“Eternal?” I ask.
“Yeah. As far as I can remember, anytime I’ve looked at Thunder Mountain, there have been storms. It must be hell to live there.”
Our journey is long and tiresome. Even with my increased Stamina, I find myself wishing we had our wagon back. Stupid dryad.
If nothing else, it gives me time to think. About Priscilla giving us this quest, about my enchantments, about the real reason I’m here. Why is Benjamin rushing those other immersion capsules? Something is going on, but what? There’s no way he could have learned enough already to log other players in, is there?
“Here, take this,” says Kindra. She hands me the sword that she took from the bandits. “You need it more than I do.”
“Thanks.” Tossing my broken sword aside, I take the new one from Kindra and try to think of which kind of enchantment will be best for my current situation. With the guidestone no longer draining my mana, it is slowly replenishing and soon, I will have enough for new enchantments. I don’t really even need the Shield of Light anymore, but there is no point in discarding it until I find something better. Besides, we could probably use the light from it to travel at night if we wanted.
I could go with the lifesteal option I used on my last sword, but that seems too repetitive. What’s the point of having this awesome magic if I can’t explore its uses? Dozens of ideas cross my mind. A flaming sword that does burn damage is cool, not to mention how awesome it would look. That’s more Buzz’s style, though. Too flashy for my taste.
An ice sword that slows movement with each hit would be practical if we were chasing anything, but we’re not. And I don’t know that we ever will be.
I want something that can make me a better fighter. But do I go with a permanent enchantment or temporary? A spell Aleesia used once when we cleared our first dungeon together crosses my mind. She shot an arrow and when it hit, lightning forked out to several of the skeletons we were fighting, stunning them in place.
Sending my mana into the sword, I work out various combinations, tweaking them until the mana usage and effect match what I’m willing to give up. The result is:
Shockwave. Every fourth attack sends out an electric shock, stunning the enemy and dealing bonus area of effect damage to three others within the shock radius. Initial cost: 100 mana, then 10 mana per attack.
It’s still a little steep compared to Pangea mana costs, but it works. I can turn the effect on and off by pushing my mana into the sword. When it is active, tiny bolts of electricity run along the blade’s edge.
“Now that’s a sword!” says Carter, admiring my new weapon. “Is it possible for you to enchant other people’s items?”
“Hmmm, I don’t see why not. I guess the real question is whether or not the mana cost comes from me or from the user.”
“Why don’t we try it out? No harm no foul. We’re out in the middle of nowhere with no foes as far as I can see.” He looks around, double-checking the area before handing me his trident.
“What kind of enchantment were you thinking?” I ask.
“Hey, you’re the master, not me.” He throws his hands up in the air. “Make me something useful.”
I take the trident in my hands and close my eyes, taking in the feel of it. The weight. The texture. My mana reaches out to it and I try to mentally feel the item. I don’t regard it as a weapon of the water, but instead, of the earth. I envision Carter using it. Casting his druid spells and invoking the power of plant life. He doesn’t need damage, the plants will handle that. He needs buffs or perhaps an aura.
I’ve got it!
I focus my mental energy on the trident with the express intent of enchanting it for Carter when a prompt flashes across my vision.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill Designer. You now have the ability to enchant items for other people. The initial mana cost comes from your own mana pool. Any mana costs associated with the item transfer to the new owner. Effects and stats associated with each item will be dependent on the skill and power of the new user. Enchanted items cannot be resold or traded, or enchantment will be lost.
You have created the item Fertility Trident. Aura: animated plant life within the aura’s radius receive a 30% boost to size, HP, defense and attack for 30 seconds. 5 minute cooldown. Cost: 25% of total mana.
It costs me one hundred mana to create the item. I hand it over to Carter and he goes silent for a moment. Will he be able to see the same prompts that I do now?
He runs his hands up and down the trident before speaking.
“Wow,” he whispers. “This is going to come in handy.”
“Do you know how it works?” I ask.
“Yes. It’s strange, but I do. When you handed it to me, I was able to feel its power and recognize its effects. Is that how things always work for you?”
I think about it for a moment before answering. “In a way.”
I’m still not sure what the effects of me telling them this is a game would be. These people are more than just NPCs to me. They feel like actual friends.
“Don’t move!” shouts Kindra. “I can see someone on the road at the base of the mountain.”
Sure enough, someone riding a dark horse hurries along. The way they keep looking over their shoulder makes me think they are being followed. Could be bandits, or something worse.
Once the rider takes the fork in the road that leads away from the mountain, we move again. Our goal is to make it back to Carolton as quick as possible. Hopefully, with no setbacks. Carter has an urgency to him that I can’t quite explain. Kindra seems content to take precautions.
Travel speeds up when we are on flat ground again. Judging by the sun, we have a few hours left before nightfall.
“How did you end up with Priscilla anyhow?” I ask Kindra.
Her face is stone once again and just as I am about to give up on the question, she opens up.
