by Tim Moon
“That is a conundrum. Did the quest tell you how many days until the egg hatches?”
Jaron shook his head.
“I wonder if it needs incubation in order to prompt the hatching,” Thendo mused. “You might not have to worry about it. Dragon eggs, even drakes, are known to be able to survive centuries until the conditions are right for hatching. You said you are traveling to Oakenport?”
“Yeah,” Jaron said.
“Go to the city archive and look up a tome titled Draconomicon: The Definitive Study of Dragons and Dragonkin by Elder Dhom Sentinel.” Thendo nodded to himself. “That is the most authoritative work on dragonkin.”
Jaron’s eyebrows rose. “I will do that. Thanks for the tip.”
“My pleasure.”
A delectable scent wafted through the tunnel. Jaron sniffed the air with a growing sense of hunger and his mouth began to water. “What are they cooking?” he asked excitedly.
Thendo shook his head at the dramatic reaction. “We have gathered edibles. Blacah managed to dig up some tubers and then caught a hedgehog, but that’s his. The other badgers brought back two snakes, a squirrel and several apples. Gnoly brought down two ducks before the flock escaped. It should be a fine meal.”
Jaron’s eyebrows rose. “I am in the presence of geniuses.”
Thendo chuckled.
“I would very much like to learn how to identify food that is safe to forage,” Jaron said. “I almost starved to death out there. Then I ate some berries and those almost killed me.”
Thendo nodded and waved him back inside. As they walked down the long, winding tunnel, Jaron thought about the trouble brewing across the land. Several times now, the dichotomy of light and dark had been used in broad terms.
“What can you tell me about the darkness everyone keeps mentioning? What is happening?” Jaron asked. “I know nothing about this stuff.”
Thendo stroked his beard, looking like a thoughtful lumberjack as they walked.
“There is much to tell and I cannot say that I am an expert. In general terms, the light and dark are like two ends of a stick. The area in-between the two ends are shades of gray. That is where most people fall, some more to the light side and some more to the dark side.” Thendo glanced up at Jaron who nodded for him to continue. “We are in a time of chaos. The king of Galyntor was a strong ally of the light but he was found dead, some say murdered, by his son. Terrible luck, that man. His daughter disappeared about four years ago too.” Shaking his head sadly, Thendo added, “Meanwhile, goblins, orkkan, gnolls, giants and trolls have made their presence known in ways that haven’t been seen since the days of Outlander Prime.”
“What’s Outlander Prime?” Jaron asked.
“You mean who is Outlander Prime?” Thendo said with a grin. “Arienella Ambervale was Outlander Prime, and a great warrior. She led the forces of light and defeated a demon army, uniting the continent, all seven major kingdoms, into a great empire that lasted for more than 800 years.”
Did that mean she had been a player too?
“What is an Outlander? And why was she called Outlander Prime?”
“According to legend, Outlanders are immortal beings from another world. Some say they were gods; others say they were demons. Thousands of them appeared across the land near the end of empire, ultimately leading to its collapse. Chaos spread as many of the Outlanders were violent and cruel. They took what they wanted, destroyed whole villages, and murdered at will. They raped and pillaged their way across the land like a swarm of locusts.” Thendo shook his head and let out a sigh. “It was a dark time for all and since then, they have become universally loathed and mercilessly hunted down by some.”
That’s a problem, Jaron thought. He looked down at the gnome. Did Thendo know that he was walking next to an Outlander? What would he and the others do if they found out?
“How can you tell who is an Outlander?” Jaron asked cautiously.
“That is the trick. They look the same as any other being and can be of any race as far as we know. Most are found out these days by their mannerisms, a high enough analyze skill will reveal their race, and many Outlanders give themselves away.”
“Why would they do that?” Jaron asked.
“Some may not know they are loathed. I believe some like the challenge while others simply do not care.”
Light glowed around the corner as tunnel opened into the main lair. Jaron dismissed his darkvision since the gnomes had built two small fires. One heated a small pot and the other roasted the ducks Gnoly bagged. His stomach growled so loud that Thendo threw him a nervous glance.
