Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
Wait, did Samuel alone complete the trial, or did the others partake as well?
Chapter 55
The ice armor turned out to be hilarious fun for Samael. It was good enough to deflect most casual strikes, and healed itself very quickly. Even better, it came with inbuilt spikes that damaged enemies while leaving him perfectly fine.
He was almost disappointed when he got out of the dungeon. Almost. The sight of something more than white and snow was enough to wash away any disappointment. He actually teared up a little bit to see shades of red and orange.
Everyone took the time to head to their rooms at this point. Well, everyone but Samael. He went straight to Bonnie's place. The plan was to meet up there the next morning, and he was going to stay there for security sake. It also let him get more information on what was going on as well.
Considering that it was very late and no one knew when they had come out, this was probably the safest plan they could do while still getting away from one another for a time. There were a few stresses here and there thanks to being cooped up with each other for five days in an extremely tense environment. It wasn't the best plan, but it was either that or start yelling at eachother.
Bonnie met Samael at the doorway and ushered him in. Not even a minute later he was set in a chair and getting some tea.
"So, have fun?" Bonnie asked after a moment.
"Honestly, yes. Seonag got herself a fairly powerful boost." Samael nodded and showed off his new tattoo. "I got something too."
Bonnie practically had stars in her eyes as she leaned forward to look. "That's fascinating. I wonder how the magical resonance works there. It could prove so many theories." The historian shook her head after a moment. "Getting off track. I did some checking and talked with a few clan members more politically inclined."
Samael turned serious and leaned forward himself. "Is this about the rumors?"
"You heard about that didn't you?" Bonnie asked with a raised eyebrow and then sighed to lean back in her chair. "The Duke of Earlsburg is sleaze, but he's competent sleaze. Pinning any of that on him is impossible at the moment. He'd just turn that around on us."
"Tch." A familiar bitterness boiled in Samael's stomach. Didn't that just figure.
"Fortunately he's limited in many ways. What he seems to be doing is trying to keep brawlers exactly where they are. Already we're seeing a shift socially. If the guild was up and running it'd be even worse." Bonnie grinned fleetingly. "The rumors and him delaying the guild formation are basically him trying to shame brawlers into keeping where they are." The woman shook her head and laughed. "I don't think he realized how stubborn you lot are."
Samael blinked in response to that. "What about the assassin?"
"You're going to have to avoid dungeons for a few weeks." Bonnie stated seriously and grabbed her teacup and practically poured sugar into it. "Based on the information I had, the duke wanted you to die randomly in a dungeon, then would have spread rumors and delayed the guild formation. That would have had any brawlers trapped in limbo for a very long time."
"That doesn't make much sense though. What about Sampson and Harry?" Samael pointed out and watched with mild amusement as Bonnie downed the entire cup of tea in one go before pouring herself a new cup.
"You're the founder of the new title. With you around, there's a lot of weight so to speak. Right now people can safely say that you're a dungeon veteran with an established pattern of working with people." Bonnie gave a lopsided grin as she sipped at her tea.
"That can't be the entire thing though." The monk pointed out calmly.
"His first plan failed. Now he's going to the second one. Keep in mind travel time and how messages are passed. He likely just found out that you didn't die and now has to try something else or the brawlers will all leave." Bonnie rolled her eyes at the statement.
"We don't know what he's going to do next though." Samael stated with a frown.
"That's why after Camila does her star reading you're heading out. That will likely head off anything targeted at you." Bonnie shrugged and set down her teacup.
"Well at least it wouldn't be more snow. Well hopefully." Samael grabbed one of the cookies the historian had set out and nibbled on it. "Why's he so pissed off at me by the way? I never really figured that one out completely."
"Brawlers fill a niche cheaply. Overflow dungeons have to be maintained. A few brawlers with no other prospects are cheap, easy to motivate, and sort of locked into their roles." Bonnie waved a hand. "You're costing him money."
"And there's nothing a nobel likes less than losing money." The monk finished grimly.
Bonnie nodded quietly. That was really the core point.
Samael went to bed with a familiar anger in his heart. One he thought he had excised when he had left his town. It was still there and ready to be fanned apparently.
He had fought, struggled, and bled for this chance. Now there was someone above him trying to beat him down again. Like the thieves guild had done. There was a difference though. He had power and skill now.
Samael refused to be brought low by this noble. He would follow along with his clan's directions for now, but he wouldn't allow this to continue forever. For a moment he contemplated terrible things that he could do. The anger burned brighter.
Before he went to sleep though, Samael carefully put out the flames burning in his breast. Burning things to the ground would not prove anything. Instead he needed to be solid and unyielding. He needed to have a bit of faith and a bit of determination. That was how he was going to win.
He was almost disappointed when he got out of the dungeon. Almost. The sight of something more than white and snow was enough to wash away any disappointment. He actually teared up a little bit to see shades of red and orange.
Everyone took the time to head to their rooms at this point. Well, everyone but Samael. He went straight to Bonnie's place. The plan was to meet up there the next morning, and he was going to stay there for security sake. It also let him get more information on what was going on as well.
Considering that it was very late and no one knew when they had come out, this was probably the safest plan they could do while still getting away from one another for a time. There were a few stresses here and there thanks to being cooped up with each other for five days in an extremely tense environment. It wasn't the best plan, but it was either that or start yelling at eachother.
Bonnie met Samael at the doorway and ushered him in. Not even a minute later he was set in a chair and getting some tea.
"So, have fun?" Bonnie asked after a moment.
"Honestly, yes. Seonag got herself a fairly powerful boost." Samael nodded and showed off his new tattoo. "I got something too."
Bonnie practically had stars in her eyes as she leaned forward to look. "That's fascinating. I wonder how the magical resonance works there. It could prove so many theories." The historian shook her head after a moment. "Getting off track. I did some checking and talked with a few clan members more politically inclined."
Samael turned serious and leaned forward himself. "Is this about the rumors?"
