Some hours later I received a message from Root via the band.
"How do I use this thing… Seekers in town, more than before. Looking for rest of group, we are scattering out of the village. Warn everyone. Alright now how do I send." He said.
"To all bands, general emergency, evacuate the village and go to ground. Seekers in the area high probability looking for rest of group. Message ends." I sent it to everyone.
"To all bands, remember you can communicate to other bands within 500 feet of each other. Message ends." I sent after a moment more.
"That was quite well said." Iser responded.
It took us the better part of the day to gather everyone up at a central point which happened to be Iser and I's camp site. Which we had already packed up.
"So what's the plan, any idea how far their interests go?" I asked.
"Nope… but I got the impression they grabbed everyone they could and came back in haste, or met them halfway or something. It's not like there aren't other methods of communication at long range." Root said.
"Yeah most were only first evolution, no doubt little more than recruits for Seeker positions." Orlo said.
"Yeah I could have booped these ones on the nose and they still wouldn't see me." Lluvia said.
"Raw number still counts for something though." Turnip said.
"Let Nicole blow them up then. She can make a killing field." Lluvia said.
"I am not going to participate in the wholesale murder of a no doubt miss informed bunch of kids." I said looking at Lluvia a bit of anger for even recommending the idea.
"Alright sorry it was supposed to come off as dark humor…" she said.
"So let's evaluate real options." Root said.
"Avoid them and leave the empire entirely? For now at least?" Orlo said.
"I second Orlo's idea." Turnip said.
"Third" Iser said.
"I wouldn't mind poking a few holes in some of the more aggressive or nasty ones…" Lluvia said
"By the sounds of it Orlo's idea might be the best." Root said.
"Alright, any ideas where to go? On foot is very limited, sea or air ships would be better." Turnip said.
"Yeah we will need to figure that out… but for now we keep heading south and avoid the roads and smaller towns. Let's also find a better spot to set up camp. I would like something even further away from the village." Root said.
We traveled away from the village for the next few hours before we found a nice secluded spot surrounded by trees.
"This should make a good spot; it will be harder to spot from the air if they have an airship as well." Root said.
It was already dusk by the time we started to set up our tents proper and it felt like it was going to be a cold night.
In fact it was so cold we set up only two of the tents and slept 3 per. I would have liked to be next to the furnace that is Iser but that might get a bit awkward for our third. Instead I bedded with Lluvia and Turnip where we all cuddled together for warmth.
"Oh damn I have an idea that might help with the cold." I said then worked on a barrier that would hold heat in. I just hope I got it correct so we would not suffice.
The next morning we all woke up sweating and no doubt dehydrated.
"Oops… sorry I guess I didn't let the heat escape fast enough." I said.
I then stuck my head into the other tent to see how things were. I noticed Orlo managed to squeeze themselves between Root and Iser. No doubt because they were the smallest here.
"Morning everyone." I said to the group.
"Keep the tent closed, it's cold outside." Orlo said.
"Due to a misapplied bit of magic the other tent is quite a bit warmer." I said targeting it at Orlo.
They got up quickly with a blanket wrapped around them and darted into the other tent. I heard a very Birdy cooing noise.
"I'm sleeping with you guys tonight assuming you do this again." Orlo said.
"Honestly this is not good… I don't mind camping in the cold but none of us are prepared for a proper winter environment. I didn't consider how much added time having Nicole along would bring." Root said, stretching as he got out of the tent.
"I'll work with Iser on some minor enhancements at least the tent is warm… or maybe hot…" I said then a moment later a very puffed up Orlo came out of the tent. Little wisps of steam visible in the cool morning air.
"That is so much better." They said.
"Yeah… enchantments will be needed if we are on the run." I said.
"This is absolutely stupid… we didn't do anything wrong!" Lluvia said, frustrated.
"Nope but try to convince a megalomaniac zealot that what we did was necessary." I said.
"Well let's get packed up, if we are lucky we can avoid them long enough to completely lose them." Root said.
We spent the day walking following a roughly parallel course to the road but several miles north. My path ability helped us both in speed and staying on track.
Everyone decided to set up their own tents while I worked on combining the light stone to act as a battery for an enchantment to help hold in the warmth in an enclosed space.
After that we all sat around eating dinner and just trying to enjoy each other's company. There was some resentment and frustration directed at the Seekers and adding to the overall tension.
"So what's the plan and where was our original destination?" I asked.
"Originally we were heading to the Capitol as the organization responsible for the contract was there. In terms of where else we might go… Snowland is to the North." Turnip said.
"Yes, however we will need to use a ship to cross that section of the sea. An Airship would be preferred actually as I know there is a not insignificant port at the Capital city of Snowland." Root said.
