Nova Terra: Guardian - A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure (The Titan Series Book 4)

by Seth Ring

  “Hello. My apologies for taking so long to introduce myself. My name is Rychell Naevyre and I want to sincerely thank you for saving us.”

  “Your highness,” the other three slaves were clearly uncomfortable with Rychell revealing herself, but the beautiful Elf silenced them with a glare. With sighs of frustration they removed their wraps, revealing their long, pointed ears.

  “We are seeking to return to Thilvena but had been captured and imprisoned in Maandell. Your heroic actions helped set us free.” Ignoring the disgruntled faces of her companions, Rychell clasped her hands together in front of her and bowed her head slightly.

  Rising to her feet, Velin took her hood down, exposing a face no less beautiful than the Princess'. Lifting her hands to her chest, she made a complicated symbol with her fingers and spoke in her cool voice.

  “Blessings of the All-Sheltering Branches, Princess Rychell. It is our pleasure to serve the line of the First Shepard, Naevyre.”

  “You.. you know me?” Princess Rychell’s eyes lit up.

  Staring at the two beautiful ladies, OneArrowKiller looked quite confused. Looking at Velin, his mouth dropped open and he pointed a finger at her.

  “You.. you are from Ragnarok as well. You’re that War Priestess who…”

  “Not anymore.” Velin calmly cut the Forest Warden off. “My days with Ragnarok are, mercifully, behind me. I’m contracted with Nova Luna now.”

  “Hah! So I was right. That makes you Thorn!” Grinning and pointing at the Titan, SmilingBlade jumped to his feet, startling the princess’ Elven guards.

  Still putting food into his mouth, Thorn just lifted a hand and waved.

  “Excuse me. You.. you are a priestess of the World Tree?” Princess Rychell blurted out, her eyes shining with excitement as she examined Velin. “Please, please come with me. We need you!”

  “Need me? What would you need me for?”

  “The World Tree is dying.”

  “Princess!” One of the other Elves shot to his feet, his hand instinctively shooting to his waist where his sword would normally rest. Finding nothing there, his hand closed into a fist. “Your majesty, it is dangerous to talk about this around outsiders.”

  “Aien, calm down. Lady Velin is not an outsider, she is a priestess. We need her help.” Giving Velin an apologetic smile, Princess Rychell clasped her hands together. “My apologies for my guard’s uncouth behavior. I hope you can excuse him.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he is just worried about protecting you.” Velin smiled and gestured for the princess to sit back down. Taking her seat again, Velin pulled her notebook out of her inventory and flipped it open. “Princess, why don’t you explain what is going on.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I’m a bit flustered so please excuse me.” Princess Rychell took a deep breath and sat up straight, her face taking on a somber look. “As you can see, Rasyn is going through some turmoil right now. While most people think that the unrest started because of the death of the former ruler, the truth is that it started much earlier.

  “The World Tree is slowly dying, and though we know why it is dying, we are powerless to do anything about it. It is this that has led to the situation that Rasyn currently faces. An evil creature has taken up residence around the roots of the World Tree and is destroying it as we speak. The creature uses the power of the World Tree to produce offspring that grow in power as they consume the roots of the World Tree alongside their parent.

  “Most of the Elves have been recalled from around Rasyn and are fighting to contain the creature’s brood. Sadly, every attempt to slay the creature has failed, leaving us at an impasse. The situation has been further complicated by the fact that we do not currently have a Holy Emissary. The last Holy Emissary passed away a year ago after a fight with the evil creature. However, before she died, she told me to come to Maandell, predicting that Maandell is where I would find Rasyn’s salvation.

  “That is why I hope that you can come with me, Lady Velin. You have saved us from a dreadful life of slavery, please continue this good work and save us from eternal destruction. For if the World Tree dies, so too will all of Angoril.” Clasping her hands together, Princess Rychell looked at Velin with imploring eyes. “Please return to Thilvena with us to save the World Tree.”

  “Of course, Princess. I would be happy to return with you.” Velin’s eyes flickered as she read over a notification that had popped up. “Might I recommend that we ask these strong warriors to guard us as we return? The evil merchants who have persecuted our people will be chasing after us.”

  “Princess, I don’t think that is good…”

  “That is a wonderful idea.” Silencing one of her guards with a raised hand, Princess Rychell clasped her hands together and turned to SmilingBandit and his friends. “Brave warriors, I am so thankful for your help in escaping the city of Maandell. Would you complete this good work that you have started and protect me until we arrive in Thilvena, the capital of the Elven people?”

  *ding*

  Quest: The Lost Princess - [Hidden Quest]

  You have saved the Elven Princess, Rychell Naevyre, from a life worse than death. Having escaped from the slave markets and the city of Maandell, Princess Rychell seeks to return to her home city of Thilvena.

  Escort the Princess home.

