“You were fine, so who are you getting loud with?” said Bri’jit, shoving me back.
I held up my holy book in front of me. “Let me check the scriptures real quick for you,” I said, flipping through the pages. “Oh, look, right here.” I lowered the book to reveal my middle finger saluting them.
“You’re childish,” said Bri’jit. She pinched her nose and sighed. “Keres and I will look for the phylactery tomorrow so we never have to deal with him again.”
Keres kept Tyler on a tight leash and stepped between us. “Sad’hvia, the important thing is that the right people survived.” She slapped me on the back, a little too hard. “Let’s head back and get you your payment.”
Part of me didn’t want to go with them. Tyler simply glared at me, his mouth bound with a strip of cloth. I cast him a sympathetic look, but I felt helpless to even walk away from all this. I needed that money. Especially since I knew the Temple would want to collect on their twenty percent tithes, whether I was excommunicated or not.
Why did I even bother? I wondered if Gaia had sent me here to help Tyler and his NPC get out of this predicament, or if they had been sent here to help us. If we had worked together, with our shared knowledge, we could’ve really done some good to help the world in the long run. I couldn’t help feeling connected to the man. He was a new player, like me, and like me, he was stuck here, unable to escape on his own and unable to proceed forward without screwing himself over even more.
So, what good did I do the man to help him out of his grave and into a prison?
Was that the fate I looked forward to as well?
In Nocte Consilium
Maybe we were the bad guys here, occasionally doing good things. Maybe a broken clock was right twice a day. The trip was silent, despite Keres and Bri’jit trying to make small talk with me. My heart felt heavy as Tyler, bound and gagged, followed us back to Ascomere. My pockets were light with promissory notes for gold.
If there were ten men, and one did evil, the other nine might as well have joined him. Keeping the peace outside myself shattered the peace within me. So much for Hieromancers being the peacemakers. Sometimes good looked like kind works and healing spells. Sometimes it looked like bashing someone upside the head until you beat the evil out of them. Gaia, grant me the serenity to accept that the world is full of assholes, the courage to not join them, and the wisdom to know the difference.
I could always go back to that shack in the woods north of here, where I first found Gaia. Live off Grilled Fish on a Stick and pretend I knew what I was doing with my life. I tried to console myself with the fact that I barely had seventy-two hours in the game. Most of the time I was doing better than someone who was only seventy-two hours old, minus the tantrums and crying.
The experience got me almost to level 14. I missed Kismet. Why couldn’t I have followed the Aspect of Tits and Wine? Maybe one day I’d ascend and fill the position myself.
I picked thirteen Laceflowers from the gardens for Esvy as we returned the sunflowers and sweet peas to their rightful spots. I’d find the rest of the forageables for the quests, like the Moonflowers that only bloomed after dark, on the way back to Ascomere.
I thought the city’s spiritual leaders were sketchy, but that didn’t mean the common man needed to suffer. I had promised I’d fulfill their requests, and I aimed to do that.
The journey back felt shorter, especially considering we weren’t on detours going after brigands, but at the same time, it felt longer, too. Tyler would occasionally glance at me and I’d look away.
When we returned to Ascomere, we were greeted to a hero’s welcome. The children rushed to hug my robes and ask what I had brought back. I distributed the forageables I had cleansed to them and their parents while Bri’jit and Keres secured the prisoner and gave some stirring speech about how peace had been restored and the forest was cleansed and evil was no more, and honestly, I started tuning it out.
I was looking for Esvy. I found her praying by the center lake where I first found the colorful strip of cloth her lover had written his desires on. She burst into tears before I even said anything when she saw me holding the flowers. The widow cried into my shoulder for a time. She thanked me but lamented why it was so awful for the dead to return. Why would the gods arrange life this way to separate us from those we loved?
Even later, thinking back on her, I felt the heavy weight of the sobbing woman in my arms. Why indeed, Esvy. I had no answers for her, but at least she knew he’d loved her to the end. There was some good in the trip after all.
