We agree to take a rest to allow Meg to get back on her feet from what ended up being a pretty serious healing spell. This has the benefit of giving Jonas some time to recover at least a little bit of Essence in case we run into anything else that may be wanting to take a swipe at us while we try to figure out how to get out of here.
Meg watches me wince as I move around. “You doing okay, Keira?”
“Yeah. I think I cracked a couple of ribs when I was bulldozed by that spider.”
“It wasn’t appropriate to say at the time,” Tyrus says, “but that was pretty funny.”
“I’m glad you were amused. It hurt like a bitch though.”
“I can imagine,” Jonas cringes in sympathy. “I’m all tapped out I’m afraid.”
“No, that’s okay. I can still draw my bow. And I think I have a healing elixir in my bag. I’m debating on whether or not to take it.”
“Wait. You have a healing elixir in your bag, but you didn’t bring a change of clothes?” Flynt asks, his voice pitched upward in disbelief. “Are you being honest right now?”
“You didn’t bring a change of clothes?” Tyrus echoes. “Why? Are you on the run? Are we in the company of a fugitive?”
“I am not a criminal,” I insist, rolling my eyes (though it’s fair, I can see how they would think that). “I just had to leave unexpectedly. I grabbed what I could. That included some elixirs.”
“It depends how hurt you feel,” Meg says, seriously. “If you’re half strength or lower, I’d take it. It’s better to use it now than to die with it still on you.”
“If she dies with it still on her, can I have it?” Tyrus asks.
“No,” I reply. “Flynt gets my stuff if I die.”
“Why does he get it?” Jonas asks.
“I met him first.”
“Thanks,” Flynt says. “I’d rather you not die.”
“I certainly don’t plan to. And I expect you all to try and revive me if I do. But just in case, I want it stated that any money gets divided up evenly, but Flynt gets all my stuff.”
“Yeah, okay, that’s fair,” Tyrus says. “Jonas gets my stuff.”
“Why me?”
Tyrus shrugs. “You seem like a stand-up guy. I like how you smile all the time. Why not you?”
“You’re right. Why not me?” Jonas grins.
“Can we not discuss this?” Meg asks. “I’d rather not discuss it. None of us are dying any time soon.”
“Who gets your stuff, Meg?” Jonas asks.
“Keira.”
“What?” Jonas and I ask at the same time.
Meg just shrugs, not elaborating on her thinking.
As silence drifts among us again, I take the opportunity to open up my [Personal Status].
> [Keira, Hunter Elf: Urban Ranger]
>
> [Level: 2]
>
> [Reputation: Rookie]
>
> If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
>
> [Defense: 13]
>
> [Hit Points: 9 / 21]
>
> [Experience: 485 / 1000]
>
> [Stamina: 100 / 100]
>
> [Essence: 0 / 0]
>
> [Stats]
>
> [Abilities Menu]
>
> [Skills Menu]
Shit. No wonder I hurt. That’s definitely less than half strength. I should do what Meg advises and take the elixir. I can probably get another one somewhere. Maybe even at Flynt’s Emporium. At the very least, it’s the chance to gage how much magical items cost. And discover firsthand how they work.
I dismiss the [Menu] and consider pulling up [Squad Status]— but it feels like an invasion of privacy for some reason. Why is it any of my business what their background is or how high or low their [Stamina]. So, I don’t. Instead, I pull up [Quest Tracker].
> [Without a Trace. Return to the Oosal municipal center to collect reward.]
Okay then, excellent. Job done.
I debate for a moment how accurate [Quest Tracker] is. Does this mean that it’s over and I don’t have to worry about anything else jumping out to get me, or are there still dangers? Should I heal myself just in case?
I dismiss [Tracker] and reach into my bag to pull out the healing elixir. The others have stopped talking and are watching as I inspect it. It’s red, roughly the color of cherry Kool-Aid. I wonder how it will taste.
Glancing over at the others I grimace. “Better safe than dead, right?” I pop off the top and toast it toward them before downing it.
It tastes like cough syrup and burns going down, feeling a little like swallowing Pop-Rocks, but it warms up from the inside and all of a sudden the pressure in my chest lifts. I can feel the bruises fading away, and even the scrape on my face seems to burn off. I just wipe away the scab as if the cut itself was never there. It’s intense.
“Wow.” I shake my head and I slip the now empty vial back into my bag. The others are still watching. “What?”
“How do you feel?” Jonas asks. “I’ve actually never seen anyone take a healing elixir before. They don’t usually need to if I’m nearby.”
“A lot better,” I say. “And I don’t have any of the weird buzzing from when you heal me. No offense.” Though truthfully, I hadn’t even noticed the buzzing until I had a healing experience without it. “I can totally see people getting addicted to that stuff.”
“I’m sure they would,” Meg scoffs, “but it would be one expensive habit. Those are easily ten gold a piece.”
“Well, there goes my hopes for getting another any time soon.” I sigh. “I do have an Essence elixir, though, if that would be helpful.”
Both Flynt and Jonas’s eyes get big, and Jonas’s mouth actually drops open.
“Are you being honest?” Jonas asks.
“Why would I lie about that? It’s just a basic one, though.”
“Hold on to it,” Flynt says, firmly. “We can wait it out. But that’s good to know you have it. That may save one of our lives down the road.”
“What else do you have in that little bag of yours?” Tyrus asks.
“Nothing all that exciting, I don't think... A stamina elixir as well? And then it’s just my journal, some playing cards. Basic stuff.”
Tyrus raises an eyebrow. “Why playing cards?”
“Why not playing cards?” I ask.
“You good at anything?”
“Probably not. Why? Are you?”
“Maybe.” He chuckles. “Come on. Why don’t you and I check out the spidey hidey-hole. Might be some kind of way out of here.”
I follow Tyrus to the hole in the back, and together we use our daggers to cut away at the webs, which indeed reveals a tunnel, though the webs continue on for a dozen or so gooey, sticky feet. We continue to cut our way through, finding a couple of bags in the process that are similar to mine in style— though, picking them up, you can feel the contents, so they don’t seem magical. I sling one over my shoulder and Tyrus carries the other. We also find a bunch of spider egg sacs hidden in the far corner near an exit.
“Ew,” I shudder, goosebumps rising on my arms.
“We’ll get Flynt to burn them on the way out,” Tyrus says. “Let’s go dump out the loot.”
We return to the party and do just that, keeping the piles separated just in case there’s any kind of identification that might match any of the bodies. The one I grabbed doesn't have anything particularly remarkable in it, just a small coin purse with a half dozen silver pieces, which we designate finders keepers and put aside. There’s a pair of work gloves, a change of men’s clothing that would be far too big for me, and a book in Dwarvish, which doesn’t necessarily match any of the bodies (though I suppose anyone could read the language).
The second bag has a few spare silver pieces (which we put in the previous coin purse and slip into my bag for divvying up later), a scarf, another pair of work gloves, and a rolled set of papers (which includes a muster order to the city watch for one Cullum Phrine). We pack up both bags— sans their coinage— and place them where we laid out the bodies, again a bit disappointed by a meager bounty.
“At least it was something,” Jonas points out.
“Yeah,” Tyrus sighs. “You just hear of these adventurers finding treasure troves full of gold and jewels and shiny things and all we’ve really found is a bunch of old clothes.”
“It won’t be all,” Jonas says. “Just wait. I’m sure our next find will have a whole bunch of shiny things.”
“You think?”
“I do.” Jonas pulls open his hip bag and takes out a pair of small apples, tossing one to Tyrus. “Now. Job done. Let’s finish up our rest and get out of this place, yeah?”