"If we can cross the border without getting caught… I still think we could be more aggressive with the Seekers." Lluvia said grumpily.
"It's either we run or I just start blowing up random people. I could make that big bomb again, how would everyone like that? I could make it 10 times or even 100 times bigger." I said panting and crying by the end, my own frustration of the situation boiling over.
"I… no that's not what I meant." She said a bit ashamed.
"I know… I hate myself for getting you all involved… I'm so sorry…" I said, still crying.
"None of this is your fault you know that right?" Turnip asked.
"Intellectually I do but emotionally that's harder for me to separate. Like I could have done things differently. Or maybe I could have come up with a way to destroy the Root without killing the dungeon." I said.
"Don't second guess your actions, as much as you can be a pain in our collective tails, your intentions have always been for the better." Root said.
"Yeah but maybe I could fight back more… I didn't have to be so willing to get involved with the Seekers." I said.
"True but your first two encounters with them were honestly handled amazingly… it wasn't until one decided to try and kill you…" Root said.
"I'm… I'm just scared… I have no idea what things will look like a month from now or a year from now." I said.
"That's understandable… from what you've told us you had a pretty good and stable life. Here it seems to change almost daily." Turnip said.
"Alright enough moping on my part. Who wants to help me train on how to use a scimitar and dagger combo?" I asked shaking my head.
"I think we can all take turns as some form of melee combat training with you but let's make that a morning thing, do it before breakfast." Root said.
"I'll take tomorrow with her." Lluvia said.
"So leave the Empire and head North to Snowland?" Root asked the group. The rest of the party agreed mostly for lack of a better plan.
I layed down that night with Iser pulling me into a warm reassuring hug.
"Are you doing ok?" He whispered into my ear.
"I think so… I just don't handle stress very well…" I said.
"That is evident, I am here if you ever want to talk." He said, then gave me his version of a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you." I said to him quietly.
The next morning Lluvia and I found ourselves about 100 meters away from the camp proper in a small clearing. Lluvia had found two sticks that would work for makeshift swords while I was still learning how to even swing a sword or pull attacks. She had me first shape then then reinforce them to act as more effective practice weapons. It was actually getting easier and more efficient to do this to non living objects.
"Alright we are going to try something a bit different than what Turnip tried that one time. All I want you to do is try and hit me." She said.
"Alright I can try that, any other rules?" I asked.
"This should go without saying but don't try to club me unconscious." She said.
With that I started circling around her. Then with that I folded space between myself and just behind her and smacked her on the butt. Or well I tried. What I instead hit as a sort of shadow version of Lluvia that dispersed into a dark mist.
With that I folded space again and moved half the distance back to my original position. It was burning through my mana fast for each jump I made and could only do it about 3 more times if I did nothing else.
I then felt a stinging thwap across the back of my thighs.
"Fuck!" I hissed out while hopping around.
"Honestly you could be a lot worse. Your first hit nearly got me and your immediate dodge made me miss my own first strike." She said.
"Yeah but I'm burning through my mana." I said.
"Then try something different, if seen you infuse mana into your limbs to move faster." She said.
"Yeah but not enough muscle memory or natural control to find it useful." I said.
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"Then practice you're a resorful girl." She said, then disappeared.
She was right about one thing, I was resorful. Instead of creating a shorter less complex path I shot out a pulse of mana that made everything more complex. The air and ground ended up looking more like a refraction pattern in a kaleidoscope for a brief couple of seconds.
Lluvia then tumbled out of thin air. The wave used almost all of my mana but I put the last bit into my legs to get to her before she could recover.
I managed to get my stick packed right below her collarbone and I was currently straddling her.
"See I told you you could do it." She said her mouth was very close to my ear.
"O I have no doubt you let me win." I said just as quietly and huskily into her ear.
"So someone had a talk with their boyfriend." She said in reply with a smile in her voice.
"I did…and he is more open and pragmatic than I am." I said with a great sigh.
"Look if you're still questioning then that means your mind is not made up and you might regret actions later. If it's not for you then it's not for you." Lluvia said
I took a moment to take a deep breath then kissed her on the forehead.
"Thanks" I said, then I noticed her expression change.
"What?" I asked.
"Well one of us is going to have problems if you keep straddling me like that." She said.
We got up and set up again for another round.
"So umm I'm out of Mana?" I said, trying to indicate I could use some guidance.
"Oh I figured after that last stunt, think of it like a learning experience." She said, then she just disappeared.
I had a split second to realize where she was next attacking from based on some leaves. Then I dived towards the leaves instead of away. Only to hear a whistling of a stick pass just behind me. From my prone position I rolled over stick in my left hand in a reverse grip expecting another cut on my nondominant side. I was partially correct as I stopped the other stick from striking me but felt a book strike me in the left thigh.