"You heard about that didn't you?" Bonnie asked with a raised eyebrow and then sighed to lean back in her chair. "The Duke of Earlsburg is sleaze, but he's competent sleaze. Pinning any of that on him is impossible at the moment. He'd just turn that around on us."
"Tch." A familiar bitterness boiled in Samael's stomach. Didn't that just figure.
"Fortunately he's limited in many ways. What he seems to be doing is trying to keep brawlers exactly where they are. Already we're seeing a shift socially. If the guild was up and running it'd be even worse." Bonnie grinned fleetingly. "The rumors and him delaying the guild formation are basically him trying to shame brawlers into keeping where they are." The woman shook her head and laughed. "I don't think he realized how stubborn you lot are."
Samael blinked in response to that. "What about the assassin?"
"You're going to have to avoid dungeons for a few weeks." Bonnie stated seriously and grabbed her teacup and practically poured sugar into it. "Based on the information I had, the duke wanted you to die randomly in a dungeon, then would have spread rumors and delayed the guild formation. That would have had any brawlers trapped in limbo for a very long time."
"That doesn't make much sense though. What about Sampson and Harry?" Samael pointed out and watched with mild amusement as Bonnie downed the entire cup of tea in one go before pouring herself a new cup.
"You're the founder of the new title. With you around, there's a lot of weight so to speak. Right now people can safely say that you're a dungeon veteran with an established pattern of working with people." Bonnie gave a lopsided grin as she sipped at her tea.
"That can't be the entire thing though." The monk pointed out calmly.
"His first plan failed. Now he's going to the second one. Keep in mind travel time and how messages are passed. He likely just found out that you didn't die and now has to try something else or the brawlers will all leave." Bonnie rolled her eyes at the statement.
"We don't know what he's going to do next though." Samael stated with a frown.
"That's why after Camila does her star reading you're heading out. That will likely head off anything targeted at you." Bonnie shrugged and set down her teacup.
"Well at least it wouldn't be more snow. Well hopefully." Samael grabbed one of the cookies the historian had set out and nibbled on it. "Why's he so pissed off at me by the way? I never really figured that one out completely."
"Brawlers fill a niche cheaply. Overflow dungeons have to be maintained. A few brawlers with no other prospects are cheap, easy to motivate, and sort of locked into their roles." Bonnie waved a hand. "You're costing him money."
"And there's nothing a nobel likes less than losing money." The monk finished grimly.
Bonnie nodded quietly. That was really the core point.
Samael went to bed with a familiar anger in his heart. One he thought he had excised when he had left his town. It was still there and ready to be fanned apparently.
He had fought, struggled, and bled for this chance. Now there was someone above him trying to beat him down again. Like the thieves guild had done. There was a difference though. He had power and skill now.
Samael refused to be brought low by this noble. He would follow along with his clan's directions for now, but he wouldn't allow this to continue forever. For a moment he contemplated terrible things that he could do. The anger burned brighter.
Before he went to sleep though, Samael carefully put out the flames burning in his breast. Burning things to the ground would not prove anything. Instead he needed to be solid and unyielding. He needed to have a bit of faith and a bit of determination. That was how he was going to win.
Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
Deus Vult?
Well...technically you do have someone from the Church of Fire that owes you a big favor...
Why not give it a try? Revenge may not solve your problem, but damned if it doesn't feel good!
- Location
- England
Me neither, me neither. But now we know, and knowing is half the battle.
Last edited:
- Location
- Austrlia
One Third.Me neither, me neither. But know we know, and knowing is half the battle.
Budget cuts.
noble
the other church just might do that for him anyway.
This is interesting. He has ice armor, (heart)fire, and a rock-emotion analogue. Is there going to be an elemental/shaman monk-variant? I don't think it's something Samael would do himself, rather it's something he could teach someone else to specialize.
Chapter 56
AN: Thank you for the corrections all!
Daylight had the party plus Bonnie at an area that none of them had previously visited. The stables. Though stables really was a misnomer. Stables implied there were just horses for riding there. These stables contained far more than just horses and were easily double the size of standard ones. A lot of the animals weren't just for riding either.
There were horses, massive hunting cats, dogs, and a few very large birds of various sorts. With the wide variety of animals there one would expect that there would be trouble, but most of them seemed relatively docile and happy. This was due to the one in charge. A Beastmaster who managed the place.
The man was a fairly hefty looking man with large muscles and more than a few scars of various sorts. He greeted Bonnie with a wide smile.
"How's my favorite girl?" He spread his arms wide for a hug.
Bonnie waved limply. "Hi George."
"Oh don't be like that, we've got so much history." He moved forward and Bonnie backed away. Not quickly enough though, and she was soon lifted up in a hug.
The girl endured it with a look of long suffering and soon she was back on her feet. "Do you have what I need?" She asked as she brushed out her clothing.
"Of course, of course!" George nodded and looked at the other people. "These the people?"
"Yes." Bonnie replied.
"You're really racking up favors girl. Maybe I should ask for that date in exchange?" George winked at the adventurers.
Samael was sure that if Bonnie had been wearing her bunny ears they would have gone straight up. The girl's eyes widened and she stepped back in horror. "You said you'd never bring that up again!"
"Hahahaha!" George laughed loudly and slapped at his knee. "I didn't girl. You did. Bonnie's got a bit of history with bad dating." He confided to the other people.
The Historian cleared her throat. "We are in a bit of a hurry."
"Oh, but the stories I could tell!" George shook his head and motioned to Samael and his party. "You all can come back. I have your ride staged there."
"I'm going back to the library. Camila gave me the calculations for where you're going." Bonnie waved as she moved away.
George clapped his hands together as he led them through the stables. Samael glanced around at the various animals with curiosity, but tried to keep his attention on the man. It was a bit hard since there were a lot of different animals. Even the horses were in different shapes and sizes.
"So, Bonnie has set you up with a Stone-hoof Donkey and cart." George began as they moved to a wide open area. "Stone-hoof Donkeys are probably one of the most stable and placid animals we have. You can feed them practically anything and they'll live, so just get some standard feed."
