Quest available: Way of the Apprentice. Step 2.
Description: Take a leap of faith.
Reward: +500 Reputation with Geranika. Next quest in the chain. Penalty for declining the quest: Hostile status with Geranika.
My throat parched in an instant as my breathing quickened. I would never imagine that a game could do this to me...A game...What fun: Kill yourself for this NPC’s amusement...and do it in the most terrifying way you can imagine...
I read mockery in Geranika’s eyes. And superiority. Like he could see through me. Feel my fear. He despised my weakness. He despised me. He.
Rage kindled deep inside me, searing away my doubts and fears. I looked up at Geranika and our gazes crossed like two rapiers. I am a human. You—you’re just part of a game. An illusion. Like this abyss with its scraps of clouds. And what kind of creator can I be if I cannot harness my own imagination?
Geranika’s eyebrow rose slightly as I accepted the quest. Didn’t expect that, did you, you arrogant prig?
“Hasta la vista, baby!” I grinned merrily, not caring at all whether the NPC understood me.
I exhaled sharply and took off. A short sprint, a jump and terrifying emptiness, at the sight of which my blood froze in my veins. My body plummeted like in a nightmare. The wind howled in my ears. No trace of the anger that had spurred me to do this remained. The thought of a monstrous blow against the ground vised my throat, stifling my scream. A game, it’s a game, a game...The simple mantra did not help, and I forced myself to look only at my hands stretched out before me. No sight of approaching land. Only my fingers splayed taut. Green fingers covered in tiny thorns, but still my fingers. After this, I’m going to exit straight to meatspace and pick up a cup of hot tea with these same fingers. Maybe I’ll even call up Sasha on my visor and we’ll go for a walk. I’ll tell Pasha about today’s hunt for the Seconds and we’ll have a laugh...
Thinking this allowed me to disconnect from what was happening around me. I stopped fretting about my fall and began making plans for the rest of my day. That is why I was very surprised to hear Geranika’s voice right next to me:
“To tell you the truth, I am impressed, my future apprentice.”
Only now did I realize that I wasn’t falling. The air resistance and the whistling in my ears had vanished. I was suspended a meter from the surface of the very rock from which I had just jumped.
Geranika wiggled his fingers and an invisible force gently lowered me to my feet.
“I saw your fear, Lorelei. I did not think you had the heart to overcome it. And I could hardly imagine that you would remain so calm—you did not even scream.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and answered as carelessly as possible:
“I was just thinking about the business I need to take care of in the Gray Lands.”
The Lord of Shadow laughed.
“Excellent! I am sure now that you will be able to fulfill my next assignment.”
Quest complete: Way of the Apprentice. Step 2.
I swiped away the system notification like an annoying fly.
“And what is this errand, master?”
“Future master,” Geranium corrected mechanically.
He walked up to the edge of the cliff and pointed to the border of the Arras, where the lush greenery disappeared, as if cut with a sharp blade, and changed to a barren flatlands. I recognized the place without difficulty. It was unmistakable for the ugly crag that scarred the plain. The battlefield from my vision, the Stone Maw.
“This land has seen many wars. And it shall see many more still. There are those who will be able to penetrate the Arras. Peaceful life is an illusion. The strong always seeks to dominate the weak. Only those who are feared are given the luxury of enjoying peace.”
I listened to the Lord of Shadow in silence, wondering where he was going with all this.
“The races who now consider themselves part of the Kartoss Empire, have tried to conquer the Hidden Forest many times before. And each time they were defeated. But the races of the forest paid a terrible price too...”
Geranika paused dramatically.
“Now Kartoss seeks to form the First Alliance. An alliance against me. Astilba and a part of the Council are well aware of what this means. They shall simply be sacrificed to weaken my army. I, on the other hand, am proposing a true alliance. Indestructible. Eternal. I have never done any harm to the forest or its inhabitants. And I am able to help with more than mere words. Tell me, are you not happy with the transformation that gave you your new abilities? Does not the renewed earth make you stronger, your enemies weaker? Do you not wish to share this power with all your people?”
