promised me somewhere somewhere comfortable to sleep tonight." He reached his hand around my waist and leaned in, whispering into my ear.

"And perhaps we can do something to work out some of your current tension."

I pushed him off playfully and took off jogging to catch up with the others. Spinning around and running backward for a moment, I called out to Clifford.

"Come on, then. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can work on that!"

------

As we walked further into the forest the cold wind gave way to a more moderate warmth. We crossed the path we initially took to Finlyon and Boginki's Lair. Thirty minutes later, the track became denser and harder to follow, and our entourage had to form a single line to file between the trees.

At last, we reached a natural wall of trees that extended hundreds of feet in each direction, curving to form a circle. The only accessible entrance was a narrow slit between two trunks wide enough for us to fit through sideways. Baridorne handed Moga off to Cilden to remove his armor. Even then, the half-giant had to suck in his gut to enter the grove.

I slid between the gap with ease since it appeared broad enough to accommodate an elf's frame over other races. The area inside the natural barrier was sparsely populated with wide canopy trees, branches extending out twenty-five feet from their trunks to intertwine with a nearby neighbor.

Congratulations! You have found Greenleaf Enclave. +10xp

The canopy looked almost artificial. I couldn't tell where one tree ended and another began. Giant yurts surrounded each tree, although it seemed more like the trees were grown after the huts were constructed. We were led through the grove by our guides until we reached the center where a massive banyan sprung from the earth. The trunk was as wide as Brakenvale manor and the tree grew higher than the others, forming a second canopy over the first.

We were led past a deep well, buckets discarded on the forest floor and ordered into a natural entrance in the banyan tree. Despite Cilden's protests, three elves claimed Moga's body and disappeared behind the back of the tree.

"Don't worry about Moga," Greenleaf said to Cilden. "We will clean his remains and prepare him for burial. As you know, it was his desire to be buried in the forest. We will place him in our own burial grounds."

Cilden nodded, although the old man's words fell mostly on deaf ears. I turned to him and put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but he was still in shock over the loss of his dearest friend. His eyes told the story of a man who had lost a brother. They were glazed over in shock, unable to process the events of the last few hours.

Greenleaf led us deeper into the tree. We circled around a smooth pathway that rose higher and higher, rooms branching off every so often. After climbing around the perimeter of the trunk, we came to the top. A large flat surface formed a platform. Knots in the trunk sprung out creating smooth tables and chairs that could seat dozens of people. In the center of the room, a large throne was hewn into one of the knots, the smooth wood polished to avoid splinters. Greenleaf took a seat and motioned for us all to sit down amongst dozens of overstuffed floor pillows.

"You seem to be their leader," he said to me, leaning forward to get a closer look at me. "What's your name?"

"Michael Dian-Cecht, sir."

"No. Not your chosen name, young man. What is your secret name?"

I hesitated, not sure whether or not I should reveal my secret name to him. I wondered how he even knew I had one. I turned to Cilden and Clifford for advice. Cilden was still dazed and ignoring the conversation. Clifford, however, just nodded, compelling me to answer him.

"Slanaitheoir," I mumbled.

Greenleaf sighed and motioned for other elves to attend to us.

"As I thought. We must speak alone." He whispered some instructions to another elf, who nodded and whisked away like a servant does for a master.

"I understand, but might I request Clifford also join in on the conversation," I said to the high druid, gesturing at Clifford. "I have no secrets with him and do not want to start now."

Greenleaf nodded and summoned a group of elves, both men and women, to attend to Cilden, Baridorne, Claire, and Una. They were all led out of the room, Baridorne cradling Una and Claire cradling Cilden.

"Where are you taking them?" Clifford asked, cautiously eyeing the group as they departed.

Greenleaf huffed, dismissing the notion that he would harm them.

"Your friends will be okay. I've no interest in hurting my son-in-law, despite what he might have you believe. And Moga was a dear friend to our people. He was the only person from Cilden's village we traded with for the better part of a decade. Now, tell me what happened and what brings you this deep into the forest. And do not lie."

I adjusted the pillows under me to prop myself up higher. Every muscle in my body was now aching, yearning for a warm bath, food, and rest. I took a moment to gather my words, unsure of where to begin.

"Start at how you escaped the Elathians. Some of my clan were taken prisoner by them, no doubt to feed their gluttonous need for slaves," he said. His voice dripped with impatience. My unfriendly disposition with him wasn't doing me any favors.

I went on to explain how the Thanes, Moga, and I were sold into Clifford's house, how Clifford and other masters who despised slavery helped orchestrate our escape, and how we selected this forest as our temporary refuge from Ankou Levent's watchful gaze.

"And you settled behind the Bracken wall, correct?"

Clifford nodded, revealing the location of our new settlement to the man.

"And then you rescued Cilden's sister and her child. A foolish move at your level. You're fortunate you weren't all killed."

"I don't feel very fortunate right now." I pulled at a loose thread on one of the pillows to distract myself from the uncomfortable conversation. I felt like I was being chastised by my father for skipping curfew.

"That's enough of this topic. Back to your name. Slanaitheoir. From the look on your face, I can tell you don't know its significance to our people, is that correct?"

"I don't. And I can't tell you how I got it. Not yet, anyhow."

The man's cheeks turned cherry red, displeased with the fact that I couldn't tell him. With Mannana's curse still in place, he would have to become my companion before I could reveal my rebirth to him.

An awkward silence filled the room while Greenleaf mulled over our conversation. He closed his eyes and meditated, whispering words of power. A warm breeze filled the room, smelling of sap and grass. The scent of the forest invaded my nostrils and worked a calm in me more than any massage or hot bath might. At last, he stopped his meditation and returned to his prior impassive disregard.

"It's no matter. Slanaitheoir is the ancient name of our mythical redeemer, granted only to Balama’s chosen. Find any child in my clan to tell you the full story. I won't. I will tell you that thousands of years ago, a vast army of darkness swept the land and at its head, the servants of Mannana fought the servants of Balama. When all hope seemed lost and all light faded from the world, Balama infused her blessing into a single elf, Slanaitheoir, who led the final charge and defeated Mannana's minions. He wiped them off the face of Fjorgyn and ushered in an era of long-lasting peace."

Greenleaf rose from his throne and walked to the far end of the platform. Clifford and I struggled to our feet to follow. The trunk of the tree gave way to an exposed drop. If we walked too far, we would plummet to our deaths. The mesmerizing view compelled me forward, as though it were beckoning me to transform into a bird and fly away.

The setting sun shimmered off distant plains of golden grass, disrupted by a large river that sparkled like diamonds. On our side of the river, trees of all shades of blue and green swayed in the evening wind, singing like a white noise machine inviting me to sleep.

I held Clifford's hand and looked at his face. His eyes were closed, basking in the glow of the golden sunlight before it sank below the horizon. The moment passed, and we were left standing in a daze waiting on Greenleaf to continue the discussion.

"And in the blink of an eye, Mannana will wash over the world again. He has selected his champion, Ankou Levent. And Balama has chosen hers." Greenleaf turned around to face us and bore into me with his wise eyes as though he were trying to glimpse my very soul.

"But the Elathian King isn't the only servant of Mannana. There are many, and they are as strong as they are twisted and evil. Before I let you depart this place, I have one task for you. You defeated Boginki against great odds. There is another I would have you drive from our once peaceful realm. We will discuss that tomorrow. For now, you two should rest."

Greenleaf whistled, and two elves entered on the far side of the room. He bade us goodnight, folded his arms and fell backward out of the banyan tree. Clifford rushed forward in shock, prepared to see the elf’s body slam into the forest floor below.

"Show off," I said aloud, turning my back to the precipice to retire to our prepared chamber. As I walked away, I heard an eagle sing, followed by the whoosh of giant wings.

Clifford chased after me, dumbstruck by Greenleaf's transformation.

"If we're going to succeed, I need him to make me a druid," I said to Clifford.

"Do you think he will?"

"I don't know. Let's see what he says tomorrow."

We were led out of the room and down the trunk of the giant banyan. Once at ground level, elves escorted us to a stand-alone yurt. Cilden was sitting on the stoop nearby. I heard Una crying from inside. I nodded at him as we walked by, but he didn't acknowledge our presence, still numb over the loss of his best friend.

The two elf guards stopped in front of the yurt assigned to us.

"You can stay here tonight. Do not attempt to leave as you won't get far."

"Thank you," I said to him, trying my best to avoid sarcasm and frustration.

I pulled back the flap of the structure and stepped inside to find a well-decorated room, a large bed, a table with prepared food, a central stove for warmth and cooking, and a tub dug into the ground filled with steaming water.

Clifford barely made it into the yurt before I discarded my clothing and slid into the warm water. The bath began to do the work for me, cleansing away days of dirt, sap, blood, and grime.

"Thanks for waiting!" Clifford stood at the edge of the tub in awe and admiration at how quickly I disrobed. I responded only by splashing water at him. He jumped back to avoid getting wet. He pulled off his shirt, revealing a layer of dirt and dust covering his entire torso. He looked like a coal miner at the end of a shift.

Attempting to lift one leg and remove a boot, he tipped over and fell to the ground, cursing on his way down. In resignation, he lay flat on his back and lifted one leg towards me, silently pleading with me to remove his shoes. I tried to suppress my laughter out of respect for Cilden who was right outside. Instead, I stood up, gripped his boot tightly and pulled with all my might until his foot escaped. The smell of sweaty feet permeated the room and invaded my nostrils. Clifford sat up and removed his other boot and socks and made towards his pants.

"No," I said, hand plugging my nose. "Put those outside first, or you're not getting in. Mine too, if you don't mind."

He shrugged at me and grabbed our boots and socks and tossed them out a window. He undid his pants, kicking them off his legs as he stumbled towards the tub before sliding in to join me.

It took thirty minutes before the two of us were clean. Despite the amount of grime we scrubbed off, however, the water remained crystal clear and steaming, ever replenished by a fountain on both ends. When we finished washing I rested against Clifford, my back pressing into his chest, leaned my head back on his shoulder, and thought about the last few days. With all that had transpired I couldn't will my muscles to relax and was a mess of knots and tension, all meeting at a point in the center of my brow.

He massaged my shoulders to help reduce my strain, but they were as rigid as a plank of wood. His hands shone like a peach against my now colorless skin. I looked as gray as a rotten potato.

"What are we going to do?" I asked him, thinking about the delicate situation we were all in.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean with Cilden and Baridorne and Greenleaf and the hundreds of escaped slaves we have tucked away in the middle of nowhere. We can't stay there forever, not with Levent's army most likely searching for us." I leaned forward and spun to face him. I wrapped my legs around him and sat in his lap.

"Honestly?" he sighed. "I have no idea. Even if they do find us, the bracken will keep us safe for a little while. But we need to think about strengthening ourselves and getting on the offensive. And we need trade partners and allies. Nila might have some ideas."

He lifted his pruning hands out of the water and looked at them, deciding he'd had enough time in the tub. I could hear him strain as he pulled himself out of the tub to strut across the yurt. Sitting at the table, he ate a few pieces of fruit and began cutting some meat and cheese. I left the tub to join him but started shivering half way there. I grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around my shoulders. While the cover did stop my trembling, it did little to completely scare the cold away.

"Are you alright?" He stood up, faced me, and pulled me back into an embrace, my cheek pressing against his bare chest.

"I'm freezing. Ever since my race changed, I've been cold."

He didn't respond with words but led me to the stove in the center of the room, tossed a few more bits of wood in, and sat down on the floor with me, a heaping plate of food and a bottle of wine.

We stuffed our faces and drank an entire bottle between us. I felt the warmth of the alcohol rush through my veins, scaring my chills away.

“Where do the elves get the grapes?” I asked him.

In truth, he didn’t know. He only laughed after realizing the mystery.

When we finished our meal we stumbled over to the bed and collapsed, rolling up like a burrito in the covers, his skin pressed into my own. In any other situation, this would have been erotic, but we were both full, drunk, and exhausted beyond reason. The gentle whispers of the forest around us lulled us both to sleep.

Chapter 8

I awoke to the sound of birds chirping and voices outside going about their morning business. The room was bright now with the sun high enough to filter through the canopy above. Clifford snored next to me loudly enough to be heard outside. He was sprawled out, arms and legs stretching across the bed, exposed for anyone to see. I smiled, pleased with the sight of him, and traced my fingers from his neck to his groin causing him to twitch and stir, but not to wake.

I lifted myself up and out of bed. The plates and glasses we left on the floor the night before were gone. New food was stocked on the table, and our clothes were washed and folded, hanging above the stove to dry. Even our discarded boots had been polished and sat ready for us by the door.

I admired the attention to detail but realized that whoever cleaned our hut had to do so with Clifford’s manhood pointed at him or her.

I pulled down my shirt and pants and slipped them on, the warm fabric seeping into my cold and gray skin. A hand mirror was placed on the table for my use. I looked into it with disgust at my new facade. If I were on Earth, people would mistake me for a zombie. Hell, I lived in America. Some may have shot my head clean off. Instead of fixing my hair and eating breakfast, I covered Clifford and left the yurt. I needed to talk to Cilden and Greenleaf before deciding my next move. Looking inside his hut, I saw Baridorne, Claire, and Una, but my farmer friend was missing.

As I walked through the camp to find him, other elves stopped what they were doing and began whispering to one another, not quite sure what to make of me. I didn't know if that was because I was a shadow elf or because the news of my secret name has spread, but I was going to find out.

I found Cilden sitting on a flat rock on the far side of the enclave, throwing stones into a creek that flowed through the village. I planted myself next to him, both of us taking up the entire surface of the boulder. I bumped him with my shoulder to get a response out of him, but he continued tossing rocks as though I wasn't there. Between last night and this morning, he did manage to clean himself, although he looked exhausted.

"Did you sleep?" I asked him.

He shook his head and plopped one more stone into the water.

"Did you eat? Are you hungry?"

"No and no."

"Can I do anything for you?"

He looked at me while struggling to form a slight smile.

"I just want to go home and see Rose. When can we leave?" he asked.

"After I talk to Greenleaf. In fact, we'll be home sooner than you realize. I can port us all there."

He mustered a slight nod and tossed another stone. I put my hand on his shoulder and leaned in to look him in the eyes.

"Cilden, I really am sorry. I know Moga was your best friend. If there's anything you need, just let me know."

He placed his hand on mine for a moment and squeezed before standing up and walking away. I wished there were words I could say to ease his grief, but he had to work this out on his own.

I sat for a few more minutes looking at the bubbling water before me. I was pleased with the environment around me and understood for the first time why Moga found such solace in the tranquil and quiet ambiance of the forest. He was a man of few words, but of great power and sacrifice. Scooping up a handful of stones, I followed in Cilden's stead, tossing each one into the stream to watch the surface of the water break before quickly returning to normal.

"Why do you change the stream?" a voice asked.

I spun around, pants pulling against the boulder I was sitting on, and saw an elf woman standing over me. This was the same woman who emerged from behind the trees with Greenleaf the day before. She tugged patiently on a bowstring slung over her torso waiting for me to respond.

"What do you mean?" I asked her, puzzled with her question.

"Every time you throw a rock in, the stream is changed. It must compensate and flow around the new obstacle that is your rock. The old creek ceases to exist, and a new one is born."

I thought about her words for a second, wondering how I should respond. "If the stream is like a vein in the forest and I sever the vein, surely it is still a vein. It doesn't change what it is when it encounters something new."

She smiled at me, her lips forming into a wide grin and revealing gleaming white teeth. "I like you, Michael Dian-Cecht. I'm Radha, Greenleaf's daughter. He sent me to find you."

I stood up and extended a hand to her. She instinctively backed away, unfamiliar with the gesture. Lowering my empty hand, I let her lead me onward. She turned around and walked away from me at a pace faster than I could keep up while I analyzed her character screen.

Name: Radha Greenleaf
Race: Forest Elf
Age: 28
Class: Hunter
Talent: Armorcrafting
Level: 20
Health: 345
Mana: 310
Stamina: 360
Alignment: Chaotic Good (+8)
Profession: Armorer
Disposition: Friendly
Company: Greenwood

"Radha, you're Rose's sister, right?"

"Former sister, yes. When she married that Trisian, she was exiled from our family and is no longer a member of Greenleaf's clan."

"That's harsh, isn't it? She married for love. Why does it matter who she married?"

Radha stopped dead in her tracks, just shy of the entrance fo the banyan tree. She turned to me, biting her lip.

"It matters a great deal. It's not that Rose married a Trisian. My father didn't care who she married. She could even marry a woman if she wanted to. But she was next in line to lead our company before she renounced her claim and abandoned us. If Cilden came here to live, things would have been fine. Instead, she abandoned us for a Trisian settlement. In doing so, she gave up her position in our family."

I shied away from Radha.

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I was under the impression that she was outcast because of her decision to marry a non-elf. I apologize."

"It's of no consequence. My father is waiting for you in the lower gathering hall. I'll be here when you're done talking to him."

Radha discarded her bow and quiver and sat on the ground, back pressed into the banyan tree. For a moment, her body and hair blended into the tree itself. Her hair and skin, both sandy blonde, matched the tree bark perfectly.

I stepped into the banyan tree for the second time and began climbing levels, peering into each room I came by. After five laps around the circumference of the tree, I finally found the lower hall. Greenleaf sat with the other elf from our first encounter. The two of them settled themselves around a table formed out of the tree. Greenleaf waved me into the room when he spotted me standing in the doorway, and I took my place beside him, uncomfortably sitting on the rough and jagged knot that acted as my chair.

A parchment was stretched out on the table, revealing a map of the entire area. The detail of the map was incredible. Its scope went from Cilden's old village in the north to ten miles south of Brackenvale. While the valley was not detailed, it extended east to the ocean and west, projecting a few miles out from the forest's edge. I could make out the circle of Greenleaf Enclave, the entrance and exit to Boginki's lair, the central path running through the woods, and each building in Cilden's village.

"Thank you for joining us, Slanaitheoir," Greenleaf said to me. His voice sounded tired, as though he had forsaken sleep all evening. Pulling the map closer to him, he placed a quill on the parchment and started outlining an area on the northern part of the map. When he was done tracing a perimeter, he spun the map towards me and planted a finger in the center of his tracings.

"What do you think?"

I looked at the outline. It ran from Cilden's village to a few miles south of Boginki's lair and from the cliff face to the forest's edge.

"I think it’s colder in this part of the forest. I felt it yesterday, but I didn't think much of it."

"Correct. You wouldn't. To anyone unfamiliar with the wood, they might feel themselves close to a lake or cave. I'm afraid the actual cause of the chill you felt is much more ominous."

Greenleaf stood up and paced around the table, pulling at his thin and hairless face while lost in concentration.

"A few months ago, a party of my hunters went missing. At first, we thought they had decided to encamp for the night to continue the hunt, but a week went by, and we hadn't heard from them. We followed their trail only to find an abandoned camp and signs of struggle, although there were no blood or remains. Since then, the forest has grown darker and colder. Each day, the chill spreads and animals caught in its grasp become corrupted and violent. Passive creatures became hostile and began attacking other hunting parties. Where we could once walk up to a deer and call it a friend, we are now treated as an enemy. Even with my sway over the creatures of nature, I am considered a foe."

Greenleaf took a moment to sit back down to face me. I was astonished by the power of him. When he sat, the tree knot smoothed itself to make a comfortable seat for him. The great banyan appeared to respond to his very presence.

"Last night, you said you would need my help. What with?" I asked him.

"For the life of us, we cannot source this corruption. The forest itself protects us from harm and will not let us approach danger. But the forest does not yet recognize you as one of her own. If you join with us, we can find the culprit behind this corruption and drive it from the wood."

I looked him up and down. His posture, tone, and look in his eyes betrayed a desperate man eager to protect his people. This was something I could sympathize with. At this very minute, I had hundreds of former slaves eagerly waiting for my return. Although it has only been two days, I enjoyed the idea of returning to the keep and helping improve the quality of life for my people. But then here was Greenleaf, Rose's father and my potential ally in a frightening world asking for help.

"I can do this, but I need some promises from you first," I said.

Greenleaf smiled and sat upright in his chair. "Of course you do. Nothing in this world comes free. I expect we can come to an arrangement. What are your requests?"

"Three things. First, we will establish a free trade relationship between your clan and Brackenvale. I imagine that we both will mutually benefit from this arrangement."

He nodded and gestured for me to continue.

"Very good. Second: You must accept Rose, Cilden, Junta, and Neeta back into your family. The fact that Rose has felt estranged from you is something I will not tolerate. And this must come with no strings attached. They will be accepted back into your family even if they decide to live in Brackenvale Keep."

Greenleaf scratched his chin and thought about the idea for a few seconds before acquiescing.

"Excellent. The last is the most important and is something you cannot argue against. You must help me become a druid. If I am to face this source of evil, I need to become more powerful."

The other man in the room exploded from his chair in outright protest only for Greenleaf to silence him with a single finger. I scanned the man to bring up his information.

Name: Ash Greenleaf
Race: Forest Elf
Age: 35
Class: Mage
Talent: Elemental
Level: 21
Health: 340
Mana: 561
Stamina: 329
Alignment: Chaotic Good (+9)
Profession: Enchanter, Woodworker
Disposition: Indifferent
Company: Greenwood

While I debated whether Ash was Greenleaf's son or son-in-law, Greenleaf beckoned me to follow him. We left the room and began circling downward to the lower levels. We passed the main entrance, but instead of turning out of the banyan tree, we followed a gentle and circular slope among the roots until we emerged in a central chamber, the base of the tree serving as the ceiling above us.

The roots extended down to form a curved wall. In the middle of the room, a pool of water collected. The pool was lined with a plain blue stone, turning the water into a well.

I stepped forward beyond Greenleaf and examined the crystal clear water. The floor of the well was out of sight. The only thing I could see in the blackness of it was my own reflection.

"You have a Nerthus spring," I said, my voice raspy and shallow. I couldn't contain my excitement. When I played Fjorgyn: Online, I only read about these springs in lore. Becoming a druid in the game was hard enough. Finding a spring to amplify druidic abilities was unheard of. I used to troll the forums, waiting for a player to brag about its location but no one had yet uncovered one.

Greenleaf was taken aback by my words, his eyes widening in shock at my knowing what the well was.

"You know what this is?" he asked, joining me at my side to gaze into the tranquil waters.

"Only from stories. I know what it's called, but not precisely what it does."

"Michael, if you defeat this unknown evil and save my people from the blight of corruption, I will agree to all your terms. I will teach you the way of the druid, and I will let you drink from this well."

His offer was more than generous. I should’ve extended my hand to shake on it, but he would most likely have been unfamiliar with the custom, like his daughter. Instead, I nodded my consent.

You have received a quest. "Cleanse the blight." Help Greenleaf purge the unknown source of evil from the forest to save his clan from destruction.
Requirements: A trophy must be given to Greenleaf to prove completion.
Reward: XP, A trade agreement with the Greenwood clan, reputation increase with Greenleaf and other members of his company, instruction in the Druid class. You have one month to complete this quest.

Congratulations! Your reputation with Greenleaf has improved from Unfriendly to Indifferent. +10xp

Greenleaf walked me back upstairs and out of the banyan tree where his daughter, Ash, and the others were already waiting for us. Clifford rubbed his tired eyes to wake himself up and clutched his overloaded inventory at his side, stuffed full of his armor and weapons.

"Morning," I said to him. He grunted a response, signaling that he was still not quite awake. I joined him by his side and whispered to him that his shirt was inside out and backward. He shrugged, not caring at all what the rest of us thought, but he did manage to swing his arms through his sleeves and pull his shirt the right way round.

Everyone else was present and eagerly waiting to return to Brackenvale.

"I take it you two are coming with us?" I asked Radha and Ash. They were busy sifting through their inventories to make sure they had everything. Radha shot up and offered me a stout nod, a response I expected more from a school girl in an anime movie instead of an elven hunter. Her husband pulled a hanbo from his bag. I looked at the weapon and suffered a pang of jealousy.

Hanbo of Frost Quality: Professional Class: Rare Damage: 17-23DPS +10% increase to frost damage spells +10% mana regeneration. +80 MP. Can be broken by stronger weapons
Crafted by Ash Greenleaf
Restriction: Level 20, Mage

Where his weapon was short and easy to handle, my longer staff was hard to wield and often got in the way. He caught me staring at his staff and tapped it against his shoulder, drawing my attention back to him.

"Eyes up here, man. If you like it so much, I'll make one for you. We'll talk later about what enchants you want."

I smiled at his proposition, eager to replace my healing staff with something much easier to handle.

Before we continued any further, I realized I still had the items dropped by Boginki in my bag, and they weighed me down. I opened my inventory to find it was already nearly full, packed with my own armor, items, and crafting materials.

Spell Tome: Mind Control I. Cast on a lower level non-humanoid creature to control it for up to one minute. This is a channeled spell. The caster cannot move when mind control is active. Upon breaking, the target becomes hostile. Cast time: 5 seconds. Mana cost: 50mp. Cooldown: 24 hours.

Crown of the Bog Queen. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Armor: Light (10). Stats: +30 MP, +20 HP. Can be triggered mentally to freeze a target in fear for 10 seconds or until damage is taken. Can be resisted. Charges: 3/3. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

Helm of Fear Gorta. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Armor: Heavy (30). Stats: +30 Stamina, +40 HP. Can be triggered mentally to send a shockwave, causing all nearby targets to focus on the wearer. Can be resisted. Charges: 2/2. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

Crown of the Bog King. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Armor: Medium (30). Stats: +30 Stamina, +35 HP. Can be triggered mentally to summon a vine that yanks an enemy toward the wearer. Can be resisted. Charges: 3/3. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

Boginki's Diadem. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Armor: Medium (20). Stats: +30 Stamina, +35 HP. Can be triggered mentally to inflict Lover's Charm on a lower-level creature or humanoid, causing it to fight alongside you for one minute or until damaged. Can be resisted. Charges: 2/2. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

I handed Clifford and Cilden their helms while I absorbed the spell tome, although part of me felt dirty learning the mind control spell that caused me to nearly kill my friends. I also looked at the Bog Queen's crown before placing it on my head and felt the wooden loop retract to fit my skull. I rotated it so a center green gem centered itself in the middle of my forehead.

I spun the diadem intended for Moga in my fingers, admiring the silver threads that connected to a single black opal.

"Cilden, you decide who to give this to. You knew Moga better than anyone, and that gives you a better idea about his wishes."

He examined the headpiece and rolled it over in his fingers before giving it to Radha with a nonchalance completely out of character for him. She clutched the item to her breast before placing it on her head, running her fingers across the silver chains wrapping themselves around her skull before hugging her brother-in-law both in thanks and in comfort.

"Alright," Radha said. "Let's go kill things. Ash, did you bring my knives?"

Greenleaf walked into the center of us and looked at his daughter and me.

"First, I think you're all itching to get back home, right?"

I nodded at him and pointed at Claire and Una. "Correct. I want to get them home first, then there are a few things we need to do to tidy up. We've just settled in Brackenvale and have hundreds of people to see to."

"That's fine, but I can't emphasize this threat enough. Whatever is driving this blight threatens not only my people but yours as well. I don't think your fern forest is going to stop it if it crawls eastward into the valley. And unlike my clan, your villagers will have nowhere to flee."

I glanced at Clifford, both of us registering the second immediate need of securing the retreat at the far end of the valley.

"Or do you?" Greenleaf asked, picking up on our wordless exchange. "It's no matter. Don't take too long. And if you need anything from us, please return. We must first find out who this nemesis is before we attack. Don't go rolling into its lair and getting my daughter and son-in-law killed."

I placed a hand on Greenleaf's shoulder, and he on mine. Looking into his eyes, I swore to him I would keep them safe to the best of my ability.

With that, I invited everyone to the group. I noticed a set of statistics tabbed beneath Claire's health plate belonging to little Una, an automatic and passive member of the party.

Raising my hand, I cast Spirit Trek between us and the banyan tree. The fabric of reality split open and an archway formed to reveal the bridge leading into Brackenvale Keep. The giant doors swung open to reveal a clutch of guards with makeshift spears pointed in our direction. I was pleased with their response. Despite minimal guidance and training from Baridorne, they stood in a formation ready to face whatever enemy emerged.

When the guards saw us standing on the opposite end of the portal, they raised their spears and offered a crude salute. One even dropped his spear to the ground before raising his hand to his forehead, just as Clifford and I stepped through the portal and emerged on the other side with the rest of our party in tow.

Secret name: Slanaitheoir (savior)

Character name: Michael Dian-Cecht

Race: Shadow Elf

Age: 27

Class: Undefined

Talent: Undefined

Level 15 (1,542xp to next level)

Health: 354 (254)

Mana: 524 (269)

Stamina: 254

Fatigue: 0%

Armor: 90 (1.2% damage mitigation) - 2.2% damage mitigation with skills.

Strength: 12

Intelligence: 22

Wisdom: 21

Constitution: 16

Agility: 12

Luck: 8

Alignment: Chaotic Good (+1)

Racial Traits: +5% to herbalism, +5% to all non-metal crafting, +5% to nature-based healing and damage spells, +5% to mana regeneration

Profession: Undefined

Company: Bracken Corps

Modifiers: +20% movement speed, Shadow Elf ( -10% damage and healing during the day. +10% damage and healing at night and in dark places, Night Eye), 25% threat reduction, +8% to damage and spells (gear)

Skills:

Novice Athleticism (rank 1)

Novice Blades (rank 1) (.25% increase damage)

Novice Staves (rank 9) (1.9% increased damage, 2.6% increased chance to block)

Novice Grappling (rank 1) (1% increase damage)

Novice Light Armor (rank7) (1.1% reduced damage/movement speed)

Novice Observation (rank 10)

Novice Stalking (rank 8) (1.6% chance of remaining hidden)

Apprentice Herbalism (rank 46)

Novice Tailoring (rank 1) (1% reduction in time to craft, quality of item)

Novice Tracking (rank 1) (10% chance to find trails and tracks in nature)

Novice Enchanting (rank 1)

Apprentice Leadership (rank 28): War Party Maximum of 25.

Novice Cooking (rank 5)

Spells:

Novice Brambles II (rank 5)

Novice Sonic Shock II (rank 7)

Novice Mind Control I (rank 1)

Novice Nature's Grace II (rank 12)

Novice Living Seed II (rank 22)

Novice Healing Wisps II (rank 4)

Notice Nature's Aura I (rank 1)

Novice Dual-Cast (rank 5)

Novice Mana Infusion (rank 5)

Spirit Trek (no rank)

Merrow Song I (rank 3)

Chapter 9

My hair stood on end as I slipped through the aperture and onto the bridge leading into Brackenvale Keep. The guards present on the far end of the bridge backed away, forming a line on one side of the bridge to welcome us home. One guard, the oldest of the bunch, knelt down to pick up his spear only to kick it further down the path to slap against my feet. I picked it up and examined the tip and frowned at the quality of the item. It was no more than a giant toothpick with a tip hewn to a sharp point.

If Greenleaf was correct, and he seemed to be a man who did not entertain fault in his words, the blight approaching the entrance to our valley would pose a substantial risk, and these weapons would do little in the way of halting its progression. I handed the spear to the struggling guard and examined him like a drill sergeant does his charges. His armor was about as useful as the weapon he made. I paused at the end of the bridge, just short of entering the keep and turned around to examine the valley surrounding us. Farmers were just starting their day. Having completed six square plots, they stepped between mounds of dirt and inserted seeds into the ground to plant what would become our only primary source of food.

Other villagers and guards could be seen going about their business either relieving themselves to the far eastern edge of the glade or washing clothes on the western side. A dozen men and women were also dragging stripped logs from the eastern forest toward the keep.

I spun around again and stepped inside to witness an explosion of activity. Men, women, and children were scrubbing down walls and shoveling dirt and grass off roofs. They collected rocks and dirt and mess in buckets, carrying the bulk of it in a single line toward the front of the keep to lift up and toss over the walls. Already, a row of ruined buildings had been transformed into what I would call stable structures and homes. I peeked inside one and saw that even the roof was patched with clay packed tight with dried grass.

As we walked up the shallow incline and approached the manor, the doors burst open and Rose emerged, panicked and flustered from her obvious sprint from the kitchen. She stopped in her tracks and counted us with her hand, smiling when she saw Claire and Una, but frowning again when she spotted her sister and brother-in-law.

She cocked her head to one side and surveyed us again and turned at me, tears already forming in her frantic eyes. "Where's Moga?"

When it comes to telling someone a friend died, an absence of words is enough to break the news. I attempted to mouth some explanation to placate Rose, but she rushed by me to her husband's side, embracing him before she collapsed into tears. Cilden, already numb from the last day, spirited her into the manor.

"Baridorne," I said to the half-giant. He held his wife and daughter in his arms, ready to settle them in as well before getting back to work himself. "While I want you to continue to work as captain of our guard, I won't be bringing you out of the valley with me again unless absolutely necessary."

He shot forward in protest, but I silenced him by raising my hand. "This is not a request, my friend. Moga was the best fighter among us, and even he couldn't withstand our last fight. I have no doubt we will face even more challenging odds in the future."

"All the more reason for me to be with you," he said.

"No. All the more reason for you to be with your family. I need you to protect everyone here while I'm gone. Clifford will protect me. And now Radha and Ash."

Clifford stepped forward to break the tension between us. "Michael's right. If we fail everyone here would be put at risk. The village is looking to us for protection. We can't all go out at once."

"Right, which brings me to my next order of business. We're going to take a few days to rest, but we need to secure the retreat at the other end of the valley. Greenleaf made me realize that we're not as well defended here as we should be. If something should happen and an enemy enters the valley, the bracken will only slow them down. Our people must be given a way to flee."

I turned to Radha and Ash. "I know I promised your father we would source the blight, but I must do this first. Will you help me?"

They took a moment to debate the request before agreeing. "We will, but only because you count among your own my sister, niece, and nephew," Radha said. "Let us know when you're ready to depart. In the meantime, where can we stay?"

I instructed Baridorne to find room for them in the manor. They all filed through the door, leaving Clifford and me the only two left in the square.

I sat down on the steps and examined the keep. From this vantage point I saw Gerec and his crew busy at work along the front wall. Already, they had laid the foundation and walls for the latrines. Piles of wood scattered around them revealed they were planning and preparing other projects. Nila walked between groups of workers offering instruction.

"I'll go talk to Nila," I said. "Can you find everyone and let them know I want to have a meeting tonight in the war room? It looks like we have much to discuss."

Clifford smiled at me and turned to walk away, but I reached up and caught his hand to pull him back. I stood up to face him, stood on my toes, and kissed him gently before pulling him into a hug.

"What was that for?" he asked, pressing his cheek against my ear. I breathed his scent through my nose—a pleasant odor of soap and leather and man.

"Just for being the last one here. Part of me still wants to run away with you and build a life together. But we can't, right?"

"Right. Nila would hunt us down and kill us."

I laughed into his shoulder, causing his stubble to scrape against my temple. He was in desperate need of a shave, something he would most likely remedy on his own before tonight.

"I'll see you in a few hours." I let Clifford go, handed him my inventory bag, and turned around to hunt for Nila.

Some villagers stopped what they were doing when they saw me. My transformation from spirit to shadow elf shocked them. When I left them a few days ago, my hair was silver, and my skin pale and bright. Now I looked more like I had taken a dip in an oil field, dull and black hair with dark gray skin. Even the world around me looked more gray.

Nila stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted me. I saw a flicker of light in her eyes as she analyzed me only for her shoulders to tense up.

"Michael, what happened?" She greeted me with stiff shoulders and furrowed eyebrows. Of course, she knew something was wrong, having most likely studied the transformative abilities of elves carefully.

I folded my arms across my chest, self-conscious of my forced shift into my new body. A gust of chilled wind passed through this part of the keep from east to west, carrying with it intense moisture from the sea. The breeze sent shivers down my spine, emphasizing that my current sub-class was one that couldn't tolerate cold very well.

Nila responded by digging through her inventory and pulling out a blanket, throwing it around my shoulders. She bent her knees and looked me in the eyes, only to relax some after realizing I was not upset enough for Clifford to have died.

"Moga," I whispered to her quietly, sufficient enough to prevent others around us from hearing. "He died protecting us. The rest, including Baridorne's family and some guests from a nearby elvish clan, are in the house."

"Are you alright? Do you need anything?"

I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders, glad for the warmth it offered. "Nothing. I just want to discuss what's going on here. I need a distraction."

She nodded and turned around, surveying her many work crews.

"I understand," she said. "There's not a whole lot to tell. As Gerec promised, the latrines will be finished tomorrow. They're just about ready to put the walls up. In fact, they're so ahead of schedule, and we have so many eager volunteers that he has moved onto the next two projects. This larger one," she took a break to breathe and directed me to a leveled foundation cut into the dirt, "will serve as barracks for city guards and their families. I drew up the plans with Gerec myself!"

I smiled at Nila. She was enjoying this new role of hers. At first, I thought it would be a significant step down for her since she was more accustomed to studying and teaching endlessly in Elathian libraries, but she seemed to be taking charge better than I ever could.

"The building will have a functioning kitchen, a gathering hall, and its own briefing room for the guards to discuss duties and provide status updates to Baridorne. Between the first and second level, it will have twenty-four apartments."

"When will it be done?" I asked.

"It will take him two to three weeks, depending on how much help he has."

"And what about this pile over here?" I walked away from the wall and up the hill closer to the manor. A deep hole was dug into the dirt, forming a small basement and a level surface. Flat stones lined the bottom, squared off by four logs anchored into the soil.

"Well, we haven't decided yet. It's large enough to be a few things. We included the basement for storage so it will make an excellent healing house or a forge if we can find enough iron. You have a few weeks to decide, though. Gerec is getting a bit ahead of himself."

I nodded as we walked further up the grove. Closer to the dungeon entrance, I spotted a patch of earth haphazardly dug into the ground as though a child had completed the task. Planks of wood and lengths of wire formed what looked like a rudimentary fence.

"Neeta and Junta's work, I take it?"

"Yes. I suggested to Rose they let Gerec build a proper fence and that they wait for their father to help with the gardening, but they wouldn't have it. They spend most of the day out here tending to their 'magical garden.' It keeps them out of the way and allows Rose to watch them from the manor's kitchen."

"And any trouble from the dungeon entrance?" I asked. We walked beyond the herb garden to find two guards stationed at the entrance.

"None whatsoever." Nila jotted down the names of the guards and asked them when their shifts ended. Was she keeping a schedule for them as well? "The day you left I guided some guards and Peadair into the first level."

My heart skipped a beat after she revealed she had entered the dungeon. I pulled up the village interface and saw we had risen from 5% to 78% to level two.

"I take it things went well?"

"Yes, very. With the guards as a shield and Peadair and I healing and fighting, we managed to clear the first level multiple times. I gained a level, and he gained two levels."

"What creatures did you fight?" I moved closer to the dungeon entrance and peeked inside. About ten feet in, an iron portcullis blocked the way with a spindle on the outside to raise and lower it.

"There are three wings each containing a type of creature with a boss at each end. The central wing leads down to the next level, although it is blocked until the keep reaches level two. The first wing contains bats, the second wing has monkeys, and the third wing is wolves, all levels seven to ten. Honestly, you and Clifford could go at it alone. From what I could tell, the dungeon doesn't scale in difficulty. If we were careful enough, we could bring Neeta and Junta along."

"I doubt Rose would agree to that." I thought about little Neeta stabbing at a crazy monkey with a butter knife, smiling at how ridiculous the idea sounded.

"Definitely, but if we're here for a while, they're going to get old enough where we must bring them in there. These types of dungeons were created by the gods specifically to help people level. There's no avoiding the fact we will have to let everyone in the village run through as a formal policy. It's our best source of revenue right now. We've already added 100g to the village coffers and outfitted some guards with new armor and weapons."

"About the weapons, our new guests might be with us for a while. If I play my cards right, we may even have a new trade option available to us."

Nila shot an angry look at me before relaxing. She raised her hand and waved at someone behind me. I turned around and saw Clifford trudging toward us, slipping for a moment on the wet morning grass.

"Not an agreement, per say. Just a promise of one." I turned back to Nila just before Clifford arrived.

"Good," she said. "There will be no trade treaties without me being involved. They're my specialty."

"Yes, they are. You fostered a significant agreement between my father and yours years ago. We know how that turned out, don't we?" Clifford asked. "And so is, from what I've heard, dodging monkey dookie. Your specialty, that is."

The inside joke was lost on me, but it sounded like Nila arranged a particularly lucrative trade with Clifford's father that didn't benefit them so well. I thought about the monkey wing in the dungeon before us.

"Is that their only attack? Throwing crap at you?"

"They scratch and bite as well, but it would take dozens of them to bring a child down. For the most part, that wing teaches avoidance. You don't even have to kill the monkeys to reach the boss. You just dodge to avoid becoming too smelly.” Clifford wrapped his arm around my waist.

Nila shrugged, her gaze sinking to the floor. "But we killed them all..."

I wished there were cameras in Fjorgyn if it meant capturing the look on Clifford's face. He was beaming from ear to ear, eyes as wide as I've ever seen him.

"Nila, you would give Ankou Levent a run for his money! Behold! Nila Hislop, the slayer of monkeys!"

Nila swung her arm back and punched Clifford in the shoulder causing the two of us to roar with laughter. Her cheeks turned bright red from embarrassment and anger, dismayed that she killed hundreds of creatures she didn't have to. She raised her hand and cast brambles on the two of us, encasing us in thorny vines and freezing us in place.

The next five seconds were spent alternating pain and chuckles until the spell faded. She felt bad and apologized, casting a healing spell on each of us before she joined in our mirth.

The sound of bells interrupted our fun. I looked down the hill and saw every worker drop what they were doing to head into the main part of the keep, all talking and joking among themselves while they walked.

"Lunch bells? You made lunch bells?" I asked Nila.

"Absolutely. I took a page out of your 'five days a week only' page and decided it would be good for everyone to have a proper lunch break."

"Good idea, although it might be easier on the kitchen if you break it into shifts. You don't need to send everyone away at once."

Nila mulled the idea over and gave a steady nod, jotting a note down on her pad before we made our way back to the manor for food.

We joined some villagers, including Clara, the first woman I introduced after taking ownership of Brackenvale Keep. They were all in high spirits and enjoying the beautiful day, many of them appreciating the chill in the air. I couldn't share in their high spirits. The first thing I hoped to figure out was how to transform away from being a shadow elf. Even a hint of cold air made me feel as though it were the middle of winter. Some of them whispered among themselves when they saw me. I toughened up and shed the blanket around my shoulders for the rest of the walk, not wanting to appear feeble.

When we stepped inside the manor things warmed up. A fire burned in the hearth, and the table from the war room had been brought out and patched together again. A dozen chairs surrounded it, and in front of every seat, there was a clay plate filled with a stew that smelled delectable.

"Nila, how did you manage all this?" I asked her, amazed by the amount of work that had been accomplished since we first arrived only a few days ago.

"I have hundreds of idle hands, that's how. Once we're done with lunch and you're settled in, I have a schedule for you. There's quite a bit that needs to be done in the next few days. Some of it will have to be arranged by you. I can't make all the decisions around here, you know."

"Could have fooled me," I said as I sat in a chair, Nila on one side and Clifford on the other. "We'll take care of as much as we can before we head out again."

"Again?" She unfolded a napkin from the table and placed it on her lap like a high society woman at a gala.

"Yes. We have two important things to take care of that require our attention. There's a meeting tonight in the war room to discuss everything."

She raised her pad and jotted down some more notes before flipping to another piece of paper. I glanced over and saw the top line: Michael's To Do." She scratched a few lines off with her pencil before folding the notebook and shoving it into her inventory. She picked up a spoon and pushed it into her bowl, stirring the food in a way that betrayed her frustration.

I felt guilty for a moment. I asked her to see to the keep and our people in my absence and made decisions without first consulting her.

"I'm sorry, Nila. Before I make any promises or agreements with others, I'll make sure to include you first when possible."

She relaxed and smiled at me, pleased that I picked up on her frustration.

"Thank you. I suppose I'm more used to being in control of everything. In the future, I'll also be more flexible and understanding."

"Enough already," Clifford chimed in. "I'm starving. I haven't had a proper meal in three days. Even the elves fed us like rabbits. Can we eat?"

I looked around the full table. Even our guests from the Greenleaf clan were present. The only two missing were Rose and Cilden. I raised my glass of water and offered a toast, taking a moment to thank Nila for all her hard work. The villagers at the table cheered and we all dug in, sucking back the content of our bowls like we've never had a meal before.

After lunch, I grabbed a pile of dirty dishes and fled to the kitchen before Nila could claim me. As folks stormed in and out and dropped their dirty dishes on a table, a stout woman picked them up and plopped them in a sink.

"Where did we get all the dishes?" I asked the lady, curious to know where our newfound luxuries were coming from.

She spun around on her heels and revealed an apron front covered in grease and stains from what seemed to be hours of cooking. With her hair pulled back, I could make out a tan line where her slave collar used to be.

"My lord!" she exclaimed before bowing her head. She tugged at and removed her apron, cheeks flushing in embarrassment at her unseemly state.

"There will be none of that, miss. There are no lords or masters in this keep. We're all in this boat together."

The woman smiled and hung her apron around her neck again, plopping the sponge she held in the sink behind her.

"Thank you, sir. I mean," she paused, flushed cheeks turning a deeper shade of crimson. "Thank you, Michael. While you were gone, some folks built a kiln. The more crafty among us dug up some clay from the river and got to work making bowls and plates. We even got to carving spoons out of leftover wood from the projects Mr. Gerec's been working on!"

"Well, I'm very pleased! I thought I might return to a keep in a similar state as I left it."

"Oh no, mister, we've been working hard to make this a home for everyone! We never dreamed we would have the chance to build a life for ourselves again. I was a slave for twenty years and now look at me! I'm a head cook in a kitchen with a team under me and a home to call my own!"

