“What?” Owen asked, shocked; in response, Owen used his Eye on her.
Selia Noraillon | Oracle Level 22
Name: Selia Noraillon Class: Oracle Species: Lamis Level: 22 EXP: 4188/13555 Health : 226/226 Stamina : 249/249 Mana: 1044/1044 Stats Strength: 15 Endurance: 14 Dexterity: 16 Vigor: 17 Intelligence: 32 Focus: 34 Faith: 6 Luck: 3 Skills Foresight, Healing Touch, Spiritual Connection, Divine Knowledge, Divine Ward, Dea’s Blessing
“I’m sorry, Owen,” Selia said, “I’m an Oracle from the Church of Dragons. I have a sense of people who have been touched by the Gods. I didn’t mean to pry or startle you; I just wanted to talk if possible.”
“Church of Dragons?” Owen asked, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude. It’s just my only dealings with any church were Crea’s, and they haven’t been positive. Can you tell me more about yourself and this other church?” As Owen asked, he took the time to look over Selia. She had the upper body of a beautiful woman with tanned skin, but her lower half was that of a snake. She had shimmering copper scales with red hues, and her clothing was loose and flowing with multiple bright colors. She was sitting on large cushions instead of any kind of chair.
“Of course, Owen. I’m proud to say we have nothing to do with the Gods who say they care. We worship the old Gods of this world, the great dragons. Unfortunately, it is believed that they fled to the heavens when the new Gods showed up. We hope that soon, they will return and help us fight against the monsters of this world. Only Dea, the Shadow God, has assisted us in our fight to save the world. That is why I spoke out about you being blessed; you feel similar to me.”
“Shadow God? I thought he was the God of Destruction?” Owen asked since all the notifications he’s gotten from him had that title.
“That is his Prime Title. We like to use his Shadow title as it’s in spite of the new Gods.”
“In spite of them?”
“Yes, according to Dea, he is the Shadow of Crea. He is her, but everything she is not. She is prideful, he is humble, she is demanding, he is lax. That is why we call him her Shadow, to spite them.” Selia said with a wide grin, “Enough of that talk, tell me, how did you save my young ones?” Owen began telling her about how he had come about running into Borit and Alice. He had been out hunting monsters, heard Alice scream, and came running.
“You were out hunting on Josifon’s Day? You must be very skilled; most people hunt in the safety of Dungeons.”
“Safety of a Dungeon? Why would it be safe? There were many more monsters earlier; is that what’s special for his day?” After asking his questions, Owen heard Borit laugh nearby, mumbling something about him and questions.
“You are pretty strange, Owen, but your curiosity is cute. Most Nobles and the rich tend to hunt in Dungeons since the monsters always spawn in the same area in the same numbers. While they may get less EXP, it’s considered much safer. As for Josifon’s Day, it’s regarded as the worst day due to the large number of monsters spawning. Of course, the God’s say it's to test us before they give us a day of rest. There are many theories about why this happens, but that’s more in my sister’s expertise. I mainly trade in information, gossip, and rumors. What about you, Owen? What is such an accomplished Swordsman doing here instead of in the Capital?
“I’m not that good,” Owen replied, shrugging off the praise. “I’m just a Mercenary working for Captain BladeThorn out of Moonkeep. I’ll most likely start traveling once my leveling starts to slow down. There are a few things I need to do here, but other than that, I can’t wait to travel. Borit said you all came from the South, Arak? What’s it like down there?”
“What? You don’t like talking about yourself, Owen. You’re no fun.” Selia teased, “But Arak is a league of connected trade cities. We have many Dungeons with resource floors, so once every few seasons, we take our extra resources and travel to trade them. We’ve had a good trade season this year; we’ll take the Portal back to Arak once we get to Light. From there, the young ones will be considered accomplished adults and start their new lives. Either returning to their hometown or starting a new life wherever they please.”
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“So this is like a coming-of-age thing?” Owen asked.
“Yes. It’s the first time young ones get to learn about the world without their family's supervision. Some lessons are harsh, such as the ones this caravan has been through. But the journey from one country to another is rarely peaceful. Speaking of harsh lessons, Owen, you are open to jobs, yes?”
“Sure, just depends on the job, I suppose.”
“On our way from Roseverf, we were accosted by bandits. We paid our way out of it, but I would like them dealt with. Is this a job you would be willing to accept?” Selia asked, her voice laced with venom.
