The next day came early. Everyone was assembled in the Stillwater Inn before daybreak. Duncan gave Kseniya the stink eye as the lamia yawned dramatically but he knew better than to antagonize the spellcaster. Rory took great joy in asking if everyone had used the facilities and done their business while staring directly at Nyx.
Much to the cat girl’s dismay, Kseniya and Silas insisted on examining her pack. The human was polite and complimented the feline on her choices. Brivaria saw him tuck a wrapped thing that looked like soap into one of the pack’s pockets. She looked from the pack to Silas only to realize he was returning her gaze. He raised a finger to his lips and winked at her.
Kseniya was more fussy than the clever man. She pointed out several things Nyx hadn’t packed giving Brivaria a sense of deja vu from the previous week. To no one’s surprise, the lamia had extras of the things Nyx forgot. A few things went into the angel’s inventory as well. Things that were especially heavy were perfect candidates for being shoved into inventory and Brivaria let the group make use of her skill. After a bit of last minute pack rearranging, they were off.
They were leaving Pemburne as the sun rose which was perfect timing as far as adventuring went. Four guards were relaxing at or around the gate. They were as casual as Pierre had been at the southern gate but Brivaria could tell they were alert. Their eyes scanned the open area between the town and the woodland edge.
Four guards for a single gate was actually a large number even for a town of Pemburne’s size. Guards, watch, and so on had skills that made them better and more effective while defending their home. An adventurer was the same everywhere but a guard could be as much as five times stronger in their city. Experienced adventurers could and would be trounced handily by a guard less than half their level. This was why few adventurers made trouble in cities despite their prowess and also why few cities contracted adventurers as long term protectors. If something attacked the gates of Pemburne then those four men would be stronger than the angel’s whole adventuring group. The town would be plenty safe in their absence.
From the outset, Duncan and Rory set an aggressive pace. The two boar men were very much intent on covering a lot of ground in a single day. Brivaria could cover more than they could and faster but only if she flew. On the ground, marching, she was challenged to keep up. Her endurance and level were both low meaning she had the least stamina to work with. Even Nyx likely had more.
While Brivaria was only level 20 and her attributes were woefully low, she did have skills. Sky Step quickly became a saving grace for the winged girl. The skill was wonderful. She could go up small inclines with ease and then glide down hills with her wings. The more uneven ground could be covered as though it were perfectly flat. She was never more happy with her class choice than when they walked through a patch of soft earth where their boots sunk into the soil. She walked right through it without issue.
She was mentally congratulating herself when Trixie started barking. Everyone instantly went on alert. The dog had stopped and now refused to move forward. Trixie had been happily padding alongside the group without complaint moments before. The golden sunchaser was athletic and, as the angel learned on the savanna, had endless stamina for running and jumping. Trixie was also smart. She didn’t bark like this unless it was important.
“What in blazes is that dog doing? Shut it up,” Rory said while turning around. The muddy ground clung to his boots and he cursed while trying and failing to dislodge himself.
“Brother, stop,” Duncan gave the command clearly and firmly. Rory stopped. The elder gaborn hadn’t moved. He now spoke casually, conversationally. “We’re in a pit of churning mud ya lout.”
Kseniya cursed. The lamia pulled back and onto her long tail, lifting herself out of mud using the solid ground the rest of her body was on. Brivaria was by Trixie so she was safe. Nyx was at the back so she was, likewise, safe. The two gaborn and the human were knee deep in the muck.
“Well this does seem like a problem,” Silas commented with a slight frown. He’d followed Duncan’s example and immediately stopped moving. “I think I can get myself out with a skill but it might complicate matters for our boar friends.”
“Don’t move and don’t use skills,” Duncan commanded, “Rory, get the hook and rope from my pack. Then you need to…” He went on giving orders and the other adventurers followed them. They looped the rope around a tree further back and began using it to pull the men. They needed Silas out first to help pull the other two which proved easy enough since he hadn’t gone far from the safe ground. Rather than throw the rope to the gaborn, Brivaria used Sky Step to walk over the churning mud and then helped secure the two boar men.
Pulling the two men from the muck wasn’t easy but it was easier than it could have been. Between their naturally bulky frames and their armor, the gaborn brothers were heavy. Thankfully every point of physique the System gave made one stronger but not heavier. Higher level people like Silas and Kseniya could lift and, in this case, pull a lot more. This was also why weapon sizes could vary drastically between adventurers. Low level adventurers gravitated toward smaller, lighter weapons while high level warriors carried weapons so large or heavy they were utterly impractical without System-given stats and skills.
Soon everyone was free and Brivaria was telling Trixie that she was a very good dog. Nyx also congratulated Trixie for saving the “dumb boars” from marching to their doom. The golden sunchaser’s eyes shown with pure happiness as the pets came from all directions. She was delighted by all the attention and her tail wagged quickly. While Trixie had her moment and Rory mumbled that he’d definitely have spotted the mud before something bad happened, the angel noticed that she had a System notification.
