by David M Zahn
"Elaria," I snapped, irritated. "That's not helpful. Let's try to stay focused."
"Fine. Sorry," Elaria said dismissively and didn't look it. "Next, let's assume they actually believe us. No ordinary guard is going to either dig into a noble like Haldir or an organization like the Silver Moon clan for fear of retribution against them or their families."
"So, you're saying the guards here don't investigate crimes?" I asked incredulously.
"It's not that," Elaria sighed. "They're just not equipped for dealing with this kind of crime. They mostly maintain order and prevent attacks on important figures. I've never heard of them investigating an underground criminal organization that doesn't threaten the sovereignty of the state."
"So, what do y'all do about things like the drug trade?" Rondo asked. "Surely y'all have some of that going on here?"
"We mostly pretend things like that don't happen here," Elaria responded sheepishly.
"That is the most ludicrous thing I've ever heard," Rondo muttered in reply.
"So, the guards are out. What about the rangers?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation productive.
"They'll be even less use than the guards," Elaria said miserably. "The Rangers don't typically operate within city limits. So, unless we were ambushed out in the forest, they wouldn't be very good at investigating."
"What are our options then?" I asked, sure of the answer.
"Sounds like it's stay and fight or flee," Viltria said.
"Fighting isn't really an option," Elaria said. "There were only three of them last night, and they utterly dominated us. I'm sure they have more than just those three."
"Well, then it sounds like we're leaving this city," Viltria responded. "I, for one, will be glad to leave."
This was a little rude and inconsiderate towards Elaria, and I almost said something, but Elaria hadn't exactly been nice about Viltria's home either.
"Yes, we have to leave," Elaria said after a long pause. "I don't see any other way right now."
"Where should we head?" Rondo asked. "I don't particularly want to go back to the Deadlands or into Varland."
"Maybe Eld would be a good option," I suggested.
"We can't go to Eld," Eldertits responded. "While they don't tolerate slavery, their attitude towards non-humans is less than what I would call tolerant."
"What about that country to the south of us then?" I asked.
"Altria," Elaria said in response. "It's smaller and technically a vassal state of Varland, but I know they don't allow slavery, and I think they at least tolerate non-humans. I don't know the legal status, though."
"Works for me. At least for now," Eldertits said.
"Are we decided on Altria?" I asked the group.
The others gave their assent one by one.
"How much time do we have before we have to leave?" I asked.
"Not much," Elaria replied. "Why?"
"I wanted to get some new gear before we went on another journey," I said motioning to my ragged clothes, which were technically originally the Gray Brothers' commander's clothes.
"I'm sorry Ryland, but that will have to wait until we get to Altira," Elaria responded. "It's going to take us at least six hours at a quick pace to reach the edge of our domain."
"Fair enough," I said, "well, I guess we should hit it."
Standing up, the six of us made our way to the entrance. Eldertits decided to run over to the bar and tell them to charge any damages to House Parthanuun and that her daddy would be more than happy to pay for it. She now seemed to regard Haldir as a personal enemy and wanted to irritate him as much as she could before she left the city.
"I take it you're feeling better?" I asked her as she caught up with the group.
"I am. And someday, I'm going to make Haldir pay for last night, I swear it," Eldertits said, fire in her eyes.
We spent the rest of the walk toward the southern edge of the city in somber silence. Thankfully, I didn't have any dizzy spells during this walk, though I knew I'd probably have one at some point on the journey. I already had one this morning when I woke up, and the status effect wasn't going anywhere.
Elaria led us at a brisk pace away from the edge of the city and into the wild forest of Irune, determined to exit the domain before our fifteen thirty-four deadline.
I doubt she was too pleased the couple of times dizziness came over me, and we had to stop for five to ten minutes because it prevented me from walking. To her credit, she didn't complain and seemed to understand it was outside of my control.
All-in-all, we made it to the edge of the domain with around forty minutes to spare. It hadn't been fun, and none of us, except perhaps Viltria, were happy about it. However, with the task now completed, we could relax and take things at a slower pace.
"For what it's worth Elaria," I said, walking up to the elf, "I'm sorry that you were forced to leave your home."
"It's not your fault," she muttered. "It is what it is."
"Will the Rangers ever let you back in if you're able to come back?"
"Maybe. I don't know," Elaria said. "I messaged Daeron to let him know the situation, but they don't take abandonment lightly. Though, that's kind of a moot point. I don't think I'll ever be able to come back."
"Don't say that," I responded. "This won't be forever, and I promise I'll help you return here one day, though I don't know when that day will be."
You have created and accepted a new quest: Homecoming.
"Your friend Elaria has been driven out of her city and home, Ilthielthiel. You have sworn to help her return home one day, though you do not know when that day will be."
Type: Rare
Reward: 10,000 XP, 5,000 reputation with Elaria, 500 paragon points
Penalty for failure to complete: None
Elaria looked at me and said, "Thank you, Ryland. That is a significant vow to make."
"I did not make it lightly," I said in response. "You are my friend. and I will always stand by you."
"Well, I appreciate it," Elaria said, pausing briefly before adding, "I actually have one other favor to ask if you will hear it."
