So, rather than waiting for them to reach Dawnport, or risking the month-long journey to central Ommuria themselves, William would seek their guidance via the long-distance communication spell, Caeleron’s Call. Whatever help the scholars could offer could save their lives, or could lead to more questions. Meanwhile, Eli and Don would travel to the lost temple, in hopes of using the magical ley-lines within to cleanse their spirit.
As far as William knew, the Altars of Power could be used freely by adventurers, as they were somehow connected. Either of the two players should be able to simply walk up, place their hand on the pedestal, and access the magic within. His concern laid in the unknown. Was there some sort of ritual that may need to be performed, or conditions that had to be met, before they could gain permission to tap the ley-lines? Would there be repercussions, or damages, that would come from doing so? Adventurers had captured none of the twelve altars. No one had any real information on the topic, only speculation and vague prophecy.
It was said that the Altars had the power to change the world itself, grant magical powers, and even resurrect the dead. Some of these powers were evident, as the few within NPC control acted as resurrection sites and starting locations for players. Some held the belief that controlling all twelve would bring everlasting peace or destruction. Yet, none explained how to use them, or exactly what they could do.
While Eli went over his plan for leaving the city, late in the evening, William pulled a simple steel necklace, attached to a smooth bluestone from his box.
“Take this with you,” He said, placing the dimly glowing rock in Eli’s hand, its chain cascading through his fingers. “It has two purposes. I have cast Caeleron’s Call upon it, so I can speak with you as long as there’s wind.” As Eli clutched the necklace, his palm grew warm, tingling, “It also has a minor protection enchantment. While you wear it, you will be less affected by magic and creatures evil in nature.”
Eli stared at the glowing trinket in awe. It was the first magical item he had seen, other than his bow, and he had never seen its stats. As he inspected the item closely, a new window filled his vision.
Enchanted Sapphire Necklace
Armor: 1 | Slot: Neck | Weight: .25lbs | Class: Magical | Rarity: Uncommon
Effects:
Oredions Protection - Enchantment | Permanent | Effect: Wearer takes 10% less damage from evil creatures, spells, abilities, and other harmful effects. Item emits an invisible aura up to 25ft around the wearer that will mark evil or hostile forces with a dim red glow only visible to the wearer.
Caeleron’s Call - Spell | Uses 3 (Rechargeable) | Effect: Item can be used to contact the caster of the spell, up to three times, regardless of distance. Caster and recipient both must have the ability to breathe and access to free-flowing air.
After taking a moment to appreciate the gift, Eli placed the chain around his neck. Immediately a sensation of safety enveloped him as if he knew he could no longer be harmed. His thoughts first went to how useful an item like this could be, then to its cost. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so safe.
“Thank you, William, how will I ever repay-”
“I was just about to get to that, actually.” The wizards' smile widened, his pristine white teeth sparkling in the dim light of the shack. “Since you’re going to a temple that no one has been to for, I don’t know, a thousand years, I thought you could search around for anything laying around that might have some significance.” William's hand went again to his beard, scratching and tapping his chin, “Say, some scrolls, maybe a few books. I’m sure a place like that has a library. It may even be in a room near the altar.” He said, knowingly.
With a sigh, Eli agreed and began to walk out of the small room, a sense of uncertainty and confusion weighing heavily on him. While pushing the tent flaps to Alyssa's makeshift hospital aside, he saw Don sitting next to a small child. His hands were glowing as he touched her stomach and forehead, a mixture of sadness and resolve on his face. Without a word, William strolled up to the man and watched, making sure not to disturb him. Further down the short walkway, Eli noticed Alyssa helping a middle-aged Mist Elf to his feet, before leading him to the exit.
As Eli approached, he overheard the wolffen woman’s conversation with her patient, “Make sure to rest for at least a few more days, eat some citrus, and try to get some protein in you. You’re lucky they found you. Next time, try to avoid the deadly sea-monsters.”
