by Jamey Sultan
James had a list of things he wanted to do, which included visiting a few shops and selling all of the excess gear he’d collected, meeting a Life Mage to form a party, visit an alchemy shop, and a few other odds and ends.
“I’m good with that. Hopefully they’ll have a forge. I finally got the Ability to make my class armor and I’d like to see if I can find some rare ores to work with.”
“What about you?” James asked Nidra.
“I’m happy to go see the city, I can help show you guys around. I’ve been there a few times.”
“You’ve been there before?” James asked, surprised.
Nidra normally didn’t volunteer much about her personal life. James had the sense that she’d never really settled down anywhere.
She nodded but didn’t elaborate.
The three of them turned to Karim. “If you’re heading to Fallmire, you’ll be traveling in the same direction as us until the first village, then you’ll take the eastern road, while we’ll take the southern one. Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?”
Karim nodded. “Believe me, I’d love to accompany you, but I can’t. Still, we’ll travel to the next village together and have a drink at the inn before I head out.”
Arik rolled up the map and slid it into his pack.
As they started walking again, Nidra touched James’ shoulder to get his attention. “Oh, and James, if I were you, I’d take off your necklace and hide it in your pouch.”
“Hide it in my pouch? Why?”
“Silencia is the seat of Syreus’ power. The Storm Warden sits on the city’s ruling council and has tremendous influence. If she sees your necklace, I’m not sure what might happen.”
James felt excitement budding in his chest; he’d pushed the Syreus quest aside because of everything that had happened, but now… “Thanks for the advice, Nidra,” he said as he removed his necklace and stored it in his pouch.
On the outside he looked calm, but his internal wheels were working overtime. He’d need to find a way to sneak into the Temple of Syreus.
Chapter 31
By the time the group could see the next village, the sun was on its way down and they were all ready for a comfortable bed and a nice meal. During their walk, they’d encountered a few groups of people traveling along the road.
There had been a guard patrol that had mostly ignored them aside from a few curious glances, a few horse-drawn carts stacked with goods and gruff guards marching alongside, who glared suspiciously at anyone who ranged too close. There was also a surprising number of adventuring parties, all headed in the same direction as James’ group.
At least, James assumed they were adventurers because their average levels were much higher than even the soldiers. A few of the groups looked truly dangerous, with people in glimmering armor and unknown levels.
For a road at the edge of the Empire, it was busier than James expected.
As they approached the village, Arik pointed out at least ten separate campsites along the road. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to find an inn.”
James sighed. “Well, if we can’t sleep on a bed tonight, at least we can get a drink and some warm food.”
The village was built around a river, with a massive bridge in the center connecting the two halves. The entire village was paved in stone with well-built wooden buildings and packed with adventurers milling about, drinking, laughing, and having a good time.
The group wound their way through the town until they found the inn. It was called the Wicked Sister and the sign was a picture of an attractive woman with a finger over her lips in a shushing gesture. The area around the inn was even more crowded than the rest of the village.
Someone had set up tables outside, and the patrons had spilled out the door to take up the entire street. A frazzled barmaid bobbed and weaved her way through the crowd with a platter of drinks balanced precariously in one hand while she expertly passed them to the waiting adventurers with the other.
When the barmaid got close enough, Nidra called out, “Four of the house ale, please.”
She approached, dodging around a short-bearded fellow who’d walked in front of her without looking. It was an incredibly dexterous move that James wasn’t sure he’d be able to do normally, let alone while holding a platter full of glasses.
When she was close enough, she held out a hand. “Two gold.”
“Two gold! That’s highway robbery,” Nidra exclaimed.
The woman didn’t even bother arguing. She turned to leave, but Karim stopped her and handed her the two gold. She nodded at him and disappeared back into the crowd. James watched her leave, amazed at her ability to remember who ordered what and hand them their drinks, all without spilling a drop as she dodged through the drunken crowd.
“I can’t believe you paid two gold for four drinks,” Nidra said as the barmaid disappeared.
Karim shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. Consider it my thanks. Since it looks like we won’t be able to stay here tonight, I’ll have my drink with you and then be on my way.”
James nodded but didn’t reply. He wished Karim could keep traveling with them and not just because the Dwarf was such a high level; he was a genuinely nice person and had a strong sense of honor. Instead, James let his eyes rake over the crowd. “I wonder why there are so many people around,” he mused, gesturing at the crowd. “The town can’t possibly be this busy all the time, or else it’d be bigger.”
“I’m not sure,” Nidra said with a shrug. “I don’t know too much about this part of the Empire. I lived in Fallmire.”
James was beginning to realize that his picture of the Forcyth Empire was off. For some reason, he’d thought the majority of the Empire was closer to Riverside, but it seemed like it was further north than he’d thought.
A loud group of adventurers stumbled out of the crowd and near enough that James could make out what they were saying over the din of the crowd.
“—the dungeon.”
