Ascension

by B F Rockriver

  Quest Difficulty: Easy | Quest Time: 59 minutes, 30 seconds | Rewards: 50 exp, + 200 reputation with the bleeding gladekin, +500 reputation with gladekin’s father. Unknown item/s | Failure: Time expires - Loss of 1000 reputation with the bleeding Gladekin—partial failure of an active quest-line.

  Do you accept: Yes / No

  Eli accepted the quest but grew curious. The lines about unknown items and partial failure of another quest were worrisome.

  Aida, what’s up with this? Why don’t quests always show what items we will receive or what happens if we fail?

  “Some quests will not tell you what the rewards or repercussions are. Many things can cause this to happen. The item might be one of many, or you might only retrieve certain items. How you perform, and the number of people in your party also affect the outcome. If you complete an easy quest with a one thousand member militia, your reward would be significantly less than if you complete a hard or epic level quest alone. The repercussions also scale with difficulty, party size, and how you achieve your goal. There are often hundreds of ways to achieve a goal, but some are better than others.”

  As Eli thought on Aida’s words, he grew slightly wary of the situation they were running into but followed anyway. If he was right about the Gladekin, there was an injured man to help and an unknown reward associated with the task. What worried him the most was the line about the quest's effects on another active questline. If they failed to save the stranger, they might lose a cure for the blight, or the gladekin might turn him into the guards. The outcome was unknown, and that was terrifying.

  After catching up to the two, Eli expressed his concerns to Don, and the three picked up speed. As the gladekin, who said his name was Kelly Spidersmash, led the way the turta told Eli not to worry. While rushing down the winding path, the healer explained that quests to save people rarely ended in negative consequences, especially at a low level and in a neutral aligned territory. Following the western road, they made their way around the Dawnport slums before turning south. Making their way around a bend, leaving the dirty hovels to disappear behind a hill, they hit a split in the road. To the southeast was a small trade road leading to a mist elf village on the coast. To the southwest was Daggerfang Keep, the main outpost of the Wolffen. Their path was a barely visible, roughly kept wagon road leading west into the Wildwood.

  Before hitting the split, Eli had the urge to ask Kelly a question, “What did you say your father’s name was?”

  “I - I didn’t.” The small man said.

  “Well, what is it then? If we’re to help you, you need to tell us what the situation is.”

  The Gladekin stopped and turned to Eli. “Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Kelly Spidermsash,” the small man said, before sticking his hand out for Eli to shake. After Eli did not reciprocate, Kelly frowned and lowered his hand, “My father’s name is Sir William Sparklestuff-Stormcaller. A bunch of bandits attacked us when he was looking at some black ball of something that he found in the woods. Then they stole his cart and ran off. We were both injured, but my father can’t move and is bleeding badly. There you have it, now we better hurry. Let’s go; let's go.” The tiny man said, before planting his feet, spinning on his heels, and marching off down the western road.

  Sparklestuff, Eli thought, What a strange name. Wait.

  “Sparklestuff most likely isn’t actually a part of his name. William and Stormcaller are human or half-elf names. The Gladekins' naming structure is basic. They associate people with what they do, what they collect, or achievements in their lives. Often Gladekin will assign a nickname, or false surname, to those outside of their race. It’s also common for many Gladekin to go without a surname until adulthood.”

  Not Now.

  “Did you just say your father’s name is William? Is he a merchant, maybe one who sells magical goods, or a scholar?” Eli shouted, rushing to catch up to the short-legged man.

  “Yes, he collects and sells all kinds of shiny things. That’s why his name is Sparklestuff, dummy.”

  As the words left Kelly’s mouth, Eli and Don glanced at each other, then picked up their pace. About two-and-a-half miles down the road, Eli heard the faint echoes of pained groans coming from a small wagon path leading into the Wildwood. The rough, unkempt road led over a small hill, curving west and into the dense forest, and the sound almost assuredly belonged to a human, not a gladekin. He was right, Eli thought as he pulled his axe from its frog and slowed, nodding for Don to do the same.