“Hungry, eh?” the gnome asked with a bright smile.
“Starving!” Jaron said as he savored the smell of their feast.
37
Jaron felt greedy eating a whole duck on his own, but Gnoly and the others insisted so he eagerly dug in. Who knew soup and a whole duck could taste so glorious?
Hardly a scrap was left when he had finished. As he sat back, licking grease from his fingers, a notification appeared.
Congratulations! You have eaten a satisfying, good quality meal, fulfilling the requirements for the quest Rumbly In My Tumbly II. Rewards: For the next 8 hours you will benefit from the Sated buff (+5% XP, +10% Stamina), 200 XP, 10 copper coins.
As glad as Jaron was to finally finish the quest, he was a little disappointed there wasn’t a third part in the quest chain. Also, receiving an XP buff right after a meal wasn’t great timing. He desperately needed to get stronger and more skilled though. Standing and rubbing his belly, which visibly bulged through the gap in his leather armor, Jaron looked at his friends.
“I just received an XP buff and I don’t want to waste it. Who can teach me some stuff?”
The gnomes looked at each other and then three of them stared at Thendo. Muttering under his breath, Thendo licked his fingers and stood up. He was the last one still eating. Glancing up at Jaron he put his hands on his hips and scowled.
“What do you wish to learn?” he asked. The hard edge to his voice did not go unnoticed.
“I don’t know many skills, so I’m sure anything will help,” Jaron said with a shrug. Then he held a finger in the air as an idea came to him. “Ooh, can you teach me about herbs? There are pouches of dried herbs in one of the chests.”
“Show me,” Thendo said as he walked towards the chests. “You will not learn much from dried plants. We should focus on something more conducive to the environment.”
When they reached the far wall, Jaron really saw the egg for the first time. The light from the fire showed him a more dazzling sight than darkvision had. The surface was craggy and made of stone, but now he could clearly see the multiple rough emeralds growing at various points on the surface. They glittered in the firelight, while the egg as a whole seemingly gave off a faint glow of its own.
“Wow,” Jaron said, breathlessly. “The egg is beautiful.”
“Indeed, it is,” Thendo said. “This is the first of its kind that I have lain eyes on. I did not know such creatures lived in this region. Keep the shell after the beast hatches. It will be valuable and not just for the emeralds. Alchemists and artificers may find it quite useful.”
“Good to know,” Jaron said. Alchemists using the shell made sense, but he didn’t know what an artificer could do with it. Just so he was clear, he asked, “Artificers build things, right?”
“That is correct. Anything from work equipment and magical items to military weapons and golems. Gnomish artificers are known across the kingdoms,” Thendo said with obvious pride. “In fact, we have some of the finest artificers at Wildhall. They created the goggles we wore earlier.”
“I would very much like to meet them someday,” Jaron said.
For now though, Jaron wanted to find out what they could do with the herbs he had.
“Let’s see what we can do with these first though.” Jaron opened the chest and lifted out the tray of pouches. He set it down on the floor and gestured for Thendo
to look.
Burlibink walked over with a duck leg in his hand, slowly tearing off chunks of tender meat. He looked over the materials with mild interest. When he noticed Jaron watching him, he protectively held the duck leg close and turned away.
“Anything good?” Jaron asked, turning his attention back to Thendo.
“Hmmm,” the gnome grunted. He opened and closed each pouch, examining the contents. “You have some interesting items here.”
“Really?” Jaron asked excitedly. “Like what?”
“These eight pouches contain unique blends of tea from across the continent.”
Like a bubble bursting at the water’s surface, Jaron’s enthusiasm disappeared.
“Tea?” he asked, incredulous.
Thendo nodded solemnly, biting a lip to hold back laughter.
“Tea?” Jaron asked again, feeling skeptical. Who would keep tea in a treasure chest?
“Tea,” Thendo said, barely containing his amusement.
