“Hey, how’re you feeling?” Gabrielle called over from beside the fire as she started to prepare a meal. Even our usual rations sounded amazing right now and I felt my stomach grumble in agreement.
“Well I’m sore all over but I’m all right,” I replied from my seat. I gestured towards her leg and continued, “ How about you? The cut on your leg didn’t look good from what I saw.”
“Yeah, it's pretty painful but it's not very deep. I can walk on it as long as I don’t put too much pressure on my leg. I’m not sure if we were prepared for that dungeon,” Gabrielle trailed off as she focused her attention on preparing our meal. The rest of the group walked over once Gabrielle finished cooking and handed out rations. I finished the extra-large portion in record time and then leaned back with a contented sigh.
“Thanks, Gabrielle. I have a few things I want to bring up to the group, but first, I’d like to say good job to everyone. I know the dungeon was harder than we all expected, but I’m proud of us for pushing through it despite our injuries.” Gary said to the group after everyone finished eating. I nodded along as he spoke, I was proud of every one of us as well. Another team might not have been able to deal with the pressure and tense situations like we had.
“Definitely. I know we had spoken about staying and attempting another dungeon but with our injuries, I’m not sure if we should even be going back into the fields.” I replied with some disappointment carried into my voice.
“Yeah, that’s what I was going to bring up next,” Gary inclined his head towards me before continuing, “I know we still have extra rations but we made enough money today that all of us should be able to buy some better gear if we head back to Gorok. We all need time to recover and I’m sure everyone could use the break.”
I felt some tension drain out of my body after I listened to Gary, I had been worried about how I would sound to the team. I looked around and saw that the rest of the team had no objections, even Aaron was nodding along, he seemed like he might only be slightly disappointed.
A moment later Aaron grinned and spoke up, “Well let’s see how much we made then, everyone, break out the loot!” I laughed in reply before I realized I wanted to know how much we made just as much as him. I stopped using my pack as a seat and started digging through the pouch where I had kept all the loot I gathered since we arrived. Bloodmoss, wargs fangs, and a few small pouches of copper found on the Goblins we had killed joined a growing pile next to Aaron. I looked back over at Aaron after I retook my seat and snorted at the manic expression he had on his face while he separated everything into different piles.
“34 Warg fangs, four silver coins, 410 copper coins, five bags of Bloodmoss, and one dungeon core. That comes up 18 silver 95 copper if my math is right.” Aaron said after a moment. I stared at him in disbelief. I would have no idea how to do math like that, especially off the top of my head.
“What? My father runs a stall in Brightswell, I’ve handled the transactions a few times over the years.” He said with a cocky grin, clearly happy about the money we made in just a few days. “3 Silver and 19 copper for each of us, after we sell everything. Considering we’ll need to spend about another silver on rations again and some copper on lodging at the adventurers guild for a few days that doesn’t leave us much for equipment. About a silver and a half per person, we might be able to get some low-quality leather armor if we’re lucky.” The longer he kept talking the more my face fell. My boots were already showing signs of wear and I was hoping to get a better spear than the ones the goblins use as well as armor. It looked like that wouldn’t be happening for a while longer than I had hoped.
“Don’t worry, that’s more than most newly awakened can say for their first expedition. Not to mention those that lose their lives, I’d say we’re making out as well as we could hope for.” Gabrielle said in an attempt to cheer us up. My thoughts turned dark for a moment as I contemplated the fate of the team that joined us this morning. I guess I couldn’t complain about heading back with money to spare, although it would most likely be a long time before could afford the portal back to Brightswell to visit my parents. We continued our discussion and decided to head back early the next morning since none of us saw any reason to wait around at the edge of the Bloodfields for any longer than necessary. The next morning passed like usual and we were on the road only a couple of hours after the sunrise.
“Thornbolt!” I decided this morning to continually deplete my Essence as we walked and to train Thornbolt instead of Barkskin. I was hoping that keeping my Essence supply depleted would help train my Spirit and Willpower during the long hike back to the city. After hearing my explanation the rest of the team quickly followed my lead, having nothing better to do to occupy our time. The two days on the road passed quickly with all of us focused on training and attempting to push our limits. As the roads started to get more crowded a couple of hours away from the city we decided to end our training so we didn’t get the guards called on us and I pulled up my Status while I walked.
