“This is just like basic training all over again,” Kedryn muttered, his hand raising of its own accord to rub his bare head.
“Stop touching it!” Krazzik hissed, slapping the Kid’s hand away with his good arm. “You’re going to draw attention to yerself if’n ye keep that up!”
Glade laughed, which Kedryn didn’t think was fair. How would he like it if Bragden had shaved all the hair from his head?
“I understand we need to hide the fact that I’m a royal elf, but couldn’t this have waited until just before we arrived in one of the free cities?” Kedryn sighed as he sat heavily onto one of two available chairs within the main cabin of the slaver’s ship. The room was smaller than he thought it would be, movies once again misrepresenting true dimensions. Still, the five of them moved about the room comfortably enough while they searched the place. Both he and Krazzik had been pouring over navigational charts and maps on the bolted down table while Riya, Glade, and Bragden searched the remaining area and surrounding rooms.
“Not if’n we’re going to free the slagging sailors and use them and the blasted ship to get us to where we be wantin to go,” Bragden said as he looked through a footlocker at the end of the bed. Kedryn chose to ignore the blood stained covers.
“Bragden’s right,” Riya cut in. “We can’t let anyone know about you. Once word gets out that you’re a royal elf…”
“Not to mention a slagging Bei,” Bragden interrupted.
“Yes,” Riya said, pausing her search of the wardrobe long enough to glare at the bald dwarf. “It would be best to keep that tidbit of information as private as possible. As I was saying, once word gets out that you’re of royal blood it will only be a matter of time until the Ri sends someone to collect you.”
“I understand that my hair would draw attention, but what’s to keep someone from using an identify skill or some such? Even my Natural Lore skill provides the race of those I scan,” Kedryn said, fighting the urge to rub his hand along his scalp’s textured surface. He already missed the comforting weight of his luxurious sliver locks. No matter how ratty his hair had been over the past couple of weeks, the silver highlights had shone brilliantly. Was it a bit vain? Absolutely. But it was silver hair! A physical reminder that he was living out his greatest dream.
“That reminds me,” Bragden grunted, fishing out two silver pieces from a pouch tied to his belt before tossing one to him and the other to Riya. “Keep these on ye at all times. They’re not great by any stretch o’ the imagination, but they’ll stop rudimentary scans and the like. I’ll make ye both something better once I get me hands on the right tools and materials.”
Kedryn caught the coin and turned it over in his hand. He immediately recognized it from the stash he had found within the Storms’ Rest vault. One side of the coin had an image of a beautiful tree while the other side was of a bust of some person or other that he would likely never learn about. Somehow, Bragden had worn down the face of the coin until it was completely smooth. Instead of the bust, there was now a meticulously carved rune that shined faintly in the cabin’s dim light.
“I take it silver can hold a permanent enchantment then?” Kedryn asked, curious about the specifics. Afterall, acquiring enchanted items in all their many forms was an absolute necessity if they were going to have any chance of standing up the threats he was certain would one day be coming their way.
“Aye, silver can hold a rudimentary enchantment depending on its purity. So can copper and brass for that matter. But there be other variables to consider, namely the quality of yer tools and yer skill level,” Bragden sighed, closing the footlocker. “Nothing o’ value in here either. One would think that the slagging dogs would have kept anything worth keeping close at hand.”
“Nothing worth mentioning in the wardrobe either,” Riya sighed, pocketing the coin Bragden had given her. No one questioned why she was getting a coin as well. Anyone who saw she was a banished elf would either attack first and ask question later or run straight for the nearest guard.
“The charts have some markings and notes on them,” Krazzik said, waiving his stub of an arm. “Though I can’t read any of it. Looks to be written in Free Script. I never did take the time to learn that language.”
“Bah! Ye can barley speak you’re own bloody language,” Bragden grumbled, stomping to the table. “Let me have a look at it.”
Kedryn caught Glade whispering a question to Riya.
“I take it Free Script is another language?”
“It’s the common human language found in this region,” Riya replied. “Stelphan the Wise explained in his history that it was created as a by product of the 53 year war, which began over trade disputes between the various human kingdoms in existence at the time. He postulated that the ongoing wars between the kingdoms started because of the diverse linguistic and economic societies which led to irreconcilable differences. What started as simple trade disputes led to full out war that dragged in every sentient trade partner from here to the Threaded Forest. It was finally stopped by a royal command from the Ri, who dissolved the kingdoms and enforced an official language that was adopted throughout every human settlement. It is now known as one of the three major trade languages, the other two being Elvish and Dwarfen.”
