The Bard: A LitRPG Short Story (The Greenwood Book 4)

by Galen Wolf

  With a sarcastic smile, I got up beside Bottom and he shuffled to make way for me. Then we were off.

  The crowds had not started to throng the streets of Vinab so early in the day and our passage was easier than it would have been at a later time. The bowels of the temples disgorged from morning worship and the bells were ringing out as we passed, while traders set up their stalls in Vinab square.

  We headed north out of the gate over the drawbridge and towards the Old Forest. The day was pleasant and not yet hot. Even so, Quince had found a parasol that he wanted to hold above my head as his employer. I told him it wasn't needed yet, but I appreciated the sentiment.

  When we came to the junction in the Old Forest road, instead of turning left to the Old Stone Cross, we headed further north onto the road officially known as the Dwarf Road that bent north-east. It took around an hour and a half before we arrived at the ranger village of Woodheart. We'd have to pay toll, but it was very little because our wagon was unladen. I slid off the wagon and landed on the grass outside Woodheart gate.

  I turned to the dwarfs. “Wait here while I go to see an old friend.”

  I strolled through the pretty flower-bordered streets of Woodheart to Ahn the Ranger’s house. Ahn was guild master of the Rangers Guild and we'd been friends since we both started playing the Greenwood years ago. When I got to Ahn's log built cottage that stood beside the Southeast stockade wall of the village, I saw that his garden was more flamboyant and luxurious than ever. It looked, but didn't smell, as if someone sprayed a ton of fertilizer over it. Bees the size of small birds buzzed around the flowers sticking their heads in the bell-shaped blooms in search of nectar. I walked down the stone paved path to the door of the cabin and knocked on the wooden door. No answer came, but I could hear the sound of someone inside so I walked left around the cabin and onto the small lawn. Ahn was there tending to his vegetables in the beds beyond the lawn. He was on his hands and knees removing weeds from his leeks. He got up when he saw me, a great smile on his face. He took off his gardening gloves and brushed the soil from his knees. "Romeo! It's so great to see you.”

  I grinned back. "I thought I'd pop in and see you as I was going past your front door on the Dwarf Road.” I pointed around me. “Your garden looks amazing.”

  Ahn nodded. He looked well with his black spade shaped beard, dark brown eyes and tanned skin - the benefits of an outdoors life. "The garden’s benefiting from Druid's Blessing; It increases growth rates by 15% and vegetable yields by the same.”

  I could hear someone bustling around in the kitchen inside the cabin. Ahn said, "You know Rohan don't you?"

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  The antlered fey came out of the cabin where he had been making drinks. His antlers and straggly salt-and-pepper beard made him look kind and deeply wise. He extended his hand and squeezed mine. "Hello Romeo, it's very nice to see you. Ahn is giving me temporary accommodation here until we have rebuilt Avalon."

  I frowned. "I was very sorry to hear of the burning of your forest."

  Rohan smiled sadly. "As was I. However it looks like the Rangers Guild – with the aid of the city of Vinab – has got Horrabians on the run.”

  I sat down in the sunshine. "I just saw Astral Bob, and he told me that the siege was underway.

  Ahn said, "I'm due to go back up there later today but I've left it all in Barcud's hands. He's very capable you know.”

  I nodded. “Yes, I met him briefly. He seemed a good guy.” I said, “I can't stay long. I've got a wagon outside.”

  Ahn said, "A wagon? I thought you were more the thespian."

  "Of course, I'm a thespian through and through. No other life for me. I've just got a little errand to run. I've even picked up a couple of NPCs – three to be exact."

  Ahn smiled. "You're really getting into the Greenwood life, aren't you? After all this time you're finally trading."

  I shook my head. "It's not really trading. I’ve got a little quest to run for the Queen of Summer." The name ran from my lips without me meaning to mention her. I think I blushed.

  Ahn raised an eyebrow.

  Rohan raised his hand to shade his eyes from the sun. “That sounds interesting. She's a lovely young woman.”

  Ahn corrected him. "Not really a woman – she's a goddess." He turned with concern in his dark eyes. "You should be careful, Romeo, before getting involved with the gods. They're a tricksy bunch. And I know you; you'd do anything to help anyone – but not everyone is as good-hearted as you are. They have motives.”

  Rohan was listening with interest. "If you don't mind me asking, what's the errand you're doing for her?"

  I shrugged. "I have to recover an item." Before long, I’d told them both the whole story.

  When I'd finished Rohan looked even more concerned. "If you're venturing into a necromancer's lair, you should be well prepared.”

  Ahn said, "Romeo can look after himself. He's an accomplished Bard – probably the best there is. And the bard skill set is a difficult one to master, but when it is mastered, it’s very powerful. They say it's the most powerful skill set in the game."

  "Ahn’s right, Rohan. I can look after myself. But I appreciate your concern.”