Eli - Lvl 2 Druid
Experience - 228\500
Strength-5
Dexterity-4
Perception-4
Vitality-5
Spirit-6
Willpower-6 (+1)
Barkskin - Level 4\10 Upgradeable
Experience - 322\800
Thornbolt - Level 1\20 Upgradeable
Experience - 194\200
I earned another level in Willpower, making it my match my spirit at level 6, as well as about 90 experience in the past two days of constant training. I must have cast Thornbolt over a hundred times during the past two days and earned less experience than one afternoon of using it a handful of times in combat. On the other hand, it looked like my method of training was definitely beneficial for training my statistics, earning me an extremely valuable level that could have taken a lot longer from my usual sparing use of Essence in combat. I decided to continue my training while we were in the city but to limit myself to Barkskin unless I was in the Adventurers Guild training yard. A few minutes later we walked through the gates of the city just as the sun was setting.
“Let’s head to the Guild and get everything sold so we can get a meal of something other than rations for once, eh?” Zack asked with a raised eyebrow and a hopeful expression on his face.
“Gods, yes!” I called out as soon as he finished before I saw Gabrielle frowning. “Not that you're a bad cook, Gabrielle! It’s just,” I stopped when I saw her laughing and realized she was just teasing. “Oh, whatever,” I said with a laugh at my own expense. A short walk later we entered the Adventurers Guild of Gorok and waited in a short line at the receptionists' desk.
“Hello, ma’am. We have some items from the Bloodfields we would like to turn in for their bounties.” Gary said as he handed over our sack of items to sell. The woman at the desk quickly counted everything out and handed over 10 silver and 85 copper. Aaron had already split up the coins earlier when we counted them out. Aaron led the way back out of the guild and we happily strolled to an inn that was only a short walk away. This was the first time I had ever gone into an inn and I was immediately assaulted by the sound of dozens of voices shouting over each other. Everyone in sight was drinking with large mugs half the size of my head in their hands. Several of the tables had games of chance going with a pile of coins in the center of the table and dice or cards held in hands. I let out a deep breath and felt myself smile as I looked around and tried to take in the whole atmosphere.
“Ge out te door, den, brats!” A large man standing by the door waved us further inside. I looked around as we walked towards an empty table to take a seat and saw we had to be the youngest group inside, although I did see a few people that looked like they might only be a few years older than us. We sat down at one of the few empty tables at the far side of the packed inn.
“Has anyone been to an inn before?” Zack leaned forwards on the other side of the table and asked the group. Gary, Gabrielle, and I all shook our heads.
“No, but I’ve had an ale with my father a few times to celebrate a big sale. Are we planning on staying the night here or should we look for lodgings back at the guild? I’m sure it’ll be cheaper there.” Aaron said as we waited for a server to make it to our table.
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“My brother told me the guild rooms are just massive halls filled with bunks. If it’s not too expensive maybe we can spend a night here, first? Let’s divvy up the rest of the coin so we know how much we have to spend.” Gary said as he pulled out the rest of the coins he got from the receptionist earlier. Aaron took the coins from him with a smirk on his face after we watched him frown at them while trying to figure out the math. A few seconds later Aaron was pushing two silver and 17 copper to each of us so I brought out the rest of my money pouch and figured I would take the opportunity to see how much I had in total. Five silver and twenty-nine copper saved up, although I would need to save over one silver for rations.
“How long are we planning on spending in Gorok before we head back out? And do you know how much the rooms cost at the guild?” I asked Gary who was looking around for a server.
“I thought we would decide how long we wanted to stay in the city tonight, and I’m not sure on the price but I know it’s cheap.” Gary finished speaking at the same time as an older girl walked up to our table to take our orders. All five of us ordered an ale and a large bowl of stew with fresh bread, which seemed to be what most people were eating around the room.
“My leg’s already healed a bit during the walk, but I’ll need a few more days at least to be in fighting shape,” Gabrielle said as she gestured towards her thigh. I winced just from remembering the nasty cuts she had from the warg bite.
“How about we spend tonight at the inn then two nights at the guild. We can get gear and rations tomorrow and use the next day however we’d like. On the third day, we hit the road and head back to the Bloodfields?” I said, leaving the ending open as a question. Everyone agreed and we set in to enjoy our first meal that wasn’t our packed rations in over a week. I let out a contented groan as I devoured the fresh bread and steaming hot stew, feeling myself relax more than I had since leaving Brightswell. I finished my large mug of ale around the same time as my meal and I could already feel my eyes drooping despite my intentions to stay up and talk.