By the end of her impromptu lecture, everyone was giving her a stunned look.
“What?” She asked, clearly embarrassed. “I liked Stelphan’s treatise on the evolution of human governance. He was very thorough in his research…” she explained, quietly trailing off.
“No one is mocking ye lass,” Bragden chuckled. “Ye got a head for learning, we can thank the Mother for that. Though I wouldn’t put much stock into what Stelphan wrote. He was a Ri’s man through and through. If’n all ye read was his works ye’d think every Ri since the Shepherd pissed wine in the morning and farted rainbows after supper. Now, Baltaire Stormglass knew how to write a proper history…”
“Baltaire?! Are you serious?” Riya snorted, her earlier embarrassment vanishing like a candle before a storm the moment Bragden had mentioned what Kedryn imagined was a dwarven scholar. “His account of the Argentel Dam War alone had so many holes in it that I’m surprised he managed to point out the dam could still hold water after it was all said and done.”
“Now wait just a bloody moment!” Bragden said, glaring at Riya. Then, the bald dwarf began debating with Riya on historical facts.
Great. Just what they needed. A scholarly debate.
A flash of curiosity emanated from Ember the moment Kedryn finished his sarcastic thought. The link between them had started growing ever since he had first gifted some of his mana to the egg. But since he and Glade had helped their friend over the finish line the bond had been getting stronger every day.
Not knowing exactly how to answer, Kedryn sent a series of images of both Riya and Bragden reading books and then pointlessly arguing about those books, all while tying extreme boredom to the underlying thought.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Was it oversimplifying things? Probably. But he couldn’t see the harm in it. Besides, who had ever heard of a dragon debating the finer points of history?
Riya sat down next to Bragden, allegedly to review the charts and such, but what they really did was continue their debate. The others moved elsewhere, looking for anything of value in drawers or secret compartments that the Gnolls would have left behind. It was odd that they hadn’t found anything as of yet that explained why the Gnolls were there in the first place. Nor had they found any real treasure to speak of.
They had Patch and his crew down in the hold taking inventory while the sailors were left bound, gagged, and blindfolded in the cages up on the top deck where they were guarded by Croon.
Kedryn could hear the Verser's singing through the cabin walls as he played for his captive audience.
As they searched, Kedryn couldn’t help but glance at Glade who was currently checking for loose floorboards. Over the past two weeks he had thought he had come to know his commanding officer well. But the fact that Glade had singlehandedly taken over a ship with nothing more than a couple of daggers was more than just a little impressive. It was downright intimidating.
The night prior, Kedryn had kept Riya and the dwarves up to date on Glade’s activities. When the first notification came through that he had stunned a Pliosaur with a psychic attack, the entire group shot up from where they stood and were ready to rush to his aid.
It was Krazzik that had hissed at everyone to calm down and to stop making noise.
Embarrassed, they waited for the next notification.
Through Glade’s actions, a level 21 Lesser Pliosaur has been defeated. Glade has been awarded 665 XP ((1,040 base) x .5 penalty + (1.040 x .14 Strategist/Tactician Bonus)).
Note: Your actions have resulted in sharing 50% of the experience gained with the predators that finished off the Lesser Pliosaur.
The group was so stunned Croon could have paraded through the crowd naked and no one would have noticed. A pliosaur was exactly what Kedryn had been imagining. An earthlike prehistoric sea monster. The fact that Glade had been responsible for maiming the beast enough for it to be brought down, in its own habitat no less, had left an impression on every one of them.
After that, Kedryn had then made some offhanded comment about the low XP for such a high level monster. He couldn’t even remember what he had said, but the entire group had started laughing. Both Riya and Krazzik had taken far too much pleasure in reminding him that most monsters throughout the world weren’t infused with mana, which was the only reason they had been gaining so much experience.
In essence, they had been power leveling.
Then he read off the next prompts to the group, each spaced out at least a minute or so between the other.
Glade has defeated 1 x level 5 Gnoll Slaver and has been awarded 615 XP ((540 XP) + (540 x .14 Strategist/Tactician Bonus)).
Glade has defeated 1 x level 5 Gnoll Slaver and has been awarded 658 XP ((578 XP) + (578 x .14 Strategist/Tactician Bonus)).
Glade has defeated 1 x level 10 Gnoll Slaver and has been awarded 1,231 XP ((1,080 XP) + (1,080 x .14 Strategist/Tactician Bonus)).
Three kills and no rebirths. A mission perfectly executed. But Kedryn had been further confused. Why had the XP from the Gnoll’s been so much higher than the Pliosaur? These Gnolls had not been infused with mana, nor were they considered monsters.
