by Phoenix Grey
“That sounds like a plan.” Lonnell nodded in acknowledgment, holding an expression of doubt the entire time. “I suppose we will be off then. Best of luck to both of you.” He reached out to clasp wrists with Uden and then Azure before he and Bronna took their leave. She offered both men a polite nod but said no words to them as they parted.
Congratulations! Quest: Rescue Bronna has been completed.
Thanks to Uden's mischievous nature, you almost bit off more than you could chew when you came upon the goblins holding Bronna captive. Fortunately, no one died, and you were able to complete your task. You have earned Bronna's gratitude and 90XP.
“Good call,” Uden told Azure as soon as Bronna and Lonnell were out of earshot.
“You think so?”
“Why so uncertain?” The half-imp smiled at him. “Scared to be alone with me?”
“More scared to be stuck with her.” Azure glanced in the direction that Lonnell and Bronna had left.
Laughter echoed through the woods, and Uden patted him on the shoulder. “Of that, we can both agree.”
After they had recovered from the joke, Azure looked at the ground and the lack of clear footprints.“I don't even know where to start.”
Uden let out a short sigh. “If we can find a body of water, that would probably be the best place. No creature can go without hydration. Wherever this Dark One is camped, I would bet it's next to a water source.”
“Do you know of any nearby?”
“I've never traveled this far away from the village, and we don't have a map. I'm afraid we're going to have to wing this,” Uden confessed.
“Did Lonnell have a map on him?” Azure thought aloud.
A mischievous smirk took over the half-imp's face. “Probably. But it's more fun this way.”
All Azure could do was snort and shake his head. “I don't know about you. Honestly, fun should be the last thing you're thinking of, especially when it relates to the safety of Cragbell.”
“If not fun, then how about rest? We've had a long journey. I think we should spend the day resting up for what's ahead.”
Azure quirked his head back, furrowing his brow. “That seems like a bit of a cop-out.”
“Is time spent regaining our strength really time wasted?” Uden's expression was sincere. “It's going to take Lonnell a while to return. I highly doubt it will take us a full eight days to locate wherever this Dark One is hiding, if we're even able to find him at all.”
“Better to rest after. Rest is a reward.”
Uden rolled his eyes. “I fear my brother is rubbing off on you. Whatever the case, you do what you want. I am going to rest.”
Azure scowled. Was Uden really that lazy, or did he just not care? What had been the point of them staying behind if they weren't actually going to do anything useful? He didn't understand the half-imp's lack of motivation. If the goblins found out what they had done, Cragbell would undoubtedly suffer for it. Even if they weren't planning to take another hostage to sacrifice, they would most definitely mount some type of raid in retaliation for the loss of life to their people. At least, Azure assumed that they would. For all he knew, goblins could be as soulless as Uden.
His irritation mounted as he watched the half-imp plant himself on the grass, lounging back as if they were on a vacation. Not wanting to waste any time, Azure decided to scout the area again, searching for clues. Looking at the altar and the markings in the dirt around it that Uden had made, Azure realized that he probably wouldn't know a clue about the ritual if it hit him in the face, so he decided to go in search of footprints instead.
For as much time as he'd spent in the forest, it was still hard for him to distinguish the different types of tracks. He'd never had to do it on his own before. Either Lonnell or Uden had been around to point him in the right direction. That's why he was so surprised to see a notification come up when he stopped at a set of small animal prints.
Congratulations! New skill learned: Tracking Level 1. You can now easily find footprints in favorable weather. This will be helpful in following prey and enemies. But remember to be mindful of the tracks you leave behind, for they can be followed as well.
Despite his new skill, the only seemingly fresh footprints that he could find belonged to them. From what Azure could tell, no one had been here in a long time. Was this really even where the sacrifice was supposed to have taken place? Had Uden gotten it wrong? Maybe there was another sacrificial altar in the area. That would be strange, but not impossible. They'd never know, though, if Uden wouldn't get off his ass and help Azure track.
Surrendering to the realization that he likely wouldn't accomplish much without Uden's help, Azure returned to him. The urge to kick the half-imp out of frustration was strong. Seriously, what in the hell was wrong with this guy?
“So are you really just going to lie here all day?” He scowled down at Uden.
“You're the one who needs to level up. Go hunting or something.” The half-imp waved him away absentmindedly.
It wasn't the worst idea. Now that Lonnell was gone, Azure could hunt freely without worrying about being chastised for it. That was definitely one advantage to being left alone with Uden.
“All right,” he acquiesced, but whenever I get back, I want you to teach me how to be a better fighter. I feel like I made a lot of mistakes when we were facing the goblins.”
Uden lazily opened one eye. “I'll only agree if you don't mind if I don't go easy on you.”
Azure smirked. “I would expect nothing less from you.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
THE REALM – Day 14
“My fighting style is roguish,” Uden began, standing in front of Azure with two daggers drawn. He stared down at them with a thoughtful expression. “I have always been a big fan of the sneak attack. Some people look at it unfavorably, especially around here. But as you've seen, it can be rather useful.