"Shoot," I responded.
"Why?" Elaria said, looking around frantically and pulling out her bow. "Is there something out there?"
I chuckled and said, "No, I meant ask your question."
"Oh, okay," Elaria said, dismissing her weapon. "I don't know how much you know about the ranger class, but at level twenty we receive a quest to find an animal companion, and I hit level twenty after we completed the quest to rescue Turin. This is the first time I've been able to enter the wilderness since then, and I was hoping we could detour slightly so I can find mine."
"I know next to nothing about your class," I admitted honestly, "but that's awesome. What do you have to do to get this companion?"
"The details are pretty vague," Elaria admitted, "but from what I've heard from the senior rangers who have already completed their animal companion quest, you have to get an animal to accept you, which can be done through a variety of methods such as dominating it or comforting it."
"I guess kind of like Tits did with that wolf?" I asked.
"Exactly. And when this happens for a ranger during her quest, an innate bond is created between the creature and the ranger," Elaria explained. "Will you help me in this or at least come along while I search for mine?"
You have received a new quest: A Ranger's Companion.
"Elaria has asked you to assist her in locating her animal companion. At level twenty, all rangers are given a mandatory quest to find their animal companion, and she has asked your group to detour for her to do this."
Type: Common
Reward: 500 XP, 200 reputation with Elaria
Penalty for Decline: -200 Reputation with Elaria
Penalty for Failure: None
Do you accept this quest?
Yes or No?
I quickly accepted and said, "Sure, I don't think that will be a problem. It's not like we're i
n a rush anyway now that we've left the domain."
"Thank you," Elaria said to me, and the two of us informed the others who had no objections to a small detour. Actually, Viltria looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue.
"You need to get a wolf," Eldertits exclaimed excitedly. "I've been thinking about how much this group needs a pet dog."
Yeah, you told us all about it last night, but I guess you don't remember, I mused with a small smirk.
"A wolf might be nice, or a bear," Elaria said thoughtfully to herself. "Yes, I think a bear would be ideal."
"Well, lead on Elaria," I said. "You'll know how to find one the best."
"There is a river a few hours to the southeast of here," Elaria said. "I have seen many a bear feasting on the fish in that river. It will take us away from the main entrance to Altria, but we can easily sneak across the border from anywhere in Irune. You, humans, are really poor at patrolling. No offense."
"Sure, let's go," Rondo said before I could. "Let's go find your bear. Just don't set it on me, please."
Elaria nodded her assent and set off at an excited pace. I doubt any of us wanted to go as quickly after the journey we'd just had, but none of us had the heart to tell Elaria.
Despite a couple over-sized snakes, which we quickly dispatched, the journey to the river was uneventful. The extra stat points in my charisma had really improved my fireballs. I regretted not paying attention to it earlier. Never again.
The river itself wasn't that big. Stream would be a better descriptor. It certainly wasn't the Mississippi River, that's for sure. Only three or four feet deep in the middle of the river, you could see straight to the bottom, even with the rapids and swift current caused by the protruding rocks.
We followed the stream downriver at a cautious pace so as not to startle any bears we came across. The current seemed to get faster as we went, and I hoped it wouldn't be long before we located the animal Elaria sought. What were we supposed to do if the first bear we found wasn't what she wanted? Would it just ignore us and let us continue on? I doubted it.
After about thirty minutes of this, the sun sank lower behind the horizon, and I thought about suggesting we call it a day and set up camp for the night. I didn't want a repeat of my first night in Irune. Elaria and fate, or coincidence, had other ideas.
As we rounded the next bend, Elaria whispered back to us in excitement, "There it is, on that rock up ahead."
"What do we do now?" Viltria asked, looking like she didn't want anything to do with this quest.
"We do nothing," Elaria said. "I am going to attempt to dominate it."
"What? By yourself?" Eldertits exclaimed. "That thing is at least five times your size."
"This is something my gut tells me I have to do alone," Elaria replied, beginning to sneak forward towards the massive creature, currently occupied by the fish in the river.
Weighing at least four hundred pounds, the bear sat on rock on the river's edge just downstream from where we stood. One of its giant paws currently hovered above the waterline waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The creature was simultaneously magnificent and completely terrifying.
"Do you think she knows what she's doing?" Eldertits hissed to me.
"She's the ranger, and it's her quest, so I'd assume so," I said, watching nervously as Elaria crept forward toward the unsuspecting creature.
Suddenly it snapped its paw down, and I jumped. Eldertits snorted quietly next to me as a moment later, the bear pulled a fish out of the river and began to eat.
"Yeah, Ryland you're really confident in our girl," Eldertits said sarcastically.
"It startled me, that's all," I said defensively.
By this point, Elaria closed to within five feet of the bear, which still hadn't noticed her. She stepped on a twig, and it snapped, startling me for the second time in a minute.
The bear jerked around and stared fiercely at the elven woman standing right behind it. Quickly, it spun around and snorted and swatted the ground between them with its paw. Its teeth, which still held the fish, were bared, but to her credit, Elaria didn't flinch.
Instead, she said defiantly, "Bear, you will be mine."
