Land of the Undying

by Dave Willmarth

  “Yeah, he’ll do.” Verga grinned at the captain.

  The captain nodded his head. “Put him to work then. Teach him what you can.” he said as he turned and walked away. Verga looked at Mace. “Give me back my hammers. And for now, work with one hand at a time. I don’t want to be bandaging you or picking your fingers up off the floor because you got cocky.”

  Mace returned the hammers, and she led him over to where a rough blueprint was nailed to the wall. “Can you read this?” she asked. Mace studied it, leaning in close to be able to read the small notations. There were measurements called out for each segment of wall. Also for window and door dimensions, truss placement and angles, nothing overly complicated. As he studied it, he got a notification.

  You have obtained the skill “Builder”: Level 1

  Pleased with himself, Mace said “Yup! I can read it.”

  “Fine. See this section here?” Verga pointed to the blueprint. “I need you to cut and shape boards for the window casings. Here are the measurements.”

  Mace looked at the drawing, then around the room. Near the sawhorses he saw several roughly cut boards that he could saw and plane into workable casings. He nodded his head and went to work. He found a hand saw and a couple of C clamps in a box near the pile. On the workbench was a length of hemp with marks dyed into it at regular intervals. “Measuring tape.” he said to himself.

  Remembering the board lengths called out in the drawing, he took a board off the pile and used the string to measure and mark it. Then he clamped the board to the workbench plank with one end hanging off the edge, took up the saw, and started cutting. Minx, meanwhile, found herself a perch atop one of the unfinished walls and laid down on her back to let the sun warm her belly.

  When he’d cut four boards of proper length for a casing, he set down the saw and picked up a plane. After a few strokes to even out and size the board, he received a second notification.

  You have obtained the skill “Woodcrafting”: Level 1

  You have earned a skill point: +1 to Builder

  Mace continued on this way for several hours, shaping and assembling window casings. Then door casings. He got better with practice, and with each increase in skill level he had a better understanding of what he was doing.

  When it began to get dark, Verga came to inspect his work. He’d finished the crafting of the casings and gone ahead and begun to install them in the appropriate walls. She checked each one, taking the measuring string to them and running her hands across the surface of the boards. “Well done, Mace. I could not have asked for better work. Or faster. Thank you.”

  Mace nodded his head “I enjoyed it. Quite a bit, actually. Feels good to create something with my hands, rather than always destroying.” He checked his UI skills tree. His Builder skill was up to level four, and his Woodcrafting, level five. He noted that the generalized builder skill leveled slower. Probably because he’d been focused on cutting and shaping wood. He’d have to check into the details later.

  *****

  Shari logged in sitting on her bed. She didn’t summon Snuffles right away, deciding to wait until she was outside. Plus, she felt like having bacon in the tavern, and she’d feel guilty eating it in front of him.

  She made her way downstairs and ordered a meal. Eating quickly, she amused herself by thinking up ways to torture Mace at breakfast. She washed down the last of her food with a big gulp of tea, then headed out. On her way to Arlon’s, she reminded herself to ask about the wyvern’s heart. And her bow. She knocked on the door once again, and he answered it almost immediately.

  “Twice in two days? Should I feel honored?” She smiled sweetly at him.

  “Come in, child. I take it you’ve obtained all the skill components?” He ignored her jibe.

  “I have. And a few other things I want to ask you about.” She said as she sat down in front of his fireplace. She told him about the fight with the wyvern, the fact that a tree spoke to her, and the loot that she received.

  “Interesting. Show me your bow, first.” Arlon said. When Shari produced it, he took it and examined it closely. He set it on a table in front of them, and cast a quick spell on it. The bow vibrated so strongly that it began to move across the table. Arlon canceled the spell. Turning to Shari, he said. “You know that wyverns are cousins to dragons. Stupid, less evolved cousins, but still cousins. And dragons are creatures of pure magic.” Shari nodded her head, following along.

  “While wyverns are young, they are unable to cast magic. As they grow, they generally develop a single magic ability. Whether that’s breathing fire, spitting poison, a paralyzing screech, or becoming invisible. But you killed this one before it grew to that point. All of its inherent magic potential was still stored within its essence. This bow, made of the young wyvern’s body, seems to have retained that potential. Any magic you put into it will be magnified greatly.”

