by R. A. Mejia
© 2017 Ramon Mejia
All Rights Reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1.1
Chapter 1.2
Chapter 1.3
Chapter 1.4
Chapter 1.5
Chapter 1.6
Chapter 1.7
Chapter 1.8
Chapter 1.9
Chapter 2.1
Chapter 2.2
Chapter 2.3
Chapter 2.4
Chapter 2.5
Chapter 2.6
Chapter 2.7
Chapter 2.8
Interlude 1
Chapter 3.1
Chapter 3.2
Chapter 3.3
Chapter 3.4
Chapter 4.1
Chapter 4.2
Chapter 4.3
Chapter 4.4
Chapter 4.5
Chapter 4.6
Chapter 4.7
Chapter 4.8
Chapter 4.9
Chapter 4.10
Chapter 4.11
Chapter 4.12
Chapter 4.13
Chapter 4.14
Chapter 4.15
Chapter 4.16
Chapter 4.17
Chapter 5.1
Chapter 5.2
Chapter 5.3
Chapter 5.4
Chapter 5.5
Chapter 5.6
Chapter 5.7
Chapter 5.8
Chapter 5.9
Chapter 5.10
Chapter 5.11
Chapter 6.1
Chapter 6.2
Interlude 2
Chapter 6.3
Chapter 6.4
Chapter 6.5
Chapter 6.6
Chapter 6.7
Chapter 6.8
Epilogue
From the Author
Dedication
For my beautiful, patient wife. Not only has she continued to be on the frontlines correcting my spelling mistakes but she’s been my greatest supporter on this crazy journey.
Prologue
Work, work, work! That’s all I seem to do these days. Spy on this person. Assassinate that person. Arrange a coup in this country. Prop up a government in that country. If I didn’t love my job so much, I’d think of quitting. But my lord needs me. Without me, his dedicated spymaster, he’d have no idea what was happening in the larger world. He’s so busy ruling his kingdom, he hardly even leaves his castle in the north. Yet, here I am, in the Imperare Empire. Playing the role of wealthy merchant and bonder so that I can expand my spy network. During the day, I make trade deals and magically bond slaves to their owners using blood magic. My services are expensive since the magical blood bonding I provide can only be broken upon the death of either the master or the slave. However, wealthy slave owners prefer the reassurance that their more valuable property can never disobey them, harm them, or escape. It’s much more reassuring than relying on chains and overseers.
The master was indeed not pleased by the fiasco in Restrian. There, we finally found the agent of change sent to this world by the Overlord God, but he slipped through our fingers. Those fools tried to take him during a battle. Of course, he fought back. Now, he’s not exactly positively disposed towards our cause. What I need is leverage. Some way to force the boy to stand still and listen. I was given explicit guidelines. Convert him to our cause or kill him and I never like to waste a potential resource. The dead after all are no good to anyone. Well, unless you're a necromancer.
My last report had him fleeing Restrian in the company of a kobold, a fairy, and a woman with red hair. I’ll send the information to my agents in the area. With any luck, I’ll have another chance to chat with the boy soon. But I do need to find some time to relax. Perhaps an hour or two watching the fights will help
Chapter 1.1
Armon,
It saddens me greatly to read about the fall of Restrian and the murder of the kobold tribe. I know how close you had become with them since Vrax was magically bonded to you as a brood brother. From what you have told me of the Red Claw Tribe, they were noble, and the world is sadder for their loss. I understand your determination to take revenge against the Imperare Empire for what they did, but I caution you against rushing into action. You are still only level 4, and the Empire has many soldiers that stand between you and your goals. Heed my advice and either grow stronger or use your mind to find the solutions to your problems. Do not risk your life unnecessarily.
As always, you have whatever support Rex, Keans, and I can offer you. Please take care of yourself. It would sadden me greatly to lose you.
Lilliandra
I finish reading the message for the third time and sigh. While I appreciate the words of consolement from Lilliandra, someone that’s become like a second mother to me, I have a hard time taking her advice to heart. She wasn’t there. She didn’t witness the citizens of Restrian chained up and hauled away as slaves. She didn’t see the devastation of the kobolds’ home. The broken furniture, the wrecked tables, the personal items the Imperare soldiers tossed about when looking for the kobold’s treasure. She didn’t hear Vrax’s keening when he found the hatchery broken into and every innocent kobold egg crushed. An entire generation of the tribe wiped out in an instant.
I know in my mind, that there was nothing I could have done to prevent the actions of the Empire. They wanted Restrian because of its proximity to the dungeon. A place their soldiers and citizens could fight monsters, gain experience points, and grow stronger. It’s just their policy to kill or enslave any non-human in the territories they control.
Yet, in my heart, I can’t help but be angry and feel guilty over it all. The people of Restrian have been kind to me, a stranger that only appeared a few months ago. They supported my treks into the dungeon and provided me with quests. I’d grown to think of Restrian as a place I could call home someday.
