They fought for a good hour before Joe returned, calling back Kilniara and Garnedell so they could surround Zilnek and take a look at his status again. Joe flipped through Zilnek’s logs and noticed that he gained almost the sum of both groups, gaining experience for both his own and Kilniara and Garnedell’s kills. While he wasn’t actually really almost doubling their experience between two different people attacking at the same time, Joe found that Kilniara and Garnedell did offer a slight boost to their growth, although Joe found it seemed to help Zilnek quite a bit more than it actually helped Joe, which confused him a bit.
Joe wanted to spend some time to find and understand what was going on, but found himself too excited to continue his explosive growth and killing the monsters that he pushed it to the back of his mind, not wishing to be distracted. The day passed quickly, Joe turning into quite the mindless killing machine although he made sure to glance towards the other two regularly to make sure they were safe while also glancing back at Zilnek more rarely.
Right before the end of the day, Zilnek shouted and stood up excitedly. Joe glanced back with some alarm but saw that Zilnek was excited, and focused on finishing of his goblin. After his goblin died, Joe looked back to find Kilniara and Garnedell standing next to him, all three excitedly bouncing in the corner.
Joe came up to them and asked, “So what’s up? What happened?”
When the other two looked to Zilnek to explain, Joe settled in for the long wait, but Zilnek replied quite a bit quicker than he expected, taking just around five seconds. Maybe even 6 seconds? Ooh… must be good intelligence from thief!
“I gained a level, Master!”
“Nice! Congratulations! Mind if I take a look at your status?”
Status
Blessings
Current Job
Available Jobs
Current Skills
Available Skills
Log
Zilnek of Coushar
Status
Physical Resistances
Magical Resistances
HP
2.00
Physical:
MP
2.00
Piercing
0.00
Attack
2.00
Crushing
0.00
Defense
2.00
Slashing
0.00
Magic
2.00
Magic Defense
2.00
Strength
4.00
Dexterity
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
6.00
Agility
4.00
Thief
2
Speed
4.00
Endurance
4.00
IQ
4.00
Wisdom
6.00
Learning
2.00
Luck
0.00
The three crowded around Zilnek excitedly while he brought up his status and Joe almost kicked himself as he realized he’d forgotten to take down a thief’s level one stats. He didn’t let it bother him much for now, since he’d only have to cut the stats in half to figure out level one thief stats and took a look at Zilnek’s new thief job.
All three congratulated Zilnek before Joe called them back to task and all three returned to combat, Zilnek settling back in his seat quickly enough. Probably his last level for today, but he should get another two or three tomorrow. That should cheer the siblings up, I hope.
Combat continued easily enough, and Joe once again found himself in a zen state, his spear, shield, sword, and staff slipping through their forms in almost perfect movement and form. Slip to the side. Slide forward. Swing down across then loop back across the knees. Press forward. Slam. Slide back. Thrust. The movements flowed so easily, more easily than they ever had in his entire life. He’d trained several martial arts his whole life, fighting and doing well, but the peace and oneness he felt now far surpassed any other of his best moments in training or mock combat. A ripple of discord subtly caressed his mind through his ears, but he was able to dismiss it and focus on his movements, slipping easily from move to move. The discord increased, his ears now disrupting the flow; the smoothness; the oneness.
Focus shattered only moments later and Joe stepped back from his goblin to see his fighting apprentices in bad shape, Garnedell stood in front of Kilniara as she lay grimacing, splayed out on the floor while holding her belly. The floor around her was slick with fluid, replenished by the blood that was oozing out between Kilniara’s fingers and hands. Joe blinked in shock. He froze for a moment then leapt towards them, swinging his sword in passing at the goblin in front of him, slicing across its face just above the eyes. That should blind it for a bit.
Leaving his goblin behind, Joe made it quickly beside them and quickly took over killing the goblin, violently and dangerously ending it quickly before turning back to his. But when he turned, he found it still stumbling back from his last swing. Huh… guess I had more time than I thought. Joe took a moment to look down at Kilniara, and blanched at what he saw. He grimaced but pushed the image from his mind and leaped back to the goblin, piercing its chest with a thrust before killing it easily.