“I’m gonna go ask for a room, I can barely keep my eyes open,” I explained as I got up and started stumbling my way towards the bar.
“We’ll meet here in the morning!” Zack called out to me as I left. I waved a hand over my shoulder to signal that I heard and continued to the innkeeper standing behind the bar. I waited a couple of steps away while he finished talking to a server until the innkeeper turned to look at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Hello. How much would a room for the night be?” I asked.
“At’ll be five copper for a night. Seven if’n ya wan break ya fast in the morn,” he said with the rough accent common of the people who worked near the docks of Gorok. I handed over seven copper with only a slight grimace, it didn’t seem like too big of an expense considering how much I have saved up so far. He handed me a key and told me to head to the second floor and the sixth room on the left. I nodded in thanks and walked up the stairs without another glance at the room, sleeping in a bed was the only thing on my mind. I got to my room, unlocked the door, and barely managed to get undressed before I collapsed on the bed and immediately fell asleep.
I woke up the next morning with the sun peeking through a window that I hadn’t even noticed yesterday. I stretched out on the large, somewhat soft bed and decided I wouldn’t mind spending the rest of the day without moving with a contented yawn. A couple of seconds later my stomach let out a groan as it showed its disagreement and I let out a wry chuckle. A few minutes later I got dressed in my least-dirty pair of clothes, wincing at the feeling of pulling clothes on over my old bandages. After breakfast, I would try and find somewhere to clean my clothes, take a bath, and switch out my bandages. I got downstairs and took in the mostly empty common room, a stark difference from the packed atmosphere it had last night. Only four tables had people sitting at them and I didn’t see any of my friends yet. I sat at one of the many empty tables and waited patiently for a server to come by.
“Barkskin,” I cast on myself as I waited. No reason not to use this time to train, I thought as I felt my skin tighten and dry up in the usual way. Every level my ability had gained so far increased the visible effects as well as the strength. At this point, my skin was clearly raised in grooves reminiscent of the namesake.
“Training even at breakfast?” Aaron said with his customary smirk. “Well, I would too but I don’t think leaping across the room will earn us any favors.” I shook my head in amusement as I noticed him wincing as he sat across me.
“How long did the rest of you stay up?” I asked, “And how much did you drink?” I watched him rubbing the sides of his head as he leaned back with a pained smile.
“Gabrielle headed to sleep a few minutes after you, but I managed to convince Gary and Zack to get another ale with me before we called it a night,” he replied. I reached across the table and cast Barkskin on him and he looked annoyed for a second before he sighed. “Actually, I think that helped my headache, thanks.”
“Mornin’, here ya go,” a server laid two plates of eggs, bread, and cheese in front of us with two large cups of watered-down ale. We both barely managed to thank her as we stared hungrily at our plates. I dug into the hot meal and didn't look up until I finished in what felt like less than a minute later. I finished with a contented sigh and leaned back in my chair, noticing Gary, Zack, and Gabrielle walking over towards us and looking enviously at our empty plates.
“Morning, team,” I said with a smile around the table after I noticed Zack and Gary looked like they were nursing hangovers.
“Barkskin”
“Barkskin”
“Barkskin,” I cast on all three of them, getting a loud moan in reply from Zack. I chuckled at his slightly over-the-top response and with some mental nudging towards my core, I realized that my capacity had probably grown to 10 casts of Barkskin with full Essence.
“Thanks, Eli. I don’t suppose I can cast Fireballs to light the fireplace?” Gabrielle joked after we rolled our eyes at Zacks's antics.
“I’m not sure that’ll go over so well, the innkeeper didn’t seem like a man to mess with. Hey Aaron, do you want to head to the bathhouses while they eat? I’m tired of smelling myself, I don’t know about you.” I decided to ask since I felt like I wanted to get moving. The rest of the group could join us after they ate when we joined up to search the market for cheap gear.
“Definitely. We’ll meet the rest of you at the Adventurers Guild later? We can meet there before we go to the market.” he replied, looking excited at the prospect of exploring the market.
