“Yeah... And yesterday you ended up outside the Fortress because you’re oh so responsible.” Chula didn’t give up.
“You’re pushing it, Chula,” Mashta furrowed her brow, gave her a strict look, and patted the sling on her belt. “How about I put you over my knee and give you a good spanking, huh?! Maybe our newcomer would enjoy the show?!”
The laughed, Chula blushed rather sweetly and remained speechless, looking at me with wide eyes. It’s funny; I never thought that I’d become an object of female attention. Especially of another race. Perhaps humans were considered exotic creatures here? But there were none around. Seriously, what was up with that? I’d never believe that humans could be worse fighters than Lowlings. Something must’ve happened to the local humans, something bad. Hence the scornful hints from the Okhtans about our survival. Did they have a hand in that? After all, Okhtans here were aplenty.
“Okay, jokes aside, the road is and the night shift awaits us,” the most serious of the five, Colin, reminded, ushering us forth. “Don’t stay too long, Mashta, there will be enough work for everyone.”
“We’ll make some porridge for the time being,” Phage added, “if you’re late for the grub don’t dare ask for seconds.”
“And we mean it.” Arkoosh joined with a significant smirk, “Can’t do anything fun on an empty stomach after all…”
“Arkoosh!” this time Mashta got angry and tapped her foot.
“We’re leaving, we’re leaving!” Chula waved her hand.
The four Lowlings crossed the hall and disappeared in the passage leading deep into the mountains, quietly exchanging jokes and laughter between themselves. Mashta immediately dropped the facade and winked conspiratorially.
“Don’t worry, Wise, I won’t try to seduce you, don’t listen to those idiots.”
“Seduction doesn’t scare me much, I like a lady’s gentle touch,” I joked. “Mashta, is the hunting camp where you met me yesterday?”
“Yeah. It’s a quiet spot. We watch over rookies there, so that the natives’ greedy hands don’t get to them. They sometimes run around, causing stirs. It’s great that Colin protected you from the Dion, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I smiled involuntarily, unable to resist her cheerful enthusiasm. “You call Dionyssites just Dions, right?”
“Right. And the Rakshasa are called Raksh. We shorten it for convenience. Well, let’s go!”
Chapter 10
I had barely taken a step after Mashta, when I felt someone’s eyes on me. Looking back, I met the gaze of a Rakshasa, attentive and waiting. Hey, it’s the yesterday prisoner! He was in a cell on the other side of the hall. Thick, metal bars were keeping him in. In the darkness behind them, burned the orange flames of the Rakshasa’s eyes; a metal collar gleamed around his neck, connected with a chain to a ring on the back wall of the chamber.
Player name: Rawrk
Level 16
Race: Rakshasa
Class: Whirlwind Warrior
I was right about our level difference that prevented me from breaking through his defense yesterday. But…
As soon as I turned around, he unquenched one of the four paws that were squeezing the metal bars and beckoned me with a clawed finger.
“Human,” Rawrk hissed barely audibly. “Human hear? There be no fear, Raksh no kill, Raksh look for another human... Raksh must freedom... Human tell no one. Understand? Quiet, human...”
“Hey, Wise,” Mashta called loudly, looking impatient. “How long do I have to wait for you? What’s he mumbling? What did he say to you?”
“No clue what he’s on about,” I said, although this smelled like a hidden quest. I didn’t give in to the furry when I was reminded of the stunt he pulled yesterday. “It surprises me they can talk at all, looking like, well, beasts.”
Hearing me say that, the Rakshasa snarled and dully growled. Well, I’m sorry; you’re the one who wants to play secrets. I’m doing this for you.
“Let’s go already!
Mashta disappeared from my sight. I looked at the Rakshasa again and was rewarded a quest.
Quest available: A Mysterious Stranger
Quest giver: Rawrk
Quest type: random
Objective: Find the mysterious stranger who, according to Rawrk, needs your help.
Description: Rawrk assures that you were not his target during his attack in the underground lake cave; he just wanted to draw your attention in order to lead you to another human. Find evidence that he is telling the truth, or refute his statement.
