World Tree Online: The Duchess of Hammers: 2nd Dive Begins

by M. A. Carlson

  You have successfully helped the Spirit Wolf give birth and been rewarded handsomely for the effort. It seems not all are pleased with this, protect the new pack.

  Reward: Experience

  Do you accept this quest?

  Yes

  No

  Micaela left the spirit plain, mentally accepting the quest. She turned to face the door, both axes brought to bear, Vision stood next to her feet, growling as loudly as his little body would allow.

  “My parents, brothers, and sisters may not be able to see me anymore, but I will not allow them to come to harm,” Vision snarled, his fangs bared.

  “Agreed,” said Micaela, a sentiment echoed by the other totems.

  “We want the shaman,” shouted a voice on the other side of the door.

  Micaela was never known for her patience. If they want a shaman, then a shaman they shall get. “Sundance, big entrance,” said Micaela, picturing what she wanted him to do.

  “Hehe, you got it, Micaela, charging,” the ax answered, starting to build up energy, taking on a yellow glow and emitting tremendous heat.

  Micaela twirled Sundance once, kicked the door open and swung for the first enemy she saw. Except there were none. “What the deuce?” she asked, feeling somewhat let down.

  Ridley turned sharply to look, only to frown when he saw Micaela. “Did you have to break the door?”

  “But . . . I thought, we were making a grand entrance into a fight where the fate of the World Tree might be at stake,” she replied, sagging and feeling a little sad that her wild day dreams about just how important her class quest might have been.

  “Nah, Gomer was in to get his horns sharpened today,” said Ridley, patting the side of some kind of beast.

  It was only then Micaela noticed the two bodies held to the ground by the large beast. It also took her a second to recognize the beast, it was a freaking triceratops. Not like in the museums though, this one had a shiny metal faceplate and his horns had electricity sparking between them,

  “Well that is disappointing,” she said, ignoring the whining from both Butch and Sundance.

  “Yeah, he’s a good boy,” said Ridley, suddenly baby talking the Electro-tops. “Gomer, you are getting extra grub tonight, I think you have earned it.”

  The Electro-tops got excited at that, jumping up and down a little and doing even more damage to the previously pinned enemies. They were enemies, right?

  “So, who are they?” Micaela asked, pointing to the pinned intruders.

  “Ardentia Guild by the look of them,” Ridley answered. “I sent Snow to run to the garrison and get a couple guards to pick these two up.”

  “Okay, who are the Ardentia Guild?” Micaela asked.

  “Worshipers of love, any jilted lovers recently?” he asked, laughing.

  “I am happily married, thank you very much,” protested Micaela.

  “Well, you have done something to get them after you. If it is not about you directly then probably about someone you know. Anyone come to mind?” Ridley asked.

  “Not that I can think of, could it be about the wolves?” Micaela asked.

  “Possible, unlikely but possible. Oh well,” he said with a shrug. “Looks like you were successful, and the wolves paid you for your services.”

  “Huh?” Micaela uttered, confused by his statement until he pointed to the wolf cub circling her feet. “Oh, yeah, Layla and her three pups are perfectly fine.”

  “Good work then,” he said, a firm and final nod. “Please stay until the guards show up to collect these two. Afterward, I believe our business has concluded. I will have Snow escort you out.”

  Class Quest Alert: Sick Wolves, Help Wanted! 3 (Recommended Level 6-8) - Completed

  You have successfully helped the Spirit Wolf give birth and been rewarded handsomely for the effort. It seems not all are pleased with this, protect the new pack.

  Reward: +1,500-Experience

  Micaela nodded once, her mind still fixated on just who the Ardentia Guild was and what they wanted with her.

  Class Quest Alert: Sick Wolves, Help Wanted! 4 (Recommended Level 6-8)

  The wolves are safe for now. But the question remains, why were you targeted? Investigate this new threat and find out what they want.

  Reward: Experience

  Do you accept this quest?

