Lorelei walked briskly away from Kris and back to the coffee shop, her thoughts circling like a particularly ill-tempered vulture. The Charm Leech followed a few steps behind, his own mind not exactly full of the joys of spring. The silence between them was thick with unresolved tension, and neither spoke as they approached where the rest of the team had gathered. It was the sort of silence that one might expect in the moments before someone says something they will deeply regret, or before the kettle finally boils over and scalds someone who probably had it coming. Lorelei knew which one she thought.
Inside, the others were seated around a large table, a pot steaming at its centre alongside a variety of cakes and biscuits that were actively trying to get themselves eaten. Their frenzied entreaties were proving to be pretty disconcerting. No one was looking for a suicidal digestive in their life.
"Everythin’ aal reet?" Pete asked, his hangdog expression suggesting he was fully prepared for the answer to be "no" and was already mentally bracing himself for it. The rest of the team really didn't seem to like it when mummy and daddy fought.
Kris gave a hesitant nod. “We talked,” he said, which was technically true. Plus, it was a sentence that got him from one side of the room to the other without too much trouble, and - right now - he would take the wins where he could.
Zorrobar pushed a cup of tea towards him. “Here, mate. You look like you could use this.”
Kris took it, grateful for the gesture, even if it did feel like offering a napkin to someone whose ship had just hit an iceberg. He quested out towards the Fire Mage and pulled in the tiny bit Adoration he found there. “Thanks,” he muttered, taking a sip of both tea and mana. The tea was predictably perfect, just like everything else in this unsettling little village, which was starting to feel less like a charming idyll and more like a quaint trap designed by someone who wanted to lure adventurers in and leave them too comfortable to notice they were about to be skewered.
“Yes. We talked. But now we need to discuss what’s coming next,” Lorelei said, sitting across from Kris and avoiding the question in Chrissy's raised eyebrows. Her voice was steady and businesslike, but it certainly held an edge. It was the tone she had cultivated for use when summoning someone to her office to discuss nefarious social media activities. “I take it we all get the same message? That we're about to be thrown some new massive new objective, and apparently, we don’t stand much chance without Kris.”
The others nodded, looking at Kris, and he could feel the weight of their collective gaze pressing down on him. “I don’t know what the quest is yet,” he said, “but whatever it is, it sounds like we’re going to need all the healing we can get. I promise I’ll put my best foot forward.”
As if on cue, the familiar ding of the System’s interface rang in all their ears, and the ticker tape of notifications began to spool across their vision. Interestingly, after conversations with the others, Lorelei thought that she was the only one of them whose Guide had a . . . vibrant personality. The rest of them seemed to view their interactions with it as if the System were some sort of benign bureaucratic deity whose primary joy in life was handing out parking tickets.
***NEW QUEST: RECOVER THE LOST AMULET OF DRAYTON***
OBJECTIVE: So, there's this amulet. And it's lost. You need to find it. It’s appeared in Drayton. Sorry, I usually put more effort into the mythos of these objectives, but I'm not feeling it today. Call it the Day 3 Blues, if you like.
DETAILS: Your group must acquire the Amulet of Drayton in order to participate in the End-of-Week-One Grand Tournament. Oh, what's that? I haven't mentioned that particular cockfest before? Well, now I am. There’s this tournament where the strongest warriors, mages, and adventurers from across a newly integrated world get together to compete for glory and unimaginable rewards. It's a lovely little 'Opening of the Integration Journey' tradition intended to unite disparate worldwide communities in a common goal. One of my better innovations, to be honest.
Of course, on this godforsaken planet of fucking homicidal maniacs, it's clearly going to be a giant shitshow, but some of us were voted down when we raised our concerns. So there we go. It's a strictly Level 20 and over event, so there's simply no way your gang of losers should be strong enough to participate. However, here’s this little cheat code for access and I've been told to dangle this amulet bollocks in front of you to see if you will bite and get in so far over your heads, you'll greet yourself coming the other way.