The man led them to a rather small looking cart with a seat. Strapped into it was a rather rocky looking donkey. As in it literally had rocks on it's body. It was chewing on something while the approached and completely ignored them.
"Aww, it's adorable." Camila cooed and moved forward to pet at the animal's nose. It didn't even stop chewing.
George stifled a laugh. "You could set off an explosion next to one and they wouldn't care much. That's good and bad though since they won't get away from trouble like other animals might." He slapped the animal's shoulder and nothing happened. "It takes a lot to damage or even get their attention."
"Oh." Camila didn't stop petting the animal though.
The beastmaster motioned to the other adventurers and they followed. "He'll start with a rein snap, and a 'Forward.' He'll stop with a rein pull and 'Woah.' Right and left you pull on the sides. Don't be afraid to pull hard, you're not going to hurt him unless you put all your weight into it." The man pointed to the reins as he spoke then continued. "Brush him down and remove the harness and reins before you go to sleep, and he'll be good for you for years if you wanted."
"Seems simple." Seonag stated as she glanced at the animal.
"That's why you're getting him. Any other animal and you'd need a handler along. That beast can likely live through more than you." George stated bluntly and then motioned to the back of the cart. "You have three cargo holding boxes. Right now they have feed and a few standard rations. Fill them up as much as you need on the way. Other than that, this is yours. Remember it's a loan, not yours. Bonnie will be pissed if I have to bill her for the thing."
That got winces from everyone but Camila. She was still petting the donkey. "I'm going to call you Stony!" She stated.
George looked to be restraining a laugh as he motioned to the cart. "Get in and I'll get the doors open so you can get him out. Good luck with whatever it is you're doing."
Knuckles moved into the front seat and picked up the reigns. Camila and Samael moved to the back of the cart. Seonag sat next to Knuckles.
After a moment the large front doors to the stables creaked open and the wind and cold started to seep into the building. Knuckles snapped the reins and the donkey began to placidly move.
A few minutes later they were starting down the road. About the only good thing about the cart appeared to be it's design to handle rough roads. The jostling was surprisingly little.
"We're we going?" Knuckles asked Camila.
"Right now, south!" The Astrologer chirped back and yawned. "Predictions state that there's going to be a falling star that way within the lunar cycle. I'll need to do more checking to get more information."
Knuckles grunted and began to direct the cart that way. The cart creaked and swayed as they continued to move onto their new adventure.
Daylight had the party plus Bonnie at an area that none of them had previously visited. The stables. Though stables really was a misnomer. Stables implied there were just horses for riding there. These stables contained far more than just horses and were easily double the size of standard ones. A lot of the animals weren't just for riding either.
There were horses, massive hunting cats, dogs, and a few very large birds of various sorts. With the wide variety of animals there one would expect that there would be trouble, but most of them seemed relatively docile and happy. This was due to the one in charge. A Beastmaster who managed the place.
The man was a fairly hefty looking man with large muscles and more than a few scars of various sorts. He greeted Bonnie with a wide smile.
"How's my favorite girl?" He spread his arms wide for a hug.
Bonnie waved limply. "Hi George."
"Oh don't be like that, we've got so much history." He moved forward and Bonnie backed away. Not quickly enough though, and she was soon lifted up in a hug.
The girl endured it with a look of long suffering and soon she was back on her feet. "Do you have what I need?" She asked as she brushed out her clothing.
"Of course, of course!" George nodded and looked at the other people. "These the people?"
"Yes." Bonnie replied.
"You're really racking up favors girl. Maybe I should ask for that date in exchange?" George winked at the adventurers.
Samael was sure that if Bonnie had been wearing her bunny ears they would have gone straight up. The girl's eyes widened and she stepped back in horror. "You said you'd never bring that up again!"
"Hahahaha!" George laughed loudly and slapped at his knee. "I didn't girl. You did. Bonnie's got a bit of history with bad dating." He confided to the other people.
The Historian cleared her throat. "We are in a bit of a hurry."
"Oh, but the stories I could tell!" George shook his head and motioned to Samael and his party. "You all can come back. I have your ride staged there."
"I'm going back to the library. Camila gave me the calculations for where you're going." Bonnie waved as she moved away.
George clapped his hands together as he led them through the stables. Samael glanced around at the various animals with curiosity, but tried to keep his attention on the man. It was a bit hard since there were a lot of different animals. Even the horses were in different shapes and sizes.
"So, Bonnie has set you up with a Stone-hoof Donkey and cart." George began as they moved to a wide open area. "Stone-hoof Donkeys are probably one of the most stable and placid animals we have. You can feed them practically anything and they'll live, so just get some standard feed."
The man led them to a rather small looking cart with a seat. Strapped into it was a rather rocky looking donkey. As in it literally had rocks on it's body. It was chewing on something while the approached and completely ignored them.
"Aww, it's adorable." Camila cooed and moved forward to pet at the animal's nose. It didn't even stop chewing.
George stifled a laugh. "You could set off an explosion next to one and they wouldn't care much. That's good and bad though since they won't get away from trouble like other animals might." He slapped the animal's shoulder and nothing happened. "It takes a lot to damage or even get their attention."
"Oh." Camila didn't stop petting the animal though.
The beastmaster motioned to the other adventurers and they followed. "He'll start with a rein snap, and a 'Forward.' He'll stop with a rein pull and 'Woah.' Right and left you pull on the sides. Don't be afraid to pull hard, you're not going to hurt him unless you put all your weight into it." The man pointed to the reins as he spoke then continued. "Brush him down and remove the harness and reins before you go to sleep, and he'll be good for you for years if you wanted."
"Seems simple." Seonag stated as she glanced at the animal.
"That's why you're getting him. Any other animal and you'd need a handler along. That beast can likely live through more than you." George stated bluntly and then motioned to the back of the cart. "You have three cargo holding boxes. Right now they have feed and a few standard rations. Fill them up as much as you need on the way. Other than that, this is yours. Remember it's a loan, not yours. Bonnie will be pissed if I have to bill her for the thing."
