A Healer's Gift: Adventures of Brad: Book 1 (Adventures on Brad)

by Tao Wong

  Litzburn chuckles as Daniel opens his mouth to protest to Mary’s already departing back. He drops a surprisingly delicate looking hand on to the new Adventurers shoulder and gently but firmly guides Daniel to the training floor, “Don’t bother kid. She isn’t listening. Now, follow along, you’ll want to know this.”

  Chapter 3

  Hours late Daniel lies on his back groaning in pain, unwilling to move another inch and feeling thankful that he’s not training in the middle of summer. He hasn’t felt this tired in years, not since his first year as a miner. For hours, he has been put through various exercises, at first starting with basic fitness tests and weight carrying before moving on to intricate martial forms with both mace and shield. Once he had spent the first 15 minutes working with his new training equipment, Litzburn walks over and orders the young man to return the set that he has been working with to the walls, before being provided even heavier equipment.

  Hours of drills then came, at first beginning with simple actions such as stepping and striking and evolving into more and more complicated sequences as Litzburn realises Daniel isn’t a complete novice. Every time Daniel flagged, Litzburn was at his side, barking at him to pick it up and move faster, driving the young man on. Still, he can’t complain as he stares at the blue notification window floating in front of his eyes.

  Skill Increase

  Clubs: Level 3 (27/100) +3

  He’s interrupted in his thoughts by a shadow falling over his still form and a booted foot prodding him. He turns his head to meet the gaze of his smiling tormentor, “You did well today. Litzburn tells me you have good stamina for a beginner and some adequate training for a beginner.”

  “Thanks…” Daniel mutters before pulling himself up from the ground shakily. Normally he’d heal himself slightly with his gift, just enough to take away the fatigue to let him work more but after this morning’s events, he decides against it. Enough has been lost for the day.

  “Come on. We’re heading back to the Top. Tomorrow, Litzburn will have you work with some of the other students and I’ll train with you in the evening,” Mary is already walking off and the bemused Daniel follows along, accepting that the young lady didn’t seem to have any desire to waste time.

  “Mary, thank you for the training. But, don’t we have to pay or something?” Catching up, Daniel gestures back to the training grounds that they just left.

  Mary snorts, before she stops, realising of course Daniel wouldn’t know, “I own those training grounds. Well, my sister and I do.” she corrects herself, before continuing, “Litzburn is the Master-at-Arms my father hired before he died and while Litzburn might run it, we do own it.”

  “Oh,” pondering the news for a moment Daniel continues, “is that where you learnt to fight to?”

  A nod confirms his guess which makes Daniel fall silent, a part of him considering how strong Mary might actually be. She moves with fluid grace, every action a part of a dance. Perhaps he too could learn some of that. It takes them only a few minutes to reach the Top where Elise seems to have been joined by a pair of waitresses. Spotting her sister, Elise waves them over before directing Daniel to a seat and placing a tankard of beer and the evening meal in front of the weary youngster. The heavenly smell of roast lamb with vegetables and mashed potatoes is all the enticement Daniel needs to throw himself at the meal with gusto. Leaving the young man to eat, Elise drags her sister off and begins a furious conversation with her.

  Daniel digs in to the meal, casting occasional curious glances at the arguing pair but after a moment, he dismisses it. Best not to get involved in a family fight. Instead, he spends his time eating and surveying the various other customers, many of whom look to be guards and adventurers. Each group sit with others of their kind, clustered in tables and partaking of the food with relish. Daniel is so caught up in his people watching that it’s a surprise when Elise speaks to him, “I know it’s been a hectic day Daniel, but you really should have stayed for me to say thank you properly.”

  “I’m sorry, Mary dragged me off and then…” Daniel tries to explain.

  “I know,” she gestures with the dirty washcloth in her hand. “She told me. She says she’ll be teaching you for the rest of the week you’re here too before you go into the Dungeon. Good.”

  “About that….” Daniel opens his mouth, wanting to protest about being given free room and board.