Joe felt like he’d teleported back to Kilniara, although both the other boys were also at her side, looking at her in desperation. Joe pealed back her shirt up her stomach and found it pealed open, intestines spilling out to the sides and Joe cursed. Well… this… Maybe an emergency room back home, but here… Joe found his mind sputtering, panic chittering away at the back of his mind only held at by the absolute certainty that he had to do something.
Joe found himself also pointlessly gather her intestines up, trying to press things back in, intestines slipping through his fingers like wet soap, helping Kilniara as she struggled to do the same. His mind was caught on the only thing he felt he could do; return everything where it was supposed to be. It only took a few moments for Zilnek to crowd him, yelling at him to do something, but he felt himself paralyzed, uncertain.
“Master! Master! Please… save my sister! Do something!”
Joe looked to Zilnek helplessly, “Zilnek… I’m not… I’m no healer.” Blood… it’s beautiful… a golden purple. So strange… so MUCH! What am I supposed to do? It’s just… and her intestines are so strange. I didn’t know they would be so purple. Why are they purp… huh?
Joe heard a mumble of sound and noise, flattened and distorted to a background mumble, but it sounded a bit like Garnedell was speaking to him.
Joe glanced up at Garnedell, distracted, “What?”
“We need to find a healer, Master!”
Joe stared at Garnedell, his face blank, “A healer?”
“We can take her to a healer.”
“A healer can save her?” Joe replied dumbly. How can something be a purplish gold? Or a golden purple? It’s… quite beautiful… I didn’t… Joe blinked, catching Garnedell’s reply almost too late.
“A healer or a priest although healers are much better. Priests mostly can only heal diseases or curses.”
“Can they…” Joe said nothing, simply looking back down at Kilniara. So much… what can… Joe jerked his head back up at Garnedell when he heard the response.
“If they are fast enough, it should be very easy.”
“They can? Easily!” Hope surged in Joe’s heart, mind focusing more clearly than Joe had ever experienced before in his life.
“Yes, easily.”
“Then... we need a healer... where is the closest and best. Where can I find some one who can heal her back to perfect?”
“We could likely find one in the guilds or at the temples.”
Joe grimaced at that, “That’s so far!”
“The Dungeon Guardians might have a healer on standby,’ Zilnek offered in desperation.
Garnedell scowled at that, shaking his head, “They… do not often…”
“Can we pay them?”
Garnedell look up at that, the scowl replaced by consideration, “Maybe…”
Zilnek grasped urgently to that hope, “Please. Please save my sister!”
Joe didn’t respond, simply grabbing Kilniara and pulling her up in a princess carry, “You two stay here or follow as carefully as you can. Keep Zilnek safe, Garnedell, or just guard this corner if you can. It’d be better if you could get back to the safe area, but safety first!”
Joe then sprinted from the area, despair clouding his mind even as his face firmed to a mask of determination while he juggled Kilniara and her slipping intestines, trying to not trip over or squish underfoot any that tumbled to the sides. Can’t have a loop snag on anything either! Joe scrambled, mind urgently trying to account for anything that might harm Kilniara more.
Joe made it across the floor quickly, ignoring everything and simply sprinting through all the goblins without concern, easily leaving them behind. He made it to the entrance and sped through it much more quickly than he expected. When he came out of the, his rapid speed drew the attention of almost everyone there.
“Help! I need a healer! Anyone!”
The crowd stood around him, staring, looking on, but none responded and simply ignored his cries. Several of the adventurers even began smiling but he did not notice, only crying loudly for help while spinning uselessly, holding Kilniara in his hands. He turned full circle several times, soon finding a crowd of adventures around him, but none offering any help. While the crowd around him did annoy him a bit, his height gave him an easy view over their heads and he ignored them, looking for anyone who might respond to his cries, which hadn’t stopped for the entire time.
Less than a minute later, Joe was becoming overwhelmed, fearful about Kilniara’s chances, glancing down more and more often as he took in Kilniara’s state. Each glance only made him more worried, her face and body taking on some strange tint that Joe could only assume was the paleness of blood loss.
Soon, he heard the cries of the guards and turned to them in expectant relief, “Here! Over here. We need help!”