Keres and Bri’jit found me while I was staring into the lake. Behind them was a crowd of Dawn Elves bearing baskets of gifts, plus Skyla, my temporary horse. The elves set the gifts at my feet and stepped back behind the clerics.
Bri’jit crossed her arms but tossed me a plaintive glance. Keres stepped forward to speak. She cleared her throat when I didn’t say anything.
“I know we’ve disagreed on some things, sad’hvi, but we cannot express our thanks for your help enough,” she said. “We’ve paid your temple’s portion, as well as your superior, but unfortunately that emptied our coffers. With the forest not producing well, we were limited—”
I held out my hand. “You literally can’t express your gratitude because you don’t have enough to pay me, so you’re making up for it with common goods,” I finished for her.
I looked over the grocery list in the baskets: herbs, nuts, berries, flowers, honeycomb, lard, flour, eggs, sugar, salt, spices, tree resin, small random sticks, even a mortar and pestle and a cooking pot. It was more than enough to start a decent food stall in Rowanheath. It was certainly an equivalent exchange. Merchant-Craft told me that much. They weren’t shorting me at all. But I’d still need to pay for the city’s permit, and the high taxes of the Empire.
Keres shifted her weight and glanced around to her people to see if anyone else had anything else to offer. They checked their pockets and sleeves, obviously uncomfortable with my lack of gratitude, and shook their heads.
“Pay me what you owe me, Keres,” I said, crossing my arms and tilting my head.
I needed a cigarette.
Keres sighed and pulled out a folded white-and-gold outfit from her inventory. She held it in her hands, longingly staring at the fine silk threads and trailing her fingers over the cloth.
“Look, even if nothing for you works out, whether that’s the temple or the store, know that we consider you one of us. You will always be one of us. We will always welcome you home,” she said, looking up and handing me the bundle. Inside were leather strap sandals decorated with rainbow beads and golden chains around the ankles, a white veil with a golden circlet, and a mobius-style cloak of the softest bleached linen. The white robe loosely folded in the front with a golden chain harness attached across the breast like a layer of necklaces.
I didn’t say anything, but my eyes did well up a bit. Not even my own mother offered me anything unconditionally. I held out my hands to take the items, and Keres clasped my hands between hers to help me hold the gear.
“I had this crafted for myself to celebrate my child’s first sunrise,” she said, glancing to her swollen belly, “but it should pay my debts and serve you better. You may not be able to wear it yet, but I would be honored to have you wear the armor of our people,” she said.
At that news, I didn’t want to accept it. She didn’t give me the choice and pressed it into my arms.
<<<>>>
You have acquired The Rising of the Sun!
You cannot wear the pieces in this set until you are level fifteen.
Must be Hieromancer class.
2-Set Piece Bonus: + 15% to Holy Power
3-Set Piece Bonus: + 25% Spirit regen
4-Set Piece Bonus: + 25% to all resistances except Shadow
5-Set Piece Bonus: + 33% to Haste, cutting cast-times of spells by 1/3.
<<<>>>
I let out a small whistle. This was incredible.
The epic ge
ar set was beautiful and well-made with a slight sparkle to the elven fabric in the moonlight. Easily worth twice what they owed me. I pulled up the stats. This gear was incredible and way worth the excursion. The stats were suited better for PvP, with a focus on survivability and utility over the pure spell power builds the Novus Ordo Seclorum wanted. Even though it was light armor, because of the quick maneuverability that the elves required, it didn’t lose defense like simple cloth armor did.
