Ivan dashed forward using the Thief skill 'Nimble Feet' and the Knight Skill 'Battering Ram' together. The Great Talon Hexapod was about as dangerous a creature as could be found in these parts. It and its kind were normally contained to the Old Oak Dungeon, but sometimes they found a way out. Some said they had a small population living outside the Dungeon too, but that didn't matter to Ivan. He was finally fighting again. It had been almost two weeks since the last time he fought the forces of the God of Light. He had stolen from them a great deal in that time, but not killed any. The need to fight was suddenly on him like a strange hunger. That and other urges…
Many of the forces here were militia as before, but he had caused enough chaos in his earlier sprees that now word from 'high command' was that experts were being sent down to investigate the losses. That meant high level Jobs in the Adept and Advanced Classes of their jobs. Right now Ivan only had his Standard and Basic Jobs. He was hearing all sorts of things about his antics anyway, but most of it was just wild speculation. Yet Ivan had overheard some of the militiamen talk about renegade Istanian forces in the area taking vengeance for their lost Goddess. Foolishness.
The days without killing were good for Ivan regardless of his hatred for the forces of Light. He thought so at least. He couldn't simply dismiss what he had done, but it was certainly better not to do it everyday. Penelope had been nice about it too, even giving him tips on what to do to better level his thief job as they moved about the area keeping low. She was a welcome distraction from the hatred that burned in his chest.
With any luck the people investigating his earlier kills would see the death and slaughter of militia companies as a completely separate issue to the theft plaguing the waiting militia camps. For now though Ivan was focused on his fight against the deadly insect creature.
It had great ivory talons, each sharp as any blade could be, on powerful mantis arms, and six powerful clawed legs that it could leap with. It had a somewhat humanoid torso as the segments of its thorax rose from the oval base of its abdomen. Its head could see all the way around it, and if what Ivan had once read was true, it could see in almost total darkness as well. He might have to test that.
Using the speed of his new thief job together with the strength of his knight job he managed to get around the creature's guard and slam it open. He used his Knight's Longsword as a bludgeon, striking out with Pommel Strike on its head to stun it for several seconds as Quixla's dagger flashed in his hands. Even then as he struck he was moving, leaping to stand on top of the creature's armored abdomen away from where its legs and arms might strike. He used his strength and speed in tandem with his newfound dexterity to slam the blade under the creatures armored carapace under its arm.
Ivan must have found a critical area because strange fibrous liquid sprayed from the wound even as most of it was consumed by Quixla's Bloodletting dagger. The thing's right arm went limp as it wildly tried to gain some sort of balance.
Ivan gave it no time to rest and used Backstab, an assassin ability, as he came into position behind the beast. Quixla's dagger flashed in his hand again and he found an area on the back of its neck where the carapace seemed the thinnest. The creature shrieked and swiped for Ivan with its talon. It was able to reach behind it, but the strike was so awkward Ivan had no trouble avoiding its strike.
Ivan did however disengage, and he left Quixla's blade behind rammed into the things neck. The creature staggered away from him as he kicked off its back, but its six legs kept it up, all of them moving in a wave like motion as the creature turned on him in a rage.
Ivan took up his sword in both hands, and entered 'Battle Stance' , a key to many warrior special attack abilities. He kept his guard low as he preferred and readied himself to meet the creature blade to blade. Stances were often required for many martial abilities, and it was hard to hide some of them against intelligent opponents.
'Heavy Counter' accepted the first blow. It was a skill with powerful defensive abilities, but one that always gave an opening to strike. The power of that strike was always dependent upon the strength of the blow that was stopped, but the creature was mindless in its attacks and struck always with its greatest strength and speed. Ivan turned its remaining useful great talon away and nearly removed the first leg on its left side with his counter stroke.
Ivan followed with Overpower, Lance Strike, and Horse Charge. Only Overpower would have been usable without his Adaptive Fighting, but it showed its worth in trade for the time it had taken Ivan to gain it yet again. Overpower let Ivan crush through the creature's attempted guard counter skill, Horse Charge stunned it further and allowed him more than twice his usual run speed beside. Then Lance Strike flew true into its neck to deliver incredible damage as Ivan ran it through. Quixla's dagger thrummed to his senses as the creature died. This dagger was newly made, and the last Ivan had conjured up had been offered up to Quixla to gain her favor. The demon had apparently been pleased and the weapon was more deadly than ever.