“Is this expensive tea that gives ability score boosts or something?”
“I am afraid not.” Thendo patted the air with his hands to calm Jaron down. “Actually, they are expensive varieties of tea. They appear drinkable but they will not last much longer.”
Jaron scowled.
“Shall we make a cuppa?” Burlibink asked, casually.
Jaron shot a disapproving look at the gnome, who gazed back unperturbed. Then he realized this was a small price to pay for all the help and healing they had provided. His expression softened.
“That’s actually a good idea, Burlibink,” Jaron said. “Enjoy the tea. I’ll try a cup too if it’s not too much trouble.”
He wondered where they would get water and cups, but the gnomes didn’t hesitate to run off with the pouches of tea. Gnoly removed a waterskin from her pack and held it out for Burlibink who poured it into a pot he pulled from his own pack.
While the gnomes had a tea break and took food out to the badgers on watch, Jaron turned his attention to the other items. He picked up the various weapons and swung them around. Not only did it give him a feel for the weapons, he also unlocked several more skills. The gnomes gave him a few pointers about his fighting stance as they drank and observed him.
Congratulations! You have trained with a mace. Doing so unlocked the skill Mace. You have progressed 10% through level 1. Reward: 53 XP Continue honing your skills to reach your true potential.
Jaron noted that the game rounded up the bonus XP. It didn’t make a huge difference though. Still, it was nice to learn the skill. He set the mace back in the chest and hefted the spiked chain. The clanking sound echoed in the large cavern, causing everyone to cringe.
“Sorry,” he chuckled as he examined the chain, trying to figure it out. “So, um, anyone know how to use this thing?”
“Who would use such a ridiculous weapon?” Burlibink quipped.
“Perhaps you could practice with-” Thendo started.
Jaron couldn’t hear the rest because he was already trying to twirl it around. None of the awkward moves he tried unlocked the skill. He did manage to scratch his leather armor pants, and one of the spikes poked his finger. Then the chain kinked and pinched the skin between his thumb and index finger. With a curse and flushed cheeks, Jaron put the chain away before something more serious happened.
“Thank Ahja!” Thendo said with a huff. “I am not certain I will regain my hearing after that cacophony.”
Jaron couldn’t disagree with that. He picked up the shield. “Don’t worry,” he said, raising his voice to be heard. “Shields don’t make any noise.”
Jaron replayed old movies in his mind and tried to replicate the moves. A simple shield bash and sword thrust. Then he punched out, simulating striking an enemy with the edge the shield. Burlibink stood and coached him on several basic maneuvers with the shield, earning him 20% progress through level 1.
During the training, Jaron also managed to learn the light armor skill and gained 50% progress. He was comfortable moving now and was confident he could fight without any encumbrance. Archery practice in armor would have to come later. The only downside to the armor that Jaron noticed was the small size of the breastplate since it rode too high on his torso. His whole stomach was exposed, making it an obvious target. The bottom edge also rubbed across his stomach and left an abrasion. Nothing major but it stung like hell from sweat running into it.
“Thanks for the help,” Jaron said to Burlibink.
“Now you will not embarrass us if we run into more gobs or orkkan,” Burlibink said with a smirk. “Well, at least not with your fighting skills.” He gestured at the armor. “You really need a hauberk or something to fill in the gap.”
“How about I fill the gap left when you open your mouth with my fist,” Jaron threatened with a grin, holding up his fist.
38
When Jaron awoke the next morning, it was to sound of the gnomes cleaning up the fire pit from the night before, packing their gear and talking softly amongst themselves. Vayvnu’s bed had been surprisingly warm and quite comfortable for a pile of sticks, dried leaves and grass. Jaron surreptitiously watched the gnomes for a minute.
Blacah looked up from where he lay with his back stretched out along the emerald drake egg, absorbing the warmth. He walked over to Jaron and sat looking at him with tired eyes. The badger beside Blacah snorted and took Blacah’s spot against the egg. Jaron smiled and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Blacah nudged his hand with his nose. Unable to resist those dark, pleading eyes, Jaron gave him a good scratch behind his stubby ears. The badger made a weird growling sound that drew the attention of the gnomes.