  Reward: [Hidden]

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Maandell river rippled lazily under the afternoon sun. If it were not for the sounds of steel clashing and the sight of plumes of smoke and flame rising from inside the city wall, the scene would have been idyllic. As it was, Thorn could feel the tension in the cabin as he looked through one of the small portholes at the docked ships. The barge they were on was on its way down the river, the big paddle wheel in the middle of the ship churning away.

  The captain kept their barge moving at about half speed as they passed by the city’s docks. He was hoping that the guard’s focus would be on the city and that they would be able to slip by without any trouble. At the table in the middle of the cabin, Baxby, Velin, SmilingBandit and the princess’ guards were gathered around a map, discussing the best path to take to reach Thilvena.

  “The longer we can stay on the river, the better. If we try to go overland from here we’ll run into the Barrow Hills. Taking the river down to the Crossway will put us on the northern highway and will make our travel much faster. Taking the highways, we should be able to get to Thilvena within two days.” Aien, the princess’ head guard, traced the river with his finger.

  “Sure, but it will also make us much easier to catch. We’ll be in a lot of trouble if we run into reinforcements from the capital. Sticking to the highways is a risky gamble.” SmilingBandit shook his head, disagreeing with Aien’s plan.

  “He’s right. Word of the slave revolt has probably already spread to Shaylathemar. If we follow the river we’re going to run into the army really quickly. We almost don’t have a choice.” Velin pointed to a spot on the map where the Maandell river ran north and south. “By the time we get past this section we’ll be just about half way to Shaylathemar and the army will be on top of us. Our only chance is to go north fast enough that we miss the reinforcements that come from the capital.”

  “But that means we have to cross the Barrow Hills.” Aien shook his head. “That will put her majesty in unnecessary danger. Sorry, that is not going to work. What if we went straight east and then crossed the river after the army has passed?”

  “That still puts us on or near the highway. There are outposts all along the highway, and with the slave revolt they are going to be on high alert. We’ll get picked up as soon as we get anywhere near them, and there is no chance that we’ll be able to outrun them if they spot us,” argued SmilingBandit. “It would be much better to stick to the wilderness if we can.”

  Frowning, Velin bit her finger as she looked at the map. The shape of the river that they were on made getting to Thilvena without crossing paths with the army quite difficult. The only c
lear path was to try and head north, directly for the forest city. Interrupting the SmilingBandit who was still arguing for avoiding the highway and river, she looked at Aien.

  “Tell me about the Barrow Hills. What makes them so dangerous?”

  “Spirits.” The Elven guard’s face was serious. “The spirits of the dead congregate in the hills.”

  “Spirits?”

  “Yeah, the Barrow Hills are where the ancient Elves buried their kin.” OneArrowKiller joined the conversation. “Some of the hills are fake, just tombs covered by dirt. It’s impossible to tell which is which. That means that if you cross the hills you might be walking over some ancient Elf’s tomb. And the spirits of the dead don’t like it when the living invade their territory.”

  “How densely packed are the tombs? Are we going to get mobbed if we try to go through?” Velin asked, writing some notes in her notebook.

  “No, it isn’t anything that bad. The spirits are nearly immune to physical damage so it is considered a rough spot for questing, but as long as we prep we should be fine. There are a few known paths that take you around the tombs, so as long as we’re careful about aggro we should be fine.”

  “But the dangers in the Barrow Hills go beyond the guarding spirits.” Annoyed that OneArrowKiller was downplaying the danger, Aien jumped back in. “Though the spirits that stalk the tombs are dangerous, the paths that take you into the hollows between the hills are even more dreadful. The real danger lies in the bewildering fog that shrouds the hills and the dread hunters that prowl it.”

  “First spirits, and now dread hunters?” Velin raised an eyebrow as she continued to write. “Please tell me about everything at once. What are dread hunters? What are their weaknesses? Do they have a creature type?”

  “Um,” Aien was taken aback by the systematic way that Velin was handling his attempts to scare her. “Dread hunters are beasts made of fog that suck the blood from their prey. Invisible in the fog, they strike with their sharp claws when their prey is unsuspecting. They come in great numbers once blood has been spilled, devouring those foolish enough to enter the bewildering fog.”

  “Another type of spirit, no defense to speak of besides physical immunity. Has a light affinity toward water. They have a natural stealth buff in fog and they chain aggro really quickly. Don’t like fire and get really aggressive when they see it.” Tapping the table with his finger as he thought, OneArrowKiller listed the details that he remembered for Velin.

  “No torches, got it. How do they feel about light, or wisps?”

  “They don’t mind them overly, but they are aggressive little things, so we’ll need to be very careful about aggro ranges.”

  Aien could hardly understand a word coming out of the two travelers mouths, but when he looked at Baxby in exasperation, all he got was a half-hearted smile and a helpless shrug. Annoyed, he slammed his fist on the table and glared at Velin.

  “I’m telling you, the Barrow Hills are not safe!”