Now not only did the Bloodletting dagger collect blood for future offerings, but could feast on the soul energy of its victims as they died providing Ivan a potion like effect of mana and stamina regeneration at need. That came with an ability for Ivan to leave the conjured weapon stuck fast into wounds where the blade would suck and drink its victims life blood as long as it remained there. That would even bypass any sort of healing spell or effect put onto the victim as well. The blade would just soak in the new rush of blood and life as long as it remained. One day Ivan's hand would be the only one that could remove it from a wound, but for now anyone with a dispel more magically powerful than Ivan's ability to conjure the weapon would be able to break it apart together with any collected benefits.
Ivan collected the dagger with just a sharp tug needed to break it free from the carapace plates it was stuck between. Ivan eyed the corpse, toying with its suddenly sunken form.
“Well. That makes looting it easier I suppose.” Ivan mumbled under his breath.
“It's more fun when you get messy.” Penelope complained.
He huffed out a sighing laugh in answer.
Penelope laughed inside the Shroud. The dagger had soaked up all the fluid inside the creature and had left behind the valuable husks of its carapace and talons. Ivan broke out the large pack he had stolen from a small leather shop some days away from here and started peeling plates and talons from the creature. All were useful in making magic items and Ivan could make a good deal of money taking the parts to the right smith near the dungeon.
“Are you liking the new thief abilities you're getting?” Penelope asked as he worked.
“Wish more of them were for combat.” Ivan complained.
Penelope snickered darkly.
“You've mastered Stealth pretty well. Nimble Feet, and Fast Hands seemed pretty natural from the start. You didn't use 'Steal' against this monster though. I mean I know you just got it, but you do understand that you can use it in combat right?” Penelope sighed at about the same moment as Ivan hung his head.
“No, but it sort of seems obvious now. Why else would it take so much mana?” Ivan asked.
“So much mana? Steal? You're kidding.” Penelope complained.
“It's like an eighth of my pool.” Ivan answered, still packing away plates and ripping off clawed talons from its legs.
“It comes back about as fast as your stamina you're always burning through.” Penelope argued, and he felt her sit back against one of the garden walls inside the Shroud.
“We've been through this, Penelope. It's why I can't use your spells yet either. I just don't have the mana.” Ivan said with just a bit of exasperation in his voice. “It makes my head fuzzy.”
“Which you won't have until you start using magic more often. Steal and whatever others you can manage. The healing people with Administer Medicine is nice and all, but you've got to start remembering your new magic against your enemies.” Penelope chided.
Ivan stopped for a moment and reached into his cloak. He pulled a small vial from it and the darkened void space inside the Shroud itself. The vial contained a very potent magical poison Ivan had made.
“Right. I forgot.” Ivan admitted. “I should have used Administer Poison when I came into contact with the thing at least. With that and the debuff from Quixla's dagger it wouldn't have been able to so much as swipe at me. You're right. I'm sorry Penelope.”
Penelope huffed and pouted in the darkness of the Shroud.
“What could I have stolen from this guy anyway?” Ivan asked.
“Lots of things.” Penelope answered right away. “Gold for one.”
“There's no gold on this monster.” Ivan shot back immediately.
“There isn't now, no, but it's still an escaped dungeon monster. A thief can use steal to rob it of the value the dungeon put into it. You might even be able to get items that way once your level is high enough. It's a worthy skill and should be put to use.”
Ivan raised his eyebrows and shook his head. That sounded like something he had heard once, but it hadn't really come to mind. Penelope laughed.
“If you were worried about how much magic it cost why didn't you think about why it would cost so much?” She asked giggling. “Silly boy. It's not just a magical pickpocket spell. Well you can learn that one, but Steal is the main ability of the Thief. With that and their high perception its a great job to take into any dungeon. They may not be the heaviest hitters in combat, but you can scout to inform your team of what's ahead, and even better steal loot and other advantages out from under your foes with defeating them first.” Penelope said, going on happily enough to sit up and smile.