“I’m afraid that my people will not agree to the opportunity you offer until they understand its true significance.”
“That is correct, Lorelei,” Geranika nodded and turned his back to me, surveying the forest far below. “Astilba was the first who dared accept my gift. She thirsted for power. The chance to drive her old enemies from her native forest as they bring promises of peace she knows to be false. But, unlike you, she lacks the spirit to truly trust me. The past has Astilba in its grip. She has dreamed of bringing it back for so long that she forgot how to look to the future. Kartoss will not give up trying to conquer the Hidden Forest. And now, with the support of Malabar...I am afraid that without my help, the forest simply cannot survive.”
I sincerely doubted that the newly formed alliance against Geranika would suddenly rush to conquer the Hidden Forest, but I didn’t say anything. Let’s assume that I am convinced of the impending catastrophe.
“Astilba refuses to recognize the obvious. She believes that those like you who accepted the power of Shadow will be enough to destroy the Kartossian embassy and foil the disastrous alliance. The Sixth refuses to allow the forest to change, to grow. She does not want to transform the Guardian, whose might alone would alter the balance of power this side of the Arras in an instant. She will only permit me to help imprison the Guardian for the time it takes to prepare the destruction of the Kartossian embassy. And the Guardian himself will never accept Shadow voluntarily because he does not understand it. He does not realize that with such power he will be able to protect the Hidden Forest from any encroachments.”
Geranika turned and looked into my eyes.
“As you see, the Guardian requires our assistance.”
“Our assistance?” I asked surprised, already understanding what my future potential teacher was driving at. “But how?”
“With this.” A flickering orb appeared in Geranika’s hand, with a small nondescript shard in its center.
“The power of this artifact is so great that without its protective shell it will be felt by all the powerful essences of this forest. It is capable of transforming the Forest Guardian, granting him unprecedented power. At the moment, my powers are maintaining the protective shell, but as soon as I give the shard to you, the shield will begin to deplete. You must reach the place of the Guardian’s imprisonment before the protective shell wastes away and plunge the shard into the Guardian’s body. If you tarry overmuch—the unrestrained power of the artifact will destroy everything around itself that is not Shadow. If you happen to be standing near the Guardian at that moment, he will perish. The forest will lose its defender, and we will lose a powerful ally. Thus, you must plunge in the shard before the shell depletes.”
Quest available: Way of the Apprentice. Step 3.
Description: Plunge the materia shard into the body of the Guardian of the Hidden Forest, letting Shadow into him. Deadline for completion: 24 hours. Quest type: Unique scenario. Reward: You will be initiated as Geranika’s apprentice. Penalty for failing/refusing the quest: Hostile status with Geranika.
Good plan. I approve. Blight the Guardian, violating Astilba’s direct orders, and even at someone else’s order and with the excuse of ‘it’s for your benefit.’
“I’m flattered by your trust in me, but is it in my power to cope with a task that for so
me reason is beyond the power of such a powerful being as you, master?” I asked, taking my time in accepting the quest.
Geranika’s eyes narrowed and his lips curved into a grin.
“You know how to ask the right questions, Lorelei,” he said. “Astilba and her companions have encased the Shadow-bound Guardian within a miniature copy of the Arras. Only a forest inhabitant can pass through this barrier. One such as you.”
I mentally applauded the Sixth’s forethought. Astilba does not trust her ally and she has insured herself against any improvisation on his part. And it’s a good thing she did! The Lord of Shadow is clearly not concerned for the well-being of the Hidden Forest, but for his own affairs. No wonder he’s so obsessed with finding a student from among the locals...
“How can I find the Guardian?” I went on inquiring. “The forest is huge and full of perils for those like me. And the time for searching is limited.”
“I shall mark the place on your map,” Geranika shrugged off such a trifling objection. “As for the rest...I, of course, could escort you to the Guardian, protecting against any assailants. But that would be too easy. Who needs a student who cannot cope with a few hardships?”
