by Sarah Lin
[Floor 3 Complete!
EXP Bonus: +250,000]
That was welcome, but not particularly useful. Bloodwraith brushed the box aside, focusing again on the circle. It did seem to be some sort of spatial magic, so might it serve as a portal out of this place? If so... that seemed too easy, after all their work.
When he bent closer to it, a new box appeared, filling his vision so completely that it surprised him.
[CONGRATULATIONS!
You have completed the Testing Dungeon. As this is simple beta testing, there is no reward beyond whatever the admins provided. Please give all your reports to your immediate superior so that we can continue to improve our work in Alliandelle.]
Dramatic and also not useful. Frowning, Bloodwraith mentally pushed it aside and instead focused on the circle of light. This had to be the key to everything, and if it didn't give them a way out of their prison, then their effort had been in vain. Surely if he focused enough, the boxes would connect to the magic and reveal its purpose...
[Fast Travel is unlocked!
NOTE: This feature is bugged to hell and will need to be taken out of the final build. It might be able to function one way, but definitely won't operate in Alliandelle proper. Use at your own risk.]
There it was. Bloodwraith wasn't sure what the message meant, but he had a feeling that this was what would change their fate. Putting the battle behind him, he sat down and stared at the box.
Chapter 23
The force of the system had been pressing against her for so long that Meara almost didn't know what to do with herself without it. Finally, she could breathe again. Though the dungeon still closed around them, the power restricting them was now only a thin layer. She thought that she might be able to break through it herself, but it would be better to work with the system and conserve her strength.
That was where Bloodwraith and this "Fast Travel" system would come in. Meara slowly walked around the glowing circle, trying to determine its exact nature. She had been hopeful that it might be valuable to her since the box had declared it "bugged" but in this case it seemed to mean "unreliable and potentially fatal" - they might be able to use it a little, but they wouldn't be able to rely on it.
Meanwhile, the others were talking and relaxing, happy to finally be done with the Testing Dungeon. So far they were avoiding thinking about what might have occurred in the world they left behind while they were fighting. Perhaps because there was nothing they could do for now.
"The problem is lack of information." Bloodwraith looked away from the circle to catch her gaze. "Even if the prison didn't hold us, it was extremely effective at separating us from the conflict. They could be anywhere in the world by now."
"They could be, but I doubt it. Everything they spoke of suggested that they'd be cleaning up this area." Meara moved to stand behind him, leaning over with an arm on his shoulder. "Pull up the map again."
Bloodwraith did so, manifesting a new box: unlike all the others, this one had a map in rich color. Stretching out his will, Bloodwraith made labels appear on the map, marking notable locations. It was strange to see her world laid out from overhead like that, but as Meara looked over Manascas, Edsdam, and Cresthaven, she again oriented herself to what the map portrayed.
"I don't suppose there's any way you can make the map display information about the current situation?"
"Not even close." Bloodwraith gestured to point out several key features. "This town northeast of Manascas was burned to the ground by the Master Lich. And this river doesn't look right. I presume that this map represents the way our world looked when the system was created, not a present representation."
"But you think it will still work enough to take us back? The feeling of this 'Fast Travel' - I'm afraid it might throw us into the air somewhere."
"We can't be certain, but I think it's worth trying. The problem is as I said: we don't know where to go. Based on what the boxes warned, I worry we'll only be able to use it once."
"Hmm..." Meara thought for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Then maybe the problem is that you're thinking of us as a singular party."
"You mean we might split up? I dislike that idea, especially since we could potentially be targeted by our many enemies."
"I'm not suggesting we go in five separate directions, just that we might need to send someone to gather information. If we don't do that, how else are we going to learn anything new?"
Bloodwraith slowly nodded as he accepted her logic and he began working on summoning a skeleton. "We'll use an Undead Companion to test the system, just in case something goes wrong. But even assuming that works, there's a major flaw in your plan: communication. Even if someone finds something, how do they tell us what they discover?"
"I'm pretty sure I have an idea for that." Meara reached out in her mind, touching the strands of the system tying Bloodwraith and Izzy together. "You and Izzy are linked and we've already used her traits to send messages. At minimum we can do that again, but I've been thinking about it and I think I can improve the system even more."
"Good. Then let's test the first one."
Bloodwraith ordered one of the skeletons to step into the circle of light. A new box immediately appeared.
[Where should Undead Companion 'Skeleton439' Fast Travel?]
The map appeared forcefully on top of the other boxes. Bloodwraith frowned for a time, but then focused on it. Soon a frame-like object appeared, which began to move across the map. It soon reached the town of Kahhar, where Bloodwraith stopped it. "Good enough?"
"I think so. Send it and see what happens."
Bloodwraith pushed through a confirmation box... and then the skeleton promptly dropped through the floor. The two of them blinked in surprise and looked forward to find that the circle of light had become a hole that opened into an entirely different scene. It was clearly the desert just outside Kahhar... yet they were looking at an angle, as if they and the entire dungeon were standing on the side of a wall.