The word to describe her level of enthusiasm escaped me. I could only smile and agree with the woman.

"What's your name, miss?" I asked her.

"Jenny, good sir."

"Well, Jenny. Keep up the good work. I came in here looking for Peadair. Have you seen him?" I looked around the kitchen. The shelves on the far left of the room were lined with vials and herbs in various states, some bottled and some hung up to dry out. A cauldron full of spent liquid hung on an arm that could be extended into the fire.

"Haven't seen him. He's not allowed in the kitchen while I'm cooking. I'll be done in an hour. He should be pining to get in by that time. Can you check back later? And if you don't mind, I'll be needing to get back to work if I'm to finish."

"I will. Thank you, Jenny. Good job with the food, by the way. Lunch was delicious."

Her cheeks turned red again making her look less like a chef and more like a drunken barmaid. Taking a moment to look at her, I smiled after realizing how much she reminded me of my sister. Memories of her and the rest of my family flooded my mind, but for the first time since my rebirth, they did not make me sad. Instead, they comforted me and filled me with a warmth I hadn't felt in a while.

I turned around and headed out of the kitchen, taking a moment to smell the scent of herbs and foods blended into one wave of goodness. I abandoned the room to an already empty main chamber. The few who remained were helpers, wiping down the grand table and collecting remaining plates and utensils. They all stopped what they were doing when they saw me. The elves in the group bowed their heads in reverence. Where the ceremonial respect was once a mystery to me, I now realized it was because they recognized me by my secret name and believed me to be sent by Balama. I was in no position to argue, and I bowed my head in response. They smiled at the return gesture and got back to work with a little more energy and fervor than they had before they saw me.

Bounding up the stairs two at a time, my stamina depleted quickly. I was out of breath by the time I reached the third floor. The doors on this level were shut. I could hear Una crying behind one door and Rose and Cilden talking behind another. I motioned to knock on the door but saved my hand, deciding it best to leave the Thane family to their sorrow and grief. And if I saw Neeta crying, I was sure it would break my heart.

The door to my room rested on its hinges, cracked ever so slightly to reveal the bedroom inside. I opened it and peeked in, seeing Clifford shuffling through his inventory bag, emptying it of any items he picked up over the last few days. I was glad to know I wasn't the only hoarder in the keep.

He’d draped his pants and shirt over a nearby chair close to the fireplace, a puddle of water forming below them. This left Clifford in his braies, jumping about the room with every bit of him but his backside exposed until he settled near the fire. I snuck into the room and tiptoed across the floor, kneeling down to wrap my arms around him. He trembled for a moment, startled by my presence before grabbing my arm and sinking his head into my shoulder.

"Do you have any clothes to wash?" he asked, dropping his inventory bag before standing to face me.

I shook my head, grabbed his hand and pulled him over to what was now our brand new bed, discarding my clothes along the way. For now, there was no mattress. Instead, our pile of blankets and furs that Clifford stuffed into his inventory before escaping Elatha offered us the cushioning we needed. I was glad for the little sense of comfort we had, despite others outside not being as lucky. While we rested, I traced my hand over the lines of his torso, sending the occasional shudder coursing through his body. In all the planning we had done over the last few weeks, we hadn't a moment's respite in quite some time.

Clifford moaned and arched his back in response to my touch, his underwear filling out by the second. I kissed him, eager for what was about to happen.

We spent the next hour exploring one another as two people in love should, paying careful attention to the noise we were making lest we disturb others in the rooms around us.

Once we were spent, we collapsed into the bed with a sigh of relief, our frustrations and tension having been chased away. He rested next to me, eyes shut to the world, breathing heavily from his exertion. The smile on his face spoke of a man content with his current lot in life.

"I want to go to the coast tomorrow," I said, breaking the silence between us.

I knew the implications of saying this and so did Clifford. He opened his eyes and turned on his side to face me, placing his hand on my sweaty chest.

His smile faded ever so slightly knowing full well that I meant to find the truth about his mother's fate. His eyes darted left and right, up and down, thoughts racing through his head. At last, he settled his gaze and looked at me, nodding in agreement.

"Good. We'll leave first thing in the morning." I kissed his forehead and shot up, reaching for a nearby towel to wipe me down. Once done, I tossed it to him and strode across the room, collecting and putting on my clothes when I stumbled by them.

"What are you going to do the rest of the day?" he asked, following me across the room and returning to his inventory bag. He pulled out a fresh pair of underwear, pants, and a shirt.

"I haven't talked with Rose and Petey in a while. I think I'll craft some potions and elixirs with them."

"He doesn't like being called that, you know."

"I know, but I struggle with his name. Peter? Pee-dair? Pie-der? Pay-dar?"

Clifford chuckled at my struggling with a basic name.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, watching him pull his shirt over his head.

"I'm going to run the vault with a few of the guards. I need to show them how it should be done and I think another few runs will get the Keep up to level two."

"You have a healer?"

"I don't need a healer."

I stood in the doorway, arms on my hips and shaking my head in disapproval.

"Fine! I'll bring a healer if you'll stop looking at me like that."

I nodded, and both of us grinned at one another, eager to get on our way.

"I'll see you at the meeting tonight," I yelled behind me as I ran out of the room and down the stairs toward the kitchen, stopping at the top for a moment to listen to the other doors. Una ceased crying, and no noises came from Cilden's room. I hustled down the steps, almost tripping along the way. Even after half a year in my new body, I still occasionally struggled with my shorter legs.

------

After ten minutes of exploring the manor more closely, I entered the kitchen more relaxed now than I was only an hour ago. Getting lucky had that effect on me. Petey and Rose stood over the cauldron as it bubbled over with the makings of a new tincture. They bickered with one another, not registering my arrival.

"It's not right this time. I don't understand what you're trying to make," Petey said to Rose.

"A luck potion," she responded, spooning some of the hot fluid up to her nose to smell it. She coughed a little when the vapors invaded her nostrils, pinching her nose to prevent the scent from burrowing deeper into her sinuses. "Only every time I think I'm close, it all goes sour and turns out smelling more like liquor mixed with fish oil. No matter how hard I try, I can't get the mushrooms to release their luck."

I looked at the ingredients she had laid out on the table behind her.

Name: Hen Cap
Properties: Curative and poisonous.
Herbalism analysis: Potent paralysis potion, luck potion, ???, ???
Herbalism skill required: 40

Name: Ginseng root
Properties: Curative, Receptacle for delivery.
Herbalism analysis: Healing potion, Stamina potion, Mana potion, ???, ???
Herbalism skill required: 1

The fire was also all wrong for brewing a luck potion. While she did learn her lesson from a few months ago and was using pine wood instead of ash to produce a lower-heat fire, brewing a luck potion required little to no heat and a fire whose smoke imbued the properties of an additional ingredient. And Rose certainly was not high enough in her Herbalism skill to craft a potion of this nature without failing every time.

"Still, are you sure you should be doing this? You knocked yourself out for hours last time you messed around with hen cap. And you scared Neeta half to death. It took an hour to get her to stop crying." Petey took the spoon away from her and tossed it into the cauldron. Some of the liquid splashed up and landed on his hand, causing it to go limp with paralysis.

"Not again!" He shook his wrist violently, dead fingers flailing lifelessly through the air. Rose started laughing at him, leaning back against the island to create distance between herself and a frustrated Petey.

I cleared my throat to announce my presence in the room. Rose spun around, replacing her laughter with a more dark and frustrated look. The light in her eyes that I have come to know and love was dimmed ever so slightly, like the embers of a dying campfire when dawn arrives.

"Great. Michael, can you talk some sense into her? She's playing around with dangerous stuff here that she doesn't understand."

"She's not that far off. She's just missing a few steps. This is how Herbalism works, and it's why so few people practice the craft. 95% of it is trial and error unless you're lucky enough to find a master to teach you."

Rose perked up a little bit from my validation.

"But look what she did to me?" Petey raised his hand again; his limp digits curled up and unable to function.

"Stop your complaining, Peadair. Why are you here anyway? Didn't you promise Clifford you'd go to the vaults with him?"

He spun around and arched his head out of the kitchen window, his good hand bracing himself against the stone basin that served as our sink. Without saying a word, he turned back around and pointed at Rose, then me, then back to Rose, attempting to form a retort. Instead of saying anything he just sunk back against the counter, cradling his dead hand against his chest with his head hung low.

"I can't heal if I can't use my hand," he whimpered, like a child who lost his way.

"Right you are, Petey," I said before scanning the apothecary rack. The breadth and quantity of ingredients they managed to gather in the last few days astounded me. While most were common herbs, Rose managed to stock a collection of over forty unique plants and fungi, each taking up one square shelf labeled with the plant's name and properties. Even more ingredients hung in bundles to be dried or rested in vases to remain alive for a short while.

"You've been busy," I said to Rose. She smiled some more, her sadness fading enough to reveal the friend I knew her to be.

I pulled some powdered ginseng root from one shelf, aloe leaf from another, and was amazed when I saw a large bunch of fresh jewelweed.

Name: Jewelweed
Properties: Curative
Herbalism analysis: Cure poison, boost endurance, ???, ???
Herbalism skill required: 15

I immediately got to work, setting a small pot of water to boil over the fire. With a little bundle of jewelweed in my hand, I peeled the spotted petals of the flowers from the receptacle. I paid particular attention not to tear the petals themselves. I mixed them with some aloe pulp in the mortar, pressing the ingredients together with the pestle pushing only as hard as I might squeeze a tomato before bruising it.

When I felt satisfied, I mixed in the powdered ginseng root, folding it together with my index finger. Rose gasped when I licked the residue off my finger instead of wiping it on a cloth, although the fact that I was smiling the entire time eased her worry. She recognized me as the master here and knew I wouldn't ingest anything that could do me harm.

I spooned the concoction into a cheesecloth and tied the end with twine. I spun the entire bundle in the now steaming water until the bag released steam when removed from the pot. At last, I squeezed the contents of the cheesecloth into a glass vial until I received a notification.

You have created (1) Cure Poison Potion. Quality: Good. Class: Uncommon. When consumed, removes one common or lesser poison effect. +8xp

I handed the vial to Petey, his eyes glazed over in astonishment at how quickly I managed to create the potion.

"We've been trying to figure that recipe out for three days!" He tossed the still warm contents of the potion down his throat, coughing after sucking it down the wrong pipe. The magic of the concoction chased away the poison’s effects. He held his hand up in front of his face and smiled when his fingers regained their original function.

"Now that you have your hand back hurry on over to the vaults. Clifford and the others must be waiting," Rose said, tossing him his inventory bag and his staff. Petey caught the staff in his now not-numb hand and fled the room without a moment's hesitation, leaving Rose and me in an uncomfortable silence.

She turned her attention back to the small cauldron simmering over the fire, shaking her head in disappointment. Grabbing a rag, she picked up the container by its handle and poured it into the nearby sink, filling it and dumping it over and over again to remove any toxic residue.

She left the cauldron soaking in the sink and sat down on a nearby stool, patting the chair next to her for me to sit down.

"We weren't prepared for it, you know?" she said.

I cocked my head, confused by her words.

"Moga's death, I mean. Sure, we knew death in this world is a common enough occurrence and what you were doing was dangerous, but Cilden never thought Moga would be the one to die. He was always stronger than my husband. Even growing up, Moga was always just a little bit ahead of Cilden in everything." She placed a bunch of dried ginseng root in a mortar and got to smashing it into a powder, stopping periodically to rest and continue her one-sided conversation with me.

"When you first got back, and I saw that look on your face, my heart almost broke. I saw Cilden before you but checked again to make sure I didn't see what I wanted. I was almost relieved to learn it was Moga who died, especially when he died saving all of you. Is that wrong of me?"

"It's not wrong at all. I felt the same way after the fight was over. I was wrecked over the fact that Moga died, but it meant Clifford, Cilden, and the others were alive. That evening, I got to thinking. If Clifford died instead of Moga, there was a chance you all might never see me again. I don't know what I would do here without him."

"Quite right," she said, tapping the pestle into the ginseng root until some root fibers broke off and crunched against the stone bowl. We sat in silence for another minute while Rose continued to work.

"What rank are you now?" I asked her.

"Thirty-four. You?"

"Forty-six. How is he? How are the children?"

"He'll be sad for a while until he is happy again. The kids loved Moga, for sure, but they're still a bit too young to understand what it all means. I'm glad they'll remember him fondly, their 'Uncle Mooga.'" Rose chuckled as she emphasized Neeta’s pronunciation of his name.

"And you?" she asked. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be better after tonight's meeting. With your sister and her husband here, there will be no need to bring Cilden with us on our next two escapades. Or Baridorne. They need time to rest and recover from Boginki's mad lair. It was a very dark place."

She relaxed her shoulders and smiled, the brightness of her eyes returning to near normal levels. I could see the warmth of her that I have come to know, love, and rely on.

"That's good. What do you need with an ol' farmer anyway when you have an experienced hunter like Radha?" I sensed jealousy and frustration in her voice hinting at how strained their relationship was. "Now, why don't you show me how to make that luck potion?" She rested the mortar on the table and wiped her powdery hands on her apron, then pointed at a bowl containing a few dozen hen caps ready to be turned into liquid luck.

I smiled and stood from my stool, pushing it to the other side of the room to make some space.

"Well, first you have to tell me what you did to turn it into a paralysis poison. Then I'll correct the errors."

And so she showed me. She grabbed a mushroom, sliced it a few times with a kitchen knife, and plopped it in a bowl of water to absorb the liquid. The mushroom floated, so she dropped a smooth stone on it to submerge it fully in the fresh water. I took note of the steps she followed in my head, making sure to remember her mistakes.

With the mushroom soaking, she prepared the pot of steaming water, getting the cheesecloth and twine ready, and pulling some fresh jasmine flowers from the shelves. Before she wasted the ingredients, I stopped her.

"What are your thoughts about the ingredient preparation and translation?"

"Well. I tried the mushroom multiple ways. I couldn't find a single one, so I opted for soaking it in water and squeezing the mana out that way. Then I thought that I would use ginseng for a slower delivery instead of wisp root. And boost it with the mana from the jasmine bits."

I was impressed with her analysis, but she was wrong. And it wasn't her fault that she didn't possess the knowledge. Herbalism was not like armor crafting where the product can already be formed in the mind of the crafter. It wasn't at all like the enchanting which required intention, some soul stones, and written runes.

It is why I loved herbalism so much. It required a finesse and understanding of the ingredients, the preparation, and the intent. If any single step were wrong, the results would fail or be entirely different.

"What did I do wrong?" she asked, dropping everything in her hands on the table in a huff.

"Nothing," I laughed. "You made a very fine paralysis poison that knocked you out for hours, I hear. That takes some skill to do."

Rose tossed a dirty rag from the table at my face, but I caught it in my hand. Her cheeks turned red, and her eyes bore into me before she, too, started laughing.

"Well then, Mr. Master Herbalist, why don't you show me how it's done? And don't rush through it this time like you did a few minutes ago. I want to write this all down." She grabbed a book from the far table and a pencil, ready to jot down the recipe for future use.

"Alright. I will." I grabbed three large mushrooms. Never having worked with this particular mushroom before, I surmised it operated like others in that the cap, the stalk, the ring, and the gills all served different purposes, each containing their source of mana and each providing a unique property when prepared correctly. I cracked one mushroom open and noticed the purple flesh, a clear sign that it contained the fungi's toxic property.

"Well? Do you even know how to do it?"

"Not quite, but I'm getting there. The meat of the mushroom is toxic. In fact, I hesitate to even keep it in the kitchen where Jenny cooks our food. We'll need to find a new place for you to do all this well away from anything we might ingest.

"For now, though, I think the luck might be in the gills and the spores. I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about it."

I took a metal spoon out of her hand and scraped the underside of the mushroom cap, collecting a scuzzy brown pulp. The action released a sour smell into the air causing Rose to plug her nose.

"Are you sure that's not the toxic bit?"

"No. That's just the plant's defense mechanism. It's protecting both itself and the most dominant source of its mana, although we have just the bit that we need."

The smell dissipated and Rose unplugged her nose. "Why is that the most dominant source of its mana?"

"Well. What's the most powerful thing you've done?"

"Bringing Neeta and Junta into the world."

"Precisely," I said, smiling at my friend. "We just took the mushroom's 'children' away and it fought back instantly by pouring most of its mana into them, that is, the spores."

I tapped the metal spoon, dropping the brown gunk in the bottom of a mortar ready to be used.

"Now for the root. You had the right idea with powdered ginseng root for delivery. You're correct when you said we don't need to worry about fast delivery. We do, however, need to get a stalwart and penetrating infusion. An attribute elixir requires more than just any root because it has to change a part of us at our spiritual core, not just wounds and injuries on the surface."

I poured over the stockpiles collected in the apothecary shelves but found nothing that would fit the purpose, and then I remembered my herb pouch from Boginki's lair. I pulled it out and dumped the contents on the table, some still having moist roots from when I harvested them. Sifting through the random collection of plants that grew in the dark, I pushed aside mosses, ferns, and scrapings of liverworts until I found my prize:

Name: Cave lily
Properties: Curative, Attribute boost, Receptacle for delivery.
Herbalism analysis: Health potion, intelligence elixir, ???, ???
Herbalism skill required: 37

"Jackpot!" I said with excitement as I held up the fully intact lily, including the stem and the bulbous root system.

"When did you have time to dig that up?" Rose asked, examining the silver bud in the center of the lily pad.

"I kind of put everyone to sleep during the second boss fight. For two hours. I had a ton of spare time on my hands."

"And why is this better than ginseng root?"

"Because it's a stronger root system and it inherits all the mana of the water and trees around it. It'll receive instruction from the mushroom spores just fine, delivering the potion deep into the core of whoever drinks it, adjusting their attributes for a decent amount of time. I only have the one, though, so let's be careful with it."

I carefully separated the stem from the crown of the root, holding what looked like a giant yam in my hand. Washing it off in the sink, I sliced the root into thin strips using Jenny's butcher knife, hoping she wouldn't mind. I was wrong. The woman walked in just as I was midway through my final slice. Her veins throbbed in her neck, but she was still too polite to yell at me.

"Sorry, Jenny, but I had no other choice." I handed the knife back to her, hilt first, leaving her huffing and moving to scrub it clean in the sink.

"Just so long as you didn't use it on anything poisonous. I won't be having people question my cooking!"

I shook my head and returned to the root slices, lined them up on a pan and tossed them into the oven to dry. In short, I made potato chips.

After a few minutes in a hot oven, the tips of the roots started to brown. I pulled them out with a rag and let them cool. I filled a bowl with river water and set it on the windowsill, instructing Rose and Jenny not to remove it until the next morning.

"Why?" they both asked.

"We need to transform the water. River water is fine for most basic potions, but to get something this complex, we need to settle the water. We can only do that by changing it into something more peaceful. Moon water will do, so leave this sitting all night to calm the mana in the water down enough to be used for an elixir."

Rose nodded and jotted some more notes down.

"Then what?"

"Well. When we're ready, we mix the water, the lily root, and the hen cap spores together, leave if for another day, then squeeze the mixture out."

"We don't boil it?"

"No. The spores themselves are very delicate. Any heat from hot water or a fire will destroy them and cause them to release their mana too early. We need them to release mana through the root into the water at room temperature."

Rose rubbed her temples and squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. "Michael, I know you said you wanted me to be the village's resident Herbalist, but I'm never going to be able to catch up to you. How did you come to know so much about Herbalism?"

I thought back on my time playing Fjorgyn as a video game, remembering spending hours with my virtual friends in our company hall trading stories, ideas, and materials. At the time, I had dozens of herbalists at my disposal using trial and error to milk various concoctions out of any ingredient we could get our hands on. And I made sure to study anything they discovered.

"I didn't do it alone, Rose and neither will you. You'll get there once you practice more. And when you hit rank 50, I have some more tools to introduce that will allow you to create even more powerful potions and elixirs at a faster rate. For now, though, we need to produce more of the basic mixtures: health, stamina, and mana potions, and poison and disease curatives. I also have some simple oil blends I can write down for you. If we can create a stockpile, I'm hoping we can sell them to your father or any other allies we make."

Rose offered me half a smile, pleased that she could help the keep earn money. She hesitated only when I mentioned her father.

"We'll discuss this all at the meeting tonight. For now, though, I get the distinct impression that Jenny wants us out of here."

I turned to the stout woman leaning against the counter on the other side of the kitchen. She held a wooden spoon in one hand, crossed her arms over her chest, and tapped her foot impatiently waiting for us to clear out of her kitchen.

"And we'll discuss finding a new space for you to craft. Perhaps a structure next to Neeta and Junta's garden."

We spent the next few minutes cleaning up the center island and putting all our ingredients away, not wanting Jenny to accidentally mix into her food something that might send us all to the river. We left the kitchen in the middle of the afternoon. I exited the manor and walked up to the entrance to the keep's vault. Two new guards stood outside the portcullis waiting for Clifford and his party to exit.

As I walked, I noticed notifications blinking in the corner of my eye and pulled them up for review.

Congratulations! Your skill with Herbalism has increased to rank 47.
Congratulations! Your settlement has reached level 2!

You have gained 10 new perk points to apply to your settlement. Bring up your Village Interface to use them.
You have unlocked the second level to Brackenvale Keep Vaults. Tread carefully.

I sat down with my back pressed to the rough bark of a nearby tree and pulled up the interface while I waited. A grayed out section once unavailable now blinked, begging my attention. When I selected it, I zoomed into a new menu very similar to a class tree. I had my pick between three root nodes, each node unlocking multiple leaves. I zoomed in on the root nodes: Defense, Utilities, and Resources, each requiring three points to unlock.

The first defense node transformed the gate to the keep into a proper gatehouse, with two stone doors, murder holes, and arrow slots. I examined some of the sub-nodes in this tree. They offered more and more important defensive mechanisms for the keep, each adjusting the size of the keep allowing it to fill a greater surface area of the valley. While it would take some time to encroach on the already plotted out farm land, I wouldn't have to worry for a while.

There were options for wider walls and more improved walls, spiked pits, more intense and dangerous bracken at the valley's entrance, siege defenses, soldier barracks, and more.

The first utility node offered complete repair of all of the housing and the creation of five additional basic stone structures with furnishings. Additional selections provided more housing, custom crafting buildings, temples, healing houses, and any other building you could think of. It even extended as far out as the ocean, offering docks and ships.

The first resources node placed a deep well in the center of the keep and many fountains scattered around the keep, including water at each level of the manor. Later leafs included magical lighting, fruit trees, construction of a warehouse and granary, and resources available for purchase, although with a restriction that I must have a trade route that offers the good in question.

I was so lost in pouring over the options available to me that I ignored the weight of a man sitting beside me. It was only after Clifford kissed me on the cheek that I realized his presence, jumping with a start before dismissing my interface menu and returning to reality.

"Reviewing your new perks, I see?"

"Yes. Why didn't you and your mother ever apply any of them? The keep was a waste when we arrived."

"We did, but the keep is also a living and breathing thing. Absent anyone to use the resources, it decays and deconstructs, returning the perk point back to you. She also never meant for this place to be a home to us. Can you imagine her and I living in this big, empty village all by ourselves? It would have been spooky!"

I smiled at Clifford and would have kissed him hello again, but he smelled rancid, and his armor was smeared with muck.

"I see you had a hard time with the monkeys." I stood up and helped him to his feet, linking only our pinkies to avoid spreading the grime.

"Yeah. You should see Peadair. He fell after getting hit right in the face! I had to cover him to give him time to stand up again. He ran off to the river the moment we left the vault although it might require he drown himself for an hour before he gets the stench out."

We both laughed at the thought of our friend getting caked in monkey crap, interrupted only by the bell announcing the end of the day and the arrival of dinner.

"You go. I'm going to change and wash my armor before the meeting tonight. I'll see you there," Clifford said before jogging down the hill to join Petey.

Before turning to head into the manor, I paused to examine my new domain. Now that I had points enough to improve it, Brackenvale Keep felt a little more like home. I saw a line of workers dropping their tools and making their way to the village. Farmers streamed in from the fields after calling it a day. And a wave of people moved back and forth from the east and the west side of the river, some collecting water, and others taking care of business and cleaning themselves. I even heard the sounds of the few children in our settlement screaming while playing what seemed like a game of tag.

I ran to catch up to some of the workers also headed to the manor for dinner, ready and eager to get the rest of the night out of the way. I stood for a moment outside the building and spotted a few women lugging buckets of water toward me, strain and exhaustion written on their faces. I knew immediately that the absence of water was an unacceptable quality of life issue and pulled up my village interface and committed three points to the first resource node. A green outline of a well appeared in my vision, and I was able to relocate it in my mind. Making sure the area was empty, I centered the well in the square and accepted my choice. The grinding of stone on stone caused everyone around me to stop what they were doing and move away from the middle of the square. Even more burst from the manor doors and strode up the path to see what was happening. A minute later, a circle of smooth rock erupted from the ground. The dirt inside the circle fell away into a black void before being replaced with a pillar of crystal clear water. In the distance, I heard grinding metal that I assumed belonged to the new pumps scattered throughout the keep.

One woman carrying two particularly heavy buckets dropped them, turning into mud the ground below her. She walked in synch with me to the edge of the well and dipped her hand in, scooping out and tasting of the crisp water. She looked at me, smiled and began to applaud. Others joined her until the few dozen villagers in the square erupted in cheers for joy. One woman even rushed me with a bucket and hugged me, gratitude washing over her body.

Congratulations! Village Morale has increased from low to neutral. Continue improving your settlement to increase the happiness of your people. If too much time passes between improvements, morale can reduce again. +10% to productivity.

Chapter 10

After a jovial dinner, the core group made our way into the war room. Absent the massive table, the room seemed less intimidating and more intimate. A few repaired couches and wooden chairs were arranged to meet our needs. I collapsed on a sofa still aching from the exertion of the last few days. Clifford and Nila joined me while the others took their places around us. Over dinner, I also invited in Radha and Ash who were more than eager to partake in the discussion at hand.

Nila fidgeted with a clipboard, jotting notes and talking points down on her pre-drafted agenda. When finished, she set it down on her lap and turned to me, her eyebrows raised and face telling of a woman who was ready to begin.

"You're enjoying your new role a little too much," Clifford mumbled to her, earning him a playful jab.

"Not as much as you enjoyed being doused in monkey dung, from what I've heard. You still smell of it."

Clifford dropped his head toward his lap, cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

He turned to me. "Do I still smell?"

"Not any different than usual," I said.

The group erupted in laughter, and his cheeks responded by flushing even more like a campfire burning hotter from a gust of wind. After a few moments he, too, began to smile and join in with the others. We calmed down and got to work.

At my instruction, Nila reviewed the progress the village made over the last few days. We already knew most of what was going on. Rose and Petey had created a large stockpile of health, mana, stamina, and invisibility potions. Gerec was nearing completion of the latrines and was about to begin construction of guard barracks to solve our housing crisis. In his off-time, he and others got to repairing furniture throughout the keep, focusing on the manor.

"My back will thank you for your efforts," I said to Gerec thinking of our furnished and decorated master suite upstairs."But we don't need to spend so much time on repairing existing buildings and furniture."

"What do you mean?" Nila tucked her clipboard under her arm and glared at me, displeased that I withheld information from her.

"The keep hit level two just before dinner and earned ten perk points that I can spend in three various trees. I already spent three to fix our water situation. I can spend more on either improved defenses or improved and furnished buildings."

I turned to Cilden whose face was glazed over, still in partial shock from Moga's loss.

"Didn't you have perk points in your village?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "We weren't a settlement like this. We didn't have an attached dungeon or defenses. We chose the location and built it from the ground up over time."

I thought back on my old company when I played Fjorgyn: Online. It was the same way. The city we created around our company hall was just an everyday city, not an official settlement that someone owned outright.

"What about Elatha? Are they a settlement like ours?"

"Yes," said Clifford. "Nott's Sanctum wasn't the only dungeon in the city. The palace had a vault like ours that only the most privileged and elite were able to use. If I had to guess, Elatha is above level 100. The palace and the entire inner ring was constructed from perks alone."

I tensed up when Clifford guessed the level, wondering how deep into the defense tree Elatha had to be and how insurmountable the city was. It would take an army larger than any I'd ever seen to storm the place. As a player, I once heard people muse about invading the more major cities in the game, but no raid ever formed.

"I don't understand." Petey leaned forward and rested against his knees while looking at Clifford. "While Elatha wasn't always a massive city, it is now. But it is surrounded by plains. It has room to grow where we do not. What will happen if we level too much?"

"My guess is that Brackenvale Keep will grow either upward or the valley will grow outward. The settlement may also expand to encompass the entire valley, and that would make it larger than Elatha." Clifford leaned back into the sofa while he spoke, taking turns looking at each person in the room.

"We're getting off topic," Nila said.

I shifted some to rest my back deeper into the couch. Regardless of where I sat, quills broke through the fabric and scratched my skin.

"I agree. We have so few points. It makes the most sense to unlock all three perk trees, but we can't do it now."

"Why not?" Petey asked.

"You heard how loud it was when I made the well. One of the perks creates a massive gatehouse and the other repairs all the buildings and constructs five more. People are sleeping. They would all panic and think we're under attack."

Petey nodded, eyes darting back and forth as though he felt ashamed for asking his question.

"But, Petey, you lead us to an excellent point. Tomorrow morning can you inform everyone you can that we'll be expanding the keep? That way, folks will be prepared for what's to come. I'm sure gossip will inform anyone you miss," I said.

Petey accepted the task, smiling over the fact that I selected him.

"Nila, are you done discussing the village? We have two more important things to discuss." I watched her yank out her clipboard and check off some self-drawn boxes. She hesitated about halfway down the page and looked at me, pained that she couldn't finish her lengthy agenda. She tucked her board away and extended an arm, inviting me to continue.

I stood up and stretched my legs, paced around the back of the couch, and rested my hands against it. I looked over everyone else in the room. While most present were fresh and ready to go, Baridorne and Cilden looked mentally and physically exhausted, their faces thinner and dimmer than before we entered Boginki's lair. Baridorne fidgeted with his hands and kept eyeing the doorway. It was evident he wanted to get back to his family.

"First thing has to do with our current location. After discussing things with the Greenleaf Clan, it’s obvious that we're not in the safest position. While the bracken field affords us protection for a time, it isn't immune to penetration.

"A few days ago Clifford let me know that the valley has a retreat on the eastern edge; caves that offer an exit. Tomorrow, a group of us will explore the caves and see what we can do to make them secure enough for everyone to escape should we ever need to. We can't trust Nila to be available to cast a portal for everyone again, mostly because I don't want to revisit the massive mana drain I suffered the first time."

Visions of the night of our escape came to mind. I pictured myself suspended in the air with a rainbow-like cascade of mana being yanked out of my core to generate Nila's portal. It was like a painful and frightening fireworks show for all to see and gave way to every elf in the village treating me like a messiah.

"When do we leave?" Cilden asked, interrupting my thoughts and snapping me back to the task at hand.

"You don't leave." I stepped back when Cilden shot out of his chair, fists clenched in frustration. Rose pulled him back into a seated position and placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"What do you mean ‘I don't leave’? I promised to help you wherever you go."

We locked eyes for the first time since Moga's death. In the last day, Cilden transformed from a bright and cheerful man to one suffering the loss of a brother. In his current state of mind, there was no telling what risks he might take or damage he might do.

"And you will. But I need you here in the fields helping our people. Our food isn't going to last forever, and your farming skill will improve our chances of a successful harvest. And if we're attacked in our absence, I trust you, Nila, and Baridorne to do everything you can to help as many people escape as possible, right?"

He eased up after knowing Baridorne was going to stay behind as well.

"Anyhow, Radha and Ash are going to go with us, right, you two?"

"Right!" Radha broke the tense tone in the room with her cheerful demeanor. I could feel the oppressive air lessen. It even became easier to breathe.

"We won't be gone for long. We just need to secure the escape path, and we'll return. And that leads us to our final bit of business." I turned to Ash, the quiet and thin elf sitting upright in his chair as though a metal rod had been inserted in his back. "Can you explain? You know more about what's going on outside the Vale than I do."

He left his chair to kneel on the ground, pulling out and unrolling a map of the region. It was the same one Greenleaf showed me in the banyan tree. He went on to pinpoint the exit to Boginki's lair and traced his fingers north along the eastern mountain range of the forest until he was almost near Cilden's old village.

"Somewhere along this path, a blight has struck the wood and is spreading. It is turning peaceful animals into monsters and useful plants to rot. And it’s killing our people. We've lost twenty so far."

Rose and I both gasped at this revelation. Greenleaf never told me so many of his clan were killed. Rose reached up and took her sister's hand, squeezing it to comfort her.

Ash nodded at me to continue. "In exchange for a promised trade agreement and other perks, we've agreed to help Greenleaf source this blight and destroy it. I promised him we would get this done in four weeks, although I suppose we will see to it sooner. He made it clear to me that there is no questioning the risk involved. This evil is moving south by the day and will soon overtake both the valley and Greenleaf Enclave. There is no choice here. We need allies, and we need to end this threat."

The room was as silent as a graveyard. Even the hearth crackling behind us seemed muted.

"That's it," I said, breaking the silence. "That's all I had. The four of us will leave tomorrow morning for the sea. We're going to take a few guards with us in case we run into trouble. Baridorne, can you see to it that we have some of your best?"

He huffed and gave me a thumbs up. It comforted me to know some hand gestures in Fjorgyn were the same as on Earth. With no further business to discuss, I ended the meeting, everyone eagerly shuffling out of the war room and up the stairs to prepare for bed. Only Clifford, Nila, and I remained. The two of them lounged on the couch and rested after an exhausting day.

"What do you think?" I asked them while I circled around the couch and sat down.

Clifford rubbed his tired eyes and yawned twice, both sandwiched between a sharp inhale. Without the energy of a crowd of people in the room, it had become calm and tranquil. The dancing fire behind us projected shadows on the walls.

"If you're asking me if they can be trusted," Nila broke the silence in the room, "then yes. I think so. If only given the fact that Rose is Greenleaf's daughter. Even though she was exiled from the clan, he wouldn't want her harmed. If we can play our cards right, we can secure a very profitable trade deal."

"What do we have to trade?" I asked.

"Well, nothing as of yet. I can offer some hard-to-find spellbooks, but each one would take months to create. And I doubt their clan could afford them. If we can source some more wisp root, you can always trade invisibility potion. If they have the ingredients, we can buy them, make the potion, and sell it back to them. From what I've read, knowledge on how to create it is scarce. Before you made it, in fact, I have never seen a potion shop selling the mixture."

I closed my own tiring eyes for a moment to think about her suggestions. They were good ones and would help us to get ahead, but we needed more. We also had to know what we required in return.

"Nila, can you create a full list in the next week or two of what we have and what we need? We should focus on buying harder to source potion ingredients, weapons, and armor. And we should secure food items and any other necessities we can't create ourselves."

She jotted my requests down on her clipboard. "Of course. I'll see what we're growing and what we can trade to get a wider variety of food. I'll work with Cilden in the morning."

"Excellent. He could use the distraction. Let's hope it doesn't take too long for him to get back to his old self."

Clifford interrupted our conversation with another gaping yawn, sounding less like a man and more like an animal, eliciting chuckles from both Nila and me.

"Time for bed, I think," Nila said, standing up and sashaying from the room in her usual, posh way. For a moment, I was glad Clifford also hadn't adopted some of the mannerisms and styles of the Elathian elite. Nila often acted as though she just escaped from a top-notch finishing school.

Clifford yawned again, this one longer and louder than the rest.

"Alright, Sleeping Beauty, time for you to go to bed." I helped him to his feet and dragged him behind me out of the room. Each of his steps was heavier than the rest. I huffed while pulling him up the stairs. I watched in fascination as Clifford fell further and further asleep with each step until at last, I tossed his imposing frame down in the bed and got to removing his boots and still damp clothes.

Once he was tucked in, I, too, prepared for bed until I heard the door to our room creak on its hinges. I placed my hand on the hilt of my dagger and turned around, relaxing only when I saw strawberry red hair and the whites of two little eyes peeking through the crack in the door.

"You can come in, Neeta. It's alright."

The door swung forward on its hinges and Neeta scurried across the room, leaping into my arms. I almost toppled over against her weight. The little girl buried her face into my chest, and I felt the wetness of her tears sink through my shirt.

I cradled her in my arms and stroked her frizzy hair hushing her and assuring her things were alright.

"Uncle Mike! Mommy said Uncle Mooga wasn't coming back anymore! Is that true?" she asked, words separated between explosions of tears. I looked up and saw Rose and Cilden standing in the doorway, Junta behind them holding onto his father's leg. His cheeks, like his sisters, were also inflamed.

I lifted my spare hand to keep Rose and Cilden from rushing into the room and sat down with Neeta in my arms.

"Yes, sweetheart. It's true. He's not coming back," I said to her, petting her hair to calm her down.

"But I miss him!" She inhaled through her nose to clear it out, her tiny body shaking against mine.

"I do too, Neeta. We all do. And you know what? That's okay. You're going to miss him for as long as you need to until one day, you don't miss him as much."

"But why can't he come back?"

I paused for a second, not quite sure how to answer her. She was at a delicate age, both old enough to miss him but not quite old enough to understand death.

I stood her on the ground in front of me. Her head drooped to the floor to hide her crying, but I lifted her chin up so she could look at me.

"Neeta, Uncle Moga made a decision a few days ago. He chose to go away so I could come back, and Clifford, and your Aunt Claire, and Uncle Baridorne, and Una, and your father could all return. If it weren't for him, none of us would have been able to get back here. He made sure we could all get back here to you. Do you understand?"

Her shoulders trembled as she held back her tears. She nodded at me, allowing me to see a slight hint of a smile.

"Does that mean he's a hero?"

"Yes, Neeta. He most certainly is a hero, and we will remember him because of it. But only if you help us. Will you promise to always remind us that he's a hero? That way, we're sure to never forget. I know Uncle Moga would like that."

She smiled and jumped into my arms again to hug me.

"Thank you, Uncle Mike. I'll make sure to remember."

"That's good." I stroked her hair some more, but her body was now more relaxed and comfortable. She was more like the Neeta I recognized from a few days ago, if not worn down and exhausted.

"Now, Neeta, it looks like Mommy and Daddy are tired. Do you want to go to bed?"

She shook her head into my chest. "Can I stay with you and Clifford? Daddy snores too loud!"

I looked up at a laughing Rose and a blushing Cilden. Rose shrugged and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Sure, sweetheart. But just for tonight, okay?"

"Yay!" she said as she ran toward the bed. She climbed up and leaped over Clifford, waking him up in the process. He looked around in shock before settling on Neeta, relaxing the moment he saw her. The two both fell asleep before I was able to reach the bed. I took a moment and smiled, wondering if I, myself, would enjoy the love and support of a child of my own one day. Even in Fjorgyn, my goals in life were the same as they would have been on Earth.

Chapter 11

I awoke the next morning to a nearly empty bed and the sun peeking just over the horizon. Clifford had already packed his things and snuck out of the room early enough to leave the bed cold. A bundle of blankets and red hair was still tucked in next to me, twisted in the sheets like an oversized pretzel. I scooped up the sleeping Neeta and crept out of the room to her door, quietly knocking on the faded wood to avoid waking her. The door creaked open revealing a half-dozing Cilden with hair shooting up into the sky like he stuck his finger in an electric socket.

He claimed his daughter from me, silently thanked me, and closing the door. I collected my things and looked out of the oversized window into the keep below. The morning sun exploded through the valley as it rose ever so slightly higher, causing the walls to become bright and blinding. The entire area looked less like reality and more like an actual fantasy landscape. Some people stumbled to and from the well collecting buckets of water to drag back to their homes. I leaned further out the window and saw Clifford, Ash, and Radha sitting on the outside steps waiting for me.

I grabbed my inventory bag and found all of my weapons, armor and fresh stocks of potions and food Clifford must have packed before I woke up. An already prepared breakfast waited for me on our desk. I grabbed the food, stuffed some of it in my mouth, and swigged the water down. As I did, my fatigue rating improved and my belly ceased grumbling.

Once outside, the group of us and two of Baridorne’s best guards abandoned the keep for the eastern border of our domain. As we walked, a few farmers and guards headed into the fields, rubbing their tired eyes and stumbling step by step, still half-asleep. Only five or six others could be seen by the time we made it to the treeline, the sun, at last, shining above it and into the open plain.

"It's a three-hour hike to the sea," Clifford said before bounding into the underbrush. I called after him to wait, but he disappeared, eager to get to our destination and discover his mother's fate. I staggered into the forest after him, leaving Ash and Radha and the guards in my wake. Once through the initial layer of underbrush, the forest opened up to us. I scanned a wide trail for signs of life. Despite the multitude of birds singing above our heads, Clifford and Moga were correct. No larger game or predators had made their way into the valley in a long time.

We continued to walk for hours without stopping. All of us were well rested, the forest floor was smooth, and the trees became more sparse and shorter as we made our way closer to the sea. Even the air became warmer and more pleasant, smelling of seaweed and brine. When we reached the ocean, the four of us were just as fresh as when we had left. The trees gave way to a black-sand beach and a seabed overrun with smooth, black pebbles.

"There's a volcano nearby?" I asked the group, thinking about the locations of black-sand beaches on Earth.

"There used to be one just south of here. My mother once told me the cave system we're about to enter was a part of the volcano itself."

"And there hasn't been an eruption recently?"

"None to my knowledge. The last volcanic eruption in Vros was thousands of years ago.”

I nodded as I sank to the warm sand below, unlacing and sliding my boots off my sweaty feet. Before I could take off more, Ash and Radha discarded their clothes and ran into the ocean leaving Clifford and me behind in the dust. I watched the two of them dive into the gentle waves. While I felt this was in character for Radha, Ash was reserved and formal with me. It seemed his wife caused him to abandon all inhibitions.

"Thanks for waiting for us!" I yelled after them. The sun was almost at its peak and the temperature spiked. Even with my gray skin and Shadow-Elf sensitivity, I was sweating through my black shirt and leathers.

I continued to strip while Clifford stood next to me looking south toward our destination. His fists were clenched, and he turned his head to and from the water, both eager for a break and ready to move on.

“Clifford, we’ve been hiking for hours. Another thirty minutes isn’t going to change anything,” I said to him.

“I know. But ever since last night, I have this nagging feeling that whatever is in those tunnels is more pressing than a pack of goblins. You go swim. I’ll stay here with the guards.”

I inched closer to him and placed my hands on his hips. The two of us had never been swimming before. I wasn’t going to allow this opportunity pass us by.

“Unacceptable,” I said with a massive grin before I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it over his head. He stood there dumbstruck, his previously focused demeanor replaced with that of a young man wanting to play.

Clifford chased after me while we stripped and abandoned our clothes. Both of us struggled with our pants as we made our way into the warm ocean waters.

Our armor-clad guards stood at the water line and smirked at the group of us frolicking in the waves. I waved at them to join us, but they were too professional. They were being paid, after all, and resigned themselves to standing guard in the shade of the tree line. I shrugged and collapsed back into the warm water, executing a perfect underwater flip and planting my feet into the ocean floor below.

The tips of my toes buried into the smooth black stones. I submerged to claim a handful, clutching them in my palm while I swam over to Ash and Radha.

“Will these make good soulstones?” I asked Ash, recalling our conversation about enchanting my staff from earlier.

He rubbed water out of his eyes, dove under the surface and collected a handful himself, spinning them around in his palms, eyes wide in excitement.

"These will be incredibly easy to charge. Usually, rough stones are hewn into polished ones before they're able to hold a soul. It usually takes a few days to make a poor-quality stone and these, with only a few minutes polishing, will make good or professional stones. I'll begin filling these immediately."

I was too focused on Ash to notice what was coming up from behind me. Before I detected the surprise on his face, something crashed into me and spun me around in a full circle. Under normal circumstances, I would have panicked, but the familiar feeling of stubble on my neck revealed my attacker. Clifford wrapped his arms around me and held me horizontal in the water, tickling me and splashing me while Ash and Radha had a laugh, tossing water between one another while still drawing a fine line between having fun between themselves and having fun as a group. I only just met them, after all, and their disposition toward me wasn't as high as it could be.

We swam for another twenty minutes until I became pruny. Absent any way to preserve our modesty, we collected handfuls of ocean-polished volcanic stones and left the water, trudging across the black sand fully exposed to the world. I looked down at my skinny body in disgust, not because of the form of me, but because even on a beautiful and warm day I was without color, looking less like a person and more like a corpse. At least Clifford didn’t seem to mind.

Once dried and dressed, we sat down with the guards for lively and reinvigorated discussion. Both shared their stories of Elatha. One, Jacob Mills, was a Trisian master in the city, although of a lesser family. He sided with the rebellion after living a life where slaves in his house were treated with the utmost disregard by his father and mother. The other, Margaret Hunter, was a Trisian slave, forced into indentured servitude to pay off debt to Jacob's father. They had been friends and allies for the better part of a decade and often trained together, both loving the feel of combat over anything else.

"When Nila approached me," Jacob said, "I was more than willing to aid the cause. I brought with me all the weapons and gold I could spare along with my anvil, smithing tools, and every slave in my family's houses."

"What of your father and mother? I bet they weren't pleased." Clifford tore a piece of dried meat in two and handed me half of it. This was the last bit of food that made up our lunch.

Margaret laughed and shook her head. "Considering they can't afford to buy new slaves with the amount of gold and weapons we stole? Unlikely. I guess they'll have to wipe their own asses from now on. Or one another's."

Ash inhaled his food and began choking and laughing at the same time, causing the entire group to roar with laughter. The tips of his ears fluttered a bit and tucked back, like a cat who had done something wrong.

