World Tree Online- the Endless Savanna- 3rd Dive

by M. A. Carlson

  “Yes, but first I need to use ‘Break Enchantment’ on each of the old enchantments, which is just as time consuming as placing the enchantments. And there is a small chance that it will destroy the item the enchantment is attached to,” Rose said. “Anyway, as my ‘Enchanting’ profession levels up, the size of my formulae shrink with each level until Rank VI, and then the enchantments don’t get any smaller, instead they start getting stronger due to my expertise. So, instead of plus one, I might get plus two or three, maybe more than that. I just don’t know yet.”

  “That is really awesome,” I said, happy for Rose. It sounded like she was on the right path for herself. “I can see why you would want to learn to enchant faster.”

  “Yeah, but so far the book says I can only increase the speed of enchantments I’m extremely familiar with. I’m not sure what that means exactly, but I would guess it means I need to do the same enchantment repeatedly,” Rose replied. “Still, if I can master that enchantment-”

  I understood completely. Part of me still hoped she would learn some other enchantments that would benefit the rest of us, but I also understood just how beneficial such an enchantment would be to her play style. “So, if that was the only thing you bought from the Goddess Lilith, what took you so long to join me?” I asked.

  “The Goddess Lilith doesn’t believe in just giving away knowledge. First, I was forced to prove to her I had the ‘Enchanting’ profession at a level she deemed worthy. Second, she doesn’t give out scrolls. I sat with her and learned the enchantment from scratch, tracing the designs, one segment at a time, then writing the designs on my own without the trace paper. Then repeating the process until the Goddess Lilith was satisfied,” Rose explained.

  “I can see why that would take a little longer. Did you learn anything else from her?” I asked.

  “Not this time. She did suggest I learn the skill ‘Body Control’. Sirac gave me a book for it, I figured I would read it over the next few weeks or whatever,” Rose said.

  “Hey, I can make you a skill book for it,” I said, feeling a little excited about being able to help her. And then I frowned. I had so many skills and I really hadn’t done anything to share them with my friends. ‘Body Control’ was a skill that all my friends could use. So was ‘Stealth’, ‘Shift’ and ‘Acrobatics’, but the thought hadn’t even occurred to me. I was sure there would be more later that would benefit them as well. “Remind me to pick up a bunch of scrolls and plenty of ink.”

  “You don’t need to do that for me, but I won’t say no,” Rose replied, happily taking my arm as we walked down the street.

  “I know I don’t need to. I want to and should have done it sooner,” I said. “I should have been doing it all along to help you and the others.”

  “Well, now you can,” Rose said, smiling. “For now, we need to stop in to see Vari and Lieutenant Saaya.”

  I hadn’t even noticed the barracks gates, not even when they were just ten feet away from us. “I hope they are doing well.”

  “Let’s find out,” said Rose, pulling me toward the gates and the soldiers guarding it.

  “Halt,” ordered as we approached. “State your business.”

  “We came to visit with Lieutenant Saaya and Patrolman Vari,” Rose said.

  “I am sorry to inform you, Captain Saaya and Patrolman Vari were both reassigned to the Root City Border Citadel,” the Sergeant said.

  “Captain now,” I said approvingly. “Good for him. Have you opened a jump point there yet?” I asked as a follow up and showing the Sergeant my Jump Badge. Unless I missed my guess, the Border Citadel was the fortress we helped capture from the Stonebreaker Mafia last month.

  “They are still working on one. The closest is still in the Ninth Ring and about a day’s travel from there,” the Sergeant explained.

  “What about Patrolman Rhyes?” I asked. I was already making plans to make time at the end of the current dive to go pay Saaya and Vari a visit, I just hoped I would have enough time.

  “Sr. Patrolman Rhyes now. He’s assigned to the Jump Station in Fifth Ring, Southwest 4. Keeps him close to that new young wife of his,” the Sergeant answered.

  “That was fast,” I said. Rhyes was a patrolman I met early last month . . . actually I first met him at the end of my first dive, but he wasn’t exactly a good man. I guess meeting me changed him a bit. Anyway, Rhyes and a woman named Molly were close and after a hostage situation with a love cult . . . they connected.

  “Well, once Miss Molly found out she was pregnant, old Herb would not have let Rhyes live if he hadn’t. Anyway, he is probably off shift now but if you check in the morning, I am sure he will be around,” the Sergeant answered.