That got winces from everyone but Camila. She was still petting the donkey. "I'm going to call you Stony!" She stated.
George looked to be restraining a laugh as he motioned to the cart. "Get in and I'll get the doors open so you can get him out. Good luck with whatever it is you're doing."
Knuckles moved into the front seat and picked up the reigns. Camila and Samael moved to the back of the cart. Seonag sat next to Knuckles.
After a moment the large front doors to the stables creaked open and the wind and cold started to seep into the building. Knuckles snapped the reins and the donkey began to placidly move.
A few minutes later they were starting down the road. About the only good thing about the cart appeared to be it's design to handle rough roads. The jostling was surprisingly little.
"We're we going?" Knuckles asked Camila.
"Right now, south!" The Astrologer chirped back and yawned. "Predictions state that there's going to be a falling star that way within the lunar cycle. I'll need to do more checking to get more information."
Knuckles grunted and began to direct the cart that way. The cart creaked and swayed as they continued to move onto their new adventure.
Goldenlima
Statistical Anomaly
Somewhat awkward phrasing here.
Chapter 57
Samael had been wondering some on why they had gotten the wagon, but as they moved south he figured it out fairly quickly. Camila had curled up in a ball and gone to sleep, and the rest of them had basically quietly watched the terrain move by. It wasn't that much faster than walking, but it was peaceful. The wagon basically made the distance they were traveling easier and let them carry more supplies.
They moved south for now. On the road and through wide fields that would be filled with grain in the spring and summer. Right now it was mostly white, white, and a few greys. The silence they rode in wasn't stifling though. It was peaceful. Just the quiet wind and clip clop of hooves from their donkey.
Hours later they came upon a city pillar. The large stone block loomed in the distance. One of several that surrounded a city, these pillars gathered ambient magic for various tasks and needs. They powered magical items for non-adventurers through an arcane process that Samael didn't really know about.
The party didn't really need to go in the city though, so they simply had the wagon skirt the boundaries of the city and continue further south.
More fields and snow followed. Seonag switched off with Knuckles and Samael moved up to take her place as they continued. Camila stayed asleep through the brief stop, and they continued south.
A large forest loomed as they moved on, and there they decided to stop for the night. Camila was woken up and they gathered enough wood for a large bonfire. Technically they were hiding. Practically if someone had followed them they would have noticed it at some point. There were very few travelers at this time thanks to winter.
The fire was rather nice, and everyone gathered around it. Seonag's spirits kept them warm, but there was something about the fire that made things better. It certainly made the bland rations better.
"I'm going to be up all night getting better directions." Camila yawned widely as she watched the fire.
"That's fine. You're probably the only one going to be doing work for awhile." Samael chuckled as he replied.
"Heard that the roads peter out down south." Knuckles muttered.
"The wagon and I can handle off road travel." Seonag contributed and wiggled one of her totems. "Earth is agreeable to smooth the way for some extra tribute."
Camila nodded with a small smile. "That should help. Straight south hits the sea, but I expect we're going to be going south east soon. That brings us to the border and the mountains."
"I don't know geography, so I don't know what's after that." Knuckles admitted.
The Astrologer waved her hand and grinned. "Oh, I can help with that!" She waved her hand and a sphere appeared in front of them. A part of it expanded.
Knuckles and Samael looked at it with bewilderment. All they could see was a lot of land in front of them.
"We are around here right?" Seonag pointed to an area. "I believe south then would bring us to a badlands."
"You're right." Camila nodded and parts of the lands started to light up. "The Crowned Kingdom, where we are is this space." A large field was illuminated in red. "Amazonia is to the Northeast." A smaller place was illuminated. "Badlands are here and here." Those were illuminated with white.
"Badlands are places where dungeons have taken over if I remember right." Samael muttered. "I don't think we're ready for that. They're elite territory."
"Starchasers don't go into there as a general rule." Camila waved away the illusion. "If the falling star drops into that area, we get to the border and try to view it. I can create telescopes to view from afar." Camila shrugged.
"Does that happen often?" Seonag asked curiously.
The Astrologer pouted. "More often than I would like. It's either someplace we can't get to, or it's rocks falling from the sky, or it's nothing and we can't figure out why."
"Hah, sounds like you're taking it a bit personally there." Samael teased.
"We've been searching for evidence since our founding!" Camila waved her arms in protest.
"The search for truth always takes time." Seonag advised. "I am not sure there is even an end to it. There are always more truths to find."
Knuckles snorted and threw more wood into the bonfire. "Anyone who thinks that they know everything there is about the world is a fool. Seen more than one trumped up 'educated' idiot get conned and actually thinking they got the better of the person."
Samael snickered and stretched. "Oh yeah, I've seen that happen too. Those are funny."
"Funny?" Camila tilted her head.
"Trumped up nobles coming down into the slums thinking that because they have the education and money they can do anything they want." Samael explained and made a dismissive notion. "They don't get hurt cause that would cause trouble, but they typically lose all their money and I've even seen a few running back without their pants." The man chuckled.
"Gambling cons are probably the easiest there. They keep coming and don't realize that they're not getting anything." Knuckles added casually.
"Those were actually kind of sad sometimes. Addicts are more pitiful than anything else. The higher ups just hide it better." Samael sighed in remembrance.
"Your 'nobles' seem similar to the ones in my country. I have heard tales of their antics. Though they prefer rumors and backstabbing." Seonag stated softly. "More than one woman has been run out from embrassement."
"Wow, you all have stories. I just got taught a lot by my brother." Camila looked at them with wide eyes. "He's always been an adventurer, just like my parents."
"And you don't have stories?" Samael asked curiously.
"We had a nice home in the country with a big skybox. Mother and father were away a lot doing clan business, but they tried to keep brother and me happy. Big brother was the one that taught me astronomy though. When I sparked I went right into mage, and then Astronomer." Camila made a few sparks of magic. "He was proud. It's a bit of a family thing."
"Hah. Didn't have any of that." Samael shook his head.
"Nor I." Seonag added.