Reward: 5,000 XP; 0.1 saves
Accept: yes / no?
“Leave. No one see, help. Later.”
Having coped with rage, Rawrk put his finger to his shaggy face, demanding silence.
This shaggy thing claims that he knows of another human… So I’m not the only one here. Interesting, very interesting. And he doesn’t want me to tell that to anyone, even the Lowlings. I needed a human ally, so I was tempted by his offer even though I was certain that it was a lure. I was fully aware that these kinds of random quests could lead to unexpected results. Sadly, not all of them were guaranteed to be pleasant. This could be a trap for a level ten rookie. Although I desperately needed experience, not to mention more save points, my life was at stake here. And this was no joke. I could, of course, deny the quest and drop it. I clicked “yes.”
Current reputation with the Guardians of the Belistva Fortress Faction: Neutral (5/100)
Oh wow, a reputation system? That’s great. I wasn’t in a hurry to do it, as there was no time limit. The quest would’ve specified if there was one. I’ll give this all a thought and take a closer look at what is going on in this Fortress... I could only hope that my “employer” won’t be taken care off before I complete his quest.
Mashta was waiting for me in a room that smelled of leather and fur. On the wooden racks placed along the walls and hooks hammered into the stone were various animal skins. The system marked them as Light Fur, Medium Fur, and Dense Fur, ready to be cut and sewn. I didn’t notice a frame for stretching raw hides, nor a tanning bath, which meant they made the skins somewhere else. And rightly so, stench produced in this process was unbearable. Part of the wall was occupied by finished goods like coats, sleeveless jackets, warm pants, and fur cloaks.
But it was not hides and gear that were the most curious thing around, but the creature in charge of this establishment. A tiny sprout, probably a little more than a foot and a half tall, with reddish-brown skin and a huge hump nose that partially obscured its “face”. It took me a moment to move my eyes from that nose and look at what was behind it. I spotted a pair of small, yellow eyes, wide, lipless mouth resembling a thin slit and long ears, between which was a fur cap that adorned its head. The creature sat on a wooden block at a low table — a roughly hewn stone slab on two boulders instead of wooden legs. Almost hiding the owner, the tabletop was littered with hides, leatherworker’s tools, scraps of leather and tendons. The creature worked enthusiastically, without paying attention to what was happening around it. Thin legs, sticking out of a long and tattered sleeveless jacket made of fur, which warmed its bare and frail body, were swept back and forth with enviable speed, as it sew with a long, trihedral needle. The creature snuffled, noisily sniffed and curled its mouth full of brown-yellow teeth. It turned its head on its twig-thin neck, glancing at the visitors with a tired gaze, cutting the air with its sharp ear tips... It scratched itself was it worked, groaning with pleasure. It took a break from its chores for a second or two in order to examine its handiwork with its thin and dexterous, clawed fingers. It then grabbed the needle again, without which it clearly couldn’t live for a few seconds.
Player name: Lail
Level 22
Race: Kobi
Profession: furrier
A fur dealer then. A Kobi? That’s just a typical Kobold. Is it a male or a female? Ugh, what does it matter, Wise? Not like you’ll be bringing up children together. Tinnie flew up from Fury’s back an
d went to investigate the piled up items on the tabletop, introducing a flicker of confusion into the established workflow. Fury moved closer to the new object of attention with interest, sniffed it suspiciously, and seemed to lick her lips. The Kobold screamed in fright, dropped the needlework and instantly disappeared under the table. Mashta laughed loudly, looking at all this fuss.
“Fury, manners,” I shouted sternly, hiding a smile. “Tinnie, you be careful.”
What was I about to ask? Oh, right. “Mashta, what do you guys do with the prisoners? I’m talking about the Rakshasa.”
“That can wait, let’s finish our business here first. Lail, get out, no one will hurt you.”
“Can it even speak?”
“Seldom. The Kobi are shy. They almost never talk to strangers.”
“Wait, ‘they’? So it’s not alone here?”
“Could you wait with the questions, please? Lail! Work is waiting!”