  Yes

  No

  Micaela was giddy as she accepted the quest, it was another link in the chain to what would hopefully be an epic quest line.

  “Micaela, feed me,” whined Vision, looking up at her pleadingly.

  “Hey, Ridley,” started Micaela, looking to the master tamer. “What do spirit wolves eat?”

  Ridley chuckled and shook his head. “Come with me, I can give you a crash course in animal care.”

  The quick course yielded a new skill, ‘Animal Husbandry’, and not long after, the guards showed up.

  Animal Husbandry

  Level: 1

  Experience: 0.00%

  Skill Effect (Active): Animal husbandry is the knowledge to care for and raise animals. Everything from their basic health, to feeding and washing.

  Health Requirement: 1 portion of raw food per level per day, 1 bath per week, 1 checkup per month

  Subskill: Checkup

  Skill Effect (Active): Scan your animal for health concerns.

  Skill Stamina Cost: 120 stamina Skill Use Speed: 2 minutes channeled.

  Chapter 9

  I would have growled, I certainly could have growled. Part of me even thought it would be a good idea to growl. But the wiser, more tempered side of myself advised caution and patience.

  I growled.

  “Don’t you growl at me,” Rose snipped heatedly.

  “You’re not being fair,” I retorted.

  “You’re too trusting,” she retorted for at least the fifth time, probably more.

  “He had a perfectly reasonable reason to check on us,” I stated yet again.

  “And what if we had been up to something . . . private?” Rose asked, a hint of blush dusting her cheeks.

  “I’d have smote him on the spot and sent him for respawn before he even got an eyeful,” I replied instantly, not even thinking about my answer.

  Rose’s blush deepened, but she seemed to have finally calmed down . . . or at least it’d made her calmer. “Next time, lock your door,” she grumbled softly.

  I wanted to reply that would be in vain because locks don’t mean much to Heath, but held my tongue, the more rational side of me winning out this time.

  Rose huffed and sat down on the couch with her arms crossed. We were in the front room, just waiting for the duchess to return from her visit with the human king. Playing out the same argument for the last hour, from the time Heath left us alone, through lunch and up until now. At least the argument seemed to have reached a state of ceasefire.

  Rose insisted that we continue reading somewhere more public. The idea being that Heath wouldn’t get it into his head that we were doing anything more than reading. As it was, with the interruption, lunch and the argument with Rose, I had to start my book over again.

  I sat on the same couch, but at the far end away from Rose, partly because I was still a little mad at her treatment of Heath, mostly out of self-preservation. She still looked angry.

  Sitting back, I pulled out ‘Portals of the World Tree’. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the book at first, maybe a map of portal locations or about the legends of the portals and how they came to be. Instead, the book was heavy on magical theory, more specifically ley-mapping. Ley-mapping was how to read the ley-lines and how they were created, it even included a little information on how stable and unstable ley-lines were constantly shifting, being created and destroyed only to reconnect elsewhere. They also didn’t run in straight lines, more like connecting strings that weaved around each other.

  As I read, I remember Micaela mentioning rumors about the portals on the higher branches moving around, w
hich tied in with what the book described. It was heavy reading, laden with mathematical formulas that barely made sense to me. Had I not gotten into coding when I was younger, I would have been completely lost.

  “Afternoon, mate,” said Heath, appearing next to me and successfully startling me.

  “Heath,” I growled, my foul mood worsening. “Stop doing that!”

  “No can do, mate,” the thief replied, acting relaxed and nonchalant.

  I took a quick glance at Rose and she looked about ready to explode again. I took a deep breath and firmed my resolve. “Heath, we need to talk.”

  Heath cocked his head to side, giving me a strange look. “Are you breaking up with me?” he asked, his bad British accent in full force.

  “I’m serious,” I said firmly.

  Heath frowned before replying, “Fine, fine, what do you want to talk about?”

  “I gave you the benefit of the doubt earlier, you’re our friend and have earned our trust. However, that trust does not extend to entering my room or anyone else’s without their permission. I would appreciate it, as I am sure everyone would, if you were to at least knock first from now on,” I requested, trying my best to keep a firm resolve.