For once I caught Lluvia off guard as I pushed a tiny bit of recharged mana into my left leg to move it behind both of her legs. I caused her to roll forward but she was able to easily untangle and get some distance.
The only thing I was able to do was have it roll me over to my stomach. I was able to force her back a step with the sword in my left hand taking a sweep at her ankles but then she kicked the stick out of that hand.
"Honestly not bad if you figure out a less mana intensive tactic you should be able to hold out against me for a longer period of time." She said and helped me up to my feet.
"You are certainly not as good with physical stuff as you are with magic are you…" she more accused.
"Nope, not really. My endurance will improve in fact it is way better than when you first met me. But I have never been a very active person, I like to think." I said.
We spent a total of about an hour sparring with one another. With most of that generally on my ass. I got one glancing strike on her thigh that overtime could be detrimental in a prolonged engagement but I had the throw that round away to even get that much.
We ate breakfast and packed up our camp. I was looking at my thigh under my skirt rubbing the spots intensely.
"Yep get used to those, you're going to have a lot more before too long." She said.
I had recovered a large portion of my Mana by that point so I concentrated and was able to reduce most of the bruises.
"That is such a broken ability." She said.
"Says the girl that can quite literally turn invisible." I said.
"Alright come on you two it's going to be lots of walking." Root said.
We gathered our stuff and started walking.
"That actually makes me wonder how new stills are discovered. " I said.
"It's a process if it's not tied to a class, it's still a process even if it is." Lluvia said.
"Anything like how I got my first few skills or my first class?" I asked.
"Yeah, do something enough times and you eventually get a skill. The current theory says it's inversely proportional to your pre-existing experience and inclination… at least I think that's what Iser said that one time…" lluvia added Iser nodded in agreement.
"This skill is a general skill… and I have some ideas of how it works now. Maybe I could try and describe the process and you or someone else try and replicate it?" I asked.
"I don't think it will be that simple but it's worth a shot." She said.
We moved on to other topics as we traveled. Overall the next few days were uneventful. We occasionally caught sight of a Seeker patrol in the distance but distance and our added stealth we had been unnoticed. I continued practicing each more with a different partner, what I determined was at best it was toughening me up to the pain. My skills in close quarters combat were generally mediocre at best.
The third day is when things get interesting and quite concerning. We didn't notice it at first but it turned out the Seekers managed to enlist an Empire Navy vessel, at least based on the markings into the search.
"It looks like a frigate based on the balloon configuration. A light one too intended for speed." Orlo said.
"Dodging people was one thing but that thing has a significant height advantage… what's its operational ceiling?" I asked.
"Maybe 8000 feet I know Harpy ships tend to go higher." Orlo said.
"Well there goes being able to do camp fires." I said reluctantly.
"No, the real problem is we now need to travel at night in darkness. And we won't be able to use our tents very often, most likely…" Lluvia said.
"Crap…" was my only reply.
"Well, let's find a spot where we can try to sleep for the day, or come up with another plan of action." Root said.
We did eventually find a small narrow cave near a dried up river.
"Hey so I've been thinking about how we can deal with the airship…" I said.
"I think we all have." Turnip said.
"Fair, but what I'm wondering is if we can use it to our advantage." I said.
"How the hell would that work?" Lluvia asked a bit sourly.
"Anyone have any qualms about going pirate?" I asked.
There was a long pause while everyone thought it over. I could see the gears turning as first everyone threw out the idea initially but then revisited it.
"Anyone have any plans or need to come back to the Cinderwalk Empire?" I asked.
"Most of us have family here in some fashion…" Root said.
"Well there goes the pirate idea… for now." I said.
"Yeah no…" Root said.
"I hate to say it but part of our problem is we are stuck going one direction… I suspect they know that as well…" I said.
"That was true a few days ago when we were still in the mountains. Now we have an entire arch we could select from." Orlo added.
"Wait then why the ship now?" I asked.
"Any number of reasons but it is in clear response to them trying to find us." Iser said.
"Ok, here's an idea, what if I set up some sort of diversion to the SouthWest, NorthWest and East directions." I suggested.
"Might work but it would require some backtracking and it's likely the current search party would break into 3rds." Lluvia said.
"Ok then what about distraction going SouthEast and we split the difference between East and Southeast." I suggested.
There was a minute or two of pause by everyone as they thought it over.
"It's going to add time to wherever we go but it might work." Root said.
"That would allow them to get even more ahead of us and prepare towns for our arrival." Root then added.
"Ok that could be a problem… which leaves us night time traveling…" I said.
"Yeah, our best case for getting out of here." Lluvia said.
