A Mage Prepared

by Thomas Whipple

  "That makes sense. I will have to ask someone who knows more about familiars a few things then."

  Having finished with our break, we stand up and continued trekking to Efftin.

  About an hour or so before noon we come to a break in the trees. Clearing the tree line I get my first look at Efftin. It's a small village that contains a few hundred people at the most. The buildings are all made of logs, probably cut from where the village stands. All the roofs are thatch and there is probably less than a hundred buildings. Most look like homes but the buildings along the main road in town all have signs hanging out front to indicate they are shops. No walls or anything to prevent invasion. There are a few guards I can see though.

  Before getting to the entrance to the village, Azzaria turns to me and says "Try not to draw too much attention. No humans have been to the village so this is new."

  "What about Timbre and Thia. Will they cause an issue?"

  "No, there are a few tamers and such in the village so there won't be problems with them. It is you I am worried about. Just, don't start any trouble. I am going to take us right to where we can sell the shell. It is near the entrance and then we can go meet one of the Elders I know."

  I nod to her and we walk onto the road and step up to the entrance. One of the guards turns, looking us over. He is a dwarf in heavy plate armor, but only stands about 3 and a half feet tall. He is leaning on a hammer that is almost as tall as him with the cinder block sized head sitting on the ground. I want to use Identify on him since it is becoming a habit to use it on everything, but I don't want to cause trouble. Azzaria was able to tell I did it and I don't know if he can sense mana too.

  "Hold up there Azzaria. Who do you have with you?"

  "He is just a friend of mine that I found in the forest, Grondar. Found him lost out in the woods near the Stone Tortoise territories. He even killed this one we are dragging behind us, used a pretty smart trap."

  Grondar leans into Azzaria while looking at me and lowers his voice to where only we can hear him. The other guard is watching the tree line lazily while letting Grondar handle things. "He looks like a human." At this the other guard apparently hears because his head swivels around to look at me. He is an elf with deeply tanned skin. He is probably a wood elf or some other variation from Azzaria. Wearing leather armor, he is carrying a bow for a weapon. The elf guard doesn't say anything, just paying more attention to us now.

  Azzaria speaks up for me, but what she says doesn't instill me with confidence. "He does, doesn't he? Well, that is why I am bringing him to the elders."

  Grondar nods his head and stops looking at me to turn towards Azzaria. "You do that. I will be holding you responsible for him while he is here."

  "Don't worry, I got it. Have a good shift Grondar" she says as she walks through the entrance with me following beside her. Pointing to the right a little ways up the street, she comments "That is the blacksmith. We will sell the shell to him."

  "You should do the negotiating, since I might be an issue."

  She looks at me with a frown that says she is not happy about that, but there is nothing to be done about it. It only takes us a couple minutes to get to the blacksmith, but in that time I look around. There are dwarves, some shorter people I think are gnomes, elves, and a number of different beastkin. The Elves were in the majority of those walking around the village that I could see, but there were plenty of others. I think I even saw a lamia slither around a corner. Getting to the blacksmith, Azzaria tells me we need to take the shell around back. Going around the right side of the building I can feel the heat from the forge as we get closer to the source.

  In the back of the building there is a large overhang built into the roof that shades the forge and anvil, and leaves it open to vent the heat. Another dwarf is standing in front of the forge watching a bar of metal heat up in the coals. Azzaria raises a hand to the dwarf when he turns to see what the noise is. Just short of 4 feet he is the tallest dwarf I have seen yet. He is also the most muscular, with arms as thick as my thigh. His beard is long and black with a few beaded braids in it. I can see a wide mouth and bulbous nose, but the muddy brown eyes above it sparkles a little when he sees Azzaria. Smiling, he turns away from the forge to greet her with a warm hug.

  "Azzaria! Ya be back! I be gettin worried when ya didn't get back yesterday. HILDRE! Get out here, Azzaria be back." The last part he yelled to the door in the back of the building.

  The back door to the shop bangs open and a short woman walks out. Taking a second look I realize she too is a dwarf, but not what I was expecting. She is short, a little over three feet tall, but she doesn't have the wide body like the dwarves I have seen so far. She is muscular but with proportions more like a human. And she has no beard, just long dark chocolate hair. Her face has hints of the dwarf features I have seen, but more subdued. The nose is a little large but not overly so and she has a strong chin with the slightest of clefts. Looking into her eyes is like looking into a coal pit the irises are so dark, but I catch a twinkle when she spies the elf next to me.

  Running up to Azzaria, she then pulls her down making the elf bend over so she can hug her. "There you are lassie, what took you so long?" in response, Azzaria turns to me and so do the 2 dwarves.

  "I found someone in the woods when I was out. Vol, this is Dolan and Hildre. They looked out for me after my parents passed away."

  Hearing the affection in her voice, I step forward. "Hello, I am Vol" I say raising my hand to shake. I am a little surprised though when Dolan grabs my hand with vise like strength. He pulls me forward a bit and squints at me a little. After a minute of squinting where I don't move for fear of offending him, his eyes widen a little before he shakes my hand a couple times. Releasing my hand he nods.

  "Nice to meet you magus."