“She took me in when I was a teenager. My father died in an accident. He was a woodsman and went out every day cutting down lumber to sell in the city. One day, the tree fell the wrong way and he was crushed. It was several days before anyone came upon him. He clawed at the tree and eventually his own legs to try and free himself. It was a very gruesome ending.”
“How do you know that?” I ask. “Were you there?”
“No, but once I learned my mind magic, I tracked down the men who found him. I wanted to know the whole story. I could hardly believe my father could be so careless, but in the end, I saw their memories and it proved that sometimes, bad things just happen.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” says Carter. He places his hand on her shoulder in comfort.
“And what about your mother?” I ask.
“She died of sickness not much later. She was so dreadfully sad after Father died that I think death was a blessing for her. That is why I believe Priscilla did not save her.”
She seems eerily calm about the situation, but it has me furious. Priscilla just let Kindra’s mother die instead of helping her. If someone could have saved my own parents…
“Wait, what? Why didn’t she save her? After what she did to Carter, she must have been able to, right?”
“I’m sure she could have. But Mother and Father loved each other like none other. It was something to aspire to, and even if Mother had been saved, she would never have been happy. I hope that wherever they are now, that they are together.”
Some of my anger recedes. Who am I to judge the love of two people I never met? I’m sorry for Kindra. That she had to become an adult without parents to guide her.
“I am an orphan myself, actually. Both my parents died when I was very young. I didn’t have anyone like Priscilla to look out for me, though.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I feel like death comes most often to those who deserve it least.” For once, there is compassion in her voice. “Is it common for children to grow up without families where you are from?” she asks.
“Not always, but it does happen. Mor
e so in the poorer places. Life is harder there.”
“It gives me hope then.” She smiles. “If someone like you can travel to new worlds and learn magic, then maybe there is more to life for me as well.”
“That’s the spirit,” says Carter.
Before night falls, we decide to stop for food. Kindra uses her bow to shoot a few game birds and we cook them over a small fire. By the time we are finished, twilight approaches.
“I still have energy if you want to travel more tonight. We can use the light of my shield for guidance,” I offer.
“That’s a good idea. I still have plenty of energy myself. What about you, Kindra?” says Carter.
“I can go a few more hours. We will need to be careful, for we don’t know what lies ahead anymore.”
Creatures of the night make their presence known across the land. Bugs rattle, birds chirp, and a myriad of other creatures fill the night with sound. It’s amazing how much louder the night can be.
I dim the light of my shield so that it lights only a few feet ahead at a time. The moon hides behind a wall of clouds, so the light from the shield is the only guide we have.
The cool air sticks to my face as we walk. It feels almost wet as it clings to me. It’s a heavy air that fills my lungs with refreshment.
We walk along in silence. The night is loud enough to crowd my thoughts, so I focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
“Turn your shield off,” Kindra whispers in my ear.
I obey, and she pulls me and Carter into a crouching position. Florian steps up beside us.
“Do you see that? Up ahead?” It’s too dark for me to see where she is pointing, but eventually, I spot a small dot of light in an otherwise dense blackness.
“A campfire?” The stupidity of my shield dawns on me and I realize just how lucky we were that we weren’t attacked. If Kindra could spot a small fire so easily, then we were practically a walking target.
“Looks that way. I think we should check it out. If they are bandits, we can take them out. And if not, then we can all sleep a little easier tonight knowing we won’t be killed in our sleep.” Hatred coats her voice.
We creep along beside the path, careful to keep our steps in the grass to muffle our approach. The closer we get, I can begin to make out several bodies sitting around a campfire in a grove of trees. The fire rages brilliantly, a beacon in the night and much larger than I initially thought. Whoever they are, they must have no fear of being seen.
Weaseling between the thick grass of the meadow, we come to a stop behind a thicket of bushes. Safely out of view, we watch the scene play out before us.
A half-dozen small humanoid creatures with green skin and long pointy ears grunt and cackle in conversation. Their words make no sense, sounding very barbarian.
I use my analyze skill and learn that they are all goblins. Two are goblin scouts and the other four are goblin warriors. The scouts wear dull brown cloth armor, benefiting their need for stealth and speed. The others wear studded leather armor of the same color.
The moon briefly makes an appearance from beneath the cloud cover and more of their camp becomes visible. Several tents are strung between the trees. One of the goblins holds an axe across his lap. Two others have shortswords strapped to their sides. I’m not sure what the others carry, but I would imagine the scouts have bows.
“What do we do?” asks Carter. “It’s six against four.”
“We don’t know that they mean us harm,” I say.
“You’re right, but there is a way to find out,” says Kindra. “If I can get close enough, I can feel their intentions with my mind.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about that. It seems dangerous,” I say.
She cuts her eyes at me. “I don’t need your protection, Esil. I can handle myself just fine.” She moves from behind the bush when Carter calls to her.
“Wait. Take Florian with you. He can give you some cover so that you aren’t seen.”