You have reached level 21.
Gained +1 Physique, +1 Endurance, +2 Arcane, +2 Spirit, +1 Awareness, +2 Presence.
The points in physique and endurance were incredibly welcome. The rest were good too. The thing about attributes was that one rarely felt a significant change based on a single level. One or two points were a drop in the bucket, especially to someone who’d once had an attribute over 300. Still, they added up over time. Things would get lighter, spells would get stronger, vision would improve in subtle ways, and so on. Every bit counted.
“Churning mud is a thing we check for. Everyone get a long stick or branch. You will be checking ground as you go. Silas, what are the odds our missing hunters got stuck in one of these pits?” Duncan asked, looking to the human. Silas considered it and shook his head.
“Unlikely. Veteran hunters of the region would know of these traps and to avoid them. I’d have thought to mention them myself but I didn’t realize they’d be this close to town. We should also be looking out for choke vines and stone root. If I think of any more hazards to be aware of then I’ll let you know.” The gaborn men both nodded at the reporter’s words.
“Maybe we should slow down,” Nyx ventured.
“Would your brother want us to slow down?” Duncan asked instantly. Nyx choked on her tongue but Duncan was turning to address the rest of the group. “Two minutes to clean up and find sticks. After that, we move.” Move they did as the group immediately made to go around the churning mud, giving any overly soft ground a wide berth.
That was only the first of the many obstacles the woods threw at the party of adventurers. Stinging nettles, swarming insects, and the choking vines Silas mentioned came one after the other in succession with a generous helping of the deadly mud blocking off paths. What had begun as simply a journey to head east further into the forest became a battle for territory.
The brothers, to their credit as bronze-rank adventurers, faced it all with gusto. Rory had a skill that could blow away even insects swarming along the ground with a single slice of his mace. Duncan some kind of skill that let him instantly spot any kind of trap the group ran across instantly so long as they’d already encountered it once. When the deadly ants started pouring from a disturbed nest, Duncan took it in and they avoided every nest after that. Brivaria made a mental note to ask about that skill because it seemed very good for their level.
The first day was awful but they survived. Duncan and Silas steered the group out of more trouble than they got into and everyone listened to Trixie when she barked. The insects swarms were handled by Kseniya’s poison clouds and Brivaria’s deadly radiance. The angel’s killing light was effective enough that Duncan suggested using it to ward the camp. That was something the angel had been doing for days already but she told the boar man that it was a good idea and left it at that.
When they finally stopped, Brivaria knelt then pulled Trixie into a hug and healed the poor dog. The ants had managed to come up from the ground and surprise the otherwise speedy canine. She’d taken a few bites that left red marks. Those faded as Healing Touch mended the poor animal. Trixie whined and put her head on the angel’s shoulder.
“You’ve been a good, brave girl today, Trixie. You did well.” The dog calmed down while Brivaria spoke. For all the danger the two had been in since they met, it was easy for the angel to forget Trixie was just a dog. Brivaria had no animal companion-style skill to empower Trixie and make her something more. The golden sunchaser was a very energetic, very smart dog but still just a dog.
“Trixie is her name, yeah?” Brivaria looked up to find Duncan. The gaborn was taking a break from pitching camp. Then again, Brivaria noticed the tent already up at one part of the site they’d picked out. Maybe he was just that fast.
“Yes,” she turned to look up at him and Trixie did the same.
“You did good, dog. You too, bird girl. Gonna need more than that to win the respect of Shield and Snout,” the boar man paused for effect, “but it’s a good start. Tonight we’ll talk skills and plans over dinner. We did not expect the forest to be this hostile but it is and we’re here so we need to work out how to handle things.”
“That sounds good to me.” Trixie barked an agreement. The boar grinned beneath his snout and walked over to harangue Rory and Nyx over their shabby tent setups, loudly. That was when Brivaria noticed something. Rory had made the same mistakes Nyx had so he got the loudest criticism. The elder boar brother made them both redo things and Brivaria saw Nyx watching Rory closely to mimic what the boar did.
Trixie was more important than the tent so the angel held her dog until the animal was calm. No one minded or even mentioned it after Duncan came over. The site the brothers picked out was decently clear of vegetation. The forest didn’t have dense underbrush but it had some so finding a location with good sight lines for anything coming toward camp was important. When Brivaria started to setup her tent, the boars pointed at a spot and told her to setup there so she did. When it was done the angel noticed that one could see in most directions from the center of camp.
Dinner was packed supplies. It was normal to do a little bit of hunting and foraging for food on trips to conserve rations but the boars didn’t want anyone going off alone since the forest was so hostile. They also wanted to see what kinds of monsters the forest had in store to gauge the threat level for anyone wandering off. Four jaws dropped when Brivaria pulled out two plates of perfectly cooked seafood for herself and Kseniya.
“What in blazes is that?” Rory asked while staring at the two meals which even came with silverware.