The Red Claw Clan adopted me when they magically bound me to them and Vrax. I had a responsibility to protect them as I would my own family. Yet, where was I when they were attacked? Off on a date, killing monsters in the dungeon with a beautiful woman.
Vrax is no less guilt ridden. He constantly pushes for our group to hurry. Thinking we’ll somehow be able to catch up to the soldiers that have taken the few surviving members of the tribe. Unfortunately, the three of us are on foot, and the soldiers have horses and a cart. Every day they get further away.
We’ve tracked them for a week now, moving as quickly as we can, but they get farther away. Mary, the most knowledgeable of our group, tells me that we’re heading towards the Imperare border city of Valse. A city known for its thriving slave market.
Chapter 1.2
Resting for the night, I’m awakened by the sounds of shuffling nearby. I lie still, eyes open, intently listening for the sound that woke me. There it is again, a huffing sound and the snapping of branches. I look to my left and right to make sure it’s not just Vrax coming back from a late night restroom break. Nope, he’s curled up next to me, and I can hear Mary snoring in the branches above. I
sit up, equip my spear and look around for the source of the noise. I turn on [Darkvision] ability and find I can see almost as good as I can during the day. However, what I see nearby makes me wish I hadn’t turned the ability on. Near the campfire where we cooked our dinner last night, is a hulking shaggy creature moving around on four legs. It’s facing away from me, but I can see that it has dark hard looking plates along its back that likely act as armor. The creature must be able to sense my attention because it turns and I see its face, or rather snout. Startled by the shift in attention I recognize it finally and yell, “Bear!”
I hear movement next to and above me but am too distracted to look away from the creature in front of me. The sound of my yell startles the massive beast. It rises up on its two hind legs, making it look monstrously large from my position on the floor. I scramble to my feet and yell again in terror at the sight. The bear roars back in challenge. Looking above its head, I see the name of the creature appear and its level.
Stone Bear, lvl. 8
Oh, shit. I would have worried about a level 1 bear much less a level 8 one.
The standing bear lumbers forward on its hind legs waving wide paws with wickedly curved claws. Fear giving power to my strike, I instinctually stab out with the spear in my hands.
Damage dealt: 1
The tip of the spear barely penetrates the thick fur of the bear. It dislikes the feeling of my spear in its chest though and topples forward, swiping at my spear with its claws on the way down. The claws shear through my spear like it is a toothpick, cleanly snapping it in two.
Looking at what’s left of the weapon in my hands I can’t help but think that I should have repaired that spear before we left.
My thoughts are brought back to the present as the ground shakes when the full weight of the Stone Bear hits it. I’m almost knocked off my feet by the force but remain standing. The Stone Bear claws the ground with its massive paws, and I see deep furrows left in the ground. It begins moving toward me when three purple bolts of magical energy hit the bear in the face.
Mary does damage: 3 (force damage)
Mary does damage: 2 (force damage)
Mary does damage: 1 (force damage)
At nearly the same instant that Mary’s [Magic Missiles] hit the animal, I see Vrax appear behind the bear and strike its backside with his shortsword.
Vrax does damage: 4 (backstab)
Vrax’s sword barely cuts through the hide of the bear and I see sparks fly where the blade hits stone plates.
All together we’d barely done 11 points of damage to the massive creature. We’re going to get slaughtered.
Above me, I hear Mary yell, “Don’t just stand there, stupid. Run while we distract it.”
I see that Mary is correct, the Stone Bear is pawing at its snout from the sting Mary gave it and turning to face what attacked it from behind.
I take the opportunity to turn around and run. I hear Mary yelling as I gain distance, “Run Armon, run!”
I crash through bushes and leap over logs in the dark forest. My [Darkvision] ability aiding my sight and allowing me to see the obstacles in front of me. The bear must have noticed me running because I can hear the sounds of it crashing through the forest behind me.
After a few minutes of running, I realize that the sound of the bear is getting closer and I remember that Survivorguy said on TV once that a bear can run up to 25 mph. This bear probably has more stamina than me too, so there’s little chance of me getting away. I look around and see a tree as thick as a Volkswagen Beetle with a low hanging branch. I turn and sprint for all I’m worth towards the tree. I leap to the branch when I’m close enough and feel my hand grasp it. I pull myself up as quickly as possible, my legs wrapping around the bough so that I don’t fall off. Looking down I see the Stone Bear looking up at me only a few feet away. It starts to get up on its hind legs again, and I realize it’ll be able to reach me that way. I frantically crawl along the branch to the thick tree trunk and start to climb up. Thankfully the bark of the tree is thick and gnarled, giving me plenty of handholds to use. I keep climbing until I reach a thick branch at least three times as high as me. I crawl along the branch and sit, straddling it and leaning my back against the tree trunk.