The disheveled, azure-skinned, Elf simply nodded and smiled, his bleeding teeth peeking from behind dry, cracked lips. As the waylaid sailor exited the tent, Eli felt a wave of despair creep down his spine, images of sea drakes and giant squids rushing through his mind. Sea-monsters, the Blight, what is happening out there? He thought as he took his place next to the Wolffen healer.
“Hey, Alyssa,” He said, tapping her on the shoulder, “You wanted to see me?” His thoughts were still trapped on the state of the world.
“Yes, I wanted to give you something, and offer some advice.” She said, her voice calm but hopeful. “First, my gift,” she said, pulling a small cloth bundle from a pouch on her waist, unwrapping it. In her hands, she held several small tins with clear lids. Each contained a thick oily salve, pinkish in color. “I was able to whip these up while you were unconscious,” She said, offering them to Eli, “They are healing salves, made from those berries Don gave us. While they aren’t as effective as potions, they should help. If you apply them to bandages or directly to a wound, it will help to boost your body's natural regeneration.”
“Thank you,” Eli said, taking the tins and placing them in his inventory.
“As for the advice,” She continued, “Be careful and stay out of the heart of the Wildwood. Our hunters encountered more blighted animals, wolves, and deer while searching for the caves Don told us about.” Her face sagged, and her eyes closed as she let out a deep sigh, “We needed more berries.” Tears began welling in her eyes, escaping the damn of her eyelids, “Not all of them made it back without injury. Some,” she hesitated “were infected.”
“I’m so sorry. Where are they now? Is there anything we can do? Let’s get William; we can give them more time.” Eli asked his heart heavy with remorse. The thought that more people were infected frightened him. He thought they had more time before the blight would reach the city.
“They have been quarantined, outside of the city. We made them a small shelter; they are comfortable. If William can help them, how he helped you, they should have a little more time.” She paused, taking a deep breath, collecting herself. “Which leads me to what I wanted to see you about. I think you will find what you’re looking for. When you do, remember to trust your instincts and your heart. Our people also have legends of the lost temple. It is a sacred place, one that is connected to the souls of the wilds, beasts, and nature itself. If you have hostile or evil intentions, it will respond with force. It will destroy you.” Suddenly, her gaze grew firm, piercing.
“I have a favor to ask of you.” Her voice was stern, yet humble, “I’ll be blunt. We need your help, Eli. Our people are exiles and now blighted. We can’t return to Daggerfang Keep or Priorsfall. The other packs will not accept us without a pack leader, and we are no longer strong enough to offer a challenge for leadership. Some are saying we are cursed, doomed to wander the island as monsters. If you find anything,” She asked, her eyes pleading, “Please, I know you’re not from this world.”
Eli’s heart sank as the woman's emotions escaped their prison, turning her words into whimpers and sobs. Her strength hadn’t failed her. It was the pressure of her situation escaping, like the whistle of a kettle that was boiling over. While she was not their official leader, she had taken it upon herself to care for and protect her pack. She had led them to Dawnport, only to be turned away. She tried to make peace with the humans, only to be called a beast. Her people were facing the choice of disease and starvation or forced labor, then death or relocation. He knew he had to do something, anything.
“
If,” Eli started, placing an arm around the proud woman's shoulders, drawing her head into his chest. His voice cracking before he was able to compose himself, “If there is anything we can do to help, we will. If the lost temple can help us, it might be able to help your people as well. From what William tells me, there is some powerful magic there. Besides, you’ve given us a quest that we still need to finish. We can’t just leave you hanging.”
“Thank you,” The woman whispered before gently pushing herself out of Eli’s embrace, “The blight is coming, and we will not survive. We will become nothing more than slaves and cannon fodder, used as a wall between those creatures and Dawnport.” Her free hand waved crazily at the large barbicans surrounding the city, “If we aren’t infected first.” When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with anger, fear, and hatred, “They won’t let anyone in, even the few merchants who have papers. Everyone is being denied entry out of fear of the disease. The only way in is if you’re a member of the city guard, a citizen with high enough social ranking, or a member of the clergy.”