While Clifford and the guards packed away our provisions and donned their armor, I pulled both Ash and Radha aside and explained to them the two things we were about to attempt. Clearing the retreat from Brackenvale was the highest priority item although I told them the tale of Clifford's mother and how, if given a chance, we should determine her fate. Text flashed in their eyes after I told them and they both nodded and accepted this new quest. I couldn't say whether they were more eager for the experience to be earned or earnest in their willingness to help Clifford. It didn't matter, though, and I was just glad for their help.

With all of us satisfied from our swim and our food, we decided to move further along the coast. The sun was high in the sky, so we stuck to the trees for any shade they could offer. It didn't prove to be a long hike. Brackenvale was like a half-open Japanese fan. The length of the shore was only three times longer than the clearing at the keep. In twenty minutes, we could see the opening to the underground tunnels surrounded by an outcropping of sharp and imposing rocks.

Trepidation washed over me as we made our way closer. I wasn't eager to go underground again, especially after our misfortune in Boginki's lair.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked Clifford, my hand gripping his wrist. I wasn't scared for myself, but his mother was such a high level when the goblins took her. If she couldn't hold them back, how could our rag-tag team of misfits manage? We were six individuals ranging levels thirteen to twenty-one.

"I'm sure." He squeezed my hand to comfort me. "Although she could have killed all the goblins, she couldn’t do it without hurting me. She let me escape. I need to know what happened to her. And we need to make the tunnels safe."

What he said rang true. I battled goblins in Fjorgyn before when I played the game. They were, for the most part, fodder meant for low-level players to grind for experience. I was a part of many a goblin genocide in my gaming days and never had a problem, even as a healer, fighting against ten myself. But this was different. I wasn't a player. I was a person leading the man I loved into battle. If I lost Clifford, it would kill me.

My anxious thoughts were interrupted by distant sounds of branches cracking and faint grunting. The group of us took shelter in the trees just in time to witness a band of passing goblins. I scanned one larger creature in the middle of the group while Clifford and the others readied their weapons.

Name: ???
Race: Goblin
Level: 7
Age: ???
Class: None
Talent: None
Health: 205
Mana: 195
Stamina: 203
Alignment: -2 (chaotic evil)
Disposition: Indifferent
Company: Klandar Clan

The goblins trudged through the underbrush only forty feet from us, but I could make out from my vantage point a group of twenty, most armed with blunt sticks, stone daggers, and basic and poor quality clothing. The most remarkable feature of the group was the absence of a natural green hue all goblins possessed. Their skin was sulfur-yellow. They looked jaundiced and weak.

Behind them, they dragged a level three goblin with skin like midnight. Before I could process what was happening, Clifford called for the attack and my allies shot out of our bush and into the trees, sending the goblin pack stumbling back and reaching for their weapons.

"Wait!" I yelled, jumping out behind them and casting Sonic Shock into the air. The boom from my spell froze everyone in their tracks. The pack of yellow-skinned goblins huddled on the ground cowering and shaking like puppies caught in the cold.

Clifford spun around, his sword drawn and shaking from his tight grip. I gasped when I saw the rage in his eyes. It was then that I realized he wasn't interested in searching for his mother. He previously abandoned hope that she was alive and thought only about revenge.

"Can't you see?' I called out to my friends. "Look at their disposition! They're indifferent toward us. Lay down your weapons!"

The guards, Ash and Radha all listened to my command immediately, putting their swords, bow, and staff away. Clifford, however, was frozen by fury. I approached him cautiously until I was in front of him. One goblin broke free from the pack, and I launched Brambles at him, encasing the creature in thorny vines. A quick look at it indicated I brought him down to 75% health with a flick of my wrist and a few words of power.

I placed my hand on Clifford’s steel cuirass, feeling his lungs inhale and exhale like balloons ready to burst. "This isn't the way," I whispered to him. "Look at them. Your mother disappeared so long ago. They would have been babies when it happened."

"But they killed her. They're monsters. They should all die."

"Is that your father speaking or your mother?"

Clifford's eyes widened. His breathing became easier, and his hand stopped trembling as he relaxed enough to slice a line into the dirt below.

I faced the pack just as my Brambles spell wore off. I cast Nature's Grace on the trembling goblin to close his wounds. He raised his hands up to protect himself, afraid to even look at me.

"Who's in charge here?" I asked them, wondering if they spoke the same language.

"Me are." The larger goblin I analyzed earlier stood up from his group and raised a stone dagger at me. "What you do want in me valley?"

I lowered my staff and took three careful steps toward the goblin. He responded by raising his dagger even higher, both defensive and frightened.

"My people sought refuge in Brackenvale Keep. We mean you no harm."

"Then why he come to me tunnels, pointy-ear man?"

I struggled to understand this goblin. His command of our language was rudimentary at best.

"We come in peace. The valley is threatened, and we wish to secure a retreat through your domain if we are attacked."

The goblin cocked his head at me as he digested my words. He lowered his dagger some and stopped shaking once he connected the dots, realizing that we wanted his help instead of his hide.

"This problem. We war with Uplark. Kingdom is two. Tubes be not clear. Me let Klandar decide. One, you give us pointies."

I turned to Clifford and Radha, both still holding their weapons in hand. "Give them your weapons. All of them."

They obeyed me and turned over our weapons, although Ash and I were allowed to keep our staves. Once satisfied, the six of us were marched into the tunnel's entrance and into the depths below. I led Clifford by the hand once the light faded, my abilities allowing me to see through the darkness.

Congratulations! You have found 'Magheim's Expanse.' +35xp.

We marched down slopes and through tunnels and chambers for what felt like an hour. Each tunnel and chamber had smooth black walls that sparkled in my night vision, as though they were carved from both graphite and silver. The closest comparison I could make on Earth was lava tubes. Even with his pupils fully dilated, Clifford and the others were completely blind and had to be pulled in a chain behind me, hand in hand. As we descended further into the depths, more yellow-skinned goblins joined our escorts, stone daggers and blunt sticks at the ready. They led us deeper, yanking behind them their naked and dark-skinned goblin captive.

Name: ???
Race: Goblin
Level: 3
Age: ???
Class: None
Talent: None
Health: 125
Mana: 127
Stamina: 125
Alignment: -5 (chaotic evil)
Disposition: Unfriendly
Company: Uplark Clan

Eventually, the decline ceased, and the cold, dry cavern air around us became warm and moist. Darkness gave way to specks of silver light that expanded as far as we could see. The vast chamber was like an endless labyrinth spanning many levels, illuminated by white-burning torches. It looked more like the night sky than it did a cave. Still, the specks of lights were not enough for us to see by. I relied only on my night vision.

I turned to Clifford and considered his eyes. His pupils were wide enough to make him look like a bat, although he was still blind, anxious, and comforted only by my firm handhold. I stroked his palm with my thumb in a shallow attempt to put him at ease, although I really wanted to reach out to him and flee the way we came.

"These aren't tunnels, Clifford. It's an underground kingdom," I whispered. He nodded and passed the message along to Radha and Ash.

"Close you voices!" the goblin leader said. "You mouth only with Klandar!"

Our group became silent. The goblins outnumbered us, twenty more appearing within my field of vision in the last few minutes. If we were attacked, only I would be able to defend us. The others would be stabbed and sliced to death by shadows in the black, dying a futile death so deep below the surface. My allies were as vulnerable as a baby in his mother's womb.

Five minutes passed, and we began walking uphill again, climbing ramps and walking down winding corridors, ascending upward from one level to the next. We crisscrossed the underground valley until we left it for another labyrinth of tunnels. Clifford shuffled behind, his eyes as wide as an open camera shutter attempting to absorb any source of light. At last, the darkness dissipated as we walked closer to torch-covered walls. The tunnels widened. Some were blocked by rudimentary barricades and elevated guard posts. Yellow-skinned goblins manned the barriers with wooden spears at the ready to repel unknown assailants.

My ears twitched as they picked up the distant sounds of hammers on metal and the grinding of stone on stone. I looked back and saw that Ash and Radha also detected the new sounds.

"Wait you friends now!" The goblin leader banged his spear against the wall behind him, but we all stood there unsure of what to do next. Five or six goblins seized Clifford and the others, pushed them into the wall and pulled them into a seating position.

"You pointy hearing man! Come mouth with Klandar. Reveal your facts." The little creature grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him, but I planted my feet firmly and with protest.

"No," I said to the goblin. I pointed at Clifford squatting against the wall with a spear to his neck. "He comes too."

The yellow-skinned leader huffed and jabbed his spear at me. I responded by casting Sonic Shock against the opposite wall. The spell echoed through the tunnel and loosened dust from the ceiling. A flash of fear painted itself on the goblin's face. It was evident he was unfamiliar with magic. He grunted, lowered his spear, and motioned for Clifford and me to follow him further into the settlement and away from the rest of the party, although their nameplates in my interface and their location dots on my map brought me comfort. I could always find my way back to them.

We followed behind him for a few more minutes. The sounds of cracking hammers and grinding stone grew louder and louder, and the torchlights became more frequent until I felt I was being guided through a corridor in a castle.

Finally, after our hours-long descent into the depths of the volcano, we reached what I guessed to be our destination. The tunnel in front of us ended at a large plateau that overlooked an underground kingdom. The chamber was as massive as the inner ring of Elatha and the stone above it formed a perfect dome, blocking any sunlight. Diamonds and precious gems littered the roof of the chamber just like they did the earlier valley. The ground below glowed with the same rainbow-colored, bioluminescent moss that we saw in Boginki's lair. At the center of the room, a stone redoubt jetted from the floor as though it were carved from the very cave itself, its stone walls surrounding a central keep that looked deserted. I thought this was where we would be led, but the goblin had other plans. We banked right and followed a narrow path along the outcropping until we passed one final checkpoint.

Goblin guards grunted at us as we walked by, some poking us with their blunt spears and communicating in their native tongue. Once beyond the checkpoint, life and light exploded around us. Clifford and I shielded our eyes until they adjusted to the new illumination. Hundreds of yellow-skinned goblins went about their business, pausing only to yell at or observe us. Female goblins yanked at the wrists of their offspring and hurried them away. The men gripped whatever weapon they had nearby and joined in our escort. We walked between rows of moldy, crumbling huts, the scent of them overwhelming our senses. A miasma of meat and excrement and sweat and mold nauseated me. I felt, for a moment, as though I would never be clean again. Clifford and I covered our noses with our arms hoping to block the odor so strong it brought tears to our eyes.

Our guide grunted at us when we reached a large door that hung from only one hinge, the other having rusted away from decades of moisture and overuse.

"You words Klandar now! He inside arranged for you voices!"

The pack of Goblins poked their sticks into our backs, compelling us forward into Klandar's new room.

Congratulations! You have found 'Klandar's Blockhouse.' +40xp

Much to our relief, the smell of waste and rot from outside faded and was replaced with a stale and cool air, smelling of iron and dust. Goblin guards filled the great hall in front of us, some working on fashioning armor and weapons, others on grinding herbs for potions. At the far end of the room, a giant yellow-skinned goblin sat in a crude throne made from stone and animal hides. Even when seated, he towered over the others and was nearly as tall as me.

Name: Klandar Gorkin
Race: Goblin
Level: 27 (boss)
Age: ???
Class: Berserker
Talent: None
Health: 6752
Mana: 4681
Stamina: 5537
Alignment: 0 (chaotic neutral)
Disposition: Indifferent
Company: Klandar Clan (leader)

"Fragor, what's the meaning of this?" Klandar asked, rising to his feet and striding across the room with a grace unlike that possessed by his clansmen. Silence fell, and a chill ran down my spine. I backed up only to bump into Clifford, who gripped my shoulders to encourage me to stand my ground.

Our guide, now known to me as Fragor, collapsed to his knees and spoke words in his native Goblin language.

"I see," Klandar responded. "My lieutenant here tells me you're upworlders and have come here with a request. Speak your demands."

I was speechless, astounded that this goblin leader had full command of my language where the others could barely string rudimentary words together.

"I said speak!" His voice bounced off the walls. The other goblins cringed away from their leader. He stepped closer and closer to me with a hand on his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.

I took a knee out of respect. I was in his domain, not my own, and was answerable to him. If I angered him, Clifford would be harmed.

"My apologies, Chief Klandar. My name is Michael. I come from Brackenvale Keep-"

"The keep is deserted. It has been since the rise of Uplark."

That word kept coming up in conversation, first from Fragor and then from the unknown blue-skinned goblin they had captured. And now here.

I hung my head lower to the ground, still afraid to look the goblin ruler in the eyes. "I don't know what that means, Chief Klandar. My people came to Brackenvale to escape Elatha. We number in the hundreds and are using the keep as a refuge.”

The goblin leader gripped my shirtsleeve and lifted me to my feet. I had no choice but to look him in the eyes. What stared back at me seemed incomplete. His features were worn and tired, as though he had seen too little sleep.

"I understand. You are enemies of the High King and, if threatened, wish to use our tunnels for retreat. Correct?"

He released me, and I stumbled backward again, catching myself on Clifford.

"Correct. There is no other escape for that many people. We came here to arrange this and," I hesitated, wondering if it was wise to ask about the fate of Clifford’s mother, "and to discover the fate of one of our people we've lost."

Clifford stepped around me and moved forward toward Klandar at a pace faster than the goblin chief wanted. He drew his sword a few inches before Clifford stopped.

"I apologize, Chief Klandar," he said. "We're looking for a woman, my mother. She had hair and eyes like mine and is twenty-five years older than me. She went missing in these tunnels fifteen years ago."

Klandar huffed at me, his yellow skin turning orange. "I thought you said she was one of your people."

"She is, my lord. She is family."

It was the first time I ever said that aloud, the first time I considered Clifford family.

Klandar stood in silence for a few minutes, gears turning in his head, wondering what to do with us. He sheathed his sword and turned around, returning to his throne. Guards pushed us closer to him. The other goblins in the room returned to their work, a positive sign that he would listen to our multiple requests.

"Very few outsiders have breached my domain, but we are not the only goblin clan here. Over a decade ago, there was a great schism and our tribe split in two. Those who remained loyal to me are here. The others, who call themselves Uplark occupy the other half of my kingdom. They are vicious and savage, blue-skinned demons. They're more monster than goblin. They have forsaken our traditions and our laws and seek to claim my throne.

"We are in a stalemate. If you wish to find your mother, they would have taken her. Although they would not have kept her alive. The Uplark have no respect for life or diplomacy and would have stripped the meat from her flesh."

Klandar raised a hand and summoned one of his guards to his side, whispering inaudible instructions into his ear.

"We have been unable to rid ourselves of the Uplark parasites. You will aid us. Rid us of their leader, and I will grant your request. You may even discover the fate of your precious mother."

"And if we say no?" I ask.

The goblin chief chuckled at my question. "There is no saying no, shadow elf. No upworlders have entered our domain and left alive. Gone are the days where we tolerate intrusions. If you fail, you die. If you refuse me, you and your friends die. If you flee, we will rise up and snuff your little settlement out. You number in the hundreds where we are thousands strong.

"You will do this for me. This is not a request."

You have received a quest: Uplark or bust. Search through the labyrinth of Magheim's Expanse for the Uplark fortress and rid the underground kingdom of their leader.
Reward: XP, Safe passage through Magheim's expanse, unknown other rewards.
You must start this quest immediately. This quest is not optional.

"Chief Klandar, we will do as you ask. But we are only six strong. Can you offer us any aid?" I asked.

The chief nodded just as a contingent of six goblins walked into the hall. They were armed to the teeth with fine leathers and durable weapons and were clean and strong, proving to me that this kingdom operated on some sort of caste system with warriors at the top and the rest far beneath them. A female goblin led the pack, carrying across her shoulder a black shortbow and a quiver of metal-shafted arrows.

Name: Wrane Gorkin
Race: Goblin
Level: 18
Age: 34
Class: Scout
Talent: Leatherworking
Health: 435
Mana: 321
Stamina: 484
Alignment: 0 (chaotic neutral)
Disposition: Indifferent
Company: Klandar Clan (officer)

"You will be given provisions, yes, and night-vision potions. Take these guards as well. They are the finest I have and are led by my own daughter. Should she die, I will kill you all, starting with him.” Klandar pointed at Clifford with the look of a man ready to murder. “And ending with you.”

Quest update: If Wrane Gorkin dies during this quest, you fail the quest and all your allies will be killed.

"And my other allies?"

"Go. They are waiting for you outside the fortress." Klandar rose from his throne and exited a door in the back of the room. We were escorted out of the keep the way we came, abandoned to our quest at the final checkpoint where Ash, Radha, and our two guards waited.

"What did we get ourselves into?" I asked Clifford as I peered into the expanse below. Now that we were no longer being guided against our will, I took the time to better examine the valley. It had all the makings of an ancient underground kingdom, but looked more like a graveyard, devoid of any signs of life. On the far end of what I could best describe as a canyon, another torch flickered marking one entrance to the Uplark fortress.

"I don't know," he said while holding my shirt collar as I peered into the area below. "But we can get through this with you leading us."

Clifford pulled me back away from the ledge and turned me to face him. Although he wore tension like a mask, he smiled at me in a way that brought some warmth into this dark and cold realm.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

I shifted my inventory bag on my shoulder and examined our small army of soldiers. "I don't know. But I'll have to be."

Chapter 12

The six of us rearranged our supplies to prepare for the upcoming battle while our goblin entourage talked among themselves. We took the time to each toss back a night vision potion. Clifford's eyes narrowed and his chin hit the floor as the concoction works its Herbalistic magic. The results were less drastic for me. My own shadow elf vision mixed with the potion's purpose to offer me only minor improvements. Small details became crisper, and the fuzzy haze of the distance reflected colors I previously glanced over.

Attention: You have gained night vision. You can see clear details up to 500 feet in darkness and muted details up to 2000 feet. Duration: 2 hours.

I reached into my bag and drew out my Staff of Druid's Healing, preferring the mana and healing boost it offered me over my Staff of Force Push. I found the staff to be less useful since I learned Sonic Shock. The staff did not inflict as much damage as my own spell and was harder to use since it required I strike someone with the weapon to activate the enchant. I carefully tucked my old weapon in my bag. Even though it was less useful, Clifford gave it to me as a gift. It held sentimental value.

With my armor and weapons in order, I cast Nature's Aura and directed the spell's effects into my storage ring. Although the spell was not powerful yet, it was my most expensive and longest casting. The mana drain blurred my vision for a moment but cleared after my pool began regenerating. I regretted this new fact of life. When I played Fjorgyn: Online, I could expand my entire mana pool in less than a few seconds with no physical consequences. This was just another reminder that this world, my Fjorgyn, was no game.

What came first? The world or the game? I thought. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility that someone in this world died only to be reincarnated on Earth before inspiring the creation of the game I used to love so much. Then again, whatever divine being that oversaw the cosmos could have easily spawned this world just for me. I might never know.

Wrane left her soldiers behind and walked up to us, interrupting my thoughts. Like the other goblins in her tribe, she possessed yellow skin that made her look jaundiced and weak, but her armor and weapons told another story. Although none of them possessed the shimmer of enchants, their blades were thick, sharp, and sturdy. And they were all chipped and scratched, telling stories of many battles and victories.

"You Shadow Elf, ready now?" she asked me. Her command of English was not as good as her father's.

I nodded at Wrane, and she clanked her daggers together to get everyone's attention. She spoke in our language to benefit us all.

"As you know, we fight Uplark clan and take care leader. We Klandars and Upworlders fight one. We Klandars and Upworlders die one." She stopped speaking and turned to me. "We two choices. Up? Down? Which?"

"What do you mean, up or down?"

"Up follow this path through heart Uplark defenses. We no do this in long time. Many traps. Many Uplark."

She walked with confidence to the edge of the path, pointing one of her daggers into the canyon below. My heart skipped a beat thinking she would fall in, but her comfort and footing here were as sure as a horse's hooves in an open field.

"Down is short. We fight scene. When done, back way direct enemy stronghold."

"Fight scene?" I turned to Clifford and Radha, both of whom were still distracted by the valley and the redoubt below.

"I think she means a scenario," Clifford said, stepping closer to the path's edge to peer down into the valley.

My ears perked at the thought of running a scenario. In the game world, these scaled both to the average level of players and the number of players involved. If a scenario here operated under similar conditions, it might be much easier and more rewarding than fighting through tunnel after tunnel of low-level goblins with sticks.

"Wrane, what do you know about the scenario?"

"I no know. Klandar and Uplark go no valley much since great fight."

"You mean you've never run it?"

She nodded and stepped away from the ledge.

"Two tribes blood there long ago. Before I old. Since great fight, scene-ario," she tried to mimic our word, "happen. We no know stop."

"And what about the building in the middle? What is that?"

"That Magheim Throne. Old chief when no Uplark."

"Wait. The fighting between your clan and the Uplarks is only a decade or two long?"

Wrane shrugged her shoulders and pierced her lips in anger.

"No matter long. Uplark rebel Klandar rule. Need remove pretender. We go. Which way? Up? Down?"

I was curious to learn more about the politics of this civil war. A brute-force bloodbath through a series of tunnels wasn't going to provide any answers and, if possible, I wanted to avoid unnecessary death on either side of this fight. And if there were answers to be had, the redoubt below would provide them.

"Down. We will take the secret way."

She nodded and turned away, leading her five soldiers to follow her trail. Ash, Radha, Clifford, and our two guards stood beside me.

"I don't know what's going on here. But these tunnels will never be safe for our people if we just kill the Uplark leader. We need to find a way to end this civil war."

We hurried after Wrane, twisting and turning along the narrow path until we reached a trail that crisscrossed down into the underground valley below. Now that we were in the center of the chamber, I saw the orange-yellow torches of the Klandar tribe behind me and blue torches of the Uplark tribe ahead. Compared to the glowing valley below, it seemed the two tribes chose darkness and discomfort over life. If the same species of plants and fungi grew in the valley as did in Boginki's lair, they were forsaking a plethora of nutritious foods.

As she led us down the switchbacks and into the valley, a chain railing appeared on the wall. Wrane pulled out twelve lengths of rope and had us tie ourselves to the chain to prevent an accidental tumble. We obliged. The path was only two feet wide and offered various degrees of incline. One slip would mean a hundred foot drop and a swift death.

As we edged our way downward, the torchlight above disappeared, and the shimmering glow of crystals took over. The gray darkness exploded with neon colors, like a night on the town in Las Vegas. At the bottom, the twelve of us weaved between incandescent stalagmites toward the center of the bowl-like canyon. As we worked our way closer to the redoubt, the air grew hot and humid. I jumped when a jet of steam ejected from the ground to scald my skin. The steam caused a few points of damage.

This happened a few more times to everyone in the group. It was impossible to avoid the tiny geysers, which seemed to explode randomly and without any warning. They were a gentle reminder that we trekked in a semi-active volcano. We reached the center of the valley no worse for wear. Clifford's usually dull armor now glimmered, polished by the steam. The lights around him reflected in every direction, making him look like an oversized disco ball.

The moss, mushroom, and lichen pathways gave way to a ruined village: stone buildings covered with glowing grass and ferns.

A gentle breeze blew through the underground city that quickly dried us off. Before we moved any further, I added everyone to my raiding party. My vision filled with nameplates and health bars and a new menu appeared in my interface. I explored the raid menu further and realized I could highlight individuals with signs that only I could see. Without thinking about it, I put a star over Clifford, a moon over Ash, and a diamond over Radha, and random other shapes over Wrane and my own guards. I also made Clifford a focus target, moving his health bar into the top-center of my field of vision.

"Ash and Radha, have you ever run something like this before?" I asked them. They shook their heads but remained silent.

"Alright, then. Ash, I take it you have some healing spells?"

"Yes. Greenleaf taught me Nature's Grace and Lunar Light although the latter is too weak to justify my using it."

Recalling my spell inventory as a player before my reincarnation, I remembered that Lunar Light was a direct, but expensive healing spell.

"They're all low level, though," he added.

"That's fine. I want you two to stay near me during the fight as ranged support. Your goal is to keep things off me. And try to only attack something Clifford or Wrane are attacking."

They both nodded, understanding the reasoning behind my requests.

"Clifford, you know what to do."

I turned to Wrane. Although she still held herself with confidence and strength, she trembled slightly, afraid of the fight to come.

"Wrane, I take it you fight like a rogue, attacking from behind. If so, focus on attacking Clifford's targets. He's stellar at getting stuff focused on him."

"I got you to focus on me, didn't I?" he said, a smirk forming in the corner of his mouth.

I ignored Clifford's snark and pointed the way forward. As everyone moved ahead, I grabbed his arm, pulled him back to me and kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked, cheeks heating up.

"Just in case I don't get to again."

He kissed me a second time, the kind of kiss one does when heated: breathing at the same time your lips are touching. If it weren’t for the task at hand, we’d run to our bedroom ready for more. Instead, he pulled himself away from me.

"I'm certain we'll get through this. Our story doesn't end here."

"Well, let's go see if you're right," I said. We turned around and caught up to the group. The moment my foot moved from dirt to stone, signaling my entrance into the keep, a few notifications appeared.

Congratulations! You have discovered Magheim's Keep. +40xp
Congratulations! You have discovered Magheim's Redoubt. +50xp
You have entered a fighting scenario. Would you like to begin? Yes/No?

As I selected yes, a giant gong resounded and reverberated through the valley. All the light illuminating from the stalagmite fields disappeared, and a mysterious curtain of black surrounded the entire keep. There was no going back.

You have started the fighting scenario, Magheim's folly. This scenario has been tuned to an average level of 16.

I cleared out my notifications to reveal new indicators in the bottom of my field of vision, one indicating 0/10, another reading 0%, and the last a timer counting down from one minute.

"Alright, everyone, let's find a more defensible position. We have ten waves to fight and less than a minute until the first one starts." I stepped forward into a jog with everyone behind me, fighting the clock to find a place safe and open enough for us to fight. I saw a small square with a broken fountain a hundred feet or so ahead of us and behind that, the giant doors leading into the inner redoubt. As we paced forward, I slammed into an invisible barrier and fell backward into Wrane. She strained to catch me but managed to keep me on my feet.

"Stupid elf man! Pay attention!"

I nodded at her and spun around, facing the streets and intersections around us. With my back to the barrier, this seemed the best place for us. As the clock struck zero, another gong sounded, shaking some dust from the eaves of the stone buildings around us. A sequence of three portals opened at various locations on the main road. Clifford drew his sword, raised his shield, and stepped forward to intercept the first portal. He paused, waiting for enemies to spawn. As he did, goblin specters appeared, first blocking the way to the side streets and then standing atop the roofs around us. I tried to analyze them, but nothing came up. They seemed to be legitimate ghosts. As they formed behind me on the other side of the barrier, their blue light extended my shadow down the road. I turned to look at one: a goblin woman dressed in well-hewn clothing. She was yelling and cheering, although I didn't know if it was for victory or our demise.

The clanking of sword on shield snapped me back into the fight, as the first wave of enemies emerged. The timer began counting down again, this time from five minutes. I analyzed the first creature I saw.

Creature: Goblin Draugur
Creature Type: Undead
Level: 11
Health: 197

Each portal spawned draugur after draugur, all either level 9, 10, or 11. The creatures shuffled down the road toward us. Their mummified, grotesque appearance made my stomach turn.

Clifford raised his sword up and slashed at the first monster while he blocked an incoming attack from a second. He leveraged the momentum of the impact to slide himself backward, creating room between him and the draugur. By now, the street filled with over two dozen of them with more pouring through the portals. Our goblin entourage swung into action, charging and hacking and slashing away, and taking a fair amount of damage in the process.

Wrane was different. She circled behind Clifford and stabbed his current target with her dual-wielding daggers, inflicting a critical hit before moving onto her next prey. Jacob and Margaret stood between Clifford and me, picking up any monsters that slipped through his grasp. Ash and Radha also followed my previous instruction, him launching volley after volley of random spells and her slinging quick and precise arrows. All her strikes flew true, piercing the draugur in their heads or chests.

I finally joined the fray after making sure no rogue targets would beeline to me. Once I was sure I wouldn't attract attention, I alternated casting Nature's Grace and Living Seed on anyone taking damage, doing some quick math in my head to avoid overhealing my allies.

One of Wrane's goblins, now at half health, pushed a draugur off himself and yelled something in his native tongue at me. I assumed he was angry that I let him fall to around half health, but he was in no danger of dying. Wrane, near the goblin, yelled at him and ordered him to continue fighting.

After the first two minutes of this, my mana pool dipped to below half. The chaos and disorder exercised by Wrane’s soldiers wore thin on me.

"Wrane, get your men under control!" I yelled. "They need to fight with you and Clifford, not on their own!"

She nodded and yelled out instructions in Goblin-speak and one by one, her men retreated from close to the third portal, fighting their way back until they were near Clifford. With one minute remaining, the three portals all blinked out of existence, leaving only a handful of draugur left alive. Ash and Radha took care of them while I swallowed a mana potion to restore my half-depleted pool.

Radha released one final bolt that soared through the air and planted itself in the skull of the last draugur. The creatures faded to dust, and the goblin specters all cheered and jumped for joy, although we couldn't hear their triumphant shouts.

The timer expired, the barrier behind me collapsed, and my scenario interface updated.

1/10 -- 100% -- 1:00

You have killed a level 9 Goblin Draugur * 15. 7xp each. +105xp
You have killed a level 10 Goblin Draugur * 17. 8xp each. +136xp
You have killed a level 11 Goblin Draugur * 7. 9xp each. +63xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 14 of Novice Nature’s Grace II.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 23 of Novice Living Seed II.

"Let's move!" I yelled, eager to look for a position just as beneficial as this one. The next series of barriers led us down the street and around a corner. With seconds left to spare, the road opened into a circular plaza with stone benches forming a square in the middle. An oversized mushroom grew in the center, glowing like the New York City holiday tree. The gong sounded when the timer expired just as my mana and stamina returned to full. Four portals opened this time at cardinal points in the plaza.

"Wrane, make sure to tell them to fight together this time. We're not going to all make it alive if they spread out on their own."

She issued my instructions to her men. Ash, Radha and I stood with our backs to the street behind us, with Clifford and the others halfway between us. I called out for them to form a V shape with Clifford at the head, so they could quickly sweep from one position to another to capture enemies.

Jacob and Margaret remained in their former positions, between Clifford and us. The gong sounded a second time as the first wave of enemies appeared. Our specter friends also showed up to cheer us on, some seated on top of the giant mushroom looking down into the square. Their fists pumped into the air to offer encouragement.

The enemies were the same type as the last wave, level 9 through 11 draugur, only they weren't all melee class. Some emerged sporting crossbows as well. While everyone was at full health, I cast Healing Wisps. Three orbs of light formed around me, ready and willing to respond to my command.

Before I could point out the ranged attackers, Ash and Radha got to work at a distance. He expelled fireballs from his staff while Radha rained down damage with what seemed like an endless supply of arrows.

"How many arrows do you have with you?" I asked her, comfortable knowing no one was taking considerable damage anymore.

"Five-hundred in my inventory. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Just wanted to make sure you'll have enough."

She smiled at me while releasing an arrow. It sailed through the air and planted itself in a now-deceased draugur. Before she drew another arrow, a bolt coursed through the air and grazed her skin and her HP reduced by 10. Ash healed her with his only healing spell before I had a chance to respond. She kissed him on the cheek before returning to her onslaught.

I turned my attention back to Clifford and the others, who were becoming overwhelmed. I cast Nature's Grace and Living Seed on Clifford and then turned to the enemies, slowing them down with Brambles to buy him more time.

2/10 -- 37% -- 3:54

I felt useless at this point. No one was taking damage I couldn't handle, and I had no other long-range offensive spell. I reminded myself that Nila promised to teach me another.

I stopped casting Brambles once Clifford was in control again, shielding three draugur while the goblins battled a handful of others. Wrane, however, peeled away to assist Ash and Radha with the ranged creatures, who fell like blades of grass against a mower, absent melee weapons to aid them.

2/10 -- 90% -- 1:05

Like the last wave, the portals faded at the one-minute mark, leaving a handful of draugur standing. They were quickly dispatched by my allies while I healed everyone to full, my mana pool sitting comfortably at 80%.

When the clock struck zero, it reset again, although the barriers around the plaza did not come down.

3/10 -- 0% -- 0:30

You have killed a level 9 Goblin Draugur * 13. 7xp each. +91xp
You have killed a level 10 Goblin Draugur * 18. 8xp each. +144p
You have killed a level 11 Goblin Draugur * 9. 9xp each. +81xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 15 of Novice Nature’s Grace II. Spell has evolved to level III and now heals for 8hp per second for 4 seconds, costing 18 mana.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 25 of Living Seed II. Spell has evolved to Apprentice Living Seed III. Spell now heals two friendly targets for 6hp per second for 10 seconds. Upon expiration, the primary target is healed for another 20hp. Mana cost increased to 40mp.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 of Brambles II.

"Looks like a boss fight," I yelled to Clifford. He turned around to reveal a giant smirk on his face. "You're having fun, aren't you?"

He inhaled and exhaled as though he had finished a sprint, nodding at me while trying to catch his breath. He pulled a green stamina potion from his bag and sucked it down, discarding the glass on the ground.

He snapped back around in time to hear the scenario gong resound again and witnessed a bolt of light fall from the roof above us. If the Uplark didn't know we were down here, they surely would now. The light intercepted the giant mushroom in the center of the plaza and split it in two. When the spear of light faded, an oversized portal appeared where the mushroom once grew. The gong blasted a second time, this one forcing Ash, Radha, all the goblins, and me to cover our ears and wince. My vision dragged and grew blurry for a moment before returning to normal.

I regained my senses in time to see Clifford catching an oversized broadsword on his shield. The impact of the blow sunk him to his knees, but he pushed the sword back and jabbed his own blade upward toward the newly materialized boss.

Creature: Goblin Wight
Creature Type: Undead Boss
Level: 13
Health: 8942
Mana: 4953
Stamina: 7512

The boss was three feet taller than Clifford and was cast in armor the shade of midnight. Purple magic emanated from its arms, legs, and weapon. The color overwhelmed any light source in the plaza, illuminating the entire area in a purple haze.

You have been afflicted with Wight's Curse. Healing abilities reduced by 90%.
Mana and Stamina regeneration reduced to 0%. Duration: 4 minutes.

3/10 -- 2% -- 5:00

There was no need for me to announce the curse. Everyone received the same notification. The look of worry on their faces confirmed this. I considered for a moment releasing my Nature's Aura, but that would heal close to nothing at its current level.

Instead, I stood there and analyzed the fight while the goblins, Wrane, Jacob and Margaret moved into position behind the boss. I moved to join them, but Radha grabbed my shoulder and held me back.

"You may not be able to heal as well," she said, pausing to release one arrow and draw the next, "but that doesn't mean you're suddenly a melee fighter."

I nodded and turned my attention back to Clifford who engaged in an epic battle of blocking, swinging, dodging, and poking. At one point, the boss spun around to face the attackers from behind, but Clifford slammed his shield into the wight while casting a taunt spell. His mana pool dipped by 25%, but the ability worked. The creature snapped back around, bringing his sword with him. Clifford ducked the weapon and stabbed upward again, eliciting a roar from the monster that shook the buildings around us.

Ash, meanwhile, slid his hanbo into a custom sheath on his belt and alternated releasing various spells, figuring out which ones would do the most damage while avoiding splash damage on our allies below. He settled on a lightning spell that was powerful enough to cause my hair to stand on end as it flew by me, striking the boss for 40hp a hit.

Meanwhile, I did what I could, casting Nature's Grace, Living Seed, and directing a healing wisp at Clifford to inch up his depleted health. Once the three spells faded, I managed to raise his health by ten. I rinsed and repeated, but his health diminished faster than the bosses.

3/10 -- 47% -- 2:48

I also joined in on the attack by casting Brambles. Although the spell did 35 damage to the boss, it didn't encase it or slow it down.

When the boss hit 50% health, it stopped swinging its sword and let out a shrill screech sending the goblins, Ash, Radha and me to the ground. Clifford also staggered but managed to resist the spell given his level.

You have been afflicted with Wight's Cry. Dazed for ten seconds. 50 AoE damage to all allies.

The impact of his cry felt like I was kicked in the skull. I braced myself with my arms and lifted myself up, but my blurry vision couldn't focus on anything.

"Clifford," I yelled over the boss's scream, "kite the boss!"

"What does that mean?" He swung his sword, sinking it into the wight's shoulder and inflicting critical damage.

"Take him for a walk!"

3/10 -- 57% -- 2:24

I heard the clapping of Clifford's boots as he began to backpedal away from the monster, who chased him around the room. This allowed Clifford to jump back or to the side to better dodge the wight's attacks.

After the daze effect had worn off, I began dual-casting Living Seed at Clifford, making sure that he always had the spell working on him and released a charge from my Ring of Protection to reduce his incoming damage by 25% for the next thirty seconds. After dual-casting six spells, my mana pool reduced to 10%, but the spells healed him for 38 health. My final two casts backlashed, striking me for 130 damage, but the maneuver bought us enough time. Clifford taunted the wight, stepped in and bashed the undead monster, and retreated again while Wrane and the others hacked and slashed away.

3/10 -- 89% -- 1:04

When the monster hit 10% health, he let out another scream, but we were ready for it and covered our ears. This attack only inflicted 25 damage to all of us and did not cause a dazed effect. The purple energy surrounding the wight turned inferno red as it enraged. The wight's curse wore off at the same time I chugged a mana potion.I glugged the liquid, inhaled some, and choked it down. My eyes filled with tears while I coughed up the mixture, but it didn't stop me from projecting my two remaining wisps into Clifford and casting both Nature's Grace and Living Seed on him.

The boss's broadsword crashed down on Clifford's shield. His legs buckled against the weight of the blow although he managed to deflect most of the damage. After another attacking, the boss let out a final and weak scream before its red light extinguished and its body collapsed to the floor. It twitched one last time and collapsed into dust.

3/10 -- 100% -- :03

You have defeated a goblin wight (boss). +213xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 of Brambles II. Spell has evolved to Brambles III. Now inflicts 10hp per second for 5 seconds. Mana cost: 20

Congratulations! You have reached rank 17 of Nature’s Grace III.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 26 of Living Seed III.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 6 of Healing Wisps II. Spell has evolved to Healing Wisps III. Each wisp now heals for 25hp.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 of Dual-Cast.

Another gong reverberated, this one quieter than the last. We all breathed a sigh of relief while the goblin ghosts cheered our victory. The portal in the middle of the room collapsed, leaving an unopened chest in its wake. My scenario indicator also updated to reveal we had fifteen minutes before the next wave began, giving us ample time to recover, sort out the rewards, and get into position for the next fight.

Clifford and I met in the middle of the square, him still heaving from the strain of the fight.

"That was scary!" he said. "I haven't had my health dip that much in a long time."

"Yeah. In retrospect, we could have handled that better. I don't think the boss was meant to be tanked head on. We should have bounced him back and forth. Are you okay?" I cast few more heals on him to bring his health closer to full. I also refreshed my healing wisps, hoping to have them ready and off cooldown for the final boss fight.

"I've been better. He almost cracked my best shield." Clifford rubbed his shield with an oiled cloth he pulled out of his inventory. One corner of it had a large dent and a cluster of cracks moving outward like a spider web.

"Do you have another one?"

"Two more, but none as good as this. We'll see if someone back at the keep can repair it."

"If we go back to the enclave, I can fix it." Radha interjected herself into our conversation, walking up to us with arms filled with loot dropped from the boss. Ash was behind her holding a new hanbo and a spell book.

The rest of our party readjusted their inventories, favoring the use of their new weapon or armor pieces. Each person was able to claim one or two rare items.

I analyzed the items Radha pulled out for me.

Spell Tome: Nature's Touch II. Cast this to infuse your target with natural magic, healing them for 30hp. Mana cost: 30. Cast time: 3 seconds. This can be interrupted.

Wight's Lost Tunic: Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. +15mp. +5% to damage and healing spells. Trigger partial invisibility to reduce threat in battle. Charges: 1/1. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

I reviewed the items before absorbing the healing spell and donning my new tunic. My nipples hardened when I removed my old scholar’s shirt: a reminder that I still couldn’t tolerate temperatures that others found acceptable. The scholar's shirt Clifford gave to me was great, but it felt amazing to have a shirt with sleeves again. The white fabric of the shirt covered my arms, instantly warming my cold skin.

After I tied the collar strings of my tunic and put my jerkin back on, I looked at Ash and Radha, who were both holding out Ash's loot to me.

"I can't take that. You’ve earned them."

"I know I did," Ash said, "but they don't benefit me. I already have enough offensive spells at a much higher level, and my hanbo is better for me than this one. You take them."

I gratefully accepted the items, pleased with their generosity. They could have kept and sold them but offered to them to me with nothing to gain.

Spell Tome: Spirit Bolt II. Sends a bolt of spirit energy at a target, inflicting 30 damage. Mana cost: 15. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Cast time: 1 second. This can be resisted.

Infused Wight Bone Hanbo. Quality: Professional. Class: Epic. Damage: 20-26 DPS. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +80 MP. +5% increase to healing and damage spells. Can be triggered to channel one spell through the weapon to double the spell's effects. Charges: 3/3. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

Ash also reached into his inventory and pulled out another hanbo he had in his possession, removing the sheath and handing it to me.

"You'll want this as well. It helps free up an inventory slot and makes it easier to draw."

I swung the hanbo in the air and spun it in my hand. The weapon was easier to direct than my own staff, which often got in the way when healing. And the two-fold increase to my spells would certainly come in handy, even if I could only use it occasionally.

"Thank you, Ash. This is excellent."

"It's no problem. My original offer still stands, though. If you want me to craft you your own hanbo, I will. It's better to have one made for you. I enchanted mine to hold five charges of my most powerful spell. It comes in handy."

Ash and Radha both turned away, walking toward the far side of the plaza where the previous barrier dropped. We now had ten minutes to get to the next spawn point before the scenario started up again.

I put my staff away and scanned the group, casting Nature's Grace on anyone not yet at full health. Everyone's stamina and mana pools neared full when we left the square and walked down some maze-like alleys that wrapped along the far side of the redoubt.

Chapter 13

Each alley we found was only wide enough to allow us to walk three abreast, restricting our movement and slowing us down. Clifford and Wrane headed the group with Jacob and Margaret in the rear. With only two minutes to spare, we reached a dead end.

"We did miss something?" Wrane asked, shouldering herself by me to look the way we came.

"I don't think so." I walked forward and pressed my hand to the magical barrier. I cupped my hands to form a view hole and looked beyond it. The narrow alley in front of us was fraught with obstacles. Thirty feet ahead, a wall of refuse blocked our way. It would require we enter the rowhouses to get around it.

"I think we're going to have to race this next part," I said to Clifford. His shoulders stiffened at the idea. Neither of us was very athletic and running while fighting was not particularly comfortable.

As the clock counted down and only one minute remained, a portal opened on the opposite end of the barrier and creatures scurried out of it. Where some stayed in the alley, others vanished into the building to the left.

"Alright, everyone, do your best to keep up! We'll have to keep moving for this next part," Clifford yelled at the group behind us.

I analyzed one creature ahead of us just as the gong rang.

Creature: Kobold
Creature Type: Undead
Level: 13
Health: 207
Mana: 176

The barrier fell, revealing the creatures. They were shorter than me and looked very nearly like children to my eyes, although with green and decayed skin, dark and furry beards, and foot-long ears extending out from patchy hair. Both their weapons and armor were rudimentary. They wore only fur trousers and fought with sharpened sticks or crude knives.

A pack of four charged at me. Clifford caught three with his shield. I cast Sonic Shock, forcing the other backward. I heard the creature's bones crunch as it struck the ground and it took 20 damage from my spell and another 20 falling damage.

I retreated while Clifford drove his targets forward with his shield. He slashed the one on the floor with his sword as he pushed by, triggering his enchant and setting it ablaze.

Wrane and her soldiers whooshed by me, descending on the targets like ravenous wolves eager for a meal. Another pack of four kobolds rushed out of a nearby building to meet them.

I stumbled against the weight of the goblins, but Jacob caught me and set me right. This bought me enough time to review my interface and take stock of our situation.

4/10 -- 2% -- 6:43

Ash and Radha were at a loss. The narrow alley and plethora of bodies made it impossible for them to attack at range without inflicting friendly fire. Behind them, a barrier turned red and pressed forward.

"Ash! Radha! Run!" I yelled. They were only inches from the barrier and oblivious to its encroachment, but jumped forward in time to save themselves from the damage it might inflict.

Radha slung her bow over her back and drew out two daggers, moving forward to join in the chaos in front of us and clear our way while Ash and I pressed forward. I launched healing spells on our allies to keep them near full health. One goblin soldier’s health dropped quickly, but I was unable to locate him to heal. Normally, focusing on my target and casting a healing spell was enough to have it set in but he was not in my field of vision.

I jumped into action, but it was too late. By the time I worked my way through the heap of bodies to reach the doorway, the goblin had already died. Three kobolds were stabbing his corpse, and a fourth was looking at me through the doorway, pulling his blade back to stab me. I launched him backward with a Sonic Shock as Clifford pulled me away from the door before rushing in to engage. More goblin soldiers pressed into me in a panic, eager to escape the barrier approaching behind us. I braced my hands against the door frame and pushed back, preventing them from entering the building.

"Wrane! Calm them down! Now!"

One by one, she pulled the four remaining goblin guards off me and punched them in the face or the gut, cursing them out for their inexcusable panic.

I allowed Jacob, Margaret, and Radha to enter the building to aid Clifford. The four of them overwhelmed the kobolds and allowed us to move to the next room.

Clifford and the others slipped through a hole in the wall and into the next building. I followed but remained standing in the narrow hole in the wall to keep both my friends in my line of sight and to see Wrane's reaction to her fallen comrade. Her remaining soldiers stripped him of his weapons and armor, leaving a naked corpse on the ground lying in a puddle of blood. Her daggers trembled as she cursed at her soldiers in Goblin-speak.

