by Han Yang
“We could always weigh them down. Have them carry a rock across and then the gear back,” Bell said. “I guess we have to find a spot to hunker down in. If Damien loses more minions it will render him useless.”
Jark said, “If this works, we have a bunch of clangy metal to haul for the next week,” he grumbled, adding, “Through hostile lands.”
“It won’t clank if there’s fifty goblins carrying it,” Asha said, and I smirked with him. I nodded to egg him on to tell me his plan. “With that horse and you in heavy armor distracting the enemy, Lumpy and I can easily kill the cerberus guards.”
“And the trolls overlords?” Bell asked with concern.
“Patience. One thing at time. We need to do a thorough scouting of that bridge anyway. In the meantime, this looks like, what, twenty Zorta?” Asha asked, pointing at the dead fish scattered among the rocks.
Bell was the fisherwomen. She shook her head and said, “Ten at most, but there’s enough here I can drain a good portion of this river if I use Z to refresh my mana. Too bad about the laddered costs. If those weren’t an issue, I could drain the whole thing.”
I went to ask about what laddered costs were when Asha caught on. He interjected, likely wanting to start now and said, “Permission to try goblin river thieving. I need to dump the bags off the donkey.”
“Granted. Goblin Two and Goblin Three, you are to follow Asha’s orders,” I said and kneeled to Lumpy. “You’re my main guard. Go secure the area and return whenever your Mistress puts fish on the shoreline.”
“Mistress,” Tarla said with folded arms.
“He means me,” Bell said with her nose up in the air.
I rolled my eyes. “Ladies, Bell is a pet whisperer. Lumpy loves her. End of story. Nothing more to it. Now, tell me about laddered costs.”
“You refresh your mana, and the first cost in a day is cheap. Refresh your mana a few times, and the cheap goes away. Do it a dozen, and you’re burning hundreds per refresh. Beyond that, even the kings avoid,” Bell said then turned to Tarla and added, “Sorry, I came off as snippy. I’m in need of lunch and dry clothes.”
Tarla came near, wiped my cheek with a different linen then before, and kissed the clean spot softly. “I can cook the fish with high mana burn and not have any smoke. Or boil a stew, same thing. I just need to refresh my mana if we get in a fight.”
“Alright, we cultivate the fish and leave them. We can always get more later,” I said.
Jark cleared his throat. “I can claim or consume. Which do you want me to do?”
“Wait, you can self-upgrade?” I asked with a shocked tone.
“Yes, Boss,” he said shyly.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out he wanted to level. If he consumed the fish from Zorta, it would make him closer to an upgrade. We didn’t want to carry the orbs and needed to hurry.
“Consume,” I said.
I already had a twenty surplus of Zorta, so I decided to let the others stock up. I swirled a spell to connect to Jark so I could see his profile.
Human Minion: Jark.
Health 11/11. Level 2
Sapient Human.
Memories intact.
Fighting Abilities: Weak.
Spell Abilities: Mediocre
Upgrade Available. Consume 7/61 mana and 19.75 Zorta for a total of 73.75 Zorta (YES) or (NO)
I watched the 19 slowly tick down until it rested at sixteen.
Hmm… interesting. I definitely wanted to see what would happen with him. I bet he becomes a giant at some point.
“And done,” Tarla said happily.
I glanced up to see the fish sitting on the rocks without cultivation orbs accessible. Charlie huffed with a neigh of boredom.
“Towards the trolls we go,” I said, hefting a bag.
Jark grabbed the other bag, and we followed the river’s edge as it ran downslope. For a good five minutes, we walked in silence, the roar of the water keeping us company. A few times, I saw buildup sticks between the firm stalks jetting out of the rapids.
Hmm… maybe we could cross here if we built a small raft. We still have a decent amount of rope.
Lumpy exited the jungle, dragging out a snake with a trot, happy of his kill. The diamond headed creature had gills, centipede feet, and big fangs. The viper type creature’s mouth flexed up and down, even though it was clearly dead.