  Rohan reached into his inventory and pulled out a small crystal phial, which he handed it to me. The liquid inside had a faint pink tinge but was otherwise clear. I was about to take out the crystal stopper and smell it, when Rohan put his hand on mine to stop me doing so. “No, don't open it here. You’ll waste it.”

  “What is it?”

  Rohan said, “I worked with a wizard to create a potion that encapsulates the 12th level Druid spell Rain of Wild Roses.”

  "And how does it work?"

  Rohan said, "A rain of wild roses will fall from the sky for two seconds per caster level. And as I'm a level 20 Druid that means the rain will fall for forty seconds. Evil creatures must save against the blissful scent of the wild roses or be nauseated. They save using their toughness save but at -10 penalty. Nauseated creatures cannot act for one second per caster level – so they’ll be incapacitated for twenty seconds."

  I took the phial. “That’s very kind of you Rohan. So once they’ve failed their initial toughness save, they're incapacitated for twenty seconds with no further saves?”

  Rohan nodded.

  “That's pretty powerful. And it’s an Area of Effect spell?”

  Rohan nodded again. "The only caveat with the spell is it doesn’t work on creatures that have no sense of smell.”

  “So will it work with the undead?”

  It will work with vampires and zombies – even though they're dead, they still have noses and, zombies can smell of course, because they scent blood and brains. It won't work on ghostlike creatures or skeletons that have no flesh.”

  “What about liches?”

  “I don’t know about liches. They have no flesh.”

  Ahn said, “But they have extra sensory perception, I think. They’re the highest level undead.”

  I put the crystal vial in my inventory. “Thank you once again. I’d better be going though; my dwarfs are waiting for me.” I got up from my seat. “It was great to see you both and I may pop in on the way back if I have time.”

  Ahn saw me to the garden gate. He clapped his hand on my back. "Romeo, of course you realize that if this Ammon Duul is a level 20 necromancer, he’ll be tough.”

  "I don't plan to fight him, Ahn. I plan to get in there, get the mirror and get the hell out."

  "Good man. You take care and see you again when you pass by.” He winked. “Or when you resurrect after you fail the quest."

  I shook my head. I would not fail.

  The dwarfs were waiting for me when I got back. Bottom looked bored and asked me what had kept me. Quince told him not to be so rude and Flute followed a fly buzzing round with his nose. Bottom gently flicked the reins and the two horses Myrtle and Mindy pulling the wagon set off clip clopping their way away from Woodheart and north-east along the ol
d Dwarf Road.

  It took around two hours before we emerged from the forest into the open country of the Midland Hills. I could see the low hills gentle and rounded, covered by grass with the occasional tree clump stretching to the east. The way split here. The more travelled road headed north toward the city of Keld.

  "Which way now?"

  Quince pointed right along a distinct trail that wasn't as heavily travelled as the road to Keld. "That way leads into the Midland Hills and to the mine workings."

  Flute burbled, "We should know it – we travelled it once a day at least for two years."

  Bottom steered the horses and we took the eastern road until after around half a mile we were among the gently rising green hills. A babbling brook ran noisily to the right of the trail. Swallows flitted overhead. It didn’t seem as hot here as it would have been in Vinab. I looked around with a smile. I was enjoying the journey.

  After another mile, we were in the middle of the hills. They rose steeply on every side and the road wound on, weaving its way among the lower slopes.

  Quince said, "It's about another half a mile. Just around the bend. Still sure you want to go there?"

  I nodded. “I have to go there Quince. I'm on an errand for a lady.”

  I saw mine workings in the distance when we rounded the curve in the road. As we got closer, we passed an old sign that said The Midland Iron mine. That name had been nearly scrubbed out and tacked on it was a piece of canvas upon which was written: No entry. Trespassers will be Killed.

  “Friendly, aren't they?” Quince said.

  Bottom said, "We don't usually go any further than this. Since they closed the mine down, we generally turn round here and go back to Vinab."

  "Well, you wait here. I shouldn't be long."

  Quince shook his head. “No, we’ll reconnoiter with you.”

  Bottom frowned. “Will we?”

  Quince shooed him down from the wagon. We left Myrtle and Mindy chomping grass. The four of us made our way along the green road to the mine entrance. The dwarves had mattocks in hand and looked around warily. Something about the mine scared them. Quince said, “There’s a back entrance up here round this slope.”

  Maybe going in the back entrance would make sense. I followed Quince up the hill. The two other dwarfs lagged behind, still on their guard. Quince got to it before me. He brushed back his sweat slicked blond hair and put a thumb in his tartan waistcoat pocket. “Nah,” he said. “It’s partly collapsed.”

  I went up to him and peered in to the adit. He was right; there had been a rock fall. It wasn’t completely blocked but it would take work to clear it out so you could safely and comfortably enter the mine that way.

  “Okay,” I said. “Let’s use the front door.”

  We went round. Somebody had blocked up the entrance. Once it had been open to the elements, now rubble had been piled up to close off the mine. Entry was via a small black iron door with a chain.