"Wrane, we have to keep moving," I said as the red barrier fizzled through the opposite wall, inching forward to intercept us. She nodded and ordered her men forward. The barrier, meanwhile, passed over a kobold corpse and turned it to ash, leaving only dust in its wake.

I slid into the next room and out the door to catch up with Clifford and the others. In my absence, Radha returned to slinging her arrows and Ash served as the healer. His one healing spell was not enough to keep Clifford's health high. He was already at 25%. I gripped Ash's shoulder to let him know I would take over and pointed my new hanbo toward Clifford, willing Nature's Touch through the weapon, healing Clifford for 70 health in less than 3 seconds. I lowered my weapon and directed a single wisp to him and then refreshed my healing over time spells. This brought him close to full health and compelled him to fight harder, now absent the pain of many wounds.

We inched forward as the death barrier behind us passed the refuse pile. At the same time, my healing fireworks drew the attention of a renegade kobold, who charged at me like a lion does a gazelle. I pushed Ash away from me, creating a gap wide enough for the kobold to skirt by, but the creature stopped in his tracks and turned around to attack me. He was met with a Sonic Shock that launched him back into the barrier. The monster didn't even have time to scream in agony before he exploded into ash.

At one point, I bashed one kobold in the face with my hanbo and broke his nose. Blood gushed down the creature's face as it stumbled backward before tripping over an ally's corpse and collapsing into the death barrier.

4/10 -- 38% -- 4:37

The remainder of this wave proved uneventful. The group of us settled into a routine. Jacob and Margaret took over for a minute to give Clifford enough time to regain some stamina while Wrane directed two of her soldiers to fight at a time. Every so often, they launched a kobold backward to Ash or me. Ash froze them in place to let the barrier claim them, or I blasted them backward to their doom.

We snaked our way in and out of buildings, sometimes climbing a set of stairs only to breach the roof and make our way down the other side, encountering groups of four or five kobolds ranging from levels 12 to 14. We reached the end of the maze to another plaza with a giant building on the far end, doors blocked by another magical barrier. Clifford struck a killing blow to the last kobold with two minutes to spare before the next wave began.

You have killed a level 12 Kobold * 15. 10xp each. +150xp
You have killed a level 13 Kobold * 17. 11xp each. +187xp

You have killed a level 14 Kobold * 16. 12xp each. +192xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 in Staves. 2% increased damage, 2.7% increased chance to block.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 of Sonic Shock. Spell evolved to Sonic Shock III. Spell now forces target back 7 feet, inflicting 20 blunt damage. Mana cost: 15.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 19 of Nature's Grace.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 3 of Nature's Touch.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 27 of Living Seed.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 3 in Athleticism.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 11 in Observation.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 30 in Leadership. You can now command a war party of 30 people. Your party also deals 5% more damage and takes 5% less damage. Party members also gain 5% additional experience.

Congratulations! You have reached level 16! You have 2 attribute points to assign. 3,102 experience to next level.

I committed my points, one to Intelligence and one to Wisdom and relished in the feeling of my mana pool growing wider and more potent. I yearned to be a higher level. Even now, my Intelligence rating gave me a 13% boost to my mana pool and my Wisdom offered me a 12% increase to my healing and damage spells.

I cleared out my notifications when the invisible gong echoed through the new plaza indicating the beginning of the next wave. The area was not like the former one. It was missing benches and a giant mushroom. Instead, the ground was littered with piles of dirt and broken cobblestones. The entire area also stank of death and decay, forcing me to cover my mouth and nose until I adjusted to the disgusting odor.

5/10 -- 0% -- 5:00

I once-overed my party, now down to eleven members. I felt guilt over the death of Wrane’s soldier. If I had reacted faster, perhaps he wouldn't have died in the chaos.

Just as I was going to say something to Wrane, another gong sounded and the ground exploded. From the dozen piles of dirt, out crawled more undead kobolds. These looked tougher than the last. They carried more advanced weapons and tougher armor, although were far fewer in number because they were hitting us all at once.

Clifford yelled and clanked his sword against his shield to draw their attention. While he enjoyed partial success, some kobolds withdrew to better vantage points. The four who did not rush him began muttering words of power and slung balls of arcane magic at random targets. The magical spheres crackled as they coursed through the air. One zoomed at me, but Radha pushed me out of the way and absorbed the hit, taking fifteen points off her life. Ash was quick to heal her while I focused on Clifford and the others.

Wrane and her soldiers had not yet engaged. She muttered some orders to them. Three of them ran to the far side of the plaza to engage one ranged target while she grabbed the remaining soldier by his wrist and threw something to the ground. A cloud of smoke enveloped both of them, and they appeared less than a second later behind a second ranged target, eviscerating it with their weapons from behind.

"I think they've been holding out on us," Ash muttered to his wife. Radha grinned as she released arrow after arrow from her bow, aiming for a third spellcaster. I cast Brambles at the fourth spellcaster and watched as thorny vines enveloped the kobold, interrupting whatever spell it was about to release.

At the same time, Clifford, now overwhelmed by five remaining creatures, activated a shout ability that I never saw him use before. Two of the six kobolds retreated backward and cowered before him, buying him enough time to push one off to Jacob and Margaret, who made easy prey out of the monster.

One kobold swung his sword low to the ground, striking Clifford in the calf and inflicting critical damage. His health dropped by thirty points, and he collapsed from the pain, hiding under his shield as blow after blow from the two monsters prevented him from attacking.

I cast Living Seed on Clifford and moved forward, waving my hands together to release Nature's Touch to heal his leg completely. I stood above him while he deflected incoming blows to cast Sonic Shock into one attacker and Brambles into the other before reaching down to grab him. I strained with all my might to bring him to his feet. He staggered some, still shocked by the onslaught so many attackers at once, but he recovered quickly once I directed my final wisp into him. Once returned to full health he was willing and eager to resume fighting.

One kobold recovered and rushed forward, swinging its sword down to cleave my head, but Clifford caught it with his own and pushed me to safety with his shield before returning to the fray.

By this point, the others dispatched the enemy spellcasters and descended to the middle of the plaza, picking off the remaining targets one by one. The last kobold fell with thirty seconds remaining in the wave.

You have killed a level 13 Kobold Spellweaver * 4. 13xp each. +52xp
You have killed a level 13 Kobold Beserker * 5. 12xp each. +60xp
You have killed a level 14 Kobold Beserker * 3. 15xp each. +45xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 11 of Brambles.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 4 of Nature's Touch.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 of Healing Wisps.

With everyone in the party at or near full health, I swallowed a mana potion and looked at my cooldowns. I had another forty-one minutes left until I could summon more wisps.

The gong sounded the end of this wave and the barrier leading to the large building in front of us collapsed. Our next path was now locked in with only three minutes until what I guessed would be the next boss battle.

6/10 -- 0% -- 2:58

Clifford led our party into the building. While it was large enough for multiple floors, there was only one. Two staircases wrapped around on either side and met a third stairway leading down to a platform. Off to one side, a giant anvil filled a fair bit of floor space. Near to it, a forge spat flames and sparks onto the floor.

"Knife-ear, what you need do?" Wrane asked. "I no die more friend."

I held up my hand to stop her, needing time to analyze the surroundings but nodded to her in reassurance. I recognized the building structure. I’ve battled forge bosses before.

I ordered Jacob and a goblin soldier up one staircase, Margaret and another up the second. Clifford, Wrane, and her three remaining men took the middle while Ash, Radha and I stood on the landing above them. This gave the three of us line of sight to everyone.

Once in position, Wrane explained to her guards on the staircases to remain where they were and fight anything that attempted to enter. When the clock struck zero, those of us with pointed ears covered them. The sound of a gong penetrated the room, echoing for what felt like an eternity. When the sound faded, three portals opened, one at each exit and one near the forge.

A boss appeared in the middle of the room and was quickly engaged by Clifford.

Creature: Kobold Forgemaster
Creature Type: Undead Boss
Level: 15
Health: 6248
Mana: 3562
Stamina: 4971

This kobold towered over the rest. He was a foot above Clifford and clenched an oversized hammer in his hand. Being undead, his skin was patched and broken. Where I could not see bone, I spotted the oversized muscles of one who spent too much time in a forge. Radha, an armor crafter herself, shared this feature. Her taut muscles were able to draw a bowstring with ease.

While everyone on the lower platform engaged the boss, I counted out the five painful seconds it took me to cast Nature's Aura, centering the spell in the room so it encompassed everyone. I also swallowed one of my stronger mana potions to make up the cost.

6/10 -- 3% -- 9:45

Thirty seconds into the fight, a kobold beserker stepped out of each remaining portal to be engaged by my fighters on the stairs. Each fighter was able to maintain their own without being overwhelmed, but whether or not they would be able to kill their target in less than thirty seconds remained unknown.

"You two," I turned to Ash and Radha, "keep an eye on the stairs. Help them if they get overwhelmed."

Both of them acknowledged my instruction while focusing on the oversized boss only thirty feet from us. Analyzing everyone's nameplates, I noticed Radha's mana pool depleted every few releases. Each arrow that triggered a mana drop glimmered as it coursed through the air before piercing the boss, striking it for over fifty damage.

Ash, meanwhile, cycled through various elements searching for what would be most useful against this boss, settling for frost bolts that pierced his armor to rain harmless shards of ice on our allies below.

6/10 -- 30% -- 7:58

Things were going well until the boss hit 66% health. Without warning, the creature swung his hammer into Clifford with ungodly strength, impacted his shield, and sent him soaring through the air toward me. We managed to catch him, but not before all of us took damage from the impact. Clifford was the worst off, suffering a two-hundred point health loss by way of a single strike. The Forgemaster bellowed a massive roar, and another Beserker stepped out of the portal, requiring the others fight two at once. He reached his oversized hands inside the forge's fire, suffering a health loss of 3%, but drawing out from the flames a heaping pile of embers that he tossed on the nearby anvil. Raising his massive hammer, the beast slammed it into the embers. A shockwave of flame coursed through the room, impacting everyone, enemy and ally alike, with 50hp damage.

Clifford regained his footing and staggered back into the fight, triggering a threatening shout at the boss before it attacked Wrane and her soldiers.

"I'm beginning to hate this place," I muttered to Ash, who started helping me heal the others. I swallowed a mana potion before pouring a quarter of my mana into my various healing spells until everyone sat at healthy levels. I turned to Clifford and cast Living Seed on him before spamming Nature's Touch every three seconds to bring him closer to full health.

6/10 -- 53% -- 4:37

While Radha focused on the boss, Ash and I directed our attention to the growing wall of kobold beserkers working their way down the outer staircases, controlling them with Brambles and frost spells. I even used the break in the fight to cast a few spirit bolts at them, torn for a moment between attacking, which I hated to do, and healing. I didn't feel right when spilling blood. It worked against my very nature and made me feel dirty both on the outside and within.

As the boss approached a third of its health, Clifford rotated until he was positioned between the monster and the forge. When we were 33% through the phase, the boss repeated the same motion as before, straining to lift the giant hammer before slamming it down with the same overpowering strength, infusing the hammer's head with mana.

"Get down!" Clifford yelled. Everyone in the room, including those on the stairways, hit the floor and covered their heads. Clifford dove out of the way, missing the incoming blow by only fractions of an inch. The Forgemaster's hammer struck the burner causing an upward explosion of embers and flames that penetrated its entire body, setting him ablaze. The monster screamed as it was engulfed by flames, its health dropped precipitously, and the kobold berserks on the staircase collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony and despair. The flames licked at our backs, reducing our health as well. They ate into my own skin enough to cause one-hundred damage.

When the flames died, Clifford and the others jumped to their feet and engaged in a bloody and savage onslaught until the boss collapsed to the ground in a smoldering heap. I rose to my feet with help from Ash and Radha and scanned everyone in the room, healing myself and the others. My spells were interrupted by chills that coursed through my shocked and injured body. Clifford's own armor glowed red from the heat of the flames, but we were all alive, if not worse for wear.

The forge was now macabre and quiet, littered with corpses and smoke. The portals shut and a chest of rewards remained where the boss previously spawned.

6/10 -- 100% -- 2:13

You have defeated a Kobold Forgemaster (boss). +274xp
You have killed a level 13 Kobold Beserker * 8. 12xp each. +96xp
You have killed a level 14 Kobold Beserker * 10. 13xp each. +130xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 in Light Armor. Damage reduction improved from 1.5% to 5%.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 13 in Observation. Congratulations! You have reached rank 31 in Leadership. Congratulations! You have reached rank 12 of Brambles. Congratulations! You have reached rank 3 of Spirit Bolt.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 28 of Living Seed.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 3 of Nature's Aura.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 20 of Nature's Grace. Spell Evolved to Nature's Grace IV. Now heals for 10hp per second for 4 seconds. Mana cost: 24.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 6 of Nature's Touch. Spell Evolved to Nature's Touch III. Now heals for 35hp. Mana cost: 32.

The gong sounded sad when it rang this time, almost as if it personified displeasure at our working the mechanics of the fight to an early victory. The interface updated to reflect 0% of the seventh wave to start in twenty minutes, giving us ample time to paw through the rewards available to us.

I was first to the chest this time and pulled out each item, breaking it down into two piles, one for Wrane and her men and the other for us. There were no spell tomes, weapons, or armor, although there were new accessories. I pulled out and equipped the two that seemed suited to me, putting my old Ring of Lesser Magical Insight away as I could only wear four rings at a time:

Forgemaster's Ivory Band: Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. +35mp. +10hp
Forgemaster's Silver Choker: Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Reduces mana cost of all healing spells by 5%.

The others either put on or pocketed their rewards. Ash slipped on his new ring and put away his new necklace, favoring the one he currently wore. I scanned the item, but it came up only as an ordinary ring on a simple chain. I noticed at the same time that Radha wore the same necklace, realizing it was their wedding bands.

Wrane was smiling ear to ear now as she reviewed her notification. She reached level 19. She stomped over to me and punched me lightly in the shoulder.

"If we Klandar has mighty elf magic, we do this time ago."

"Wait. You don't have magic?"

"No. Some Uplark do funny witch work. We not know tongue. Klandar forget." She untwisted the thin filament of her choker before tying it around her neck. "Thanks to you I stronger. I kill more Uplark."

"You're welcome?" Things started to seem off to me. This scenario marked the end of a bitter civil war between Goblins and Kobolds, and we’d spent the last hour or so force-marched through the scenario that marked a shift of power in this underground kingdom.

"Wrane, were there always Kobolds, Klandar, and Uplark in this kingdom?"

She shook her head. "Wrane no know. Klandar forget once was. Since Magheim sleep, Uplark and Klandar war. Kobolds no here."

We shuffled out of the forge and into the plaza outside. I took a look around the perimeter and into the massive cavern above. More and more torches illuminated the cliffs and I could hear distant cheers coming from the Klandar encampment. I was now convinced that both tribes of goblins knew who we were and what we were up to.

"Wrane, it looks like the Uplark are watching us. What do you think they'll do?"

"I not know. They eye us. Then you see."

I shrugged and turned to Clifford. His knuckles turned white against his sword’s hilt.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I don't know. This civil war started right around the time my mother was captured. I can't help but get a strange feeling about this place. Something is going on here that's more than just warring goblins."

"Do you think she's alive? Do you think she was this something?"

He stopped in his tracks, relaxed his jaw some, and sheathed his sword. "I hope so. If she's alive, though, how could she have caused all this? They couldn't have kept her prisoner this long, could they? Would they?"

I moved closer to him and wrapped my arm around his waist as we walked forward, trailing behind the rest of our party.

"I don't know," I said. "But if she’s still here, we'll find her."

He smiled at me, turned his head toward me, and kissed the top of my scalp before letting me go. "Thank you, Michael. It means the world to me that you took the time to do this. We didn't have to come this way. Securing this retreat was only your excuse to help me find out what happened to her."

"You don't have to thank me. I'd do anything to help you. And we get to kill two birds with one stone."

"Two birds? Why would you throw stones at birds?"

"It's just a saying."

Clifford twisted his lips, apparently confused with my turn of phrase. He began to mouth words for a follow-up question, but I interrupted him with a chuckle.

"You know what? Never mind. I'll clue you in later on."

7/10 -- 0% -- 12:32

Chapter 14

Twelve minutes remained until the beginning of the next phase. We followed the revealed path into the heart of Magheim's Keep. The stone buildings around us became taller, tighter, and cleaner as we made our way to the inner city. Everything grew darker now and those among us without advanced night vision swallowed another potion to refresh the effects. I coughed a bit as I swallowed the concoction, which tasted of mold and sugar. It was nothing like previous night vision brews I made when I was just a player although the boost from this drink was ten times stronger than what I had made before.

Wrane walked beside me. Her daggers were shaking in her hands. Her hair was a disheveled mess.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. She jumped at the sound of my voice and dropped one of her blades. I picked it up and handed it back to her. She avoided looking at me.

"I never fight hard like this. Only kill Uplark and upworld animals for eats." Her voice trembled while she spoke, causing me to question what I previously thought about her. In Klandar's keep, she was firm and steadfast, issuing orders to her men who obeyed without hesitation. Now, however, she was in over her head. It seemed she spent years fighting blue-skinned goblins and crafting to reach a high level but never encountered an enemy she couldn't defeat or flee from.

"It'll be alright, Wrane. You're doing very well for your first time in a tough fight. And we're over halfway there. We can do this."

"How you know?" She stopped dead in her tracks and snapped at me, gripping both daggers in one hand and tucking her hair behind her ears. Her breathing was fast and forceful.

"How you know us home? How you know we beat Uplark? You no Umplar! You no god!"

"I'm sorry, Wrane. I don't know. I only hope we have what it takes to get out of this alive. We have no other choice. I refuse to believe that we die here."

She relaxed her shoulders and started breathing normally again. "I apologies. Fronlarp was friend. I no wish Fronlarp die."

I took this to mean the former soldier we lost. I never took the time to analyze them and learn their names.

"Tell me more about him?" I asked, placing my hand on her back to guide her forward. While we had time to talk, the clock was running out. The next phase would begin in less than eight minutes.

Wrane talked about her friend while she walked. And about her god, Umplar, who was said to gift goblins with the ability to see in the dark and protect and provide for them in this underground, inhospitable environment.

We snaked our way in and out of alleys and side streets until we reached a large road that encircled the inner redoubt. Ahead of us, we could make out the large square and massive fountain in front of the main entrance to the inner stronghold. The way to the square was closed to us by an opaque, magical barrier.

"I thank you, Michael," Wrane said. While she had finished telling me her stories a minute ago, she now spoke up just as the clock was nearing zero. "Upworlders usually kill Klandar goblins. You different. You special. You be we friend. Yes?"

"Absolutely." I smiled at her and pulled out my hanbo as the gong signaled the beginning of the next wave.

Congratulations! Your disposition with Wrane Gorkin has increased from indifferent to friendly. Continue building your friendship with her to improve further.

7/10 -- 0% -- 2:00

I looked around for portals to appear, but saw none. Instead, a grinding noise echoed down the wide street from behind us. I turned around just as the blue barrier at our backs turned bright red and rushed forward to meet us.

"Run!" I yelled to everyone. I launched forward in a full sprint with the death field only inches from my heels. Wrane propelled herself in front of me taking off at a pace faster than I could meet. The others also leaped forward into a full sprint while Clifford slowed down to wait for me.

"Don't slow down! Run!"

He didn't listen and only picked up speed when I caught up with him. Our backs both glowed blood red, inflamed by the barrier a few feet behind us. As we sprinted, ghosts of goblins and kobolds lined the sides of the street and sat on the rooftops. They pointed at us and laughed at our current predicament. Behind the barrier, a surge of Kobold spirits chased us.

"What the hell," Clifford gasped, "is going on here?"

I couldn't answer his question. My stamina hit 50%, and we still had ninety seconds to go. My burning legs gave out on me, but I managed to tuck into a forward roll and get back on my feet quickly, losing only a foot to the barrier. I pumped harder and harder, my heart pounding in my ears. We caught up with the others in the square. When Clifford and I crossed the threshold, the barrier expanded, forming a circle that encompassed the entire area. A gong sounded at the one-minute mark, and the barrier began moving toward us again, the cylinder compressing inward to crush us. I turned around and faced it, backpedaling myself toward the center of the square.

"Everyone into the fountain!" I yelled to the group.

We had nowhere else to go, so we jumped over the two-foot fountain wall and ducked below it. The others followed suit, lying either on their stomachs or flat on their backs, covering their heads. Clifford settled next to me. I gripped his hand tight and held my breath as the barrier passed overhead. It settled over the entire fountain like a layer of deadly ice intending to drown us with Kobold spirits hovering overhead scowling at us. Sparks of red ejected from it that sizzled my skin as they fell. The air crackled with the energy of it until the timer hit thirty seconds. The barrier bubbled upward before snapping down into place, releasing the same gong sound we had heard this entire time. Shockwaves shook the fountain walls and made me sick and dizzy. I let go of Clifford's hand and covered my ears to protect them. Clifford turned toward me and laid his hands on mine to offer greater protection, locking eyes with me to assure me it would soon be over.

This continued for what felt like an eternity. The barrier bubbled and collapsed, and the gong's reverberations shook my entire body. The burning, electrical shell felt like a giant plunger and the fountain, a toilet bowl meant to expel us. The shell above us sucked the air out and in, raping us with the gong's percussions. Clifford protected my ears and pressed his forehead against mine to comfort me, although his presence did nothing to reduce the terror of the situation. Just as I hoped this would not be the end of us, the burning red barrier disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. I felt myself being pulled to my feet but was too dizzy to register what was going on. Everything but my interface twisted and turned. The world spun as though I was on a bad carnival ride.

You have been afflicted with Magheim's Death Rattle. Hearing muted. Vision blurred. Duration: 2 min.

8/10 -- 0% -- 5:00

I scanned the rest of the party. Every goblin and elf present had the same debuff, but Clifford, Jacob, and Margaret were alright, although low on stamina. After a few seconds, their health started dropping. They were fighting assailants I couldn't even see or hear.

The effect of the debuff turned my stomach over and over until I couldn't help but vomit. I collapsed to my knees, braced myself against the ground, and lost the contents of my guts. Fluid splashed the back of my hands. I slammed my eyes shut hoping to block out the spinning world around me, watching Clifford and the others in my interface as their health pools declined even further. Ash and some goblin warriors also took damage for a moment, but that stopped when Ash's mana pool depleted. He apparently erected a small protection bubble.

With thirty seconds remaining on the debuff, I agonized over cold metal slicing my chest. My health declined by 50 points. I responded by raising my hands and casting Sonic Shock blindly into the air in front of me. The floor vibrated as my unknown attacker took the brunt of the spell and launched backward, buying me time to heal myself and stagger to my feet. I felt a body press up against me and raised my hands at first to push the weight off, only to feel cool and smooth armor against them. I cast Living Seed and Nature's Touch into the unknown form and saw Clifford's health rise. His nearness and his serving as my protector made me feel safe. Before I could enjoy it, though, he was gone.

8/10 -- 43% -- 3:04

As the debuff expired, sound and sight returned to me. The transition from belligerence to clarity felt a punch to the gut, but I opened my eyes to witness the incoming carnage.

Creature: Magheim's Guard
Creature Type: Undead
Level: 15
Health: 134

Portal after portal opened at random locations around the square, each ejecting an undead monster before dissipating. Clifford, Jacob, and Margaret acted with heroism, fighting and controlling the horde, corralling them into a manageable group to prevent them from attacking us.

Wrane and the others managed to get to their feet and struggled to join the fight while Ash and Radha picked off their own targets recently ejected from a new portal. A gust of wind rushed through the plaza, and I felt a cold wetness on my neck. I wiped away the moisture only to retract palms covered in blood. The explosion of sound from the fountain caused my ears to bleed.

Anger coursed through me and I jumped into action, stumbling only for a moment before regaining my composure. I released a volley of all my available healing spells, including discharging Nature's Aura from my ring, and got to work with Brambles, Sonic Shock, and Spirit Bolt to better control the incoming undead horde.

All the while, Clifford was fantastic. Despite being dangerously low on stamina, he bashed one guard away, stepped beyond it, took a wide swing and decapitated another. He moved forward and charged at a pack of three, tripping them into the fountain where Ash unleashed a fury of fire spells to ignite them in a way that would not cause friendly damage.

This went on for a while. By the end of the phase, my own mana pool was sufficiently depleted, but we caught up enough to let Wrane and her soldiers take over, killing an undead guard before moving onto the next while the rest of us recuperated for the next phase.

The gong sounded again signaling the end of our current onslaught. The opaque barrier preventing us from moving into the central fortress dissipated.

You have killed a level 14 Magheim's Guard * 17. 16xp each. +272xp
You have killed a level 15 Magheim's Guard * 15. 17xp each. +255xp
You have killed a level 16 Magheim's Guard * 4. 18xp each. +72xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 in Athleticism.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 12 in Light Armor. 5.2% reduced damage and increased movement speed.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 14 of Brambles.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 12 of Sonic Shock.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 of Spirit Bolt. Spell evolved to Spirit Bolt III. Now inflicts 20 damage. Mana cost: 17.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 21 of Nature's Grace.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 of Nature's Touch.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 28 of Living Seed.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 of Nature's Aura. Spell evolved to Nature's Aura II. Now heals all friendly targets for 4hp every five seconds for 5 minutes.

9/10 -- 0% -- 5:00

I took a moment to fill my spell storage ring with another cast of Nature's Aura and swallowed a mana potion before catching up to the others. The way forward was difficult given the pounding headache I still suffered. We climbed the steps into the inner fortress, all yearning for this scenario to be finished.

Chapter 15

A stench overwhelmed me when we crossed the threshold into the fortress, like rotting leaves mixed with honey. Slick moss covered the cobblestone ground, and all sources of light were extinguished save a few clusters of glowing mushrooms. If not for our night vision potions, most of us would be lost in the dark.

Ahead of us, another set of oversized doors blocked our way forward and, as the last of us crossed into the redoubt, an opaque barrier formed to prevent our retreat.

"Michael, what us do now?" Wrane asked, spinning in circles, looking for a way forward.

She had a point. Given the pacing of the previous waves, having four minutes to spare and nothing to do seemed odd. I shrugged my shoulders and stepped around her, pushing my way through her pack of guards.

The inner courtyard was both undecorated and unremarkable. It looked like a hastily constructed building around a smaller stronghold within. In fact, the entire area, if not for the dome above our heads, would be nothing more than a courtyard cocooning the actual fortress like a shell encompasses a caterpillar. My foot slipped on a particularly slick cobblestone before stopping against a decorative seal on the ground. I knelt down and peeled some moss away and traced the seal with my fingers. It was engraved with strange characters I had never seen before.

"Wrane, do you know what these symbols are?"

She knelt down beside me and mumbled some words in Goblin-speak. "They is old text. No words your mouth."

9/10 -- 0% -- 3:17

I waved at the group and asked them to clean off the remaining seals. In total, there were twelve of them, although one was split in two. Half of them had the same symbol, including the broken one.

"Wrane, stand on this one," I said, pointing to an emblem near me. She raised her eyebrows as if to question me, but with time running out she acquiesced. When both her feet touched the seal it illuminated, projecting a pillar of light upward to encompass her.

Wrane pulled at her legs in panic, unable to move her feet. One of her guards also tried to pull her off the stone tile before I pushed him off her.

"It's alright. This is supposed to happen," I said.

I ordered her guards, Jacob, and Margaret to find a tile with the same symbols. My two allies planted themselves on a seal without questioning my orders, but Wrane's guards had to be persuaded by her to comply.

With seven emblems enabled and only four unbroken ones remaining of varying characters, Clifford, Ash, Radha and I shuffled around until we too found our corresponding tiles. Once we did, Fronlarp's spirit manifested on the broken seal, it too shining as though he was really here. Wrane reached out to her fallen comrade, but his ghost stood in place like an ice sculpture.

Another gong sounded when the countdown hit zero, this one much quieter than before. I turned to Clifford and reached my hand out to him. We were close enough to allow our fingertips to touch, but still too far to clasp hands.

The alarm sounded a second time signaling the beginning of the next wave. Each seal expanded outward and the light followed, turning the circular emblems into large squares that pressed against one another. The opaque and gray magic rose well above our heads, boxing us in on three sides, separating us from one another. I tried to cast a healing spell on Clifford, but it failed. Despite being able to see him, the magical barrier broke my line of sight.

9/10 -- 1% -- 4:00

One by one, a portal opened in front of each square releasing a wave of monsters for us to battle on our own. As my portal opened, the ground below me released my feet and I lunged forward and cast Sonic Shock to create distance between me and the monster in front of me.

Creature: Magheim's Solidus
Creature Type: Undead
Level: 16
Health: 123/147

The creature skidded back seven feet but remained standing. It moved forward and raised its weapon to attack me, but I cast Brambles and encased it in thorny vines. It was close enough to me now that I raised my hanbo and struck it repeatedly for the next five seconds while it was immobilized. The creature dropped dead at my feet and faded to ash. While I waited for the next, I saw my allies fighting their targets. Ash and Radha were doing fine. They had ranged attacks that could stun or control their targets. Clifford, Jacob, and Margaret were able to alternate between defense and offense, all taking minimal damage.

Wrane and her goblins were in worse shape. While Wrane was able to lure her target in and activate her Shadowstep ability, I guessed it had a cooldown longer than each wave of incoming undead. Her soldiers, however, still battled with brute force and ignorance and had no mind to block or dodge.

More waves spawned, and I dispatched the creature with ease by way of Brambles and my new and now beloved hanbo. I cringed a bit with every swing of my weapon. I despised having to deal damage in this way.

At the three-minute mark, the barriers dividing us merged. The wall separating Clifford and me puffed out of existence and allowed us to fight together. Our portals combined and released three undead soldiers instead of two. I encased one in Brambles while Clifford intercepted the other two. This bought me time to heal him to full and attack with Spirit Bolt and my hanbo. Together, we were able to slay all three creatures in less than twenty seconds.

I spun around to take stock of the situation, relieved to see that Wrane was not fighting on her own. Instead of merging only with Fronlarp's statuesque spirit, her cell joined with Jacob and Margaret, releasing four enemies instead of three.

Clifford and I laid waste to the next waves of Magheim's Solidus. With 1:30 on the clock, all of the barriers collapsed and the five remaining portals merged together in the middle of the room and released wave after wave of level 16 undead for us to battle, but without being divided, we cut through them like lightning through a tree. Only piles of ash remained. While my allies unleashed hell, I healed them all to full, swallowing a mana potion to make up my lost MP.

10/10 -- 0% -- 10:00

You have killed a level 16 Magheim's Solidus *125. 19xp each. +2375xp.

Congratulations! You have reached level 17. You have 2 attribute points to assign. +2994xp to next level.

Before moving forward, I committed my two points to Intelligence and Wisdom.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 15 in Staves. 2.5% increased damage, 3.5% increased chance to block.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 14 in Observation. Congratulations! You have reached rank 32 in Leadership. Congratulations! You have reached rank 16 in Brambles. Spell evolved to Novice Brambles IV. Spell now deals 12hp per second for 5 seconds. Mana cost: 22.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 14 in Sonic Shock. Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 in Spirit Bolt.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 22 in Nature's Grace.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 9 in Nature's Touch.

Once our health, stamina, and mana were topped off, the group of us moved into the inner fortress of Magheim's Redoubt. It took six of us to push open the heavy stone doors. When they parted enough to break the seal, a gust of putrid air escaped from the building like compressed air escapes a newly discovered tomb. The room looked abandoned for decades. A thick layer of dust covered the floors. As we walked further into the structure, braziers on the wall flickered to life to light our way. The remnants of shredded tapestries hung on the walls. We all jumped to the right as one caught on fire. With no moisture remaining in the fabric, it was consumed in less than a few seconds. A slit in the wall appeared behind it indicating that this room was more of a gatehouse than a foyer. I looked up to confirm my suspicions and realized the room was full of murder holes.

Clifford and Wrane pushed open a set of inner doors leading into the great hall. Two long and broken tables ran along the sides of the chamber with broken and decayed benches lining them. Plates littered the tables, some containing mummified heaps of black mold. The stench of it all burned my throat and brought tears to my eyes.

"It smells like a pile of sliced onions in here," I said to Clifford, who had already covered his nose and mouth to block the fetor and decay.

I stumbled over a heap of a skeleton on the floor. Looking around more, I realized the chamber was littered with the bones of the dead. The idea of being surrounded by so many corpses sent shivers down my spine, and I took a few steps backward into Wrane who cried without regard to the rest of us. Her four soldiers wore a cold expression as though someone had just broken their hearts.

"Wrane, what happened here?" I whispered to her.

"I only girl at time Uplark rebellion. As I say, Klandar forgets most."Her already yellow skin turneda shade of brown as she gagged at the sights and smells around us.

A quiet gong interrupted the silence. The orange torches on the walls flickered out of existence to be replaced with green, ghost-like flames that burned quietly.

We crowded together when the walls, ceiling, and floor faded to a black so dark even our night vision couldn't pierce it, as though we were standing in the middle of a gaping void.

Behind us, three spirits materialized, two goblin soldiers and one untidy heap they dragged behind them. Their prisoner glowed like sunlight hitting silver. They walked toward us and through us. As they phased by, more green ghosts manifested, standing or sitting around the broken tables. To our left, the ghosts were solemn and calm. The spirit-goblins to our right were infuriated. The rows of goblins mouthed screams and shrieks we couldn't hear.

The two guards reached the middle of the room and tossed their prisoner to the ground with disdain and disregard. The mysterious figure struggled to its feet, towering over the goblin guards. It spun around, eliciting a gasp from Clifford.

"Mother," he said, stepping a few paces forward to get another look. "Michael, she’s here. What does this mean? Is she dead?"

I moved forward to meet him, looking into the eyes of the woman. One was swollen shut. The other looked dazed and confused at what was happening.

"I don't think so," I said. "I don't think these are ghosts. We're witnessing a memory."

The two goblin guards moved further into the room, painting the scene entirely. As they approached the back of the hall, a giant throne became visible. A mountain of a goblin appeared, filling the entire area with green. He sat on the throne with smaller goblin apparitions offering food and cups to him while he stuffed his face.

"Magheim? How we forget Magheim?" one of Wrane's guards asked. The five of them moved forward until they were shoulder to shoulder with us.

Magheim pushed himself up from his throne and pointed at Clifford's mother, his face filled with rage and anger. He leaned on the two guards as he moved down the steps leading to his throne. Even though they were just reflections of the past, the room trembled with every step he took. Magheim looked disgusting, like a fat pig on a spit.

A cape dragged behind him, held in place by a choker that strained against the girth of his neck. His rotund belly sagged over torn trousers that seemed about ready to burst. The only other thing he wore was a glimmering amulet around his neck that glowed golden against his bulbous and fatty pectorals.

The phantoms of Clifford's mother and Magheim exchanged heated words while the goblins on the right side became more agitated. Those on the left all wore masks of sadness and fear.

The green flames surrounding Magheim grew brighter and hotter as he began yelling at Clifford's mother. It was evident the goblin leader was being egged on and driven to rage by the faction of goblins on the right. At last, Magheim's fire exploded through the room. We launched back, but the flames that passed through us cooled our skin to the touch.

The goblin leader grabbed a war hammer from a servant, raised it in the air, and crashed it down on her head.

Clifford screamed and rushed forward, sinking to his knees beside his mother's spiritual reflection. His hands passed through her when he tried to pick her up, as though she were nothing more than fog.

I ran up behind him and leaned over, placing my hands on his shoulders to comfort him. Clifford shrugged me off and turned away. He wiped tears from his eyes.

His mother tried to pick herself up from the blow but collapsed to the ground again while Magheim raised his hammer a second time to deal a fatal blow, that never came. Instead, the room behind us burst in red light. I turned around expecting to see a death barrier but it was an army of crimson kobold ghosts. They rushed into the keep like a tidal wave, attacking any goblin in their path. At their head, a five-foot tall kobold led the invasion. Before Magheim had a chance to respond, the kobold leader notched an arrow in his bow and sent it flying across the room. It struck Magheim in the chest, sending him stumbling. A second bolt soared across the chamber and impacted the amulet around his neck, splitting it in two.

My allies and I huddled in the middle of the room watching in awe and amazement as the scene around us fell into chaos. Once the amulet shattered everything around us froze. We heard a shudder of metal hitting the stone floor. A piece of the broken amulet clanked against the ground in front of Clifford's mother. She extended her hand and gripped the fragment before collapsing one final time.               When her head hit the ground, the colors in the room shifted. One set of goblins now glowed yellow. The other turned midnight-blue. The scene resumed, and Magheim stumbled up the stoop to his throne and collapsed dead into his throne. A cluster of now-blue goblin phantoms rushed Clifford's mother and dragged her out of the room. When she disappeared, all light flowed from the great hall and the torches extinguished. I closed my eyes shut in the darkness. When I reopened them, we stood in the heart of the now-illuminated room huddled together for safety as though nothing had happened.

Only Clifford was still on his knees, arm extended outward toward the direction his mother was taken.

"Clifford," I asked, moving around him and kneeling down to look in his eyes, "what's your mom's name?"

It took him a few seconds to acknowledge me. "Joan," he said, sucking air through his nose to better his breathing.

"No. Her maiden name. What's her maiden name?"

"Upfield," he said, wiping water from his eyes. "Why?"

I pressed my lips to his forehead and kissed him hoping to bring some warmth to his cold and clammy skin, although my shadow-elf constitution was not the warmest.

I turned to Wrane who now stood beside us. "What's the Goblin word for 'field'?" I asked.

"Klandar have no word. What 'field'?"

"You know? A field. An open area filled with only grass and flowers?"

She shrugged at me and turned to her soldiers, wondering if they had an answer. One spoke up.

"You mean tongue open space? Us say open upworld 'lar-kla'," he said.

Clifford's eyes widened in realization.

"In short, they tried to translate your mother's name. Your mom is Uplark." I held Clifford by his shoulders. He lifted his chin to look into my eyes.

"Don't you see?" I asked. "She's alive. She’s the leader of the Uplark clan. And she’s alive!"

10/10 -- 0% -- 0:52

We stood in fighting formation preparing for Magheim’s arrival.  When the clock struck zero the room trembled violently.  I thought it might collapse the whole building down on us.  A portal opened and released the final boss: Magheims’ Wraith, a corpulent goblin substantially taller than the armory boss we had battled before.

Before the boss could engage, Clifford charged into action.  He sprinted forward and bashed Magheim with his shield, sending the boss tumbling into the rotting remains of his former throne.

Chapter 16

"If she's alive, why hasn't she come looking for me?" Clifford bent over to dodge an incoming blow, then uprighted himself and slammed his shield into Magheim using untold strength. He followed that up immediately with an upward thrust of his sword, but the boss deflected the strike.

"I don't know." I ducked behind the remains of shattered table to avoid being hit by projectiles the undead monster kicked up from the ground, peeking over the edge of the table to analyze the boss again.

Creature Name: Magheim's Wraith
Creature Type: Undead Boss
Level: 18
Health: 2431/7598
Mana: 1425/5872
Stamina: 2163/6527

Clifford ducked behind his shield, and everyone retreated to hide behind a table as Magheim hit 33% health. The boss bellowed and slammed his gargantuan hands together, releasing shockwaves of spiritual energy across the room. Ash was slow to hide and was caught in the attack. He flew across the room like someone struck with a pickup truck. I extended my hand out to him and expended a charge from my protection ring. The effects of the ring enveloped him and absorbed 25% of his incoming damage, although the impact alone was enough to bring him to 10% health. I escaped my retreat and sprinted to his side. Although he was alive, the impact knocked him out. I channeled both Living Seed and Nature's Touch through my hanbo, using the two remaining charges I had on the weapon, but both spells healed Ash for over three-hundred health and me for another 140hp.

I cringed at the waste of both a charge and my own mana after realizing I over-healed him for 50hp.

I turned my attention back to the party. Everyone was at or above 50% health while the boss was on his last legs.

At 10%, Magheim's squalid corpse encompassed itself in the same red fire we had been running from the entire scenario, and he became enraged, hitting Clifford for twice the amount of damage. I expanded my final charge of my protection ring to absorb part of his incoming damage. It was enough to keep Clifford alive. My own healing magic did the rest.

"You saw the blow she took," I yelled across the room at him as he rolled away from a downward swing of Magheim's hammer. "Maybe she has amnesia!"

Knowing his mother was alive made Clifford fight with the strength of someone twice his level. He moved so swiftly I barely registered him drinking a stamina potion. His movements were that quick.

He deflected the boss's hammer attack and raised his sword into the monster's torso, sinking it up to the hilt. He gripped the handle with both hands and jumped upward, slicing through Magheim's armor and chest until the blade escaped his shoulder. I laughed at him splitting the monster in two.

Magheim collapsed from the mortal blow and fell backward, unleashing one final scream loud enough to make me dizzy. Clifford, unphased by the death cry, stood over the wraith and sunk his sword in one last time, severing Magheim's head from his fat body. The goblins in our party stood in shock, both glad to be alive and sickened at the idea of fighting their old chief. I felt guilty. Clifford and I had been talking about his mother the entire time without realizing what this battle meant to them.

The timer of the final phase hit zero and instead of the despised sound of the gong, what sounded like church bells echoed throughout the great hall.

You have defeated Magheim's Wraith. +275xp.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 6 in Athleticism. Congratulations! You have reached rank 15 in Light Armor. 10% Reduced Damage. 10% increased movement speed when wearing all light armor.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 25 in Nature's Grace IV. Novice Nature's Grace IV has evolved to Forest's Prayer I. Now heals a target for 15hp per second for 4 seconds. Mana cost: 40. Cast time: 2 seconds.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 12 in Nature's Touch. Spell has evolved to Nature's Touch III. Now heals for 40hp. Mana cost: 35. Cast time: 3 seconds. Congratulations! You have reached rank 30 in Living Seed. Spell has evolved to Living Seed IV. Spell now heals for 7hp per second for 10 seconds. Also, heals another lowest health ally for the same amount. Upon expiration, the target is healed for another 25hp. Mana cost: 60.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 6 in Nature's Aura.

Congratulations! You have completed a secret quest: The Secrets of Magheim's folly. You have learned the dirty truth behind the goblin civil war. In completing this single-run scenario, you have transformed this underground kingdom forever. Ownership of Magheim's Keep is now open for anyone to claim it. +2715xp

Do you wish to claim ownership? NOTE: You may only own one settlement at a time. If you take ownership of Magheim's Keep, you must relinquish control of Brackenvale. Pick up Magheim's Hammer to continue.

I didn't have to think about this question at all. There was no way I was going to abandon Brackenvale. I selected no and looked to Wrane, the only person in my party who might be able to take ownership if only temporary.

I had her pick up the hammer. The same question I was posed flooded her field of vision. I could see the font reflected in her eyes.

"I no worth this honor," she said, blinking her eyes to clear the notification temporarily.

"Nor was I worthy of becoming the owner of Brackenvale Keep. It's better for you to control this place now rather than leaving it to be taken by someone else. You can always relinquish control at a later time. Go ahead. Accept it."

She shivered under the weight of the hammer in her hand before bringing the notification up again. I could tell she selected yes since her eyes flooded with text for her to review. She stumbled back and leaned against a nearby wall to read the information.

I staggered across the room toward Ash and Radha. The toils of the last two hours finally caught up with me. After running this scenario, we were all long overdue for a break. I counted the hours in my head and realized it was nearing dinner time for those hundreds of feet above our head.

"Is he alright?" I asked her as she rubbed a cold cloth over Ash's forehead.

"He should wake up in a few minutes. I saw what you did when he was hit. If you hadn't protected him, he might have died."

I shrugged at her, unsure of how to respond. A healer is usually never given credit or thanks in a fight. The glory of victory is often spent on tanks and damage dealers who deliver the final blow. "It’s alright. I just did my job."

"No. You did more than that. This entire time we've been down here, you've proven that you care what happens to us. You've lead us to victory. I have every confidence that you will continue to fight with us until the blight is vanquished. Thank you, Michael."

"You're welcome. And yes, once we're done here we will make sure to make the forest safe for your people and mine."

Congratulations! Your disposition with Radha Greenleaf has improved from Friendly to Trusted. +25xp

Congratulations! You have reached level 18. You have two attribute points to spend. +3952xp to next level.

Radha gave me a funny look while I committed my attribute points to Intelligence and Wisdom.

"What?" I asked her, rubbing the back of my head, embarrassed by her stares.

"When we set out this morning, you were only level fifteen, but you're now level eighteen. I didn't want to believe my father when he told me the truth. You really are Slanaitheoir, aren't you?"

I wasn’t sure what to say.

"While I can't yet tell you the full story, I can say that I haven't always lived in Fjorgyn."

"You mean you come from outside of Vros?" she asked, still attentively rubbing a cold cloth on Ash's forehead.

"In a way. If you continue to travel with me and should we become companions, I can tell you everything. I promise."

Radha huffed at me, upset that I wouldn't tell her the truth now. "You're a mysterious elf, Michael Dian-Cecht, but who am I to question Slanaitheoir? Agreed."

You have received a quest: "Truth among allies." You have promised to reveal the truth of your origins to Radha Greenleaf if and when she becomes your companion. Failed conditions: Radha Greenleaf is killed or reduces to a disposition of 'Hated' or below.
Rewards: Unknown.

I left Radha attending to Ash who still rested comfortably in her arms. Clifford and Wrane were in the back of the room sifting through the contents of a chest that appeared next to Magheim's throne. They both waved me over to sift through the scenario's final loot drop.

Clifford held up a spell tome, an armor piece, and Magheim's broken amulet and handed them over to me.

Spell Tome: Tempest I. Summons a storm cloud over a forty-foot area. Rain from this storm heals allies for 10hp second for 20 seconds and removes one magical ailment. 50% chance per second that lightning strikes multiple enemy targets dealing 10 electrical damage. Mana cost: 150. Cast time: 5 seconds Cooldown: 1 day. This can be resisted.