  I would definitely see about doing that in the morning. I still had my own shopping to do so a visit to Wally’s Sundry was on my to do list.

  “So, the new Lieutenant,” Rose started then asked, “how does he feel about adventurers?”

  “Eh-” the Sergeant started and hesitated. “Lieutenant Wilkes is not the most . . . he is not-”

  “This wouldn’t be the same Lieutenant Wilkes that served in the Royal Guard, would it?” I asked, remembering the very rude soldier that worked for Major Daws.

  “The very same,” the Sergeant answered, looking decidedly uncomfortable talking about the officer.

  “Do you know if Patrolman Harrison is available for private training,” Rose asked.

  “Patrolman Harrison was discharged from the City Watch,” the Sergeant said. “He . . . well, he punched out the new Lieutenant.”

  Rose barked out a laugh. “Good for him, know where I can find him?” Rose asked with a feral grin.

  “Prison, ma’am,” the Sergeant answered. “He got 90-days and dishonorable discharge for the punch.”

  “Well, there go my plans to get a little training from Patrolman Harrison before we leave Root City,” Rose complained, her good mood souring slightly. “Now who am I supposed to get ‘Shield-Wall’ training from?” Rose’s previous good mood instantly soured.

  “Sorry, ma’am, I am afraid I cannot help you with that,” the Sergeant replied. “You could try at one of the other barracks or maybe with the Royal Guard.”

  Rose sighed. “Thanks anyway, we’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon for the ‘Endless Savanna’ so I don’t really have time for that.”

  The Sergeant-At-Arms winced again and was about to reply again with his regrets, but Rose waved him off.

  “Why don’t we try the library again?” I suggested.

  “It’s not the same as training with someone,” Rose said dourly.

  “No it’s not. But, with the right book and a little ‘Meditation’, I am certain you will be able to accomplish a lot,” I said.

  Rose surprised me with a kiss. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around. Alright, let’s go back to see Sirac and then you and I are going back to the hotel and our room.”

  “I suppose reading and meditating would be the smart thing to do,” I said, rubbing my chin.

  “Right, meditating,” Rose said, grinning mischievously. A grin I missed as I was busy thinking about what I would read and meditate on.

  “Excuse me sir, ma’am,” the Sergeant said, stopping us from leaving.

  “Yes?” I said, curious as to what the man needed.

  “I did not catch your names,” the Sergeant replied.

  “Oh, sorry, I’m Bye-bye Jacko and this is Rose Thorns,” I said introducing the pair of us to the Sergeant-At-Arms.

  The guard paused, looking me up and down again. “Bye-bye Jacko you say?” the man asked, repeating my name.

  “Yes, is there a problem? Or something you need help with?” I asked. Okay, so asking him if he needed help may not have been the best idea. I really didn’t want to get bogged down on another quest in Root City, not when we had places to be the next day. Still, it was quite the ego boost to be recognized.

  “Would you mind coming with me?” the Sergeant asked, confus
ing me. “I am sorry to inconvenience you, but we were given orders that if you ever showed up here, we were to take you directly to the Lieutenant.”

  Did Wilkes really hold that much of a grudge?

  “We’re not going to be arrested or killed, are we?” Rose asked.

  “Not as far as I know,” the Sergeant answered.

  “What do you know?” Rose snapped, getting annoyed.

  I couldn’t blame her for getting annoyed. I was getting annoyed myself. It didn’t help that this was starting to feel like a trap.

  “Not much, I am sorry to say,” the Sergeant replied. At least he had sense to look abashed.

  “Fine, lead the way,” I said, trying and failing to keep the hints of a frown from my face.

  “For what it is worth, there are no bounties or warrants for your arrest, so I do not believe you will be harmed,” the Sergeant added.

  That was something at least. “I didn’t catch your name, Sergeant,” I said.

  “Sergeant-at-Arms Weeks,” he introduced himself, his nameplate updating accordingly.

  Rose let go of my hand as we passed through the gates, a shield taking occupancy in its place. Her dress was instantly replaced by her full armor. Feeling Rose didn’t have the wrong idea, I also equipped my spear and armor. Equipping our weapons and armor was not in itself a hostile action.

