“Yeah,” Sally replied, turning her gaze back to Tom. His chest rose and fell, and she could still smell the blood congealing on her hands. Since she met him, she had seen him laugh, eat, drink, and even try to kiss her. “But it’s no longer that simple anymore.”
“I’ll grant you that,” the voice agreed. “I guess that’s what makes it all the more fun.”
I don’t know what her stats are, but if she can kill an entire caravan of people then they must be pretty high. She could be moving all around me and she’s high level enough that her Sneak outclasses my Perception. And my Armor Class is probably nothing to her.
A wave of helpless anger rolled over Sally, and her hands clenched uselessly on her knees. This is where she should shout that it wasn’t right! That NPCs were people too! It was wrong to kill them for fun. Yet, Sally was too afraid of an arrow in her gut or being mauled to say anything like that. Instead, she said, “Do you have any idea of how this happened?”
“Nope, none. Just glad that it did, and I hope it lasts forever.” The voice sounded further away. “I’m going now. You can go collect whatever reward you’ll get for saving the boy. And you can untwist your panties about the village. The wolves won’t bother it anymore.”
Sally watched the boughs with eyes squinted against the light penetrating the canopy. Something white moved from branch to branch like it had wings. When she blinked, it was gone. Perhaps in that moment, Sally’s Perception check was high while the stranger’s Sneak check had been low. That was how she could explain it.
YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!
Her world darkened save for the hot glow of letters. Before, she would have been happy to see them, but she felt only defeated. She had gained level three, but she would still be completely outstripped by the stranger.
Would you like to continue leveling up in the Rogue Class? Yes/No?
Could she afford to multiclass? What would be her options? She selected “no” and a list of classes appeared before her.
Bard
Cleric
Druid
Fighter
Monk
Ranger
Sorcerer
Wizard
This was a bigger selection than that which was offered to Mina. Which one? She wasn’t sure what Bard or Druid meant. It’d be nice to learn spells like a Sorcerer or Wizard, maybe get some healing spells from Cleric. Monk or Fighter would make her a stronger fighter.
It was tempting, but something in her heart told her that she should remain as a Rogue. Darcy had said that each of them should embrace their roles in a party and so far, being a Rogue had served her and her party well. She dismissed the list and selected “yes.”
Your Sneak Attack damage has increased!
Now for her ten skill points. It was pretty cut and dry. One point to Sneak (+9) and one to Perception (+5). Legerdemain might come in handy in a city like Everguard, so two points to it (+9). Darcy did say not to ignore her social skills…so a point in each. Charm (+7). Deceit (+7). Intimidate (+6).
In order to finish up, she put the last point gain into Climb (+7) and Evaluate (+3). Highlighting Evaluate told her it allowed her to appraise an item and determine the identity of an item and its worth. Might be useful, might not be.
“Are they gone?”
She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light after the level up screen had faded. Wow, being so enthralled with leveling had made her forget about the boy.
“Yes, they’re not coming back. It’s safe to come down if you’re able to.” How much did the kid hear? What exactly did they say? Had he been watching her stare at nothing for several minutes? Her mind was drawing blanks, and she could only focus on one thing at a time.
“Is Tom alive?” The white face was looking at Tom’s prone body.
“I think he’s going to be alright, but we need to get him back to the village.” Tom didn’t seem to be in danger, but she wouldn’t feel sure about this until Darcy looked him over.
Yet, how were they going to get him back? Her Strength bonus was 0, so there was no chance of her carrying an unconscious man as tall as Tom and a lame boy too. Maybe she could cobble together a stretcher and drag him behind her with the kid on her back.
Then she heard rustling from nearby. Before she knew it, the rapier and dagger were back in her hands. Of course, the sicko wasn’t done playing games with them. She had come back to finish them off. Then Sally recognized the voices, and lowered the weapons and nearly fell against the tree in relief.