Ivan could only admit she had a point. Great Talon Hexapod armor was a well known first dungeon favorite. When properly made it gave poison resistance and was considerably lighter than equally protective plate mail. He had heard rumors of other items 'looted' from the creatures. He supposed what they had really meant was abilities like Steal that used magic to manifest items from foes. Ivan sighed and kept working.
When he finished he hung his head and sighed. His anger was an ever present red hot iron bar in his mind. Its malevolent heat soaked into his every thought and he was conscious of it all the time. It made him irritable, and it was getting harder and harder to go to sleep on his own. Unnatural hungers for violence and sex played with his mind when he grew idle. It made his hands itch and made him want to do anything but rest when he did.
Penelope was getting harder and harder to ignore. And he didn't really feel like he was getting anywhere.
“What's wrong?” Penelope said, still inside the Shroud and more or less speaking directly into his thoughts. She had stood at some point inside there, and was standing near the center of the shadowy garden place his mind replicated.
Ivan fought with his thoughts and urges for a while. Finally he put a hand to his forehead and started rubbing hoping to wash some of the tension out of himself. Fighting had helped, but now he just wanted more.
“I don't feel like I'm doing enough.” Ivan admitted softly. His anger gave an edge to his voice, but oddly helped him to soften his tone with Penelope. She understood his anger and was doing what she could to help him.
“You've gotten Thief to Level 4 in less than two weeks Ivan. You're doing fine.” Penelope assured him. She knelt down and played with the shadowy dirt. It was hard not to focus on her lovely conjured form sometimes, even in the Shroud. “It's really quite impressive actually. Normally one can only level so fast inside of a dungeon, but working as you are it's kind of like you are. The whole world might as well be hostile to you. Healing others is great and you've gained a few more levels in Hedge Doctor as well. I'm very happy with your progress. You have poisons and healing salves saved up too. By all means you're doing fine.”
Ivan listened to her words and nodded. He felt dirty and unwashed. Mostly because he was. He was living in the wild more or less after all. He stayed at inns when he could no longer take it, but never for long. And the only place he had been more than twice might have revealed his identity. His anger didn't like hiding and thieving. He wanted to be out in the open and to heal all the people who needed it, but that would draw too much attention.
“You're not getting impatient with me?” Ivan asked, feeling a little self deprecating and low.
Penelope gave a soft laugh.
“Of course not Ivan. I'm thousands of years old after all. Some things just take time and I'm ready to spend a large number of years with you. They usually take more if you're doing them right, but we're getting away with a lot of shortcuts right now too. It will be fine. You'll see. Just get the Rogue Job, learn disguise and we can start trying to find you a party. That will work both to raise the Rogue's skills in stealth and charisma and if we're lucky we can get away with lots of combat levels assuming you find a halfway decent group to tear up some monsters with.” Penelope told him with a big smile on her face. She chuckled as she must have picked up on the intense feeling of warmth and assurance that ran through Ivan.
“You must really think it's no fair talking to me about sensitive things in here huh?” She asked with a light laugh. “There, there Ivan. Your inner demon has the words to comfort you.” She said with a teasing voice and another pleasant little giggle.
Ivan chuckled a little, feeling some warmth spread to his cheeks out of embarrassment. Penelope had seen him at his worst and seen him break down and cry more times in recent days than he probably had in his life. She put him to sleep and eased his dreams away from his mind and culled his nightmares. He knew it for a fact though he had never brought it up other than to ask her each night to put him to sleep. It did make him wonder at times if she was playing with his mind, but he just didn't know if it mattered. Anything she did just seemed to help, and it was hard not to feel like he could trust her. But maybe that was just it.
That conflict left him hanging uncertainly between his needs and hunger for more of her. He scrubbed his eyes with both palms of his hands and let out a hard breath.
“So to get into the dungeon we need a ticket or pass right?” Ivan asked.