  We were led through the barracks and into the main building, up the familiar stairways that led to the office that once belonged to our friend, Captain Saaya.

  “Enter,” came a nasally reply after the Sergeant Weeks knocked on the door.

  “Sir, per your orders, Bye-bye Jacko and his companion Rose Thorns,” Sergeant Weeks said directly.

  I saw the Lieutenant look up from some papers with a gleam in his eyes, and then he recognized me. “You,” he hissed. Either he hadn’t taken a very good look at me the first time we met, or he hadn’t associated the Bye-bye Jacko he was looking for with the Bye-bye Jacko, Initiate Warrior Priest of Issara he met previously.

  “Lieutenant Wilkes,” I said formally with a slight nod. There was no need to antagonize him too soon into the meeting. At least, I now knew this wasn’t about his being dressed down by the Major a month ago. That just left the question, why was he looking for me?

  “Dismissed, Sergeant Weeks,” Wilkes snapped, sending the Sergeant along.

  I noticed just how eager the Sergeant was to leave as he departed. I was sure he would have run away if it wouldn’t have gotten him into some kind of trouble with the Lieutenant.

  “So, how can I help you?” I asked.

  Wilkes huffed a few times, looking as if he was trying to stop himself from yelling at me. But eventually, he calmed. “Last month, you and one of your associates captured an Ardentia Guild Assassin, more of a trainee Assassin really, but that is not important. What is important, is that because of the scroll you took off her, you were able to nearly cripple the Ardentia Guild.”

  I nodded, that was all true. With the help of the Rune College’s enchanting students and their primary teacher, a gnome named Giggle-Bella, we were able to break the enchantment on the scroll which led us to a temple of the Goddess Aphrodite. Inside that temple we found the Goddess Aphrodite and Pasiphae, also now a Goddess, chained down and fighting each other. Worse, both were almost dead after so many years . . . centuries of being forced to fight in that place. To make matters worse, the leaders of the Ardentia Guild were draining power from the Goddess Aphrodite or something, we never really did find out what they were doing. Anyway, we rescued the Goddess Aphrodite, witnessed Pasiphae become a Goddess. Saw Micaela and Olaf change race from Ogres to Minotauri.

  Considering all that, it still didn’t explain why we were here. As far as I knew, that was an open and shut case . . . unless the Ardentia Guild did it again with some other God or Goddess of Love.

  “The young Assassin girl has been blamed for the fall of the Ardentia Guild and now the remnants want her dead. We have stopped multiple assassination attempts on her while she was held here. Now, we need her to leave,” Wilkes said.

  “Don’t you need to imprison her? She did attempt to kill Jack,” Rose said.

  Wilkes smiled, looking far too pleased. “Alas, you are an adventurer, the law is a bit fuzzy when it comes to immortals. I mean, if you had died you would have come back, no? And we have no other record of her killing anyone.”

  Part of me wondered if Wilkes had even bothered to investigate.

  “So, what? You want us to protect her?” Rose asked.

  “I do not care if you protect her. You,” Wilkes said, pointing at me now, “are a servant of the Goddess Issara, a Goddess of Justice. I’m turning her over to your custody. She is your problem now.”

  Class Quest Alert: Protecting the Not-So Innocent Assassin

  Lieutenant Wilkes has successfully foisted responsibility for the former Ardentia Guild Assassin on to you and your companions. Keep her alive until the Ardentia Guild Remnants give up, eliminate the Ardentia Guild Remnants, or find a more creative solution to the problem.

  Reward: Experience, Sigils of the Goddess Issara (dependent on solution)

  Do you accept this Quest?

  Yes

  No

  Great, a quest I couldn’t refuse . . . not that I would have anyway. I don’t think my Goddess even knew about this quest opportunity, but she sure didn’t wait long to capitalize on it.

  “I don’t really have much choice here, I guess we’ll take her,” I said, trying not to show any excitement. It felt good to just quest and have fun. For a moment, I forgot about Epic and the real world. And then thinking about Epic brought me down hard.

  “Good, glad we got that sorted out,” Wilkes said.

  “Hold it right there, nothing is sorted out,” Rose said. “We might not have a choice but to look after her, but you owe us for the effort.”

  “You expect . . . payment?” Wilkes asked, sneering in disgust.