“You think?”
“Nobody’s ever finished.”
The barmaid returned with their drinks and James stopped listening to thank her. By the time he returned his attention to the adventures, they’d moved far enough away that their voices were part of the general murmurings of the crowd. He took a sip of his ale. It tasted like cinnamon but sweeter and, although it wasn’t abnormally viscous, seemed to line his throat like honey with every sip.
***
Once they finished their drinks, they’d retreated to the outskirts of the village to set up camp. None of them wanted to know how expensive a night at the inn would be, if one was even available.
Instead, they sat around their fire, watching the crackling flames. James tossed a hunk of meat onto his cooking pan and propped it above the flames. As it cooked, he had a thought. He had a few ingredients that weren’t harmful, and might improve the flavor of the meat. He pulled a few options out of his inventory and tasted them.
The Soldier’s Nettle tasted a bit minty. It definitely wouldn’t go with the flavor of the meat, but that was okay because it was addictive, and he hadn’t really planned on using it.
The Red Silk Weed had the texture of an eel and tasted like mushrooms. He shook his head, that wasn’t happening.
When he got to River Maple though, the leaves tasted smoky and fresh. James crushed them in a mortar and pestle and added them to the meat. As an afterthought, he added a sprig of Roundleaf, figuring that they were both Health Potion ingredients and might go together.
You have created a Basic recipe: Restorative Kerai Meat.
Restorative Kerai Meat
Rank: Common
Meat seasoned with a sprinkling of River Maple and cooked next to a sprig of Roundleaf. Restores 10 Health when eaten.
You have gained 1 Skill Rank in Cooking.
You are now Skill Rank 5.
You’ve come a long way since that first Bug Ball. Don’t let it go to your head.
James tasted the meat and groaned
with pleasure—it tasted like barbecue. He hadn’t had barbecue in what felt like lifetimes. It was delicious. He’d have to work on his Cooking Skill because this meat was infinitely better than anything else he’d eaten while camping.
His party seemed to agree, and for a while there was only the sound of chewing. Then, Karim got up. “Thank you guys for helping me escape the city, but it’s time for me to go.”
James stood too. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend the rest of the night around the fire?”
Karim shook his head. “I spoke to some locals, and there’s a boat that runs from Mountainshade to Fallmire once a month. If I want to make it, I’ll have to hurry.” As he spoke, he rolled up his bedroll and packed it into his bag. He had a ring that functioned similarly to James’s pouch, but it didn’t have unlimited storage space, so he only used it for valuables.
Before Karim left, James gave him a hug. “Thank you for everything. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to escape the city.”
He chuckled and patted James on the back. “I’m sure you would have eventually figured something out. When you reach my level, you’re going to be a real monster.”
The other two said goodbye to the Hunter and they watched as he jogged off into the night.
Hopefully they would meet again one day.
***
Everything felt muted the next morning as they packed their camp. Karim had been a friendly presence, always willing to lend a helping hand, and he’d be missed. Still, since most of their stuff was in James’ pouch, it wasn’t long before they were back on the road. Somehow, even on the road between towns, this part of the country didn’t feel as isolated as the area around Riverside. The busy road combined with the farmland to their left to make sure that James always had something interesting to look at.
The sun was high overhead when they reached the bridge denoting the halfway point to the next village. There was a battered signpost hammered into the ground next to the bridge with an arrow labeled Splitwater Village pointing back the way they’d come, and another one labeled Cherryhall.
Next to the bridge, but on the opposite side of the road, was a message board covered in flyers that had been nailed to the wood. The first—and most prominently displayed—one was a schedule. Judging by the empty dock under the bridge, it was a ferry schedule.
The Serpent Plains were surrounded by three separate mountain ranges. The runoff from the mountains created rivers. Lots of rivers. So, transportation by boat was fairly popular. Even though most adventurers could move much faster than the average Human, they still needed to sleep.
A boat provided relatively safe travel and, although generally slower than adventurers, boats could travel through the night. This, and the fact that most people weren’t adventurers, meant that travel by boat was prevalent and popular.
“Hey, look at this,” James said, pointing out a flyer. It was massive and had the words, Wanted. Dead or Alive, written across the top in big bold letters. Underneath were sketches of faces with names, levels, and descriptions underneath. James recognized one of them. It was one of the bandits who had tried to rob them at the bottom of the mountain. The artist had made his jaw a bit too square, but James would recognize that greasy hair anywhere. Under his face, someone had written:
Name: Liam Ringer.
Level: 35.
Class: Swordsman archetype; possibly Bandit Swordsman, although this is unconfirmed.
Information: Generally seen with a massive sword strung across his back. He fights at close range while his partner, an unknown mage, boosts his offense and defense.
Reward: 25 Gold Dead; 50 Gold Alive.
Arik shook his head. “Man, we shouldn’t have just left the corpses up there.”