  It's my turn to widen my eyes in shock. "How can you tell I am a mage?"

  "My appraisal skill is high enough to get some information from living things."

  "I might ask you to look at something for me later, but I am more surprised that you don't seem to care about me being human."

  "Bah, Hildre and I have been around long enough that we know there be good and there be bad when it comes to humans. Also, ya aren't a normal human either are ya? Now I don't know what a Void Human be, but I be judgin you for what ya do. So far from what I can tell, Azzaria here seems to trust ya. That in itself is pretty remarkable, and I think a good sign for the kind of person ya be."

  Then Hildre comes up to me and shakes my hand as well. No rough stuff with her though. Her handshake was dainty, but not too limp, and polite. Finished with the introductions the two dwarves turn to Azzaria again and Hildre speaks this time. "So what took you a whole day more than you said? Vol here surely could have made it back with you in that time if you found him around here." The young elf then tells them the tail of hearing the distressed Stone Tortoise and then following till she discovered me. When she gets to the part about bringing the shell she grabs my arm and we both step to the side so they can see it behind us. She finishes by telling him about the encounter we had this morning.

  Dolan says "we be needin to call an elders meeting to discuss Vol here, but most importantly, the Corpse Driver Beetles. First though, let's deal with this beautiful shell you have here. No scratches or damage of any kind. How did ya do it lad?"

  "I sharpened the branches of three trees in a triangle, and chopped them to the point of falling but braced them with branches. When it chased me I knocked the supports out causing the trees to fall on the tortoise, trapping it. It wouldn't have lasted long but I just needed time to stab it in the eyes. I also got lucky that a couple of the sharpened branches hit the neck on one side."

  "I see. There isn't any damage because the trees aren't hard enough to even scratch it. Alright, I'll give you 10 gold for it."

  Before I can open my mouth Azzaria jumps in. "You and me know you will make 3 times that much from the shell. Give us 15 gold, final offer."

  Looki
ng between me and her he says to me out the side of his mouth "You promised to split the money?"

  "Yep. 50/50"

  A big smile spreads across his face once again. "Deal" he says before walking in the house. Azzaria nods to him as he goes. He is back in a minute with two sacks of coins. Handing one to each of us he says "7 gold and 50 silver apiece. Now if ya'll excuse me, I be needin to get the elders council together."

  Azzaria speaks for us "we will head next door to get Enora, and then head over with her to the Community Center." Waving to the two dwarves we head around the side again and go to the next house over. Out front I can see the sign has a round bottle with bubbles coming out of the top. Walking in behind Azzaria, I can hear the jingle of a little bell above the door. The shop is small with only a couple of shelves on the walls to the left and right, and a counter directly across from the door we entered through. To my right and behind the counter is the only other exit from the room.

  On the shelves on the left and right walls are empty bottles, a mortar and pestle, and other alchemy equipment. On the shelves in the back of the room behind the counter is where the finished products are. I can see small single serving vials with all sorts of colored liquid. From the games I have played in my previous life, red were usually health and blue was for mana, but I can see green, yellow, purple, and every other color imaginable. Before I can start using my Identify skill on all the potions, an old lady with wrinkled skin and gray hair comes out of the door to the back.

  She's an elf so she must be absolutely ancient to look so old, but when I look into her slate gray eyes I can see a spark of mischief there. Stepping behind the counter she says "Azzaria, it is good to see you are safe. A few of us around here were worried that you had been gone so long. After what happened to your parents, I am surprised to see you with a human. I assume that is why you have come here?"

  Azzaria nods her head and looks down respectfully. "Yes elder Enora. This is Vol Adare. I found him in the woods. We already spoke to Dolan and he went to gather the rest of the elders."

  "Oh really? You took him straight to Dolan? Well I am glad you found yourself a...friend, dear. Let's go see what trouble we can cause then." She says with a look of anticipation. If I had to guess, I would say she is looking forward to the trouble having a human in their community would cause.

  "It's good to meet you Elder. After you" I say to her, following Azzaria's lead and bowing my head to Enora respectfully. Enora comes around the counter and we follow her out. Walking down the street I can see our little group is getting a lot of odd looks from people. Ignoring them mostly, I look to where we are going. At the end of the street the last building is bigger than the ones we have been passing. It is one story, but far longer than any other. A young beastkin stands guard at the door with a pike at his side. With the stripes on his tail I would say he is a white tiger beastkin or something like it. He turns to Enora "They are waiting for you elder." Not surprising since it took a while to follow the elderly elf through town.

  Enora gives the youth a nod of thanks and leads us into the building. It is one long room with tables through most of it. It is probably for community meetings and meals. At one end of the hall is a raised dais about two feet up with a long table across it. There are six others seated at the seven chairs, with the middle one empty. Dolan is there in the chair just to the left of the empty seat. Enora heads to the stairs on the left and I follow. When we get there Enora looks at me questioningly, until I offer her my hand. A warm smile crosses her wrinkled face before she takes my offered hand, and I help her up the steps.