“Yup. This one and any other 'tame' dungeons at least. We're not ready for the wild ones or that might be an option. We'll need contacts to start pawning off what you can scavenge and a false identity that you can register with an Adventuring Guild so that you can start getting paid for these monster hunts. The key to most of that is getting the Rogue Job. Once you have disguise you can change how your name appears when you're inspected and explain away some of the Shrouds effects without revealing it. So we're kind of stuck doing what we've been doing until then.” Penelope told him. While she spoke she laid down in the center of the Shroud and put her hands together over her belly.
“And you're going to be staying inside the Shroud the whole time?” Ivan asked wryly.
Penelope smiled brightly as a first response. Her smile was incandescent with mischievous intent.
“Of course. I could help kill and wrangle monsters for you, but that would take away from your experience gain. In here I'm nice and safe and warm inside the shadows of your soul.” The demon replied with a big grin on her face.
Ivan sighed and took out his water skin. He had finished packing away what he could of the monster. Its plates would be heavy in his bag until he found a place to either stash them or when he went back into town to sell them. He sat and dug out some salted meat from a deer he had killed some days ago. The meat was dry and tough, but it would sate him. He ate and drank quietly for a time remaining silent as he sorted through his thoughts and emotions.
He thought for some time before he looked up and saw a person standing in the open before the ground of his kill. He blinked recognizing the girl he had saved almost a week before. She was the one who had been poisoned. She had almost scarlet red hair, and gem-like blue eyes. The two stared at each other for a moment before the girl's shoulders slumped and she hung her head.
“Dammit. You got to another before me. I was sure that I would track this one down before you had a chance.” She complained.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
Penelope sat up inside the Shroud ready to come out at a moment's notice, both she and Ivan could feel that the girl was dangerous just being in her presence, at least this time while she was sober.
“Sorry. Did you take a contract for this one?” Ivan asked, doing his best to keep his voice level and neutral so as to not set her off as he decided what to do. If she could find him so could others and that left him with a choice. But first he needed to find out if she had a party and what she was doing here for sure. He could feel that Penelope was ready to jump from the shroud at any moment.
“She has magic. I'm sure of it this time. Whatever poison they had in her must have drained her mana pool first. Be ready and strike without mercy if you find you must Ivan.” Penelope whispered to him. “But charm her if you can. Use the Shroud's ability to transfer my scent and use my Hypnosis ability like before. She'll be putty in your hands again.” Penelope said with an evil little grin. “Then you can do whatever you want with her.” She finished with an absolutely demonic chuckle.
Ivan tried to ignore the demon for the most part, but he couldn't deny that there was a part in him that, as before, saw this woman as a limping calf away from her herd. He had to push down the strange instincts as well before she picked up on them. He had no idea of her jobs or of their Class. Likely she had only standard jobs like himself, but he would rule nothing out to be safe. If he struck he would kill her quickly. Otherwise if she had even one Adept level job, that could mean she was at least 15 levels stronger with Adept level magic in play beside. There was no telling what she could do unless Ivan took time to properly inspect her.
“Yeah. I know you're not in a guild from around here, but you could at least sign up temporarily if you're going to do the work. These monsters are deadly and I will thank you for handling them for the people's sake, but you've been a pain my ass.” The woman said, putting her fists on her hips.
She had a longbow strung over her shoulders and a light quiver packed full of heavy long arrows fitting the great bow, but she held ready what looked like a walking staff at first glance. Ivan did notice it was carved, and his skill 'Basic Value Appraisal' of his thief job identified it as something worth stealing. Normally a merchant skill, any educated Thief with the Student or Scribe job would get Basic Value Appraisal in no time at all.
“I don't mean to be. I'm just making my own way.” Ivan answered in the same tone of voice he used before. He took a breath as his fingers wrapped around the hilt of Quixla's Bloodletting Dagger.
“Well I guess I can't blame you there. Mind if I sit?” She asked.
Ivan let his surprise show on his face and the red haired woman came and sat down with a level of casual ease. She laid her staff by her side and stretched out her legs before her.
Ivan was a little too stunned to do little more than stare.
