We lucked out on the very first dwelling we tried.

It looked even more drab and foreboding as we approached it, slowly and cautiously. Its walls were gray, made with mud bricks. Its roof was made of thatched straw. Its windows were merely holes set into the earthen walls. I peered into one of the windows while Pri listened at the door.

Both of us made eye contact and shook our heads, not a sound nor a hint of movement. This was our chance.

I motioned to Pri that we should jump in the window and she shook her head, pressing the door open. It creaked and gave way immediately.

Guess people here don’t lock their doors! Or maybe they don’t have locks.

I followed her inside.

***

The inside of the hut was even less inspiring than the exterior. The only furnishing of the small hut was a workbench and a hay-bale covered in patchwork quilt. That was, I assumed, where the owner slept. There was also a small fireplace made of stone at the center. It was out now, embers glowing in the morning chill air.

Pri was already searching the place while I stood dumbly at the doorway. She was at the workbench, rummaging through drawers, trying to find anything we could use. She sighed as she slammed the final drawer shut, turning to me.

Pri’s expression turned from frustration to surprise, her mouth hanging open.

“What is it Pri, you look like you-”

"Oi you two, what the 'ell are ye doin' in me' house!" A loud voice bellowed from behind me.

I cringed. Was that a real peasant-accent or was Valinor just using a simulation of the most stereotypical version of cockney british ever?

I didn't have time to finish my speculation as when I turned there was a large, burly, hairy peasant standing a good two feet taller than me and waving a shovel.

That quest text sure wasn't kidding about this being a rural village. Saarbrucken men were no joke. Accents aside.

I checked if he had stats and saw that he had none, no health bar, no level indicator. I frowned. How come the demon boar and the Orc had had one, but not this guy?

HELP what the hell? Is this an enemy? Why can’t I get any info?

EnemyStats

Health Bars / Levels and abilities of enemies are only available for you to see in combat.

A further thought occurred to me then.

HELP and what about Pri? Does she have her own stats?

NPC Stats

NPC units all have stats but these will not be available to you unless you are in combat against them or in a party with them.

You may gain more information about NPCs or the world around you by interacting with it, however, such as names… abilities..

"Yah yah I get it, I get. Only in combat and the rest is just like real life. But wait… isn’t Pri already in a party with me?"

Both the angry farmer and Pri fixed me with a stare. As if I had two heads. Maybe three. I ignored them and read the answer as it scrolled through my vision.

Forming a Party

You are not currently in a party. You may form one at any time by formally requesting someone to join with you. There are many benefits to being in a party. You can see the abilities and stats of your allies, as well as share certain buffs, and easily trade items.

“This is getting a little complicated,” I stroked my chin as I thought it over.

Should I invite Pri to my party? I wonder how should would take that…

"Lad's 'alf out of 'is mind inn ’e?"

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

The man said, lowering his shovel, a pitying look in his eyes.

I stared back at the peasant, pushing away the quest text. Only now was I taking him in fully. He was a large brute of a man. Big hairy arms, a mouth with far too few teeth. Wild eyes that had begun to soften.

This is good. He thinks I’m crazy.

I turned to Pri, hoping she would take the opportunity and run with it. I winked.

"Er.. um yes. He is out of his mind for sure…”

Pri began slowly, catching on to the plan.

“…I found him wandering the woods, lost and alone. Talking to himself! I thought to bring him here to the village, to find someone who might um… know who he is… where he came from."

The farmer seemed to relax looking me up and down, and then Pri. He put down his shovel on the mud floor of the hut and I heard Pri breath a sigh of relief.

I agree. That shovel looks deadly.

"Aye there is a lot of that goin' round. The great madness they say."

The man seemed lost in thought at that, perhaps he had lost someone in this so called “madness”. But no sooner had we gotten on his good side than I noticed a shift as his gaze roamed over Pri.

His eyes narrowed, and I saw him appraising the gown she was wearing. I saw him reach back down to the floor and pick up his shovel once more, clutching it tight.

"And where did you say…you came from miss?"

I took two steps back, standing side by side with Pri, putting as much distance as I could between myself in the man.

There was silence in the small blackened room.

The tension grew thick in the air, my hand crept down towards my sword and I could see Pri clench her fists as she worked out an answer to his question.

Dammit why did the two of us suck so much and backstory?

"I um… I.." she ran her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. Slowly the rag that kept her ears bound fell from her head, drifting towards the floor of the hut. I watched it drop in slow motion, kneeling down to catch it as it fell.

Pri continued to stammer, not noticing what she’d done.

“I … I… well I come from very far. You would not have heard…”

The man gasped.

Pri looked from the man’s shocked face to me, crouched below her holding the dropped rag. Finally she realized what she’d done. She’d exposed her ears.

“Orcs’ teeth,” she spat.

So there were swear words in this world after all!

"ELF!" he screamed.

And then he charged my maiden without warning, barreling towards her with a speed that shocked us both.

I didn't have time to pull my sword, nor to even cast a spell when the man slumped to the floor.

What the hell? Did he just have a heart attack?

Underneath his health bar was a large word in green that said

SLEEP

180 seconds

I looked over at Pri who stood, panting, her hands raised, her fingers twisted into an intricate symbol.

"Wait, you've been able to use magic this whole damn time?"

Pri flashed a glance at me, back at the man and then me again.

"Now!? You want me to explain this now?!"

"Well I almost died saving you from an Orc yesterday so I think now is about as good a time as any miss Elfen royal lady!"

She gritted her teeth, exasperated. "Fine! Listen Joseph, Elfen magic isn't an infinite resource, I can only cast those spells a few times a day, and once I cast them I have to wait. Not only that but they deplete my … ma-na. I don't believe you humans even have a word for that, nor that you would understand."

"Are you kidding me right now? Did you not see me cast vines on that orc? I have my own magic lady."

Her eyes widened, "That was… that was you? You are a real Druid!? I thought that it was a creature of the forest, that it had heard my calls!"

“And what the hell did you think I did with the bird yesterday? To find our way out of the forest?? Didn’t you realize I had Druid magic?”

I wanted to scream at her, she was so damn arrogant

Pri wrinkled her nose. “Bird? All I saw was you mumbling some words, slumping over onto the ground, and peeing yourself.”

She paused.

“You were right about going north though, I thought it was just a lucky guess. I didn’t want to argue with you after all of your craziness. You seemed a man possessed.”

This lady is unbelievable! I save her twice and she thinks I’m a crazy person!

I happened to glance at the timer and saw we had used up nearly half of the sleep.

"Ok ok, he could wake up at any minute Pri. Let’s talk magic later. For now, what do we do? He knows you are an Elf, he knows we are strangers in this land. We can't just… leave him."

"But we can't kill him! He is just an innocent farmer!"

We stood in silence for a second thinking. Finally I piped up.

"I have an idea, but I don't think you're going to like it."

"We don't have much choice, do we?"

I shook my head.