by Tao Wong
Daniel shakes his head, refusing to answer. He owes this man no answer, he owes him nothing more. Duty done, all Daniel wants is to be left alone now and so he tugs again at the arm, the Champion finally releasing him. Daniel walks away, leaving the Champion to the care of the Guards healer. Behind him, the Champion growls, displeased at being so casually dismissed once again. Damn the child!
In another room, while Daniel works, a larger and more intense argument is happening. In that room, the Mayor and the Merchant Guild Master and Khy’ra face-off over what Daniel’s fee for the healing will be. Liev watches, taking no side in the argument directly, though he subtly helps by pointing out the rarity and exclusivity of Daniel’s Gift.
It is only when the Guards Healer arrives to announce the successful restoration of the Champion that the argument finishes. Like all good negotiations, no single party leaves happy but Khy’ra is grimly content at least. If the child would not value himself, then she would ensure that.
Back in the Top, in his room, alone, Daniel calls up his Status Screen to see how much he has lost in detail.
Name: Daniel Lai
Class: Level 4 Adventurer (2%)
Sub-classes: Level 7 (Miner) (14%)
Human (Male)
Statistics
Life: 201
Stamina: 201
Mana: 152
Attributes
Strength: 18
Agility: 19
Constitution: 26
Intelligence: 16
Willpower: 18
Luck: 13
Skills
Unarmed Combat: Level 3 (01/100)
Clubs : Level 8 (14/100)
Shield: Level 6 (28/100)
Dodge: Level 4 (36/100)
Combat Sense: Level 5 (48/100)
Perception : Level 5 (36/100)
Mining : Level 7 (78/100)
Healing : Level 8 (17/100)
Herb Lore: Level 3 (31/100)
Stealth: Level 2 (14/100)
Cooking: Level 2 (37/100)
Singing: Level 2 (14/100)
Skill Proficiencies
Double Strike
Shield Bash
Mapping (II)
Spells
Minor Healing (I)
Gifts
Martyr’s Touch - The caster may heal oneself or others by touch and concentration, sacrificing a portion of his life to do so. Cost varies depending on the extent of the injuries healed.
Chapter 27
“Asin, we have to do the fifth floor today,” Daniel announces to his friend the next day. She stops from touching the gem that would bring them lower, tilting her head as she considers Daniel. He did seem weaker today – perhaps his healing had drained him more than she thought. She chuffs out, slightly annoyed but touches the fifth-floor gemstone.
Relieved that she will not enquire further, Daniel follows his friend down. It’s time to see how much he has lost. Three nests later, Daniel takes out his frustration on a single Crawler that they have come across, slamming down again and again with his mace. So much lost. He’s a step slower, a beat off and while he feels he should be faster, he’s not and he knows why.
Behind him, Asin watches with deep concern. Daniel’s normal calm, slightly amused but entirely engaged mode of adventuring is gone, replaced with a short, sullen ball of fury and resentment. On the other hand, as Daniel kicks the Crawler away and moves on to the next cavern, he certainly is making up on the quality with quantity today. Grabbing the mana stone, Asin moves to keep up with her friend and ensure he doesn’t walk into any traps. Well, if Daniel kept this up too long, she’ll find a barrel of water and dump him in it. Till then, she is content to let him work his feelings out on the Crawlers.
In a room far above the Dungeon, the titular leaders of the city of Karlak work out plans to deal with the rampaging War Party.
“Daniel, a word?” Liev is waiting for them when they finally surface from the Dungeon. Daniel nods, moving to the side to allow to Asin handle the sale of their mana stones and other loot.
“Firstly, thank you,” Liev does not stop though, knowing the young Adventurer was uncomfortable with thanks, “Secondly, there has been a general request for Adventurers to join the army as ancillary troops due to the war party. I have taken the liberty of assigning you and Asin to Maximillian’s team as melee fighters. I believe that is where your particular skills will be most useful.”