Her words came as a shock to Eli. How could the news have spread so quickly, he thought. How could they just lock down an entire city? Don had given the guards the chunk of wolf meat only a day before. Now, they were closing the city, even to merchants. It made no sense.
“They’ve started quarantining anyone who even looks sick, anyone who puts up a fight goes to work, creating those damn barriers, or is put to death. They almost killed Jarl. Nearly worked him to death in only a few hours. Now, he can’t even leave his tent, and he needs medical attention. A few unlucky people, full citizens, have even been thrown out of the city for falling ill and being unable to afford their treatments.” Her voice chirped at the mention of the so-called magical protections of the clergy.
As she spoke, Eli’s blood boiled. The people of Dawnport, people he once considered his friends, had resorted to banishment, quarantine, and forced labor at the first sign of trouble. There was no way others, people like Waylands family, would sit by while their leadership discarded their friends and family like waste. They wouldn’t merely watch their home fall into madness and wait for the blight to come for them. Hell, it already had. But, this was a problem for later. He could do nothing if he were turned or deleted, or whatever nightmare scenario played out when the timer hit zero.
With his decision made, he spoke. “If there is anything we can do, I promise you that we will do it. What they are doing is not right; it needs to stop. Finding a cure, a method of stopping the Blight, is the first step.” He said, trying to work out exactly why they would start turning away their own citizens.
Notifications flashed in the bottom of Eli’s vision, quest updates. He ignored them, focusing instead on those around him who suffered, using them as motivation for the journey to come. While scanning the room, taking in the faces of pain and suffering, his anger morphed into something new, something stronger. It became resolved, a new reason for being. His spirit changed, filling with purpose. It was clear, meaningful, and something he thought he would never feel again. He was not able to save his family, but he would save his friend, and he would help these people.
“Congratulations, your spirit has increased. You also received a new skill, Insight. You now have a one percent chance to sense a person's intentions, if they are lying, or what their motivations are, to a minimal extent. Small stuff, like if someone wants to hurt you or is about to rob you. Good job.” Aida said, her voice impatient, “But, before you run off to save the world, we need to talk. Your life may depend on it.”
Chapter 19
Aida’s words shattered Eli’s newfound confidence and a sense of purpose. As far as he knew, this was his real life, his only life. He may come back to life after he died, but this was it. Not wanting people to see him staring blankly while having a conversation with an AI that shared his brain, he left the medical tent and ducked into a nearby alley.
What are you talking about? How could I possibly be in any more danger? Are you forgetting that I already have a soul warping disease that may turn me into a nightmare creature? His questions shot into his shared consciousness, one after the other.
“Good, you’re worried. You should be. There’s a lot to unpack here, and you’ve already technically died once today. Luckily, they brought you back before the Blight could take hold. However, there was an issue.” The AI guide replied, her voice changing slightly throughout the course of the conversation. “Rather than respawning, like a player, your consciousness tried to create a new NPC avatar.” She said, her tone unusual, more human. “I was almost deleted.”
“Wait; what?” Eli shouted, his voice echoing off the surrounding buildings, causing those who passed by in the early evening to send him odd looks.
“Focus.”
Sorry. Did you just say I tried to go back into my old body, my old life? Is that possible? How do we do that? I thought I died. Wait, can we do that? Can I go back to my old life? Eli’s thoughts immediately flashed to his wife and children, then what he thought was a dream. Are they still alive?
“You did die. Your old self is gone forever. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. But there is a much larger issue.” She paused as if deciding how to explain the situation, “You’re corrupted. No, that’s redundant, let me start over. You’re not really an adventurer, at least not completely. You’re also not an NPC. When you died, for the second time, the game could not recognize you as either. It could not determine where to place you. Now it is treating you as both simultaneously. I think this is why you cannot access the internet or contact the real world. NPCs cannot access those functions. The system has designated you as a new type of permanent object. You have most of the functions of a player, such as levels, abilities, and skills, but I’m not sure what will happen when you actually die. I can’t access your base code to check. Rather than just starting back at a spawn point, you might be completely recreated as you were when you switched from NPC to Player or something else entirely.”