  “Yes, and it’s a payment I think you’ll be able to live with,” Rose said, her own smirk now appearing. “You are holding a discharged Patrolman named Harrison. We’ll also take him into custody.”

  “You want . . . another . . . prisoner?” Wilkes asked slowly, appearing as if he was trying to understand the outlandish request.

  “Yes,” Rose said, solving her ‘Shield-Wall’ training issue all on her own.

  “And you are okay with this?” Wilkes asked, looking at me.

  “I am,” I said.

  “Very well, he will be your responsibility as well. Be aware, any crimes committed by your prisoners will be your crimes,” Wilkes stated, opening a drawer and pulling out two pieces of parchment. Dipping a quill into an inkwell, Wilkes smiled, looking comfortable for the first time as he began writing. Apparently, Wilkes was a natural born paper pusher.

  We didn’t wait long as Wilkes worked quickly through the two documents. “There, just sign here,” he said, setting both parchments in front of me and pointed to a signature line at the bottom.

  Not that I didn’t trust the Lieutenant . . . no, that was wrong, I didn’t trust him, not even a little bit. I took my time to read the documents. They were identical except for two names, John Harrison and Nahid Sayegh. I knew John Harrison was most likely the Patrolman, though the name didn’t really fit with the image I had in my mind of the half-Orc, half-Troll Rose had previously described. That meant Nahid Sayegh was more than likely the Assassin in training.

  “I’ll sign for Harrison,” Rose insisted.

  “You may sign, but I still require Mr. Jacko’s signature,” Wilkes said. “He is the servant of Justice after all.”

  Rose grumbled but accepted, signing first.

  I studied the document a little further but seeing no obvious traps in the language of the simple documents, I signed.

  “Excellent, let us go see your new charges,” Wilkes said, rolling up both parchments and placing them in a bag on his desk. I hoped the bag was for a messenger and not for some nefarious pur
pose.

  “What’s with the bag?” Rose asked.

  “It has my daily reports, a messenger will pick it up at some point and take it to my commanding officer,” Wilkes answered, surprising me that he was being so forthcoming. “And if you try to open it, you will be marked a criminal and gain a kill on sight mark,” he added, as if daring Rose to try. I was more and more certain the man was evil, but I couldn’t prove it at the moment, and it would take far too long to do. It would need to wait for another day.

  “Alright, take us to them,” I said.

  Chapter 7

  When the Lieutenant led us below the keep, I expected to find our new companions chained to a wall or locked inside a dirty cell and for them to be emaciated from nearly starving to death. I may have let my imagination run a little wild. Instead, the first room we were shown was just the opposite. Nahid was given a small room with a bed, a small desk and chair and even reading material. It was more akin to a cheap hotel room than a prison cell.

  I didn’t remember much about the young Assassin girl. It was such a blur at the time. I just remember the slight figure covered in loose dark clothes that covered most of her face in shadows except for her mouth. And the only time I met Harrison, the man was covered from head to toe in armor, so I didn’t really get to see him. I only had Rose’s description of a half-Orc, half-Troll with grey skin to go by.

  “Nahid Sayegh, arrangements have been made. Please step out of your cell,” Wilkes ordered.

  “Arrangements have been made before,” the girl replied from inside the room, her voice had an odd accent to it that I couldn’t quite place outside of being Middle Eastern.

  “Yes, and yet we let you return here. Should the new arrangements fail, you are free again to return here,” Wilkes said before looking at me and shaking his head making it clear that, ‘no, she wasn’t’.

  “Fine, but if they fail it will not be on my head,” the girl said, stepping out of the room into full view. She still wore the same dark loose-fitting clothes with a shawl wrapped around her head, though more of it was actually visible now. As she came out, she pushed the shawl covering her head back revealing her face to us. Unless I missed my guess, she was some kind of Catgirl, though much more Human looking than many of the Beastkin I’ve seen in the World Tree so far. She had large golden cat eyes and an otherwise Human face. Her very straight shoulder length hair was dark black. And hiding within her hair were two small cat ears, that if not for the little bit of pink showing from inside her ears, they would have been completely missed. When her ears flattened to the top of her head they completely vanished, blending in with her dark hair perfectly. “Seeing me, a deep feline growl built up in her throat and chest, then she hissed, “You!”