“No one,” I agreed, and squinted at the edge of the cliff. “Do you need me to descend from here with another leap of faith, or will you transport me to the ground yourself, master?”
Geranika looked at me thoughtfully, then down into the precipice and then back at me again...I swallowed with difficulty and took a deep breath. I’m not scared. I can do it.
“It would be damn amusing,” the Lord of Shadow smiled, peering into me, “but we do not have much time.”
Tongues of fog coiled from under my feet and in the next instant I was exactly where I had been when Geranika had transported me.
Bogart greeted me with a nod, occupied with scratching Merlin’s belly. The sabretooth had already grown up to the orc’s waist and weighed almost a hundred kilos. I tried to keep my distance from her: It wouldn’t take her much more than an ill mood to send me to respawn. But that was just me—Bogart was entirely unconcerned with such trifles: Sitting on the ground, he went on scratching his pet’s paunch as she purred with delight.
“How was your walk?” he asked, pausing his grooming.
Merlin raised her head in displeasure, wished me a fat minus to my karma, and climbed into her master’s lap. Or rather, she placed her head and forelegs there, since no more of her would fit.
“Suicidal,” I answered after a moment’s thought. “At least I learned something interesting. I’ll tell you later. For now we better engage in a bizarre combination of gardening and blood magic. But I need a donor...”
I made a terrible face and stared at Bogart meaningfully.
“And what part of my priceless body shall you require, oh Hannibal Lector of the flora phylum?” he replied with curiosity, scratching his blissfully squinting cat behind her ear.
“Blood,” I whispered ominously. “Liters of it...”
“Are you trying to grow an alcoholic?” Bogart asked, astounded. “I’m not sure whether this world’s ever seen a vampire with congenital alcoholism. My blood’s 200 proof—to Edilberto’s eternal envy.”
“The only alternative is to wait for Pasha to return. FSM knows what’s keeping him and how long it’ll be before he gets here. And I have another quest with a tight deadline.”
“As usual,” the orc threw up his arms in despair. “Whenever anyone needs someone to bust his ass, it’s up to trusty old Bogart the Base to wave his magic wand.”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose pensively and added:
“That came out a little obscenely, don’t you think?”
“I’m not going to discuss wands, especially in the context of eggs and seeds,” I warned the orc.
“Hmmm...You’re even more vulgar than I am, tender blossom of the jungle,” Bogart said. Having cleared Merlin from his lap and ignoring her unhappy face, he got up, ‘dusted off’ his pants and asked: “Where shall we dig our vegetable patch then?” He flourished a small infantry shovel for comic effect. It was hard to believe that this merry fellow had just recently assembled some murderous devices. “We need to find some calm, secluded place. To keep all these Geranikas from our little cabbage patch kid.”
“Let’s just do it right here,” I suggested. “There are still a bunch of traps around here, so the Seconds won’t poke around. And a random wandering player will be unlikely to survive.”
“Well, it is a good location,” the orc agreed, looking around. “And we have already fertilized it quite a bit. Natural fertilizers brought to you by the Dark Legion Corp, with a trademark and a QA seal and all. Where do you want me to dig?”
“On those green patches. I’m not sure that blighted ground will nurture anything.”
Bogart nodded and drove his spade into the ground. He dug a hole for the seed almost instantly.
“Sow away.” The orc stepped aside, flicking Merlin’s curious nose.
The cat pressed her ears to her head, but insisted on thrusting her face into the pit with an askance look at her master. Not finding anything interesting, she sniffled and flopped to her side over the orc’s toes.
I took the vitar seed and the ghostly egg out of my satchel.
“It’s too bad I can’t summon Salamander for another day. The quest description says that a sentient can’t be revived this way, but...What if it works anyway?”
“I think Pasha’s already gotten his hands on another one,” Sasha shrugged. “So there is room for experimentation.”