  Shari withdrew the wyvern’s heart “And this?” she handed it to him. Arlon’s eyes grew wide when he saw the purple glow it emitted. “This is extremely rare. And has the same magic potential as your bow. Maybe greater, as the heart is the source of magic.”

  “What is it good for?” She asked him.

  “A number of things. As a spell component it would add great power to the working. An alchemist could distill its power into nearly pure mana, usable in potions that would grant powerful boosts to health, or mana. A necromancer could use it to animate a dead wyvern and control it. A powerful druid like myself could use it to save the life of a mortally wounded beast. I’m sure dragons would have other uses for it.” He said cryptically. “It is an item of great value. Worth more than your weight in gold.”

  Shari’s mouth dropped open. Gold was not easy to come by in large quantities in this game. Epic weapons sold for a few hundred. A full set of legendary armor might cost five thousand. Each gold coin had a weight of one quarter ounce. At about ninety pounds, her weight in gold would be nearly six thousand coins worth. By comparison, a single gold could buy her the nicest room at her inn and meals for a week.

  Arlon looked longingly at the heart as Shari returned it to her bag. “Thank you Master Arlon.” She said as she removed several of the creature’s other body parts. She set a few teeth, claws, and a piece of hide on the table. “Do these contain the same magic potential?”

  Arlon examined then briefly, nodding. “To a lesser degree than the heart, but yes.” He rattled the teeth and claws around a bit in his hand. “I know a certain grumpy old alchemist who would pay well for these.” He handed them back to her before picking up the hide. He stroked its surface, folded it, and pulled on it. “This is wonderful. You could have quite a good armor piece made from this. Lightweight, strong, able to hold a powerful enchantment. It isn’t large enough to make you more than a single item, say a pair of pants or a pair of boots. But they would be quite useful.”

  He sighed as he set the hide back on the table. Shari, feeling awkward for tempting him with these treasures, pulled a second piece of the hide from her bag and set it on top of the first. “These are for you, Master Arlon. For all that you’ve done for me, for your good advice, and friendship.”

  Arlon lifted the hides from the table. “Why, thank you child. I should refuse, but the truth is I can craft myself an outfit from these that will make the other council members envy me!” he grinned. Jumping up from his seat, he said “Are you ready for the ritual? I made preparations as you ‘slept’. We can begin anytime.”

  Shari nodded, nervous. “How will this work? Will I see a vision of my spirit animal? Will it…give me advice?”

  Arlon chuckled. “No, child. Your spirit animal will be summoned in physical form. It will bond with you just as the piglet has.” Shari gasped. Feeling like an awful mother, she quickly summoned Snuffles. The piglet simply resumed its exploration of Arlon’s abode.

  Arlon continued. “It may well give you advice. Once it has had time to grow and learn. Initially, it will be much like Snuffles there. All emotion and
hunger.” He smiled at the pig, then scooped him up. “Follow me.”

  Arlon led her out into the garden, then around to the back side of the tree. There was a cleared circular space with several vertical stones around the perimeter, and a low stone table in the center. It reminded her a bit of Stonehenge. He led her to stand in the center next to the table. After whispering something in Snuffle’s ear, he set the piglet down. Snuffles sat obediently on his haunches and didn’t move. Then Arlon instructed Shari to set her spell components on the table. Once she had complied, he arranged them in a pattern, with the soul gem at the center next to a bowl of liquid.

  “Alright, sit. You may become dizzy or lose consciousness, and we can’t have you falling over, now can we?” He instructed.

  Shari knelt next to the table and Arlon placed a hand on her head. He began to chant in an ancient-sounding language that Shari assumed was Elvish. She closed her eyes as she began to feel warm and slightly fuzzy-minded. She could sense Arlon and Snuffles beside her. Could almost see them as if she were outside her body watching the ritual.