Daniel frowns and Liev sighs, explaining, “Doing so ensures you are not conscripted as a healer if the number of volunteers is deemed insufficient. In addition, it will be good experience for you, young man. Brad does not have to keep a large standing army because it relies on its Adventurers to provide additional troops when necessary. If you intend to progress as an Adventurer, you will find that such requests become more and more common. This particular event is as safe as any general Army sponsored-quest will be.”
“Yes sir,” Daniel finally agrees. He is still not certain joining the army was a great option for him, but if Liev felt it was the right thing to do, he would accede to the man’s request. The attendant had yet to steer him wrong.
““Lastly, you are going to be very popular among your peers in short order. Word of your Gift has finally reached their ears after yesterday’s incident.” Liev hesitates and falls silent, leaving any additional advice unspoken. Truthfully, Liev had done as much as he could. Getting the young man out of town under the watchful eye of a friend ensured that those who would use him just for his Gift had no target, at least for the short term. In the meantime, he and Khy’ra would work on making his return as uncomplicated as possible.
Seeing no other conversational threads cropping up, Daniel wishes Liev goodbye and returns to Asin. He quickly informs her of their new quest to which she replies, “Pay?”
Daniel pauses, realising he never did ask that. Asin lets out an annoyed chuff, slinking back to talk with Liev directly, grumbling all the while about how lucky Daniel was that he was such a good distraction for her. Finding a comfortable corner, Daniel settles down to wait, knowing Asin will more than handle matters for both of them. He had spent the day fighting, going from one nest to the next and now he was drained, all his anger and regret smashed apart like the Crawlers he had met. When Asin is done and has provided him the details of their pay, he thanks her and they part ways, Asin to spend an evening with family and Daniel to the Top.
At the Top, Daniel is startled to see Khy’ra waiting for him, chatting amiably with Elise. Khy’ra sends a smile his way, walking over to kiss him before wrinkling her nose at his smell.
“I was thinking dinner, but I think a bath would be better,” Khy’ra says and points upwards. “Hurry up, I’ll be waiting.”
Daniel nods dumbly, deciding that it is best to go with the flow here. He did need a bath after all, or at least a wash. A quick trip upstairs to get a boar of soap and a change of clothing is all that is needed before he returns, Khy’ra taking his arm as they bid farewell.
The walk to the bathing room is short and pleasant, the two quickly catching each other up on their day’s activities.
“…now Leon comes in with this barb in his foot, about 2 inches sticking right out of it. And he’s sitting there, dripping blood in the waiting room and every time we go to get him in, he sends another patient in!” Khy’ra continues, shaking her head. “I eventually had to do the damn operation right there in the room and push it out in front of everyone. That big baby was so scared of it coming out, he nearly died of blood loss!”
Daniel laughs at her words, holding the door open for Khy’ra as they enter the bathtub. Both experienced hands, they deposit a silver coin each for the their personal use and then Khy’ra deposits another 3 silver to get them a private room. When Daniel moves to protest, he is quelled by the smouldering look Khy’ra offers him.
A silly grin crosses his face as they head in, first to their respective sexes changing rooms before they make their way to the marked private room. Daniel is surpris
ed to Khy’ra in first, lounging in the circular wooden bath that is large enough to fit four in it. Steam comes from the hot water, a pair of small ladles and even soap set aside for their use. As he nears the tub, he realises that she is naked under the water.
“Mmm… I hadn’t brought a change of clothing,” she says in answer to his look.
Daniel grins, sliding in with her. Before he can move to get a kiss, she points to the soap and he sighs, getting to scrubbing. As he moves to clean his back, she moves over and takes it up, scrubbing at his back.
“Liev tells me that you’ll be joining the Army tomorrow,” Khy’ra says.
“Yeah, he said it’s good for me. I never really considered it, you know,” Daniel says.
“Liev is somewhat traditional in his thinking. Not all Adventurers take as much part in the Army quests as he did, or thinks most should do. I rarely did,” Khy’ra says, smiling and splashing his back before pushing back.