“That is genius,” Silas said with a wide grin as the angel passed Kseniya the first plate. The lamia had offered to carry a few of the angel’s things to let her store a few more plates of “real food” for meals. Kseniya wasn’t holding onto anything truly valuable, just enough small items to make room for the meals.
“I was going to say unfair,” Nyx commented. She was salivating at the smell let alone the sight of the cooked fish. Duncan guffawed.
“You want that skill, lass?” Duncan asked before going on. “Kill enough monsters to get to a level where you can take it. That’s a gold rank skill for the likes of us if ever I saw one. Some of the best skills the System has to offer aren’t the ones that let you slay monsters by the hundreds but the ones that let you do shite like that. Enjoy a decent meal in the middle of nowhere, take a hot shower whenever you’re so inclined, wake up every morning with your fur or hair immaculate.”
“Is that your goal, sir gaborn,” the human reporter asked while cooking something over the fire with a pan. Silas looked no worse for wear after their hike. He’d even cleaned the mud off his pants and boots. There were no skills nor magic involved rather the man was fastidious in his appearance, even in the middle of a forest. Duncan shook his head.
“Maybe we get skills like those, maybe we don’t. My brother and I only do this seasonally. There’s a city named Bonnel to the southwest, near the Snow Cap Mountains. Up the mountain are a bunch of Rockwar nests. Mean things that look like lizards covered in rock. Every winter they lay thousands of eggs which hatch in the spring and come down the mountain. Rory and I head out there, spend two seasons putting the things down, and then come up here to fish. We find somewhere warm to spend the winter and then do it all again come spring.” Everyone ate as Duncan talked. Rory made noises of agreement between bites then picked up while his brother had a go at their food.
“Pay is good too. Bonnel and the guild pay a sum for any adventurer willing to do the job and an additional bounty per head. A handful of other folk are willing to pay for eyes, tongues, or what have you,” Rory took a long drink from a water flask. “Work is good, consistent, and easy if you’ve got the skills like we do. On a good year, we make as much as a silver rank adventuring team with half the effort and a tenth of the risk. Can’t beat that.”
“Don’t you want to get to silver rank?” the angel found herself asking. Both gaborn shrugged.
“Thought about it,” Duncan replied. “Someone has got to take care of the Rockwar each year though. We could push ourselves, take on new members, and try to improve our team rank. Where does that put us in 20 years? Do we get to gold, silver, or just bury one or the other in some dungeon? We do this for another 20 years and we’ll gain at least 40-60 levels and enough coin to live comfortably somewhere of our choosing. We’re not solving the world’s problems singlehandedly but it’s a good lot in life.”
“It is not the life for me.” Kseniya was quiet until that moment. The snake woman had eaten her meal then given the dish and utensils back to the angel. “I can think of nothing more boring than 20 years of doing the same thing year after year, month after month, day after day. I need to go places, you know? I could not give a wet fart about adventuring and ranks but I wish to grow. If I am still casting the same spells in 20 years then I have failed and that is worse than death.”
“And you, lady angel?” the reporter asked, seemingly now going around the camp with the question. Brivaria smiled and let her empty plate disappear into her inventory before petting the dog at her side.
“If you can help someone then you should. That’s what I’m doing. I don’t know where my path will take me but hopefully the System will give me a few levels along the way to smooth things out along the journey.” The winged girl’s words got a couple smiles from the group.
Nyx was asked next and gave a firm “I don’t know” as a reply. Kseniya pointed out that Silas never answered the question himself but Brivaria had stopped listening by that point. Trixie was yawning. The poor dog had been on high alert all day. That was harder on the golden than a whole day of sprinting. The angel walked the dog to their tent and got inside with Trixie. Brivaria stayed there, stroking the golden’s soft fur until the dog fell asleep.
When Brivaria left the tent, it was dark so she went to work setting up her light-infused rocks. If they were swarmed by insects in the night then the rocks would kill any of the smaller unleveled ones and slow down the larger, more dangerous bugs.
"Snake said you didn’t need to sleep, is that so?” Duncan asked when she returned from setting up the stones.
“I have the Rest skill. Four hours of relaxation is all I need. I can do that while reading or keeping watch. As long as I’m not spending mana, stamina, or moving around too much then it all counts for Rest.” The angel went on, explaining things she’d told Rake and his team weeks ago. She spoke a little more to the nature of her skills which Duncan had been curious about earlier.
The night watch traded off over time. Different people went to sleep and woke up, taking advantage of a skill many peoples of Zlithia took which let them pause their Sleep timer for a couple hours without having to begin again. Rory was standing up to get some firewood for their little campfire when he came to a sudden stop. He stood ramrod straight and looked around.
“Everyone! Att-” his words came to a sudden stop as a black slab of metal flew out of the darkness and struck the boar man. The thing cut through the lighter chain mesh he wore for sleeping and dug deeply into his chest. As the adventurers roused, the forest came alive.