  “What are you two slowpokes doing? Can’t you hear him? He needs your help.” Kelly shouted from the top of a small hill, waving his hands frantically before sprinting off.

  With hesitant steps, Eli and Don crested the mound and turned the wide corner to find Kelly kneeling next to a slender middle-aged Human man with short, well-styled, auburn hair. The only true signs of aging were several large ashen streaks of hair that ran through a tall pompadour and medium length beard. He could have been thirty or three hundred as far as Eli knew, but that did not matter. Eli’s concern was the large pool of blood surrounding him, staining his once grey travel robe a deep crimson.

  The man was weak, holding a wound on his stomach, as a bubble of the thick liquid escaped through his fingers. His eyes were closed, but he seemed to be able to feel their presence. With a strain, the man looked up to greet the adventurers with a forced smile.

  “Kelly, you’ve brought help.” The injured man stammered, his breath struggling to escape his mouth. “Thank you, my child. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

  The small Gladekin man responded with a whisper, “Don’t worry, Dad. This nice turtle guy will fix you up, good as new.”

  Eli looked at the Gladekin as a thought washed over him. Why did he need their help if he had bandages, and where did he? The thought died at the sight of Don checking his pockets before rushing to assist the injured man, with an agitated look on his face. That sneaky, little.

  After gently moving Kelly out of the way, Don got to work, snatching the bandages from the Gladekins hand. The now-familiar blue glow appeared at the monk’s core, then grew larger. A soft light emanated from Don’s torso, filling the small clearing with an eerie glow. It was stronger than Eli had ever seen, causing him to worry. Perspiration formed on the man’s forehead, and his breath grew heavy and deep. Don’s chest heaved as the aura changed from sky blue to a deep aqua. The color reminded Eli of a crystal clear lake or an ocean on a bright summer day.

  Under his breath, the turta spoke in a whisper, “this is going to suck,” then clenched his teeth as Eli and Kelly looked on.

  With a fluid steady motion, Don focused the energy into his palm before placing his hand to William's stomach. The torrent of healing power shined brightly, pulsing as waves of healing crashed against each other. Don shook, his body tensing from obvious strain before the energy condensed and entered the wound. Then, Don collapsed.

  Chapter 12

  Eli rushed to the unconscious Turta, who convulsed on the ground, foam spilling from his mouth. Grabbing Don by the shoulder, he turned the man to one side and propped the turta’s head against his chest. As his friend seized, his chest tightened as his heart pounded. Violent shaking forced Eli to strain while he attempted to control the man's wild spasms.

  “What’s happening?” Eli screamed while holding Don down.

  Placing two fingers to the man's neck, Eli searched for a pulse and assessed the situation. The player’s heartbeat was erratic, skipping beats and changing pace from rapid to nearly stopped. After a moment, the turta’s movements slowed, and his breathing halted. Sweat dripped into Eli’s eyes, as fear took over and he stared blankly at the slowly fading man before him. While he sat thinking through plausible causes for the sudden change, the green-skinned man fell still.

  “Don! Wake up, buddy. Don, come on, man.” Eli shouted while memories of losing his family flashed into his mind. The thought of losing another person shook him, and tears started welling in his ey
es. Don was dying, and it was this man’s fault. His gaze turned to the human man, who was lying on the ground, motionless. “What the fuck did you two just do to him!”

  Kelly had his head pressed to his father’s chest, speaking in a whisper. “Come on, Dad. You can do it. Take a deep breath for me. Please.” Tears streamed down the small man’s face as he spoke with his eyes closed.

  “I’m talking to you, asshole, what did you do to him!” Eli roared, his booming feral sounding voice sending birds fleeing from nearby trees. “You did this!”

  “We didn’t do anything. I-I don’t know what happened.” Kelly stammered, opening his eyes to look at the face of the man he called father. “All I wanted was for the healer guy to help him, to save my dad.”