It was mildly disorienting and Meara rubbed her head as her mind figured out the strange distortion. Bloodwraith seemed to recover more quickly, looking around and soon discovering that the skeleton was lying just outside where they could see. When it rose to its feet, he was able to order it to turn back and salute to them.
"Good," Meara said, "then the system is still connected. I should be able to send you messages no matter where we go, then."
"I'm not sure. It might only work because the portal links the locations... let me check..."
To Meara's surprise, the skeleton was able to stick its arm back through the portal. It tried to climb sideways back into the Testing Dungeon and managed to burn its legs off in the edge of the portal, but the remaining half had successfully returned. She and Bloodwraith looked at each other, and after a time she spoke first. "It said we could only use it one way..."
"I suspect that once the portal closes, it won't open again. But so long as I'm here to hold it open, it can work both ways."
"Fascinating. Then we have better options for gathering information."
"Agreed. Do you want to take a group into Kahhar to learn what we can?"
"Absolutely, but we should develop contingency plans in case something goes wrong." Meara leaned down to scan over the map carefully. "First, we should develop our exact system of messages in case my idea doesn't work. Second, we should talk to the others about our overall goals. But most importantly... is that what I think it is?"
Bloodwraith followed her hand, then his eyes widened. In very small text that was dark blue instead of white, there was a location named the "Forest of Beginnings" - it was south of Cresthaven, roughly where he had reentered Alliandelle.
Instead of answering, Bloodwraith just did an experiment. After pushing aside the skeleton and closing the portal, he sent a new skeleton onto the circle and then selected the Forest of Beginnings on the map. But this time, instead of a magical effect there was only another box:
[This location is no
t accessible by Fast Travel.]
"Not by Fast Travel..." He looked away from the map and they just stared at each other for a while. "Then it's not completely impossible to go back. At minimum, Alan is there."
"It might not be wise to meet him again, but I agree that it's good to know."
"We'll keep it in mind. For now we should make our preparations and speak to the others."
They explained what they discovered to the others, who eagerly crowded around the circle and watched the experiments with the skeletons. Once everyone had a clear idea what they intended to do and they were sure the portal was safe enough, it was time for them to actually visit Kahhar for the first time in days.
Just in case, Izzy went first, hopping into the open circle. Moments later she popped up on the other side, now standing on her new ground and horizontal from their perspective. She waved at them cheerfully, so Danniah climbed out after her. Gharavi declined to go back, so Meara decided that she should go too in order to provide support.
Her body shivered as she went through the circle, then suddenly she was falling to the ground on the other side. Danniah and Izzy caught her and set her back on her feet. Though her head spun for just a moment as she reoriented herself, she almost immediately had her bearings. She stepped up to the circle of fire that led into the dark dungeon room.
"We'll find out what we can, then report back as quickly as possible," she said. "But if something goes wrong, we follow our earlier plans."
"Agreed." Bloodwraith's voice sounded slightly distorted coming through the portal. "If you risk encountering the enemy, retreat here so that we can modify our plans. The greatest advantage we have right now is the element of surprise."
"We'll be back soon." With that, Meara turned away from the portal and joined Danniah and Izzy as they headed toward the town of Kahhar. She glanced back once at the portal, still burning in the middle of the desert, but then focused on the task ahead of them.
While they were headed toward the town, Meara reached into her cloak and pulled out more cloaks to obscure their identity. It proved almost entirely unnecessary, however: the town was nearly abandoned. There was a single guard at the post outside, but he didn't even look at them. Most likely he was only there to keep watch for desert monsters.
Kahhar had been a lively town the first time they had visited, but now all of the street vendors were gone and the only people on the streets moved furtively. With everything like this, Meara couldn't blend into crowds and absorb information from overheard conversations. The fact that everything was abandoned did give them plenty of information, but nothing good.
"Do you think something bad happened after we got sent away?" Danniah looked over at Meara nervously. "Like the Outsiders came back and attacked because we were here?"
"If they'd attacked, I don't think there'd be anything left." Meara managed to give her a smile. "And if they did attack anyone because of us, that's still on their shoulders. Just another reason we have to stop them."
"You're right... but how are we going to learn more? I think if we go around asking, we'll just seem really suspicious."
Meara considered that for a moment, then directed them to head toward the bar where they had overheard the conversation between the Outsiders. "Let's take a different approach and just find someone we can ask directly. Put your creepy helmet back on."
Danniah grumbled, but touched the orb in her belt to restore her armor underneath her cloak. Izzy shifted to walk behind them, not wanting to bother anyone with her undead status. Most likely nobody would be looking at her once Danniah pulled her hood, though.
When they entered the bar, they found it more occupied than the street outside, but most of the inhabitants looked like hard men only a few bad breaks from banditry. If anyone attacked, Meara was concerned that Izzy would eat someone, so she nudged Danniah to pull off her hood. When she did so and her helm's eyes glowed ominously, everyone pulled back and gave them space.
With a squirming Danniah leading the way, Meara easily made her way through the crowd to the bar. She remembered the bartender from the last time they had been in town. Now he had dark circles under his eyes and days of stubble on his face, but he tried to give them a smile.