“Since I've dedicated so much of my time to trying to perfect the wielding of small blades, my skills at two-handed weapons are nonexistent, not that you have one on you right now.”
Azure was admittedly surprised that the half-imp's skill set was so specialized, but he supposed it made more sense to pick one weapon of choice and level that up. While he typically liked to be balanced in games, this wasn't like anything he had ever played before. With the quick progression of things putting him on a river of non-stop danger and increasing perils, spreading his skills over a range of weapons might put him at a disadvantage when tougher foes came along. It wouldn't be so bad if he were always in a party, but there was no guarantee that would always be the case.
“If you've noticed, I also tend to prefer close quarters combat. When using small blades, that puts me at a greater risk of injury. I've made up for it by greatly increasing my agility. My speed and stealth have saved my ass more than a handful of times.”
Azure nodded, taking mental notes. While he listened to Uden's brief lecture, he wondered which weapon would eventually end up being his main. Archery would always be important to him. Shooting foes and game from a distance was definitely necessary for survival. But as far as blades go, he honestly couldn't see himself adopting the same fighting style as Uden. While incredibly effective, he had always found the sneak attack a bit cowardly. The speed and stealth of rogue types were undoubtedly impressive, and there were definitely huge advantages to it, but the fighting style just wasn't for him. He had always been a more traditional one-handed weapon, sword and shield type of guy. More than likely, that's what he'd end up sticking with. Regardless, there were definitely things to take from Uden teaching him how to effectively wield small blades that he could apply to other fighting styles. The lessons would not go to waste.
Once Uden was done speaking, they put what he had verbalized into practice. He taught Azure how to effectively attack at close range, how to parry and dodge. Each mistake earned him a superficial cut. Despite what Uden had said, he was definitely taking it easy on Azure. There was no doubt in Azure
's mind that the half-imp could finish him quickly if he wanted to. The speed at which Uden moved around him was like a flash. It made Azure wonder exactly how much he had leveled up his Agility.
They trained for an hour before taking a short break. Azure checked to see if his One-Handed Weapons skill was gaining experience while they practiced, but the percentage indicator hadn't budged. Apparently, it only went up when he was engaged in real battle. The thought occurred to him to have Uden actually try to attack him, but it wasn't worth the risk of injury. If the skill wasn't leveling while he was training, then it most likely wouldn't increase from a friendly attack either. Oh well.
“You mentioned that people around here aren't fond of rogue types,” Azure said as they sat in the grass for him to catch his breath. It was also obvious by their melee that Uden had better endurance. While Azure was panting away, the half-imp breathed normally, as if he didn't feel the exertion at all. “Is there a reason for that?”
“Is that really a question?” Uden side-eyed him.
Azure nodded, feeling a bit stupid.
“Most people who spend their time learning small blade skills are thieves or deviants. Sadly, I have stereotyped myself.” He sighed.
“What do you mean?” Azure looked at him curiously.
“I am a half-imp. Imps are known for devious behavior. To be honest, it's not surprising that I gravitated towards this fighting style. Just like it's not surprising that I put so much of my characteristic points into Agility and have focused greatly on leveling my Stealth skill.
“Though, to be fair, I suppose my high skill level has a lot to do with the fact that there is no magic school around here. If we lived on the mainland, I imagine that my fighting skills would be less because I'd have a larger focus on magic-casting, which is also something inherently in my nature.”
“Do different races have affinities for different things?”
“Most certainly.” Uden nodded. “I think it's why we're all so easily stereotyped. Humans are unique in the fact that they can be anything. Most other races tend to be predisposed to gravitate towards a certain skill set. Of course, there are always outliers, but they are few and far between.” The half-imp stood, dusting off the back of his tunic. “Well, that's enough of a break for now. Let's get back to it.”
They trained for another hour. Azure could see his skills improving, though he was still no match for the half-imp, earning another fair share of cuts whenever he was careless or didn't dodge quickly enough. Before they finished up, Uden left him with a word of advice to always carry a dagger on his boot.
“If you are ever taken unaware, depending on the species and their intelligence level, sometimes your captors will forget to check your boots for weapons. Stowing away a dagger in a place that's not often patted down can be the difference between life and death.”
The next few minutes were spent on Uden helping him make a crude sheath for his dagger to affix it to his boot. Afterward, Azure succumbed to the exhaustion that had been plaguing him from staying up all night. With Uden well-rested from sleeping while Azure had been hunting, he felt secure taking a nap while the half-Imp kept watch.
Surprisingly, Uden allowed him a full sleep. He blinked awake to the sound of a crackling fire and the smell of meat roasting on a spit. The sun was sinking over the horizon, painting the sky a smokey shade of blue. Nighttime insects chirped softly, ushering in a peaceful afternoon.
“Was it not nice to sleep without being disturbed?” Uden asked with a soft smile.
Azure stretched and yawned. “I feel like I haven't slept like that in forever.”
“I am not a slave driver like my brother.”