“Rivers are dangerous. I might pull some of these out after lunch so we should be careful. Especially if you struggle with swinging a sword,” Bell said with concern. I ate the slight jab because it was true. “Even if I want to skip it, I earned enough points to upgrade as a water mage again. Two hundred and twelve Z needed. I’ll just have to start saving.”
“We can invest in you,” I said immediately. This second comment bothered me more than the jest about my sword skills. “Look, I know we decided to save the ten Z orbs, but we don’t have to. A level eight -”
“Nine,” Bell interjected.
“A level nine water mage is beneficial to all of us,” I said.
She sighed. “I don’t think it’s worth the unlock. I’d rather upgrade Lumpy two or three times and know we’re getting a fiercer feline.”
“I wish it told us what to expect ahead of time,” Tarla said. “I had a guide at one point but sold it when times became tough.”
“Is it always equal?” I asked.
“It goes by magic type, but yes. Your costs will likely be documented by someone before you for your healing magic. So, when you hit level seven, you will know that means 275 Z for a bigger heal and five extra mana. Or whatever it is,” Jark said.
Our conversation went on pause when Lumpy patted a paw for attention near the treeline.
“Guess we should follow him,” I said.
We were still on the straight and rapid section of the river. I figured we followed Asha’s advice by shifting far enough. We left the shoreline for the thick vegetation. A few minutes in, and a big tree fell over, the roots soaring high.
A rock beside the spot provided a nice little alcove, and a half dozen eggs rested nearby without a nest.
“How do eggs work?” I asked.
“They mature and then hatch,” Bell said with a giggling snort.
I rolled my eyes, and Tarla saved me by saying, “No Z from smashing an egg. These will not be edible and actually will be worth something if we can make a basket for them.” She cued into my puzzlement. “Ah, breeding livestock from the Ostriva lands is a great source of Z. There is no easy way to start breeding without making a journey to lands filled with minotaurs, cyclops, and more. Not to mention a farmer might get on hard times and slaughter their stock to stay alive.”
“You know, maybe that is the life for me,” I said, setting the heavy bag beside the eggs.
I glanced up, seeing a few openings through the canopy. A series of clouds rolled overhead, quickly blotting the sun.
“Best prepare for rain, set up the canvas as a tarp, and start a fire now. If we couldn’t see a cyclops’ roaring fire, I doubt they’ll see ours when it is broken up by the canopy and the rain starts.”
“Charlie will smell them if they come. Won’t you, Charlie?” Bell asked, being sweet to the horse.
Tarla went into my bag and retrieved a preserving jar. She glanced at the jar and then the eggs, visually sizing them up. While I collected firewood, she collected leaves.
A few minutes later, I had a decent teepee fire structure setup, and she had the eggs tucked away in jars with leaves for matting. Jark and Bell managed to tie off our wagon canvas as a barrier from the beginning of a light shower.
Tarla packed the eggs back into the bag. “They might survive, they might not,” Tarla said with a shrug. When she finished with the bag, she knelt down to apply a small flame to the bottom of the fire. “If they die, or we dump them for berries, so be it.”
“Earlier, you looked at those eggs as if you’d be a simple farmer,” Jark said.
I waited to answer, just like I had wait
ed to start a deep conversation until we could relax. Now that we had a small fire going, I removed my armor to set it by the fire. My feet thanked me a thousand times when I pried my boots off.
I dug into the bag to get my sandals and a set of dry under clothes. I only spun to change, not willing to go into the wood to get naked.
Tarla and Bell used robes as makeshift changing blockers. Eventually, we all were in dry clothes, listening to the crackle of a fire. The soft drumming of rain hitting our cover brought a tranquility to the situation.
Lumpy showed up with one of the big fish, and I went about fileting the best slabs off.
“This right here,” I said, pointing to the fish I cut on the rock. “Never done it before. I’m probably doing it wrong, but we can pick a few bones out.”
“I can teach you,” Jark said. He left his seat and traded places with me. I observed while he sliced behind the gills and up toward the head. When he hit the spine, he changed the blade’s direction, running it down to the tail. “You cut the ribs out after, at least on these smaller fish. Watching should be enough. There’s not much to talk you through. Please, tell me why the mage with two magics wants to be a farmer.”