Naomi appeared from the thicket and upon seeing Sally, her face lit up in a bright smile, and she flung herself at the Rogue in a tight squeeze. “I found her! Mina! She’s here and so is…Tom! What happened to Tom?”
“He’s alright. We just had a run-in with the wolves. Where’s Darcy?” Her eyes were welling with tears, but she held them back. If she started crying now, she might not stop for a long while.
“Back at the village. A building fell on some kids, and we saved them. She stayed behind to heal them, and we came looking for you.”
Well, that made sense of why it took them so long to catch up. “Wait, do you mean you and Mina? Did you run into any trouble?”
“Yeah, but Mina took care of it,” Naomi stepped back and noticed the boy in the tree and waved. “Hey there!”
Mina took care of it? What did she do? Faint and fall on the wolves?
Then Mina finally made her appearance, and Sally barely recognized her. There was still a frantic energy about her, but it wasn’t the usual nervous wreck sort that Sally had associated with her. Mina held a great blood-stained ax expertly with both hands, which gave her a grim appearance. If Sally hadn’t come to know her so well, then Mina would have certainly looked the part of a Barbarian who had just left the battlefield.
“Mina? Are you okay?”
Mina put away the ax on her back and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine, but I’m more worried about you and Tom. What happened?”
“We found out what was causing the wolves to be aggressive, and it kicked our asses.”
Chapter 18
The Aftermath
With Mina carrying Tom and the boy on Sally’s back and Naomi scouting ahead, they made it back to the village without incident. They went straight to the makeshift hospital, where Darcy was working tirelessly with the healer. Most of the kids were out of danger, but there were a few that would need to be watched throughout the night.
Sally made sure to pull her hood up to hide her ears. Though Mikel seemed willing to accept her, she didn’t want to risk it with the villagers. She noticed Mina watching her, and she received a nod from the Barbarian, indicating she shared the same thoughts.
The main room’s furniture had been moved, and cots were set up for the wounded. Thankfully, some were minor injuries that only needed their wounds cleaned and bandaged and those children were able to go home with their parents. The healer, a small older woman who looked like she could be Methuselah’s great-grandmother, knew how to clean wounds and to use clean bandages. Leaving the superficial injuries to the healer, Darcy cast healing spells on those in more serious condition.
By the time they brought Tom in, she had used the last of her healing spells to stabilize a little girl who lost too much blood. When she saw his condition, she went pale. “What happened to him?”
“I’ll explain later,” Sally said she set Mikel on a cot. “This one needs help too.”
“Aw Jesus, I’m fresh out of spells. Let me get the healer for the boy, and I’ll see what I can do for Tom. Is anyone else hurt?”
“No, we’re all fine.”
Mina laid Tom down on an empty cot, and he appeared to be resting peacefully. “I don’t think he’s in any danger. I’m not sure what happened to him, but whatever it was, he’s recovering from it.”
“Good, because we’re stretched thin as it is,” Darcy said, looking at the rest of the injured. “Since I ran out of spells, we can only do so much with what we have.”
“What about th
is?” Sally unhooked the large potion bottle’s clasp from her belt and held it up. It was still a quarter full, and the thick liquid clung to the inside of the glass as it balanced in her hand.
Darcy’s eyes went wide as she took the bottle from Sally and held it up to the light to stare at it in shock. “Where did you get this?”
“What is it?” Mina said, peering at the bottle. “It looks like strawberry syrup.”
“It’s a potion of Supreme Healing,” Darcy said, almost entranced by the bottle. “Or what’s left of it. It’s the most powerful healing potion that you can get. How did you find this?”
“I didn’t find it. It was given to me.” Sally sighed. “I know everyone has a lot of questions right now, but it’s not something we should discuss around…other people.” She made a pointed look at the parents who were staying at their children’s bedside and the healer puttering about tending to them.
Nodding in understanding, Darcy gave the bottle her full attention. “There isn’t enough to go around, but we can water it down, maybe brew it into a tea.”