Magheim's Cape of Sorrows. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Armor: Light(20). Stats: +30HP, +3 Intelligence.

Magheim's Shattered Amulet. Quality: Junk. Class: Common.

I wrapped the cape around my shoulders and fastened it to fill out my armor slots, now having something equipped in every armor slot. I also absorbed the spell tome, eager to learn a hybrid spell that both heals and does damage. Turning my attention to the shattered amulet, I spun the unremarkable object around in my fingers, tracing the metal outline of the medallion from one side to the other. In the middle, a shattered yellow gemstone was secured in place by silver fittings. In my hand, I held only half of the greater whole. The other half was in Joan's possession.

I thought about facing Clifford's mother and what it meant to him. If she was as hostile as Klandar made her out to be and as high level as Clifford said, there was no way we would come out of the fight unscathed. We needed to reach her somehow.

Blood trickled over the amulet’s surface as I sliced my finger on a sharp edge. The unremarkable object responded by glowing warm and golden in my hand.

You have uncovered a hidden quest. 'Unite what was once divided.' Bring together both halves of the amulet in your hand to unleash its secrets.
Reward: Unknown
Y/N?

I accepted the quest and tucked the amulet piece safely in my inventory, joining the others in the back of the room as they filed out of the keep. Ash was still flat on the floor but was now awake.

"What happened?" he asked. "Did we win?"

I laughed at him and reached out an arm to help him to his feet. He stumbled a bit when drawn upright, but regained his footing as his debuff wore off completely.

"Yes, we won. Now let's get out of here, shall we?" I said.

I didn't have to ask Ash twice. Or anyone for that matter. They all vacated the building as though it were on fire. We left the outer courtyard and settled into the barren plaza outside the keep. Some of us sat on the stone fountain's outer wall. Others planted themselves wherever they felt like, too exhausted to continue. I took my place on the ground with my back pressed against the fountain's smooth stone. My fatigue meter was flashing in my interface, hovering around 98%. If we were attacked now we wouldn't have the energy to continue. Clifford struggled out of his heavy armor and discarded it on the ground before collapsing beside me, resting his head on my shoulder.

Jacob and Margaret walked around from person to person, handing out flasks of water, dried meat, bread, and cheese. They came round to me and held out what little they had left.

"You two should open a sandwich shop." I took the food from them, eager for some sustenance.

"A what?" Margaret asked.

"A sandwich. You know, like this." I ripped the bread in two and flattened both pieces, stuffed the meat and cheese in the middle and took a hulking bite from my concoction. I was disappointed when I didn't earn an increase in my cooking skill.

Jacob's eyes widened, and he repeated my motions, stuffing the remaining meat and cheese together, devouring his sandwich in a way that would make wolves jealous.

"Great," Margaret said, "Now you've gone and taught him a faster way to stuff his face."

They wandered off to a far corner of the square to rest in quiet while everyone finished their dinner. Wrane and the other goblins devoured the food we provided and hunted through their bags for any crumbs they might have left, grinding their sharp teeth into tough meat, root vegetables, and mushrooms with complete abandon. Clifford, meanwhile, dozed comfortably against my shoulder, eager to sleep while we had a chance. I tried to doze off as well but wasn’t sleepy. Ash was the same way. It was much easier being a healer or a ranged magic caster than it was fighting front-and-center. For those of us who wielded magic, ours was a mental fatigue instead of physical. We traded exhaustion for headaches fueled by mana rising and falling in our bodies.

Clifford slept like this for an hour. At one point, he shifted and collapsed into my lap, but didn't wake. I rubbed my fingers through his hair, a favorite pastime of mine, and kept stalwart watch over my friends and allies. Ash and Radha ventured out and returned while everyone remained asleep.

They walked around a bend into the square talking at normal levels only to be shushed by me, Radha smiling and mouthing an apology.

The others would have continued their nap if we weren’t interrupted by the distant sound of drum beats and clamoring voices. I shifted out from under Clifford and left his head resting on my discarded inventory bag and strode across the plaza to investigate the incoming noise.

In the distance, I counted hundreds of yellow-skinned goblins marching down on of the two high streets leading to the square. An advanced party of Klandar's soldiers worked to remove debris from the roadway. At the head of the pack, Klandar himself stood a foot higher than other members of his clan. He clutched a giant war hammer in one hand and a buckler in the other. I felt the vibrations of battle drums against my feet even from hundreds of feet away.

Down the other roadway, horns sounded. The blue-skinned goblins of the Uplark tribe marched to war. Leading the pack, a Trisean woman, Clifford's mother, led her soldiers. For a second, I thought it was Clifford himself. The two were of the same height, hair color, and stature. Only her armor was different. Instead of cold steel, she adorned herself in metal that glimmered like polished, white gold. She even walked like Clifford, with a cocky saunter that spoke of a life of privilege absent backbreaking work.

She carried over her shoulder an oversized longsword I felt might not be the most practical in combat. I had only witnessed bosses use them before.

I squinted my eyes to analyze his mother.

Name: Joan Upfield
Race: Trisean
Level: 54
Age: 55
Class: Scholar
Talent: Enchanting, Scribing
Health: 6967
Mana: 5631
Stamina: 6328
Alignment: 0 (chaotic neutral)
Disposition: Unfriendly
Company: Uplark Clan (leader)

I wondered for a moment if Joan and Klandar would be an even match. Sure, she was level 54. But he was a level 32 boss and packed quite a punch. They were nearly matched for health and stamina. Their armor and weapons were equally impressive.

"Everybody! Wake up!" I ran around the plaza getting everyone alert and on their feet.

I almost tripped over the fountain to get to Clifford. He rubbed his eyes as I approached and was standing by the time I reached him. At this point, both armies were only a hundred feet from the square. The buildings and ground trembled from the weight of their forced march.

Clifford saw his mother and shoved by me, running toward her as any son would do. I knew he yearned for nothing more than a happy reunion with the only parent he actually loved.

"Clifford, wait!" I yelled, but it was too late. At the sight of a charging soldier, Joan and her blue-skinned army sounded the attack. Klandar's soldiers responded in turn, and a thousand goblins rushed into the square.

I ran after Clifford, who froze in his tracks after triggering the incoming stampede. I caught up to him, grabbed his arm, and yanked him backward. The two of us broke into a full sprint and met our allies in the center of the square just as the opposing armies collided.

Chaos erupted as yellow met blue. At opposite ends, I saw Klandar and Joan fighting their way to one another, pushing by their soldiers and deflecting enemy attacks to battle head to head.

"We have to stop this!" I yelled to Wrane and Clifford, the only two people I thought might be able to help. Though they barely heard me, both followed me when I left the relative safety of the fountain for the surrounding battle. Wrane hesitated, though. I could tell she still harbored hatred for the Uplark clan, but if I was right, the future might hold more than Klandar and Uplark tribes in this hidden kingdom.

I pushed foot after foot through the invading mobs. I struggled to maintain my footing. The stones below me were already slick with blood. To my right, Clifford deflected incoming spears and swords. To my left, Wrane sliced and stabbed away, though she was careful not to strike any fatal blows. The rest of our allies trailed behind us and gained footing, tightening into a V formation with Clifford at the head. At last, we pushed our way to the center of the battle where Klandar and Joan were poised to attack.

A blue-skinned goblin broke free from the mob and charged at Klandar from behind. I raised my hands and cast Brambles on the poor creature, freezing him in place just before he was about to shank the goblin chief.

Klandar spun around and slammed his mighty hammer into the weak soldier and sent him flying across the battlefield. I winced at the sound of the impact. It was like a glass ball struck pavement and shattered into a thousand pieces.

Klandar turned to me and offered a weak salute. "Thought you could use some help when we saw these maggots on the move. Now, let's kill this bitch!"

The goblin chief charged toward Joan, who responded by raising her sword high into the air. Clifford, Wrane and I stepped in between them at the last minute. I cast Sonic Shock on Klandar causing him to edge backward only a few feet, having partially resisted my spell. Wrane stood between her father and me and raised her daggers to form a cross, staring him down and compelling him not to fight.

Clifford caught his mother's sword on his shield, collapsing to his knees from the energy behind it. After being blocked, she staggered backward.

"Get out of my way, Trisian, or I'll gut you like the worm you are!" Joan spat her words at Clifford and heaved in and out, driven forward by hatred for Klandar and his ilk.

Clifford rose to his feet to face his mother. He lowered his shield and dropped his sword on the ground. Despite the maelstrom of war surrounding us, the sound of metal on stone reminded me of a pin dropping in a quiet room. It was as though everyone engaged in this epic battle were focusing on this moment.

"But I'm your-"

Her screams cut him off. She raised her free hand toward Clifford and chanted words of power. A net of black lightning escaped her palm and encased him, forcing him to the ground. His health dropped precipitously. I ran to catch him but was too late. He hit the ground as though the gravity around him had increased ten-fold. I released all my healing spells into Clifford. Forest Prayer, Living Seed, Nature's Touch, and a charge of Nature's Aura from my ring. I summoned my wisps and directed all three into him. My efforts brought him up to 75% health, but he continued to decline faster than I could heal.

"No, no no, no, no!" I cried as Clifford thrashed around in pain like a fish on land, tortured by his own mother's spell. I tried to hold him, but couldn't breach the magical debuff surrounding him.

"This is not how it ends, Clifford! This is not how you die!"

I began to cast Tempest although chanting the words felt like an eternity. I watched the man I love writhing in agony as bolts of electricity tormented his body. Klandar and Joan's battle meant nothing to me at this point. I triggered Mana Infusion before my storm was summoned, draining my own mana to fuel the spell even further, letting out an other-worldly scream as I hit 0% mana. But I continued to cast and, for but a moment, I tapped into my hidden mana and added that to the contents of my spell, damn the consequences for everyone present.

My hands shook and trembled as they yearned to release the storm contained within. Before I lost control, I forced my hands above me and released the strongest spell I had ever cast, fueled by 300 of my own mana and 250 from my hidden mana pool. The force of it slammed me into the ground and cracked my skull, subtracting 250 health from the impact alone. The world went blurry, although I could still focus on Clifford's dying body beside me. His health pool flashed red in my interface and approached zero when the first drops of rain began to fall.

Every second, my health and his increased by 50hp. After three seconds, my vision returned to normal and my wound closed. Clifford, as well, lay beside me. The death-spell his mother cast was washed away by my storm's purifying power.

I heard explosions of lightning striking armor and looked around at the chaos I unleashed. Goblins, yellow and blue alike, fled the square to avoid the forty-food wide torment as it expelled hell. They left in their wake discarded weapons and a pile of corpses.

Joan and Klandar now both took the full brunt of the storm's power. Every few seconds, a lightning bolt exploded against their armor dealing fifty to sixty damage until my summoned storm faded.

Joan spun around to source the attack and saw me cradling Clifford in my arms. I pulled him to my feet with all my might, a chore given he was now soaked through with water. He was, however, alive, awake, and stable.

With her back turned, Klandar moved to attack Clifford's mother but was restrained by Wrane and her soldiers. She cautiously approached us. Text flashed in her eyes as she analyzed me. Her aura of rage was replaced by confusion. Only a few feet away, she slowly raised her sword as if to slay us both, but Clifford raised his hand to stop her.

"Mother," he said as he poured his mana into a spell. I was curious what it might be. He knew so few spells. I didn't wonder for long once I saw his mana drain. He cast Merrow Song.

The sounds of the suffering around us silenced. The Merrow’s beautiful lullaby echoed off buildings. The song amplified throughout the entire underground kingdom. A few goblins fell to the floor. Then hundreds. Then a thousand. They didn't fight. They didn't struggle. They just lay down and fell asleep. Even I struggled to stay awake. Only a handful of my allies remained standing. The lower leveled among us passed out like drunk soldiers on the fourth of July.

Joan remained upright, her sword frozen in the air as she listened to the melody. Clifford and I both zoned in on her eyes as they flickered unknown texts and notifications until, at last, the text vanished, and only her black eyes remained. She blinked once, then again. Staggering briefly, her longsword crashed to the ground. Tears flushed her eyes and washed away her anger and confusion and despair. The woman standing in front of us was now transformed. Instead of a fierce warrior, I saw someone motherly and kind. She looked at Clifford, then at me, then back at him again.

"Clifford?" she asked. Her voice was so quiet it wouldn't wake a baby. "My son, is that you?"

"It's me," he said, stepping toward her. "It's me, Mom. I looked for you, but I couldn't find you." Clifford stumbled forward into his mother's arms. The two fell into one another like two halves of a whole, a mother cradling her suffering child. For a moment, all felt right in the world.

Clifford sobbed uncontrollably while Joan stroked his hair and whispered comforting words into his ear. Seeing the man I love reunited with his mother was the happiest thing to happen to me since I arrived in Fjorgyn.

I moved back a few paces to offer them privacy and take stock of the situation at hand although every bit of me wanted to weep for joy. Wrane and Klandar were only a few paces away. The goblin chief still yearned for battle. His war hammer trembled in his hand not out of fear, but out of a desire for blood.

Wrane peeled the weapon from her father's vice grip and threw it on the ground. It skipped over slick cobblestones and landed twenty feet away.

She slapped him in the face to snap him back into the moment and spoke Goblin-speak in words that few would fail to understand.

I imagined she said, "Father, it's alright. Father, it's over. You've won."

If that is what she did, it worked. Klandar relaxed and sat on the ground, exhausted from the brief skirmish.

I yearned for someone to talk to me like that right now. My heart still pounded in my chest. Even on Earth, I never expelled such emotion in such a short amount of time. One minute I thought the love of my life was dying and the next I channeled ungodly powers to save him. It was too much to handle. I walked over to the once empty fountain and cupped some water from its basin and splashed my face to wake me up. I turned around and slid to the ground. Water soaked through my leather pants and sent chills up my torso. I braced my elbows on my knees, leaned in, and hid my head from the world around, reviewing my few notifications from the battle.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 18 in Brambles.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 15 in Sonic Shock. Spell evolved to Sonic Shock IV. Now deals 25 blunt damage and pushes target back 8 feet. Mana cost: 15

Congratulations! You have reached rank 26 in Forest’s Prayer.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 14 in Nature’s Touch.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 in Healing Wisps.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 in Nature’s Aura.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 8 in Mana Infusion.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 7 in Tempest. Spell evolved to Tempest II. Now heals for 12hp per second for 20 seconds. 30% chance per second that lightning strikes enemy targets dealing 12 electrical damage. Mana cost: 160.

------

Secret name: Slanaitheoir (savior)
Character name: Michael Dian-Cecht
Race: Shadow Elf
Age: 27
Class: Undefined
Talent: Undefined
Level 18
Health: 416 (286)
Mana: 593 (319)
Stamina: 286
Fatigue: 0%
Armor: 110 (1.5% damage mitigation) - 11.5% damage mitigation with skills.
Strength: 12
Intelligence: 28 (25)
Wisdom: 24
Constitution: 16
Agility: 12
Luck: 8
Alignment: Chaotic Good (+1)
Racial Traits: +5% to herbalism, +5% to all non-metal crafting, +5% to nature-based healing and damage spells, +5% to mana regeneration
Profession: Undefined
Company: Bracken Corps
Modifiers: +20% movement speed, Shadow Elf ( -10% damage and healing during the day. +10% damage and healing at night and in dark places, Night Eye), 25% threat reduction, +15% to damage and spells (gear)

Skills:
Novice Athleticism (rank 6)
Novice Blades (rank 1)
Novice Staves (rank 15 )
Novice Grappling (rank 1)
Novice Light Armor (rank 15)
Novice Observation (rank 14)
Novice Stalking (rank 8)
Apprentice Herbalism (rank 47)
Novice Tailoring (rank 1)
Novice Tracking (rank 1)
Novice Enchanting (rank 1)
Apprentice Leadership (rank 32)
Novice Cooking (rank 5)

Spells:
Novice Brambles IV (rank 18)
Novice Sonic Shock IV (rank 15)
Novice Spirit Bolt II (rank 7)
Novice Mind Control I (rank 1)
Novice Tempest II (rank 7)
Apprentice Forest's Prayer I (rank 26)
Novice Nature's Touch III (rank 14)
Apprentice Living Seed IV (rank 30)
Novice Healing Wisps III (rank 8)
Notice Nature's Aura I (rank7)
Novice Dual-Cast (rank 8)
Novice Mana Infusion (rank 8)
Spirit Trek (no rank)
Novice Merrow Song I (rank 3)

Chapter 17

"Michael?"

Clifford’s voice woke me. I don't know how long I had rested. The absent sky made it feel like we were underground forever. Clifford perched himself on the balls of his feet in front of me. I blinked and rubbed my eyes to bring them back into focus. He was smiling. Even more, his entire disposition seemed lighter and more at ease than I've ever seen him.

When Clifford pulled me to my feet, the world went black for a moment as blood rushed from my skull and into my extremities. My back ached, my legs burned, and my head pounded from the expulsion of so much magic. I felt colder than normal and looked at the skin on the back of my hands to confirm that I was paler than an hour ago. Similarly to when we first arrived at Brackenvale, part of my soul felt like it was ripped from my body. Without mana, I felt incomplete, and it would be hours until my mana pool regenerated back to zero.

I crossed my arms and clenched my teeth to prevent them from chattering. Clifford realized my discomfort and reached into his inventory to pull out a blanket and wrapped it around me. Although the fabric was scratchy, it blocked out most of the cold air and created a cocoon for my lanky and ashen body.

"Michael," he said, caressing my cheek to console me, "I want you to meet my mother. What do you think about getting it over with, wrapping things up here, and getting home?"

I nodded to him. My jaw relaxed some from his presence. Compared to my own body, his was a furnace that released heat for me to milk up. Clifford kissed me on the forehead and turned around and took his mother by the hand.

"Mom, this is my," he paused and looked at me, then at her, then back at me, "my companion, Michael Dian-Cecht.

Despite his discomfort with revealing the nature of our relationship to his mother, one would need to be a rock not to pick up on the mannerisms and comfort level between us. His mother saw the way he tended to me and the way he caressed my cheek. She noticed our closeness and the way we considered one another.

"Don't be coy, Clifford. It doesn't suit you." Her tone was gentle yet authoritative. She held herself like a woman who spent most of her life in military service. Clifford looked like he was playing at soldiering next to her. Even his armor and sword seemed like playthings compared to her own.

Joan continued, "He's not just your companion. He's your friend and your lover." She stepped in closer to us and looked me up and down. "And you, young man, seem like you've been through hell."

The white of text flashed across her eyes as she analyzed me. Her lips pursed when she reviewed my information, and her eyebrows furrowed some when she came across something she couldn't quite understand.

"She has a very high observation skill," Clifford whispered. "She has always been able to see everything about anyone. I could never get anything by her. They're like magic."

Joan hushed her son. Her demeanor relaxed as she cleared my information from her interface.

"You're something of an oddity, Michael 'Dian-Cecht'. You have none of the skills one would expect from someone made a slave in Elatha. And you have twice as many attribute points for your level, but not because of enchantments. My son also trusted you enough to give you ownership of Brackenvale Keep." Joan stepped away from the two of us and looked around the plaza. She disregarded Klandar as though she didn't know who he was. She looked beyond the scores of bodies littering the ground to the intermixed hordes of goblins surrounding the square. Packs of yellow and blue-skinned creatures packed themselves so tightly they couldn't move. All of the goblins save Klandar, Wrane, and her soldiers looked at me with fear in their eyes. The weakest among them backed out of the square, too afraid to turn their backs to me.

Joan paced back and forth as she tried to process the information of the last few minutes. She pulled up her own interface and realized just what had happened.

"I see," she said to herself. "What did I do? How did I end up the leader of a goblin tribe?"

Clifford and I sat down with her on the edge of the fountain. Klandar, now rid of his battle rage, summoned the bravest of his soldiers to check the wounded. Wrane followed her to make sure they paid attention to both Klandar and Uplark alike.

Meanwhile, Clifford and I told Joan the story of Magheim's Folly and what happened to her fifteen years ago. She was horrified when we revealed to her the spell she cast on Clifford and what I did to keep him alive.

She cried. And Clifford cried. She apologized to the two of us, ashamed of her behavior.

"I understand what happened now and what brought you all here. If I'm right, Michael, there's something about you that you won't be able to tell me, correct?"

I tried to confirm her suspicions but found myself blocked by Mannana's curse.

"I see. Well, you're not here by accident; you're new to this world. That much is clear. And you certainly haven't been a shadow elf for very long. Shadow elves thrive in the cold and dark and you can barely tolerate it. Let's see what we can do about that, starting with this thing." She tugged at the amulet hanging around her neck and broke the chain and handed it to me.

"Do you have the other half?" she asked.

I pulled out my half from my inventory, holding one piece of it in each hand. They glimmered now they were so close together and released a golden light that shone like a beacon in the dark. The attraction between the two halves was magnetic. They wanted to be reunited.

"Go ahead," Joan said, eager to see what happened when the two pieces were made one.

As I guided them together, she and Clifford stepped away. My hands began to shake from the force of the attraction but my fingers clenched the pieces, and I couldn't let go. Nor could I pull them apart or push them together any faster. I was stuck there like a man trying to slow down a speeding train locked on autopilot. Time seemed to slow down as well. The amulets released sparks as each half snapped together. The metal casing and stone gems lined up perfectly, one side yellow and the other blue. Once united, time started again. Golden light erupted from my hands and washed over the entire underground kingdom. The light was bright but did not burn my eyes or my skin. Nor did it send any goblins to the floor. Instead, it enveloped each and every goblin present in its cold and comforting embrace. I even saw explosions of light coming from the Klandar and the Uplark encampment on the cliffs above. Some goblins smiled in awe of its brilliance. Others froze in terror, unaware of what was happening.

The light wrapped around me like loving tendrils of some mysterious creature. They were warm to the touch and reminded me of the ocean water from hours before.

After what felt like an eternity, the tendrils flattened out and encased my whole body, including my eyes. I heard goblins scream as well, now trapped by what was happening. The amulet shook and trembled in my hand as it expelled its power. The outline of font exploded in my interface, but gold on white made it impossible to read. I felt my body begin to transform again, only less violent and disturbing than before. This transformation pulled me to my feet and elevated me off the ground. The tips of my toes barely touched stone. At last, a loud crack resounded through the kingdom and the light vanished. As the magic released me, I sunk a few inches to the floor, landing with the grace of a cat.

It took a minute for our eyes to adjust and our pupils to constrict to their normal state. When I could see again, Clifford and Joan stood before me, mouths agape in disbelief.

I looked down at my hands and pulled one sleeve up to reveal a healthy skin tone, bronzed and shining like I had spent a week at the beach. The previous ashen color was gone. My shadow elf night vision also faded, and my black, coarse hair now looked brown and soft.

I started to laugh when I realized the most significant part of my transformation. Clifford stood upright in front of me as I met his gaze. Instead of tilting my head up to look at him, we were now nearly equal in stature. When I first selected my race and adjusted my appearance, I made myself tall for an elf. I was now, however, a reasonable height, taller than most Trisean women and even taller than many Trisean men.

I looked around me as well, eyes finding Klandar and Wrane first, then the horde of goblins behind them. Wrane and her tribesmen no longer looked sickly and weak. The Uplark tribe no longer possessed midnight-blue skin. Instead, both skin colors merged into one soft green, like moist moss on a beautiful spring morning.

I was awestruck. I held the now whole amulet in my hand. It shimmered as though it were alive. The white gold circle secured in place a brilliant emerald that glowed from within.

You have completed 'Uplark or Bust.' By uniting the Klandar and Uplark tribes into one again, you have ensured a single, powerful tribe that is indebted to you. Additional reward for a peaceful resolution. This is an epic quest. Reward: +3500xp Reward: Alliance and available trade agreements with Klandar's tribe. Reward: Safe passage for members of Brackenvale Keep and other allies through Magheim's Expanse. Reward: Brackenvale Keep renown +2 Good Attention! Your deeds have not gone unnoticed. Over time, 2% of the population of Vros will know about what happened here. You may attract both allies and enemies.

You have completed 'Mother, where art thou?' By uniting Clifford and his mother, you have proven yourself to be his companion in every sense of the word.
Reward: +500xp

You have completed a hidden Village Quest: 'Make clear the way.' You have secured a safe retreat for your people. +200 village experience. 23% to level 3.

Attention! Your race has changed from 'Shadow Elf' to 'Elderkin.' You have revealed your truest form and are no longer subject to race changes. You are now a specialized race, unique in the world. Open your interface to learn more. +5 racial attributes to be spent on Race Perks Tree.

You have completed 'Unite What was Once Divided.' This is a divine quest. By bringing together the two halves of the amulet, you have revealed its true nature. Notifications paused. Put on the amulet to continue this quest. This is not optional.
Reward: +25,000xp

I examined the amulet again and pulled up its information while I slid it around my neck, discarding and placing my old choker in my inventory.

Tear of The Mother. Quality: Master-crafted. Class: Divine. +36 health/mana/stamina (scales at +2 per level). Activate at any time to reveal direction to more items in the set. (Slanaitheoir's Regalia 1/8).

You have received an epic quest. 'Fulfill your destiny.' Unite all eight pieces of Slanaitheoir's Regalia. Reward: Unknown. This quest is not optional.

I got pulled away from the cloud of notifications when the square around me transitioned from jubilant celebration among the goblins to a unique and impenetrable silence. A blue haze formed behind Clifford and Joan, like a fog rolling in off a lake. Clifford and his mother parted, allowing me to see the otherworldly cloud. I approached, hoping to make sense of what was about to happen.

The essence tightened and formed into the silhouette of a woman about my height and stature. I gasped and stepped back into Clifford as her body, clothing, and face formed. In front of us stood a woman of average height and build. If not for her spirit-form, she would have had olive skin and cropped, brown hair peppered with bits of silver. She wore a black and white flowered skirt that flowed down to her ankles, a black blouse, a long necklace, and hoop earrings. She was dressed for a funeral. Her eyes puffed as though she had been crying for days. They were nearly swollen shut.

I reached out to her, my tears joining with her own.

I felt the weight of Clifford's hands on my shoulders and leaned into him.

"Michael, is that Balama?" he asked.

"No, it's not." My chin spasmed at the sight of her. "This is my mother."

The spirit formed entirely now and began to speak.

"Michael, from the moment you were born, I was filled with joy. From an early age, you proved to be uniquely gifted with the ability to make people better. You cared for others and for your family both wholly and fiercely. Even as a baby, you always brought out the best in people as though you possessed a gift from God. You had the ability to heal others of their sorrow through your kindness alone."

The spirit of my mother paused, too emotional to continue. I realized that this was a projection of my mom giving my eulogy.

"When I received the call from the police to inform me of your passing, my heart broke not because you were gone, but because I was left without you. The world went black for me that day, and I spent hours praying to God that they made a mistake, that you weren't gone, and that you would knock on my door any minute so I could claim you in my arms."

The scene expanded now to reveal the site of my funeral. My mother stood in a pulpit. To her left, my casket rested, adorned with thousands of flowers. As she continued, a haze of light hovered over my remains.

"But my prayers were not heard. And my life is incomplete. And now, my bundle of joy, all of your friends and family are gathered together to mourn your passing." She choked up and became inconsolable. Thirty seconds later she reconstituted herself to continue.

"Goodbye, my precious boy. I know you are in heaven now, watching over us with your thoughtful and kind eyes. I know that as long as we keep you in our hearts, we will see you again."

My mother's spirit faded, leaving me standing in shock, choking back tears. Only the illusion of my casket remained. The shadow above it expanded outward and grew to form another woman I've never seen before. This woman, flying above my remains, placed her hand on the polished casket and whispered words of power unknown to me. She looked like a goddess. Flowing sheer silk draped over her flawless skin. Her crimson hair floated in the air as though she was swimming in invisible water.

"Clifford, I believe this is Balama," I whispered to him.

An orb of white light protruded from my casket, and the form of Balama cradled it in her hand, as though it was a precious baby. As she embraced my soul, the casket faded leaving only her.

The thousand or so goblins around us sunk to the ground, genuflecting before the Goddess. Even Clifford and Joan took a knee. Only I remained standing.

Balama held my soul and walked up to me to reveal she wasn't a projection at all. Instead, she was present in her divine form. She looked me in the eyes and every care I had washed away. Balama raised her free hand and pressed her palm against my chest, closed her eyes, and touched her forehead to mine. Images from the past flooded my mind and made me weak, like my body was made of putty. Flashes of my past dominated my mind. I saw my mother, my father, my sisters, and my nieces and nephews. I saw generations upon generations of my ancestors living and dying. I saw the birth of Fjorgyn and the rise of the God and the Goddess and I saw the waxing and waning of their power and the turning of the ages. The world of Fjorgyn changed from light to dark and back to light again like the shifting of the tides. Each time Mannana tried to claim Fjorgyn, the champion of Balama pushed him back.

"You are my champion, Michael Semione. You are my hand in this world. Where you go, the denizens of Mannana will be vanquished until only goodness remains." Balama removed her forehead from mine. She raised her other hand to me and what I assumed was my soul left her hands and penetrated my body.

"Receive my grace, Slanaitheoir, and restore goodness to this too-dark world."

A portal opened above her and a familiar form escaped from it, circling and cawing above my head. A crow spiraled down toward me and, at the last minute, transformed into a lemur to land on my shoulder. Vindur nuzzled his head against my cheek.

"Vindur! You're back!" I cuddled him for a moment, delighted that my first friend in Fjorgyn had returned to me. As I celebrated, Balama's form disappeared. Everyone in the room looked up but refused to stand. The entire company of goblins, Triseans, and elves continued to pay homage to me.

Attention! 'Blessing of Balama' replaced with 'Balama's Grace.' You have been summoned by the Goddess to be her champion against Mannana's darkness in this world and have received her boon. The effects of Mannana's Curse are diminished.
You will now receive five additional attribute points per level.
Resurrection time reduced from one week to two days.
You will heal and level faster than others in this world. You will receive substantially more experience from killing creatures and completing quests. You will regenerate mana at normal rates after tapping into Balama’s divine magic.
You will still age slowly.
You will still fatigue and still require food, water, and sleep.
Vindur has been assigned your permanent guide and ally.

You have been revealed to the world around you as Slanaitheoir. +10 alignment. Your actions will better improve the lives of those aligned with good.

You have completed 'Truth among Allies.' With Mannana's curse diminished and given Radha's presence, she now knows the truth of your arrival in Fjorgyn. +200xp.

Attention! As the leader of Brackenvale Keep, your settlement has permanently aligned itself with Balama. +3 renown. +300 settlement experience. Brackenvale Keep has reached level 3. +15 perk points. Return to your village to spend them. 47% until level 4.

Congratulations! You have reached level 19. You have 5 attribute points and 7 race points to spend.
Congratulations! You have reached level 20. You have 10 attribute points and 9 race points to spend.
Congratulations! You have reached level 21. You have 15 attribute points and 11 race points to spend.
Congratulations! You have reached level 22. You have 20 attribute points and 13 race points to spend.
Congratulations! You have reached level 23. You have 25 attribute points and 15 race points to spend. 3,183xp to next level.

"So that makes it, what, fourteen levels in less than a week?" Clifford asked. I jumped at the sound of his voice and shot around. As he and his mother stood, so did the rest of our party. Eventually, the horde of goblins followed, although many of them were still silent and afraid. So was I. I didn't know whether or not to be pissed that this mantle was thrust upon me or thankful for the benefits it earned me but in looking at Clifford and the others, I leaned towards gratitude. My newfound strength helped me keep them all alive.

I laughed at him and rubbed the back of my head, almost knocking Vindur off in the process. Even though he has been absent less than a week, it felt like forever.

The lemur huffed at me and jumped to the ground. He looked around the square and examined the state of things. "Looks like you've been busy," he said, picking up the finger of a dead goblin only to drop it to the ground again. "You'll have to tell me everything later."

I smiled at him and tapped my shoulder. He stood upright and jumped across cobblestones to avoid stepping in random pools of blood, scurried up my body and claimed his perch.

"Can everyone see you now?" I asked.

"Only your companions and any party members. Everyone else will think you're staring off into oblivion. Want me to change that?"

"Not quite yet. It's better to keep you a secret still."

I returned my attention to Clifford and Joan, both of whom brushed dirt and grime off their armor. I was about to talk to them when Klandar cleared his throat. The goblin chief shouldered Joan as he walked by. He was as frustrated as he was flabbergasted. Wrane trailed behind him, still in awe over the appearance of the Goddess.

"I don't know what this all means," Klandar said, "but I still don't consider things resolved. This woman is still here, and the Uplark still consider her their leader, even if we all look the same! I demand justice! I demand her head!"

"Father!" Wrane yelled at him. Klandar ignored his daughter and gripped his war hammer as if ready to attack at any moment.

"But you never said you wanted her head." Just in case, I stepped between him and Joan. "You said, and I quote, 'You will aid us. Rid us of their leader, and I will grant your request.' And we have. Uplark is no more. In fact, she was only born out of Magheim’s animosity toward outsiders."

At this point, Wrane positioned herself beside me, also intent on protecting Joan.

"He right, father. Uplark gone. She Upfield now. Glimpse around. We no Klandar. We no Uplark. We all one now. All you lead."

"But she's still here. She is responsible for the death of many Klandar! She must pay."

Joan shoved her way between us and stood toe to toe with the goblin chief. "I have paid, Klandar. I have lost a decade of my life to this," she paused, "realm. I have missed the chance to see my son grow into the man he is today. Your father made certain of that when he smashed my skull in and betrayed his promise to Balama. He betrayed her and caused the amulet to shatter."

"I know of no promise to Balama," Klandar said, still gripping his hammer.

"If he survived the onslaught of the Kobolds, he would have told you. Your tribe has, for thousands of years, protected the amulet until it is claimed once again by the hand of Balama. And it has been claimed. I don't care to remain here. Fifteen years ago, my son and I followed this path to stay hidden from the agents of Mannana, thinking your tribe honorable and just. Your father proved me wrong. Will you repeat his mistake?"

The two glared at one another, Klandar ready to attack and Joan prepared to defend.

"Don't you see, Klandar?" I chimed in. "The schism in your tribe was created by your father's malice for outsiders. Now that I have claimed the amulet and your tribe is united, you can finally move forward. Magheim Gorkin is gone. Only Klandar Gorkin remains. You are the chief over all goblins. And your daughter holds in trust the keys to Magheim's Keep just waiting for you to claim it. You can make your people great again!"

"Please, father. You see what right. You lead we ahead." Wrane stepped forward and hugged his arm, resting her head against his breastplate. He shrugged her off.

"Alright, alright. Fine." He pointed at Joan and looked at me. "But she better not return here again."

I breathed a sigh of relief and Klandar released his hammer, letting it swing from the loop in his belt.

"We will allow you and your allies safe passage through the expanse. We will also send our best dignitaries to Brackenvale to negotiate the details of our alliance. Now, will you leave us so we can clean up this mess here and start to rebuild?" Klandar backed off and looked at the dozens of dead goblins around him.

"This could have been so much worse for us all. Thank you, young elf."

"You're welcome. As you wish, we will leave right away."

Wrane turned to her father and began speaking with him in their language. The two bickered between one another until Klandar threw up his arms in resignation. Wrane held her father's hand and both of their eyes filled with notifications, a sign that she transferred ownership of the settlement to him. Wrane stepped away from her father, taking her place at my side.

"My daughter wishes to travel with you. Despite my protests, she is a grown woman and can make her own decisions. Will you have her?"

"Gladly," I turned to Wrane to avoid speaking about her as though she weren't there. "You're an excellent warrior and will make a wonderful addition to my team. You're welcome to stay and fight with us as long as you wish, but are you sure you want to leave your people now?"

Wrane nodded and grinned. "Me sure. I fighter. With no Uplark battle, I no meaning. You make I fitter."

"And you'll sure make her English better," Klandar chimed in. "Despite how much I've tried, she can't get the hang of your language."

Wrane blushed a bit and tucked her hair behind her ears. Instead of blushing red, though, blood flowing to her green skin turned it brown. She hugged her father and returned to us, ready to depart.

Your disposition with Wrane Gorkin has increased from Indifferent to Friendly.

I dismissed her soldiers from our raid party, invited Joan, and cast Spirit Trek. A large portal opened in front of us revealing the bridge to Brackenvale Keep. Two guards stationed themselves on the bridge and pointed their crude spears at us until they recognized who we were. Upon seeing me, they smiled, relaxed, and cheered, waving me through the portal. I obliged their wishes, thanked Klandar one final time, and stepped through the doorway leading home.

Chapter 18

"Why did you come back?" I asked Vindur. After arriving at Brackenvale, I pushed my way through the denizens of celebrating citizens and demanded Nila's status updates wait until morning. Clifford spirited away with his mother to some available room in the manor to catch up. I rushed up the stairs, discarded my stained and bloodied clothes, and sat on the floor near our already roaring fireplace.

"I wanted to. What kind of question is that?" Vindur rummaged through a bowl of dried meats and fruits left for us. A hunk of nearly stale bread sat next to the bowl that even he refused to eat.

"I mean why now? It hasn't even been a week since we left Elatha."

Vindur chewed on a piece of dried mystery meat eagerly until his cheeks were stuffed.

"We didn't think you'd find the first part of the regalia so quickly, to be honest. You've accelerated enough where Mannana will soon take notice. And once that happens, you'll need me." He talked with his mouth full, making it difficult for him to form out all the words.

"And when that happens?"

"Nothing good will come of it, to say the least. Mannana can't harm you directly, of course. Balama will see to that. He's also spread himself pretty thin and has infused a great deal of his power within Ankou Levent."

"So that is who I'll have to fight?"

Vindur laughed and spit out the remains of some food. He brushed the bits into his hand and stuffed it back in his mouth.

"Disgusting, Vindur!" I turned away from him to avoid watching him eat anymore. I squeezed out a rag from a bowl of water between my legs and began scrubbing dirt and grime off my body, cleaning and refreshing the cloth periodically to get myself clean. The water practically steamed as it struck my skin. The cold stone against the back of my legs felt good. When I was a shadow elf, I ran cold. In fact, I froze most of the time. As an Elderkin, however, my metabolism felt as though it was in high gear. I was comfortably warm, sweated again like an average person, and got hungry and thirsty when appropriate. In short, I was a pillar of health instead of a sickly weakling. My rapid growth even caused pale stretch marks to form on my calves, thighs, and hips.

"Sorry," he said. "You're not going to have to fight him anytime soon. If you faced him now, he'd snuff you out like a birthday candle."

Vindur finished his meal and scurried across the room to relax near the fire.

"Anyhow," he added, "you need to find all the pieces of the regalia first. The set bonuses will help you face him."

"How will they do that?"

"Well, they'll let you tap into Balama's power directly. Only then will you be able to stand against Levent. You've already done that twice. Once at the portal and once when saving Clifford."

"You saw that?"

He nodded his tiny head in my direction and played with a bit of kindling on the floor. "Yeah. Balama herself allowed you to do it."

"What's she like?"

"The Goddess? She's like any other. She is as good as they come, though, and wishes only peace for the people of Fjorgyn. But she can be frightening as well. And a bit playful at times. You saw her already in her motherly form. But she can also appear as a warrior or as a child." Vindur clanked the kindling on the stone floor like he was drumming. "One time she took the form of a fox for a thousand years and played tricks on dozens of planets. She even spent some time on Earth. The Japanese knew her quite well in that form."

"Didn't she have anything better to do with her time?"

Vindur stopped drumming. "I don't know. I'm not one to ask questions. Anyhow, Balama is in her most profound manifestation right now. And that means something. She only ever manifests as the Mother when she selects her champion. And she has selected you. You're intended to unite with her as her manifestation of the warrior."

"And if I fail?"

"Then Mannana wins. And Fjorgyn exists in darkness until she fosters a new champion who can succeed. That could take thousands of years, though." Vindur lifted himself up and looked me straight in the eyes. "You're not planning on failing, are you?"

I mulled the question over for a minute, lamenting the hardships I was asked to endure. Uniting the regalia was not going to be easy. I almost lost Clifford getting the first piece alone. I twisted the amulet still hanging from my neck. It suddenly felt heavier.

"No. I'm not planning on failing. Where do I find the next piece?"

He shrugged and climbed on my bare legs, his nails scratching my skin as he walked. He tapped the necklace's emerald until it flickered to life. It pulsed quickly, and a tiny stream of light pointed to the northwest.

"It's close," he said. "My guess would be two to three days away on foot."

I pushed Vindur off my legs, not wanting to endure any more of his scratches.

"Well, we'll add it to the list of things to do. I can't ask everyone to pack up and take off now. We've been fighting too much. They all need a break. We also promised a clan of elves to help them with a problem they're having. Once we do that, we can see about finding the next piece."

Vindur sighed and scurried over to the bed. He jumped up and settled between our pillows at the head of the bed. "Don't dally too long," he said. "Ankou Levent won't."

I shrugged off his concerns. Even if he was right and we needed to prioritize finding the other items in the armor set, it wouldn't mean a damn thing if we didn't have allies to aid us. We weren't fighting Levent alone. He had the entire weight of the Elathian empire behind him and was still of an unknown level. And if he was chosen like me, chances were he, also, was not a native of Fjorgyn.

“Vindur, why did Balama pick me?” I asked. “I’m not a fighter, and I’ve never been one for battle. That’s why I love healing so much. Surely there were others who could make a better champion.”

Vindur didn’t move from his pillowed perch. Instead, he spoke directly into the air.

“I don’t know,” he said. “She doesn’t select her champions because of their innate skills. The last Slanaitheoir wasn’t even a healer. He was a baker.”

“What do you mean?”

“He never fought a day in his life before being reborn in Fjorgyn. He didn’t even play your silly games.”

“And before that?”

“I wasn’t around before that. Balama created me a thousand years ago to be your predecessor’s companion.”

I tried to ask Vindur more questions about Levent and the previous champion, but the lemur fell asleep on the bed. Instead, I pulled my tired body into a nearby chair and reviewed my interface for changes I needed to make.

I first looked at my attributes. With twenty-five points free, I split twenty-one of them between Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution. I committed the remaining four to luck.

Next, I reviewed my new racial interface. I expected something similar to the village interface that possessed separate specializations and trees. Instead, I found a single tree with minimal branches. Every few levels in the tree offered optional selections. The tree itself was finite. It offered around thirty to forty skills, each proving more expensive than the last. I looked at the first skill on the list.

Runic Sight: The Elderkin disguised their ritual locations in a way only they could understand. This passive ability allows you to spot markers for these sites and automatically updates your map. Find these sites to unlock secret knowledge and find unique artifacts for your race. Cost: 5 racial points.

Having no other option, I committed the points to unlock the next node of the tree.

Mask of the Elderkin: Activate this ability to disguise yourself as a member of another race until you deactivate the effects. Only those high in the Observation skill can see through this illusion if you get close enough. Can be used once per day. Cost: 7 racial points.

I paid for this skill in full and the node branched. One direction advanced this masking ability. The other continued on with other important abilities. I dismissed my racial interface since I couldn't afford these new skills.

Next, I brought up my Village Interface. With fifteen points remaining, I could unlock the remaining two trees for six points. That left me with nine points, enough to cover the cost of one node in either defense, utilities, or resources.

I knew I couldn't unlock defenses or utilities now. It was almost midnight—most of the villagers were sound asleep. They would hardly thank me for the explosion of noise that would accompany the appearance of a gatehouse or the repair of all the buildings. But knowing the choice I had to make the next day, I could select among the following: Denser bracken (25% more damage), Wider walls (+1 feet to wall thickness), three guard-houses to scatter around the valley, a crafting building of my choice, five more stone buildings, a temple, magical lighting for the village, five fruit trees, or a small granary to store one month's worth of food.

I closed the interface knowing the choices wouldn't be made now. Nila would scold me if I made them without her. Instead, I decided to unlock the trees in the morning and let her make the choices on her own. She knew better what the village needed.

I grabbed an unused blanket from the floor and wrapped it around my bare shoulders. Despite a roaring fire, the absence of windows allowed a cold breeze to blow into the room. I stood on the shallow balcony, shoulder pressed into the cold stone jamb and surveyed the village below. Every so often, one of the hundreds of villagers abandoned the refuge of their stone buildings and stumbled to the now finished latrines.

The rudimentary buildings looked out of place compared to the polished stone monstrosities that made up Brackenvale Keep, but they were a hell of a lot better than trekking across the valley in the middle of the night to relieve oneself in a river. The moon was high in the sky now and illuminated the entire village in its silvery visage. I squinted through the darkness and spotted the form of two young lovers fulfilling their needs on the eastern mound of the keep, oblivious to the world around them. A man's naked backside shimmered in the night as he thrust into his lover beneath him.

"It looks like people are finally starting to live their lives again," I mumbled to myself. I turned and abandoned the open window to allow the couple some semblance of privacy just as Clifford creaked the door open and glided into the room. It felt like forever since I'd seen him without his armor. He wore loose-fitting linen pants and his black scholars hood. If this were earth, he might look more like a man getting back from the gym. His sleeveless shirt allowed his muscular arms to swell in all their glory.

"Where did you disappear to?" he asked, traipsing around the room absent anything to do. At last, he paused by the balcony. I slipped behind him, wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my chin on his shoulder.

"I thought you and your mother could use some time alone to catch up. How's she doing?"

"She's glad to see me, of course, but still frustrated about losing so much of her life. She regrets ever having brought me into those tunnels."

"How much does she remember?"

"Everything from before she was captured and only bits and pieces from after. I think she most regrets leaving me alone with my father."

Clifford and I stepped out onto the balcony. A gust of wind coursed through my hair and made my skin tingle and form goosebumps. I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders both to protect my modesty and to warm me up. I didn't care for the entire village seeing me in only my underwear.