"Actually, my father was an Adventurer. " Knuckles coughed out and everyone looked at him with a bit of surprise. The man looked a bit annoyed at the surprise. "Ain't like he did much more than pay her for a night though." He added and there were a few winces.
"What…?" Camila trailed off as Samael made a cutting motion at his throat. She looked at him questioningly.
"I'll explain later." Samael whispered lowly.
Conversation petered off after that, and people went to sleep as Camila started up her diagrams and checks. Well after Samael explained what prostitution was. Which was a fairly embarrassing thing to go over.
They moved south for now. On the road and through wide fields that would be filled with grain in the spring and summer. Right now it was mostly white, white, and a few greys. The silence they rode in wasn't stifling though. It was peaceful. Just the quiet wind and clip clop of hooves from their donkey.
Hours later they came upon a city pillar. The large stone block loomed in the distance. One of several that surrounded a city, these pillars gathered ambient magic for various tasks and needs. They powered magical items for non-adventurers through an arcane process that Samael didn't really know about.
The party didn't really need to go in the city though, so they simply had the wagon skirt the boundaries of the city and continue further south.
More fields and snow followed. Seonag switched off with Knuckles and Samael moved up to take her place as they continued. Camila stayed asleep through the brief stop, and they continued south.
A large forest loomed as they moved on, and there they decided to stop for the night. Camila was woken up and they gathered enough wood for a large bonfire. Technically they were hiding. Practically if someone had followed them they would have noticed it at some point. There were very few travelers at this time thanks to winter.
The fire was rather nice, and everyone gathered around it. Seonag's spirits kept them warm, but there was something about the fire that made things better. It certainly made the bland rations better.
"I'm going to be up all night getting better directions." Camila yawned widely as she watched the fire.
"That's fine. You're probably the only one going to be doing work for awhile." Samael chuckled as he replied.
"Heard that the roads peter out down south." Knuckles muttered.
"The wagon and I can handle off road travel." Seonag contributed and wiggled one of her totems. "Earth is agreeable to smooth the way for some extra tribute."
Camila nodded with a small smile. "That should help. Straight south hits the sea, but I expect we're going to be going south east soon. That brings us to the border and the mountains."
"I don't know geography, so I don't know what's after that." Knuckles admitted.
The Astrologer waved her hand and grinned. "Oh, I can help with that!" She waved her hand and a sphere appeared in front of them. A part of it expanded.
Knuckles and Samael looked at it with bewilderment. All they could see was a lot of land in front of them.
"We are around here right?" Seonag pointed to an area. "I believe south then would bring us to a badlands."
"You're right." Camila nodded and parts of the lands started to light up. "The Crowned Kingdom, where we are is this space." A large field was illuminated in red. "Amazonia is to the Northeast." A smaller place was illuminated. "Badlands are here and here." Those were illuminated with white.
"Badlands are places where dungeons have taken over if I remember right." Samael muttered. "I don't think we're ready for that. They're elite territory."
"Starchasers don't go into there as a general rule." Camila waved away the illusion. "If the falling star drops into that area, we get to the border and try to view it. I can create telescopes to view from afar." Camila shrugged.
"Does that happen often?" Seonag asked curiously.
The Astrologer pouted. "More often than I would like. It's either someplace we can't get to, or it's rocks falling from the sky, or it's nothing and we can't figure out why."
"Hah, sounds like you're taking it a bit personally there." Samael teased.
"We've been searching for evidence since our founding!" Camila waved her arms in protest.
"The search for truth always takes time." Seonag advised. "I am not sure there is even an end to it. There are always more truths to find."
Knuckles snorted and threw more wood into the bonfire. "Anyone who thinks that they know everything there is about the world is a fool. Seen more than one trumped up 'educated' idiot get conned and actually thinking they got the better of the person."
Samael snickered and stretched. "Oh yeah, I've seen that happen too. Those are funny."
"Funny?" Camila tilted her head.
"Trumped up nobles coming down into the slums thinking that because they have the education and money they can do anything they want." Samael explained and made a dismissive notion. "They don't get hurt cause that would cause trouble, but they typically lose all their money and I've even seen a few running back without their pants." The man chuckled.
"Gambling cons are probably the easiest there. They keep coming and don't realize that they're not getting anything." Knuckles added casually.
"Those were actually kind of sad sometimes. Addicts are more pitiful than anything else. The higher ups just hide it better." Samael sighed in remembrance.
"Your 'nobles' seem similar to the ones in my country. I have heard tales of their antics. Though they prefer rumors and backstabbing." Seonag stated softly. "More than one woman has been run out from embrassement."
"Wow, you all have stories. I just got taught a lot by my brother." Camila looked at them with wide eyes. "He's always been an adventurer, just like my parents."
"And you don't have stories?" Samael asked curiously.
"We had a nice home in the country with a big skybox. Mother and father were away a lot doing clan business, but they tried to keep brother and me happy. Big brother was the one that taught me astronomy though. When I sparked I went right into mage, and then Astronomer." Camila made a few sparks of magic. "He was proud. It's a bit of a family thing."
"Hah. Didn't have any of that." Samael shook his head.
"Nor I." Seonag added.
"Actually, my father was an Adventurer. " Knuckles coughed out and everyone looked at him with a bit of surprise. The man looked a bit annoyed at the surprise. "Ain't like he did much more than pay her for a night though." He added and there were a few winces.
"What…?" Camila trailed off as Samael made a cutting motion at his throat. She looked at him questioningly.
"I'll explain later." Samael whispered lowly.
Conversation petered off after that, and people went to sleep as Camila started up her diagrams and checks. Well after Samael explained what prostitution was. Which was a fairly embarrassing thing to go over.
Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
Camila is more innocent than I'd expected.
Camila's basically a sheltered middle to upper class girl, though with one important thing to remember. She's from an Adventurer's family. This means that in addition to a lot of 'normal' education she's been educated in the fine art of fighting and smiting.
- Location
- Pale Blue Dot
Some families listen to music like 'Thunderstruck'. Others do it with lightning.