Mentioning that there was work waiting attracted the Kobold’s attention, like the smell of valerian would a cat. From under the table emerged a heap of torn clothes, followed by the eared head in the cap. The saying about a cobbler wearing the worst shoes could be applied in this case too. Cautiously squinting at the Direcat, which, obeying my mental order, had moved to a safe distance, the creature perched itself onto the stump again and resumed its work. I calmed Fury down, but Tinnie buzzing about. As if sensing something, she flew along the walls, peering under the skins, and then returned to the furrier, circled around him and flew again to make another inspection. What’s with her? Did she sense a hidden cache? Hopefully she won’t open a stash belonging to Lail, or else it will be difficult to prove that I’m not a thief.
“So,” Mashta began her lecture, “whenever you got extra escs, you come here. Lail will take your measurements and make you a new item in no time. The fur cloak you received yesterday is a standard rookie gift, but everything else will have its price. In case you need something special, Lail will put it on your tab, so measurements can be taken in advance. You won’t get anything without paying for it. Generally speaking, all foreigners have a free class, so you can order anything.”
“By the way,” I immediately picked up the topic. “I haven’t had the time to figure out what ‘free class’ means.”
“Oh, it’s a good one. It means that you are from many conventions and binding schemes. Abilities and skills that you managed to get at your starting location will stay with you. Further development depends on you and you alone. And since the class is free, you can use any equipment and weapons. But improving skills still depends on the frequency of their use. So, if you constantly swing your sword, you will be able to inflict more powerful attacks over time without increasing your level. I’m talking about the ranks here. The same applies to armor as well. For example, additional skills and abilities will depend on armor you are currently using. So, unless you sit on your ass all day, waiting for someone to come and wipe your nose for you, you’ll survive. Train every day, every hour. You are at the very beginning of your journey. Why are you so silent?”
“Just trying to... sort it all out. Mashta, what are ‘escs’?”
“Silly me!” the girl threw her hands up in frustration. “We talked so much yesterday and I forgot to tell you about the basics... That’s right, let’s start from the beginning.” Mashta unceremoniously pushed some of the skins off the table’s edge and sat on the vacant spot, dangling her legs clad in worn out, fur boots. She seemed to ignore the Kobold’s angry glare, who seemed outraged by such arbitrariness to the very depths of its nosy soul. “So, in there are two types of Energy Crystals in Lunar Rainbow. The first are the ones that sentient beings drop upon death — Soul Crystals, or socs. You know those, right?”
I nodded. “And the second type?”
“The second type is extracted from irrational creatures. They are called Essence Crystals, or simply — escs. They serve as a bargaining chip when paying for goods and services.”
“Got it. We had only one type of Crystals in the sandbox. Lail?”
The Kobold looked at me questioningly, not stopping its work.
“I need a sheath for my sword. Can you make it?”
“You don’t need a sheath, Wise,” Mashta confidently canceled my order.
”How so?”
“Your sword is too long to wear sheathed. Your hands aren’t long enough to pull it out properly. You don’t want to cut off your head with your own sword, do you?”
“Actually, a sheath is more reliable...”
“Yes, I get it. Have some faith in your energy lock, it’s actually quite convenient. Don’t be afraid to lose your sword, the grip gets stronger with leveling. Are you a warrior or not? We are the ones carrying daggers on our belts….”
I stubbornly shook my head. “To me it seems that holding your weapon at the expense of your body’s energy is a waste of said energy, especially when it’s so goddamn cold outside. By the way, does this affect hunger?”
“Quite a bit,” Mashta laughed, realizing my difficulties. “But look at it from the bright side. Hunger is an unpleasant thing, but it trains endurance and stamina. I promise you that you won’t starve. Especially if you stick with us.”
I re-examined my clothes — a heavy jacket with rows of metal strips riveted across my chest, pants, a belt, and a pair boots, all made of thick, tanned leather. Everything fit me perfectly and looked decent. I still had nothing to pay for new clothes with, so why rush?
