by Tao Wong
“Paid off. Then half.” Asin shrugs and Daniel nods, doing the math in his head. At their current earnings, that would be at least another half-year, if not year. Dungeon delving on the seventh floor was good money, but not that good. Though perhaps if they went deeper, they might earn more too.
Having finished his calculations, Daniel nods and pulls down the quest marker, flashing Asin a grateful smile. He walks over to Liev quickly, paying the refundable deposit that is required for the quest. Since it is a chain quest, the Guild have made it a refundable deposit so that Adventurers can back out of the quest once they receive full details from Maxwell. Thanking Liev, the two Adventurers make plans to visit Maxwell’s shop the next morning when it opens. That done, Asin heads into the Beastkin’s quarter, loping off at a steady pace while Daniel moves to visit the Clinic.
The Clinic, as it is known in Karlak, is in a poorer quarter of the city near the walls. Made of wood and clay, the Clinic spans two whole buildings with only a few rooms for outpatient treatment, with most of the other rooms filled with patients who require on-going care. A free institution run by Khy’ra and other volunteers, the building is always crowded with individuals who needed healing. After all, good medical care is both difficult to find and expensive, especially healing spells.
As Daniel enters, the townsfolk within wave, call out and nod in greeting to the young Adventurer. He smiles at them all, mentally checking his own Mana pool before he heads deeper, stopping only long enough to announce his presence to Khy’ra with a kiss and hug before he enters his room. It only takes a brief moment before he is joined by his first patient in the room who proceeds to ramble on even around his nasty cough.
Hours later, the Clinic doors are finally closed, and outpatients are forced to leave until the next day. Daniel groans, shaking his head as his Mana is entirely drained leaving him with a slight headache and tired muscles. Arms wrap around him, the comforting smell of his girlfriend tickling his nostrils. For a moment, Daniel wonders how even in the midst of a city, the buxom, blonde elf could smell of trees and wet earth, before he just revels in the hug. She squeezes him again, and then he turns around, seeking her lips.
“Hello there.” Khy’ra laughs as she breaks away from the kiss, still holding on to him.
“Hello.” He kisses her again hungrily, picking her up and depositing her on the wooden slab they use for an inspection bed.
“Ah, we’re doing that, now are we?” she teases, not stopping him as his hands wander to the back of her dress.
“Yes!” he growls, and the older elf laughs again, helping him take it off. Young human males were always so energetic!
“Maxwell.” Daniel greets the burly smith as he comes out from the back of his forge, wiping sweat from his forehead.
“Daniel. Asin.” Maxwell nods in greeting, eyes automatically dropping to their weapons as he assesses them. “More repairs?”
“Actually, no. We’re here about the quest.” Daniel steps forward, proffering the sheet to show that they have been officially assigned the quest.
“Oh!” Maxwell deflates a little, eyeing the two of them. “Well, I guess…”
Asin’s eyes narrow at the less than enthusiastic response and even Daniel seems a bit taken back. Seeing their reaction, Maxwell hastens to add, “It’s nothing against you two. It’s just, well, most people have turned me down after hearing the details.”
“Well, you might as well tell us,” Daniel points out, and Maxwell nods, though he pauses first to get some more water to wet his throat. It is only after he comes back with his own glass that he remembers to offer some to his guests who both hastily decline, impatient to hear about the quest.
“Right then. There are multiple parts to this quest, and once you start, I expect you to finish. I’ll build your armor as we finish each portion though I won’t make final adjustments until the end. That way, if you decide to quit, I can always sell it later on. And I’m not splitting the making of it – it gets made for only one person!” warns Maxwell and both Adventurers nod in agreement. When they decline to speak further, Maxwell huffs and continues. “Right, there are three parts to this, and you’ll be traveling for at least two parts. It’ll take you away from the Dungeon for at least three months.”
Maxwell then stops, just waiting for the Adventurers to decline. Instead, the pair frown in unison before Daniel speaks up, “Ummm… Maybe you can explain what it is we’ll be doing a bit more?”