  Bottom stopped. “I’m not going in.” Flute looked to Quince for guidance, but I could see Quince was scared. I patted him on his shoulder. (I thought his head would be bad form). “Don’t worry guys. I’ll be fine. You wait here for me coming out.”

  As I approached the mine entrance a message popped up on my HUD: “You have begun the Quest of the Silver Mirror.”

  8. The Mansions of Amon Duul

  The black iron door had been bound with a chain but that was broken now. I pushed the door creakily open and the complete darkness of the cavern confronted me. A feeling of damp and neglect brushed my face and hands.

  I reached into my inventory and pulled out a torch, a flint and some iron. I struck the iron against the flint and a shower of sparks flew to light the bone dry torch. The yellow smoky flame guttered and for the first time I saw the chamber I had entered.

  I stepped forward on the sandy floor and was aware of a strange metallic tang in the air it only took me a second to realize that it was the smell of blood. I looked around searching for bloodstains and recent fighting, but only made out black marks in the poor light. It was long dry and I couldn’t see any fresh blood. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing. Cautiously I looked around. There were no obvious bodies, footprints, or marks of fighting on the main trail that led deeper into the caverns. With a shrug, I went on.

  As I crept deeper, I saw that there were different paths leading into various tunnels. At one time this had been a bustling mine. Rusted railroad tracks ran straight ahead, and an ore hopper lay on its side, contents long spilled and rusted in the wet air.

  To my right I saw a portcullis. I approached it and saw beyond the portcullis was a room. An exit led out from it, but it was partly blocked by falling rocks. I guessed this was the back entrance Quince had shown me. I put my hand on the rough metal and shook it; it didn't budge but it squeaked. Busting it open was not worth the effort. Then, through the decayed metal grille, I saw the moldering skeletons of two dwarfs. It looked like they'd once been guards. The skeletons were not dismembered and my best guess was that they'd starved to death in that small room after the portcullis had fallen, locking them in, and they'd couldn't retreat because of the rockfall blocking the exit behind.

  I turned to walk cautiously along the main path and saw an entrance into a room to my left. Holding the torch above my head, I saw rows of desks. The desks each had an inkwell, a book stand, the remains of a candle and a rusting tin candle-holder. Dust covered everything. My guess was that this had been the mine's accounts room.

  Creeping further along into the caves, I heard the sound of running water. A stream flowed from a still functioning fountain carved in the shape of a seashell. A fish headed gargoyle with an open mouth was the source of the water that poured into the shaped basin. The iron rich water stained everything rusty red and dripped and slopped onto the floor to form its own stream, which ran to a guttering in the middle of the passage, and with a gurgling disappeared into the depths below.

  Groaning issued from the room behind.

  I spun round and raised my torch to reveal the unsteady shapes of skeletons rising from the floor. There were four of them. I must have stepped over them but missed them as they lay in the ruinous debris of the disused mine. Now they stood and lurched toward me, extending the browned bones of their fingers.

  Quickly, I pulled my mandolin from my inventory and taking a second to tune it played the Music of the Dead. The eerie pizzicato of the strings echoed through the cavern. As they got within range of the spell, the skeletons came to a halt and stood motionless. They failed their saves and the blue notes of my music swarmed around them like slow, melodious flies. Now the skeletons were halted, I turned back, facing deeper into the mine. I had no map, and no idea of where I was going. I trusted the Queen of Summer to guide me from afar.

  An awful foreboding possessed me. Something bad was in here.

  At the end of the passage the cavern opened up. I saw that I stood on a bridge. Stone carved steps went up and stone carved steps went descended into the depths. The passage continued running on in front of me and there were branches to the right and the left.

  I decided to put up my defenses. I played the Concerto which gave me elemental protection—10 for each element, acid, cold, electricity and fire. I plucked it on my mandolin and the elemental shield flashed up around me. Taking out my flute I played the Ditty. The Ditty conjured up an anti-spitting aura around me. In the Greenwood poisons were often delivered by an enemy spitting. It was usually a ranger or a thief who spat poisons at you, and I didn't think it was likely I would run into either class down here, but better safe than sorry. Then with my mandolin, I played the Allegro that gave me haste effect, increasing my walking speed by 20% and my attacks by 10%. To stop me being tripped

  I played the Paradiddle on my flute and immediately levitated six inches in the air. With the flute, I also played the Tune that gave me health regeneration over time effect. This would last one minute per level – so twenty minutes and I would have to play it a
gain. Just to be complete I open my lungs and sang a rousing Shanty. That gave me a mana regeneration over time and restored the mana I’d just used in casting these protection spells.

  The music broke the silence of that dreadful place and gave me courage. The notes lingered and then faded away. I then stretched and acted out the grand gestures of Comedy from the Drama skill set, which gave me 10 damage reduction. All my defenses up, I moved on.

  I didn't know which way the Mirror lay. But some instinct directed me to descend the stone steps. I went down further into darkness and silence. The notes of my music now seemed a distant memory, but the mandolin still hung on the strap around my neck and I clutched the flute in my right hand.