Daniel turns around, ducking under the water to get the last of the soap out of his eyes before he lies back, enjoying the heat as it releases his muscles, “Oh! That’s nice…”
Smiling as she watches him, Khy’ra sighs and swims over, sliding between his legs and straddling him. When his eyes open, she puts a finger to his lips and murmurs, “Daniel, focus. I wanted to tell you, be careful about the quests you take. Most are, well, normal, but some might not sit well with you. Army quests aren’t like your normal quests – you can’t take one and then leave it just because you don’t like how it works out or the information wasn’t complete. You have to finish Army quests or face their censure.”
Daniel pauses, staring into her eyes and then nods slowly, “Okay. I’ll be careful.”
Khy’ra smiles and then kisses him before murmuring. “Good, now we’ve got this room for another hour. Let’s make the most of it.”
The next morning, Asin and Daniel exit to meet up with their army in the clear fields north of Karlak. Already, the first few divisions of the Army have gathered, their supply train pulling in behind them. In contrast to the orderly line-up of the army divisions, the Adventurers mill around in loose groups, individuals occasionally breaking off to chat with other groups.
The two friends glance around, feeling somewhat out of place. There are few Beastkin in the group, clustered together in small clumps. For the first time, Daniel realises how little interaction he has had with the general Adventuring population of the town of Karlak. Even the regulars he sees at the Top often receive little more than a nod. His own free time was mostly taken up by Khy’ra, the Clinic or training with the occasional night drinking with the Guard thrown-in. Unlike most Adventurers, his social circle were the town residents.
As the two stand around awkwardly, a tall, blonde swordsman walks up to them clad in plate mail. He smiles as he nears, showing off perfect teeth on top of a chiselled jaw and Daniel feels a sudden twinge of jealousy. “Daniel? Asin?”
Receiving confirmation from both, the swordsman offers his hand, “Maximillian. You’ll be in my party for this.”
Daniel shakes it, impressed by the casual strength he feels through the handshake. Obviously, all those muscles were not just for show. Asin chuffs a greeting as well, eyeing the surroundings with casual interest.
“Come on, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the group,” Maximillian leads them through the crowd, offering quick nods and greetings as he walks through, the man’s presence obviously well known. It takes them a short while to wind their way to their own party as there is nearly a hundred Adventurers gathered already. Daniel feels somewhat impressed, never realising there were this many in the town. Most are out-fitted like he is with varying degrees of protection for armour and weaponry, the vast majority being melee fighters. Only a small portion seem to be carry a visible ranged weapon, and of those, crossbows seem to be the most popular option.
“Daniel, Asin, this is Kilroy and Mia. Mia’s a Ranger and is our main ranged weapon dealer. Kilroy’s, well, Kilroy’s Kilroy,” Maxmillian says. “Have you shot a crossbow before Daniel?”
Daniel shakes his head, glancing at the weapon that Max holds out to him.
“No problem. We’ll head down the way and get you familiar with it. It’s simple compared to the bow, so you should pick it up easily. We’ll all be using a ranged weapon, other than Asin for obvious reasons, and the crossbows and Mia’s bow will be our first line of offence.”
Daniel nods, hefting the crossbow and following along. He voices one hesitation first though, “Don’t we have to join the army?”
“There’s no need right now. It’ll take them forever to get moving and we’ll catch up once we’re done training,” Maximillian says, gesturing for them to catch up.
Daniel repeats quietly in his head the instructions he’s been given - exhale, remember to adjust for the wind and drop, pull gently on the trigger – and feels the jerk as the crossbow bolt releases, flying to the target. Breath held, he watches the arrow arc through the air and miss once again, this time by 5 meters.
“I think you’re getting worse,” Maximillian says with awe.
“Worse,” chuffs Asin before going back to cleaning her paw.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel sighs, dejected. He reaches for another bolt and realises he’s shot them all. A glance to the side shows that the others are done for now, so he calls out his intention of retrieving the bolts, hurrying to do so. Four hours of training and he hasn’t managed to hit the stump a bare 20 meters away even once.
When he returns, Maximillian shakes his head as Daniel begins to load the crossbow. “No time, we need to get going. We’ll have you carry the crossbow and reload for Killroy instead.”