I turned him around and undid the buttons on his shirt to expose his chest and abs and drew him closer to me to share our body heat. I slipped my hand under his shirt and kneaded his tense shoulders. Clifford responded by melting a little and becoming weak in the knees.

"That feels good," he whispered. He grabbed my waist and walked me back into the bedroom and collapsed with me onto the bed.

Our combined weight shook the bed and woke Vindur. The lemur let out an animalistic growl before he settled into his usual, communicative self.

"I'll leave the two of you alone," he said before scurrying out of the room.

Neither Clifford or I noticed his departure. The two of us were lost to our youthful vigor and were too pleased by the opportunity to take advantage of our now matching bodies. We tore the rest of our clothes off and lay on the bed. Clifford pinned both of my arms behind my head and kissed me from my chin to my belly button when he suddenly stopped.

"I like this new body of yours. Do you think you'll be able to stay this way?"

In truth, I was glad I could. I felt youthful and strong and fit for anything that might come my way.I grinned and nodded, reached around and pushed his head back into me. Clifford didn't hesitate to get to work. I arched my back as pleasure exploded through my entire body. He played with me and I played with him for the better part of twenty minutes until we both yearned for the inevitable. I enveloped him entirely until both of us reached our peaks of pleasure. After ten minutes of bed-breaking efforts, Clifford rolled off me and collapsed by my side, heaving and laughing at the same time. Steam rose from our skin and dissipated into the air around us. The chill from the window felt amazing against my dampness.

I turned to kiss Clifford goodnight, but he had already fallen asleep. He looked more peaceful now than I had ever seen him. I watched him for a few minutes until sleep claimed me as well.

Chapter 19

I shot up the next morning when the door to our suite jolted open and slammed against a nearby chair.

"Michael, are you still aslee-"

Joan caught the two of us in bed both donning our morning glories. I grabbed the pillow from behind me and covered myself in shock. Her cheeks reddened, and she spun around to avoid seeing more.

Clifford rushed to his feet and grabbed a blanket from the bed to cover himself as well. When he pulled it off the mattress, I was caught on top and sent tumbling to the floor. I rolled over a few times until I crashed into Joan's legs with enough force to knock her off her feet and on top of me. Her elbow jabbed my groin in the process.

The last time I felt this pain was on the soccer field in high school. It felt like a vice pinched my scrotum. I couldn't talk. I couldn't swallow. I could barely breathe. Instead, I rocked myself back and forth on the ground while Joan clambered to her feet, too embarrassed to say anything.

"Mother, can you knock first?" Clifford yelled. He blushed like a virgin on his wedding night.

Others on our floor abandoned their rooms to observe the ruckus. Petey, Baridorne, and Junta lost themselves to laughter. Rose covered Neeta's eyes. Nila stood by shaking her head in disbelief.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Joan yelled as she fled the room. I inched myself over to the door and slammed it shut.

Clifford could only laugh as well and, although I couldn't blame him, I threw the pillow across the room. The feathered projectile knocked him in the face and thudded to the ground. It failed to stop his laughter. It took me a few more moments to shake off the throbbing agony before I joined him.

"Well, that's one way for your mother to get to know me." I pulled my legs into a fresh pair of trousers and claimed one of Clifford's many shirts as my own. We were nearly the same size now, and I was tired of alternating between my only two tops.

"Yeah. We better go find her," he said, "but let's go the bathroom first. That's the last time I want my mother to see us... erect."

After cleaning up, we left the room and shouldered through everyone still gathered outside. Rose scolded her son for joining in the laughter, although he was at the age where he would start mimicking adults.

We scurried down the stairs to find Joan. She sat on the steps of the manor outside with her face buried in her hands. Clifford and I sat with her, and both put a hand on her shoulder.

She jumped, startled by our presence. She looked at both of us. While embarrassed, stains on her cheeks revealed she had been crying.

"I'm sorry, both of you. I should have realized. It's just…" She stopped speaking and stared off into the distance.

Clifford edged closer to his mother. "What is it, Mom? What's wrong?"

"It's just that in my mind, you're still my little boy. I half expected you to be a child curled up in a ball this morning, eager for his mother to bring him breakfast. But you're not. You're a grown man with a partner and friends and a life more significant than my own."

Clifford hugged his mother, although she pulled away from him slightly.

"Tell you what, Joan, I have an idea."

"What's that?" she said. She wiped her wet eyes and looked at me.

"We'll forget this ever happened. We'll get a lock on our door to prevent it from happening in the future. And, if it'll make you feel better, you can still make us breakfast."

Joan stifled a laugh and managed to smile for the first time since I met her. Her face softened then. Instead of a fierce warrior, she began to look motherly. She grabbed our hands.

"All right. Agreed. What do you want?"

"Eggs."

"Bacon."

"Potatoes."

Clifford and I exchanged demands until I arrived at French toast. The two of them looked at me as though I was speaking a foreign language.

"What's French toast?" she asked.

Of course, they didn't know what it was. Even the word 'French' was foreign to them.

"You soak some thin bread slices in beaten egg and fry it in a pan, then top it with syrup and butter."

"Oh! Eggy bread! I can make that." She stood up and retreated into the manor.

"You coming, boys?" she asked over her shoulder.

We didn't have to be told twice. The two of us booked it into the manor's kitchen just as Jenny, the head chef for those of us staying in the manor, made her way down the stairs. She followed us into the kitchen and demanded to know what we were up to.

"Don't worry," I told her, "we'll be in and out in less than ten minutes."

It was too late for her to stop us. Already, Clifford's mother claimed some fresh eggs, bacon, and bread from the stores and a few large potatoes.

"Jenny, where did all these ingredients come from?" I asked her.

At that point, Nila stepped into the room behind her and raised her hand. "They came from me. In your many absences, the hunters returned with some chickens and eggs they reclaimed from Cilden's old village. And some farmers scoured the woods for wild potatoes. I allocated a handful of them for us, although the rest are being put to use."

"I take it you also have more to share with me?"

"Absolutely. Are you free now?" she asked.

I nodded and sat down on a stool near the center island. "Now's as good a time as any, I suppose."

She reviewed her notes from the last day with me. Despite being gone for only a night, Nila accomplished a great deal. After finishing the latrines, Gerec now worked on completing the first set of barracks to house city guards and their families. She also set aside a single fountain within the city for use as a primitive laundry and identified a group of tailors from among the villagers to wash and repair clothing. She also found a handful of blacksmiths for me to interview, a new chief hunter, and a single enchanter among ex-slaves who were willing to offer their services.

"And when you're ready," she rolled on, "we can empty the village and activate some of the perk points we have banked. I would have done it already, but it requires your approval."

I stuffed some french toast in my mouth and swallowed it without chewing much. "And what would you suggest we do for the second nodes? I take it you were able to review the interface."

"Yes. Right now, our biggest problem is food. Once we create the gatehouse and the new buildings, I think we should plant assorted fruit trees in the garden beside the manor. When we hit level four, we can then get the granary and magical lighting."

"And what about defenses?" Clifford chimed in. "We're not going to be immune to attack forever."

"No, we're not." She was blunter now. "But defenses mean nothing if our people starve. If we can solve the housing and food issue, morale will increase. The people will be more willing to fight to defend our new home."

"I agree with her," Jenny chimed in. Her interruption shocked us all not because it was unwanted, but because it was unexpected. "Folks are getting by on rations now. Many of them, especially the old masters, are used to more. If we don't put food in their bellies soon, this little experiment of ours won't last. Dried meat, fruit and stale bread can only go so far."

I thanked Jenny for her input. Her demeanor changed from one of fear at interrupting "her lord" to elation at being valued as more than a cook.

"Nila, do you think the goblins will trade food with us?"

"No, I don't believe they will. I spoke with Wrane last night. Unfortunately, now that the goblin clan is united and aren't killing one another, food will be in demand. In fact, they might want to trade their goods for our food."

"And what of Greenleaf?" I asked.

"If and when we secure a trade relationship with them, they might have some food to offer, but will most likely want to sell crafted goods for raw materials. Despite our size and the fact that we're newcomers in this region, we are resource rich."

"Well, what do you think we should trade, then? We can't get rid of food yet." I finished my breakfast and took a moment to lament the empty plate. I required much less food when I was a shadow elf. My stomach still rumbled although I didn't want to let on that I required more when others were without.

"I thought we could trade potions, herbs, and armor with the goblins. In return, we could ask for ore and rare herbs."

"Alright," I said, "but no weapons. I know they're our allies, but I'd rather we not arm them. Our relationship is still too new. We could arm them today and find the weapons pointed at us tomorrow. Don’t write that down."

Nila bobbed her head in agreement. "Then I'll make arrangements. We need to go, though. Everyone is waiting outside."

I followed Nila out of the kitchen. Clifford and Joan stayed behind to clean up after us. We left the manor and walked down the keep’s single major road. Every building looked abandoned as we passed. Not even possessions remained.

We exited the oversized doors of the keep and crossed the bridge into the valley below. Hundreds of villagers sat on the grass either talking among themselves or eating breakfast. All the children ran amok further away from the main group.

I understood now that Nila somehow arranged for the town to empty to make changes to it.

I faced the keep and pulled up my village interface. When I highlighted the first defense node, time practically froze, and the gates leading into the keep were masked by an artificial, green outline. I tried to position the gatehouse, but it locked in place. The ground shook when I committed the change. People covered their ears to block out the noise, although it was nothing compared to the harpy screams I endured in Boginki's lair.

While the gatehouse formed, I committed three more points to the utility tree. A map of the village blocked my field of vision. The haphazard stone structures all glowed, indicating that they could be relocated and reformed. I could even relocate the projects Gerec started.

"Are you sure the village is empty?"

"Yes. The others are still in the manor, but they know what's happening and will not go outside.

"Alright," I said as I lifted my hands to my map. To the naked eye, one might think I was conducting an orchestra. I was instead redrawing the layout of the village to make more sense. I first removed all buildings from the map, including the latrines. I expanded the main road to form a secondary square in the center of the keep to hold the large well. I relocated fourteen buildings around this plaza. One by one, I pulled all non-fruit bearing trees from the gardens east of the manor and lined the main road.

In this interface, I found I could also construct new roads. I took the opportunity to form four cul-de-sacs with a fountain in the center of them, surrounding each circle with nine houses. I placed the remaining two stone structures near the manor to serve as guest overflow or professional buildings. I also constructed a small road off the central street to the western wall and placed the latrines. When the building appeared, it was no longer made of wood. Instead, it adopted the label Stone Bathhouse.

Lastly, I built an additional road out to Gerec's construction sites and placed his unfinished projects there. When I positioned Neeta and Junta's garden, it also transformed into a rudimentary garden with sturdy metal fencing instead of the shabby branches they had used.

Before committing my changes, I spent five remaining points on fruit trees and arranged those in the grove near the entrance to the village vaults. Of the fruit offered, I selected apples, bananas, oranges, olives, and grapefruit.

Once selected and arranged neatly, I made sure no structures were excluded and confirmed my layout. The ground shuddered as though we were experiencing an earthquake. Buildings that once peeked over the walls either zoomed to a new location or collapsed into the earth. From this vantage point, I noticed Clifford, Joan, and Jenny standing on the manor's stoop, jaws opened in awe. Once the gatehouse completed, I walked through it astonished not only with the size of it, but the quality as well. The hollow walls contained slits in them appropriate to fire arrows at incoming enemies. The outer doors were no longer stone, but thick metal with cross beams to provide more strength. We walked across a metal grate with a room below for soldiers to push spears into any enemy forces. Once through the gatehouse, I placed my hand on the spindle that anchored an iron portcullis in place. Ladders anchored to the internal walls afforded us the opportunity for guards to climb atop the gatehouse and use either the downward-facing murder hole, hide behind crenellations, or use arrow loops or machicolations to fire downward at enemies approaching the gate.

All in all, the gatehouse made the keep feel less like a ruin and more like a fortress. The trembling ceased as I walked away from the gatehouse. The final building anchored in place. Gone were the crumbling stone structures with collapsing roofs and no windows. Instead, each house now had a new door, proper shutters, and piped chimneys. I opened the first building I came to. The door gave way with ease to reveal a fully furnished home ready for a small number of people to enjoy.

"Nila, how many people are living in the manor right now?"

"Forty. Why do you ask?"

"So we're still overpopulated? Each house will still need to accommodate seven or eight people?"

"Unfortunately, yes, but when Gerec finishes the barracks, we will have more room. He's designing the structure to house forty additional villagers."

"So that means six per building. We're still going to have to do better."

"I agree. Even having forty in the manor is tight. Ideally, we should have no more than thirty living there comfortably." While Nila would usually talk while taking notes, she instead smiled in admiration of my arrangement.

"Nice layout," she said. "I like how you arranged each neighborhood to draw from its own water. And they all have equal access to the latrines."

"I thought so. Please make sure everyone is fairly distributed. I would prefer the former masters not isolate themselves in a single circle."

"I understand." She returned to her clipboard and scribbled furiously as though she would run out of time. "Is there anything else?"

I shook my head. For now, what I really wanted was a little peace and quiet, although Clifford sauntering down the path with his armor slung over his shoulder suggested he had other ideas.

Petey, Rose, and Wrane followed behind him, all on a mission to find me.

"If you two are done, I thought we could use some exercise. Care to run the vaults?"

Nila clutched her clipboard for dear life. Clifford grabbed her arm as she attempted escape.

"Now don't be like that," he said. "It won't be as bad as the last time now that you know you should dodge the monkey crap instead of catch it with your face."

She glared at him and tugged her arm free before storming away from the group. Meanwhile, Petey assisted Rose as she attempted to strap on armor far too big for her.

"Have you been in there before?" I asked Rose.

"Of course I have! What do you think we've been doing while you're off on your adventures, sitting on our behinds grinding herbs all day? Now stop dallying and let's get going! I have a brew on and want to be done by lunch."

By the time we made it to the vault's entrance, everyone, including myself, suited up. I pulled out my Staff of Druid's Healing from my inventory and offered it to Petey along with my Forgemaster's Silver Choker and my other accessories. He grinned from ear to ear, discarded his inferior weapons and accessories, and donned my gifts. I gave Rose my Necklace of Healer's Might although she looked more interested in stabbing things rather than healing them. In turn, she offered me some more healing and mana potions.

Sweet Healing Potion * 5. Quality: Good. Class: Uncommon. Restores 45 health over 10 seconds.
Sweet Mana Potion * 10. Quality: Good. Class: Uncommon. Restores 55 mana over 15 seconds.

"When we get done," I said, "we're going to have to discuss elixirs. We can't be relying on potions all the time. They taste awful."

"Maybe yours do," she said, "but nothing I make tastes bad.”

I feigned a laugh and invited everyone to join a party. While I bemoaned going into another dungeon, Clifford wanted me with him. I was not one to let him down.

"Ready?" he asked us. We clutched our weapons in hand and instructed the guards to lift the grate blocking the entrance. They obliged, and we all vanished inside. Just as I was about to join them, Vindur crawled up my leg and planted himself on my shoulder, eager to follow us in.

“After you,” he said, gesturing forward.

Chapter 20

The first level of Brackenvale Vaults disappointed me. Bats, wolves, and monkeys did not make for interesting foes, especially given they ranged between levels 5 and 7. The bats themselves took a single cast of Brambles to send them plummeting to their death. And the wolves almost fled in terror over Spirit Bolt. Even the boss fights bored me. With Clifford as a tank and Petey as a healer, I sat back and cast my damage spells periodically to whittle the bosses down to zero. We collected loot, for sure, but nothing better than my own.

All in all, I pocketed a handful of gold pieces and 127xp. Clifford looked surprised when I shared this with him. He only earned 14xp himself.

"Every little bit," he said. "We can't all be blessed by the Goddess. Why don't you draw your dagger and increase that skill? It might be more fun for you."

I dismissed his idea. "I just don't feel right when I use sharp weapons. I'll be okay standing at a distance and casting spells."

He smiled and brushed some dirt off my face before we descended to the next level. This one proved more stimulating. It scaled from levels 7-10 and had a higher creature count. I breathed a sigh of relief after learning that these did not consist of spiders or rats, which seemed to be the flavor of these low-level settlement dungeons.

Rose, Petey, and Wrane meanwhile, were having a grand old time. The ferocity Rose exuded when slashing her daggers at monster after monster betrayed her motherly persona. We worked our way down a long, tiled hallway with various rooms in the way.

"Each room needs to be cleared to summon the boss," Clifford said in the middle of a fight. He shielded us all from a couple of level seven kobolds. Wrane adopted a particularly unique rage as she sliced through the creatures. She hated them more than she did her former enemies, the Uplarks.

At one point, a group of kobolds invaded the room while we were occupied with another force. Wrane responded by casting her shadow ability only to appear behind the group and engage them all. She triggered Flurry, and they dropped like flies.

She even rushed around the room in a manic state after the final boss died, searching for more kobolds to attack. It took both Clifford and I a few minutes to calm her down while Rose and Petey stood by both worried for and afraid of our new ally.

"Are there any more kobolds here?" I asked Clifford.

"None to my knowledge. The next level is our last for today and is made up of monkey-bears."

"Monkey-bears?" I asked.

"Yeah, monkey-bears."

I dismissed my notifications as we circled down the stairs. I gained 213xp on level two and raised my Spirit Bolt to rank 8. Fighting lower level creatures did little to benefit me, but Rose already reached level 9 and Petey approached level 10.

We reached the end of the staircase and stepped onto a wooden deck high in the air. Wooden steps zig-zagged downward into an oversized treasure room. As I crossed the threshold behind the group, the archway behind me vanished.

A plaque on the wall read Level 3: Range 11-14. Although I wasn't worried, both Petey and Rose trembled at what was to come.

"Don't worry," I said to them, "the three of us won't let anything happen to you. Right, Clifford?"

"Absolutely. Just," he sighed, "don't touch any of the treasure you see. The creatures here tend to get angry when you do. And it's not real, anyhow. You can't take it out of the vaults."

I hooked arms with Rose as we walked down the stairs. We whispered to one another.

"Cilden wasn't happy, you know. We argued about my coming here today. He wanted to come, but I refused."

"Why wasn't he happy?" I asked.

"Well," she took a breath, "he's still mourning Moga's death. I suppose he's afraid something might happen to me as well. I don't get him sometimes. He thinks it's perfectly okay for him to run dungeons and take risks but expects me to stay home."

"I'm sure he just wants you to be safe."

"I know. But I can't stop thinking about the night the slavers caught us. If I was stronger, we might have gotten away. The only reason they caught us is that I struggled with Neeta and tripped. Cilden and Junta stopped to help and the slavers trapped us."

"And you feel guilty? Even if you hadn't fallen, they might have caught you anyhow."

She wiped a tear from her cheek and stumbled a little. We both breathed a sigh of relief after I saved her before she tumbled down the stairs.

"I feel guilty every night when Junta has nightmares about his branding. He's a strong boy and all, but he is very sensitive. What do you think? Am I unreasonable? Should I listen to him and stay in the keep?"

I thought about how to respond for a moment. While it was true that I wanted all my friends to be safe and while I understood where Cilden was coming from, I couldn't help but think about my own parents, my sister, and their husbands.

"Rose, where I come from there are many people who believe a wife's role is to serve and obey her husband." I paused and looked into her eyes. "However, I was taught differently. In my country, the majority of people believe that spouses should stand beside one another and support each other. I know that a wife should never shadow her husband, just as you should never shadow Cilden."

She smiled and stopped crying.

"You're a strong and independent woman," I said, "and you should do whatever you need to remain that way. Cilden knows this. And when he's ready to let go of his grief he will realize how foolish he's being."

Rose wrapped her arms around me. The tears on her cheek wetted my own.

"You know," she whispered in my ear, "you've become my best friend, Michael Dian-Cecht. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I hugged her tighter not knowing how to respond. Knowing how Rose felt about me warmed my heart and made me want to fight even harder to keep us all safe.

"Are you two coming?" Vindur asked. He crawled up the railing toward us. The others already reached the bottom and engaged a pack of monkey-bears.

I stopped at the bottom of the stairs to observe in horror. The chimeras looked like a science experiment gone wrong. While they had the bodies of a bear, the rest of the creatures were all monkey save an elongated snout with large fangs ready to puncture flesh.

Creature: Monkey-bear
Type: Chimera
Level: 11
Health: 194
Stamina: 175

Clifford drew the attention of four of the creatures. They roared liked bears and hollered like monkeys, torn between acting like one creature or the other. Wrane occupied another while a sixth rushed toward Petey. He stumbled away from the creature and fell to the ground to cower in fear. I charged between him and the beast, cast Sonic Shock, Brambles, and Spirit Bolt in sequence. The creature launched backward and was encased by vines before it hit the floor. Rose continued to charge it and stab at it, although her dagger skill wasn't high enough to inflict killing damage.

I refreshed Brambles just as it was about to wear off to buy Rose time to back away. Wrane filled her void and slashed the creature a handful of times to finish it off. At that point, Clifford's health dropped to 75%. I helped Petey to his feet and instructed him to heal.

"Nice, Rose!" I yelled over the sound of the final monkey-bear dying.

"But I barely damaged it," she said.

"No, you didn't. But that's because your daggers are about as sharp as butter knives. Let's keep going. Perhaps you'll find a better one."

We pushed on for another hour, clearing pack after pack of chimera, two of whom were bosses. I stepped in only when Petey needed help healing, although he proved himself quite adept when not confronted directly. As I guessed, the first boss dropped some appropriate armor for Rose and Petey. The final boss dropped weapons for everyone, although I instructed Petey to give mine to another townsperson. The final boss also dropped two spell tomes, one a holy spell that offered a direct heal and the other a spell to cure disease.

Spell Tome: Cure Disease I. Cleanses your target of a single disease effect. Mana cost: 50. Cast time: 3 seconds. Cooldown: 1 hour.

While I thought Petey should take both to improve his abilities as village healer, he refused and forced the spell into my hands. After a few seconds of polite arguing, I complied and absorbed the spellbook.

As we walked the long hallway to the end of the now-clear level, I counted up my experience. All in all, I gained 324xp. I reviewed the rest of my notifications.

Congratulations! You have reached rank 19 in Brambles.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 16 in Sonic Shock.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 10 in Spirit Bolt. Spell evolved to Spirit Bolt III. Now deals 25 damage. Mana cost: 22.
Congratulations! You have reached rank 15 in Nature's Touch. Spell evolved to Nature's Touch IV. Now heals for 50hp. Mana cost: 40.

Congratulations! Your settlement has reached level 4. +15 perk points. 98% until level 5.

"Wait," I said to the group. "How did we reach level four already?"

"Didn't I tell you? Baridorne, Ash, and Radha are leading another group behind us, and some villagers planned on running the first two levels on their own," Clifford said.

"Well, then, let's get out of here. I'd hate to not be the first ones out." I turned tail and hurried to the end of the level. When the others caught up to me, I placed my hand on a golden seal and teleported us to the dungeon's entrance. It wasn't even noon when we stepped outside. The keep was alive with activity. Dozens of workers focused on Gerec's main project and hammered and screwed away all eager to complete the new housing effort.

Nila waited patiently near the grove of new fruit trees. She examined some already forming fruit with a happy look about her. Two unfamiliar elves walked away from her as we approached, although both bowed toward me as they walked by.

"Michael, it's good you’re here. An urgent letter just arrived from Greenleaf Enclave, your eyes only."

"We're receiving mail, now? What's next, magical lighting?" Rose joked.

I fumbled with the folded message and tore off the green wax seal. "Now that you mention it, yes." I smiled at Rose, although my good mood changed after reading the letter.

Slanaitheoir,

The source of our blight has been identified. Head for Greenleaf enclave immediately. If you delay, I'll consider our agreement void and our realm unwelcome to you. Bring my daughter and son-in-law.

Greenleaf

"That's it?" Clifford asked. "Couldn't he tell us more?"

"That's all he needs to tell us," I mumbled. "Nila, when Ash and Radha come out, have them meet us at the village gates. And find Jacob and Margaret as well. They're coming, too."

Nila nodded, shuffled through her notes to pull up the guard's duty roster, and hurried away.

As we walked back to the manor, I revealed the nature of the quest to Wrane.

"Now you don't have to come with us," I said to her. "You can stay here, or you can go-"

"No! I go you. I fight your bad!"

"Alright. That's settled, then. Meet us at the gates in one hour. And bring your strongest weapons and gear."

Wrane disappeared into the building, leaving Clifford and me alone.

"Don't you think you're overreacting? What harm will it do for us to leave tomorrow morning?"

"I don't know. I just get a strange feeling that things are worse than Greenleaf led on. Think about it. He doesn't think he can face this by himself and he has dozens of soldiers all gifted in magic at his side." I rubbed my temples to scare away a forming headache.

Clifford sighed and sat on the stairs. "I'm sorry. It's just that we've been on the go for a while now. I'm just aching for some down time."

"Me too." I took a seat next to him and rested my head on his shoulder. Vindur, meanwhile, crouched on my shoulder. His coarse hair tickled my cheek. "Do you two think this will ever end?" I asked them.

Vindur scratched at his ear. "It's not going to be easy. But you need allies and you need to find the rest of the regalia. If you don't, Mannana wins."

"I know. But after this quest is over we're going to take a nice break. I don't care what it costs. We can't win this battle if we're always exhausted and on the run."

I tried to close my eyes and shut out the rest of the world. My attempts were ineffective. I felt a presence behind me and looked up to see Joan standing over us.

"Now what's this I hear about you all fighting some 'blight'?" she asked.

Chapter 21

"I'll escort you to Greenleaf Enclave, but then I must go my own way." Joan tightened the straps on her boots for the hike ahead. Although Clifford asked her to stay longer, she insisted she would follow us out of the valley. She had business to attend to, and by business, Clifford believed she meant to take care of her husband.

"I'm sorry, boys. From what Clifford told me, his father took my family's money and wastes it on pompous frills, slaves, and overt donations to Levent's war chest. I won't have it."

She pulled Clifford in close to her and kissed his forehead in a way only a mother could. "Your grandparents would be rolling around in their graves if they'd known what your father did to you. Don't worry, though. I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him."

"Aren't you worried? He has dozens of soldiers on his side and the Elathian guard at his beck and call. What are you going to do?"

"Don't bother yourself with that," she said. "You just worry about this forest monster you've promised to slay. Your father isn't a smart man. Chances are I'm still listed on all our accounts and will be able to rob him blind before he knows what's happening. I'll be back before you can say 'boo.'"

She let Clifford go and approached the bracken field. Her hands trembled slightly as she released the magic of Merrow Song and a swath of stinging nettles furled into harmless fiddleheads. The now-safe path extended beyond my line of sight. The group of us, Clifford, Ash, Radha, Wrane, Jacob, and Margaret trailed behind Joan as we set out for Greenleaf Enclave.

"Aren't you going to ask Vindur to come?" Clifford asked as we followed his mother into the bracken forest.

"Not this time. I want him to keep an eye on everyone while we're gone. It's not that I don't trust Nila. It's just that I feel she doesn't see the full picture of what's going on in the keep every day. I want Vindur to understand how the people are doing, what they are saying, and how they think things are going. He can listen in on them without being detected. He can help us improve things in a way that Nila can't."

Our passing was uneventful, like last time, only as we made our way down the narrow path of the cliffs and onto the forest floor outside of the valley, the air adopted the same chill we experienced near Boginki's lair. I pulled my hood over my head to protect my already burning ears and shivered away some of the chill. Last time we were all here, it felt more like a humid rainforest. Now, however, it was like a brisk tundra.

Joan sensed something was wrong and stopped dead in her tracks. "Do you have any idea what this blight is?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Not at all. That's actually the purpose of the quest. When we were underground, though, it would seem Greenleaf discovered the problem. We'll find out more once we talk to him.”

She grimaced and looked at Clifford with worry in her eyes. I could sense she was torn between leaving and staying, worried that we would face something we couldn't overcome.

Absent anything to do about it now, however, she turned and pressed on for the elven village.

We hiked in silence for the better part of two more hours before the temperature began to climb again. We discarded layers of clothes until all of us were without armor. Our shirts were drenched in sweat, and our leather pants squeaked as we walked. I laughed at Clifford while he continually tugged at his groin to pull the bunching leather away from his sensitive bits.

Neither Ash nor Radha had the same issue. Both wore linen tops and bottoms and were more adjusted to the region's humidity.

At last, we found the original path we followed the first time I was brought to the enclave. Twenty minutes later, we all squeezed through the narrow barrier to Greenleaf's secret hideaway and instantly found ourselves in the line of sight of a dozen archers.

"Put down your weapons!"

I peeked over the mass of guards to see Greenleaf bounding down the hillock toward us. His massive banyan tree looked even more splendid now than it did only days ago, perhaps because we weren't awash with exhaustion and grief.

"Slanaitheoir, I'm glad you heeded my message. And even more pleased that you brought back my daughter and her husband unscathed." He gripped both my shoulders and stared at me for an uncomfortable amount of time, as though trying to read my very thoughts and trying to glean information about my transformation since we last met.

Greenleaf seemed more tired and worn than before. In our last encounter, the man exploded with the most stunning organic magic. Plants sprung out of the earth to soften the path before him. His hair grew wild and untamed, only controlled by a wooden crown he wore.

Now his crown was missing and his hair wilted from his head like a bush absent water. His unruly sideburns were formed into thin braids that hung down to his jawline. The man had bags under his eyes as though he hasn't slept since we departed. Even his posture had diminished in a way that betrayed his years.

"Father, what's happened?" Radha asked.

Greenleaf hushed his daughter and pulled at my arm.

"Not here. Follow me," he said as he led us toward the banyan tree. Distraught elves lined the path leading to the great tree. Some genuflected as we rushed by. Others, mostly women and children, hid themselves in the doorways to their hovels prepared to flee inside at a moment's notice.

Armed guards met us at the entrance to the banyan tree. Clifford, Ash, Radha, and I were all allowed to pass. Joan and the others were blocked as they tried to join us. They protested, but Greenleaf insisted they wait outside.

He guided us higher and higher into the treeline, looking back only to make certain we kept up. The man seemed paranoid, as though he were being followed by someone or something other than us.

At last, we reached the canopy of the giant tree and branched out around Greenleaf as he huffed to catch his breath.

"Father, you're acting strangely. What's wrong?" Radha calmly inched closer to him hoping to calm him down. He pushed her away, however, and cast his arms in large circles. The tree responded to his expulsion of magic and began to tremor.

The thick branches forming the wall of the chamber began to shift. They separated at Greenleaf's command like the sea opened up for Moses. In their absence, a giant porthole formed that looked outward, beyond the enclave's northern barrier.

Although the horizon was partially cloaked in a thin haze, I gasped when I saw the state of the forest. Only what seemed like two miles away, the bright green canopy gave way to autumn colors as though the season decided to change in one part of the forest. And beyond that, although difficult to see, the canopy appeared black with rot. Bare branches sagged, trunks split in two, and a festering smoke billowed from its heart.

"What is it?" I asked. I edged closer to the window hoping to get a better look. The ruined area formed an almost perfect circle around the largest of the smoke plumes.

"Is it the Elathian army?" Clifford asked. "They're sure to be looking for us."

"If only," Greenleaf said. He reached into his inventory bag to search for some unknown prize. While he did that, the great tree shivered and extended upward to form a table in front of him. First, he pulled out a finished hide and laid it out on the new stump. Then he fished out an oversized, severed hand. The hide sizzled as it held what appeared to be a demonic appendage. While it was definitely a hand, it did not look like one from any of the usual races. It was larger than a giant's hand but was completely devoid of a healthy color. Silver skin covered black veins that matched dagger-like fingernails. The smell of burned skin wafted through the room and made my eyes water.

"Impossible," Ash said. He, Radha, and Greenleaf all stepped back from the appendage as though it would lash out and kill them without hesitation.

"I'm confused," I said. "You told me you discovered the source of the blight, not that you killed it. Why did you need us to rush all this way?"

"You don't understand," Radha mumbled. "You can't just kill it. It's a Koschei."

Her explanation didn't provide answers. I never heard the word before and wondered why they were all afraid of the creature's remains.

"What's a Koschei?" Clifford asked. I raised my eyebrows at him, pleased I wasn't the only one left in the dark.

Greenleaf crept toward the horrific hand and bundled it up again before stuffing it back into his inventory.

"Nothing good," he said. "A Koschei is a demonic spirit that brings only darkness and destruction. It has the ability to corrupt any source of goodness in our world."

"But you were able to kill it?" I traced my hand along the surface of the table before us. The severed limb had burned part of the way through the skin and left a stain on the wood's surface. Greenleaf stepped forward and slapped my hand away from the mark before mumbling an incantation. He swiped over the stain and smoke billowed between his fingers. When he removed his hand, the stain was gone. Only scorched wood remained.

"A large group of my hunters encountered the creature only a few miles from here the night before last. They all recognized the creature immediately and moved to kill it. Half of them died before slaying it. The survivors removed the hand and brought it to me."

While he spoke, he willed the banyan tree to close the northern porthole.

"A Koschei is unlike other creatures in Vros. They're akin to dungeon bosses, although they aren't restricted to a locked cave or tomb. They bind themselves to a powerful artifact and corrupt it with their soul. When you kill it, the koschei respawns almost instantaneously. To kill it, we must find the tainted relic and cleanse it."

"And how do we cleanse it?" I asked.

"Like we cleanse anything else, with water from the Nerthus spring." Greenleaf reached again into his sagging inventory bag and removed a plethora of vials filled to the brim with the sacred water.

"Only this water has the power to purge the koschei's soul from whatever it has corrupted. And even then, we hope it hasn't bound itself to more than one artifact."

"What level was this creature when your men encountered it?" Clifford asked.

"Thirty-seven. Although I suppose it would now be lower. It loses levels every time it is killed."

Greenleaf handed out the vials of precious water to all of us. He scoffed at Clifford and moved to skip him, but I cleared my throat to get his attention and shook my head. I would not tolerate any semblance of racism among my allies – or potential allies. He shrugged and handed him two of the tubes before moving onto Ash and Radha.

"All we have to do is run this water over the corrupted artifact to cleanse it. The item can then be used to suppress the demon's abilities. Only then can we defeat it for good." He made his way back to me and looked into my eyes again as he did earlier as if to gauge my intentions.

"But first," he said, "I must speak with Slanaitheoir alone."

Ash and Radha left the room without questioning his request.

"I'd like Clifford to stay," I said to the elf leader. "He is a part of everything I do."

Greenleaf shrugged and beckoned us to follow him toward the other window in the chamber. This one revealed the expanse to the west: the untainted forest and the plains beyond where Triseans dwelled.

"The fact that this is a Koschei accelerates our plans, Slanaitheoir."

"I really wish you would just call me Michael," I said. Greenleaf smiled and agreed to honor my request.

"Very well. I will call you by your chosen name for now, although soon enough the world will come to know you for who you are: the divine agent of Balama."

He sat down on the floor in front of the window and beckoned both of us to follow.

"The reason I asked you to stay behind, and the reason I wanted you to get here so quickly, is to make you a druid. My hope is that will give us the added edge we need to defeat the Koschei."

My ears perked up when he said the word 'druid.' I had almost forgotten that class training was a promise for finishing this quest and now, despite our earlier promise, he was willing to unlock the class for me.

"How do we begin?" I asked him before he had a chance to continue. My tone abandoned patience. I came across like an eager puppy ready to fetch.

"Well under normal circumstances, I only bestow this class on those I instruct for years on end. We have only three druids among the hundreds of people who recognize me as leader, only they are with our sister clans now. And in our sister tribes to the south, only a handful of other druids have mastered the craft." He reached into his bag and pulled out his druid staff. I inspected the weapon. The wood was birch and had carved into it the runic symbols of the class. His wasn't the staff of a novice druid. Greenleaf, despite his level, had mastered the art of Druidism and unlocked many unique abilities. Affixed to the top of the staff, a green gem sparkled in the sunlight.

"So," he continued, "we're going to have to accelerate things. And that means you're going to need to gather the components necessary to craft your first weapon. I take it that you prefer a hanbo over a staff, correct?"

I nodded at him and pulled out my own weapon for him to analyze.

"Then we'll need Ash to craft it. There's no finer hanbo maker in the region, and he has the knowledge to create one specialized for druids even if he failed his own initiation into our order."

Greenleaf's comment left me on edge. In my experience, most of the battle in securing a class is getting a master to agree to train you. The fact that Greenleaf would fail initiates, even his own son-in-law, made me wonder if I might also fail. When I played Fjorgyn: Online, my druid class master had me meditate on what nature form I most affiliated with before imparting in me the class title of novitiate. And that happened only after six months of seeking her out and another few months of currying her favor.

"You needn't worry, Michael. Ash failed because he realized midway through his initiation that my way wasn't his. If you are committed to the way of the Druids, your trial should prove successful."

I snapped back into the moment and looked at both Clifford and Greenleaf. The two of them waited for me to respond.

"What do I need to do?" I asked.

Greenleaf went on to explain the details of his request. Upon realizing he needed to accelerate my induction into the class, he created a single trial that he believed touched upon the core drive behind druids.

"It's not enough," he said, "for me to just say ‘you're now a druid.' You must prove it not only to me and to yourself, but to the Goddess as well. This trial should be sufficient."

I agreed to the quest and received a notification indicating the timeline. I had one day to scour the forest for the items necessary to craft and enchant my hanbo. Once complete, Greenleaf was confident he could unlock the druid class for me.

"I don't understand why I can't go with him." Clifford became somewhat agitated by the details of the quest. When Greenleaf revealed I needed to do this alone, he put his foot down not out of anger at being left out, but out of fear of my being alone in the same forest as a demonic creature hell-bent on destroying anyone it encountered.

"Don't worry," Greenleaf said. "Tomorrow morning I will impart Michael with a twenty-four-hour spell that will help him source the items necessary. I know the things he needs. They are all located in uncorrupted areas. So far, all my scouts suggest the koschei and any blighted creatures have not ventured near the enclave. While he finds what he needs, we need you here to hold the line."

"It's alright," I said to Clifford. I held his hand tightly and looked him in the eyes. "If I encounter anything I can't defeat on my own, I will flee. And if I can't make it back here, you can find me in Brackenvale."

I chose my last words very carefully, not wanting to reveal to Greenleaf the fact that I could not be truly killed, although I guessed the elf leader surmised my immortal status.

Clifford raised my fingers to his lips and kissed them gently and, with no further questions, the two of us were dismissed to the same guest cabin we spent the night in only a few days earlier.

Sleep didn't come quickly that night. Joan said her goodbyes and departed from the enclave’s western exit. The rest of us sat around a smoldering campfire outside the guest quarters in silence until we retired to our cabins.

------

Greenleaf arrived shortly after sunrise to escort me to the edge of the village. I took notice of his appearance and demeanor as he led Clifford and me to the exit. He looked more rested today. I guessed he found some comfort in knowing he had allies in this fight.

"You have one shot at this," the elf leader said as he placed his hand on my chest and released magic into me.

You are affected by "Nature's Guide." This spell will help you source the items necessary to complete your Druid trial. Duration: 24 hours.

"I can only cast this spell once a month. If you're not able to find all the items you need before it expires, you will have to fight the koschei without druidic abilities."

"How does it work?" I asked.

"It's relatively easy. You close your eyes and focus on the task at hand. The spell will pick up from there and reveal to you the direction you need to go. But it can only take you so far. Once you're close to the item, you will need to collect it yourself."

Understanding my goal, I turned to leave, only Clifford grabbed my arm to hold me back.

"I know I can't go with him," he said to Greenleaf, "but I refuse to not help him. Can I give him something as well to make things easier?"

Greenleaf agreed and retreated into the narrow doorway leading into the village.

"You be careful and don't take any unnecessary risks." Clifford reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a silver token I'd never seen before.

Upfield's Insignia. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. +50 stamina, Activate to restore 50% of your stamina. Charges: Infinite. Can be used once per hour.

He slipped the smooth coin into my hand. I held it up to closely examine it. The symbol of a magnificent horse was etched into the silver coin. As light struck its surface, I thought I saw the horse neigh and shake out its mane.

"This should help speed you up. Run when you can. If you're not back by sunrise tomorrow, I don't care what Greenleaf says. I'm coming after you."

Clifford invited me to a party so he could keep track of me on his map. I accepted his invite, pocketed the coin, and drew him in for a goodbye kiss.

"I'll be fine, don't worry. I am immortal, after all."

"That's not what I'm worried about. Sure, you don't stay dead, but that doesn't mean you can't be captured, tortured, or sold back into slavery. If you see any Elathian soldiers, remain hidden."

I hugged him tightly. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Clifford looked like a sad puppy at that moment. A great deal of it had to do with the fact that we hadn't been separated for nearly six months. I was as much a part of him as he was of me. A day apart without one another to rely on seemed the harder task than trekking through the woods.

I shook my hand through his hair, smiled, and walked down the path leading away from the enclave.

Once Clifford was out of sight, I closed my eyes and dedicated my full attention to the task at hand, focusing on finding the items I needed to complete my trial. After a minute I felt a slight tug, as though a thin thread weaved its way through the forest for me to follow. When I opened my eyes, I saw a golden filament winding through the trees. The wind blew at my back and leaves rustled in response. This was enough to cause me to lose sight of the guiding thread, but not enough to have me forget the direction.

I began to jog along the path leading south. The way was well traveled and worn from thousands of trips by elvish hunting parties. As I made my way further south, my inventory bag slapped at the back of my thighs. I stopped to adjust the pack and focused again, calling into my field of vision the golden filament once more. It still compelled me to travel due south away from the enclave, away from Brackenvale, and away from the Koschei's domain.

I jogged for the better part of twenty minutes until my stamina approached zero. I activated Clifford's trinket. The stamina boost offered me another ten minutes before I had to stop to recover. In the process, I gained another three ranks in Athleticism. My lungs and legs did not appreciate this type of exertion, however, and I had to sit down and take water before I was ready to move again.

I took the opportunity to examine my surroundings and realized that, for the first time, I was truly and utterly alone. Unlike other immersive video games, Fjorgyn: Online boasted pure realism. And this Fjorgyn, not a video game, took that to heart. It was a great deal like forests on Earth. Sure there were signs and sounds of creatures in the woods, but I wasn't going to stumble into a den of gigantic spiders or be overwhelmed by endless packs of wolves.

In fact, for the most part, forests and fields of Fjorgyn were especially desolate. Predators did stalk the region, but they weren't about to attack a humanoid. Most, in fact, wouldn't confront you unless they were cornered, surprised, or starving enough to take the risk.

This, in my mind, is what troubled Greenleaf so much about the Koschei. It seemed to drive even peaceful creatures in the forest to violence and mayhem.

An acorn fell from a tree above me and landed at my feet, startling me back to reality.

With my fatigue lower and my stamina now close to full, I brought up the guiding thread and followed it once more. It took me a few more hours of jogging, using Clifford's trinket, and resting before I finally reached the location of the first item. The filament leading me burned with such a brightness that its target became all too apparent.

I stepped out into a large grove. Thin trees formed a natural barrier around the open area and surrounded what appeared to be an ancient tree, similar in a way to the tree in Boginki's underground bog.

I crept toward the tree and strained my head up to examine its boughs. The tree was massive beyond belief, its trunk as wide as a house. It was easily five stories tall. I closed my eyes and focused on the item I needed to find. The brilliant golden wire appeared in my field of vision and compelled me to climb the tree. As I did, I caught sight of my prize: a golden acorn the size of my fist.

As I ascended higher and higher, though, the strain of the climb wore on me. My biceps twitched and burned as I pulled myself to the sky.

I was only ten feet from the acorn when I made my first mistake. I reached for a branch and, although I thought I had a solid grip, I slipped as I pulled on it and lost all control. Branches slapped at my back, my legs, and my head as I flew toward the forest floor below. A large bough caught my torso. All the air in my lungs expelled from the proverbial kick to my stomach, and I struggled to reconstitute myself. The fall caused me to lose 50hp and it showed. I had a large gash in my arm and multiple scrapes and contusions. The tree's golden bark was now stained red with my blood. I tried to cast Living Seed on myself, but lost my grip again and fell backward onto the ground. The impact of my skull to dirt caused the world to grow dark and blurry, and I received a five-minute debuff that I could do nothing about.

I lay there dazed, confused, and bleeding. I had never used so many expletives in my life. I felt as though if the woods could communicate, it would be laughing at me.

Once I healed myself and recovered from my dizziness, I approached the tree a second time and began to climb. This ascent, however, proved more difficult. I reached for branches that I thought were there only to find them missing. I gripped bark only to find it too smooth to hold onto. I battled for every foot I climbed until, at last, I realized the tree itself fought against me.

I was about twenty feet in the air when the large bough I stood on twisted and sent me tumbling. I rolled when I hit the dirt to avoid falling damage and spun around to see my revelation was correct. The gigantic tree trembled and shook its branches. I placed my palm against the golden bark and realized the tree, in fact, was very much sentient. I felt pulsating as though it had a heartbeat and the bark raised and collapsed under my hand. This tree was both plant and animal in one. It had branches and leaves, but also a heart, lungs, and veins.

Most importantly, it did not want me to climb it. It did not want me to claim its golden prize high in its canopy.

I reached upward for another handhold only for the branch to snap at me like a giant whip. It sliced into my hand and sent a jolt of pain coursing up my arm.

"What is wrong with you?" I asked the tree. "I just want the acorn! Surely you can grow another!"

The giant tree swayed back and forth and lashed its branches at me. Every time I approached it, vines whipped through the air. Some, I thought, meant to decapitate me. The tree became so agitated that I had to flee to the far reaches of the grove beyond its scope.

I sat down and pressed my back into the sticky bark of a pine trunk. Once I was far enough away, the tree began to settle, giving me some time to figure out what to do. I observed the monstrosity for thirty minutes. Every time I moved to stand up, the tree attacked. Still, it failed to respond to the occasional bird that perched in its branches or squirrel that scurried up its trunk.