Alphaleph
The Firstiest of First
*CamillaisAquamentalimageintensifies*
On the other hand, Aqua does know about carnal pleasure...
I know that this is a very video game-y world, but she actually knows that the sky is just a skybox texture?
The Sandman
So Zetta Slowpoke
- Location
- Wherever I am, which isn't where I'm not
So are Seonag and Knuckles an item yet? They seem like a natural combination for some reason.
Chapter 58
Days passed. The travel was slow and steady though. Soon the winter started to slake and rains started to come in fits and starts. Fortunately a combination of stubborn determination from their donkey and Seonag's earth totem made things relatively easy to travel in. Though relatively didn't mean it was without pain. The rain was cold and miserable, and the fire spirit couldn't quite chase away the miserable nature of being wet.
The party ended up stopping briefly at an inn and getting a cover setup on the wagon. It was a simple a crude setup, but it did keep the rain off when it came. They pressed on with determination despite the unpleasant turn the trip had taken. A little discomfort wasn't going to stop them.
Eventually they reached the border of the kingdom and to the badlands. There the crude road ended, and a few signs had been placed. None of the signs had text. Instead they all had large skulls and crossbones on them. Markers on where the normal terrain ended and the dungeon began.
It looked almost innocent. There were no differences between the grassland on one side or the other. Samael almost doubted the signs, but he could see something larger than normal flying above them all. In the distance too was a large and foreboding mountain, topped with snow and ice. That was where the dungeon was centered.
"It's a secured dungeon in there right?" The monk asked as he watched the things circling above them all.
"Air and earth apparently." Camila responded absentmindedly as she began to make motions in the air.
"We're camping here." Knuckles stated after glancing up at the creatures above.
"Air and Earth?" Seonag asked Camila curiously.
"It has flying things that provide warnings, and uses some sort of earth creatures as defenses." The astrologer explained as she made made a circle with her fingers and then pulled her hands apart. A flat plane in front of her expanded and the flying monsters came into view as the magic caused a magnification effect.
The best way to describe the monsters was that they were unhealthy looking birds. They had feathers on their wings, but that was it. Skinny and almost malnourished looking, they had a sickly looking air as they circled in the sky. Instead of being pathetic looking though they looked dangerous. Their beaks were cruelly curved, and their talons glittered in the air.
Camila just glanced over them briefly and then shifted her hands. A massive stone door came into view then. It was perhaps better to call it a stone slab carved into the mountain. This was where the secured part of the dungeon came in.
Secured dungeons were the rarest and probably the most mysterious. They always had some barrier to entry. Some required keys even. They existed as an argument for dungeons being intelligent, though there was requirement to use the entrances. Some people had deliberately passed them to no noticeable reaction.
This dungeon's entrance was just a big stone slab on hinges. If you could move it, you could get in. As far as entrances go it was particularly crude, though that didn't make it ineffective.
"So, what do we do now?" The monk asked after the view hadn't changed for a moment.
"Camping sounds good." Camila replied with a small smile. "I need to set up a few actual runes and arrays to give us a good view. The star should fall in the next few days."
"I'll get out the tents then." Knuckles turned back to the cart as he spoke.
"I'll help!" Samael added on quickly and followed.
The larger man grunted and motioned to the boxes in the back of the cart. The monk immediately dove into them and began to pull out various parts of the tent. Knuckles grabbed them without words and they began to arrange a campsite. Samael dragged out the tarps and stakes while Knuckles gently pounded the appropriate parts into the ground.
Samael paused mid move as he noticed something off. "Something wrong with your finger?"
Knuckles paused and clenched his good hand in the gauntlet. One of the fingers didn't move quite right and took it's time to close. "Just practicing something." He grunted as he continued to position the stake.
"If you say so." The monk shrugged off the observation, and then noticed blood dripping down the man's gauntlet. "You're bleeding."
"Shit." Knuckles sighed and pulled off the metal object. One of his fingers looked to have been practically mauled and the bandage had shifted.
"What in heaven's name happened there?" Samael breathed out as he darted to Knuckle's side.
"Training. I don't want to talk much more about it. It's not pretty." Knuckles grunted and rebandaged his finger.
Hissing, Samael made a face but backed off. "Don't let it get infected and let me know if you need help then."
Knuckles gave a grunt and they continued to setup the campsite. A few minutes later they had four tents setup and Seonag had set a perimeter with her magic.
More impressive though was the thing Camila had setup. She had pulled several metal poles and circles out of her bag and arranged them pointing towards the mountain and into the sky. Each circle functioned as a magical telescope and acted independently of her direction. The magnification on some of them was fantastic, enough to see the snow moving on the mountain.
"Now we just need to wait!" Camila adjusted one of the circles so it was facing the sky. "Oh, this is so exciting!"
"Do you want to tell her you're bored out of your skull already, or shall I?" Samael whispered to Knuckles quietly.
"No chance of that. She'd pout." The man grumbled softly in reply.
"I will see about finding the dice." Seonag chimed in. "And see about finding something to hunt so we have fresh food."
"Anything's better than the rations." The monk muttered and sighed.
Camila hadn't noticed any of the conversation. Instead she was adjusting and readjusting the various circles she had set. The views were fantastic, but absolutely nothing was happening. Not that this was stopping her.
The party ended up stopping briefly at an inn and getting a cover setup on the wagon. It was a simple a crude setup, but it did keep the rain off when it came. They pressed on with determination despite the unpleasant turn the trip had taken. A little discomfort wasn't going to stop them.
Eventually they reached the border of the kingdom and to the badlands. There the crude road ended, and a few signs had been placed. None of the signs had text. Instead they all had large skulls and crossbones on them. Markers on where the normal terrain ended and the dungeon began.
It looked almost innocent. There were no differences between the grassland on one side or the other. Samael almost doubted the signs, but he could see something larger than normal flying above them all. In the distance too was a large and foreboding mountain, topped with snow and ice. That was where the dungeon was centered.
"It's a secured dungeon in there right?" The monk asked as he watched the things circling above them all.