"It's not safe around these parts anymore, but... I reckon I can't exactly throw you out. Please don't hurt anyone."
Meara smiled and leaned onto his bar, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "My dangerous friend here isn't in the mood for a fight. Not with anyone here, anyway. But we're tracking someone. A while back, there would have been an incident with someone riding a shardwing into town..."
The bartender shuddered and looked away. "Everything has been getting worse since then. I don't know what's wrong, but we're not getting shipments from Manascas anymore. People who go too far outside town just... don't come back. A lot of people are fleeing, but others just go missing."
"Rest assured, we're after the people who did this. They haven't been seen around here again?"
"No, not at all. The rumor is that the people with the shardwing left town and some adventurers fought them. They all disappeared after that in some sort of magic and no one has seen hide nor hair of them since then. But people say they did something, cursed the town or some such, and I'm inclined to believe them..."
Nodding, Meara kept pulling more information out of the bartender. The local people were awash in rumors, most of them likely false, but she suspected that there were an increasing number of Fellsilvered monsters around... and perhaps Fellsilvered people as well. Both of those suggested that negotiations between the Earthian and the Aesidh had broken down further. Just as Bloodwraith had been concerned about, though she wasn't sure how he'd feel about finding out that he was right.
Rumor had it that there were serious problems in both Cresthaven and Edsdam, but rumors seemed to suggest problems everywhere. Meara was beginning to wonder if she could learn anything else from the bartender when she felt Izzy tug on her cloak. When she looked back, the ghoul nodded her head across the bar.
"That man by the wall... he doesn't smell like anything."
Alarmed, Meara looked at the man Izzy indicated. He wore a large cloak as suspicious as theirs, but his head was angled toward them with a strange sort of focus. When they all turned toward him, Meara caught a glimpse of his eyes in his robe... and they were made of pure silver. After they locked eyes, the Fellsilvered man abruptly stood up to go.
"Stop him before he can tell the others!" Meara hissed the command and the other two leapt into action. Izzy jumped over two tables to cut him off at the entrance, while Danniah headed straight for him.
When Danniah got close, the man turned on her as if he intended to smash directly through her, but this Danniah was not the same as the one who had first encountered Fellsilvered opponents.
Ducking underneath the man's swiping arms, Danniah slammed her shield into his chest. While he stumbled back, she rushed in, her mace smashing into his head. Remembering how Fellsilvered opponents had kept moving even after injuries, Danniah followed even after he was down, smashing her mace down into his head and splattering it.
As far as attacks went, it was effective. The rest of the body twitched but didn't try to attack. But when Danniah rose, she realized that everyone in the bar had just watched her randomly assault an apparently innocent man. Though her helm made her look insane, Meara could tell that she was panicking.
"For the love of the gods," the bartender said in a low voice, "why would you do that?"
Meara gave Danniah a meaningful look, urging her to answer. Danniah coughed and did her best. "I... I didn't like his face?"
Not a good choice of words, given that she'd utterly demolished the man's face. Danniah realized this a moment later and raised her hands to try to correct herself, which just meant she ended up waving her weapons around. However, her awkwardness didn't matter in the end.
While Danniah was looking away, the body began to try to move again. But it barely twitched befor
e Danniah whirled, smashing her mace down into his chest, this time with a corona of flame around it. The flames caught and began to burn the body.
All of the suspicious characters around the bar suddenly discovered that they had very important places to be.
Since they had earned some privacy, Meara asked the bartender some more questions while Danniah and Izzy made sure that the Fellsilvered body was destroyed. The terrified bartender didn't seem to know anything else, however, so Meara decided that they might as well return to Bloodwraith and see what the next best step might be.
On their way out of the bar, however, they discovered someone waiting for them. It was a woman wearing rough leather armor, folding her arms and watching the door. She kept her face bare so it was obvious that she wasn't Fellsilvered, and Meara didn't sense anything unusual about her, but she still approached cautiously with Danniah and Izzy at her sides.
"Can we help you?"
"I was hoping you could help me." The woman looked over them with a careful eye. "You're Raigar's companions, aren't you?"
They glanced at one another, then Danniah took a step forward to whisper to Meara. "I think I recognize her from Manascas..."
"That's right." Apparently having heard the whisper, the woman just nodded. "I'm with the Savages Guild. Are you still with Raigar or not?"
"We are," Meara said, making her decision in an instant, "but he can't be present right now."
"Hnh. You're trying to fight whatever's happening, though, right?"
"We are."
"Then come with me. We can't help much, but we'll do what we can."
The woman led them into a narrow alley that was mostly shielded from the street, then leaned back against the wall. When Danniah took off her helm the woman's eyes rose, but she managed to take it in stride.
"Something happened to Manascas," the woman said without any more introduction. "One day there were rumors that some unknown creature had appeared in the center of town, then... things were different. We couldn't pin it down, but shops were in different places, streets were renamed, and so on. Worst of all, hardly anybody seemed to remember. The weaker members of the Savages Guild didn't even remember all the trouble with Raigar and that lich, like it never even happened."