You see, there are a lot of very pissed-off people on the upper floors who are itching to put Fortuna's Herald quite firmly back in her box. To be honest, the rest of these goons will just be juicy side-collateral to the main course of kicking your arse. In case you are missing my extremely subtle subtext here, I really, really, really, don't think you accept this Quest to seek out this fucking thing. It couldn't be anymore a trap for you if it were asking you to pull its finger.
REWARD: Entry into the Grand Tournament - but it would help if you considered this prize as basically luring you to volunteer for the Starving Olympiad (if you get what I'm saying). Yada yada yada, 3000 XP, and an Epic-tier item you choose. But, honestly, do something else. Anything else.
WIN CONDITION: Yeah, apparently you need to make sure you do this with the Charm Leech still in one piece. No idea why. This is being put together on a strictly need-to-know basis, and apparently, the fucking A.I. running the show doesn't appear on that list. I’m feeling pretty punchy about that. So, here’s a sneaky little directional tip, you need to get to the Cursed Cavern of Crookshollow sharpish.
Although the message Kris and the others read had a very different tone, he felt significant concern with the proposed Quest - and his significance to it.
“Fuck it! What is there to talk about? It looks like we don’t have much of a choice,” Michael said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the group. “If we want to enter the Grand Tournament, we need that amulet.”
"I mean, surely that should be a big throbbing 'if'", Steffan chimed in. "I'm not sure we're really 'tournament' types. We've nearly wiped in every battle we've had so far!"
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Chrissy nudged him affectionately. "But the key word, really, is 'nearly.' Any fight you walk away from is a win. If there's a chance for us to take part in something that will help us progress, we've got to take it." Her expression turned grim. “But I agree it sounds like the System thinks Kris is essential to our success. Whether we like it or not, we’re going to have to work together even to find the amulet, much less enter a tournament. And do we want to do that with a Charm Leech on the team?”
Kris glanced around at his teammates, sensing only Zorrobar was generating any Adoration towards him at all right now. “Look, guys, trust me when I say I want to make this right,” he said. “I know I’ve lost your trust – believe me, I have a screen showing me that in fucking 3D - but I’ll do everything possible to help us succeed in this quest. I won't let any of you down.”
Hild, who had been sitting quietly up to this point, finally spoke up. “Funny how you say that now after you’ve been found out. Reminds me of all those men who only apologise after they’re caught sneaking out of someone else’s bed. Would you have to us on your own?”
Lorelei shot Hild a look, the kind that would have turned milk sour. “Look, let's leave that for now, Hild. I want to talk about whether we should even be trying for it . . . ”
Hild didn’t back down. She never did. “Oh, I’m sorry, Lorelei. I didn’t realise you were the only one allowed to be angry about our little Charm Leech. But, hey, let’s not pretend you’re the only one who feels betrayed. Or are you just upset that someone else managed to con us better than you do?”
Lorelei’s eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. You’ve been leading Kris on; we've all seen the two of you together. I bet most of the Adoration he's been slurping on has come straight from you! That's why you're so pissed at him!"
The room’s temperature seemed to drop several degrees as Lorelei and Hild stared each other down. The others exchanged uncomfortable glances, clearly wishing they were somewhere else—preferably somewhere far away, where the teapot wasn't whispering soothing mediative mantras and suggesting possible bonding exercises.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lorelei hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "At least I've never misled anyone about my Class! From the very first I told you all you didn’t want to be anywhere near me. In case you’re forgetting, it was the System that gave you a Quest that promised you’d all die if you didn’t come with me. And now it’s doing the same thing with fucking Leech."
"Hadaway an' shite!” Pete was up on his feet now, his broad shoulders tense and his usual calm expression gone. "We divvent hev time for this. We’ve got a quest te finish, an' we need te knuckle doon. Whatever beef ye've got wi' each other, sort it oot later."
Lorelei shot Hild one last look before turning back to Pete. “Fine. But we need to be clear about something: I’m not putting my life in Kris’s hands again. If we're even thinking about accepting this Quest - and trust me when I say we need to think very carefully whether we do - I vote Chrissy suits back up as a Healer.”