"Air and earth apparently." Camila responded absentmindedly as she began to make motions in the air.
"We're camping here." Knuckles stated after glancing up at the creatures above.
"Air and Earth?" Seonag asked Camila curiously.
"It has flying things that provide warnings, and uses some sort of earth creatures as defenses." The astrologer explained as she made made a circle with her fingers and then pulled her hands apart. A flat plane in front of her expanded and the flying monsters came into view as the magic caused a magnification effect.
The best way to describe the monsters was that they were unhealthy looking birds. They had feathers on their wings, but that was it. Skinny and almost malnourished looking, they had a sickly looking air as they circled in the sky. Instead of being pathetic looking though they looked dangerous. Their beaks were cruelly curved, and their talons glittered in the air.
Camila just glanced over them briefly and then shifted her hands. A massive stone door came into view then. It was perhaps better to call it a stone slab carved into the mountain. This was where the secured part of the dungeon came in.
Secured dungeons were the rarest and probably the most mysterious. They always had some barrier to entry. Some required keys even. They existed as an argument for dungeons being intelligent, though there was requirement to use the entrances. Some people had deliberately passed them to no noticeable reaction.
This dungeon's entrance was just a big stone slab on hinges. If you could move it, you could get in. As far as entrances go it was particularly crude, though that didn't make it ineffective.
"So, what do we do now?" The monk asked after the view hadn't changed for a moment.
"Camping sounds good." Camila replied with a small smile. "I need to set up a few actual runes and arrays to give us a good view. The star should fall in the next few days."
"I'll get out the tents then." Knuckles turned back to the cart as he spoke.
"I'll help!" Samael added on quickly and followed.
The larger man grunted and motioned to the boxes in the back of the cart. The monk immediately dove into them and began to pull out various parts of the tent. Knuckles grabbed them without words and they began to arrange a campsite. Samael dragged out the tarps and stakes while Knuckles gently pounded the appropriate parts into the ground.
Samael paused mid move as he noticed something off. "Something wrong with your finger?"
Knuckles paused and clenched his good hand in the gauntlet. One of the fingers didn't move quite right and took it's time to close. "Just practicing something." He grunted as he continued to position the stake.
"If you say so." The monk shrugged off the observation, and then noticed blood dripping down the man's gauntlet. "You're bleeding."
"Shit." Knuckles sighed and pulled off the metal object. One of his fingers looked to have been practically mauled and the bandage had shifted.
"What in heaven's name happened there?" Samael breathed out as he darted to Knuckle's side.
"Training. I don't want to talk much more about it. It's not pretty." Knuckles grunted and rebandaged his finger.
Hissing, Samael made a face but backed off. "Don't let it get infected and let me know if you need help then."
Knuckles gave a grunt and they continued to setup the campsite. A few minutes later they had four tents setup and Seonag had set a perimeter with her magic.
More impressive though was the thing Camila had setup. She had pulled several metal poles and circles out of her bag and arranged them pointing towards the mountain and into the sky. Each circle functioned as a magical telescope and acted independently of her direction. The magnification on some of them was fantastic, enough to see the snow moving on the mountain.
"Now we just need to wait!" Camila adjusted one of the circles so it was facing the sky. "Oh, this is so exciting!"
"Do you want to tell her you're bored out of your skull already, or shall I?" Samael whispered to Knuckles quietly.
"No chance of that. She'd pout." The man grumbled softly in reply.
"I will see about finding the dice." Seonag chimed in. "And see about finding something to hunt so we have fresh food."
"Anything's better than the rations." The monk muttered and sighed.
Camila hadn't noticed any of the conversation. Instead she was adjusting and readjusting the various circles she had set. The views were fantastic, but absolutely nothing was happening. Not that this was stopping her.
Dragonskyt
Ashen one, hearest thou my voice, still?
- Location
- Kiln of the First Flame
Knuckles is playing a dangerous game.
- Location
- Elsewhere
If he screws up too badly, he will have to change his name to "Knuckle" or even "Knuckleless."
Chapter 59
When the star came down from the sky, it came down in a rainstorm. Camila was particularly distressed that she couldn't see exactly where it had come from, but her setup had not been in vain. They were all treated to sight of a blazing white sphere screaming it's way through the air and impacting the mountain top somewhere in the distance.
Unfortunately the angle and the rain made the show regrettably short and not that impressive. The only thing that made the entire thing something other than a disappointment was the fact that Camila had managed some sort of spell that recorded the entire event. She could even pause it and magnify it a small amount.
That was actually fairly interesting. Everyone crowded around as she paused when the full view of the falling star was in her instrument.
"See how it trails as it's falling? That's part of it burning off as it comes down. Something about the air causes it!" Camila pointed towards the back of the star as she babbled excitedly. "We've figured out that a lot of them are made of ice or stone. This one's ice I think."
"It is really fascinating." Samael muttered absentmindedly as he looked at the picture.
"Do you hear something?" Seonag tilted her head and frowned. She wasn't wearing her mask at the moment. Something that she seemed to be regretting.
"Nooo?" Camila trailed off and looked around the rainy field. She flicked the ring holding the picture and starting to look up at the sky. "Maybe something from the dungeon is roaming out?"
"It sounds like something cracking." Seonag responded and then pulled out her mask and pulled it on.
The shaman then tapped at her wind totem and began to look around. Camila did the same, though she looked more at the sky.
"I hear it too." Samael stated after a moment and glanced around. It wasn't like visibility was spectacular at the moment though.
"There is nothing nearby." Seonag finally said as he wind spirit blew in from the rain.
"Oh my." Camila breathed out, and eveyone's eyes snapped to what she was seeing.
Inside the metal circle was a view of the entrance of the dungeon. The massive stone slab that made up the entrance had seen better days. Cracks ran up and down it's sides, all courtesy of the thing in front of it.
It was a thing too. It wasn't identifiable as a human, or a monster really. More a shapeless mass of off grey coloring. As they watched it's form rippled and then slammed into the door again, causing more cracks to run up and down the door.