“Good morning,” Gnoly said with a smile. She reached into one of the pouches on her belt for a whet stone, sat down and began to sharpen her knife.
“Good morning everyone,” Jaron said as he stretched. When he bent over to stretch his legs, he scratched under Blacah’s chin.
“I daresay that is a sight to behold,” Thendo said, appearing beside Jaron. “He usually does not take kindly to strangers.”
“We’re not strangers. We fought side by side,” Jaron reminded his friend. He ruffled the fur on his head. “Isn’t that right?”
“Careful, Blacah might maul you for that,” Burlibink said with a chuckle.
“Naw.”
“It would be hilarious.”
“You have a strange sense of humor,” Jaron said.
“You have no idea,” Zahlin said.
Jaron flinched at the sudden appearance of the quiet gnome leaning against the egg, watching Blacah with curiosity.
“Don’t sneak up on me, man,” Jaron snapped.
Zahlin slowly turned his head to look at Jaron. “If you always remain mindful of your surroundings, you will never be caught unaware.”
“Thank you oh wise and benevolent master,” Jaron said, rolling his eyes.
Zahlin bowed his head.
“Do not inflate his ego,” Gnoly quipped.
“So, where are you guys off to today?” Jaron asked. “Going out to hunt goblins and orkkan again?”
Burlibink and Zahlin exchanged glances. Thendo tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at him.
“No? Okay, just checking,” Jaron said.
Ignoring their confused expressions, he began to gather up his items and don his armor. Putting on the chestplate elicited a grunt at the stinging sensation. Burlibink might have been teasing him, but he really did need something to wear underneath even if it was only a shirt.
“What are you going to do?” Gnoly asked Jaron.
“Well, as much as I would love to stay, I have a prior commitment to someone, well, a group of people. I promised to help them get to safety and report their tormentors to the authorities,” Jaron said.
Gnoly nodded in sympathy and patted his arm. “Your friends are lucky to have such a dedicated friend.”
“Most of them are orphans.” Jaron shrugged. “And they don’t have adults they can rely on.”
&nb
sp; His jaw clenched at the situation. He could only imagine the way such a childhood would affect them in the future. A couple friends back home were adopted and they both had issues with attachment, separation, anxiety and depression. It wasn’t that they had been abused or anything vile, it was merely the turbulence of their childhood. Jaron resolved to do what he could to provide them with stability and a safe environment.
“How did you come upon orphans out here?” Burlibink asked.
“It’s a weird story actually…” Jaron began as he launched into the story of meeting Myra, Lurch, Cyprus and the others, their escape and the swamp attacks. Then he outlined the basic plan he had come up with for taking the kids back to Oakenport. “Actually, it would be great if you guys could help us get to Oakenport. There’s no telling what trouble we’ll run into along the way.”
The gnomes seemed open to the idea. Zahlin pushed away from the egg and held a finger in the air, catching everyone’s attention. The way he looked at Jaron made him uneasy.
“How did you end up in our land after reaching the southern edge of Fang Marsh?” Zahlin asked.
Without a good pre-planned answer, Jaron felt his breath quicken. His palms grew clammy as he looked carefully at the gnomes and the badger. They would likely catch on that he was lying, and he didn’t want to lose their support. Thendo’s words about Outlanders echoed in his mind, but he chose to forge ahead.
Jaron cleared his throat and began to fill in the final parts of his story.
“You are an Outlander?” Burlibink shouted.
The anger—no, fury—in the gnome’s eyes pierced Jaron like a needle under his fingernail. “Surely you realize Outlanders are not all the same. You guys saw Ahja’s avatar greet me. I haven’t threatened you or anyone that didn’t deserve it.
Burlibink shook his head and backed away from Jaron, drawing a knife from behind his back.