“I am ready to work on my Masterpiece to get my Master’s designation.” Maxwell unconsciously reaches out and touches the silver chain behind his tunic. “However, I need specific materials for what I have in mind and most of it isn’t available in this town. The things that I need are expensive, and none of the sellers are willing to guarantee my delivery. That’s where you come in.
“The first part is getting the materials here. I’ve already made the purchases, but they’re all waiting in Silverstone for pickup. Your job is to travel there and then safeguard my purchases on the next merchant caravan that comes back to Karlak,” Maxwell continues.
“After that, I need you to bring a half-dozen grade B Type III mana stones. I need to power the forge for three days straight, and anything weaker than a grade B will not give us enough heat. If you can’t get Type III, smaller Grade B stones will do, but you’ll need to get more of them,” Maxwell points out, eyeing the two. The last he’d heard, these two were only on the seventh floor which didn’t give out grade III stones, even from the chest.
“Lastly, I need you to bring me three intact sacs of venom from the Querk Spiders that live in the Pearly Forests. Those need to be done last because the venom only lasts for a week and it’ll take you at least two days to get back here. So, you still interested?”
Daniel and Asin look at one another and then Daniel asks hesitatingly, “So, Silverstone is the biggest trip, right? It’s nearly three weeks journey from here. Can we work as guards or something on the way there? There’s no time sensitivity to that portion, right?”
Maxwell harrumphs for a moment then shrugs, “No. I figured you Adventurers would time your journey there with one of the caravans. I don’t care how you get there, but when you come back, your first and most important role is to keep my goods safe.”
Daniel looks to Asin who meets his gaze, inclining her head slightly. Daniel smiles and turns to Max, saying, “We accept then.”
Maxwell grins and offers his hand, “Really? You sure?”
Daniel nods and shakes the smith’s hand, smiling. “We’re sure. We’ll head back to the Guild to let them know immediately and then work out the schedule of when we can get there and come back. The stones might take a while, but we can do it.”
Asin lets out a low purr in agreement as the two leave the smiling Armorer behind. This will be interesting – Asin has never traveled to another city before, so the journey in itself will be a new experience. Traveling as guards will be boring if it is similar to their time in the Army, but she can accept that.
At the Adventurer’s Guild, Daniel and Asin move over to the closest free attendant, quickly confirming their acceptance of the quest and the timetable for upcoming caravans traveling to Silverstone.
“Look, Asin; there’s a caravan heading out in three days. They are even hiring, so we should be able to get hired and paid for the trip. Unfortunately, we might have to wait a little bit for the next trip back – looks like there’s one that leaves a week before we’re scheduled to arrive and not another one for at least another three weeks after that. We’ll probably be gone then for…” Daniel frowns, trying to do the arithmetic in his head.
“Two months,” chuffs Asin smirking.
“Right, two months. Well, not as bad as the three he mentioned, but it’ll be a while. I wonder if we can get added as supplementary guards or something on the trip back…” Daniel frowns, scratching his chin. Three weeks of not being paid were viable for sure, but it would not be pleasant. Asin just shrugs, tapping the first schedu
le and pointing to the attendant. “Right, right. Let’s get signed on first.”
Once that is done, Daniel looks to Asin who points to the Dungeon. “Best we get working then. I’ve got a lot of debt to pay off!”
Asin lets out a low purr of humor, nodding aggressively and waving him on. Perhaps they could even locate the chest today – though they weren’t entirely certain it made sense to try for it. Still, they could at least check out the danger.
CHAPTER 3
“READY?” DANIEL ENQUIRES, SMILING SLIGHTLY at Asin who nods back. Daniel turns back to Khy’ra who has stayed the night, pulling her close to give her one last kiss before she laughs, pushing him away. He would miss her.
“Daniel!” Elise calls out as the pair begin to walk out of the inn, and he turns, accepting the basket of food from the innkeeper gratefully. “You come back, okay? Both of you.”
“It’s just an escort quest, Elise!” Daniel says exasperatedly, shaking his head.