<<<>>>
Halo of the Sun
Armor Type: Light; Head
Class: Masterwork, Blessed
Base Defense: 15
Primary Effects:
+ 15 Intelligence
+ 15 Spirit
+ 15% Spirit regen rate
<<<>>>
Divinity’s Embrace
Armor Type: Light; Cloak
Class: Masterwork, Blessed
Base Defense: 25
Primary Effects:
+ 5 Vitality
+ 5 Dexterity
+ 15% Spirit regen rate
<<<>>>
Robes of the Ardent Reformer
Armor Type: Light; Body
Class: Masterwork; Blessed
Base Defense: 36
Primary Effects:
+ Intelligence x Character Level
+ Spirit x Character Level
+ Vitality 0.5 x Character Level
+ 25% Spell power
Secondary Set Effects:
+ 25 to Reputation with all Factions
+ 10% Renown gain
<<<>>>
Sunbelt
Armor Type: Light; Waist
Class: Masterwork; Blessed
Base Defense: 5
Primary Effects:
+ 10% Experience gain
+ 10% Gold gain
<<<>>>
Path of the Righteous
Armor Type: Light; Feet
Class: Masterwork, Blessed
Base Defense: 5
Primary Effects:
+ 25% Evade Chance
<<<>>>
I looked up to Keres.
“You think I’ll stay a priest long enough to wear it?” I asked.
“Whether you do or not is up to you, little sister,” she said, locking eyes with me. “But if you choose otherwise, it will sell well enough to get you on your feet.”
I didn’t know about that. The excommunication culture was getting out of hand at the temple. But it felt nice to know that, even if we didn’t agree ideologically on all aspects, someone had my back without reservations or conditions.
We said our goodbyes, terse as they were, and I headed back to Ravenkirk with Skyla. I messaged the Commissar, informing her that the dungeon heart wasn’t salvageable. Maybe it wasn’t the whole truth, but since when did the Inquisition ever return that favor?
It’d be implicating myself to add what happened with Tyler, that I was “helping the Rebellion,” but Bri’jit and Keres would turn him in shortly and the truth would be out either way. I needed to control the narrative around me as much as possible.
So I worded it in my favor: I “motivated some rebellion scouts” into serving the good of the Empire, and the fools trusted us, in exchange for a cure to the plague. We captured the survivor after his partner fell in the battle, and he should have information for you, and won’t die before he can be interrogated.
For example, did the honorable Commissar know the leader’s name was Grim Jack?
She replied swiftly, as if she never slept, never left her desk, never even so much as grabbed a cup of Western Brew.
All her note said was, “Good. Don’t think the Darklings you met are our only threat.”
Malpractice Makes Perfect
There I was, bearing the weight of the full spectrum of human emotion with no chemical buffer. It was always worse after sunset. Usually, sunset meant most people could sleep their worries away, but that never came easy to me. Not with my shifts back at the hospital, and not now. The best deal my body offered me was to shut down and let Skyla guide us back to Ravenkirk. Acting like I didn’t have feelings didn’t protect me from them, but I didn’t feel I had a choice in the matter at the moment.
We were late. The stable hand was obviously angry and pointed at me, shouting words I didn’t pay attention to. I thanked Skyla as I hopped off and handed over her reins and a silver piece to the bristly Wode. My heart broke at the next notification.
<<<>>>
Skyla is no longer your companion.
<<<>>>
I managed to find a market stall that hadn’t closed for the night and bought a soap mold and some small glass vials for a gold coin. The rest of Ravenkirk rested in their wooden homes, but I found the nearest inn and planned to have a long night.
The innkeeper looked up from tending his ledgers as I slapped a silver coin on the bar.
“One night, sister?” he asked.
I nodded curtly, staring beyond him at the warm hearth and the bubbly cauldron of Ever-Stew. My stomach gurgled.
“Hey,” he said, waving his hand in front of my face. “Are ye alright there?”
I gave him my brightest smile. “Oh! Yes, I’m fine,” I said. “I died this morning and my temple hates me and tried to kill me and now they want to strip me of my vestments and I think I chose the wrong race, and you know, I’m in denial but I’m good. It’s fine.”
The innkeeper stared at me with wide eyes, unsure how to respond.
“How are you?” I asked.
He handed me a key. “Room 7.”
Room 7 was a simple hole in the wall with a straw-stuffed mattress on top of some stretched rope over the bed frame. He must’ve given me the luxury room, because some pelt of an unknown beast provided a rug next to my own fire. Trunk. Nightstand with jug and basin.