  “And if there is an emergency? Like, say a spy going through your things?” he asked, most of his normal nonchalance absent, suggesting he was being specific.

  “What happened?” I asked, forgetting my previous line of questioning.

  “One of the staff maids was going through Olaf’s room, then she tried to go through mine. I caught her in the act, then she leapt through a window and disappeared,” he answered, a bit of ice in his voice. “But, if you don’t want me entering your rooms . . . who am I to argue?”

  “Heath, this is serious. You knew we were in the room,” demanded Rose angrily. “We’re just asking for a little courtesy.”

  Heath seemed to deflate slightly. “Yeah, fine, if I know you’re in the room and the door is closed I will knock, fair?”

  “Very,” I answered, preemptively cutting Rose off before she could berate him further. “Now, about this spy,” I prompted him.

  “Not much to tell, at least not yet,” the thief replied, before explaining everything that happened, from a girl looking through papers until he found coded messages in her room. Of course, this was only after he told an exaggerated and harrowing tale of how he disarmed the traps first, barely stopping the imminent destruction of the manor and the end of his life.

  “Sounds like you’ve had a busy day,” I said when he finished.

  “Did she say anything before leaping out the window?” Rose asked, looking thoughtful.

  “Some nonsense about us not standing in the way of love or something,” he answered, clearly not thinking much about it.

  “Ardentia Guild,” Rose and I said at the same time.

  “Arde-what?” Heath asked.

  Now it was our turn to share.

  “Man, Bye-bye, you really are the Cool Stuff Finder,” Heath commented, having listened to my story, no exaggeration needed.

  Why did that name have to come back to haunt me? I thought it was agreed, I would be the ‘Loremaster’, not ‘Cool Stuff Finder’. Curse you Micaela Crushhammer!

  “He’s the gift that keeps on giving,” said Rose, who then blushed bright red a moment later, to match my own, as she realized what she just said.

  Heath just laughed unrestrained.

  Once the laughing stopped, and Rose and I stopped blushing so brightly, Heath informed us about his new codebreaking subskill.

  “That sounds awesome,” I couldn’t help but gush.

  “You guys would not believe the day I just had,” shouted an overly excited, pixyish ogre as she rushed into the room.

  “Ardentia Guild?” the three of us asked at the same time.

  Sails deflated in an instant, “Boo, how’d you guys already know?” Micaela asked.

  “Us too,” was the collective response.

  “Okay, that confirms it then, we’re definitely being targeted. I hope Baby and Olaf make it back okay,” worried Rose.

  “Back from where?” Baby asked, flying into the room, seemingly uninjured.

  Rose rushed to her sister, giving her a once over for any injuries or damage to the diminutive healer.

  “I’m fine, Rose. What has you so worked up?” Baby protested.

  “We were all attacked today,” Rose answered.

  “Really?” Baby asked. “My day was pretty boring. I spent my day healing injuries, curing diseases and slapping handsy patients.”

  “I hope Olaf’s day was just as boring,” added Micaela.

  “Say Micaela, did you know you have a blue, wolf-ghost thing on your shoulder?” I asked, pointing to the small wolf draped over her shoulder.

  The little pup was looking at us and around the room, his little ghostly tail waggling about.

  “Yup, this is Vision, he was my reward for completing part of a class quest chain. Isn’t he the cutest little spirit wolf you’ve ever seen?” Micaela gushed, scratching the pup under its chin and behind its ears.

  Baby, of course, flew up and started petting the puppy, making her look even more childlike than usual. “Oh, you are just so cute. I could just eat you up.”

  Vision growled at her for that. “I will not let you eat me. Attack Boss, before the fairy gets me.”

  “Oh, she’s just playing with you. It’s an expression,” said Micaela, laughing at her little pup.

  I won’t speak for anyone else, but I was quite stunned to hear the little wolf speak.