"What is that?" Seonag asked with a fearful tone.
"I don't know!" Camila responded quickly as she tried to magnify the view.
The magnification didn't help much. It was still a strange grey blob. The magnification did give an idea of it's size though. It was far larger than a man, and as they watched several of the bird monsters that made up the dungeon attempt to attack it.
What happened next was nearly impossible to see. One moment the birds were diving, and the next they were gone. Everyone blinked, and Camila quickly had the recording play back slowly. It showed a brief instant where the grey thing looked like it was reaching towards the monsters.
"That's fast." Samael breathed out shakily.
"I think…" Camila gulped and switched the view again. "That's a world boss." She sounded very faint. "That's a world boss."
"That's a world boss." Knuckles stated flatly. "You're sure?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense. See, it's changing some?" Camila switched view to the blob. It had grown wings and looked almost like a bird now. "World bosses that have roamed a long time have been noted to change in the histories. We're seeing one just emerging." The girl was hyperventilating as she frantically cast something on the tools she had setup. "This is like one of the greatest discoveries in the world!"
"If we live through it." Knuckles replied grimly.
"Oh, yeah." The astrologer looked at the view with wide eyes. The door had broken and the creature had moved in. "It's going into the dungeon. We have a moment."
"Remind me again how far is safe from a world boss?" Knuckles called out over his shoulder as he practically ran to the cart.
"Something like five hours travel?" Camila paused and then began to frantically unhook her tools. "Quick, grab it all! Don't worry about making it neat! We have to go now!"
Samael and Seonag didn't argue. They grabbed the metal poles and circles with trembling hands. Knuckles had the donkey trot up right behind them and they threw the materials into the cart.
"This isn't going to go that fast." Samael muttered as he glanced at the donkey.
"We need the recordings." Camila argued back with uncharacteristic firmness. "They could change everything we know. It HAS to be saved if nothing else."
"I know, but there are towns nearby." The monk stated.
Knuckles cursed. "Run to the nearest one. You remember where it was? There's messenger services there."
"You sure?" Samael asked them all.
"Run. Fast." Seonag stated. "Bring warning. We will meet you there."
Unfortunately the angle and the rain made the show regrettably short and not that impressive. The only thing that made the entire thing something other than a disappointment was the fact that Camila had managed some sort of spell that recorded the entire event. She could even pause it and magnify it a small amount.
That was actually fairly interesting. Everyone crowded around as she paused when the full view of the falling star was in her instrument.
"See how it trails as it's falling? That's part of it burning off as it comes down. Something about the air causes it!" Camila pointed towards the back of the star as she babbled excitedly. "We've figured out that a lot of them are made of ice or stone. This one's ice I think."
"It is really fascinating." Samael muttered absentmindedly as he looked at the picture.
"Do you hear something?" Seonag tilted her head and frowned. She wasn't wearing her mask at the moment. Something that she seemed to be regretting.
"Nooo?" Camila trailed off and looked around the rainy field. She flicked the ring holding the picture and starting to look up at the sky. "Maybe something from the dungeon is roaming out?"
"It sounds like something cracking." Seonag responded and then pulled out her mask and pulled it on.
The shaman then tapped at her wind totem and began to look around. Camila did the same, though she looked more at the sky.
"I hear it too." Samael stated after a moment and glanced around. It wasn't like visibility was spectacular at the moment though.
"There is nothing nearby." Seonag finally said as he wind spirit blew in from the rain.
"Oh my." Camila breathed out, and eveyone's eyes snapped to what she was seeing.
Inside the metal circle was a view of the entrance of the dungeon. The massive stone slab that made up the entrance had seen better days. Cracks ran up and down it's sides, all courtesy of the thing in front of it.
It was a thing too. It wasn't identifiable as a human, or a monster really. More a shapeless mass of off grey coloring. As they watched it's form rippled and then slammed into the door again, causing more cracks to run up and down the door.
"What is that?" Seonag asked with a fearful tone.
"I don't know!" Camila responded quickly as she tried to magnify the view.
The magnification didn't help much. It was still a strange grey blob. The magnification did give an idea of it's size though. It was far larger than a man, and as they watched several of the bird monsters that made up the dungeon attempt to attack it.
What happened next was nearly impossible to see. One moment the birds were diving, and the next they were gone. Everyone blinked, and Camila quickly had the recording play back slowly. It showed a brief instant where the grey thing looked like it was reaching towards the monsters.
"That's fast." Samael breathed out shakily.
"I think…" Camila gulped and switched the view again. "That's a world boss." She sounded very faint. "That's a world boss."
"That's a world boss." Knuckles stated flatly. "You're sure?"
"It's the only thing that makes sense. See, it's changing some?" Camila switched view to the blob. It had grown wings and looked almost like a bird now. "World bosses that have roamed a long time have been noted to change in the histories. We're seeing one just emerging." The girl was hyperventilating as she frantically cast something on the tools she had setup. "This is like one of the greatest discoveries in the world!"
"If we live through it." Knuckles replied grimly.
"Oh, yeah." The astrologer looked at the view with wide eyes. The door had broken and the creature had moved in. "It's going into the dungeon. We have a moment."
"Remind me again how far is safe from a world boss?" Knuckles called out over his shoulder as he practically ran to the cart.
"Something like five hours travel?" Camila paused and then began to frantically unhook her tools. "Quick, grab it all! Don't worry about making it neat! We have to go now!"
Samael and Seonag didn't argue. They grabbed the metal poles and circles with trembling hands. Knuckles had the donkey trot up right behind them and they threw the materials into the cart.
"This isn't going to go that fast." Samael muttered as he glanced at the donkey.
"We need the recordings." Camila argued back with uncharacteristic firmness. "They could change everything we know. It HAS to be saved if nothing else."
"I know, but there are towns nearby." The monk stated.
Knuckles cursed. "Run to the nearest one. You remember where it was? There's messenger services there."
"You sure?" Samael asked them all.
"Run. Fast." Seonag stated. "Bring warning. We will meet you there."