“Well, think about it logically. I can buy miscee near death and when they die, turn them into the undead and then socially accepted living undead. Or whatever species the current human kingdom has. If I never leave a farm, the downside is little, I’ll never have to take risks, and who cares if my Ostriva points are through the roof. Others will go to town for me,” I said.
“Caitlyn would expect you to be a conquering hero,” Bell said unhappily.
I shook my head. “You know, she never said much besides the cost to ascend. Look, clearly my fate is heading for adventure and excitement. You don’t get stuck between trolls and cyclops in a jungle when you become an animal herder.”
“It’s just a farmer, Damien. You also don’t get to sit around a fire with me in my underwear as a farmer,” Tarla said.
“Ha!” I chuckled at this, ensuring I didn’t get too loud. “Just wanted to say I can and maybe should take the safe bet here. And here comes the proof.”
Lumpy arrived with a second fish. This one had an orb. The large feline dripped water, telling me he went hunting in the river. I let the others absorb the Z while I diced up the body, following Jark’s guidance.
“I certainly wouldn’t mind a nice home. A base really would do wonders for my spirit. I miss warm baths, nice sheets, and comfy pillows. I can get all those things here and make the most of my situation. Yes, a base brightens my hope. A big fireplace, I’d really like a big fireplace,” I said.
“A hearth is where the home is. Winters aren’t too bad in Tarb. They’re worse further north,” Bell said. “You are onto something, though. We will have issues getting you into and out of respectable cities. But, if we do get you in, you can literally be prosperous with dual magic and take minimal risks.”
And that was how our conversation went for the next few hours. We talked through about a hundred what-if scenarios concerning the future. I knew that going too far into the future would be pointless because we had to survive today, tomorrow, and the trip out of Ostriva lands.
Eventually, we set up tents while processing the fish Lumpy brought to us. The rain left us building up stick beds to get off the muddy forest floor.
When it grew dark, I shifted into a tent with a confused Jark. I didn’t make any comments, and I was fairly certain the message was clear.
The calm day had left me restless and curious as to how Asha was doing. The bonus part was that I hadn’t had a goblin die… yet. I went to bed hoping I didn’t awake with mana exhaustion, knowing tomorrow would mean either we fought for a bridge or dangerously crossed a river.
CHAPTER 25
Ikara Valley
A hand stirred me awake until I pried my eyes open. I propped myself up to see a dim firelight revealing Asha with a big grin on his face.
“We need to go scouting,” he said.
I nodded, still coming out of my sleepy haze. Exiting the tent, I saw the fire had died down from being unattended. I walked over to get into my battle gear, noticing the donkey laden with stringed together items via rope.
The cyclops had clearly killed a lot of folks, and Asha’s trip had been successful. A brown eyed redhead poked her head out with a face scrunched in confusion.
“Morning my lovely lady. Whose turn is it on guard?” I asked.
“Mine,” Bell said, exiting the trees with semi-dry sticks. She inclined her head to the donkey. “I’ll bundle the loot the best I can. Looks like there was good rope in this gear.”
“Go ahead and break camp, make breakfast, be ready to run south just in case,” I said, sliding my leather armor on.
“Yes, Boss,” Jark said from inside the tent. “We’ll be ready to go… but Charlie may need to ditch his armor.”
I glanced at the horse, seeing what he meant. The stallion’s armor was meant to charge into battle, and we needed help carrying gear. The donkey couldn’t carry everything.
“I concur, ditch the armor, but keep the saddle. We need to go. Let them ready the stuff while we scout, and I catch you up,” Asha said.
I finished lacing my boots up and reached down to stretch my calves. Every time I went scouting with Asha, it was at a jog until we arrived at our observation point.
Asha headed over to the loot pile atop the donkey and fetched a weapon. He handed me an exquisite blade with a gem in the handle. I rose to my feet and strapped it around my waist, finding its previous owner almost a match to my size.
