Dawn of Adventure

by Andrew Bardsley

  Chapter 13

  In the cold still darkness of the morning a gentle breeze moved through the trees around the camp. The noise of the birds was just starting to wake up the world with their twittering. Other than the sweet sound of the birds, the camp was mostly quiet. Except for some slight snoring from a few bodies around the fire. Lizzy slowly moved out of the tent. The tent had been crowded as the all the Bennet's daughters had to sleep in the same tent. Usually, the two youngest would have slept by the campfire as was their preferences. Unfortunately for propriety's sake, as the dungeon masters party was present, they all had to be in the same tent.

  Late into the night, Lydia had boasted to her sister how she had gotten the Dark Knight to accept the challenge. Lizzy was sure that the rest of the camp could hear her in her loud remarks. So, she tried to keep her sister quiet. This was to no avail as she was ignored by her obnoxious sisters.

  From what she had broadcasted to what seemed the whole world. She and her sister Kitty had planned it as they had seen an opportunity to make some gold of the prouder man. With her skills as a rogue, she could easily tell that he was a vain noble that relied upon expensive weapons rather than personal development. Then it was just a simple matter of gloating him into a challenge. Which had been ever so easy.

  In the end, Lizzy had a long chat with her sister about the appropriateness of the scheme. But it had ended with the younger sister again just ignoring her. She had just turned her back on Lizzy, deliberately counting her ill-begotten earnings as the gold clicked in her hands.

  With this memory still fresh in her mind, she strolled through the campsite, worrying about the propriety of her sister’s actions. Several people were huddled around the fire, still rolled up in blankets trying for the last few minutes of sleep before the day began. She guessed that was where the snoring was from. The fire now was a pit of embers that were glowing coals of white and orange giving of a slight heat haze. This gave slight light to the darkness of the morning. Small wisps of smoke were rising into the dark canopy above the camp and disappearing into the dark early morning sky. The whole scene reminded her of a classical landscape painting with misty darkness in the foothills with large looming white snowcap mountains just visible in the darkness.

  With the light from the glowing embers, she was just able to navigate to the outer edges of the campsite. Then when she was sure she would not be disturbing any of the sleepers, she lit a magical light and moved off into the dark hills surrounding the campsite. Slowly she crept to beyond a small rise to start her morning exercise routine. Looking around a little hollow, she had found trees surrounding the open clearing. She smiled at finding the perfect place.

  Since an early age, her mother, in particular, had been interested in her daughter's development. Especially their physical combat ability. This was interesting as people would have expected the over dramatic mother to have spoiled and pampered her children but that wasn't the case. Over the years, this had manifested in a strict regime of physical exercise and personal development. That had been part of the routines of life. Not only did this produce skills in combat, but as part of her mother’s plan had helped increase her daughter’s natural beauty. They were all fit and tone with all the exercise they received over the years.

  In the darkness of the morning, with only her magical light, give a cone light to her hollow. In this cone, with the darkness encroaching on it by the dark trees, Lizzy started to run through the complex exercises routine.

  Halfway through exercising, she was in the middle of beginning some forms of combat carters. From the side of the hollow, she heard the sound of the gentle thuding of footsteps in the dark shadows of the trees. With her heart racing, she quickly cast a shield spell that produced waves of glowing white-blue power. This flowed like a blanket around her body that now surrounded her as if it was a thin wave barrier of frothing water. Looking toward the sound, she then formed a fireball that was slowly projected halfway toward the sound in the darkness of the trees.

  With the glowing fireball lighting up the darkness, she saw a man’s figure move out of the dark trees shadows. Frowning, she saw that it was the insufferable Darcy.

  Dam he was handsome though. If he was not so arrogant...well...

  With a wave of her hand, the fireball extinguished as the fire flowed upward like an oil fire that had water thrown into it. This flash of fire lit up the night sky showing the man's handsome figure.

  Then she said with bluntness, “Sir, for what reason do I have the pleasure of your presence, Wizard Darcy.”

  He looked around as if he was inspecting the hollow and said with a slight bow to the young Lady, “I saw you leave the safety of the campsite. When you had been gone for quite some time. I came to see to your welfare. I was concerned.”

  Standing listening to the man, she was aware that her body was starting to cool down. So with a scowl, Lizzy continued with her exercise, not wanting to cool down completely. It would be so inconvenient if she had to warm up again because of this man’ unwanted presents.

  While stretching, she said without looking at the man, “I thank you for your gentility, but I’m not defenseless! So, why you had to disturb me is beyond my understanding.”

  Darcy's face looked at her intently, and then she just bowed his head. Then said, “My apologies for the interruption, it was well-meant.”

  Then he turned around and left the hollow as Lizzy frowned with frustration as she thought to herself. That insufferable man thinking that I need his help to defend myself. Conceited beyond belief.

  Now she was angry she started to take out her frustrations on several targets she set up with her magic. Eventually, with her frustration exercised like some devil, she started running back to the camp.