  “Daniel, you saved my son’s life. The least we can do is increase your chances of surviving in the dungeon.” She suddenly snorts, shaking her head, the long-time resident of a dungeon town adding her two cents, “I don’t believe you intended to use that hammer in there. You wouldn’t make it past the second floor with that thing.”

  “Come on, it’s not that bad!” protests Daniel.

  “Yes, it is. I’ve lived here all my life and let me tell you Daniel, 1 in 4 Adventurers die on their first foray into a beginner dungeon. Of those that make it past the first zone, only 1 in 10 ever complete the dungeon. Being an Adventurer is dangerous,” as she speaks, Elise holds Daniel’s gaze. Though she is telling the truth, what Elise leaves out is that many Adventurers do not complete the Dungeon by choice. There is significant riches to be made continuously ‘farming’ the dungeon monsters for their mana crystals and other dropped items, riches that an experienced Adventurer could gain with minimal risk.

  “That bad?’ Daniel’s eyes widen, completely taken in by Elise. For a moment, doubt creeps in and he second guesses his new future and his decision to travel, to adventure, to be his own man. It is a brief moment of hesitation that is pushed aside as Daniel refuses to give up before he has even begun. “Thank you. For the advice and the room. And thank Mary for the training.”

  Satisfied that she has won, Elise bestows a kindly smile on Daniel before she hurries off to to care for her patrons. An innkeeper’s life never stops. Left alone, Daniel makes his way to his assigned room to wipe himself down and rest. It has been a long day and tomorrow, Litzburn has promised that the real training will begin.

  Chapter 4

  In the morning, a hurried breakfast is all that Daniel has time for before he rushes over to the training hall. Litzburn is already waiting and directs Daniel to join the other trainees in a slow-warm up jog around the hall. The remainder of the day falls into the pattern of the previous day – more calisthenics and weight training for a few hours before they dove into the meat of the program focused on the use of his mace and shield. Outside of a short lunch break, Daniel is given very little time to rest, which makes him truly grateful for the packed lunch that was pressed on him by Elise as he left that morning.

  By the time late afternoon has come, Daniel is beaten and ragged. Numerous other trainees have come and gone throughout the day, most only spending only a few hours in the hall before leaving to run other tasks. Only a few trainees stay throughout the day, each of those given extra special attention by Litzburn for their dedication. Daniel is focused on a paired movement and striking exercise, attempting to keep his feet, shield and mace moving together and so he never notices Mary’s entrance and silent consideration.

  “Hold!”

  Caught in the middle of a swing, his opponent freezes and steps back, putting distance between himself and Daniel. Daniel freezes too, his shield half-raised to block the blow, his mace swinging from below in return and paused too. Daniel stands there, frozen for a moment before he remembers to step away from his opponent as well, ensuring a safe distance is created. Only then does he look over to Litzburn who is gesturing him over to himself and Mary.

  “10 minute break. Then you’ll be sparring with Mary,” Litzburn calls out to Daniel as he nears before turning away from the tired young man to the rest of his students.

  Stifling a groan, Daniel flops down in the corner of the training floor before reminding himself to grab a drink of water. As he rests, he stares at his newly updated skill screen, the second one to appear after his rests.

  Skill Increase

  Clu
bs (Basic): 37/100 (+3)

  Skill Increase

  Shields (Basic): 11/100 (+5)

  I’m learning very fast. Muses Daniel as he dismisses the skill screen. I guess that’s what a real trainer and training ground will do. Even to his untrained senses Daniel can sense the Skill stones that dot the building helping him to learn faster, even while Litzburn corrects his mistakes with a critical, experienced eye. Still, he can feel a wave of apprehension rising in him at the thought of actually sparring Mary. Even in his inexperience he could tell that she was significantly more experienced.

  Damn it. Stop worrying. She isn’t going to hurt you. Drink some more water and let’s get going. Chiding himself, Daniel pushes himself up and walks over the water barrel again before approaching the waiting senior Adventurer.