Daniel looks away, shame filling him. A hand claps on his shoulder, Maximillian waiting for Daniel to look up before speaking, “It’s okay. Not everyone can be good at everything. Now come on, we’ve got a bit of a hike before we’re caught up.”
Chapter 28
“Is this all they do?” grumbles Daniel, slogging along behind the army. He’d enjoy the countryside, but since the Adventurers were stuck behind both the army and the supply train, most of what he got to see were dust clouds and turds which he had to walk around.
“Pretty much,” Maximillian chuckles, seemingly completely at ease even after a day and night of this. “Joining up with the army is mostly a lot of boredom, punctuated by a few hours or minutes of excitement.”
“At least they get experience out of this,” Daniel grumbles, waving his hand forward. Unlike Adventurers who mostly gained experience from exploring, killing and questing; the army gained theirs from training and marching for the most part. It was, in the opinion of many learned scholars, certainly better for professional armies to gain experience by training for war rather than actually waging war. Musing on this, Daniel is struck by a thought, “Max, how do Orcs gain experience?”
“Ah, you don’t know?” Maximillian asks rhetorically. As more than one rookie Adventurer moves in, Max raises his voice, “Orcs are kind of like us – they gain experience mostly from killing and questing. However, unlike us and like the army, those in positions of power also gain a steady boost of experience. It’s why your average Orc grunt is easy enough to fight, but their bosses are much more difficult.”
“How much more?” Daniel asks.
“An Orc Boss is about twice as dangerous as you’d expect based off its level. Stronger, faster and smarter. Don’t fight them if you can, that’s what the Army Sergeants and the Advanced Adventurers are for,” Maximillian responds, making sure to look at the rookies. There are more than a few nods including from Daniel and Asin. Daniel especially agrees, feeling particularly vulnerable after his recent loss of level.
At night, the campfires spread out over the plain. Each Adventuring group has created their own little camp, each scattered in a haphazard manner unlike the army. On cooking duty today, Daniel stirs the pot, ignoring the occasional proffered recommendation from Asin. Rumours swirl around them, that the Orcs were
sighted earlier today, that they have left, that they destroyed one, two, no eleven villages already. After an exhausting first night listening to Rumours, Daniel resolves to ignore them all, focusing on what he can control - the stew.
It was strange, being out in the city, travelling to do battle with sentient creatures he had never seen before. He knows of the Orcs from Rumours and late night tales, after all their lands bordered Brad in the West and they conducted regular raids into nearby villages on a regular basis. Yet, his upbringing in the mountains meant he little direct interaction with them. Unlike humans, it seemed most of their levelling options required constant battle, forcing them into constant raids and attacks against each other and Brad itself. More than once Brad had launched campaigns into Orc lands to destroy settlements and reduce the population, but the sprawling, untouched lands that the Orcs claimed meant that eventually the army campaign was called back and the Orcs would return. Rumours had it that Orcs gave birth in litters, their constant attacks and seemingly unending numbers resulting from their animalistic breeding patterns, unlike the more civilized and sentient races.
Daniel stirs the pot once more, tasting the stew before waving over his party members. It felt strange, to be grouped with so many others when it was just Asin and him for the longest time. Strange, but nice, even if this was temporary. His new party members were all good people, Kilroy a joker, Maximillian stern but kind and Mia quiet and competent. The quiet (and not so quiet when Kilroy was around) camaraderie was soothing, even as they all felt the tension of the upcoming battle.
Perhaps it was due to the fact that they all risked their lives on a daily basis in the Dungeon that the Adventurers seemed to take it in stride. Certainly, they were louder and more exuberant than their Army counterparts. More than once, he had caught the glowers from passing army personnel, almost as if they were angry that the Adventurers were willing to laugh. Yet, Daniel mused, what else could they do? Risking life for money was their way of life, and whether it was a Crawler which had dropped from the ceiling or an Orc who smashed their skulls in, it didn’t matter how their lives ended. If you could not learn to laugh at upcoming death, you had no place being an Adventurer.