  This morning the plan was for them to split up into three groups and explore the mountain wilderness. Each group would take notes of what they saw. Then take the required actions that they deemed necessary.

  When Lizzy walked back into the campsite that was crisscrossed with the long shadow of dawn, she saw Jane with the ever happy and attentive Bingley. He was attentively helping her take down the tent and pack for the day’s adventuring.

  Lizzy’s father saw her coming back into the campsite. He called her over as he finished a bowl of some type of porridge in his hands. He said with a smile, “Good news for you, Lizzy ah. The fact that we’ve decided to split up into three groups. After last night's events, it’s probably for the best. We’re to explore separately as noble families with less friction between the parties.”

  Lizzy flickered her eyes over to where her two youngest sisters were practicing fighting together. It looked as if she was not the only one to be diligent with her exercise. But why did they have to make such a display about it!

  She said, “At least that will keep Lydia and Kitty from more mischief.”

  Her father looked at her with a smile. He said, “Is that all the benefits that you can think of the arrangements.”

  She said back, “It does have other advantages. Not that I would choose to admit them.”

  Her father nodded and then said, “Your mother is most disappointed for Jane. But I’m sure the fates will conspire in her favor. They always do for some reason or another.”

  Then in the early morning light, they organize for the coming days. Sir William Lucas talked to all parties involved as he directed the efforts of the three teams of adventures. Hurst was back on his feet fully armed and armored but keeping to the back of the dungeon master’s party. When it was all arranged, the three parties split up into different directions in the foothills of the mountains. It had been agreed that Lady Bennet would use her powers to keep all the groups in communication.

  --

  In the warming heat of the afternoon sun. Lydia was upfront, scouting out for her family's party. The wilderness around her was like the familiar terrain that she had worked in all her life. With her magic and skills, she was at home here as in any wilderness. A sharpened awareness of
her surroundings gave her a deep and vibrant picture of all the fine details that people without her skill would not notice. She could sense the burrowing rodents under the ground as she slowly crept through the deep grass of the ravine. She was following the contours of the valley as the party moved deeper into the foothills of the mountain. She looked up to the looming white snow-capped mountains that were getting closer as they explored.

  She thought with keen excitement, I hope we get to keep going higher as I bet their better pickings in the pass.

  From yesterday's events, her purse was already feeling rather full. But of course, she was still keen to make more money. To her constant disappointment, her father could be such a miser on occasions. Especially when it came to buying the best weapons and clothings. With her skills developing to a decent level, she was starting to gain more opportunities to get what she desired. This gave her an understanding that if she really wanted something, then she needed to have the money herself. With Kitty's help, she was getting rather good at working out schemes to increase their spending power.

  She was delighted on first seeing the proud man at the square when the dungeon master party arrived. She had hoped that he would be an easy target. To her happiness, it turned out to be the case. He had the equipment of a higher level warrior but without the personal development to go with it. A prime example of what was wrong in this world, in her opinion.

  Simply put, he was rich, and she felt poor. To make it worse for her, the man was of lower-level power than her. In her mind, it was not only an opportunity. But a duty for her to transfer some of his money to her pockets. She had greater power, and it was what he deserved for not developing his own powers.

  The lazy rich, it was their own fault if they fell prey to her schemes.

  In a deep glen of trees, she saw a slight movement as she crouched lower in the tall grass. Extending the range of her awareness skill, the details of the land up ahead formed in a map within her head. Within her mind, she was able to examine the terrain in detail as if she had a thousand birds-eyes examining the area from every angle. Her vision showed that in the small forest up ahead was a party of five ‘Mountain Orc War-band Warriors.’ They were hidden in the dark wooded land under dense undergrowth.

  Name of Monster

  Level

  Agility

  HP

  MP

  Skills

  Mountain Orc War-band warrior

  35

  16

  400

  50

  Tusk Gouge

  For a while, she examined the situation for all the angles that her skill could prove. Soon she came to the conclusion that the five monsters were waiting to ambush her family's party. Idly she wondered how they knew the party was coming as they were still a distance behind her. She was about twenty minutes ahead of the party.

  This had been her intention of scouting forward as it was her hope that any monster in their path she could deal with quickly. So she would have time to gain some more experience. The orcs were undoubtedly a gift to her. If she approached this correctly, she could deal with them by herself.

  With a skill that was one of her first skills and favorite to develop, her body visibly started to burr and then fade. Then as she disappeared, she blended in with her background. She began to move through the tall grass, and now the only sign of her was a slight heat haze as she went. In time she would increase this ability, and the heat haze would all but disappear. This slow-moving heat haze that was the young woman moved slowly around the grass clearing until she entered the dark cover of the trees. Now able to move fast as the heat haze would not be visible in the shadows of the canopy. She moved around to the first outlier of the orcs. The creature was taking cover behind a fallen log. With some branches over him breaking the outline of its form.

  Slowly Lydia crept around until she was coming towards the creature’s exposed back. A few meters away, the creature lifted up its head slightly and snorted as it was tasting the air. She smiled to herself as the ability not only camouflage her with light but smell as well. The orc could snort all he liked, but he would never get a scent of her.

