The Land: Forging (Chaos Seeds Book 2)

CHAPTER 15

Richter’s dreams were full of shouts of sword forms, and the pain of Yoshi correcting him when he made a mistake:

‘Forest Wind! No, left leg back!’

Crack!

‘Argh, you bastard!’

‘Cat Swatting at Mouse. I told you to find your center!’

Crack!

‘Son, of, a, Bitch!’

Richter blinked the dreams away, waking in the barracks. He thanked god for the improved healing of The Land. When he had finally laid down for the night, his body was wracked with pain from the numerous bruises he had suffered while sparring. This morning though, he barely felt stiff. The villagers filled the other bunks, most still sleeping. A few spoke softly to one another, but no one had left their beds yet. At the start of the tunnel leading outside, there were three large bundles and a cloth bag. Checking the bundles, he saw the arrows he had asked Hisako to create. The sprite arrows were still the best projectiles he had encountered since coming to The Land with their +1 to damage and accuracy. The bag was full of basic soul stones. He slid the three bundles of arrows and poured the soul stones into his Bag of Holding, and then walked outside and greeted the day.

Alma had swooped down from the arches above the Great Seal and settled on his shoulders in what was becoming her customary perch. The darkness of night had just fled, and the clouds above were lit with peach and orange hues. The forest was waking up around the village, and distant animal calls could be heard. He had always enjoyed the stillness of mornings. He just stood there with his familiar and watched the sky lighten over the treetops.

After a time, he saw three figures walking from the meadow north of the village, and the forms resolved into Sion, Yoshi and Daniella. It was time to go. Richter was wondering how to find Futen when the remnant floated along.

“How do you always seem to appear when I want you?” Richter asked.

“Because you will it, my Lord. I can sense your desire.”

Well that’s not at all creepy, Richter thought, but still, good to know.

“Take us to the quest site,” he said.

“Yes, my Lord.”

Alma rose into the air as the four adventurers started following the remnant out of the village. They went east following the foothills of the mountain above. The path was initially the same as that which Richter had taken to unlock his first power, but after an hour, Futen began to move in a more southeasterly direction. They walked in relative silence. One of the things that Richter shared with the sprites was an appreciation of nature and its beauty. After fighting a pitched battle barely a day ago, the forest’s sounds and scents were a form of spiritual healing.

Sion handed out the potions he had been able to make. Everyone got two healing potions. He gave Richter three restore mana potions, keeping two for himself. Everyone also got a restore stamina potion. The potions were all classified as minor, restoring a base 43.6 points over 6 seconds. Sion explained that the potion had a base healing of 40, but the bonus in his Alchemy skill made his potion 1.5% more effective per level.

That made Richter wonder about the bonus from his Herb Lore skill. Herbs were supposed to be 3% more effective per level, so he should get a 114% bump now. He pulled a sprig of forest sage, one of the common healing herbs that grew in this region of the forest, out of his Bag.

Forest sage: Ingesting this will restore 21.4 health points over 30 seconds. You also get the feeling that this is a component of cure poison potions and will make a savory dish to boost stamina.

Still not as good as potions, Richter thought, but a definite improvement. The restoration potions were all useful, but not what Sion was excited about. He handed over two more to Richter.

You have received: Potion of Bottled Fire. When smashed, this potion will create a 5x5 foot circle of intense flame. Anyone inside the AoE will suffer thirty health damage per second. Duration: 20 seconds.

You have received: Bottle of Pure Light. Shake potion vigorously to activate. Will emit an intense light that drives back creatures of negative alignment. Activation will render potion inert. Duration: 10 minutes.

Richter congratulated Sion profusely. The sprite looked embarrassed for the first time Richter had ever seen, but was clearly pleased as well. He warned Richter that he wouldn’t be able to make other high-level potions unless they found more crystal. Richter just looked at him in confusion, and Sion explained that powdered crystal was an important resource in making magical equipment and arms. Richter shook his head. It meant just one more thing that he would have to take care of when they got back. He would have to ask Randolphus about it. How was he supposed to remember all of these things? Just then, Futen caught his eye, though.

“Futen, remind me to ask Randy about finding more crystal when we get back to the village.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Ha! I may not be Master Chief, but I do have my own Cortana, he thought.

Alma glided above them, often flying off to hunt squirrels or other small animals. The dragonling never seemed to get enough to eat. She would then come back to circle above their heads or fly down to perch on Richter's shoulders. At least the familiar was fastidiously clean, Richter thought, happy that he wasn’t getting bloody bits all over him. He was walking along letting his mind drift when he noticed a change in an icon at the corner of his vision. The black dragon indicating Alma had a small gold cross affixed to it. He focused on it and her status window popped up.

Name: Alma

Level: 3, 78%

Health: 130 Mana: 130 Stamina: 130

(Unused level points: 2)

Abilities:

Psi Bond – Lvl 1, points until next level: 1

Psi Blast – Lvl 1, points until next level: 1

Brain Drain – Lvl 1, points until next level: 1

Can use:

Air Magic

Resistances:

Mental: 100%

Air: 50%

Race: Psi Dragonling

The screen was different from his own status page. For one thing, it was lacking all of the characteristic points that were on his or Sion’s pages. It also looked like he could invest in his familiar’s abilities. The question was, which ability to invest the points into? He thought about each choice.

The Psi Bond was already useful in that it let him speak with Alma. Who knew what further benefits there could be to deepening the bond? The value of the Psi Blast was obvious as well. During the attack by the bugbears, Alma had been able to break up their lines of defense. The battle could have gone very differently if not for her.

Richter had always been one to play the long game, though. When he was gaming in head to head matches, while other players skirmished and scavenged for as much territory as possible as quickly as possible, he had always built up a solid and defensible base. From there he would strategically increase his holdings while keeping his defenses intact. The ability that gave him the best chance of a long-term yield would be Brain Drain. Even though he didn’t know exactly what would happen when the ability increased, the extra experience would make leveling a lot easier.

He allocated one point to Brain Drain.

You have chosen to increase your familiar’s ability: Brain Drain to level 2. Successful kills will now give 2% of total experience to both you and your familiar. Drain occurs faster. Stun can occur on enemies level 6 and below.

Richter had been right, this was going to come in handy, he thought with a smile. The next level up for Brain Drain would require two points. So he left one point unused. He also chose to be notified by prompt of any increase in his familiar’s level in the future.

They traveled until about midday and then Futen stopped. Yoshi and the other sprites stopped walking before Richter who had been lost in his own thoughts. He bumped into a tree before he noticed that no one else was moving. When he looked around though, he didn’t see anything except more trees and some ivy-covered rocks.

“So where are we going now?” Richter asked.

“We are here, my Lord, the entrance is hidden behind the rock in front of you.”

Richter and Sion walked up to the vine-covered rock they had stopped by. He started pulling at the thick vines. The strength of his new body was enough to pull them off easily. Yoshi and Daniella joined them. Richter used his dagger to cut through the thicker vines and roots. Nothing was seen except for bare grey stone until Daniella called him over. A small circle of clear glass had been set into the rock. Smiling Richter raised his left wrist willing his Mark to show. Then he thought about how he wanted the entrance to open, just as Yoshi shouted, “Wait!”

That was the last thing Richter heard before the ground dropped out from under their feet and they plummeted down into darkness.