My only choice here since I was running out of time was to use the forest creatures themselves to claim the acorn. If I were to find all the items I needed, I had to act now.

I took my chance when a squirrel hopped across the glade looking for any choice berries or nuts that had fallen. I cautiously raised my hand and cast Mind Control. The spell enveloped the little animal, and it writhed in agony as it fought against my dominating will. It lost the battle, and my vision faded to black, returning again only when aligned with the squirrel's point of view.

It took me a few seconds to adjust to this viewpoint. Once I asserted my full control, however, the creature scurried up the trunk and into the branches above. I could feel what the squirrel felt. Its nails sunk into the golden, rough bark of the tree. I felt sweat dampening the creature's skin and could even smell the faint musk of it penetrate my senses.

I ordered it higher and higher. After ten seconds, it climbed above where I first reached and was in striking distance of the golden acorn. As suspected, the tree didn't pick up on the fact that I controlled the squirrel. If it had known, it would have snuffed the tiny rodent out like fingers snuff a candle.

It took ten more seconds and one great leap for the squirrel to land atop the acorn. I ordered it to chew on the stem and in less than a moment, the golden fruit plummeted to the forest floor below.

The beastly tree shuddered and roared to life and exhausted itself trying to catch the acorn, but it bumped and rolled its way through the branches until it thudded against the ground and rolled out of the tree's reach. Absent its prized possession, the tree lashed out the only thing it could: the zombified squirrel mindlessly awaiting my instruction.

I tried to save the animal mostly because I was overwhelmed by its fear and hostility toward me. I ordered it to jump, but I was too late. A branch whistled through the air and smacked the squirrel. I heard cracking and crunching and the creature's pain coursed through my body before it exploded into unrecognizable bits. The mind control effect faded when my temporary minion perished. My senses returned to me. I sat against the same sticky pine tree now drenched in my own sweat at having experienced what felt like my own death.

The apple-sized golden acorn rocked back and forth between my feet.

You have received ‘Heart of the Forest.'Quality: Pristine.Class: Epic. Note: Crafting agent.

I reached out and claimed it as my own. When I did, the enraged tree settled into what I would describe as a pout. Its branches sagged, and it adopted the appearance of a weeping willow. I pitied the tree but knew that I would put the acorn to good use. I would pay it back, as well, by saving the forest.

I thanked the tree for the gift, even if stolen, but it didn't respond. No longer having idle time to waste, I activated Nature's Guide until I caught sight of the faded thread guiding me to the next object. I could barely detect the visible wire. It was as thin as spider silk. In fact, I thought it was a stray strand of silk one might find in the woods.

I followed it though, as it guided me southeast from my current location, even further away from my friends and allies. Instead of mulling over my isolation and the space separating myself from my allies, I focused on the forest around me, on the sounds and smells of the wood, the crisp moisture in the air that cooled my skin as I ran, and the scurrying of animals as I approached. I was, after all, undergoing my trial to become a druid and that meant accepting a connection to nature beyond what I currently had.

When I stopped for a break, I pondered how wrong things felt for me in Elatha and how I yearned to escape the city. Even on Earth I never felt at ease in cities. I almost lost myself when I attended college in an urban area. The dirt and grime of nature always felt purer than that of a metropolis.

And now I was as isolated in nature as one could possibly get. I was hours from any known settlement. I imagined Clifford perched on the edge of the banyan tree in Greenleaf Enclave looking for any sign from me. I pulled up my map to confirm this. Zooming into the enclave, I saw his marker pulsing. His health, mana, and stamina were all full. I kept my map up for far too long, focusing on his fixed position and lost focus on the trail in front of me. My face violently struck a sheer cliff. The impact knocked sense back into me.

I stood silent for a moment figuring out what happened. I felt foolish, like a love-struck boy too focused on his feelings to see things clearly.

I focused on Nature's Guide until I located the golden filament again. This time, it led further south until, thirty feet away, it ascended up a threadlike path carved into the cliff face.

The walkway was almost too narrow for my feet and required I climb up it on my heels, holding onto cracks in the rocks or a random root for security. And so I climbed. I climbed and I climbed and I climbed. I climbed until my feet were sore and until my hands became exhausted. Halfway up the great ascent, I found a landing to take a break. I sat on a shallow shelf and admired the view around me. I was a few hundred feet up and could see the full expanse of the wood. On the northern horizon, I made out the outline of Greenleaf's banyan tree. It had to be seven or eight miles away. I couldn't see much further beyond that, but I felt ill-at-ease when I tried. I knew what awaited me to the north and the urgency of facing the koschei made my heart skip.

Due west I made out a faint outline of what I assumed was a Trisean village. Plumes of black smoke rose from this unknown settlement and blew away from me.

The south, however, went on for as far as I could see. It seemed this forest blanketed the entire eastern border of Vros.

Once I put food in my belly, a light meal of dried meat and stale bread, I adjusted my inventory and began my ascent again. The sun reflected off the white cliffs around me and beat down on the top of my head as if to shove me back down to the ground. The golden filament grew brighter and now looked like a copper wire channeling too much electricity. If it were real, it would certainly scorch its way through my skin.

It took another hour for me to reach the top of the cliffs. My body wasn't the only thing slowing my progress. Periodically, violent gusts of wind slammed me against the cliff face where I held on for dear life. I engaged in a vicious cycle of climbing. The climb made me sweat. The wind cooled me down. Things went on like this until I was sapped of body heat and reduced to shivering to keep myself warm. And then, when I thought this climb would last forever, I reached the top. The white stone crested away from me to form an impossibly flat shelf like an immaculate dining table with an ivory-white cloth.

After I pulled myself over the edge and lay flat on my back, I worried about the climb down. Pulling myself up was arduous. Guiding myself back down might prove lethal.

I propped myself up and looked around the nearly barren cliff. Finding my guide-wire, I followed it further south along the summit. The high sun began playing tricks on my eyes. It felt like I was walking along a gilded path with a dark crevasse on either side.

The filament burned even brighter than the stone, though, until it began to pulse and quiver. I followed it to find a cluster of oversized birds nests, each about as high as me and twice as wide. Some contained eggs. Some didn't. One thing was clear: these nests were home to a large number of unfamiliar predators.

"What now?" I asked myself, being careful not to draw any unwanted attention. I crept between the multitude of nests and followed the filament even further until it stopped at a singularly massive roost. This was a few feet larger than the others. I secured my footing in its branches and struggled up. As I did, an overwhelming smell of rot burned my nostrils. I fell to the ground and plugged my nose to avoid retching aloud. I pulled my only spare shirt from my inventory and wrapped it around my face to block the smell and climbed up again.

As I pulled my torso above the edge of the nest and peered inside, a loud squawk echoed from behind me. Talons lashed around my shoulders and pulled at me, attempting to lift me into the air and kill me. Without thinking, I punched at the unknown predator until it let go and sent me tumbling into the nest. I forward rolled among branches and bones and discarded eggshells until I settled at the bottom. I turnedoverin time to see a massive eagle soar overhead. Its shadow looped around and prepared to assault me again. It soared and circled high above me until it tucked its wings and dove toward me like a spear.

When it was about to invade the nest, I raised both my hands and dual-cast Sonic Shock hoping it wouldn't backlash. The spell formed, and shockwaves exploded from my hands. The force of the spell caused the nest to swallow me up. The raptor diving toward me caught the full brunt of the spell to one of its now shattered wings. The eagled launched thirty feet into the air as it took around 90 impact damage. Unable to regain flight it plummetted to the ground. I heard a loud crunch as the raptor breathed its last. A flurry of activity suggested other eagles descended on the remains to pick it clean.

You have killed a level 20 Cliff Eagle Matriarch. +43xp

You have received ‘Matriarch’s Feather.' Quality: Pristine. Class: Rare. Crafting ingredient.

I felt bad for the beast. It was doing only what felt natural: defending its nest from an unknown invader. With the other birds distracted, I looked around the nest for the item I came for. I dug my hands into piles of spent shells, bones, tattered clothing, and other refuse until I found my prize: an oversized tail feather of the bird I just killed. I shoved it in my inventory and climbed out of the nest before the other vicious eagles noticed me.

Wondering how many more items I had to go, I willed Nature's Guide and scanned around for the golden thread guiding me. It led back the way I came and compelled me to descend down the narrow pathway leading to the ground.

Every bit of me wanted to collapse right there and sleep for hours, but six hours had already expired, and I needed to move on if I was going to find the remaining items before sunset. I didn’t want to be alone in this forest at night.

“No person, druid or otherwise, is comfortable in the woods at night,” I mumbled as I hauled my legs over the edge and secured my first foothold.

Chapter 22

I slid down the remaining five feet and rolled like a drunken acrobat against the ground. Although it took me only a quarter the amount of time to climb down as it did up, each foot of lost elevation turned my stomach. I wasn't worried about dying, of course. Instead, I was more afraid of falling that height and somehow surviving, albeit in a state beyond my ability to function. Stranger things, like being reborn in Fjorgyn, have been known to happen.

I gathered my wits again, and followed my guide wire away from the cliff and due west. It didn't take long to realize that the next item was well outside of the bounds of the forest. After an hour's hike, I reached the edge where trees gave way to open fields. Thirty feet beyond the treeline a well-traveled path snaked north to south. I drew a line with my fingers to realize it was the same road that ran by Cilden's old village—the road where I was captured by Elathian slave traders many months ago.

But now the way was desolate. Despite its tightly packed dirt and gravel, no one traveled this path. I looked north and south before stepping out, hoping not to spot any signs of enemy soldiers. I felt naked after I left the security-blanket-like forest.

I had no choice, though, and stayed faithful to my task at hand. I crouched as I jogged across the open prairie, stopping only to slump to the ground to recover stamina. After another hour, it was clear that the guide wire was leading me straight to the unfamiliar Trisean settlement.

I recalled Clifford's words from earlier. "Stay hidden," he had said. Only now it was impossible. I had to finish my quest. I needed to find all the items necessary to craft my druid's weapon.

As I approached the settlement, I realized it wasn't just a small village. I could only be so lucky. Hundreds of buildings cropped up from the open grassland like festering wounds on the land. Each building released clouds of chimney smoke that was picked up and carried downwind.

You have discovered Belen Dell. +35xp

There were no bridges or walls in this city. Tall grasses surrounded the settlement and, for but a moment, the wind cascaded across the fields causing the grass to appear like waves crashing into an island town. I observed the city from a distance until I noticed a few unused alleys that allowed me to slip in. I pulled my hood over my head and crept forward, careful to avoid detection.

As I entered the town, life burst around me. I heard dozens of people tucked in their homes preparing for dinner. Couples shared details about their day. Some argued over minuscule topics like who would make supper or who would wash the children. I turned a corner into an open court in the center of the town not because I wanted to, but because it was where the golden wire flowed.

Dozens of stalls formed a circle with a flowing well in the center. Across the court and beyond the fountain, my wire pulled taut, although it was invisible to everyone save me.

Some Triseans passed by and glared at me. One, in particular, had a look of absolute disgust on his face when he noticed my pointed ears. I pulled my hood tighter and followed the invisible thread until I was through the crowd, although the smells of freshly cooked foods compelled me to stop. I practically drooled when I passed a pastry stand and mulled over the idea of making a purchase. I had money, after all.

“Remain hidden.” Clifford’s advice compelled me forward.

Once out of sight again, I turned and looked back. While the Triseans distrusted me for sure and although some expressed racism, none seemed to take the time to warn any guards.

I did, however, catch sight of a bulletin board in the center of the square that left me shocked. Someone had nailed a parchment on the board with crude pictures of Nila, Clifford, and me. It labeled us imperial traitors and offered a one-thousand gold bounty for Clifford and Nila and a five-hundred gold bounty for me, "dead or alive."

I turned to flee the mall before anyone recognized me, but burly arms wrapped around me, covered my mouth, and pulled me into a nearby alley.

I struggled and attempted to scream in vain. A man cursed when I bit down on his finger. He pulled his hand away and slapped the back of my head before covering my mouth again, this time with a rag drenched in medicinal alcohol.

I tried to hold my breath, but it was too late. The vapors already invaded my lungs. The attacker slung my limp body over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and spirited me away to some unknown destination.

When I came around again, I wasn't bound or gagged. I was propped in a chair with my head hanging forward as though I was in a drunken stupor. I checked myself for signs of injury, but there was nothing wrong with me save a terrible thirst.

"Water," I mumbled as I battled my drugged buzz. The same burly arms that abducted me thrust a wooden bowl brimming with water in my hand. I gulped it down eager to wash a foul taste of chemicals from my mouth.

A handful of men and women surrounded me, although my blurred vision couldn't make them out. Before I could say anything else, a woman in white armor burst into the room.

"Where's Clifford? Where's my son? Is he alive?" When my eyesight corrected itself, I saw Joan hovering over me.

"Huh?" I asked, still recovering from my stupor.

"Michael, where's Clifford? Why did you come here?"

She tried to grab hold of my shoulders and shake me alert, but I pushed them away.

I pulled up my interface map and zoomed into Clifford's location. He was no longer in Greenleaf Enclave. Instead, he was nearly to the forest line heading my direction and was dangerously low on stamina, although at full health and mana. I guessed that when he saw my debuff, he ignored Greenleaf's advice and came running.

"He's okay. I'm in a party with him right now."

"Show me," she said.

I invited Joan to my party to allow her to see her son's location and health. The woman breathed a sigh of relief and sunk to her knees. At the same time, Clifford's indicator stopped dead in his tracks. He was at the forest line now and paused there to gauge the situation. It was moments like this where I regretted this Fjorgyn lacked the same in-game messaging functions of Fjorgyn: Online. I would kill to send a note to him.

"Well," Joan said, "now that I know he’s alright, what in Balama's bloody name are you doing here?"

"I was led here for my druid trial. What are you doing here?"

"Like I told both of you, I'm settling affairs. I'm also tracking down old contacts to see what can be done about my husband and this bounty you have on your heads."

Joan stood up and helped me to my feet. Unlike Clifford, she wasn't the same height as me. The woman was a tower, built to be a warrior. If I didn't know any better, I would have guessed she had giants blood flowing through her veins.

"You're lucky we found you instead of some drunken racist with empty pockets. While this town holds no love for Elatha or Ankou Levent, few would hesitate to collect your bounty. You need to leave immediately."

"You know I can't do that. The Koschei will prove to be a formidable foe. You know what happened to Greenleaf's hunters. If we're to stand a chance, I need to become stronger. I need to become a druid."

Joan hesitated for a moment as though she would overrule me, but settled down. The men and women with her followed suit.

"Alright. What do you need to find?"

"I don't know," I said.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know?' Didn't Greenleaf tell you what the objects were?"

I shook my head. After willing the golden filament to appear, it glowed bright and practically bled energy onto the floor.

"I don't know what it is, but it's very close. I will know it when I see it."

Joan walked to the opposite side of the room and opened the outer door. She peered outside before giving her attention back to me.

"Alright. Now's as good a time as any. Howard," she turned to a man in her entourage, "instruct the others to distract the guards as best they can. Let's try to clean out this block so Michael can find what he needs."

The burly man didn't say a word. He accepted her instruction and left the room. The others filed out of the building behind him.

"I'll give you a few minutes, then we'll escort you out of the city." She pulled a broken slave collar out of her inventory. "I picked this up when I was in Brackenvale thinking it might be of use. Wear it. If anyone asks, tell them you're my slave. Hopefully, they won't want to see your mark."

I held the fake slave collar in my hand. The rough leather weighed down on me and made me feel sick to my stomach. Even pretending to be a slave made me feel dirty.

"I have a better idea," I said. I targetted Joan and cast Mask of the Elderkin. Its magic washed over me, and I felt my neck, shoulders, arms, thighs, glutes, and calves all begin to swell. My ears tingled as the point began to diminish and my hair magically grew shorter and tighter to my scalp. When the effect faded, I looked very similar to any other Trisean in the village, only with the sharper facial features of an elf. Joan grinned at my newfound ability.

"Even better," she said, "but you should still run away if anyone questions who you are. Don't wait for me. Just find what you need and clear out of this place." The two of us rushed out of the building and down a narrow street. I followed the golden filament with attention so focused the rest of the world seemed to blur around me. After two blocks, we stepped into another open mall. This one was different than before. There were no vendor stalls. The only people around had no reason to linger. They filed through the square eager to get home for dinner.

The buildings on the western side cast long shadows as the sun began to set. It would be dark soon, and I needed to find this item and head back. Unfortunately, the golden glow of the setting sun merged with the effects of Nature's Guide. It took me a minute to figure out where it was pointing, but once I did the object in question became apparent.

Affixed to a temple-like building on the far side of the square, two snake-like branches formed a cross on the door. They were both secured in iron fittings meant to hold them in place without damaging them.

I ran my fingers along the thick branches. They were both the width of my forearm, but the length of my leg. Joan coughed to get my attention just when two guards entered the square. She forced me to bow my head.

To the guards, it would seem we were prepared to enter the building to worship.

They didn't even think we were suspicious. Once they left the plaza, Joan reached out and ripped the branches from their fittings and handed them to me:

You have received ‘Elder Pine Branch’ * 2. Quality: Pristine. Class: Epic. Note: Crafting agent.

I shoved them in my bag while she yanked at my arm to speed my way out of town. This was convenient. The golden filament also led in that direction. I bemoaned the fact that I wasn't yet done collecting crafting materials.

As Joan rushed me through the streets, we encountered a few Triseans, many of whom took no notice of us. A number of her allies waited for us at the end of an alley that led out of the city. A few grabbed at whatever weapons they had when they saw my unfamiliar form behind them, but I dismissed the effect. Invisible magic washed over me as though I were taking a shower and by the time I reached them, I was back to my old self.

"When will we see you again?" I asked Joan.

"Soon, I hope. In the meantime, take this. Your settlement could use it."

She tossed me a large pouch that nearly burst at the seams with gold coins. I peered inside, and my eyes widened in shock. There was over ten-thousand gold in the bag.

"Tell Clifford it's his endowment, the only thing his father ever gave him that was worth a damn."

I thanked her and turned to leave, but one of her allies, Howard, stopped me.

"Young elf, tell me. How many are you in all?"

"You mean in our settlement or among our allies?"

"You have allies?" His eyes glazed over, surprised that we were forming a force to protect ourselves from Elatha. I looked to Joan for consent. She knew this man better than I did and would know whether we could trust him with information about us. She nodded at me to let me know we could count on him.

"We are two settlements now but are close to securing an alliance with a third. Counting everyone, we number around two-thousand."

"Well find me when this is all over. I live on a farm just north of town. Perhaps we can work together and add Belen Dell to your list. I know we have loyalists among us, but we may be able to do something about them.

You have received a quest. "Denizens of Belen Dell." Meet Howard at his family farm sometime in the future to discuss a potential alliance with Belen Dell. Reward: Unknown.

I accepted the man's quest, dismissed Joan from my party, said my farewells, and fled the city just as the sun ducked below the horizon. If I lingered any longer, I would run entirely out of daylight and would have to scour the countryside for what I hoped might be the final item.

As I walked, I pulled up my map. Clifford's indicator was now halfway back to Greenleaf Enclave, placated by the fact that his mother was able to secure my exit from the city. I closed my interface and reviewed my limited notifications. In the last few hours, I reached rank 24 in Athleticism. I could tell the difference it made and was able to run for a few minutes before my stamina started to drain. Also, my stalking rank increased from 8 to 10. I was certain this made less of a difference. I wasn't one to stealth around hoping to remain undetected. I usually fought with allies and didn't need to.

Stil, every little bit helped.

An hour passed by with little to no change in the golden filament. It still pointed due north toward Elatha. My shoulders tensed at the thought of going anywhere near that hellhole.

I was well north of Greenleaf Enclave by the time the filament started to glow brighter. I followed it now with disregard. The moon was nearly full and made the entire grassland radiate like the spirit realm.

After another thirty minutes of walking the filament began to pulse indicating that the object I needed was nearby. In fact, the golden light was so bright now that it blinded me to all else. I didn't notice a sharp decline ahead of me until I slid some thirty feet down a slope into a hidden valley.

"Halt in the name of the High King!" a man yelled out. I dismissed Nature's Guide, and once my vision adjusted, I spotted two guards moving toward me with pointed spears. I didn't follow their instruction. Instead, I fled east toward the forest. I ran so fast that my hood blew off my head and revealed the points of my ears sticking through my hair.

"It's him! It's the rebel elf! After him!"

The two guards chased me. Although I wore lighter armor, they were faster and more conditioned. I tried to escape their field of vision, but they gained ground. They were both only twenty feet from me when I encountered a shoreline and water extending as far north and south as I could see.

You have discovered Loch Lacrimose. +35xp

I turned around to face the two soldiers. They were both adorned in the same armor as Elathian guards: black metal with purple tabards embroidered with the crest of Ankou Levent, a monstrous dragon with the blazing emblem of Mannana fixed in its forehead.

One guard lowered his spear and moved toward me. It wasn't clear if he wished to kill me or capture me, although the reward didn't specify one way or the other. As I approached I channeled Sonic Shock through my hanbo to double its impact. The soldier launched backward nearly a dozen feet but managed to land on his feet to avoid falling damage.

It bought me time to analyze his compatriot:

Name: Charles Brine

Race: Trisean
Level: 33

Age: 37

Class: Soldier

Talent: Weaponsmith

Health: 849

Mana: 452

Stamina: 751

Alignment: 4 (lawful good)

Disposition: Hostile

Company: Wraithheart

His ally, now recovered, shared similar attributes. They both pressed toward me and had far too much health for me to fight at once. I crept backward away from them until I was up to my knees in water and cast Brambles on them both, although they shrugged off the vines before they were able to do much damage. I followed that with Spirit Bolt although the targetted soldier held up his shield and deflected it into the air.

I couldn't cast Tempest. They would be on me before I finished the chant. Instead, I poured all of my mana into Merrow Song. The last time I cast the spell, a gentle lullaby washed over the area around me and put to sleep anyone who failed to resist the cry. This time was different, however. The water around me bubbled and churned as though it was about to boil. Two pillars of water exploded from the surface of the lake.

Both soldiers backed away from me. I imagined what they might be afraid of. While they seemed familiar with my use of common magic and spells and could easily defend themselves, Merrow Song was an unranked, rare spell few had knowledge of. In fact, I wondered how Joan first learned the spell and secured her way through the bracken field isolating our home.

Yet now the gentle song sounded more like a battle chant. The pillars rose higher and higher and formed a watery portal. And within the portal the powers of the Merrow revealed themselves. Two Lizardkin stepped out of each pillar and set foot on dry land. Both were level 50 and adorned themselves with scaled armor. They each raised two jagged swords that shared more in common with chainsaws than conventional weapons.

"Attack!" one soldier yelled. The other followed his comrade's order, raised his sword, and charged at my Merrow defenders. Their attacks were useless. Each Lizardkin let out a screech that may have been heard from miles away. The warcry stopped the soldiers dead in their tracks, and they dropped to their knees bleeding from their ears and eyes. I, too, felt dizzy from the vocal assault, only I was behind the Lizardkin instead of directly in front of the sonic explosion.

The Merrow stepped forward and stood over the disabled soldiers. With a wide swing of their jagged swords, they split each soldier's skull open. Blood and brain splattered the dirt around them. Their health dropped to zero in the blink of an eye.

The Merrow both removed their swords, shook off residual brain matter, and turned to me. I lowered my hanbo not wanting to be mistaken for an enemy. Each Lizardkin bowed to me, sheathed its sword, and disappeared as they had appeared, turning into pillars of water that collapsed into puddles on the ground.

You have killed a level 33 Elathian Guard. +75xp

You have killed a level 31 Elathian Guard. +70xp

Congratulations! You have reached rank 5 of Merrow Song. Spell evolved to Merrow Song II. When near water, you summon one level 50 Merrow per 300 mana used to battle your enemies for five minutes or until they die. Merrow soldiers can only be summoned once per month.

Relief washed over me once the short fight ended. I thanked Clifford and Joan silently for providing me what turned out to be one of my most useful spells. Already, the spell saved me and my allies three times, once in Boginki's lair, once in Magheim's Expanse, and now.

After the adrenaline from the battle had faded, I reminded myself again of why I was here. The golden filament pulsated in front of me, pointing straight at the higher-level Elathian guard.

I examined the guard and realized a unique fiber entwined itself around the hilt of his sword. I pulled at the thread with my fingers until it came loose and unraveled.

You have received 'Desert Spider Twine.' Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Crafting ingredient.

I spent the next few minutes emptying out the soldier's inventories and stripping them down. Aside from their shattered helmets, their armor sets and inventory contents filled my inventory completely. Still, I couldn't bring myself to remove all their clothing. I left their pants and shoes on and placed written letters I found in their shirt pockets in their trousers.

The fact that they had been killed made me sad. Both were still so young and had so much promise. The older soldier wore a wedding band and may have had children who I made fatherless.

Still, they made their choice and attacked me without realizing the full extent of my abilities. I found comfort in the fact that they wouldn't be able to reveal my presence in this region.

I took the next few minutes to drag their bodies away from the water and onto a nearby path, hoping they would be discovered, then I activated Nature's Guide. The filament that guided me so far today no longer glowed gold. Instead, it cast a natural green light toward the southeast, toward Greenleaf Enclave. I didn't spare another moment to rest. Instead, I slung my packed inventory bag over my shoulder and followed the line south, excited that I may sleep in a comfortable bed that night.

Chapter 23

I crossed the treeline an hour later now parallel with the entrance to Boginki's lair. Lights illuminated the darkness to the north from what I suspected might be Cilden's old village. If that were the case, not only was the village emptied by slave traders months ago, it was also sold and populated by Elathian loyalists. The idea that others were rewarded with the fruits of Cilden's labor angered me.

I found myself hoping the Koschei might seek them out before it attacked us, although I dismissed those thoughts. It wasn't fair of me to judge people I'd never met. Clifford, Nila, and the other masters were proof enough that one can be from Elatha without being agreeable to Ankou Levent's methods or madness.

I debated for a moment whether to walk along the forest's edge until I was closer to Greenleaf Enclave or to cut a straight line through the woods. Going south first would be safer, but add an hour to my trek. Following the forest path, however, brought me close to Boginki's lair and the border of the Koschei's blighted lands.

I didn't have to debate for long. I heard the clatter of armor in the distance and squinted my eyes south to see what appeared to be a few dozen men on a forced march from the south. If they were aligned with Elatha, they wouldn't be friendly to me. I ducked into the forest as they approached. Once safely behind the treeline, I felt secure again.

I meandered from one path to the next as I worked my way south toward the enclave. The forest was as quiet as a library. Everything slept, even the insects. The silence and solitude lulled me into a sense of security, and the warm forest air made me feel I was well out of range of the Koschei's blighted creatures.

I was only a few miles out from the enclave, however, when things started to change. The changes weren't significant at first. The wind adjusted direction for a moment, and the temperature plummeted. The stench of sulfur replaced that of pine. And then things returned to normal.

These transitions occurred a few times over the span of twenty minutes. Part of me thought it was all in my head. As I traveled further south and away from the rotted sections of the woods, I was undoubtedly safer.

I was in the home stretch when the final and most powerful change in the forest occurred. The breeze shifted, and a miasma of decaying leaves and sulfur overwhelmed me. The path was wider here and straight, almost like an old road that once ran through the woods. I crouched along the edge of the track prepared to duck into the trees at any moment hoping I wouldn't encounter the Koschei or a pack of blighted creatures.

My fears were realized only when I heard an audible growl coming at me from all directions. I spun around in place hoping to source the noise, but the only thing that appeared was my dagger in my hand, drawn to defend myself from an unknown assailant.

I continued to creep along, blade in one hand and hanbo in the other while the growl grew louder. It sounded like an oversized wolf on the prowl for easy prey. And despite my level, my lack of heavy armor and offensive abilities made me just that. I wasn't about to heal anything to death.

My dagger trembled in my hand as I practically crawled down the path. I almost dropped it when the ground shook around me. A demonic light shone down the trail behind me, and the sound of a whip cracked through the air. The blood-red illumination enveloped my body and made my shadow extend forward a few dozen feet.

When I turned around, I saw a creature twice my height snarling at me, ready to slaughter me at any moment. Its silver horns dripped with blood. They drew my attention away from its god-like torso. I retreated backward, caught my heel on a root, and fell to the ground.

As I scrambled to my feet again, the demonic monster unfurled its larger-than-a-single-engine-airplane wings. In one hand it lashed a blood-red whip through the air toward me but never struck me. In the other, a silver trident reflected moonlight in my eyes.

I froze in terror at the sight of it. Greenleaf suggested the creature was level thirty-seven when it was last killed, but it was now level forty and an elite boss to boot.

Name: Caor

Type: Koschei (elite boss)

Level: 40

Health: 35,781

Mana: 50,123

Stamina: 38,236

I stumbled again as the creature cracked its whip. This time, the red leather sliced my face and seared my skin. Despite being only a minor laceration, it reduced my health by 30hp and imparted a bleeding effect that my spells would not heal.

The creature growled again and grinned to reveal long fangs that dripped with blood and venom. Its muscles flexed and strained as it lifted up its trident to skewer me, only I didn't wait for it to get a chance. I sprinted down the path just as it released the trident. The weapon crashed into the forest floor and slid by me faster than I could run. It vanished, to reappear again in the Koschei's grip.

The forest shook as the monster picked up speed. His large hooves left black scorch marks in its wake. It proved impossible for me to create distance on such a straight path. As the beast cracked its fire whip at me a second time, I dove behind a boulder that split in two when the cord struck it. Barbs on the end of the whip caught on the stone and required the koschei's attention to remove. With it distracted, I crawled away from the path and into the safety of the trees. I activated Clifford's trinket to regenerate my stamina and ran as fast as my legs allowed toward the enclave.

The Koschei roared while I fled. A bubble of crimson magic burst from him that burned trees in its wake. The bubble of power raced toward me like a shockwave of a nuclear blast. When the wave hit me, I launched through the air as though I was shot from a cannon. Only luck saved me from slamming into a tree. I hit the ground and barrel rolled for thirty feet. Each spin inflicted impact damage that caused me to lose half my health and knocked the wind out of me.

I did my best to cast all my healing spells and staggered to my feet. I looked back for only a moment and saw the outline of the demon knocking down trees to get to me. I didn't give him the chance to find me and instead, limped away from the monster until the smell of sulfur faded, and the cold air gave way to a normal humidity.

I opened my map and realized Greenleaf Enclave was less than a mile away. Clifford's indicator blinked at the western entrance. Knowing he waited for me inspired me to move quicker. After ten minutes I could see flickering lights in the distance. As I moved closer, I saw Greenleaf, Clifford, Ash, and Radha waiting for me outside the enclave. A dozen elf soldiers fanned out around them in a protective circle, weapons at the ready in case the Koschei were to attack.

“You saw it, didn’t you?” Greenleaf asked as I approached. I raised my hands and realized I was caked in my own dried blood. In such a short encounter, the demon managed to beat me to a bloody pulp and send me flying through the woods.

“What level is it now?” Clifford asked.

“Forty.” I shouldered by my allies and entered the enclave eager to escape the forest. Within seconds, I felt as though I could breathe again. Anxiety’s vice-like grip faded. The safety of the enclave’s walls offered some semblance of ease even though I knew the Koschei could punch through the wall like it was nothing more than paper.

Clifford wrapped his arm around my waist to help me walk. My fatigue was high from nearly eighteen hours of straight hiking and fighting.

“Did you get everything you needed?” he asked.

I nodded. Once we reached the guest hovels, we sat on the ground near a central fire pit. Wrane, Jacob, and Margaret waited for us there. The three of them gasped when they saw me, caked in dried blood, sap, and dirt, but hesitated to ask me any questions.

As Ash, Radha, and Greenleaf caught up, I pulled the items necessary for my druid weapon out of my bag: the golden acorn, the eagle’s tail feather, the elder pine wood, and the spider silk twine.

Greenleaf examined all the items and shoved them into Ash’s hands.

“Give me a few hours,” Ash said as he and Radha left our campfire circle.

“What now?” I asked Greenleaf.

The elf leader stroked and tugged at his beard and thought about the upcoming battle.

“I mean we can’t just face that thing directly. What’s your plan?” I asked again.

“The plan hasn’t changed. We must find its lair and claim the Koschei’s talisman and purify it. And to do that, we need a distraction.”

The six of us present reviewed our options. Wrane suggested we find an underground way to the Koschei’s lair.

“These part maze tunnels. We find path. We win.”

I didn’t blame Greenleaf for dismissing the idea. The last thing we wanted was to be cornered underground with no way to retreat. No. Our strength was in the open. Our strength was with the elves.

We decided on a basic plan: a strike and retreat attack led by Greenleaf’s archers. This might give a small force, my allies and me, enough time to slip into the demon’s lair and claim its talisman.

“You know that once you have the talisman, the creature will return immediately to defend it, right? You’ll have less than a few seconds to purify it,” Greenleaf said.

“I know. I feel this plan will work, though. So far, the Koschei won’t expect an attack from Triseans and goblins. He’s only seen elves in the forest and won’t expect many forces engaging in a mutual assault.” I reviewed the details of the plan in my head as Ash and Radha returned to us. Ash held a freshly hewn hanbo in his hand, although he wrapped it in a cloth held in place by twine, like a present on Christmas day. He handed the hanbo to Greenleaf.

“Follow me,” the elf leader said to me. “Just you, no one else.”

Respecting Greenleaf’s wishes, I waved Clifford away and followed the master druid into the banyan tree. He led me into the chamber under the tree and had me stand with him in front of the Nerthus spring. The water danced and sparkled as though it were alive and, to be honest, it was. The water was fueled by natural magic, moon magic, and divine magic. Wells like this were exceedingly rare in Fjorgyn. When I played Fjorgyn: Online and explored the continent of Skos, I knew of only three of them and of those, two were dry, waiting for someone with the skill to reactivate them again.

Greenleaf had me kneel next to the well and handed my wrapped hanbo to me.

“Go ahead,” he whispered. “Cleanse it in the well.”

And so I did. I unwrapped the weapon and analyzed it before submerging it in the dancing waters below me.

Druid Novitiate’s Hanbo. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Damage: 25-29 DPS. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +100 MP, +50 HP, +50 STM. 5% increase to healing and damage spells. Enables the use of Druid abilities.

Created by: Ash Greenleaf

As the waters washed over the hanbo, notifications flashed before my eyes.

Druid Novitiate’s Hanbo is now soulbound. This weapon cannot leave your possession even in death. This weapon can no longer be destroyed by ordinary means.

You have been blessed by the pure magic of the Nerthus spring. The spirits of nature recognize your request and offer you instruction in the ways of druidism. Do you wish to proceed? Y/N

NOTE: This decision must be made now. If you walk away, you must complete another trial to unlock the quest.

The magic of the spring water encompassed me in a brilliant and transformative cocoon when I accepted yes.

You are now a Novice Druid. Druidism in Fjorgyn is an ancient and rare class known only to the elves. As a level 23 novice, you gain 23 talent points to spend in the three trees of Druidism: Vitality, Communion, Protector

Use of druid abilities contributes to your overall rank in Druidism. Achieving greater ranks in your class unlocks more unique abilities and results in your earning more talent points per level.

I reviewed the options offered by each skill tree, glossing them over as I was familiar with them all. Vitality was my most useful and enjoyable path, providing me unique healing and support abilities. Communion, my second favorite, allowed me to command plants and animals to do my bidding. Further down that tree, I could also turn myself into any number of animals. Protector offered unique damage-reduction abilities and would allow me to tank.

The more substantial benefit for the druid class was that the abilities scaled automatically as I leveled. While this applies to other spells, which increase in level every five ranks, give or take, even they had a limit. I couldn't depend on Living Seed and Nature's Touch forever. My bread-and-butter healing spells would eventually cap out and be of no use to me. Druid abilities, however, never suffered limits and did not need to be raised from a very low rank.

I pulled my hanbo out of the Nerthus spring and stood beside Greenleaf.

"Welcome to the ranks of my order, Slanaitheoir. We aren't many, but we are strong. I only trust that you use your new abilities to further protect the ways of Nature and defend her from those who would seek to do her harm."

"Trust me, my friend. If it were up to me, there would be no sprawling cities in Fjorgyn. No one was intended to live separate from nature as the Elathians have. I will see to it that she endures."

Greenleaf clapped me on the back so hard it stung. "Quite right, now let's get back above ground. We only have a few hours before we set out to kill the Koschei for good."

As we stepped outside into the dark enclave, nearly every elf in the village circled us, all applauding and cheering my name, my secret name, or general congratulations at my becoming a druid. Clifford, himself, was grinning ear to ear. This lasted for a few minutes until Greenleaf stepped forward and silenced the crowd.

"Yes, my friends, family, and allies, it is true that this is a time for celebration. Slanaitheoir has returned to us and, like before, has inducted himself into our most prestigious order of druids. And his timing could not be more perfect. Already we have heard reports from our sister tribes to the south and west that the minions of Mannana are rising from their dark tombs and there is no doubt they are being driven by a singularly evil force, Ankou Levent, the champion of the death god."

Greenleaf walked among his people, many of whom gasped at Levent's name. "But," he said, "we will drive them back. This very evening Slanaitheoir, his allies, and our finest soldiers, myself included, will depart from this enclave and head north where we will face the Koschei and drive it from this world."

He strode a full circle until he returned to my side. Both Ash and Radha flanked him and listened to his every word.

"I will not lie to you, my clansmen. Many of us may die tonight, myself included, but if Slanaitheoir holds true, we will succeed in driving back the darkness from our corner of Vros. We will then do everything in our power to cleanse the forest of any who call Mannana their master."

Despite the entire enclave feeling awash with fear and despair, the hundred or so elves around us applauded his speech. Now that Greenleaf finished addressing his people, he waved them all away. A few dozen archers stayed behind and took instruction from Radha.

Clifford and I returned to the guest cabins to ready ourselves. As I dried and polished my hanbo with a wax candle, my hands began to tremble. Trepidation enclosed on me like a plastic bag pulled over my head. I found it difficult to breath as my anxiety and apprehension took hold.

Clifford knelt in front of me. His frame was cast in shadow by the open campfire sizzling behind him. He placed his hands on mine to calm me down.

"It's alright," he said as he pressed my hands to his lips. "We're going to be fine."

"You don't know that." I pulled away and returned to polishing my hanbo, not out of spite for his words, but because I felt compelled to stay busy. "You didn't see the Koschei tonight. You don't know what it's capable of. It split a boulder in two with some sort of lava-whip. It tossed me through the forest like a toy."

I relaxed a little as I traced Clifford's features with my eyes. So much has happened in the last two weeks and it was starting to wear him down. He looked like a shell of the man I met only six months ago. My heart yearned to spirit him away from this place.

"Are you sorry?" I asked.

"For what?"

"Do you regret having met me and turning your life upside down? If not for me and the others, you would be resting comfortably in your mansion in Elatha none-the-wiser."

"That's true. And I might have been forced into a marriage with some deplorable but wealthy woman. Could you imagine? Me with a wife and children in tow?"

I giggled a little at the thought. "Children, perhaps. But a wife? Never. But at least then you'd be safe."

"For a while, maybe, but how many of us are actually safe with Levent in power? When we fled Elatha, I was on the cusp of a promotion. Levent and his denizens would have wanted me to join them in their atrocities, either overseeing the mines or leading a faction of his army."

He ran his fingers through my hair. "I would have refused the call," he said.

"And you would have been killed for it."

Clifford nodded before leaning backward off the balls of his feet. He rested on the ground and stared into the fire. The glow of it flickered in his eyes. They twitched in anger and frustration over the war crimes committed by Levent and his council.

"But with you," he whispered, "I feel like I have not only a family but a purpose in life. It was no accident, I think, that my father bought you. It was no coincidence that we fell in love. Balama has guided us together for a reason. I refuse to believe that reason ends today."

"Perhaps not," I said, "but don't do anything foolish, will you? Even if this beast is going to kill me, don't play the hero and get in its way. I can resurrect. You can't."

I pulled Clifford's head toward me and kissed him, lingering for long enough to savor the moment.

"I love you, Clifford. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life."

"And I, you. Now let's stop all this sappy nonsense and get ready. If I'm not mistaken, you have class abilities to select and a battle to plan."

He looked over at Wrane, Jacob, and Margaret who pretended to ignore us the whole time. "We'll discuss this later once we're reveling in victory."

He stood up and joined the others. While he talked and joked with them, sharing many an inside joke with Jacob, he never took his eyes off me. The fact that I was so present in his mind scared away my anxiety and allowed me to focus on my preparations.

I brought up my class interface and reviewed my available talents. Unlike the village interface, I didn't need to unlock everything to move forward. As I spent points in any of the trees, the next tiers unlocked. This allowed me to focus on one tree without sacrificing useful talents in others. Each ability required one point to open and some of them could be improved a few more times to enhance the ability.

Vitality:
Tier 1:
Sindhe's Prayer (0/3): Invoke the spirit of the Elvish wind god to summon a gentle breeze around you to heal all nearby allies for 6HP (1/4 level) every 5 seconds for 5 minutes. Cast time: 5 seconds. Mana cost: 100. Cooldown: 30 minutes. NOTE: Selecting this destroys Nature's Aura at no cost of talent points.

Treebark (0/3): Hardens the skin of a friendly target, reducing incoming damage by 15% for 1 minute. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 23 (level). Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Salve (0/3): Heals a target instantly for 23HP (level). Mana cost: 23 (level). Cast time: 3 seconds. NOTE: Selecting this destroys Nature's Touch at no cost of talent points.

Tier 2: (Unlocks at 4 points spent)
Soul Infusion (0/3): Activate to make your next healing spell instant and heal for twice as much. Mana cost: 70 (2x level). Cooldown: 3 hours.

Treelings (0/3): Activate to summon three saplings with 23HP (level) to aid you in battle. Each sapling will infer your desires and either heal allies for 6HP (1/4 level) every 3 seconds or entrap enemies. Duration: 5 minutes or until killed. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 50. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Cleanse (0/1): Remove a single magical, curse, or disease effect from a target. Mana cost: none. Cooldown: 30 minutes. Cast time: 3 seconds. NOTE: Selecting this destroys Cure Disease at no cost of talent points.

Tier 3: (unlocks at 8 points spent)
Druidic Meditation (0/3): Heals all allies for 23HP (level) every 2 seconds for 10 seconds. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 1 day. This is a channeled spell. Any interruption will cancel the effects.

Nerthus Blessing (0/3): Draw from the infused waters of the Nerthus Spring, even from a distance, restoring 23MP (level). Cooldown: 3 minutes. Can be used no more than once per battle.

Before moving onto the Communion tree, I unlocked all the abilities of Vitality up until tier 3, although I decided to forgo learning Druidic Meditation for the time being. It wasn’t worth unlocking the ability until I could commit three points to it.

Congratulations! You have learned Sindhe's Prayer (3/3): Invoke the spirit of the Elvish wind god to summon a gentle breeze around you to heal all nearby allies for 12HP (1/2x level) every 5 seconds for 5 minutes. Cast time: 5 seconds. Mana cost: 100. Cooldown: 30 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned Treebark (3/3): Hardens the skin of a friendly target, reducing incoming damage by 50% for 1 minute. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned Salve (3/3): Heals a target instantly for 46HP (2x level). Mana cost: 35 (1.5x level). Cast time: 3 seconds.

Congratulations! You have learned Soul Infusion (3/3): Activate to make your next healing spell instant and heal for twice as much. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 1 hour.

Congratulations! You have learned Treelings (3/3): Activate to summon three saplings with 70HP (3x level) to aid you in battle. Each sapling will infer your desires and either heal allies for 12HP (1/2x level) every 3 seconds or entrap enemies. Duration: 5 minutes or until killed. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 50. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Congratulations! You have learned Cleanse (1/1): Remove a single magical, curse, or disease effect from a target. Mana cost: none. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Cast time: 3 seconds.

Congratulations! You have learned Nerthus Blessing (3/3): Draw from the infused waters of the Nerthus Spring, even from a distance, restoring 70MP (3x level). Cooldown: 3 minutes. Can be used no more than three times per battle.

With seven points remaining, I reviewed the first two tiers of the Communion tree.

Communion:
Tier 1:
Entangle (0/3): Traps one enemy in thorny vines with 70HP (3x level) that deal 6HP (1/4 level) damage per second until broken. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 1 minute. Can be resisted. NOTE: Selecting this destroys Brambles at no cost of talent points.

Whisper (0/1): Activate for a chance to communicate with a plant or a lower-level, non-hostile animal to glean useful information about your surroundings. Can only be used once per day.

Dire Wolf (0/3): Summons a same-level Dire Wolf with 70HP (3x level) to fight your enemies until killed or dismissed. Summoned wolf deals 12 DPS (1/2x level). Creature can be used as a scout and will find a safe path ahead. Mana cost: 138 (6x level).

Tier 2 (unlocked):
Gale (0/3): Release a gust of wind that forces all enemy targets backward 8 feet, inflicting 12 (1/2x level) blunt damage. Mana cost: 12 (1/2x level). Cast time: Instant. Cooldown: 1 minute. NOTE: Selecting this destroys Sonic Shock at no cost of talent points.

Splinter (0/1): Activate to temporarily split your druid weapon into two, both sharing the same DPS stats.

Tanar's Cry (0/3): Invoke the spirit of the Elvish thunder god and summon a lightning bolt to strike an enemy for 23 HP (level). Mana cost: 23 (level). Cast time: Instant. Cooldown: 1 minute.

I submitted six of my remaining points in the Communion Tree: two in Entangled to max out the ability, one in Whisper, and three in Dire Wolf. I left the remaining point unassigned not wanting to sacrifice Sonic Shock for a weaker spell.

Rattling and distant mumbling drew my attention away from my interface: Greenleaf and his elves gathered at the eastern entrance to the enclave. I received an invitation to join his war party. When I joined, I expected to see dozens of nameplates clutter my field of vision. Instead, I only saw key allies.