  When the large, powerful muscle orc put it head down, she moved quickly as he was momentarily distracted. Flashing across the distance with a quick movement skill, she was now standing immediately behind him. Then with a quick movement of a sharp dagger, she stabbed the back of the neck. When her dagger slid into the muscle, she pulled the blade to the side inside his throat. With this one swift movement, she had cut its esophagus and significant artery in the neck.

  All the leaving about anatomy was certainly of us to me, she thought with triumph.

  The creature fell to the ground grabbing its neck with blood pouring out of the gaping cut. Lydia activated one of her spells. The air around then grew sluggish as the noise-damping field took effect. In the seconds the large orc took to die, she had already sorted through its clothing for anything of value. To her joy, she found a few small gems that would undoubtedly make this worth the effort. Now that she understood that not only was she going to gain experiences, with her ambush, but also some wealth, she moved on quickly to her next victim. She needed to kill the rest before Kitty came along. Her sister could be so demanding sometimes.

  --

  Lizzy was walking beside her mother as they were walking through a large grass clearing. At the end of the clearing was a wooded area. From inside the shade of the trees she heard the sound of arguing. This was above the sound of the birds and animals in the wilderness; she could just hear the voice of Kitty belating Lydia again.

  “...you always do this. Taking advantage of opportunities without me. Then when you need me, I have to come running. Next time I may not help you in your plans”, said the angry voice of Kitty.

  “If you don’t stop standing around and moaning, when you could help with getting the ingredients from their bodies. You can have anything that you collect,” said Lydia in a sharp voice. It was apparent that she was annoyed by her sister.

  As the rest of the family got closer, the arguing went on. Entering the darkness of the trees, they could see what was happening. Kitty was bending down with her skinning knife collecting what she could. Seeing her mother and father, she said, “Tell Lydia she needs to include me in her hunts!”

  Lydia stuck her tongue out at her sister's protesting to her parents. Her mother said, “Kitty, you know that your sister has the skills that make it easy for her to scout. If she finds something worth her time, then she needs to take advantage of the opportunity.”

  “Mother, you always take her side,” said the exasperated warrior.

  Her mother just frowned at Kitty and then said to Lydia, “Did you find anything of value, dear?”

  Lydian nodded and showed her mother some of the gems from the dead orcs. For a few minutes, this produced a flurry of conversation about possible uses for then. Lizzy noticed the Kitty had gone back to cutting out items from the orc bodies with a sullen expression.

  Suddenly during the conversation with her youngest daughter, Lady Bennet froze. Then for a fraction of a minute, her eyes got a faraway look. Lizzy recognized this look as her mother was in communication with somebody magical, not present.

  When she broke out of her glazed look, she smiled happily. “It is a message from Miss Bingley. This is the best news I could revive for Jane, my dear. Oh, what joyous news.”

  “What was the message, Mother,” said Jane with perked interest.

  Still, with a triumphant smile, Lady Bennet said, “The dungeon master’s party has found a great miasma in the land.”

  Alchemist Bennet said in a curious voice as he was questioning the motive of his wife, “My undeniably sweet daring, how will that be of a benefit to us? A raging center of disease is generally not beneficial to anybody but the demons. As Jane is certainly not a demon, why would she benefit from such a scourge?”

  The Lady Bennet looked at her husband with a face of annoyance. It was as if she had to
explain something to a young child. She said with an imperious tone, “Of course, my dear husband, the party wants Jane to come and heal the land. It shows much promise that they would request this from her. Don’t you see that this is a sign that Bingley wants her company! Oh, what an excellent opportunity this is.”

  “Can I have the escort? If I am to go,” said Jane.

  “No, my dear, you had better go on along because it seems likely that you could get attacked, and then they would feel all sorry for you, my dear.”

  “That would be a good scheme,” said Lizzy, “if you were sure that she would survive any attack from the monster in this wilderness.”

  “Oh! Nonsense Lizzy Jane can handle anything that comes up with her skill. But Jane, if you're lucky enough to be attacked, then at least take a few injuries for pity sake.”

  “I'd much rather have an escort.”

  “But, my dear, your father cannot spare the adventures, I am sure. They are wanted in this party. Alchemist Bennet, are they not?”

  He said with a sigh at his over-enthusiastic wife, “They are wanted with us for much. But surely it would be better...”

  Lady Bennet looked intensely at her husband. Then with a determined tone of voice, she said, “No, Jane must go alone. It will be for the best in the long run.”

  With Lady Bennet so determined, Jane was therefore obliged to go on by herself. Her mother attended to her as she packed to leave. With many cheerful prognostics of being attacked on the way.

  As Lizzy watched her sister walk off into the distance toward the location of the miasma. She sighed with frustration. Her mother's idiocy was sometimes disturbing and beyond annoying. For goodness sake, why did her father allow her to get away with it? Jane would probably not come to any serious harm, but she was not a combat class. Why should she be put into this silly position all to appear vulnerable?