  Mary’s dressed in a near replica of her clothing yesterday - a simple white blouse with a black lace vest and tight, brown pants that show off her trim body. Her sword is strapped to her right side, still sheathed, and in her left hand she holds a training sword. She looks Daniel over critically, bright blue eyes clinical in their assessment before she waves him on to the training floor, following along shortly behind.

  A brief salute is exchanged and immediately, Daniel hunkers down beneath his shield, mace at his side near his waist as he circles her and probes for an opening. Mary just turns, only shifting her blade slightly to cover the exposed angles until Daniel lunges forward, committing to an attack. With the barest of motions, the attack is deflected and Mary returns a riposte aimed at Daniel’s shoulder which he barely dodges by jumping back. Regaining his footing, Daniel hunkers back down and works to calm his nerves, the barely moving form of Mary an intimidating presence. Again, he begins to move forward, this time attempting a blow from over his shield. Mary catches his mace in a casual block and as he recovers, she casually strikes him in his upper arm.

  He growls, trying another attack which is just as quickly and neatly defended before her words ring out, “Stop leaning in before each attack.”

  The sparring continues for an hour with short breaks as she corrects his form and attacks. Not once does he even come close to landing a blow on her, each attack casually deflected with a flick of a wrist or twist of the elbow. After each committed attack, Mary launches a single return blow of her own, forcing Daniel to scramble to block or dodge in turn.

  “Hold!” she says. Daniel pauses and steps back, ensuring he is safe from a return attack before lowering his tired arms.

  “Good. We’re done. Work on what we talked about tomorrow, I’ll see you for dinner at the Top,” with that and a final salute, Mary turns and strides out of the training ground. Daniel sighs, watching her go and feels somewhat inadequate at his failure to land a single blow. Before he can begin to get too morose, a hand lands on his shoulder.

  “Don’t worry about it. Even experienced Adventurers had a hard time landing a hit on her – and that’s before she first entered the Dungeon and leveled up. That girl, her ability, it isn’t normal. You did well for your first time,” chuckling Litzburn pushes Daniel towards the racks. “Best get dressed and moving, she hates to be kept waiting.”

  Chapter 5

  At the Spinning Top, Mary waves Daniel over to her table in the inn where a meal is already set, awaiting him. Taking a seat gratefully, Daniel speaks, “Ummm… so, thank you for today.”

  “It’s fine. Now, eat. You need it,” she waves him towards the food before she continues. “What do you know about the dungeon in Karlak?”

  Caught between two conflicting orders, Daniel chews quickly and swallows before answering. “It’s a beginner dungeon, so it’s suitable for those just starting out adventuring. There are 10 levels, with monsters growing stronger at each level. The dungeon is considered extremely suitable for melee fighters starting out and… umm…. that’s it.”

  “So, nothing reallly. Do you know what kind of dungeon this is? What monsters spawn in the first sector? Do you even know about sectors? How about how many mobs you can expect to see per level? Who is the dungeon boss? What kind of weaponry is most suitable? Why are melee fighters most suited for this dungeon?” Mary lectures Daniel, waving her own fork as she speaks.

  Daniel stops chewing at her words, hunching a bit into his chair as he realises exactly how unprepared he is. Seeing his reaction, Mary relents a little.

  “It’s fine. It’s a beginner mistake. Just, do you research next time, alright?” Mary waits for Daniel’s sheepish nod before leaning forwards and meeting his eyes, “Melee fighters have a bad enough reputation of never using our heads. There’s no reason to foster that reputation. Prior research about a dungeon is what separates the professionals from the dead.”

  Pausing to emphasise her point and making sure it sinks home, she continues to answer her own questions, “It’s common knowledge that dungeons are a way for Erlis to cleanse herself of the corruption that Ba’al releases into the mana flows. The monsters created in a dungeon are patterned upon the various minions of Ba’al, though they do not truly ‘live’. It’s why they do not often exit the dungeons and when they do, most break down outside of the dungeon in short order. Of course, a dungeon that isn’t regularly cleared of monsters will have no choice but to strengthen those monsters, eventually giving them sufficient strength to leave the dungeon itself. In time, an unchecked dungeon can become the source of Ba’al’s infestation, leading to tragedies like the Abandoned Lands. Of course, as Adventurers, we’re mostly concerned about the mana crystals – the seed that Erlis uses to create the monsters and our main source of income.