As I pulled the blade out to study it, Asha ducked from under the canvas cover and into the night.
Guess he really wants to go now.
I followed after him. The rain beat down hard, and I huffed, knowing this wasn’t going to be fun. Even though I thought it would suck, I grinned. The rain drenched me, the canopy blocked out any residual light, and I had to pretty much hold onto Asha to keep pace.
I guess that summarized my adventure on Nordan with parts of Ostriva to this point. It was dangerous, scary, and still infinitely thrilling. I laughed quietly, the noise of us crashing through the bushes as thunderous as the roar after distant lightning.
Occasionally, we would slow to jump or climb over a fallen tree. A few times, I needed help navigating a drop. The second we cleared an obstacle, Asha sprinted off again. I lost track of time with the lack of sun and endless dangers to avoid.
Eventually, we paused, my adjusted vision seeing the trees coming to an end. I couldn’t see a village or anything much because we were still fairly far back.
Asha shifted at this point, crouch walking for the last bit of vegetation. When he reached the end of the tree line, he laid down. I mimicked his movements until we were only a few feet away from a field of lettuce.
“Alright, some things about what to expect. A cerberus has amazing vision and smell. Their hearing is opposite of a normal dog. It's shit because three mouths are breathing and the lungs are raspy,” Asha said quietly.
I glanced out, seeing half a field and nothing else. My vision simply didn’t go any farther with the gloomy overcast sky.
“What are we looking at?” I asked.
“The sun will start to rise in a few minutes. I can see clearly. A few goblins are up and strategically placed. They sit on barrels as alerts. They’re tied to a bell. They die, the bell rings. They get frightened, the bell rings. Easy to avoid and three of the four are asleep at their post,” he said.
“Alright, well, what were you thinking for a plan?” I asked.
“We sit here all morning, all day, go to sleep early, and raid about an hour before dawn,” Asha said.
“Tomorrow?” I asked.
“Yes, this is something to do right and not rush,” he said.
Seeing as how I had led zero raids and could barely swing a sword, I figured it was wise to listen to his advice.
The sky didn’t glow when the sun did
crest the horizon. The rain fell heavily, thoroughly drenching us. The clouds did lighten a bit and over the next ten minutes, I could start to make out the outline of the village.
“Well, since we’re not in danger and waiting for the sun to lighten the day, tell me about the cyclops being robbed by skeleton goblins,” I said with a slight chuckle, enjoying the image of them thieving I had in my head.
“Uh, the cyclops drank after they feasted. An hour or two later, they passed out. I sent the donkey and the goblins over the bridge, figuring there were lurking monsters below the water. Technically, we could have crossed the bridge if we had rushed nearby as a group,” he said, and I blanched. “Yeah, goblins are loud. I even had to run across and latch all the loot. I just put the goblins closer to the snoring behemoths so if they woke, I wasn’t the first to die.”
“Wait, we could have crossed the river already?” I whispered in dismay.
“Yeah, probably. But they should be waking about now, and by the time I got you, we broke down camp and so forth. It would have been too close to call. Anyway, I waited until the first one woke up. He pissed in the river and even noticed the loot pile was shorter. Scratched his ass then went back to bed without a care,” Asha said. “Just a guess, but I bet they use that pile as a treasure trap to the locals. Probably get pilfered by goblins regularly.”
“Damn,” I said. “Think they’ll follow your tracks since they know?”
“Full disclosure, not a clue. Cyclops are feared by my kind. I’ve never been hunted by one because they tend to stick to open spaces, and I use the trees,” he admitted.
“What did you get besides this awesome sword?”
Asha smirked and said, “A lot of expensive armor. Best to sell it to the dwarves because some of it can and will be traced back to who owned it. Last thing you need is to go to Nara, the human city north of here, and get arrested for selling heirlooms. I also found some journals and personal effects. We got time for a story.
“A father came out to slay the cyclops who are known to live there. Actually, once we cross this bridge, we will go through the jungle and onto the cyclops road that leads to civilization.