  Anger and confusion gripped Eli’s soul, forcing him to take deep breaths. He didn’t know why he was so upset; he barely knew the man whose head sat in his hands. Less than a day ago, he would have attacked this strange person on sight if he had entered his clearing. Yet, here he was holding the strange man’s head, ensuring his safety. Something felt different as if he were changing as a person.

  What’s happening to me, he thought, remembering how he had jumped to help the wolffen child without thinking.

  Before he could dive into his question, Don’s body went limp. Vomit spewed from his friend’s mouth, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He was seizing severely. With Don shaking, Eli opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by a loud gasp. The sound came from William, but Eli could not take his eyes off of the incapacitated player.

  “Wha-what happened?” A raspy, yet soothing voice stammered, hanging over the tense situation like a weight. “Who are these people, and why?” The voice trailed off as his hands clutched at the wound in his stomach. It hadn’t fully healed, but it had stopped bleeding and mostly closed. “My wounds, they’ve been healed.” The man’s eyes shifted from Kelly to Don. “Oh no, what has he done.” Before Eli could protest, the stranger crawled then knelt next to the Turta, his hands shifting around in his pockets. “Oh, thank the gods, they didn’t take everything,” he said, pulling a vial of deep blue liquid from his robes and uncorking it. “Hold his mouth open.”

  Eli had seen healing potions before, they all shared a similar deep crimson color, and this was not one of them. “What is that, what are you giving to him?” He asked, with suspicion in his voice.

  “Boy, open this man’s mouth, or he will die.” The wizened human’s words were no longer calm. They were a demand issued with an intensity that was only learned through war. There would be no questioning him.

  Eli opened his companion’s mouth, causing a stream of blood tainted bile to spill onto his lap. Not a moment later, the man emptied the contents of the vial into Don’s mouth.

  “The fool, what did he think he was doing,” William said, his voice soft and compassionate. “I appreciate what you two have done for me, but this man did not need to risk his own life. Mana sickness is a serious thing.”

  Still holding his friend, Aida chimed in, as if reading Eli’s thoughts, “Spirit sickness occurs when a person drains their mana completely.”

  He seemed fine. He should have had full mana before healing William.

  “Don here wasn’t using traditional magic. His magic, along with most monk type abilities, takes a toll on both his body and his mind. Also, he channeled the spell to increase its effect, to increase the healing. The wound he healed was fatal, and there were several bleeding debuffs. It required a relatively large amount of both stamina and mana. After running a few miles and having used the ability multiple times today, he most likely exhausted both his mana and stamina simultaneously, causing the effect you see now.” Aida replied.

  So what the hell do I do, I can’t let him die. That fucking idiot, he can’t leave me alone out here.

  “If his mana regeneration or constitution is too low, there’s not much you can do. He will die unless that was, in fact, a mana potion. If it was, he will live but remain unconscious until his stamina reaches five percent. Also, if he dies, he will just spawn wherever his bind point is. Most likely, Dawnport. The real issue is what will happen to him now that he has the blight. I still do not know how it will affect players. For now, would you like me to go over what happens when you reach zero health, mana, or stamina?”

  Later, I can’t deal with that right now.

  Everyone sat in silence in the middle of the trade road, as Don’s body stopped convulsing. Eli had completely forgotten that he and his fellow adventurers were now immortal. They could die, then come back in a different location as if nothing happened. The only thing that might cause an issue is the Blight. All he could think about was how unfair it was, how his murdered family was erased from existence. By now, the corpses were little more than ash, reabsorbed back into the game. The only hint of their existence would be the ruins of a cabin deep in the Wildwood. He would never have the chance to bury his dead children because adventurers killed them. They were unnecessary; they were not a deeper part of the game’s continuity. Aida's words crept back into Eli’s mind, filling him with anger. Suddenly, a wave of emerald blue energy poured out of Don’s body, followed by an eerie calming sensation that wiped away Eli’s pain.