As it turns out, this is the wrong thing to say to a large brown bear, because it charged forward in a flash and swatted its gigantic claw into the side of Elaria. Startled and ill prepared, the bear threw Elaria sideways into the river.
She sunk slightly before resurfacing and gasping. The current quickly grabbed her and carried her away. Fuck. That wasn't supposed to happen, I thought, as I felt my legs begin to move. We had to get to her quickly. Who knew how injured she was or if she knew how to swim.
The bear, which I momentarily forgot about in my haste to get to Elaria, turned its head towards me and roared. I froze. As I stared into its eyes, I felt someone run into my back a moment. Above its head, Large Brown Bear was written with a skull and crossbones next to it, indicating it was at least five levels above mine. Judging by how easily it swatted Elaria away, I'd bet more.
"Tits, what the fuck do I do?" I asked.
"How the hell should I know?" Eldertits hissed back. "I know dogs, not bears. I knew she should have just picked a wolf."
"Hey big guy, don't mind us. We're just going to leave now," I said, slowly backing away, forcing the group behind me to follow suit.
Part of me, a terrible part of me, thought you don't have to be the fastest, you just can't be the slowest. Of course, the rational part of me countered with the fact that I was probably the slowest one in the group.
The bear charged us. It felt like a horror movie played in slow motion. I stood frozen, unable to move, watching the bear get closer and closer. A tiny voice in the back of my mind screamed for me to run. I couldn't. Were it possible in the game, I would have pissed myself.
Luckily for me, Eldertits wasn't frozen in fear, and the elf threw me to the side just as the bear swatted at me. His claw narrowly missed me as I flew through the air, hitting the ground with a solid thud.
The jolt of pain sent a shock-wave through my senses. I leapt up, ready to run. Looking back, I could see the bear left shallow but wicked looking slashes across Tits' chest and stomach. The elf grimaced but otherwise seemed fine.
"I don't know what y'all are doing, but I'm getting the fuck out of here," Rondo shouted, taking off in the opposite direction.
Viltria and Turin didn't need any more convincing, and they followed him as the bear roared again.
Eldertits laughed to herself and muttered, "There's no way I can get away from this thing in time. He's way too fast."
Hearing this, I hesitated. I wanted to run like the others. I had no desire to get killed by a giant bear. At the same time, if I did, I'd leave Eldertits to a terrible fate. In all likelihood, she'd get mauled, maybe eaten. Either way, she'd end up going to respawn for the third time, and who knows how long it would take to snap her out of the madness, if we could even do it.
The part of my mind that wasn't a dick won out. I quietly summoned a fireball, knowing this would end poorly for me. Once the flame rested in my palm, I aimed and shot it straight into the side of the bear.
Halfway through its second strike against Eldertits, the ball of flame struck the bear. Pain and rage echoed throughout its scream. Or perhaps it was just rage. I couldn't tell. Regardless, it turned toward this new attack and found a small, scared human trembling about five feet away. I'm so going to die.
It charged me, and I took off running towards the nearby river. If I could just make it into the water, I'd be carried downstream faster than the bear could move. I might drown, but that was a chance I was willing to take.
As the distance to the river's edge shrank to a couple feet, I thought I'd make it. I leapt into the air, bracing myself for the impact of the cold rushing water. Instead of being smacked in the face by the icy chill of the rushing current, I felt claws rip apart my back, sending agonizing pain coursing through my entire body. The force of the bear's st
rike sent me sailing past the middle of the river where I expected to land, and instead, I cleared the river landing awkwardly on the opposite bank.
My leg connected with the ground at an odd angle. I felt and heard the snap underneath me. No longer able to carry my weight on my leg, I collapsed to the ground and rolled. A moment later, an unseen obstruction caused me to stop, bringing the excruciating pain back into focus.
You've gained the following status effects:
Status Effect: Bleeding
"You received a wound that is causing you to lose a large amount of blood. The good news is you still have blood to lose, but the bad news is that you're losing it rather quickly."
Duration: Until it is cured or death, whichever comes first.
Effect: -2 HP per second
Status Effect: Broken Leg (Left)
"Is it supposed to stick out at this angle?"
Duration: Until healed or death, whichever comes first. Note: To cure this status effect, you must set the broken leg into the correct place first. If you heal it without doing this, the leg will not function properly.
Effect: Leg is unusable for the duration of status effect.
Seconds later, I heard a splash. Gritting my teeth, I pulled myself up to see what was happening. Eldertits cannonballed into the river, allowing it to swiftly carry her away from where I lay.
Looking across the river at the bear, I said, "Looks like it's just you and me now buddy."
As if it understood what I said, it snorted and walked away. Well, screw you too. Honestly, I wasn't upset to see it leave. Hopefully, I'd never see it again.
Focusing back on the situation, I knew I had to move quickly. Slightly above one hundred, my HP was falling fast. I couldn't cure myself until I set the leg, or I'd be limping around with a gimp until I rebroke it and set it correctly.
Bracing myself, I looked down at the leg. Surprisingly, it didn't look that bad. No bones sticking out. Just a bit swollen. What a relief. But damn, how was I going to set this by myself?