Kindra nods, and she and Florian take off towards the goblin camp.
Florian takes the lead. As he walks, his bushy head expands, making him into a much larger walking bush that conceals Kindra’s crouched position. In the dim light, she will be unnoticed. They creep along until she can’t be more than twenty feet from their camp.
I hold my breath, nervously awaiting her return.
After a few moments, they return and Florian retracts to his normal size.
Kindra stares at us, her expression stoic.
“Well, what is it?” I ask.
Her eyes give away no hint of what she is feeling, but her voice quivers when she speaks. “An attack is coming.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What do you mean an attack is coming? There are only six of them,” says Carter.
“They come from Thunder Mountain. These are just the scouts. There is an entire tribe, and they want our land. Their lives were so much harder where they grew up. Carolton won’t stand a chance.” Tears brim on the edge of Kindra’s eyes.
“How do you know they are attacking Carolton?” I ask. They could be going anywhere.
“Carolton is the first town between Thunder Mountain and the castle. They’ve already pillaged several small farms on their way here. They will take Carolton and use it as an outpost. The soldiers you saw the other day are all of the militia we have, and they aren’t even from Carolton. The king could move them at any time. The townspeople don’t know how to fight. Not against what’s coming. We’re as good as dead.”
“Hey! You don’t know that.” I raise my voice without thinking and several of the goblins turn in our direction. We quickly dive behind the bushes and when I venture a peek, the goblins have gone back to their bickering.
“We can help fight. We can defend the town,” I say, this time more composed, careful not to attract the goblin’s attention.
“He’s right,” says Carter. “I think this is why we were sent away. Why we needed magic. For what’s coming.”
The tears recede back into Kindra’s eyes. The momentary fear is replaced by a grim determination. She may not have parents or many friends back in Carolton, but it’s her home. I can tell she loves it and would do anything to protect it. The same way I feel about The Boxes.
“We have to take them out then. If we kill them, then that will buy us some time to prepare the town,” I say.
“You’re right, but we have to make sure none of them escape. If any of them do, then that means we’ll have less time than if we never attacked,” says Kindra. “We can’t fail.”
A prompt flashes across my vision.
You have been given the quest ‘Save Carolton, Part 1.’ Warn Carolton of an impending goblin attack. Reward: Increased standing within the town.
With the stakes set, we begin to form a plan for how to kill all six goblins without allowing any to escape.
Once we know our roles, all that is left to do is attack.
We crawl through the tall grass like a lion stalking its prey. Florian takes the lead, further disguising our approach. The goblins laugh and argue, all in the same breath, as they cook their catch of the day over the fire, burning it beyond recognition.
The goblins push and shove each other for the biggest slabs of meat and when we attack, they are taken by surprise. Startled grunts and wide eyes greet us before they have time to reach for their weapons.
We attack in unison, bringing complete chaos down upon their dinner.
Kindra freezes the two scouts in place with a mental attack and their bodies go limp. While focusing on the two goblins, she is unable to move, leaving the rest to us. Before the others even have a chance to recognize the gravity of the situation, Florian uses Vine Wrap on two warriors, immobilizing them while Carter and I each take on one of the remaining goblins. They struggle and thrash against Florian’s bondage, but his vines hold strong.
I attack the closest goblin with my shortsword just as he pulls his own. Our weapons clank against each other at the l
ast second and his blade stops mine from cleaving his face in two. He parries my next two attacks, retreating to the edge of the campsite. When our blades touch next, the electric bolts that run along Shockwave erupt with a crack, stunning the goblin in place. Only one other goblin is close enough for the area of effect ability, but it doesn’t matter. With the goblin stunned, I slide my sword through his neck for a critical hit and he falls to the ground.
Next, I turn to help Carter, but his opponent is already dead as well. Blood stains the tip of his trident while the branches of a nearby tree swing furiously against the goblin’s dead body.
Florian still has his goblins held tightly, so Carter and I both rush to Kindra’s aid. She releases her mental grip on both goblins just as we arrive and the two goblins stumble back and forth, slowly regaining control of their bodies. One of them yells something in goblin tongue and reaches for a slingshot hanging from its side. Carter points his trident at the goblin and leaves detach from the trees, swarming at the small green creature. They collide with his body, leaving dozens of small gashes. An arrow soars into the heart of the other goblin at point-blank range, dropping it instantly. The slingshot goblin turns to run, but roots spring from the earth and trap it in place. Just like Haunted Earth, except there is no delay and Carter has complete control over the roots. They constrict and I hear the snap of bones as the goblin cries out in anguish. Carter takes pity on the creature and puts it out of its misery with his trident.
The remaining two goblins spit and curse at us as we approach. They struggle against the binding of Florian’s viney appendages to no avail. Their eyes radiate hatred. For us or their situation, I’m not sure.
Kindra steps forward, her bow slung across her back, and places her fingers to her temple. A moment later, one of the goblins goes slack and all life fades from its body.
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 41