Sitting up, Azure said, “Lonnell had a good reason for his urgency.”
Uden sighed. “I suppose. But that reason is now over. We shouldn't push ourselves so hard.”
“Are you not worried that the smoke from the fire will attract unwanted visitors.” Azure glanced back toward the altar. They had relocated a good several hundred yards away, but they still felt too close for comfort.
“If I were worried, would I have started a fire?” Uden gave him a sarcastic look, making Azure instantly feel that his fretting was unmerited. The half-imp wasn't stupid. He would not risk their safety, especially when it was just the two of them.
Deciding to surrender to the urge to relax, they supped on the two rabbits that Azure had shot earlier and then spent the rest of the afternoon lazing about.
Congratulations! The skill: Cooking has reached Level 5. You have to eat to survive. You now have a 40% chance of not burning your food when only cooking one item. Your mother would be so proud.
Azure briefly worked on leveling his Alchemy skill, but for the most part, they just sat around the fire telling stories to one another. Oddly, for as much as he and Lonnell had been through together, and the fact that their relationship level was higher, Azure felt much closer to Uden. Even though he was half imp, there was something more human about him—more relatable and natural.
Congratulations! The skill: Alchemy has reached Level 3. There are many uses for potions. Hone this skill to heal yourself in battle and thwart your enemies!
“What are your goals in this life?” Uden asked him as he was lounging back getting ready to take his turn to sleep while Azure kept watch.
“My goals?” He hadn't really thought about it before. “I'm not sure.”
“You should be. What's a man's purpose if he has no sense of direction?”
“I suppose I've just been following along up to this point. To be honest, I'm still a bit confused as to how I came to be here. I just...woke up in this world. It's not mine, if that makes any sense.” Azure thought about his life before he had awoken in The Realm. Perhaps what he had thought was his reality had all just been a dream.
“Every world is what you make of it,” Uden gave his sage obscure advice.
Azure could only surmise that the half-imp didn't really understand his situation. “I suppose.”
“So make it something great. Find a goal. A purpose.”
“And what's yours?” He gazed down at his friend.
Uden was staring up at the stars, seemingly lost in thought. “To get off of this island. Whatever it takes. Once this is all over, I am leaving here. I don't care what Lonnell or our father or anyone else says. This is not the place for me. Crescent Island is too small for someone of mixed blood.
“My father feels that it's a shield to protect me. I feel that it's a cage. All I want is to go learn magic. To devote myself to studying the intricacies of it.”
“And what would you want to use this knowledge for?” Azure asked.
“That is a secret.” Uden grinned wolfishly.
“You would use it for evil, I bet.” He smirked, only half-joking.
“That is yet to be seen. I am curious as to what the future holds, though.”
“I would like to go with you to the mainland once this is all over,” Azure decided. Accompanying Uden to one of these magic schools he spoke about would definitely be beneficial to them both.
“Would you now?” The half-imp glanced over at him. “I think I might like that,” he said. Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep, leaving Azure to weather the night alone.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE REALM – Day 15
Uden awoke in the middle of the night, affording Azure a few extra hours of sleep before the sun began to rise and they finally decided to head off on their quest to find The Dark One. As if summoned by their determination, a notification popped up.
Quest: Discover the Identity of The Dark One
Something troubling lurks in the forest. There are no clues as to where The Dark One may be, but it's your job to track him down. Unravel the mystery behind the source of Crescent Island's curse.
Difficulty: Hard
Success: Find The Dark One
Failure: Die
Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
Hmm. Well, that was a bi
t of a spoiler. Just from that notification, a few things were made clear to Azure. The Dark One was male. The fact that the quest was titled Discover the Identity meant that it was possibly someone they knew. And this person was undoubtedly the cause of the curse on Crescent Island.
Azure thought to accept the quest, and the notification went away. Then he trailed behind Uden as he led them into the forest.
The day was long and fruitless, spent walking seemingly endlessly. They must have covered close to thirty miles before they stopped to make camp for the night. It didn't seem realistic for them to travel so far and not come across a single clue, nor a river.
By their second day of searching, Azure began to notice some things that were off. The hills in the backdrop seemed to not be getting any closer. In fact, at some points, they looked to be getting further away.
“I feel like we're walking in circles,” he mentioned to Uden.
“We're not,” Uden assured him.
“Then why haven't we made any progress towards those hills.” He pointed to the horizon.
“Because we've been weaving,” the half-imp told him absentmindedly.
“Weaving?” Azure quirked his head back. “Why?”
“It's safer.”
That wasn't much of an explanation. Not enough for Azure to rationalize it, at least. Whatever the case, Uden seemed to be getting annoyed with his questions, so Azure chose to trust his friend and follow along, though he decided to remain more alert from here on out.
On day three, they came upon a doe feeding in a clearing. Taking the opportunity, Azure nocked an arrow, but something spooked the animal, and it ended up darting a second before he let his arrow sail. Still, he managed to hit it in its right hind leg.
“I'll wait here while you track it,” Uden told him, ever lazy.