  Shari opened her eyes when Arlon removed his hand. Continuing the incantation, he picked up the soul gem and dropped it into the bowl. After a moment he motioned for her to drink the liquid. Alarms went off in her head. Fuzzy, slow alarms. She recalled stories she’d heard of strange men offering drinks laced with … She couldn’t remember. But her hands reached out of their own accord and lifted the bowl to her lips. The liquid was surprisingly tasty, with a cinnamon honey flavor.

  As she set the bowl down, now empty of liquid and containing only a dull grey stone, she felt something rise up within her. She closed her eyes again as pleasurable tingling flushed through her body, and then light exploded within her mind.

  She once again found she was looking at herself from outside her body. Only this time, she was looking down from above. She could see herself kneeling, Arlon standing serenely next to her, holding the piglet in his arms. As she watched, the perspective changed. It was as if she were floating down out of the air toward herself.

  No… not floating. Flying. I’m flying. I can fly! Her muddled mind was having trouble focusing. Just as she was about to crash into herself, she paused in midair and looked at her own face. Her real body’s eyes opened, and she stared deeply into them for a moment before there was another flash of light.

  Arlon was right. She was dizzy, and rolled off her knees to the ground. He was there immediately to help her up as Snuffles squealed in distress and poked his wet snout into her face. She opened her eyes, reached out to the piglet and patted his head. “I’m okay. Just a little dizzy. I’ll be-”

  She lost her train of thought as she caught sight of the strangest thing. Her first thought was that her brain was still scrambled. She was looking at a dragon, and that just couldn’t be. For one thing, how would a dragon have gotten into the garden without the whole city being up in arms? Was the city under attack?

  She blinked a few times, and noticed Arlon turning to follow her gaze. When he chuckled, she shifted her gaze to him. Then back at the dragon.

  Nope. It’s impossible. I mean, I’m drugged or something. Whatever was in that drink is screwing with my mind.

  Shari looked at the dragon again. It was a beautiful shade of green, with emerald eyes. Above its eyes were a pair of sharp horns that slanted backward over its long neck. The dragon’s scales practically glowed with magic. Its leathery wings flapped rapidly as it hovered in front of her. From the nose to the tip of its tail, it was maybe a foot long.

  “Hello there, little one” Arlon said. He took hold of Shari’s hand and helped her to her feet. She stood, but didn’t move, her mouth hanging open.

  The little dragon shot forward, making a quick circle around Shari’s head. She could feel the wind from its tiny wings in her hair. As she turned to follow it, the dragon swooped downward and landed on the piglet’s head. This caused Snuffles to spin like a dog chasing its tail, trying to see the flying lizard. The dragon calmly leaned its head forward, and looked down at Snuffles’ face. The piglet stopped moving and stared back.

  Shari couldn’t help but laugh when Snuffles went cross-eyed looking at his tiny passenger. Arlon joined her. When he saw that she was coming back to her senses, he said “Hold out your hand and call to her.”

  “Her?” Shari asked. Then shook her head to clear it. He meant the dragon, of course. She held out her hand, and said “Come to me, little one.”

  The tiny green dragon gave Snuffles a quick lick on the top of his head, then leapt into the air. She flew the short distance to Shari, and flared her wings, coming to rest gently on Shari’s hand. She folded her wings and settled down on her haunches. Shari heard a very distinct and insistent thought.

  “Hungry!”

  Shari reached into her bag for some jerky. When she held it out in offering, the little dragon shook her head. Shari looked at Arlon. “She says she’s hungry, but doesn’t want the meat.”

  Arlon nodded his head. “She wants fresh food. Preferably still alive. One moment.”

  Arlon stepped out of the circle and moved to an area with several small stones embedded in the grass. He tilted one of the stones on its side, and reached down to grab something. When he returned, he said “Give me your hand.”

  Shari reached out her free hand. Arlon turned it palm up, and deposited a handful of wriggling larvae of some kind. She bit her tongue in revulsion, but held the hand steady. The dragon immediately hopped over and perched on her forearm. Then she daintily nabbed one of the larvae in her jaws. She crunched once, tiny teeth puncturing her wriggling victim and holding it until it stopped moving. Then she tilted her head back and swallowed it whole. She repeated this process five or six more times, until her belly bulged noticeably. She walked up Shari’s arm, settled on her shoulder, and began to purr happily.