Khy’ra nods as well adding, “It’s only two months. It’ll be over in moments, just you wait.”
As the two Adventurers head away, Elise mutters to her friend, “Not all of us live for hundreds of years, you know.”
The caravan is pulled up in the merchant’s quarter, a baker’s dozen of wagons and a pair of well-appointed carriages arrayed before them. Waggoneers move back and forth, checking the load and their wagons, making last minute adjustments as they get ready for the long road ahead under the watchful eye of the permanent caravan guards. A smaller group of poorer travelers gather at the tail-end of the caravan on mules and horses and in a few cases, on foot. Those travelers have paid a small sum to come along with the caravan, sheltering in the additional protection offered by traveling in groups. However, the protection is minimal as the caravan guards are tasked with protecting the goods, not the people in the train. Still, it ensures that most wild animals will not bother them, and for those poor and desperate enough, the willing paid for the privilege of joining the caravan.
Walking together, Asin and Daniel weave forwards pass grumpy waggoneers and foot passengers in thread-bare clothing. As they arrive at the front of the caravan, they spot a small group of other Adventurers who await the pleasure of the caravan master.
The other four Adventurers are all humans dressed in a mixture of plate and leather armor except for the Priest in his blue cassock. Daniel makes a note of him, always happy to see another potential healer in a group. Asin in turn surveys the melee fighters, nose wrinkling as they near. Obviously, this group had spent insufficient time at the bath houses lately.
Finally, the caravan master stumps up to them. A florid-faced, blond-haired and overweight middle-aged man, he huffs and breathes deeply when he sees the group, “Karlak. I hate Karlak Adventurers. Not a single damn archer amongst you lot.”
Daniel opens his mouth to protest then shuts it with a snap. The man had a point, and considering how truly awful a shot Daniel was with the crossbow, he felt it was better to stay silent.
“Right then. You lot get to ride with my waggoneers. Keep an eye out for monsters and bandits, fight them off as necessary. You get paid a daily wage for the time you spend with us, but only if you finish the journey. You get paid nothing if you leave before your appointed location.
“Food is included, but you should have your own bedroll and tent. Your task is to guard the wagons, my goods and my people in that order. The passengers in those carriages,” the caravan master waves his hand to the two carriages, “are considered goods, so you guard them with your lives. You keep your hands to yourselves otherwise.
“Any questions? Then ask my lead waggoneer, Chip.” A last gesture points to a grayed out, wizened man who sits on the front wagon, his face shaded by a wide-brimmed gray hat that looks as old and beaten as he is. “Don’t speak with me again unless there’s an attack.”
His speech done, the caravan master stomps off, leaving the group somewhat surprised. After a moment, Daniel and Asin shrug and head over to Chip followed closely by the other group. Before they can even get to the old wagon leader, another waggoneer waves them over.
“Right, you two can ride with me. I’m third-in-line, and you can just add your bags to my wagon.” A hand is stuck out with a wide smile, first offered to Asin and then Daniel. “I’m Gabriel, and I must say, I like the looks of you two.”
“Uhh… Thanks. I’m Daniel, that’s Asin,” Daniel shakes the hand, glancing at the wagon and then to Chip who just offers a slight nod. Gabriel’s vehicle was a covered wagon, and after a moment’s more consideration, Daniel shrugs and tosses his bag inside and helps Asin get hers in. Asin then proceeds to crawl into the wagon itself, propping her foot up on a nearby chest and nodding to Daniel who gets on the front seat.
“So, what did you like?” Daniel enquires once Gabriel finishes fussing and gets on next to him.
“You’re a small group. That’s always good. Big groups, they get by because there’s a lot of them. A small group like you, you’re either very new or good,” Gabriel explains and then nods to Daniel’s arms. “And I ain’t seen many newbie Adventurers with enchanted bracers.”
“I guess you meet a lot of Adventurers in this job,” Daniel says, mildly impressed at how quickly Gabriel has assessed the pair. As they inch through the streets of Karlak, Daniel lets his gaze wander over the familiar streets.