I washed my hands of the day’s blood and dirt and set my supplies out on the bed, organizing and reorganizing them, until finally I consulted my cookbook for recipes.
A beep out of the void itself and then a notification interrupted my studies.
<<<>>>
Viridian Gate Online Universal Alert!
Notice: Traveler Grim Jack Shadowstrider, honorary member of the Ak-Hani clan, has founded the first traveler-owned faction in Viridian Gate Online! Any traveler opposed to the Viridian Empire may now request to join Grim Jack’s faction, the Crimson Alliance, bound to the Dokkalfar city of Yunnam, located deep in the heart of the Storme Marshes.
Notice: Joining the Crimson Alliance instantly lowers a player’s relationship with all Viridian-aligned factions to Unfriendly. Joining the Crimson Alliance instantly raises a player’s relationship with all Rebel-aligned factions to Friendly. Joining the Crimson Alliance entitles members to all Crimson Alliance Faction buffs.
Notice: Grim Jack Shadowstrider is now an exalted enemy of the Ever-Victorious Viridian Empire!
<<<>>>
Huh. Neat. Good for him.
I focused on my work to avoid feeling.
The cloth the elves gifted me could be cut into bandages. The bandages alone would stop bleed effects. Those bandages could be packed with herbs macerated in the mortar and pestle to make a Healing Poultice, which, depending on the herbs used, gave various effects. Cure broken bones. Treat burns. Draw poison or disease. They weren’t as effective as an alchemist’s potions, as Healer skills only had a chance to produce their desired effect, but better than nothing, and more accessible to the common man than the Brewer’s Circle’s wares.
Honey was particularly useful when added to the burn poultices in preventing secondary infections and scars, as it kept the wound moist, sealed, and free of pathogens. I looked up the section on honey in my cookbook and noted it could be mixed with mashed berries and diluted with hot water or alcohol to make a sort of cough syrup. I tried it out until I got the hang of it and made several vials. The alcoholic version was stronger, but I didn’t have any, much to my extreme disappointment.
I boiled water in my cooking pot on the fire and experim
ented with adding various herbs to make Tisanes like Ms. Esma Shadid showed me back in the Barren Sands. The herbal teas were similar to alchemical potions but provided less HP over a much longer time period and didn’t always work.
I mixed rosehips and woundwort to create a Lesser Health Tisane that provided 25 HP healed over 30 seconds. In the tiniest of footnotes, someone had scribbled into my book “Try mixing with milk!” and a smiley face.
Alright, mysterious scribbler. Why not? I bought a jug from the innkeeper, who gave me a look when I insisted on the whole jug, but still took my coin.
Moonmilk was made from Moonflower tea, milk, honey, and cardamom. It increased the Tired debuff by one level to help sleep.
Sunmilk used the Sunroot powder in a tea with milk, honey, and ginger to reduce the Tired debuff.
Rosemilk added 1 Vitality for an hour, and was made from rose tea, milk, honey, and ground cinnamon bark. My book noted that rose petals were a vulnerary and an astringent, which were excellent for wound healing. Mixing the Lesser Health Tisane with the Rosemilk soured the milk though and created something that just said Inedible.
I experimented a bit more, this time adding some Crushed Rainbow Beetle Powder to give an iridescent effect, like glitter, to the milks. Now I had Sparkling Sunmilk, worth twice as much.
By the end, I had shimmering vials of pale, dreamy blue, brilliant orange, and soft, creamy pink drinks. I used up the rest of the milk to make regular versions once I ran out of the rainbow powder.
I glanced again at the cooking pot. I didn’t want to experiment with baked goods this late. But I was on a roll, and as long as I kept working, I didn’t have to think. I downed one of the Sunmilks to stay awake a bit longer. The frothy liquid warmed and soothed my insides while tasting like spiced ginger and an inexplicable hint of orange. My limbs felt like they’d stepped out of a hot shower after a morning workout.
Viridian Gate Online: Schism: A litRPG Adventure (The Heartfire Healer Series Book 2) Page 16