  “Good. All the more reason that we should head in that direction.” Velin’s eyes lit up as she looked over her notes. Seeing Aien’s confused face, she smiled and pointed to the players in the room. “I’m a War Priestess, Mina is an Ice Witch. Thorn’s claws count as magic weapons. SmilingBandit, Boon, and OneArrowKiller are travelers, so I’m sure they have magic weapons. We are well equipped to travel through the Barrow Hills. More importantly, the army is not equipped to deal with the spirits, so we have a good chance of throwing them off our trail.”

  “I think you underestimate the level of danger.”

  Before Velin could respond, the ship jerked and sped up. Tremors began to run through the ship as the large water wheel in the center of the ship increased its speed, pushing the ship forward. Curious about the change in speed, Thorn stood up and was about to head outside when the door to the cabin popped open and the captain stuck his head into the room.

  “Um. I think we have a problem.” The ship captain’s face blanched white as a loud boom rang out behind him. Not beating around the bush, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “There is a boat chasing us and they are shooting fireballs.”

  It took a moment for everyone to react to his words, but another explosion shook them out of their shock. Jumping to their feet, they grabbed their weapons and rushed past the captain to the deck. The formerly calm river was now filled with waves as the churning water wheel cut into the water. Less than half a mile back was the city of Maandell, plumes of smoke rising from its walls.

  Though they could not see the main gate from where they were, Thorn could see the licking flames that shot into the sky from where the gate would be. Sighing to himself, he turned his gaze to the river and the ship that was chasing them. Just as the captain had said, less than three hundred feet behind them was a sharp looking boat cutting through the water as it gained on them. Standing in the front was a large bearded man with two large crescent axes strapped to his back. A woman stood next to him with a long, fire covered whip that she waved over her head.

  Each time she snapped the whip a fireball would coalesce from the end of the whip and shoot toward the paddle boat. Mercifully, whether due to the rocking boats or some other factor, the fireballs were not very accurate and had not yet scored a direct hit.

  “Is that the team you were fighting?” Mina asked Thorn without turning her head. She squinted as she tried to identify the figures on the chasing boat. Seeing another fireball arcing over, she lifted her wand.

  [Ice Spikes]

  The sharp slivers of ice shot forward, intercepting the fireball and causing it to detonate over the river. Undeterred, the whip wielding figure on the chasing boat began to summon another fireball.

  *Yes* Thorn signed. Turning to Velin, he pointed to the north. *We go*

  “I agree. The Barrow Hills seem to be our best option. Thorn, can you and Mina slow them down? My major spells are still on cool down.” Getting a nod from Thorn, Velin turned to Aien and SmilingBandit and gave them a small smile. “Gentlemen, we are going to be getting off of the ship at the first bend. Traveling over land might be slightly slower, but I think it is clear that it is our only option. I would like to propose that we all travel together, but each of your groups need to make your own decision.”

  “Hey, we’re in.” SmilingBandit grinned as he lifted his hands. “This is a hidden quest. You couldn’t ditch us if you wanted to.”

  With both of the groups escorting them choosing to take the overland route, Aien could only sigh. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm his worried heart. When he opened his eyes the hesitation was gone and he gave Velin and SmilingBandit a firm nod.

  “Since you are confident in being able to move through the Barrow Hills safely, I’ll entrust our safety and the safety of the princess to you. We’ll follow your lead.”

  While they finalized the details of their overland route, Thorn and Mina were embroiled in a difficult conversation. The Titan was trying to gesture something, but Mina simply was not getting it. Thorn held his hands vertically in front of him, his palms facing the Ice Witch, and slid them from side to side.

  “You want me to stop?” Mina scratched her head in confusion.

  Seeing another fireball flying over she waved her wand, activating [Ice Spikes] again. Shaking his head, Thorn gestured to the river between the two boats and made the hand gesture again.

  “You want me to cut the river? Block the river? Oh! Ice wall! You want me to block their boat with ice walls. Got it. But that won’t work. The ice walls will just sink into the river or get pushed aside.”

  Giving Mina a thumbs up to show her that she was on the right track. Thorn pantomimed picking something up and throwing it. Seeing that she was starting to understand, he acted out the whole sequence again. Making the sign for wall, he pointed to the deck under their feet, and then pretended he was picking something up and throwing it.

  “You want me to summon an ice wall on our deck and then you are going to throw it at them?” From her tone
, Thorn could tell that Mina was quite skeptical. Grinning, he flexed one arm and slapped his bicep, causing Mina to roll her eyes. “Alright, if you want to try it. But you’ll need to do something about the fireballs while I get the ice wall up.”

  “I can help with that,” OneArrowKiller said as he stepped up to the edge of the boat. Holding out his hand, his bow appeared and he smoothly notched an arrow. Lifting his arm, he tracked the incoming fireball for a moment and released the string, sending the arrow directly into the fireball’s path.

  *BOOM*

  The arrow impacted the center of the fireball causing it to explode into a shower of small flames that littered the surface of the river. Stringing another arrow, OneArrowKiller watched carefully for the next fireball.