You’ve learned the skill [Climb]
Climb
You’re no longer bound to the ground. You’ve grasped the fundamentals of climbing things. You’re less likely to slip while climbing and more liable to see a handhold.
Novice 1
Bonus: 1% less likely to slip while climbing. 1% more likely to spot a needed handhold.
I dismiss the notifications and look down to see the bear stretched out, its paws reaching for me and scratching the bark of the tree. It definitely would have gotten me if I’d stayed on that lower branch.
The Stone Bear pushes against the tree and the branch I sit on shakes violently. I’m jostled and almost fall off, but catch myself and hug the branch like my life depends on it. Which it likely does. After a few more attempts at shaking me out of the tree, the bear seems to give up on the idea. He swipes at the tree and tears some wood away, but the tree is so thick that it would take hours of that to make it fall down. The bear looks up at me one more time and roars. Then it shuffles away slowly, occasionally looking back at me and huffing.
I watch it go and breathe a sigh of relief. A voice to my left startles me, “Hey, there you are. Was wondering where you ran off to.”
I turn and see Mary, my fairy companion, hovering in midair. Her four translucent wings beating as fast as a hummingbird’s. On a dark night, her black leather armor and her dark hair would make her really hard to see if I didn’t have [Darkvision] active or if Mary hadn’t cast her [Light] spell creating a globe of light surrounding her.
I breath a sigh of relief and say, “Oh, it’s you Mary. Don’t startle me like that. I’m already jumpy from being chased by that bear.”
“Yeah, I saw it walking away from this direction and figured it lost you. Good thing Stone Bears can’t climb. They’re too heavy with those plates. If it had been a regular bear, you would have been a picnic lunch for it.”
I hadn’t realized bears could climb trees. Yogi never did that in the cartoons. Dismissing my lucky break, I ask, ““How’d you know it lost me and didn’t kill me?”
“Because your health bar didn’t disappear silly.”
“Huh?”
The flying fairy puts her hands on her hips and looks at me like I’ve forgotten how to read. “We’re still grouped, remember? I can see your health, stamina, and mana bars in the corner of my vision. If you’d died, you would have disappeared from the group.”
That’s right. We decided to stay grouped at all times after the attack on Restrian. We haven’t gotten in any fights since then, so I haven’t needed to pull that information up. I focus on the corner of my vision where Mary’s and Vrax’s health, stamina, and mana bars are and see that they’re all depleted a little, but Vrax seems to have a good chunk missing from his health bar. I pull up our [Group] panel, and a transparent blue screen appears in front of me.
Armon Health 46/46 Stamina 54/62 Mana 76/76
Mary Health 31/31 Stamina 46/49 Mana 96/106
Vrax Health 52/68 Stamina 79/105 Mana 37/37
“Why is Vrax missing so much health?” I ask Mary, concerned for my kobold friend.
“Oh, after he backstabbed the bear it took a swipe at him. Vrax dodged but got nicked by the tip of a bear claw. Then he ran away and hid using his stealth ability, so the bear didn’t go after him. He’s ok, but the attack took some health from him.”
As Mary explains what happened after I ran, I see that Vrax’s health starts to increase and his mana decrease. He must be using the healing charm I gave him. It’s not as efficient as having a healer around but sure beats having to wait for health to regenerate from resting. He’d have to sit and rest for hours to restore the health he lost without the healing charm.
Vrax Health 66/68 Stamina 79/105 Mana 7/37<
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Seeing Vrax back to almost full health relieves some of my worries. I still feel guilty having run while my friends distracted the Stone Bear. Especially since Vrax got hurt.
Reading my thoughts Mary lands on my shoulder and pats my head comfortingly. “It’s not your fault Vrax got hurt, Armon. There wasn’t anything you could have done. Especially once the bear destroyed your spear. Vrax and I never meant to fight the bear. We just needed to get its attention away from you so we could all run. I was never in danger since I can fly and Vrax is a whole lot better at sneaking around than you. You’re the only one the bear was really interested in.”
My mind understands what she’s saying, but my heart still feels guilty for not being able to protect my friends. The situation brings up older, much deeper pains, and I feel a tightness in my chest. I wasn’t able to protect the people of Restrian or the kobold clan. It doesn’t seem to me like I’m good for much.
With a conscious effort, I push thoughts about my own inadequacies away for the moment.
“It’s going to take me a little while to climb down from this tree. Do you mind finding Vrax and letting him know where we are? I don’t think we should go back to camp. That bear is probably there eating our leftovers from dinner.”
Mary nods in agreement, and she flies away, looking like a giant firefly weaving through the forest. I watch her go until she passes from view, then I start to climb down the tree to which I’m clinging. It seems to take me a lot longer to climb down the tree than it took to get up it, but soon enough my feet are on good old solid ground. I look around the dark forest but don’t see any sign of the bear. Still, no point in taking chances. The weapon I’m most experienced with is destroyed, but I have a few other options in my inventory.