Okay, hold on. I’m lost. You said I’m a player, now you’re telling me I’m not a player or an NPC, but an object. What does this even mean? What happens if I die, and what about my family? I saw them alive, in my vision. They were talking to someone.
“I don’t know. That’s the problem. You could respawn like a player, good as new. You could turn back into an NPC, but with a new backstory and memories. You could even just show up in your old body, with no knowledge of anything that happened after. In the worst case, your data can become so corrupted that you pose a threat to the system itself. In this case, you would be deleted or quarantined in the void. There’s absolutely no way to know.”
Okay, don’t die. Got it. Not a big deal. Right? But what about my family? Are they alive? I need an answer. Eli responded as if the thought of permanent death or deletion was something to laugh at. If I tried to come back as an NPC, they might have as well. They could be necessary to continuity or whatever if I came back. Hell, they could be in the same situation I am. This changes everything. Eli projected his thoughts with concern. He had died once and lost everything. Next time he would refuse to come back. Part of him just wanted his story to end. While he didn’t plan on dying any time soon and had never thought of taking his own life, he couldn’t bring himself to care if he died. This world, created by people from another reality, no longer mattered to him unless he could be with his family again. All I need to know is if they are alive or not. If they are, then I need to see them and know they are safe. I need to protect them from the blight. The thought of his family being alive, only to be turned into monsters, worried him. Images of the Wolffen, he had just promised to help came to mind. They would suffer an even worse fate if he abandoned them. There has to be a way to help everyone.
“No, they did not come back. They no longer exist. I’m sorry, but they are gone. Holding on to your past life will bring you nothing but pain. It wasn’t real. None of that was real. The only thing that is real is what’s happen
ing to you and what will happen if you die. You need to move on, focus on this second, then the next, and keep moving. If you make one mistake, you can literally be erased from existence. Game over.” Aida’s voice had shifted from that of a noticeably false imitation of a human woman to that of a real person. The sound was familiar and comforting, like a warm blanket on a cold day. She was changing. Before Eli could ask her about her voice, she continued, as if sensing the question coming, “You also need to be careful if you go to the lost temple. The twelve altars are coded to interact with Players and a select few NPCs. They are not designed to interact with mobs or objects. I’m not sure what will happen if you try to use one. I’m not even sure if you can.”
As he thought about his reply, a wave of calm washed over him. A moment later, he had his answer. I have to do something, and this is the only chance I have right now. It’s not like I want to go to that place or try to mess with things beyond my understanding, but unless anyone has a better idea, it’s all I’ve got. A small grin crept onto his face, as he continued, Besides, the quest is telling me to go there, and if I remember correctly, you’re the one who told me to trust the quest-lines.
“Do what you’re going to do. The system is obviously pushing you in this direction. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Just be careful, please.” As she spoke, Eli began walking back into the medical tent, looking for Don. They needed to leave before it got too dark. As he entered the tent, Aida spoke, “And, Eli.”
Yeah?
“Try to remember that your life isn’t the only one hanging in the balance. So, don’t do anything stupid. Your actions have consequences outside of yourself.” The guide finished, as the Turta came into view.
Her words gave Eli pause, as the green-skinned turtle man came into view. He was uncertain of who she was talking about, herself or Don. Scratching his head, he watched as Don helped to heal the wounded and feed the starving. A smile beamed on the Turta’s face, but his eyes told a different story. They were heavy and moist, nearly watering. He was trying to be strong for these people, trying to hide his pain, not wanting anyone to worry. For Eli, it was a reminder that the man he was traveling with was different. He treated NPCs as he would anyone else. As Eli watched his friend work, Alyssa walked up and placed her hand on the chest of an elderly Wolffen man that Don was helping. The thought of these people suffering because of his selfishness or lack of respect for his own ate at him. He knew he had to be better.
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