Attention! You have been promoted to war leader. You command Clifford Grey II, Radha Greenleaf, Ash Greenleaf, Cerun Greenleaf (raid leader), Wrane Gorkin, Jacob Mills, and Margaret Hunter.

My map, however, showed a collection of dots numbering in the dozens and as I approached the east exit, the health bars of other members of the war party appeared.

"It's decided, then," Greenleaf said as we approached. He stopped talking to Ash and Radha when I approached.

Pulling me to the side, he informed me that scouts had tracked the Koschei heading north back to the center of its domain.

"They've also detected increased signs of blighted creatures the further north we travel. It seems the beast is preparing for our attack and has drawn in his monsters to defend him."

"If that's true, how are we going to slip by undetected?" I asked.

"My archers and warriors will draw him out. This will give us a window to sneak in, although we won't have much time. Once we breach the Koschei's lair, the creature will no doubt know about it and come running. You won't have much time to find its relic."

"I understand. When do we leave?"

"Right now," he said gesturing me forward and out of the enclave.

My throat tensed up at the idea of leaving the safety of the elf village, but I swallowed my fear and marched forward to begin our long hike north. It would be morning before we arrived, making the night one of the longest in my life.

Chapter 24

We hiked for the better part of twenty minutes in near-darkness. Slivers of silver penetrated the canopy and illuminated sections of the forest floor offering barely enough light to follow the path. Our elvish entourage, however, was familiar with the areas in and around Greenleaf Enclave and had no trouble finding their way. This didn't stop those in my group from stumbling over every rock and root in our way.

Sensing my frustration, Wrane pulled out a few night vision potions and passed them around to us. I held my nose while I swallowed the sour mixture. The taste alone, although familiar to me from a few days back, nearly caused me to spit it up. Still, the effects of the mixture took hold, and the area around me began to light up almost as though the sun was about to rise.

I considered our allies around us. Half of Greenleaf's soldiers marched ahead while others trailed behind. More of his fighters disappeared into side trails to scout the way forward. Footsteps echoed through the forest. Greenleaf discussed scout reports with those who returned and others held conversations among themselves. Secrecy was not our mission, after all, and if the Koschei didn't know we were coming, he certainly knew now.

If the sound alone didn't alert the monster, the smell of us certainly would. An overpowering scent of sweat and polished leather permeated the woods. It certainly scared any critters away.

We marched north for a few more hours until we reached the exit to Boginki's lair. The air began to chill and frosted our breath.

"My plan is to march our forces north until we reach the entrance to this accursed place," Greenleaf said to me, "then you will abandon us when we engage the demon."

"Are you sure you'll be able to manage it? It won't be alone this time. Who knows how many beasts it's called to its side."

His face sagged with worry and he tugged at his beard. "I'm not worried about whatever blighted creatures he might have. We can handle them well enough while the bulk of us attack him from a distance. We'll hold him for however long we can. You won't have much time before we either kill him and send him back to you or flee ourselves."

To give Greenleaf some edge in the fight, I warned him about the creature's abilities, including the shockwave and its razor-sharp whip.

"Aye. I know about those. His fire-whip killed a few of my men, but it's his trident you need to look out for."

"Why? What does it do?" Clifford asked.

"What can't it do? The monster channels all his direct spells through it. He commands all the elements and curses any master mage might have."

A scout jumped out of the forest just as I was about to ask another question. The young elf, hardly out of his teens, gasped for air although the smile on his face showed his relief at intercepting us.

"Blighted creatures," he said. "I spotted dozens of them a few miles ahead. They're waiting for us."

"So be it." Greenleaf uprighted the young elf and clapped him on the shoulder as only a commander could. He marched to the front of the group and issued instructions to more experienced fighters as he went. Packs of four drew their weapons and vanished into the woods while the remaining force continued moving north.

As we marched, the sounds of howls and roars echoed through the forest as his advanced scouting parties cleared the way. The chill grew colder the longer we hiked, and a gentle fog filled the woodland. The entire area seemed haunting.

Just before sunrise, we reached the entrance to Boginki's lair where a few scouting parties converged at our position. The younger soldiers in our group dozed off where they stood.

"Greenleaf," I called out to him, "we need to stop for a break."

The elf leader noticed one soldier leaning against a spear, asleep on his feet. He ordered his men into a closer formation.

"One hour," he said.

Relief washed over me when I hit the ground. Everyone else collapsed where they stood, eager for a moment's respite. Some peered down into the sinkhole leading into the underground dungeon, but few moved close enough to risk falling in. The last thing we needed was to lose good soldiers to that witch again.

Clifford pulled out a blanket, sat next to me, and wrapped it around me so the two of us could share our warmth. I wrapped one arm around his waist and noticed that even through his shirt, he felt like an icebox. He didn't have layers of leather to keep himself warm and hadn't donned his armor yet for the battle. I didn't blame him. Marching in steel armor was an unappealing thought.

"I have an idea," I said to him.

I considered my new druid abilities and muttered the words of power for Dire Wolf. Some soldiers yelped and reached for their weapons as a gray-haired beast appeared out of thin air.

"It's alright!" The wolf obliged when I willed it to me. The magnificent creature's eyes were almost human. They glowed a most brilliant green as though they were made of pure jade. The elves around us relaxed once they connected the dots.

Creature: Dire Wolf (Minion)
Level: 23
Health: 276
Stamina: 276

There was nothing more to learn about the wolf. The fact that I couldn't give it a name disappointed me. Still, I willed it to sit at my feet. The creature burned like a furnace and offered us enough warmth for our teeth to stop chattering.

I dozed off at last, although my nap hardly seemed long enough. I opened my eyes to see my minion growling at Ash who had come to wake me.

"Whoa, down boy," I said to the beast. It immediately stopped snarling and looked at me with sad puppy-dog eyes.

"Time to go," Ash said. He seemed hardly phased by his encounter with the wolf, no doubt knowing he could handle himself if it attacked.

I jostled my shoulder to rouse Clifford, who awoke with a start, gripping his nearby sword. He relaxed only when he saw me sitting next to him.

"Ready?" I asked him.

He yawned wide enough for me to see his tonsils and rubbed his eyes before standing up and claiming the blanket.

"Do the scouts know how far to the lair?" I asked Ash.

"At least another few hours." The mage looked at Clifford who was dressed only in linen pants and his scholar's shirt. "You best get your armor on, though. We're moving as one group which means we may be attacked by any number of monsters."

As I helped Clifford put on his armor, Wrane approached us looking dejected and worn. She shielded her eyes from the ever brightening sky. Despite the fact that the sun hadn't crested the mountains, I could tell she wasn't yet used to daylight. I made a mental note that I would have to figure out how to create a potion to help her or figure out a way to make sunglasses.

"Stupid sun. Eyes burning," she said.

"I know it is, Wrane, but don't worry. We'll be under the trees again soon. Do you need anything?"

"Me need heal and energy drinks."

After I had finished helping Clifford, our war party began moving north. I reached into my bag and pulled out health and stamina potions. Wrane's eyes widened as she examined them.

"These much power." She uncorked one and sniffed it. "And drink smell sugar. Thank you, Michael."

She shoved the few potions in her inventory and drew out her daggers, sliding each one into scabbards on her belt. I willed my wolf to my side and jogged to catch up to the others.

As we trekked further north, the air grew even colder. At first, only patches of frost blanketed the ground, then a thin layer of snow. We hiked for over an hour when Greenleaf raised his arm to stop the war party. Everyone froze like statues. I focused on the sounds around us expecting to hear nothing, but my ears twitched when they picked up the noise of pattering paws approaching.

"Get your weapons ready," I said to my allies.

When Clifford only had his sword half drawn, I heard a loud howl, and dozens of wolves jumped out of the shrubs lining the trail. One beast lunged at Clifford's throat, causing him to stumble backward and fall to the ground. I cast Entangle at the animal. Massive vines exploded from the ground, catching it mid-air before tightening and slamming it to the forest floor. The wolf whimpered as the thorns dug into its skin. It snapped at the vines, but without being able to move, it was unable to escape. Instead, it glared at me with eyes as black as pitch.

Clifford climbed to his feet just in time to catch another wolf with his shield. He slammed it into the beast, and it flew back into the trees where it came from. The sounds of battle exploded around me as Triseans, elves, and our lone goblin sprung into action.

A group of Greenleaf’s men defended me from any wolf that attempted to attack. I counted roughly fifty of the blighted beasts with more pouring out of the forest every second, although none were higher than level 8 or 9.

I willed my own dire wolf to my side. His muzzle dripped with the blood of a fresh kill. I healed him back to full and cast a few weaker healing spells on other allies that took damage.

"Forward!" Greenleaf ordered us all to march ahead as more and more predators flew out of the forest to block our path. Since I was taller than most of my war party, I peered ahead and saw packs of wolves, bears, foxes, snakes, and mountain lions streaming toward us. Among them, I even saw their prey. One nearby deer had antlers dripping with blood. A silver trident poked up from behind the horde of beasts.

"The Koschei is here! He's corrupted the forest!" Greenleaf pushed his way between the wall of soldiers to meet me.

"Slanaitheoir, you must go now!"

"But there's too many of them! You won't survive!"

"Nonsense," Greenleaf said. He slammed the bottom of his staff into the ground to summon a wave of natural energy. The spell expanded, forcing all the blighted creatures away. The trees lining the path shivered alive. Vines rushed out of their branches and wrapped around hostile creatures before sucking them back in. One easy spell and the master druid was able to remove a few dozen enemies from battle.

"Don't argue with me, boy!" He pushed me toward my allies. "Go!"

It took me a minute to find my friends. When I did, the group of us abandoned the trail and headed east. We slipped through Greenleaf's barrier and battled our way through a wall of beasts to escape, but few seemed interested in following us deeper into the woods. They were bent to the will of the Koschei who wanted them to attack the war party.

After a few minutes, we lost sight of the battle and moved north again, drawing a diagonal line to put us back on the main trail behind the demon's forces.

As we jogged through the woods, blighted predators and prey alike crossed our path. They all ignored us and instead made their way to the battle. Once we stopped seeing the creatures, we turned to find the trail again. When we reached it, we looked south and, although we could hear the battle, we couldn't see it or the Koschei.

A frigid wind pushed against us as we moved. I pulled my hood over my head to protect my ears but had to hold onto it to prevent it from sliding off my head. The others weren't faring much better. Ash and Radha huddled close together as did Jacob and Margaret. Clifford's armor at this point had already frosted over. Wrane hid behind him to protect herself from the bitter wind.

We continued forward another five minutes, although it felt like hiking through a raging blizzard that would never end. I felt frozen to the core when the gale finally ceased. I opened my eyes to reveal an open clearing buried under blood-stained snow. Corpses of both people and animals littered the ground—the remnants of victims of either the blighted beasts or the Koschei itself.

A heap of stone jutted out from the middle of the clearing to reveal the mouth of a large cave. Near the entrance, a single tree rose from the snow in defiance, its small trunk leaning sideways as though it was afraid to grow in the direction of the tunnel.

We all paused at the mouth of the cave to collect ourselves before descending underground. I cast Whisper on the tree hoping it might reveal information about what to find inside.

"What is happening to the forest?" it asked in words only I could hear. It possessed the voice of a little boy.

"You don't know? The Koschei, the demon that left here not too long ago. We're here to stop it."

"You mean the mean and ugly thing that knocked me over?"

"Yes. What can you tell me about it?"

"Just that he lives in the dark place," the tree said, "and that he changes all the animals. He made me lose my leaves."

"Do you know if he's alone? Is there anything else in the cave?"

"I don't know. The mean beast goes in there alone. Nothing ever follows it."

"Thank you, friend. You've been very helpful," I said.

"You're welcome. You're not the mean beast. You're nice. I like you."

The tree fell asleep as quickly as it woke up. I ran my hand over its slender trunk and smiled, finding happiness at having rediscovered my long-lost abilities.

I turned around and caught Wrane, Jacob, and Margaret looking at me as though I was crazy. Clifford bit his lip to avoid laughing.

"What?" I asked him.

"Do I need to be worried? Are you going to leave me for a tree?"

"Now that you mention it."

We both smiled for a moment before returning to our task. I raised my hanbo, Clifford raised his shield, and we slipped into the darkness below.

As we crossed the threshold into the cave, the temperature dramatically increased, like stepping out of a blizzard and into a sauna. Clifford's armor practically sizzled as the frost melted off him. I ran my finger along a wall as we descended and felt jagged claw marks slashed across its smooth surface. The ground felt like a sponge as though it was super-saturated with water.

We delved deeper into the darkness without receiving any notification that we had discovered a new place or entered a dungeon. We moved as fast as the incline would allow, knowing our allies above couldn't occupy the Koschei and his horde forever.

Sinking deeper and deeper into the earth, the light from outside finally faded from view and the tunnel began to widen. After fifteen minutes of walking, we reached an open chamber that glowed bright red. Piles of bones littered the room. Rotting carcasses hung on hooks on the wall. Channels of lava lining the walls cooked the decomposing flesh. Bits melted off and splashed into the molten rock causing a sickening odor to fill the room.

I swallowed to avoid losing the contents of my gut. Radha wasn't so lucky. She turned away from us to empty her stomach. As we pressed on, smoke from the burning remains burned my eyes and nearly blinded me. I grabbed a spare shirt from my inventory and wrapped it around my nose and mouth to block the stench. The others, save Wrane, mimicked me.

I kicked bones out of the way as we walked across the chamber. We looked around for any sign of a reliquary, but none could be found. There was, however, a small grotto in the back of the chamber. I crept forward and peered into the hollow. On the back wall, a large doorway blocked our path. Clifford and Ash rushed to the door to pry it open. Although it wasn't locked, its rusted hinges hindered their progress.

Wrane, Radha and I moved to help them but were interrupted by a crashing on the opposite side of the room.

I shot around and saw Greenleaf and a handful of his archers barrel into the chamber. One soldier fixed her gaze on the gruesome state of the cave and crashed into the wall of the tunnel. She rolled on the ground and stopped short of falling into the lava. Greenleaf pulled her to her feet before she suffered any major burns.

"Slanaitheoir," he yelled across the room, "the Koschei's respawning!"

Clifford let go of the door, now opened enough to allow someone through, just as an burst of energy filled the room. I sank to one knee to avoid being pushed against the wall and held tight to my wolf. He snarled at the Koschei now standing knee deep in a bone pile in the center of the chamber.

Name: Caor
Type: Koschei (elite boss)
Level: 38
Health: 33,985
Mana: 47,174
Stamina: 36,169

The demon’s hooves clapped against the floor as it spun around to face me. It cracked its whip through the air. The fire cord snapped directly at me, but my wolf leapt forward and took the impact. It struck him for half his health and left a burning debuff that ate away at its remaining life. I cast Salve on the wolf, bolstering his health high enough to prevent him from dying.

Meanwhile, Clifford sprinted forward to face Caor. He raised his shield in time to block an incoming fireball that spat out from the creature's trident.

"Michael! Find the relic!" he yelled. I hesitated, not wanting to leave my friends to fight this beast on their own. They would fight in vain if we couldn't kill it permanently. I summoned Treelings to aid in the fight and took a few seconds to cast Sindhe's Prayer, directing the effects of the spell at the center of the room. A cool breeze rushed through the chamber and chased the overpowering scent of rotting corpses away just as more of Greenleaf's men found their way into the fight.

Before I slipped into the now open door, I cast Treebark on Clifford to buy him some time and reduce any damage he would take.

"I'll be back!" I yelled as I slipped through the doors. My wolf moved to follow me, but I ordered him to stay and help with the fight.

Torches lined the wall of the next hallway. The cobblestone floor made it feel more like a dungeon. I sprinted down the hall for three minutes before I encountered an open arch leading into an inner sanctum and braced my hands on my thighs after nearly exhausting my stamina from the sprint. I recalled Clifford's trinket and pulled it out of my pocket, activated it, and felt my stamina regenerate as though I had just taken a shot of pure adrenaline.

The room was nearly bare, save a heap of animal skins on one side of the room that functioned as a rudimentary bed. Next to the heap, a stump with intact roots perched against the wall. I felt grime and dirt crunch against my boots as I moved closer. A red pouch rested on the center of the stump. I struggled to open it as the drawstring contained some complicated knots. At last, I slid the contents of the pouch into my hand.

Ring of The Mother. Quality: Master-crafted. Class: Divine. +36 health/mana/stamina (scales at +2 per level). 5% increase to healing and damage spells (scales at +1% every five levels) (Slanaitheoir's Regalia 2/8). NOTE: Item corrupted by a minion of Mannana.

I didn't have much time to rejoice finding the second piece of the regalia. Jacob's health flashed red in the corner of my eye before it returned to 50% after receiving what I guessed to be healing magic from Greenleaf or one of his other healers.

The others didn't fare much better. Clifford was down to 75% health and 50% stamina. I clutched the ring tightly in my hand and ran back up the hallway to rejoin the battle.

I fumbled around halfway up the incline to pull a single stamina potion out of my bag, uncorked it with my teeth and swallowed it down. The glass vial shattered against the floor.

Squeezing through the door proved more difficult this time. I pushed my head through and saw the body of my wolf slumped into it. A line of blood painted the wooden surface from top to bottom. The impact of its body must have slid the door shut. I pressed my back into one door and pushed with my arms and legs to open it wider.

Once in the room, I took stock of the situation and cast my available healing spells as fast as I could. Clifford, close to 15% health, earned the combination of Soul Infusion and Salve. The joined spells healed him for 120HP. I followed that with Treebark, now off cooldown, and activated Nerthus Blessing to restore some of my lost mana.

I took stock of my allies. Some of Greenleaf's soldiers had already fallen prey to Caor. Their broken bodies littered the ground around him. Caor, however, was only at 50% health. The demon swept his trident along the floor and knocked Clifford across the room, although he was able to land on his feet. He then turned around and began stabbing at a magical bubble Greenleaf cast around him and nearby soldiers, although the master druid strained to keep the spell active. Each impact drove him closer to the ground and drained his mana considerably.

Wrane and the others hid behind the barrier waiting for the onslaught to end or healing relief to come, although the magic of Greenleaf's spell blocked my line of sight. Only Clifford and I were exposed.

I watched in horror, unsure what to do next. Not wanting anyone else to die, I jumped into the fight.

"Caor!" I yelled. "I have something of yours!"

The demon stopped attacking Greenleaf and turned around to face me. The Koschei's pectorals heaved up and down, strained by the battle.

I pinched the ring between my fingers to antagonize the beast. Caor's roar shook the chamber. It was so loud that it made me dizzy. A fissure formed in the roof of the room and dust fell around us. The demon began to charge at me, but I was too quick. I ripped one ring off my hand and slipped Ring of the Mother on. I gasped once I realized I failed to cleanse it with the Nerthus water.

Attention! You now possess all of the abilities of a Koschei, including domination over Caor.

As the ring settled on my finger, my entire body began to burn. The room around me transformed, and all my allies became shrouded in a black haze. I looked down at my arms and saw them illuminated like lava. In front of me, the massive demon also glowed bright red, a manifestation of pure evil in the world.

And then a seed of rage and anger in the back of my mind started to grow, fueled by the demon’s taint. It grew and grew and grew until it transformed into hatred of the beast in front of me. Nay, hatred of the entire world around me.

My whole body, now saturated with a desire for wrath, trembled. I gripped my hanbo so tightly my fingers began to ache.

"You dare attack me! Do you know who I am?" I yelled so loudly my voice cracked. Caor fell to his knees as I stepped forward but instead of cowering in fear the creature merely laughed.

I raised my hanbo and slapped it across his face. The reddest of red blood splattered out of the demon's mouth, but he continued laughing. The fury in me burned so hotly I thought my eyes would melt. Out of the corner of my vision, I caught a form I thought was Clifford huddled on the ground.

"Stop laughing!" I summoned an unknown spell, a massive shockwave that exploded outward from me. The health of all of my allies decreased, but no part of me seemed to care. My focus was singular. My hatred was intense. I aimed my hanbo directly at the beast in front of me and drew from the Koschei's power a second time. My weapon shook as bolt after bolt of lightning struck its torso. Each impact reduced the monster's health by 5%.

The Koschei's thoughts invaded my mind.

"Very good, Slanaitheoir. Embrace your hatred! You will make a better servant for Mannana than I ever could!"

I cast another unknown spell. The demon writhed in pain before collapsing to the ground, now possessing only a sliver of health. I saw shades of men and women behind him step back into the far side of the room. A bubble of white light encompassed them. Greenleaf, it would seem, raised his protective shield again.

I snickered, now completely out of control and overwhelmed by sadistic thoughts only the truly evil knew. No part of me wanted to fight against the hate. I enjoyed the power too much.

For kicks, I raised my weapon and shot an unknown spell at the shield. A bit of the magical barrier splintered when my magic struck it, but Greenleaf patched it with his mana.

"Michael, stop!"

Clifford lunged toward me. I cast Sonic Shock and sent him flying backward. His steel armor banged and screeched as he slid across the ground.

"You dare tell me what to do?" I yelled.

Caor laughed, now a bleeding and broken mess on the ground. Every ounce of my will wanted to make him suffer. I wanted to make him burn and rot and waste away. I wanted to melt the skin off his flesh. I reached into my mind to find the seed of hatred to draw power from it and prepared to cast a new and unknown spell, reveling in the dozens of hidden abilities I sensed I could use. As I did, I saw Clifford rush toward me. He was too late. I finished the spell, and the entire chamber shook. Purple tendrils shot out of my hands and lashed out at everyone in the room. One gripped Caor's neck. Another slammed Clifford into the ground. Another wrapped around my arm, and I noticed a notification blinking in the corner of my eye. The remaining tendrils punched into Greenleaf's shield and drained his mana close to empty. Before it could pierce the barrier, however, the spell ended. The elf leader and the others were knocked back, all of them falling unconscious from the impact of the spell’s completion.

Caor writhed in pain beneath my feet. His previous smug and callous attitude faded. He now rightly feared me. Purple energy enveloped his body and punctured his flesh. I cackled at the demon and raised my arm to finish him off only to realize it lay limp at my side. I looked down in horror. The same purple energy crept up my own arm.

Attention: You have been afflicted with 'Koschei's rot.' 200 damage per minute for 10 minutes. Healing received reduced to 0%.

I shrugged and started to cast Cleanse, only I felt Clifford grab my wrist and pour cold liquid over my hand. In a matter of seconds, the world collapsed in on me. I felt as though I was punched in the gut. I bent to the ground, but Clifford caught me. When I looked up, the room had returned to normal. The source of hatred overwhelming me was gone. I pulled my sleeve up and saw what appeared to be disease consuming my flesh. It burned as it ate at my skin and muscles and tendons.

Clifford gritted his teeth to cope with the pain of the disease that devoured his own body. We both slid to the floor and looked at Caor, fear locked on its face. With his soul purged from the ring, he faced imminent death, and he knew it. He whimpered like an injured puppy and exhaled one final time.

I dismissed the prompts that flooded my field of view and reached up to Clifford. I tried to cast a spell, any spell, but my mana was almost empty. Anyhow, the disease wouldn't allow me to heal. Instead, I cast Nerthus Blessing and felt some magic flow back into me and lifted myself up with my good arm just as Clifford collapsed backward. I eased him to the ground to make sure his head didn’t hit the cobblestone. He only had 250 health remaining.

"No," I said. Despite the disease raging through my body, I spoke with complete calm. "I told you this is not how you die." I placed my hand on his armor. The steel felt nice against my sweltering skin. My hand slipped on a layer of blood on his armor. I nearly toppled on top of him.

"I'll see you in two days," I said as I cast Cleanse on him. The spell's white light encompassed my hand and infused into him just as the disease shaved off 200 more health. He arched his back as his life faded precipitously, but the cleansing spell worked. The disease vanished from him without a trace.

We locked eyes as the ailment triggered in my own body and the rot coursed through me. I felt it creep up my neck and cheeks. My health dropped to less than 40HP.

I locked eyes with Clifford and smiled as best I could until I needed to lie down next to him. With only a few seconds until I died, I caressed my good hand against his cheek.

"I love you," he said. Tears filled his eyes.

"I love you, too." The disease triggered one final time and enveloped every inch of me. My body shuddered uncontrollably. The world around me grew dark. I sucked air in only to find I could no longer expel it. My lungs burned, my legs ached, blood pounded in my head, and I felt as though my skin was being flayed from my body. I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t exhale. I couldn’t even see as the rot overwhelmed me. The only thing I felt was Clifford’s arms drawing me into his tight embrace. I heard his gentle whispers telling me it would be over soon and that everything would be alright.

A moment later, the world adopted an azure haze, and I found myself standing over my remains. Clifford draped his arm over my corpse and rested until the others woke up.

Chapter 25

I followed my friends as far as my little bubble in the spirit world would allow. They spent a few minutes collecting the remains of those who had fallen in the previous battle. I realized for the first time exactly what sacrifice Greenleaf made to ensure our survival. Although none of my party perished in the fight, he lost seven soldiers to the Koschei.

I knelt next to the remains of a young woman, the one who nearly fell into the lava. Her armor had split in two. The weapon that struck her, most likely the demon's whip, sliced through her flesh down to her ribs. Another even younger man laid next to her was missing his arm. Blood ran freely from his wound forming a crimson pool beneath him. His lifeless eyes stared fixedly at the ceiling.

I bit my lip, upset over Greenleaf’s losses.

"Balama, take care of them," I said.

I nearly jumped across the room when a hand landed on my shoulder. I turned around and saw the young man and woman who just died. He now had his arm. Her armor reformed as though it had never been compromised.

"I'm sorry. I should have been faster," I said to them. I pulled the two of them into an embrace and wept.

Behind them, five other spirits formed a semi-circle. I don't know how I missed them before. Each, in turn, smiled and genuflected. I released the young man and woman and backed away.

"It's alright, Slanaitheoir," the woman said to me. "We knew when we set out that this might come to pass. Greenleaf didn't force us to come. He solicited volunteers."

The man continued. "Every single one of us chose to fight because we believed in you."

"I know," I said, "and I thank you with all of my heart. I just wish I could have run faster. I could have saved you from death."

"Don't be silly," the woman continued. "You did what you came here to do. You defeated Mannana's minion and saved us all. Our friends and family will sleep easy tonight knowing the forest is safe for them again."

A brilliant, glimmering portal opened up behind the elves beckoning them to the next stage of their existence. The portal's white light projected around me and bathed the entire bubble, blocking out the spirit haze around us. I felt as though I was in heaven, or what I thought heaven might feel like. I squinted my eyes through the portal and thought I caught a glimpse of a humanoid figure on the other end.

The fallen seven rose to their feet and disappeared into the gateway one by one. Only the spirit of the young woman remained.

"Slanaitheoir, are you coming?" the woman asked me.

"No. I'm going to stay here. I still have work to do."

"Quite right," she said. She smiled and moved toward the portal.

"Wait!" I yelled out to her. She stopped but didn't turn to face me. "What's your name?" I asked.

"Dania," she said.

"Thank you, Dania. I’ll remember you."

The portal began to close around her. It seemed it wouldn't disappear without offering her a chance to enter. She turned around as it swallowed her up. She waved goodbye to me one last time.

I felt colder when the portal closed. Its magnificence faded, and the spirit realm reasserted itself, only it felt smaller and sadder now.

The chamber around me had now been vacated. I walked across the room to where my remains had been. The outline of my body left a soft imprint in the dirt. Only a few feet away, the smoldering remains of the Koschei oozed blood. It would seem the others doused it with alcohol and set it ablaze before they left. As the fire consumed the demon's body, a cloud of smoke filled the room and flowed upward towards the lair's entrance.

I pondered for a moment the relief of the lonely tree outside and imagined the joy it might feel when the forest slowly returned to normal. It would take time for the snow to melt and for the rain to wash the blood away.

Having nothing left to do, I willed myself to my resurrection point. The scenery around me changed like the screen in a movie theater. It was daytime outside when I appeared near the front door to the manor in Brackenvale Keep.

"I take it things didn't go quite as you planned."

The sound of Vindur's voice startled me. I found the lemur resting on the edge of the well only ten feet away. I walked over to him and sat on the ground. Although I tried to run my fingers along the surface of the water, my hand passed through it like it was nothing more than an illusion.

"Things went as well as could be expected," I said to him. "Although I screwed up and almost killed everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"I was so focused on defeating the demon and saving everyone that I forgot to cleanse the relic. When I put it on, whatever evil that is within me overwhelmed my mind."

"Wait," he said, "demon and relic? You fought a Koschei? Is everyone alright? What about Clifford?"

"Yes, a Koschei named Caor infused his soul in another piece of the regalia, a ring. Greenleaf lost seven soldiers although everyone else is fine."

Vindur's ears twitched when he heard the demon's name. "I know that one," he said. "Caor has always been a true servant of Mannana, although I didn't know he manifested himself in Vros. This changes things."

"How so?"

"It means you need to stop messing around here with this settlement of yours." Vindur sat on his hind legs and scratched his ears. "And you need to stop leaving me behind. The last twenty-four hours here has been a complete bore. Everyone is too happy and pleased with the way their lives are going."

"I'm sorry," I said to him. "I'll bring you along next time."

"That's right, you will. If anything, I can help you avoid rookie mistakes. Unless you would like a repeat of being deep fied like a piece of chicken.”

I laughed at Vindur's old joke.

"You need to find new material. That happened, what, a thousand years ago?"

"What is it your people used to say? It's 'an oldie but a goodie'?"

"Yeah. The not funny ones, but you're using it right."

"Thought so. Now you review your notifications and what not. I'm going to take a nap."

Vindur yawned and stretched his arms. I heard his joints pop as he extended his body. He scurried across the small plaza and found a cozy spot on a patch of nearby grass.

Per his instruction, I opened up my notifications to review the fight's outcome.

You have defeated a level 4 blighted beast * 49. 3xp each. +147xp
You have defeated a level 5 blighted beast * 68. 4xp each. +272xp
You have defeated a level 6 blighted beast * 35. 5xp each. +175xp
You have defeated a level 7 blighted beast * 13. 6xp each. +78xp
You have defeated a level 8 blighted beast * 17. 7xp each. +119xp
You have defeated a level 9 blighted beast * 8. 8xp each. +64xp
You have defeated a level 10 blighted beast *4. 9px each. +36xp
Your war party has endured a sustained invasion. +1000xp.
Your war party has suffered three casualties. -150xp

You have gained 10% in Novice Druidism. Continue to use your class abilities to improve your affinity. +5 class perk points.

You have defeated a level 38 Koschei. This is an elite boss. +3000xp.
Your war party has suffered seven casualties. -350xp
Congratulations! Your war party has won. +500xp

You have completed 'Cleanse the Blight.' By ridding the forest of the Koschei, you have ensured the survival of Greenleaf Clan and Brackenvale Keep. Because of Greenleaf’s presence, trophy requirement fulfilled. This is an epic quest. Reward: +7500xp.
Reward: Alliance and available trade agreements with Greenleaf Clan.
Reward: Safe refuge for members of Brackenvale Keep and other allies in Greenleaf Enclave. Reward: Brackenvale Keep renown +4 Good
Reward: Personal alignment +5 Chaotic Good.

Your disposition with Wrane Gorkin has increased from Friendly to Trusted. +35xp Your disposition with Ash Greenleaf has increased from Indifferent to Trusted. +35xp
Your disposition with Radha Greenleaf has increased from Trusted to Ally. +35xp
Your disposition with Cerun Greenleaf has increased from Indifferent to Trusted. +35xp
Your disposition with Jacob Mills has increased from Friendly to Trusted. +35xp
Your disposition with Margaret Hunter has increased from Friendly to Trusted. +35xp

Congratulations! You have reached level 24. +5 attributes. +2 racial points.
Congratulations! You have reached level 25. +10 attributes. +4 racial points.

You have 10 racial points to spend.
You have 10 attribute points to spend.
You have 6 class points to spend.

Your victory has been felt by your people. +500 Settlement experience.
Your settlement morale has increased from Neutral to Good.

I allocated three points to intelligence, three to wisdom, two to constitution, and two to luck. Although I expected to feel my mana pool grow wider and deeper at a spiritual level, I felt nothing in the spirit realm.

With ten racial points to spend, I brought up my race skill tree and reviewed my three choices. The first two were in tier 2.5:

Fate of the Elderkin: Enhances Mask of the Elderkin to impersonate members of various social castes. Activated once per masking period. Cost: 5 racial points

Shattered illusion: If someone sees through your disguise, they will forget the encounter once they lose sight of you. Cost: 10 racial points

The last option was in Tier 3:

Runic Port: You can teleport you and your allies to any discovered Elderkin Runic Stones or Nerthus Springs. Can be used once per week. Cost: 10 racial points.

The tier 3 option was too tantalizing. Not only did it offer me a portal to Greenleaf Enclave, a stone's throw from Brackenvale, but traveling all over the realm tired everyone. I committed all of my racial points to that option and proceeded to close my interface. Although I had class points to spend, I didn't feel like doing that now.

Vindur's quiet snoring broke the silence around me. The lemur rolled over on his back with arms extended outward. He claimed the entire grass mound as his own. Villagers walked around the area going about their business. Some stopped to collect water, but most either entered the manor or took the path toward the grove for some reason or another. They talked among themselves as they went. Their voices sounded like they were speaking through a pillow.

Neeta and Junta claimed the steps outside the manor. They each had a mortar and pestle and went to work grinding herbs for their mother. I took a seat beside them and zoned out to the muffled noises of stone sliding against stone.

Hours passed until the echo of the lunch bell rang out. Dozens of villagers flowed into the manor and claimed seats around the oversized war table. Jenny, our resident cook, fed them all some sort of savory stew. They scarfed it down as though they would never see food again before abandoning the manor for the rest of the workday.

Just as the sun was about to set, a couple of villagers ran toward the manor and yelled inside. Nila rushed to the door and waved down the path toward the gates.

Clifford, Wrane, Jacob, and Margaret zoned into my spirit bubble. Clifford carried my body, now wrapped in white linens. Villagers gathered to observe the fuss. Some had looks of worry and fear on their faces. Tears were shed.

He handed my body off to Margaret and Jacob, and they rushed my remains inside the manor. Clifford beckoned a few elvish villagers to his side to whisper instructions to them. They nodded and returned to the crowd of villagers to pass on his message. I guessed he revealed to them all my immortal status and that I wasn't, in fact, deceased.

Such information I wished remained private. I didn't want the world to know I was one of the few, if not only, citizens of Vros that existed outside of death's tight grip. As Clifford fled into the manor, I willed myself into our chamber. A few minutes later he entered the room, tore his sweaty clothes off, washed, and passed out naked on our bed. As was his habit, he didn't cover himself. Daylight streamed in through our window and illuminated the lower half of his body. I took my place on the bed beside him and draped my arm over his chest, although the rules of the spirit realm did not let flesh meet flesh. My hand passed through him as though he were nothing more than a mirage.

I stayed there with him for the better part of the fourteen hours he slept. At one point he woke up and covered himself just as someone came into the room. Rose balanced a tray of food and drinks for Clifford to enjoy. He turned his back away from her, although she wagged a finger at him.

"You stupid man! You'll eat the food I made if I have to shove it down your throat," I imagined her saying. He sat up. The sheet covering his chest slid down and bunched up in his groin, but maintained his modesty. Rose handed him a bowl of soup that he sipped down. Once he obliged her, she left the room, and he went back to bed.

The sun set, the sun rose, and the sun set again. Clifford didn't budge from the bed that often. He went to the bathroom, he chewed on some stale bread and swallowed some grapes, and he read some books he brought with him from Elatha.

Just before sunrise and shortly before my rebirth, Baridorne and Cilden came into the room. Clifford tied a sheet around his waist and greeted them. They pulled out of their inventories all of my armor, repaired and cleaned. The green etchings on my jerkin seemed to shine like a polished emerald.

After they had left, Clifford cleaned himself some more and tidied up the suite. In the last day, he managed to turn it into an utter mess. Pillows, clothes, uneaten food, and books littered the floor. I didn't quite understand how he managed to make such a mess in short spurts of time, but this flaw made him more adorable.

After the morning bell had sounded, the area around me started to change. The silver haze of the spirit world slowly closed in on me. I experienced this before five months ago. The last time it occurred, I panicked. This time, however, I took my place in front of Clifford. He stood just inside the balcony with his back to the outside.

I stood only a foot away from him while the spirit shroud wrapped around me like a cocoon does a caterpillar. The force of the shroud against my torso caused me to expel all my air. It lingered for a few seconds and then shattered like glass breaks against stone. Brilliant sunlight replaced the spirit haze, and my ears picked up the sounds of villagers and wind and birds.

Clifford stood a foot in front me overjoyed by my return.

"Hey, you," he said.

I ran my fingers through his messy hair and down to the nape of his neck. "Hey, you."

He lunged forward and lifted me off the floor. The sheet he had wrapped around him fell to the floor. We both collapsed on the bed and rolled over on one another. His skin burned against mine as we celebrated my vitality. We took advantage of one another as lovers are known to do.

We lingered for a few minutes after the lunch bell rang hours later to bask in the euphoria that settled around us. Even though we were both covered in sweat, I didn't want to move an inch. I wanted to stay in our hard bed forever.

And yet I had others eager to see me. Clifford kissed me one last time and peeled himself away from me. He returned moments later with a steaming bowl of water that sat near the fire and a clean rag. He submerged the cloth, squeezed it out, and washed every inch of my body, lingering for longer than necessary over the areas he found most important.

When he completed washing me, I returned the favor. The two of us then got dressed and abandoned our proverbial fortress of solitude for the flurry of activity downstairs.

As I approached the railing looking down to the first floor below, I saw fifty villagers filling the room from wall to wall. The war table had been removed to make room for them. A chorus of cheers erupted when they saw Clifford and me. They seemed to go on for a minute before Rose motioned for us to join them downstairs.

We descended the stairwell with care and grace. All of my closest allies, including Greenleaf and Klandar Gorkin, waited for us at the bottom.

Before we joined them, Clifford turned to me. "Everything's going to be different now, isn't it? We're really going to war with Elatha."

"Yes," I responded. "And knowing our track record, we just might pull it off."

I took Clifford's hand the rest of the way down the stairway to meet the others, all of whom had dozens of questions for me to answer. And we had food to eat and wine to drink.

Everyone in Brackenvale Keep was given the afternoon off, despite Nila's protest. We celebrated our alliances with the Klandar and Greenleaf Clans, the abundance and safety we enjoyed in Brackenvale, our defeat of the Koschei, our memories of Moga and our other lost allies, and my victory over death.

But a core group of us had a nagging worry in the back of our minds. We could celebrate now, for sure, but it wouldn't be long before we needed to venture out to secure our ultimate goal: safety and peace for all in Vros.

The End

About The Author

RJ Castiglione lives in Rhode Island with his husband (and best friend). During the day, he works in software technical support. At night and on the weekend, he writes stories that he enjoys imagining.

Like many other authors in this niche, he began writing LitRPG because his imagination for immersive gaming outpaced current available technology. The day full immersion is realized will be the same day LitRPG dies. Perhaps a century from now.

Check out his website for more, including links to book 3 when it is available.

Other Works

Read “The Jonathan of Bracken Manor”, my short story included in Scout Media’s A Haunting of Words anthology.

Direct from Scout Media
Amazon

Don’t know why I’m putting this here unless you’re the odd kind of person who reads book two without first reading book one. But here you go.

One Last Thing...

If you enjoyed this book, I’d be very grateful if you’d post a short review on Amazon. Your support really does make a difference and I read all the reviews personally so I can get your feedback and make the next book even better.

Thanks again for your support!

And thank you to my friends over at The LitRPG Group and The LitRPG Society for their support as well! We’re all in this together.

Character Sheet:

Secret name: Slanaitheoir (savior)
Character name: Michael Dian-Cecht
Race: Elderkin
Age: 27
Class: Druid
Talent: Undefined
Level 25
Health: 571 (391)
Mana: 750 (435)
Stamina: 441 (391)
Fatigue: 0%
Armor: 110 (1.5% damage mitigation) - 11.5% damage mitigation with skills.
Strength: 12
Intelligence 38 (35)
Wisdom: 34
Constitution: 25
Agility: 12
Luck: 14
Alignment: Chaotic Good (+16)
Racial Traits: Runic Sight
Profession: Undefined
Company: Bracken Corps
Modifiers: +20% movement speed, 25% threat reduction, +15% to damage and spells (gear)

Druid Tree: Novice (10%). 6 unspent points
Sindhe's Prayer (3/3): Invoke the spirit of the Elvish wind god to summon a gentle breeze around you to heal all nearby allies for 12HP (1/2x level) every 5 seconds for 5 minutes. Cast time: 5 seconds. Mana cost: 100. Cooldown: 30 minutes.

Treebark (3/3): Hardens the skin of a friendly target, reducing incoming damage by 50% for 1 minute. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Salve (3/3): Heals a target instantly for 46HP (2x level). Mana cost: 35 (1.5x level). Cast time: 3 seconds.

Soul Infusion (3/3): Activate to make your next healing spell instant and heal for twice as much. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 1 hour.

Treelings (3/3): Activate to summon three saplings with 70HP (3x level) to aid you in battle. Each sapling will infer your desires and either heal allies for 12HP (1/2x level) every 3 seconds or entrap enemies. Duration: 5 minutes or until killed. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 50. Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Cleanse (1/1): Remove a single magical, curse, or disease effect from a target. Mana cost: none. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Cast time: 3 seconds.

Nerthus Blessing (3/3): Draw from the infused waters of the Nerthus Spring, even from a distance, restoring 70MP (3x level). Cooldown: 3 minutes. Can be used no more than three times per battle.

Entangle (3/3): Traps one enemy in thorny vines with 140HP (6x level) that deal 12HP (1/2 level) damage per second until broken. Cast time: 1 second. Mana cost: 46 (2x level). Cooldown: 1 minute. Can be resisted.

Whisper (1/1): Activate for a chance to communicate with a plant or a lower-level, non-hostile animal to glean useful information about your surroundings. Can only be used once per day.

Dire Wolf (3/3): Summons a same-level Dire Wolf with 276HP (12x level) to fight your enemies until killed or dismissed. Summoned wolf deals 23 DPS (level). Creature can be used as a scout and will find a safe path ahead. Mana cost: 138 (6x level).

Race Skills:
Mask of the Elderkin: Activate this ability to take on the appearance of your target's race until deactivated. Can be used once per day.

Runic Port: Teleport you and allies to any discovered Elderkin Runic Stone or Nerthus Spring. Can be used once per week.

General Spells:

Novice Sonic Shock IV (rank 16)
Novice Spirit Bolt III (rank 10)
Novice Mind Control I (rank 1)
Novice Tempest I (rank 7)
Apprentice Forest's Prayer I (rank 26)
Apprentice Living Seed IV (rank 30)
Novice Healing Wisps III (rank 8)
Novice Dual-Cast (rank 8)
Novice Mana Infusion (rank 5)
Spirit Trek (no rank)
Merrow Song II (rank 5)

General Skills:
Novice Athleticism (rank 24)
Novice Blades (rank 1) (.25% increase damage)

Novice Staves (rank 15)
Novice Grappling (rank 1) (1% increase damage)
Novice Light Armor (rank 15) (10% reduced damage/movement speed)
Novice Observation (rank 14)
Novice Stalking (rank 10) (3% chance of remaining hidden)
Apprentice Herbalism (rank 47)
Novice Tailoring (rank 1)
Novice Tracking (rank 1)
Novice Enchanting (rank 1)
Apprentice Leadership (rank 32)
Novice Cooking (rank 5)

Equipment:

Druid Novitiate’s Hanbo. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Damage: 25-29 DPS. Can be broken by stronger weapons. Stats: +100 MP, +50 HP, +50 STM. 5% increase to healing and damage spells. Enables the use of Druid abilities.
Created by: Ash Greenleaf

Wight's Lost Tunic: Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. +15mp. +5% to healing spells. Trigger partial invisibility to reduce threat in battle. Charges: 1/1. Gains one charge every 24 hours.

Nurturer's Leather Jerkin. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. Armor: Light(20). Stats: +20 MP +20 HP, +2% increase to healing and damage spells. Set: 1 of 4

Nurturer's Leather Pants. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Armor: Light(15). Stats: +10 MP, +15HP, +2% increase to healing and damage spells. Set: 2 of 4

Nurturer's Leather boots. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. Armor: Light(10). Stats: +20% movement speed, +10HP. Set: 3 of 4

Nurturer's Leather Bracers. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. Armor: Light(10). Stats: +15 HP Set: 4 of 4

Crown of the Bog Queen. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Armor: Light(10). Stats: +30 MP, +20 HP. Can be triggered mentally to freeze a target in fear for 10 seconds or until damage is taken. Can be resisted. Charges: 3/3. Gains one charge every 24 hours

Magheim's Cape of Sorrows. Quality: Professional. Class: Rare. Armor: Light(20). Stats: +30HP, +3 Intelligence

Mana-Dowsed Ring of Protection. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. +35MP. Trigger to cast a protective barrier over a target that mitigates 25% of incoming damage for 30 seconds. Charges: 5/5. This item gains one charge per day until full.

Ring of Spell Storage. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Epic. Stores one spell for later use. This ring can only be filled once per day.

Ring of Magical Insight. Quality: Exquisite. Class: Rare. +50mp

Ring of The Mother. Quality: Master-crafted. Class: Divine. +50 health/mana/stamina (scales at +2 per level). 5% increase to healing and damage spells (scales at +1% every five levels) (Slanaitheoir's Regalia 2/8).

Tear of The Mother. Quality: Master-crafted. Class: Divine. +50 health/mana/stamina (scales at +2 per level). Activate at any time to reveal direction to more items in the set. (Slanaitheoir's Regalia 1/8).