James nodded. “I know. What a waste.” He looked back to the mountains wistfully, but shook his head; it was too late to go back to get the bodies. They’d probably have already been dragged off by some predator anyway.
A brightly colored flyer caught James’ attention. He hadn’t seen colored paper since Earth. He wondered how they made it, whether they dyed regular parchment, or if they made special parchment out of different colored plants.
Calling all Adventurers!!!!!!
It’s time for the 30th decennial Fishing Tournament!!
The groupings this year are:
First Day: Levels 25 – 49
Second Day: Levels 50 – 99
Third Day: Levels 100+
To sign up, speak to Evan at the Horse and Carriage in Silencia.
You have been given a quest: Fishing Tournament I
Fishing Tournament I: Speak with Evan at the Horse and Carriage in Silencia.
Suggested level: 25+
Reward: More Information about the Fishing Tournament.
Penalty for failure or refusal: None.
“Fishing tournament?” James showed the flyer to Nidra. “What’s that?”
She replied hesitantly, “I think I’ve heard of that before. But I’m not sure what it is.”
“Whatever it is, it’s probably why all these people are here,” Arik said.
James slipped the flyer into his pocket, making note to ask someone about it at the next village. He’d never been that into fishing; sitting and waiting weren’t exactly talents of his, but he was almost certain this wouldn’t be the type of fishing he was used to. After all, what kind of fishing tournament had a category for people levels 100+?
Next to the flyer for the fishing tournament was another flyer that caught James’ attention.
Help Wanted!
I’m looking for adventurers with an interest in alchemy to help me acquire a rare ingredient that I need to make a powerful potion. I can’t pay, but I should be able to make two doses of the potion, and I will share one with you as a reward for bringing me the ingredient. For more information, visit Katherine’s Apothecary in Cherryhall.
You have been given a quest: Help Wanted I
Help Wanted I: Visit Katherine’s Apothecary in Cherryhall.
Suggested level: Unknown
Reward: Vague promises of a potion.
Penalty for failure or refusal: None.
When he read the flyer, he got a tingling feeling on the back of his neck. Something about it was either very good, or very bad. It seemed like one of those vague quests in video games that sounded boring but ended up getting you something awesome at the end of it. It would be worth checking out at least. Even if he didn’t take the quest, he’d be able to talk to Katherine and hopefully learn some tricks. James folded the flyer up and placed it in his pocket next to the Fishing Tournament one.
“All right,” he said cheerily. “Let’s get going.”
Chapter 32
After what he’d seen at Splitwater Village, James wasn’t expecting much, so when they arrived at Cherryhall he was suitably impressed. Cherryhall was at least five times the size of Splitwater, closer to a town than a village.
They’d made good time and arrived a few hours before sunset. The buildings in the town were much the same as they’d been in Splitwater, with one to two-story buildings constructed from wood. The notable exception was a five-story mansion that towered over the rest of the town. Surprisingly, its height wasn’t what drew the eye. The entire building was made from beautiful cherry-colored wood, a deep, almost purple-red. Naturally, that was where the party headed first.
They had an easier time moving through the crowds here than in Splitwater, not because Cherryhall was less crowded, but because there was more space for the adventurers to spread out.
Outside the red building, which turned out to be the town hall, they were greeted by a stern-looking woman dressed in loose cloth pants and a white blouse. She had a sharp-looking rapier with a gilded handle strapped to her side.
Name: Katie Elle
Race: Human
Level: 39
Class: Town Administrator
She reached out to clasp forearms with each of them as she introduced herself. “Wel
come to Cherryhall, I’m Katie.”
“Nice to meet you,” James replied.
She nodded, then before any of them could ask her question, she cut straight to the point. “There are three inns in Cherryhall: The Broken Hammer, The Jolly Orc, and The Wandering Mountain, but I’m pretty sure both The Broken Hammer and The Wandering Mountain are full. If you hurry, you might be able to get a room at The Jolly Orc. Just follow the main road. You can’t miss it.”
James opened his mouth to thank her, but she held up a finger to stop him. “Listen to me very closely. You are welcome to stay in this town for as long as you want, but the second you step out of line, I will personally kick you out.” She glared at each one of them in turn, her gaze lingering on Arik for a second longer than the rest of them. “You got it?”
“Yes ma’am, thanks for—” James stopped speaking when he realized she’d already walked away.
Taking her advice, they followed the main road, heading straight for the inn.
***
“Welcome!” A wiry Orc wearing a leather apron with the words, Orcs do it best, greeted them with a broad smile that showed off his smooth tusks when they entered the inn.
Name: Kento Loyan
Race: Orc
Level: 13
Class: Innkeeper
When Arik saw the innkeeper, he reacted violently. He growled and drew one of his warhammers but, before he could swing it, James grabbed his arm.
“Calm down,” he hissed. “What is wrong with you?”
“James. He’s an Orc. They’re all bad!” Arik shouted, struggling to get free.