“Talk to her.” Penelope urged. “This is good, I think. Worse case you seduce and feed on her. It will be all fun and naughty out in the woods.” Penelope purred.
It took all of Ivan's self control to not shout or react to his literal inner demon's unbelievable suggestions. All the more so for the parts of his mind that seemed to play with the idea.
Thankfully the woman was just digging into her own pack and getting out some food for herself. She drank and ate, all while looking him up and down.
He was so taken off guard that he forgot that he normally hid his face in town. Yet it was so late into their interaction now that doing it would only bring attention to what he had been trying to hide. He took a bite of his salted meat and had another drink of water, eyeing the woman in return.
After a while she nodded and hung her head.
“Your name's Ivan isn't it?” She asked.
Ivan was startled, but didn't show it or react. At least he tried. Whatever he did show was enough for her to nod.
“I wondered when you saved me from being poisoned. It took me a while. My head was so full of...well everything but my own thoughts that I couldn't keep any ideas straight even when I wanted to.” She said, pausing for a moment before she looked up and smiled at him. “Thank you for that by the way. Saving me I mean. There's not a lot of people who could have handled that kind of poison any more, but you know that.” She went on, her voice shifting to a soberness that Ivan knew well.
After a little time she gestured toward a fallen branch near where Ivan was sitting.
“Do you have anything to drink?” She asked, pointing with the magically potent staff at his tea kettle.
Ivan gestured that she do so as his mind sought through a flurry of panicked ideas about the situation he was in and how he could play himself out of it. He was about in a cold sweat as he wondered just what this woman could do when she spoke again.
“My name is Myrn by the way Ivan. My brother wanted to be your squire. It's the only real reason I recognized you. That and I'm pretty sure you've come with Mother Melda a time or two to heal people in the past. Usually around harvest when we're busy if I remember right.” The woman told Ivan as she ate.
She did so with her eyes cast down, and her expression carried a severe cast as though she was drawn out to her limits just getting by. Ivan's insight combined with his own pain to sense faint echoes of it in her. She inevitably sensed the same as well and pointed a bitter smile at him for a moment. Her eyes softened looking at him.
“You're angry and hurt, but at least you're doing something about it.” Myrn mused aloud. She nodded to herself and took another bite of the salted meat she pulled from her bag.
“I couldn't handle it, and I didn't even lose everything. There's still a chance that my father may be alive. They made him and my mother surrender. They didn't just kill them. But I gave up anyway.” She went on softly, her eyes losing their life for a moment as she stared blankly at nothing.
Ivan waited, feeling curious and hungry to hear more.
“The first thing I did was find those men who drugged me, you know?” Myrn said, posing the statement as a question at the last moment.
“Do you know what I did to them? For what they would have done to me? For thinking they could because my family's not around to come down on them?”
Something in Ivan stirred and he found himself taking a deep breath. The hot almost scent that filled his nose was like taking that first drink of water after a long and dry journey. The hot iron bar of his anger lit with sparks and fire in his mind as he did. It took him a moment, but he realized with sudden clarity that he was feeding on her emotions. That revelation shook him, but Myrn seemed not to notice. Penelope laughed inside the Shroud, seeming satisfied.
“I killed them. Everyone of them!” Myrn snarled, her voice cut with equal parts grief, anger, and disgust. As she did the forest around them stirred.
The roots of the trees beneath them turned the earth easily as plows, and the branches leaned in close as if to shield the both of them away from the world. Myrn let out a broken little sob before holding the raw emotions in again.
“I didn't use my bow, no arrows, or even knives! I used my magic! In ways that are as unspeakable and violating as any of the things they might have done to me!” Myrn hissed before breaking into a fit of tears again.
The trees groaned with her words and the forest grew quiet; the insects and animals too afraid to move as Myrn's mana and raw emotions entwined with the oldest and bitterest memories of the forest.
“Oh I like her.” Penelope commented brightly. “She's got the Plant Spark for certain. Born with it I would say. The forest treats her anger as part of its own so naturally. There's potential for more in her too. Ivan, keep her talking.”