  Done, I go back to where Azzaria and Timbre (With Thia on her head) are standing in the middle before the raised table. From left to right the five I have not met yet are an old male gnome, a dark elf male that is glairing at us, a male fox beastkin, a male wood elf, and a female elf that I think is a snow elf. Yeah, the community seems to be primarily elves from what I have seen here and outside. My assumptions of race are all based off of my conversations with Azzaria during our trip here, regarding the races found in Efftin.

  When Enora takes her seat she begins speaking. "All of us have gathered here today because there is a human among us. One that has been brought here by a member of this community. Before we discuss what is to be done, if anything, I would like to hear his story in regards to his arrival."

  The dark elf stands and in a loud voice "He is a human. We can not trust him within our community." The snow elf at the other end of the table nods her head as if in agreement. But the rest seem indifferent. Enora responds "Is that not the attitude that we so revile from the humans? You will sit now Serin! Please Mr. Adare, explain how you have come to us." And I do. I tell them how I came from a distant world, not knowing how or why, and how I struggled to survive since finding myself here. I leave out the parts about my special race and abilities that may cause an issue. When done I finish "So I humbly request permission to reside here in Efftin."

  It's at this point that Dolan stands to say "Tell them what you and Azzaria found on the way here."

  "Of course. I will leave that to Azzaria, as she is more familiar with the subject than I."

  Azzaria steps forward at this point to explain. "This morning we awoke to an attack, and we were not far from the village. A Possessed Goblin attacked us, though the disturbing part is what possessed it. It appears that we may have a Corpse Driver Beetle infestation nearby." When she says this there are a couple gasps from a few of the elders, including the snow elf that seemed so distrustful of me before. "After killing its host we saw the creature as it emerged and killed it. I doubt it is the last of them. Other than the wounds we inflicted, we could see no cause for the goblins original death."

  Now my lovely elf companion is quiet while the elders all lean over to discuss things with each other. They are whispering so I can't hear what they are saying, but what I do catch is a good amount of sneering toward me and Azzaria from the dark elf in the group. After a few minutes of discussion from the elders they return to their seats and Enora addresses me. "What guarantee do we have that your intentions are pure here Mr. Adare?"

  "Please just call me Vol. What can I do to prove myself to all of you?"

  The male fox beastkin stands up and says "We have decided that to prove yourself you must handle this Corpse Driver Beetle issue that has developed. You are not the only ones to have encountered them. The last few days we have received reports of a few more incidents like yours. From this we believe that they are coming from the North West. Clear out the source and you will be an honored citizen of our village, and receive a reward of 5 gold." When he finishes I find out that this world has quests too.

  Quest: Cleanse the Corpse Beetle Scourge

  The village of Efftin is plagued by encounters with Corpse Driver Beetles and seeks your help. Find and eradicate the source of the infestation to earn the respect of the Efftin Elders council. Reward: Citizenship to Efftin, 5 gold.

  Accept: Yes or No

  "I will gladly accept this request." Upon saying this, the quest prompt disappears.

  The dark elf, Serin, stands up to say something. Just looking at him I hate his face. He is smirking like everything is by his plan or something. "As you are new here, I suggest that we send someone to escort you. Also to confirm the task is completed. Since Azzaria there has already accompanied you previously I suggest it be her that accompanies you now." Serin sits down and it's Enora that says "Any objections?" When no one answers she turns to us again. "You will need to leave before noon tomorrow. Prepare and rest so that you are ready for your journey."

  Having said that, Enora turns to us and nods with an obvious dismissal. The four of us turn and walk out of the building. There is still some time before dark so I want to make sure we get a few essentials for tomorrow and sell off the rest of our loot. I turn to Azzaria and ask "Are you ok about going with me? If not, I can go alone."

  "I actually prefer it this way."

  Chapter 7

  "Wh
ere to next?" Azzaria asks while looking at me.

  "I heard there is a general store here. That sounds like the best place to start, then we can sell what we have there or the tanner. After that we can find a tailor that I can get a cloak or something from. The only other place I would like to visit before heading back to Dolan's is someplace that may have magic items or spell books, if you know of any."

  "Alright, the general store is not far from here. The tanner is also the leatherworker and he is next to the general store."

  Following my favorite elf, we walk a few shops down to one that has a little tent drawn on the sign. Stepping in, I can see shelves lined up everywhere. There are shelves along the walls and neatly placed on the floor of the room from front to back. Walking through the rows of shelves toward the counter in the back I can see all manner of things from glassware to plates and curtains. At the back no one is there and Azzaria says "There is a bell that we can use when we have everything, and are ready to pay."

  Looking through the store I start using Identify to help find what I need and to train the skill. "Azzaria, what is a Ward Stone?"

  She looks at the item and gets a thoughtful expression on her face. "A Ward Stone sets up a temporary barrier against hostile intent. That means that it can prevent monsters from attacking you within a camp if you use one of these. The ward it sets up only lasts for a night and you have to recharge the stone with mana afterward. They do not stop exceptionally strong monsters though, so you can't use it anywhere. It's expensive and I never had the money to get one, but with everything we made off the shell I think we should get one."

  "We?"

  "Yes, I will split it with you. Since we are traveling together we only need the one for now. It is two gold total, so here is my one gold" she says while handing over her coin.