“I’m not sure. We can stop by our Hall in the morning, and I can ask my Sergeant about it. I’m unsure if I can take the job, and I don’t want to give you false hope.” Owen explained, “Since you are a trader, I would also like to introduce you to our Quartermaster. Since I have gotten a nice haul of mana stones from these last few days of hunting. He’ll have coin to spend, and I’m sure he would enjoy the company.”
“That does sound fun,” Selia answered, “It would be a good closure to our journey if your fellow mercenaries are as good company. It is a plan, Owen. We set out tomorrow morning for Moonkeep; we shall trade and make merry with your companions before heading to Light.” Selia said as she extended her hand. Grasping it, Owen shook it to seal the deal.
“Thank you, Selia, for telling me about yourself and your culture. I want to see more of the world if there are people like you out there. What’s Arak like? Up here near Moonkeep, it is all grass and forest. What are your dungeons like, and what makes a resource dungeon different?” Owen asked before catching himself, “I’m sorry. I know I ask so many questions. My friends complain enough about it; I should probably stop.”
“No, don’t apologize, Owen,” Selia softly scolded him, “It is rare for a human in the Empire to care so much about the livelihood of others. It is refreshing; I very much enjoy your questions. They show me a sweet, curious side of you. Now, to answer your questions, we shall start with myself. My name is Selia Noraillon, and my class is that of an Oracle. With my Class, I feel the souls of others, as well as receiving a blessing from a God that shares my interests. I am from Arak, which is a large desert country, and due to this, we heavily focus on trade. Most of our accomplished warriors delve into our Dungeons for the drops. Resource Dungeons are any dungeon that has an open floor with something besides monsters. This could be a woodland you could log for timber, a mine for stone and ores, or even an ocean for fish. Dungeons have been known to take on some of these characteristics at or after the fifth floor. Does this answer your questions, Owen?” Selia laughed.
“Yes, thank you. I am sorry for so many questions, but I enjoy learning about other things in the world. I’m sorry if you were expecting some grand story about myself, but there is none. My father raised me after losing my mother. I had no siblings, but it was an okay life. Once I was old enough, I joined the Ma-Mercenaries, and I’ve been doing that since. I know it’s not that interesting,” Owen sheepishly said while rubbing the back of his head, “Sorry about that.”
“Stop, Owen,” Selia scolded him, “Your life doesn’t need to be interesting to others for it to matter. Do you think I was any different? We Lamis don’t even know our parents; we are just raised in a large clutch, where everyone is family. I won’t blame my birth giver, nor my village, as that’s just how things are. But I’ve traveled, learned what it's like for others, and am jealous. I desperately want a family. It’s why I took on the caravan this year. To act as a surrogate mother for these young ones, I can’t wait to return and tell my sister how much I loved it. I plan on asking Borit and Alice to stay with me and my sister once the journey ends. I have grown attached to the two of them and do not wish to part just yet. Ah, seems I am the one who should apologize. I’m sorry, Owen. I didn’t mean to scold you or go on like that. Again, I’m sorry.” Selia said while slightly bowing to Owen.
“It's alright, Selia. I know you meant it in a good way. It's okay. It must have been hard for you then, dealing with the bandits and any other hardships you’ve had.”
“It has. We lost a few young ones about halfway through our journey, along with our guards. It…is a blessing and a curse to feel how others feel.” Selia said, clutching both her hands to her chest. “The fear and grief I felt from everyone was suffocating, but it is moments like these that I love.” She said as she gestured to everyone at the table. Looking around, Owen could see Borit and Alice having a playful argument with another Lupinax about which cut of meat was the best. While the other three were drinking merrily and singing an upbeat song about making money and retiring with everything they could ever dream of.
“Yeah,” Owen agreed, smiling at the scene, “Moments like these tend to be the better memories.”
“They are,” Selia agreed as she stretched her arms into the arm before lifting herself off her cushions. “Thank you for talking with me, Owen. I can’t wait to talk more tomorrow, but I will be calling it for tonight. I will have Borit or one of the other boys wake you in the morning as we prepare for departure. I’ll see you in the morning.” She said while giving him another bow before turning and addressing the others. “Come on now, young ones, clean up; we must prepare for tomorrow. Alice dear, can you get my cushions, Borit, make sure the others clean up. I will talk to the Owner and cover our bill.” Selia stated as she made her way over to the front counter. Smiling, Owen helped the others clean up before he headed upstairs himself. Going into his room, Owen locked the door before he walked over to his bed and collapsed onto it. It didn’t even take a minute for sleep to claim him that night.