  “There are two kinds of dungeons - the permanent dungeons like the one’s in Karlak and the capital Warbis and the temporary dungeons which appear randomly. Permanent dungeons rarely change their overall structure, often fixing their floors and the monsters for years at a time. While minor changes in designs and traps do occur, the overall structure of a permanent dungeon stays the same and, as such, are often considered ‘safer’ than temporary dungeons.

  “Temporary dungeons, or instances, are rarer. They appear in places where mana and Ba’al’s corruption have built up and by their very nature, are extremely chaotic. Monsters and layouts may change significantly from one trip to the next which make them extremely dangerous to clear. However, because they are built from corrupt mana sources that have temporarily congregated, these dungeons often do not last longer than a few completions.”

  Having finished his meal, Daniel places his utensils down and stays silent, listening to the lecture. It is pleasant to not move and the information she provides is important, even if some of it is well known. Seated, Daniel can feel his body recovering already, regaining the strength it used through the day.

  “Now, for ease of understanding, the Adventurers Guild has split each dungeon into sectors, a sector ranging from a single floor to ten. Sectors are grouped due to the nature of the monsters, the traps and the layouts of the floors. At the end of each sector, it’s possible that there are sector bosses, monsters whose strength is significantly greater than the average mob already encountered. They aren’t even necessarily a monster that you meet on that floor, though most dungeons keep to a theme of some form. This isn’t always true, though, but it is in the case of Karlak.

  “In Karlak, there are three sectors which consist of three floors. The tenth floor isn’t a true ‘floor’, but a single room with the Final Boss monster of the dungeon. The first sector in the Karlak dungeon is inhabited by Kobolds. They move in groups of a maximum of three Kobolds at the third level, but for the first level you’ll at most run into two of them and even then, that’s highly unlikely.”

  She pauses for a moment, taking a drink from her tankard and Daniel takes the moment to ask a question, “What are they like?”

  “Kobolds?” for a moment Mary racks her brains, trying to recall the looks of the creature. It has been many years since she has fought one of those herself, “Small – about three to four feet tall at most. Extremely thin, very fa
st with elongated ears and pale grey skin from living underground for so long. They rarely wear much in terms of armour and in the first level wield a dagger like item, though some carry slings for ranged attacks. Overall, they are, the perfect mob for beginner melee fighters.”

  Daniel nods in thanks and seeing he has no further questions, Mary continues; “Due to the prevalence of the Kobolds in the first few levels, corridors are small and cramped in many areas. There are numerous side-tunnels in the first few levels with no safe zones for healing. Large weapons like a spear or hammer,” she flashes him a quick smile at that one before continuing, “are not advisable due to the lack of room. All adventurers should carry a backup dagger for close combat fighting due to the layout and expect potential sneak attacks.”

  Opening her mouth to continue her lecture, she’s interrupted by her sister Elise who is accompanied by a young boy clad in a ragged tunic who could at best be eight years old. “Sorry about this Mary but young Pierson needs to speak with Daniel.”

  The young boy impatiently pushes forward, placing a hand on Daniel’s arm, “Sir, Charles mentioned you healed him. Healed him good when he was hurt.” At Daniel’s nod, he rushes on, “Please, will you come and heal my mum?”

  Chapter 6

  Following Pierson through the lightly illuminated streets of Karlak, Daniel is struck by the thought that this is his first foray into the town at night. Old tales about the dangers of the city makes Daniel hand open and close in want of his hammer. Unknown to him, Karlak was actually a very safe town as guards routinely patrolled the streets looking for trouble. Regular troublemakers were sentenced to work in the Dungeon collecting a set number of mana stones before they were released. Troublemakers and thieves would either die in the Dungeon or just became Adventurers after their term was done since the work was easier and more regular.