“Sure. We’ll see you guys there later.” Gary waved as we left the inn. Neither of us knew where the bathhouses were in this city so I asked the bouncer near the door before we walked out.
“Right near the docks, there’s a free bathhouse, just head down towards the water and look for the white stone building. Ya can’t miss it.” The man helpfully explained so I tossed him a copper in thanks. We walked down the wide streets towards the water about a mile from the inn we stayed the night at.
I tried to take the experience in, knowing that if I had decided almost any other path besides becoming an adventurer I never would have been able to travel to other cities like this. Even with how expensive the portals of the adventurers guild were, there’s nothing like that for regular peasants. I’m sure the mages guild has something similar but they won’t let anyone other than their members use them. I’ve never seen a world map, but the untamed wilds between cities can be extremely dangerous to travel without a large caravan and guards.
“So why did you become an adventurer?” I asked as we walked through a smelly fish market near the docks.
“Well, my father sold mostly to adventurers so I spent a lot of my time growing up talking to them. On my 6th horde, my mother got killed, too. If I can earn enough money I’d like to buy my father a house inside one of the more secure districts.” He replied as we neared the ocean. “What about you?”
“Sorry about your mother, I lost my uncle and his entire family two hordes ago, too. I grew up listening to my father's stories about traveling between the cities in a merchant's caravan. The adventurers they hired would fight off all types of monsters and he told me about dozens of different places he visited before he settled at Brightswell. He has souvenirs from every city he visited and I always used to imagine myself seeing the cities as an adventurer.” I explained as we walked along the docks to a massive white stone building Aaron pointed out in the distance. Once we reached the building I saw a large archway with a few serving girls and an attendant near the entrance.
“Could I get three pairs of clothes cleaned while I use the baths?” I asked the attendant out front.
“Yes, three copper and it’ll be ‘bout an hour.” He responded in a bored, monotone voice. I handed over three coppers a bit dejectedly, feeling like my hard-earned money was draining away the longer we stayed in the city. I grabbed a towel from a large stack and waited for Aaron to hand over his clothes before I went inside.
“Don’t worry, next trip out to the Bloodfields we’ll make out like bandits,” Aaron said after he joined me. Obviously, he noticed my look when I was handing over the coins. “We earned a lot of experience this trip, not to mention we found a good team that’s willing to stick together.”
“Yeah, you're right. That dungeon was more difficult than I expected, though. I wonder if they’ll all be that tough.” I wondered out loud as we entered a huge chamber with a large pool of water separated by smaller alcoves big enough to fit a few people in each. I took off my towel and sank into the chilly water with a sigh.
“Yeah, I’ve been wondering that as well. Unfortunately, we’re all still pretty far from reaching level 3,” he replied. “Regardless, if we can manage to get some decently thick leather armor for all of us we should be able to handle it.”
Both of us washed off the dried blood, mud, and whatever else we’d managed to get covered in over the past few days since we’d met at Brightswell. Floating here in the baths it struck me that it had only been 8 days since we had met, and both of us have changed from the experience.
“Any idea how much a shorter spear and a shield would cost? Dealing with those goblins shooting rocks at me would be a lot easier if I had a shield, and I’d feel a lot more comfortable when I’m using my spear if I had something to block with.” I asked as we lazily floated in the alcove and waited for the serving lady to bring our cleaned clothes to us. I had been thinking of switching to a weapon that would allow me to use a shield for a while now, but I still wanted to stick with a spear since I could tell I had been improving with it.
Aaron’s eyebrows drew together in contemplation, “I’m not too sure, a couple of silver each I’d guess.”
“After I buy rations I’ll have about four silver,” I complained. “I guess I could get the spear and shield instead of leather armor.”
“Hey, whatever you think would be best for you. A better quality spear than the bronze-tipped one you’ve been using would be a huge step up.” he laughed. “I’ll need to get a few dozen new arrows as well, shouldn’t be more than a five copper a dozen I hope.” I looked up to see one of the serving girls drop two stacks of wet clothes near the edge of the alcove. I sighed, I guess it was time to get moving to the adventurers guild. We both got dressed and packed away the rest of our clothes before heading out of the building and in the direction of the adventurers guild about a half-mile away. We stopped at one of the seafood stalls on the way there and paid a copper for some steaming hot grilled fish, which was surprisingly tasty. They didn’t have fish in Brightwell so it was the first time either of us had tried any.