Mina furrowed her brow. “Will that work? Is it that strong?”
“Yes! One dose of this can restore over a hundred hit points. A watered-down version could do half of that, more than enough for NPC kids.”
“How can you be so sure?” Mina said firmly. “If a dosage is too weak, then it won’t do anything. Too strong, and you’ll end up causing more harm.”
Darcy tapped her temple. “I have a Healing skill of plus nine, so I know what I’m talking about. The healer and I can take it from here, you three can go to the inn and rest. The mayor had a talk with the innkeeper, and he’s letting us stay in two rooms free of charge until we take care of the wolf problem.”
Sally gave her a tired sardonic smile. “Already taken care of. No more wolf problem for the village.”
Darcy’s eyebrows went up. “What? How did…never mind, you’ll tell me about it later. Go get something to eat and rest.”
***
The innkeeper was in better spirits and gave them plates with actual food on them. Freshly baked bread, roasted chicken, tender roast, fried fish, and candied apples. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
“Where was this yesterday?” Mina groused, giving the innkeeper a narrowed look.
“It ain’t mine to give,” the man said. “It’s from the parents of those children you saved. They brought it over and said to make sure you ate like kings tonight.”
Sally didn’t have it in her to give him any grief over how he treated them earlier. The smell was mouth-watering, and her stomach reminded her that it had been a while since their last good meal. With a small thanks, she helped herself and ate until she was full, while both Mina and Naomi followed her example. Before long, Naomi was asleep with her head on the table and a drumstick in hand.
Mina gently picked her up to take her upstairs to bed, but Sally touched her arm before she could head up and said, “Don’t go to bed yet. When Darcy comes in, the three of us have to talk.”
Mina checked to make sure Naomi was asleep before she whispered, “Alright, I’ll put her in a room, and we’ll wait for Darcy in the other one.”
There was change about Mina that was hard to put her finger on, but the Barbarian stood with her back straight instead of her usual slouch as if she were trying to retain her original height. And she didn’t complain anymore nor seemed to be near a panic attack either.
She can handle what I have to tell them, Sally thought. Naomi will want to go after the stranger, but Mina will see the sense of staying away from her without breaking down into hysterics. She’s grown up or has come to terms with being in this world. I actually envy she has something figured while I feel like I’m drowning.
Sally asked the innkeeper for a pot of coffee and cups to take upstairs.
“Will there be anything else, milady?” he asked politely, which was a far different attitude than before.
Since they were considered heroes of the village, the people had been bowing and addressing them as such. As if they were knights from a storybook or heroes instead of people that were hired to deal with wolves and got roped into helping the kids because of bad carpentry.
“No, just tell the Cleric when she shows up we’re waiting upstairs with coffee.”
The room was narrow with two beds, similar to the inn in Spring Bell. Against the wall, between the two beds was a small table where she set the tray. The smell of coffee was so tempting that she helped herself to a cup while she waited.
Mina came in a few minutes later and poured herself one too. After taking a long sip, she said, “How old do you think Naomi is?”
Surprised by the sudden question, Sally paused in raising the mug to her lips. “I don’t know. Sixteen, maybe fifteen? Why?”
“I don’t know. She’s spunky for a teenager, is all.” Mina took another pull from her coffee and set it on the tray. “I guess I better tell you what happened in the village.”
“Naomi said a building fell on the kids.”
“That sums it up, and then I had to lift it off of them.” Mina gave her a wry smile. “I wasn’t strong enough to do it myself, not until I…Raged.”
Sally raised an eyebrow and said, “I thought you could only do that when you fight.”
“No, I can do it anytime I need it. I just have to get angry for it to kick in. I got pissed off at the carpenter for not listening to me when I warned against letting kids play in a construction site.”
“What did the villagers do to him once everything was over?”
“I don’t know what they’re going to do with him, but I did drop the pillar on his house, so I guess it’ll even out.”