“Sure, lots. All the same though, you guys. No offense meant, but we do the circuit - the capital to the Gray Mountains to Silverstone and back to Warmount,” Gabriel says, smiling. “After a while, you guys blend together. I can even tell you where that other group is going.”
“Oh?” Daniel raises an eyebrow.
“Peel. It’s about a week and a half and our first major stop. They’ve got a dungeon of their own, Beginner one like Karlak but smaller. It’s actually got tougher monsters though, so most Adventurers from Karlak go there after they’re done here. Good training grounds if you aren’t entirely sure you want to try out a Journeyman’s Dungeon yet.”
Nodding in understanding, Daniel files the information away, watching as they slowly trundle along.
“Not that I mind your friend lounging back there, but once we’re out of town the caravan master will want her out,” Gabriel adds, and Daniel nods, turning to look back to Asin. She just gives him a nod, her sensitive hearing having picked up the words of caution.
“You know, that group reminds me of this other group we once picked up in Karlak. Well, they didn’t have a Priest that group, just another fighter. The thing I remember about that fighter was his green leather armor - green! Why…” Gabriel begins, obviously relishing the chance to tell a story to a new audience.
Daniel nods along, curious to hear what Gabriel had to say. Certainly, the waggoneer had to have a different perspective than the Adventurers themselves.
It takes the caravan nearly half the day to get out of town, winding their way through crowded streets and then having each wagon inspected and sent on its way by the guards. During this time, Gabriel never stops expounding on story after story, only pausing long enough to swig water from his waterskin. Next to him, Daniel listens politely, pulling gently at his leather armor as the midday heat begins to get to him.
“Never understood why you Adventurers insist on wearing those things. Why I had this one Adventurer who would put on a full set of plate mail every morning…” Gabriel begins, and Daniel finally tunes him out, swigging at his waterskin as he stares at the rolling hills that surround the town of Karlak. Strange to think that only nine months ago he had come to town down these roads himself on another wagon to start his journey as an Adventurer.
He eyes the rolling hills, his stomach rumbling and looks up, noting how the sun has passed the zenith. “Are we not stopping for lunch?”
“Not a chance. Quidley hates wasting time, and we’re behind schedule already getting out of town. We’ll be traveling all through the day now to get to his favorite spot to camp at. As it stands, we’ll probably arr
ive late in the day. Though, it does remind me of the time when we left Pilak…” Gabriel says, launching into another story.
“You know something, Gabriel? I think Asin should take the seat for a bit. I’m going to walk if you don’t mind,” Daniel interrupts the man, standing up. “Not used to these seats.”
“No, it’s good. I’ll finish this one later.” Gabriel smiles, watching Daniel hop down and dragging Asin forward reluctantly. On his feet, he walks alongside the wagon, letting his eyes roam over the countryside. This was going to be a long trip.
Talkative as Gabriel was, he was correct, and it was late in the evening when they finally reach their evening resting spot. Daniel eyes the campground and silently approves. It had very little to distinguish it from any other spot to those unused to travel, but it had a few good points. There was a small stream within a short distance that would provide the camp with easy access to water, the area around the campsite was relatively flat which meant setting up tents would be easy and watching for threats even easier. With only a small stand of trees blocking the view a short distance away, it would be hard to lay a trap here or sneak up on the caravan.
Even though this is the case, it does not stop Chip from directing the various wagons into a loose encirclement around the camp. As soon as the wagons are situated to the old waggoneer’s satisfaction, the other waggoneers start unhitching horses and leading them gently to the stream. Daniel watches for a moment with Asin, unsure of what they should do. The pair are not the only lost souls, and they and the other guests are quickly chivvied into action by Chip who directs them on where to sleep and the cook fire that is to be theirs.
“Hi there, I’m Daniel, and this is Asin.” Daniel offers his hand to the other four Adventurers when they all convene at the fire which Asin is working on getting started with practiced ease. “We were wondering how we’d be handling the camp chores? Both Asin and I are decent cooks, so we were thinking we could handle that?”