"Alright… I have a really stupid idea… I should be able to give someone a temporary night vision boost like I have done in the past to myself…" I said.
"Ok my scar was neat but didn't it take all of your mana to do?" Turnip asked.
"Yeah but this would be temporary like my own. I suspect it will be more expensive mana wise but I think I might bind the change to your mana pool…" I said cautiously.
"I'm very nervous about doing that… a scar was one thing… but this? If you fucked up they could be blind." Root said.
"Yeah… I know and that's why I am being cautious with the idea." I said.
"I don't think we are there yet… let's just try to rest up. Nicole, you will be taking point on our traveling efforts in the night, everyone else will have to follow and be guided by you." Root said.
"Understood" I said.
"Everyone we will be rotating out watches till this evening then it's going to be a long night of follow the leader…" Root said.
"Hey by the way, any recommendations on what my second class should be?" I asked.
There was a long pause.
"Fuck that's right we all got drunk and sort of forgot you leveled…" Turnip said.
"Wait, did you even select an evolution yet?" Orlo added.
"Not yet…" I said.
“We can take a few minutes to review, list out your evolutions.” Turnip said.
I went through the list with the group.
You have Five (5) available Class Evolutions!
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MAC-Cannon
Overwhelming Firepower is your solution to everything.
Requirements:
Range weapon
Explosives
Elimination of an Enemy at least 3 levels higher than yourself.
Skill Unlocks:
Tinkering > Gunsmithing
Class Description:
MAC-Cannon unstoppable firepower from a distance.
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MacTinkerer
To do a bit of everything from plumbing to cooking to stopping a rampaging horde of zombies.
Requirements:
Affinity for exploration
Tinkering
Home style skill
Find a Unique solution to a life or death problem
Skill Unlocks:
n/a
Class Description:
The MacTinkerer’s solutions might be odd but they always workout in unexpected ways.
----------------------------------------
MacScientist
A MacScientist is not a Mad Scientist, the methods are methodical if unusual.
Requirements:Perform Research in at least 3 different languages
Affinity for Problem Solving
Contribute to at least two Research IdeaSkill Unlocks:Bait and Switch > Bait Switch Repeat
Tinkering > Researching
Class Description:
Pushing the scientific method directions no one ever expected
----------------------------------------
MacHousewife
Feed a family of twelve with nothing more than a cook pot and some determination. *Ingredients not included.
Requirements:
Regularly Cook for a group of 4 or more.
Unlock the Housewife Skill
Skill Unlocks:
Bait and Switch > Convincing Checklist
Tinkering > MacCooking
Class Description:
The MacHousewife is the lady (or lord) of their domain. Let all those tremble for not helping with the groceries.
----------------------------------------
MacDucktape
Solutions have only two options, should it move? Use Duct Tape else Use WD40
Requirements:
Confuse a group with a solution to a problem.
Have a conversation with a Duck.
Skill Unlocks:
Mana Explosives > Avian Fury
Class Description:
The MacDucktapes decision tree is an uncomplicated one. Sometimes the simple solutions are the best.
“I mean based on the descriptions I really only see two options. MacTinkerer or MAC-Cannon… which is a tautology but it sounds cool.” I said.
“Ok yeah… the first two I would agree with.” Orlo said.
“I would not discount MacScientist that actually might be quite useful when developing computers.” Iser said.
“I don't know… I kinda like the idea of the MacHousewife.” Lluvia said half joking.
“I'm with Orlo on this but Iser’s comment does have some merit.” Root said.
“What the Fuck is Duck-Tape…. You know what nevermind.” Turnip asked in a somewhat dazed state.
“I mean I know how to research and science… then again diving into magical research could be very interesting as well.” I said.
“Yes, I like that idea very much!” Iser said excitedly.
“I mean I already know how to do science and research… I suspect I should be more practical however.” I said, and I noticed Iser deflate a little bit.
“So I guess, grow my combat capacity I suspect a significant portion? Or go with what I suspect is more of the same.” I asked the group.
“Wait what is Gun Smithing?” Orlo asked.
“Umm think of being able to build a crossbow with a much higher rate of fire, faster bolts, and a much greater range… like up to a mile away.” I said.
“What's with you… is this from your world?” Orlo asked.
“I mean I already have some experience in gunsmithing. I built my first gun from a kit… it was a lot like Legos come to think of it... I would like to build a replacement for my crossbow.” I pondered.
“I think your ability to fight is already fine… you well outclass many already with the bombs.” Root said and the rest of the group agreed to that statement.
“Well MacTinkerer it is then.” I said and selected the new class evolution.
"Next up is my second class." I said.
"We can go over that tomorrow." Root said.