When he had asked, instead of laughing, the group looked at each other in uncomfortable silence.
After a few moments, Krazzik finally spoke up.
“Killing off sentients gives ye the same XP as if ye were hunting mana infused monsters,” he explained. “There be those who hunt sentients for a living both through legal and illegal means with the express purpose o' gaining levels. Either o’ those groups be some o’ the worst sorts of people ye can imagine. Best ye know about 'em now rather than find out about 'em the hard way.”
The group remained silent the remainder of the evening until they saw Glade’s signal. The rest, as they say, was history.
It was surreal standing on the ship that his commanding officer had taken over. Yes, Kedryn knew that his own magic and intellect had gotten him far. But there was simply no comparison. Glade had skills he had developed over years of training and hard work. Kedryn didn’t.
At least, not yet.
“Sir, do you mind if I speak with you in private for a moment?” Kedryn whispered.
Glade looked up from his search with a questioning look.
“Is everything alright?” Glade’s voice echoed inside his mind.
No matter how many times Kedryn experienced this form of communication, he would never tire of it.
“Everything is fine sir, I just wanted to ask you something,” he sent back, already doubting himself for what he was about to ask. He knew that Glade was likely going agree, but it was still intimidating asking him out right. “I was wondering if you could begin teaching me.”
Glade gave Kedryn a curious look.
“Teach you what?”
Wait, what? What did he mean teach him what?
Knowing he was likely projecting all kinds of confusing emotions, Kedryn settled his mind and tried again.
“I’d like you to teach me to do what you did last night,” he explained. “I want to be able to do what you can do.”
A sense of frustration bled through their link, but as soon as Kedryn felt it he could sense that it wasn’t frustration at him so much as… Glade was frustrated that Kedryn wouldn’t be getting the best instruction.
Wait, that couldn’t be right.
“What do you say we ignore the emotions bleeding through the link for now?” Glade sighed, which struck Kedryn as funny because Glade was sighing in his mind.
“Not helping,” Glade sent, but this time with a projected eye roll. “Let me try to explain what I mean. I am very good at what I do, but that doesn’t mean I am a good teacher. Mother is by far the best trainer out of the entire team, followed closely by Boon. I’m more of the planner, enforcer, and get it done come hell or high-water type. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
The thing was, Kedryn did understand. The emotions coming off Glade as he spoke underpinned what he was really trying to explain.
When he said he was good, it was not conceit or false belief. It was a stone-cold fact. That same emotion underpinned Glade’s belief that he was not a good teacher. He wasn’t being modest by any stretch of the imagination. It was unvarnished truth.
Then there was that brief, but noticeable comment about the members of his team. Not only did Glade mention them, but he conveyed a trust in them that was beyond anything Kedryn had ever felt before. And a need. A need to see them safe.
The last statement was the most poignant. That come hell or high-water, Glade would complete whatever he took on to his satisfaction. And his standards were high.
Translation, Glade would train him. It would be hard and likely not make sense, but once Kedryn agreed there was no going back.
“Would you have trained me if we hadn’t been trapped here together?” Kedryn asked. He didn’t know why he asked the question, but now that he had, he really wanted to know. Of course, Glade knew this because that too was conveyed.
“I would have unloaded you to a desk job the moment we had returned from our first mission,” Glade replied with a heartfelt smile. “But that was before I got to know you. Now that we have gone through fire and blood together, yes, I would train you. Rather, I would have had Mother train you.”
A warmth that Kedryn hadn’t felt throughout his entire childhood filled him. He belonged. No, he not only belonged. He was wanted. Accepted for who he was. Mistakes and all.
“You are not a mistake, my young friend,” Glade sent back, having read the emotions behind his thoughts.
Kedryn’s eyes began to mist over.
“Will you teach me then?”
“We’ll begin training in the morning, though you may not like it…” Glade sent back, cutting the link.
“You know it be all creepy like when you two just stand there staring at each other, don’t ya?” Krazzik said, eyeing the both of them. “Well, if’n yer done doing…” he waived his one good hand at them, “whatever it was you two were doing, I found their secret compartment. At least I think I did. Its up top, not down low, which means we need an abnormally large person with a fair bit o’ strength to get whatever it is down.”
Embarrassed and a bit surprised, Kedryn glanced at the ceiling. Sure enough, an orange glow appeared in the upper corner of the room.
“Don’t know about you,” Krazzik said with a grin. “But I’m always ready to find me some loot!”