Chapter 11
“Then I have nothing to do here,” I concluded. “My gear will do for now.”
“Not quite,” Mashta disagreed with a “I know what I'm on about” smile on her lips. “True, your starting gear will last a couple of levels. Your cold resistance will rise soon enough, and the fur cloak will keep you warm during even the coldest of nights... A 20% bonus to your ‘conditioned’ trait does make a difference, you know. But sandbox boots are not fit for Lunar Rainbow. Yeah, mine look unsightly,” Mashta noticed me looking at my boots with metal bits on the toes and rims, and then, fairly skeptically, at her own worn out fur boots. They didn’t look attractive at all. “But yours are made from different leather, more fit for a warmer climate. It’s always winter here. Ice and cold will bite right through them and your treasured boots will fall apart in a couple of days, if not later. Your backpack is weak, too. You should consider getting a new one now.”
“Ok, you’ve convinced me. What about gloves? Or a cap? I noticed that you Lowlings don’t wear anything like that.”
“Cold resistance develops faster without excess gear,” Mashta explained with a promising smile. “There are fights that could easily leave you naked, gear falling apart in an instant. Only your natural resistance can save you from freezing to death. Feeling a bit cold in order to get that is a fair deal in my opinion. The fewer things you have, the less you pay when you have to get dressed again.” The Lowling paused in order to emphasize what she had just said. Blinking innocently, she casually added: “But feel free to do as you like.”
I imagined myself standing naked in the middle of a blizzard, and shuddered. I hoped that it won’t come to that. However, good advice should not be discarded... I caught the girl’s gaze again; she was watching me carefully, waiting for my reaction. I didn’t want to disappoint her.
“Fine. Lail? I want to order a pair of boots. Would you make one?”
Judging by the way Mashta nodded approvingly, I made the right choice.
Lail immediately put away the needle, jumped off the wooden block, scratched its ass with both paws, picked its nose and, with a busy look, approached me. It firstly pointing demandingly at my feet, and then at the floor nearby. Having guessed what was required of me, I took off one boot. The Kobold fished out a knotted thread out of its pocket and measured my foot and lower leg. Using its fingers, it then showed me how much I owed it and returned to sewing. The air of seriousness seemed to disappear in this “matey’s” presence, making life seem funny and clowni
sh.
Lail has accepted your order.
Time till the order is complete: 2 days
Cost: 10 second-grade escs
If you don’t pay within three days after the order has been completed, your reputation with the Kobi will decrease by 10 points and it will be more difficult to place a new order.
“It doesn’t make boots itself,” Mashta explained warningly. “It’s not its trade. Lail will order some from its relatives in the Kandauri Fortress. That’s why we have to wait’”
“Relatives... Where?” I stared at Mashta in confusion.
“And what do you think?” shrugged the Lowling. “Enmity is enmity, and trade is trade. Lail, after all, does not make the skins itself. Nobody wants to do that here, it’s dirty and nasty work. So we send skins to Kandauri and get three out of five back tanned; two are left as compensation. A fair exchange. If you need a weapon, you’ll have to wait even longer, since Rakshasas from Belistva deal with those. Don’t look so surprised, the Kobi are the only race that has no quarrel with anyone. Therefore, they dwell in every Fortress, and no one bothers them. The entire trade system depends on them.”
“Fine, fine. But 10 second-grade escs? Care to explain that? I don’t remember Crystals being divided by grade back in the sandbox.”
“I somehow managed to miss the Crystal topic yesterday,” Mashta chuckled and apologized. “It’s nothing special. Levels don’t go above ten in the sandbox. Crystals from such areas are first grade ones. Second grade Crystals can be looted from level 11-20 creatures, and third grade ones can be acquired from monsters level 21-30. And so on, and so forth, I think you get the picture. The higher the grade, the higher the Crystal’s energy value.”
“Hmm ...” I looked at Tinnie who was watching the furrier's work with interest over my shoulder. My Fairy had suddenly calmed down as if she had forgotten about looking for hidden stashes. “Hey Lail, could you quickly make a fur pouch for my pet?”
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