The Land: Forging (Chaos Seeds Book 2)

CHAPTER 28

The rain had stopped while the party carried Jitol. Soon the walls of the village came into view. They weren’t just earthworks anymore. The sections of wall that stood to either side of the gate were now marbled quartz. It wasn’t much, but it made Richter happy to see that the defenses were improving. They were met well outside of walls by both Hisako, Sumiko and what looked to be all of the sprite warriors. Richter caught a look of apprehension on her face. She scanned the faces of every member of the village rescue party. When she saw Richter and the sprites pulling up the rear, her face relaxed into a smile.

She ran forward, evidently surprising her sprite guards, who scurried to keep up. The ol’ girl still had some pep in her step! She met them before they had crossed half the remaining distance, and she ran up to Sion, embracing him despite his protests. The stretcher tipped, and Jitol woke up with a cry when he almost fell.

With a chagrined look, the normally zen Hisako let go of Sion and with a wave of her hand, gold light surrounded the wounded wood elf’s leg. His cry cut off and was replaced by a sigh of relief. Richter looked at him, and saw that Jitol had closed his eyes, and was happily laying back to enjoy a pain free moment. A moment was all he got.

“You do realize four sick people are carrying a healthy person now right,” Yoshi asked tersely.

“Wha- Oh. I’m sorr-. My apologies, Lord Richter!” The wood elf started flailing around trying to stand up. His movements were so awkward that he threatened to knock over the four people carrying him. Yoshi solved that problem by just dropping his corner of the stretcher and walking around to Hisako. Intentionally helpful or not, it did let Jitol slide off to the ground. He tested his ‘new’ leg, and was apparently satisfied because he stood on his own two feet with no difficulty. The whole time he kept up a running stream of apologies and thanks.

Richter clapped him on the shoulder laughing, “Don’t worry about it! Let’s just call it even.”

“Uh, even for what, my Lord,” the elf asked.

“Nothing,” Richter said with a too wide smile. “Just, say we’re even.”

“We’re… even,” Jitol asked with an unsure tone in his voice.

“Great,” Richter said feeling better about the whole leg breaky, near death thing. ‘What’s that Karma? I’m squeaking by on a technicality? He SAID we were even! You just don’t get it.’ Richter brought his mind back to more important things.

“Hisako,” he said, “it is good to see you. I find myself in need of your help.”

“I see that,” she responded wryly. “Just how did you get infected with cankerous rot?”

“Well there was a crypt mistress and-”

“Say no more,” she said holding up her hand. “Just remember in the future, that if you lay down with dogs, then you get up with fleas.”

“What,” Richter asked in a surprised tone. “No, no, it was nothing like tha-”

She cut him off again, raising her hand up to stop him. She closed her eyes, pursed her lips, and gently shook her head side to side, “Tut tut. I’m not one to judge. Let’s just fix you.”

Richter looked at Sion incredulously. Sion just stared back as if to say, ‘what do you want me to do?’

Hisako arranged the four adventurers around her. Then she began chanting. The air began to glow with a diffuse golden light which infused the space around her for five feet. A disc of solid gold light then appeared at their feet and began moving upward. Once it had risen above all of their heads she stopped casting. Richter rechecked his status page and smiled.

Name: Richter

Age: 24

Level: 18, 36%

Health: 430 Mana: 440 Stamina: 210

Strength: 29

Agility: 24

Dexterity: 34

Constitution: 25

Endurance: 21

Intelligence: 37

Wisdom: 21

Charisma: 24

Luck: 15

Abilities:

Limitless

Gift of Tongues

Fast Learner

Bounty of Life

Psi Bond

Skills:

Herb Lore Lvl 39; 22% to next level

Alchemy Lvl 1; 0% to next level

Analyze Lvl 6; 7% to next level

Pierce the Veil Lvl 23; 45% to next level

Stealth Lvl 6; 14% to next level

Traps Lvl 21; 87% to next level

Trap Disarm Lvl 21; 99% to next level

Archery Lvl 10; 24% to next level

Imbue Arrow Lvl 5; 18% to next level

Focus Lvl 3; 78% to next level

Double Shot Lvl 3; 31% to next level,

Drill Shot Lvl 2; 40% to next level

Swordsmanship Lvl 2; 15% to next level

Small Blades Lvl 4; 43% to next level

Unarmed Combat Lvl 1; 10% to next level

Pressure Points Lvl 1; 15% to next level

Dual Wield Lvl 1; 37% to next level

Light Armor Lvl 8; 18% to next level

Grace in Combat Lvl 5; 38% to next level

Air Magic Lvl 6; 37% to next level

Life Magic Lvl 5; 82% to next level

Earth Magic Lvl 4; 92% to next level

Water Magic Lvl 5; 47% to next level

Dark Magic Lvl 5; 22% to next level

Light Magic Lvl 4; 48% to next level

Fire Magic Lvl 5; 9% to next level

Map Making Lvl MAX

Trade Lvl 14; 86% to next level

War Leader Lvl 2, 43% to next level

Enchantment Lvl 1; 44% to next level

Portal Construction Apprentice

Lore Lvl 1

Marks:

Master of Mist Village

Blood Oath

Resistances:

Air 50%

Earth 20%

Life 50%

Mental 15%

Spiritual 15%

Race: Human (Chaos Seed)

Reputation: Lvl 3 “You seem like someone worthy of my attention.”

Alignment: Neutral

Language: All

He felt stronger as soon as the light finished scanning him. A quick check of Sion’s page showed he had been cured as well.

Name: Sion

Age: 44

Level: 12, 32% to next level

Health: 230 Mana: 240 Stamina: 140

Strength: 18

Agility: 18

Dexterity: 54

Constitution: 18

Endurance: 14

Intelligence: 24

Wisdom: 13

Charisma: 10

Luck: 12

Abilities:

Wood Craft

Concealment

Know Thyself

Skills:

Herb lore Lvl 11, 51% to next level, 96% affinity

Alchemy Lvl 6, 17% to next level, 9%4 affinity

Archery Lvl 12; 59% to next level, 96% affinity

Imbue Arrow Lvl 8, 12% to next level, 87% affinity

Double Shot Lvl 3; 32% to next level, 98% affinity

Drill Shot Lvl 2; 45% to next level, 98% affinity

Stun Shot Lvl 3; 17% to next level, 99% affinity

Tracking Lvl 5; 62% to next level, 98% affinity

Swordsmanship Lvl 9, 82% to next level, 91% affinity

Air Magic Lvl 7; 61% to next level, 95% affinity

Marks:

None

Resistances:

Types of Magic

Life 10%

Earth 10%

Light 10%

Schools of Magic

Enchantment 50%

Race: Wood Sprite

Reputation: Lvl 1 “Who are you again?”

Alignment: +2

Language: Sprite, Common Tongue

Sumiko walked up, “I have checked everyone else. They are disease free. It is safe to return to the village.

“It is good that you have come back,” Hisako said. “There is much to discuss. We have found one of the bugbear camps. We need to get ready to move against them. There have also been more monsters seen in the vicinity of your village. I take that to mean you were successful in unlocking another of your powers?”

“I was,” Richter said, “but what does that have to do with monsters?”

“I told you before, your growing power will not go unnoticed. Your Place of Power is awakening. You will find the lands surrounding your village to be more dangerous than before. Though you can directly access your power, all of the surrounding lands will be impacted by the reawakening of your Place of Power. Stronger monsters will be drawn to your settlement, and even existing creatures may grow more powerful. That is why we need to remove the danger of the bugbears as soon as possible. You may be facing enemies on different fronts soon.”

“But your settlement is a much higher level than mine,” Richter protested. “Why aren’t there high-level monsters near the Hearth Tree?” He didn’t need more enemies to fight at the moment. Leveling opportunities were great and all, but enough was enough!

She laughed without any real humor, “Oh, there are! We just constantly patrol to keep the lands around us relatively safe. If you remember, that is how you met Sion. From what you have told me, you were brought to The Land very close to the Hearth Tree. If you had started farther away… well, then you would have had a very different experience.”

Richter thought again about his fortuitous starting point. It was becoming clear to him that the advantages he had been provided; the safe haven of the glade, Xuetrix’s advice, the Pool of Clarity, none of them had been small things. Put all together, well, he just might owe a large debt to someone out there. What would he do when they came to collect?

“The situation is worse than you know, Hearth Mother,” Yoshi said. “We were attacked by eaters.”

A colorful sequence of profanity spewed from Hisako’s mouth. Richter stared at her. Not just in shock, you understand, but also because he was thoroughly impressed. When the bile stopped flowing, she just stood there for a few moments. When she spoke again, there was no uncertainty in her voice.

“If the scourge has indeed returned, then it must take precedence.” She started walking, and they all fell in step with her. She looked at Richter, “I had hoped that our two peoples could deal with the threat of the bugbears, but if eaters are now involved we will need more allies. I will send an emissary to reach out to the wood elves of the northern Forest. We have a long relationship of mutual protection. I need you to try and broker aid from some of the dwarf tribes of the Serrated Mountains. Can you do that?”