The others, even those more well-disposed towards Kris, readily agreed with that. Which was hardly the vote of confidence someone whose abilities relied on his charm needed to hear. He winced but didn’t argue. He knew better than to try and defend himself when temperatures were running high. Deep down, he knew they had every right to be furious; the best he could do was prove them wrong by his actions, not his words. And, if he was being cynical, he wasn't going to generate any Adoration without improving their view of him in any event. So, win-win.
“Right, then,” Steffan said, clearly relieved to have at least some semblance of order restored. “If we want to go after this amulet, we'll need to prepare for a helluva journey. We're quite some distance from Drayton, and anything called the Cursed Cavern of Crookshollow doesn't sound like it's going to be a walk in the park.”
Michael, who had been quietly nursing his tea, finally spoke up. “So, we're doing this then?" Oddly, Michelle seemed to be mouthing words at the same time.
Lorelei was about to share what her Guide had told her, but something stopped her. She felt the pressure of Fortuna's hand resting on her arm. Stay schtum for now, please. Regardless of whether you choose to join the Tournament - and I must say I agree with your Guide that it seems like a trap - I'm going to need you to get hold of that amulet, my dear. For . . . reasons.
Steffan, ever the practical one, had pulled out a small notebook and had begun sketching a walking route from Lichfield to their intended destination. “Crookshollow is just outside of Drayton Bassett and, even before the integration, was a rather notorious spot. I cannot believe it has become any more pleasant since. We should prepare ourselves for something . . . exotic.”
“Exotic?” Zorrobar raised an eyebrow.
Steffan looked up from his notes. “Well, my Guide highlights there are sentient puddles of acids in that area, for one."
Everyone tried not to look at Michael, who, more than anyone, had suffered in the fight with the Chimera. "And then, apparently, there’s something called the Wraith of the Winding Way, which is said to feed on the fear of adventurers. Which sounds awful. It's basically going to be the kind of place where we’d want to keep our wits about us. And maybe bring a mop.”
Lorelei sighed, rubbing her temples and trying to forget the sensation of Fortuna touching her mind. “Wonderful. And we need to find this amulet somewhere in the middle of all that?”
“Not just somewhere,” Steffan corrected. “The heart of the cavern. My Guide says that the Amulet of Drayton lies within the deepest chamber, guarded by the Cursed Knight. An ancient warrior bound to protect the amulet for eternity. Or until someone manages to nick it.”
Hild grinned. “Sounds like a challenge. I like it.”
"Of course you do,” Lorelei muttered, but loud enough for Hild to hear.
Hild just chuckled, clearly enjoying the tension she was stirring up. “Oh, don’t worry, Lorelei. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to play the hero. Or at least stand there tossing a coin whilst the rest of us do.”
Lorelei’s fingers tightened around her teacup, but she said nothing more, her jaw set.
Kris, sensing that this was his moment to try and salvage what was left of the team’s cohesion, cleared his throat. “Look, I know you’re all wary of me right now. And I understand why. But all of our Guides say I’m necessary for this Quest, and I’m not going to let you down. I’m here to help, not to hurt anyone.”
Hild rolled her eyes. “Right, because the System’s never led anyone astray before.”
Lorelei glanced at Kris, her expression unreadable. “Just remember, Kris. We’re going into a very dangerous place. If you do anything to jeopardise this team...”
“I won’t,” Kris said quickly. “You have my word.”
Lorelei nodded, though the mistrust in her eyes didn’t waver. “Alright, then. Let’s get ready.”
The group began to gather their gear, checking weapons, adjusting armour, and stuffing their packs with whatever supplies from the coffee shop they thought might be useful. The atmosphere was still tense, the earlier conflict between Lorelei and Hild lingering like the bitter aftertaste of over-steeped tea. Kris didn’t know what awaited them in the Cursed Cavern, but he knew that this Quest was about more than just retrieving a lost amulet. It was about proving himself to the team, and maybe—just maybe—finding a way to regain their trust. If he didn't, well, he had literally zero H.P. regeneration. Unless he picked up a bit of Adoration here or there, the first fight was going to kill him.
As they stepped out of the coffee shop and back into the too-perfect village, Lorelei couldn’t shake the feeling that the real danger wasn’t the traps and monsters they were about to face. The real danger was the rift between the team members, a crack that could easily splinter into something much worse if they weren’t careful.