  “Ooh, must . . . have . . . puppy!” Baby shouted, excitedly grabbing up the puppy in her short pudgy arms and hugging him close to her, nuzzling his ghostly fur.

  “So, your sister seems to like dogs,” I commented to Rose.

  Rose sighed. “You have no idea. Personally, I’m more of a cat person.” Panther hissed agitatedly from around her neck. “And snakes, I like snakes too,” she quickly amended.

  “We’re getting sidetracked here,” I said, trying to reign in my excitable friends. “Micaela, you had a run in with the Ardentia Guild?”

  “Maybe we should wait for Olaf, then we can all share our days adventures,” suggested Rose.

  Seeing no point in disagreeing with Rose, I resumed to my book. Trying to tune out Baby and Micaela giggling and playing with the new wolf cub that joined our motley crew.

  The slamming of the front door startled me out of my reading. A quick look at my friends showed they too were startled, Rose to the point of arming herself.

  Thankfully it was just Olaf . . . a very angry looking Olaf. In the time I’d known Olaf, I had never seen him really angry, right now he looked downright furious.

  “Yo,” said Heath first, giving the ogre a mock salute.

  Olaf snarled and huffed.

  “What’s wrong, babe?” Micaela asked, approaching her husband unafraid.

  “Bloody bigots is what’s up!” Olaf shouted angrily.

  “What happened?” asked Micaela, prodding him to share.

  “So, I went to the artillery range to get some training, maybe learn a thing or two,” started the angry ogre. “I expected to get a little hassle from the officers just because I am an ogre. I’ve even come to expect it to a certain degree. I know, no matter how much I work to increase my charisma, it will never be as effective as Bye-bye’s or especially Heath’s.”

  “Got that right, mate,” interjected Heath, trying to lighten the mood a little.

  “Anyway,” started Olaf, sparing a small glare for the thief. “The other soldiers weren’t the problem. It was the other ogres and their artillery crews. Bigoted dungeon slimes, the lot of them.”

  “What happened?” I asked, hoping he’d be willing to share with us. If I could, I would see what I could do to help with the situation.

  “I introduced myself to the other ogres. Right away, they sneered at me. The biggest of the group, an ogre a head taller than me named said to me very
clearly ‘Hum lov og no wan, g’way’. I couldn’t believe it, he was the only one of the lot that could speak and even then, it was extremely broken English. And worse, he insulted me without even knowing me,” answered Olaf. “So, I tried speaking to the artillery crews. They called me a dumb brute and told me to come back when I got stronger. I tried to protest, then one of the higher-level dwarven crewmen pulled out a bloody whip and cracked it at me, like I was some kind of animal to be tamed.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, love,” said Micaela, wrapping her husband in a hug.

  “Want me to arrange an accident?” Heath offered, no accent to his voice, just a cold fury.

  I was shocked by Heath’s response, I don’t think I was the only one either.

  “No,” said Olaf, not even considering it. “I just need to accept they aren’t worth training with.”

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, Jack and I secured training privileges at the local guard barracks,” said Rose, trying to smile for our friend.

  “And a new quest chain,” I added, that always seemed to perk Olaf up.

  “Two of them,” said Micaela.

  “Three,” said Heath, his accent back in place.

  “You guys really know how to cheer an ogre up, don’t you?” Olaf asked with a snort of laughter. He took a deep cleansing breath, letting it out slowly and deflating, the tension in his shoulders relaxing. “Okay, what’s this about another quest chain?” he asked.

  It took almost an hour for all of us to share our days’ misadventures.

  “I’m never leaving your side again, Bye-bye,” said Olaf, when we all finished sharing. “Seriously, I’m handcuffing myself to you from now on.”

  “No,” said Rose, possessively wrapping her arms around me. “My quest monkey!” she hissed.

  I wished so badly to sink into the floor just then . . . or turn invisible . . . maybe a trip to respawn, anything to escape.

  “Well, well, something you’d like to share with the rest of us?” Heath leered.