Richter nodded. It was time he got to know the neighbors anyway.

“Good,” she said a serious expression on her face. “The dwarves have never been enemies of my people, but neither have they been friends. They will not often involve themselves in the affairs of others unless there is a direct benefit to them.”

“Do you mean I will need to bribe them,” he asked.

She just arched an eyebrow at him, and then turned forward and kept walking.

Richter shook his head. Why did it always come down to money? No that’s not the real problem, he thought. It was that it always seemed to come down to his money!

Alma flew off as they got closer, no doubt in search of game. She had hunted constantly since they had been back above ground. Richter was sure that a squirrel hole or birds nest would have a vacancy soon.

When they crossed into the boundaries of the village, Hisako spoke to Yoshi, “You need further healing. Sumiko! Go with Yoshi and heal him. He has internal injuries.” Forestalling any argument, Hisako also said, “I won’t hear any argument. We have many enemies. I need you to be at top form. Now go.”

Yoshi bowed slightly and walked off with Sumiko.

“Richter, I am going to send some of my warriors to the site where you found the eaters. Hopefully, the nest hasn’t grown too large yet. Sion. Daniella. Are you ready to travel?”

“Yes, Hearth Mother,” she said

“Yes, Hearth Mother,” Sion repeated.

“Then restock and be ready to leave in an hour. I need you to lead us back,” she said. “Randolphus would like you to see him as soon as you can,” she said to Richter. “I have preparations to make, please excuse me.” She walked away then, with the stride of a determined woman who planned to do serious things. The other sprites walked on in tow.

Richter sent Futen along to check in with the various craftsmen. He was sure the lack of Mist Workers had slowed things down. It sounded like they there was no time to waste. The progress on the wall that initially had so pleased Richter, now just seemed like too little too late. He walked through the village and saw that work on the new longhouse was progressing well. Like he had requested, the basic structure of the smithy was done as well. It had four walls and a roof anyway, and Richter took that as a good sign. Work had been started on several other buildings as well. Like he requested, they were being made out of stone. These would not be so easy to burn, and worse comes to worst, they could hold off attackers much more effectively than wood. Curiously, there were two small wooden shacks set in the center of the village, and there appeared to be guards outside of them. Richter would have walked over to figure out what was happening, but it was in the opposite direction of the Great Seal. He was fairly certain that was where he would find his chamberlain, and Hisako had implied there was some urgency.

He walked into the Great Seal, and just stood for a moment with a smile on his face. When he had first claimed Mastery of the Mist Village, the Great Seal had only been a chipped and faded mosaic. After claiming his first power, the clear tiles representing Air had changed to a solid disc of crystal. Looking into that clear circle was like looking down into a swirling maelstrom. Now a second change had occurred.

The spiral of yellow tile had been replaced. In its place was a work of art. Laid into the floor was a shining representation of a tree created from pure gold. Each leaf was detailed showing the smallest veins. The tree was a backlit by an unseen sun and moved in an unfelt wind. There was no glaring light when he stared down at the newly awakened section of the Great Seal, but when he looked up at the ceiling he could see dapples of light that shifted with the limbs of the tree.

After a time, he walked past the Great Seal into one of the side rooms. Sure enough, Randolphus was in his office hunched over a stack of papers.

“You need to get more sun, Randy.”

“My Lord!” He stood up quickly and bowed, “No one told me that you were back.”

“Sit down, sit down,” Richter said. “That’s certainly what I plan to do.” He plopped into one of the chairs in front of the desk. “There is a lot that I need to tell you. It looks like we are at war. In addition, Hisako tells me we can start expecting more monster attacks. And last but not least, there is a plague of giant insects called the scourge that we need to eliminate ASAP. Before we get into ALL of that though, Hisako said there are some things you needed to tell me.”

Randolphus eyes grew wider, and his expression grew more incredulous, as Richter had continued to speak. The last seemed to take the wind out of him though, and he dropped back into his chair. The chamberlain opened his mouth and closed it several times before speaking. These eaters certainly are well known and widely feared, Richter thought to himself. When Randolphus had composed himself, he said, “You are correct, my Lord. There are several things we need to discuss. The first however, is what you want to do about the prisoners. We can’t just continue to keep them under lock and key.”

“Richter just looked at Randy with a befuddled expression, “Derrrr, what prisoners?”

~ End ~