Sally laughed and slapped her knee, “Seriously? You dropped a pillar on his house?”
“Not on purpose!” Mina said quickly. “I didn’t know it was his house when it fell. Only after he started shouting, “That’s my house!”
Sally sniggered. “Serves him right. So are you…are you okay with Raging now?”
Mina’s smile faded, and looking away, she picked up her coffee mug, took another drink from it, and held it between her large hands. It was like a small egg in her thick fingers. “Yes and no. It still scares me, but I don’t see it as something bad anymore. I’ll never enjoy fighting, but I’m not going to wuss out of it. If I’m needed at the front, then that’s where I’ll be.”
“Wow, Mina, that’s…that’s great. At least you have your shit together. That more than I can say for myself.”
Mina raised her eyes to Sally, “What do you mean?”
Sally rubbed the back of her head and wished she hadn’t said anything. “I’m a mess. Tom almost got killed on my watch.”
“I still don’t know what happened out there, but I wouldn’t believe it was your fault. You led the rescue mission to save Darcy and me from the Cut Throats.”
“That was me following Naomi’s lead.”
“No, I think it was more than that. Do you honestly believe that Naomi could engineer a rescue on her own? I like the kid and everything, but she’s not…I don’t think she’s playing with a full deck sometimes.” Mina said with a shrug. “And you managed to save Tom too.”
“That’s another thing.” Sally looked down at her hands. The fingers were long and thin with fingernails perfect crescents. “I know that Tom likes me, but he likes this hot supermodel that isn’t me. The real me is an overweight couch potato who can eat a large cheese pizza and drink a two-liter Coke by herself.”
“I think he admires you more than being attracted to you physically,” Mina said with a gentle smile. “But I guess the bigger question is, do you like him back? I mean, setting aside the fact you aren’t in your real body.”
“I…I don’t know…I don’t think so, but I never really liked anyone before.” Most of her school life had been spent studying and reading books, and she avoided social gatherings like the plague. The first person she ever opened up to was Darcy, and that had taken living und
er the same roof for a while to happen.
“It’s okay if you’re…ya know…” Mina looked uncomfortable but kind. “An Ace?”
Sally shook her head, her cheeks turning pink. “It’s not like that. I just…don’t think I’m something anyone would want.”
It was at that moment Darcy finally came inside, halting anything that Mina would have said to Sally’s comment. The Cleric was carrying a demijohn under one arm, and several cups hooked over her fingers. “The innkeeper said we could have this.”
Pleased to have an awkward conversation interrupted, Sally jumped up to help Darcy with the cups. “I got coffee on the table over there if you need it.”
Darcy looked as if she could use some. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, and she looked as if she would fall asleep as soon as she lay down.
Her eyes brightened when she spotted the coffee pot, and Darcy handed the demijohn to Mina. “The kids are going to be alright and I don’t think they’ll be in any hurry to play around unfinished buildings again. Tom’s going to make a full recovery, but the healer says he’s going to be weak for a few days due to blood loss. I suspect that he took serious Constitution damage, but I’ll try a heal spell on him in the morning to see if that helps.”
Then Darcy looked pointedly at Sally and said firmly, “You need to go see him first thing in the morning. When he woke up, he was afraid for you and tried to get out of bed to find you, but I told him that you were alright. The healer insisted that he go back to sleep and gave him a tea that helped him to relax. Knowing you, you still need to apologize to him.”
Sally hung her head. “I give you my word that I will apologize to him before I do anything else tomorrow.”
“Good, now let me at the coffee before I fall asleep on my feet.” After draining a cup, she turned to Sally and said, “Alright, what happened out there?”
Then Sally told them everything: from finding Mikel pinned to a tree with an arrow, to the dire world attacking, and then about the stranger. Mina listened in silent horror while Darcy only interrupted her to ask questions. What color was the direwolf? Did she catch a glimpse of the stranger?
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