I nodded and grew thoughtful. How do I summon the soul into the seed? In Salamander’s case, I would try to select the vitar seed and cast the soul summons on it. But in this case, I’m already holding my guide’s soul here in my hand. I bet I needed to bind a song to it back when I was in the Gray Lands. Although...Maybe it’s all much simpler than that?
Without truly believing it would work, I simply touched the egg and the seed to each other. The items rippled for a moment and then merged.
New item acquired: Ghostly Vitar Seed.
Quest complete: Creating a Cicerone. Step 2.
Quest available: Creating a Cicerone. Step 3.
Description: Grow a Cicerone from the seed.
...
Reward: A Cicerone of the Dead.
Encouraged by this success, I stuck the seed in a hole, took the dagger from its sheath and cut the palm of my hand. Ordinarily, avatars don’t bleed in Barliona, but given the circumstances, my palm filled with a whitish, viscous sap.
“What do you think applies better here: Blood magic or fresh-squeezed juice magic?” I asked, generously watering the seed.
The seed immediately absorbed the liquid.
The Cicerone now knows its master.
“You’ll end up hatching a two-ton dragon,” Bogart prophesied, offering his paw. “My blood shall spawn nothing less! You’ll be wandering around with a winged lizard circling around your head.”
“So that every clown starts calling me the mother of dragons? Naaah.”
The dagger blade slipped along Bogart’s green palm and a thin stream of blood began to trickle onto the vitar seed.
The seed has acquired the ability to retain an animal spirit.
Bogart waved his shovel, covering the seed and turned to me awaiting further instructions. I shrugged. There were neither system notifications, nor further prompts.
“Maybe we need to perform like a seed dance or something?” asked the orc. “Read it a poem, sing a ditty?”
“No idea. As long as there aren’t any further quests about caring for the plant, I don’t care. Otherwise we’ll be watering, weeding, fencing and warding off predators all summer.”
“Here, lemme try something...” the orc cleared his throat and began jumping around the planted seed, hollering: “It is the springtime of my loving! You are the sunlight in my growing! Flee from me, keepers of the gloom!”
“Are...are you trying to sin
g ‘The Rain Song?’”
“Yeah...what?”
“That’s not how it goes...”
“Well what are you standing there for? Play the tune and the lyrics will come to me!”
While we were bickering, a sprout popped out of the earth. The sight of the green shoot made both of us shut up instantly.
“It grows,” Bogart whispered, although I could see just as well as he could.
Merlin, catching our mood, immediately seated herself on her tail and also began staring at the rapidly growing stem. Within minutes, it had reached the height of my chin, and at its top appeared a blue bud with black veins.
“I told you it’d be a dragon,” whispered the orc.
I had no idea why he was sure about this, but I didn’t feel like arguing, completely absorbed by the spectacle.
The bud grew, its color growing more saturated until suddenly its petals opened revealing...a tiny owl. A little blue-and-black-colored owlet. When he saw us, he ruffled the little leaves that were his feathers. In general, he was more like a plant than a real bird. Looking closer, I noticed small thorns, similar to those that appeared all over me upon my joining the ‘dark side.’ It turns out that the contaminated blood had an effect on the vitar seed. I sincerely hope that my guide had not inherited anything from Bogart.
Quest complete: Creating a Cicerone. Step 3.
The owlet started, waggled awkwardly and jumped onto my shoulder. Having settled on his new perch, the birdie began to pick over his feathers.
You have acquired a cicerone to the Gray Lands.
Give your cicerone a name.
“Ain’t he the coolest dragon you’ve ever seen?” Bogart quipped with emotion. “Smaug’s spitting image. Only, he’s still little. Isn’t that right, Merlin?”
The sabretooth regarded the owlet gloomily, snorted, expressing her contempt, and buried her face into her master’s leg.
“That’s a thought,” I smiled and looked at the little owlet. “You will be Smaug.”
You have selected a name for your cicerone: Smaug.
Smaug shook himself, sat down, twirled his head and went back to preening his feathers.
A Song of Shadow (The Bard from Barliona Book #2) LitRPG series Page 25