  Arlon laughed. “In all my years, you’re the first I’ve seen bond with a dragon. I’m glad I was here to see it!” He motioned to the remaining grubs in her hand. “You should keep those. I have a feeling she’ll be hungry again soon.”

  Shari stowed the grubs in a pocket. She couldn’t put them in her bag. Living things did not survive inside inventory bags. It was a basic law of the game. She’d learned that the hard way her first day when she’d stowed a cute little mouse in there.

  Enchanted with the dragon, Shari reached up and scratched its fat belly with one finger. The tone of the purring changed, but the little dragon didn’t open her eyes. Another thought came to Shari.

  “Sleepy now.”

  Shari didn’t just hear the thought. She felt the little dragon’s fatigue. And also contentment. She smiled at her mini-dragon and pulled her hand away. “She says she wants to sleep.”

  Arlon nodded his head. “She just traveled from another plane of existence. That can’t be easy. Let her rest. Come inside and we’ll get you some tea. You look a bit worn out yourself.”

  Shari took a few careful steps, her back rigid and her arm glued to her side, trying not to dislodge the sleeping dragon. But the little thing showed no sign of imbalance. Its claws were dug securely into her armor, and it swayed easily with her when she moved. Feeling more confident, Shari picked up the pace and followed Arlon inside.

  She sat on a sofa near the fireplace as Arlon went to heat up some water for tea. As soon as Arlon was out of the room, Snuffles jumped up on the sofa and into Shari’s lap. He sniffed at the dragon a few times, then huffed and settled down on Shari’s lap. She noticed he kept a suspicious eye on the dragon.

  She scratched his ears, then under his chin. “It’s okay, my big tough protector. She’s one of us. We’re all companions now.”

  “You’ll have to name her.” Arlon said as he returned with a tray of tea and pastries. Snuffles immediately perked up and forgot all about his dragon guard duty. Arlon handed the piglet an apple turnover and continued. “Unless she already has a name. Forest creatures normally don’t, but as I said, nobody has bonded a dragon to my knowledge.
They are a sentient species, and she very well may have a name already.”

  Shari accepted a cup of tea from the ancient elf, and started to reach for a pastry of her own. She hesitated, not wanting to lean forward and disturb the dragon. Arlon obliged her by lifting the plate within easy reach. “Thank you.” She smiled at him, still giddy at the fact that she had just bonded with her very own dragon. “I’ll ask her when she wakes up.”

  Quest Complete: The Animal Inside You

  Reward: 1,500 experience; 20 gold; spirit animal - dragon

  Arlon handed Shari a small sack of gold coins, then sat back in his chair, hand folded together. “It is time you selected a specialization. Have you given it much thought?”

  Shari looked sheepish. “I’m afraid not. I really don’t even know what options are available to me.” She admitted.

  “Well, I think we can narrow it down a bit. You obviously have a talent with animals. You could be a Master of Beasts. You would develop skills in communicating and controlling animals.” He tossed another pastry to Snuffles, who made it disappear instantly.

  “You told me once that in your world you are training to be a healer. You could specialize in the healing arts. Develop skills in healing magic, alchemy for potions, increase your knowledge of anatomy. Which, by the way, helps you kill more efficiently when the need arises.” He grinned at her.

  Shari liked the sound of that. It was, after all, what she’d dedicated the last six years of her life to. But she asked “What else?”

  Arlon’s eyebrows raised. He’d clearly expected her to choose a healer spec. “You are quite intelligent. You could become a scribe. Learn the written arts, make quite a living creating scrolls, spell-books, and maps.”

  Shari nodded her head. She liked the idea of basically being able to print her own money. So to speak.

  “Then there is my own path, that of a guardian. We protect the forest and those within it. Help the trees and plants to stay healthy, weed out rot where we find it. Grow ridiculously large and intricate gardens…” He winked at her. “And of course there are the rangers. Our warrior class. Trained in every weapon and attuned to the forest. Speed and stealth are their trademarks. We could be surrounded by rangers now and would never know it.”