  “I guess it was a mana potion. You should thank this man; those things are expensive.” Aida chimed in, as the man in bloodstained robes spoke in the background.

  “He will be just fine. He just needs some rest.” William Stormcaller said, while placing a hand on Eli’s shoulder, “I think we all need some rest.”

  After Eli propped Don’s head onto a pile of leaves, Eli turned to stare at the two strangers. The pair were standing right behind him, looking at Don’s unconscious body with concern. Making his companion as comfortable as possible, Eli let his friend rest. A moment later, Eli stood and questioned the pair of NPCs.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Eli whisper-shouted, while moving closer to the travelers. “You two will tell me everything from the beginning. And, if anything happens to him, at all, you two will be the ones who answer for it.”

  Kelly replied, in his strange childlike voice, “We did nothing, sir; your friend healed my father. It was his decision, and then my father helped him. There’s no reason for anyone else to get hurt. Please don’t be angry. We will help look after him.”

  “He’s right, child,” the tall, skinny, human added. “Kelly and I are no threat to you or your friend here, and we appreciate all that you have done for us. If you would,” the man gestured to the space next to him, “please take a seat and allow me to explain what has transpired here.”

  Nodding hesitantly, Eli took a seat next to the scholar. Another wave of calm washed over him, allowing Eli to think over his situation. Sitting in silence, he listened to the man speak. Some time passed as the man, who was in-fact the William that they were looking for, told his tale. The Gladekin had been telling the truth. Bandits had attacked them at dawn. Distracted by a strange orb that Kelly had found in the bushes, William did not see the attackers coming. The thieves had stolen their goods and left them for dead. What Kelly had failed to mention was that his father was more than just a traveling merchant or treasure hunter.

  William was both an arcane scholar and a powerful mage. The only reason that the bandits had injured him was that he was trying to protect the item he found, and they had snuck-up on him. As for what they were doing in the woods, they planned to stop in Dawnport, sell some wares, then board a mist elf trade vessel. From there, they would make the voyage to Ommuria. The two had been traveling from a small farming town called Seaspray, located due south of the Wildwood. According to William, they had made friends with the Mist Elves and traded for some interesting magical components.

  Kelly had also cleared up a bit of confusion about the pair’s relationship. He explained that he grew up in a Gladekin village but was unsatisfied with staying in one place. When he was twelve, he set out on his own and found himself in trouble. Soon after leaving his
home, a pair of town guards nearly killed him in New Altea. The Gladekin borrowed a necklace from a noblewoman and was caught with the object while attempting to borrow some apples. Noticing the altercation, William claimed Kelly as his son and paid the Gladekin’s fines.

  “I couldn’t let them execute Kelly here for something as simple as a necklace,” William interjected. “Since then, he has been following me around, calling me father. It’s been fifteen years.”

  “Wait, you’re thirty-seven?” Eli asked the child-like man.

  “I guess,” he responded with a shrug. “We don’t really keep track of that kind of stuff.”

  When Eli asked why he still follows him, Kelly answered with a smile, “Because he finds interesting things, lets me look at them, and he’s nice. All we ever found in Shadyglenn was feathers, rocks, and an occasional gemstone.”

  After some time, Eli brought the conversation back to the bandits and what they had taken. The pair were reluctant to speak of exactly what the men stole, but Kelly finally broke the silence after being pressed on the issue.

  In a whisper, Kelly spoke, “They took Father's box. The magical one.”

  “Kelly, I told you to never speak of this; quiet yourself,” William replied, cutting his adopted son off with a wave of his hand.

  “But dad, these men might be able to get it back. They can help us.”

  With a hesitant nod of approval, William spoke, “Speak my son, but only if he promises to help.” Felt William's gaze, Eli stared at the man, their eyes locking for a moment. The scholars’ expression was that of deadly seriousness, as he continued. “And he has to swear to not ask of the box's contents. Those are to remain a secret.”

  As the man finished his sentence, a quest box appeared in Eli’s vision.

  *Quest Received: Don’t look in the Box.