The guards homed on Joe’s cries and pushed through the crowd, coming forward, “Oi! Out of the way! Clear the path! No crowding the entrance, by command of Lord and Clan!”
The crowd back off from the guards quickly, but the grins of those enjoying only grew, not diminishing in the slightest. When they made it to the small empty circle surrounding Joe, the three guards advanced on Joe quickly.
Joe, in turn, rushed to the guards, holding Kilniara in front of him, “Quickly! A healer! She needs a he…”
“What’s this, then! No crowding the dungeon entrance! And no causing a disturbance on lands of the Lord and Clan. Off with you and enough of your shouting!” The guard who had been speaking raised a hand and slapped it down hard on Joe’s face.
Joe froze, stunned, staring at the guard without response or movement. The guard stared back at Joe, eyes boring into Joe’s before nodding in satisfaction, seeing Joe’s acceptance and capitulation. The guard turned away and looked to the crowd, waving them away.
“Move on! Move on now or receive the same and worse! The show’s over. Move! Come on, people, move before we start arres…”
“You will not heal a fellow sapient? What kind of guards are you? You have no concern…”
The guard whipped back around at Joe, “You will shut your mouth now! It is not my concern or my responsibility. I am here for Lord and Clan to maintain his dungeon, to protect his city, and to make sure his taxes are appropriately collected. Any visiting adventures are no concern to Lord and Clan. Nor are they any concern of mine. Now. Cease this or I will make you cease.”
Joe’s anger only burned hotter and deeper as his face quickly turned to a growling grimace. His mouth opened and the guard snapped a finger up, “I am done with this! You will be silent or face the consequences! Final warning!”
The guard stared much longer this time, tensing slightly when he saw Joe put Kilniara down but then relaxed when he seemed to shift to searching through his pouches and not reaching for a weapon. He turned away once again and began cajoling the crowd to move on.
“Right! It’s done! As I said, move on or…”
“Ten cores for the man or woman who finds me a healer. A dual core for the healer who can recover my apprentice’s life to perfect health.” And my spear for any who get in my way! His anger burned hotly at how the guard had treated the situation, but he snapped his teeth shut before the response aimed at the guards could come out, not wanting to turn the guards against him.
Joe held a hand up with a fistful of cores in one hand in front of him, the other held a dual core above his head. At his feet, Kilniara lay crowded against his knees. The guard quickly turned, scowling as he looked at Joe, upset at Joe’s interruption but also taking in the crowd. Behind him, one of the other guards slipped away quickly, running back across the yard, pushing people aside quickly.
The crowd also roiled like boiling water, some people unmoving, shock bolting their feet to the ground while others quickly began scrambling to escape the clutches of the crowd and sprinting for the city. The guard took stock of the situation, looking around the crowd and the way they were responding. He grimaced and brought a hand up, stepping towards Joe once again.
Joe interrupted the guard, “I have no desire to fight with you. But I will find my apprentice a healer. Nothing will stop me.”
“Listen here! You may think yourself some great person of some importance, but if you think…”
“I’m here! I’m here. Who needs a healer. I’m able…”
A healer in a guard’s uniform came running up, shouting excitedly but quickly slowed, his voice dropping quickly when the guardsman that had been confronting Joe turned to him, scowling. But before the guard, obviously some kind of captain or leader, could interrupt the healer, Joe tossed the dual core to the healer, reaching out and pulling him to Kilniara.
“I’ve paid you, now heal her!”
Joe turned from the healer and Kilniara and took a step towards the captain, stepping in close and cutting of the captain’s cries for order and trying to get the healer to stop. Joe stepped to the side of the guard captain then turned to keep an eye on the healer before stepping close to the captain, bringing up his arm between the two.
“Captain. Listen carefully and look at my status. You do not want to fight me on this. Do. You. Understand.”
Joe brought up his status quickly, revealing his main screen with the ‘magic seven digit’ number’ hoping only the captain could see it. He let his status stay up for a few moments, watching the captain’s face before quickly closing it when he caught the shock and fear fluttering across his face. He could only hope that his status had been up short enough and the act surprising enough that others wouldn’t have caught it.
“I do not feel like being a natural disaster for this town, but if my apprentice dies here, I will come down on you and all you hold dear like the fucking god of death! Do you understand!”