“They would have taken everything you had left if they could. You did the right thing.” Ivan told her after a moment. And though the words certainly came from his mouth they were odd as they seemed so far from what he might have said in the past.
“Some...beings in this world know no bounds and will cross lines that no one should. Sometimes it feels as though you are doing the same in turn just to protect yourself.” Ivan went on, following the strand of thought in his mind to completion.
It gave him an odd objective perspective on his inward self. It made him feel as though he weren't the one speaking, but he quickly threw off that notion. He found his body like he had to in the Shroud. He flexed his fingers idly and ate and drank from his water skin. He focused on the sensations of his body and found that there was a scent to Myrn he hadn't picked up before.
He was certain now that he could pick her out in a room, or maybe even know where she had been in a room if she was feeling as she was now. That made a shudder run down his spine as the woman once again collected herself.
“Is that what you did?” Myrn asked through her tears.
“Yes.” Ivan answered in a growl immediately.
He didn't mean for it to come out so rough, but the intensity of it seemed to settle something for Myrn. She nodded several times to herself and wiped at her eyes.
“I suppose. I know...I know more or less what happened. Or at least I've put together enough that I don't have to ask... I'm sorry for your loss Ivan.” Myrn went on.
Ivan accepted the condolences with silence and allowed Myrn the handful of minutes it took her to pull herself back together before he spoke again.
During that time he took a moment to look more closely at her.
She was tall for a woman, and strong of build, but with enough girlish edges in her wide hips and fairly large breasts that there would be no mistaking her for a man. Her arms were thick enough to make that stiff longbow look natural at her back, and her boots showed hard use and good care too. They turned down at the knee and did a really good job of showing off her powerful legs.
Her face had strong, friendly, and feminine features. To Ivan she was certainly pretty, but there were those who would probably call her more handsome than cute or beautiful. Overall she looked to be a strong and healthy woman that reminded him of many of the farm-wives Ivan had met and known in villages all around the Parish for miles and miles. They had a beauty all their own that came from their personality and ability to press on through any hardship even if it meant carrying their family on their backs.
It was sad to see that unbroken quality missing, or rather, taken away from Myrn. She looked to have been a happy young lady from the impression Ivan had gotten from her aunt and uncle; always ready for an adventure before all this had happened. Had Ivan met her in normal times they probably would have been fast friends. Tanya would probably have liked her too. He could tell just from some of the small tools on her bag that she kept or collected herbs and flowers too. That would have kept the two of them talking for hours. A thought occurred to Ivan that perhaps he and Myrn still could find something joyful in nature to share and talk about away from the pain of their lives.
Ivan played with such an herb near his feet for a moment.
“Bittermint.” Myrn said with a smile as she saw.
Ivan collected a little of it in his palms pulling the limbs of the off branches off from the main stem. He put it together in his palms and crushed them into a slightly damp paste of green mush.
“Made into tea, it is known as a cure for colds, and it grows almost everywhere in this area. It's very easy to go out and collect a great deal of it and dry it. Combined with the right mountain roots it can be made into a potent stamina potion.” Ivan said.
“Alchemy?” Myrn asked, a little surprise showing in her somewhat forced expression as she accepted the change in subject.
Ivan nodded and pulled open his bag to retrieve a little of the root he was speaking about. A great deal of his time out the woods was spent gathering such herbs and roots as he knew them, and cataloging those he knew along with the new ones he found. It was probably the only thing keeping him sane.
“It makes an excellent tea all the same either way. Good for the throat and for long talks.” Ivan said, with a meaningful glance at Myrn. She blushed a little, and then let out a soft and somewhat girlish laugh.
He put them together inside the Jade Mortar and Pestle refraining from adding any water at this stage until they were properly mixed. The pleasant sounds the magic item made soothed his mind and anger. Seeing the way that things still mixed the way his Goddess had shown him so many years ago gave him hope that he could gain enough knowledge and skill to replace what was lost. -At least in himself maybe, and for those around him. Myrn scooted closer reaching into her bag and without saying much of anything she cleared away a little space and dug a hole for the fire.
She even had her own kettle, a small pole hook to hang it on, and a fine mesh catch for brewing teas inside. They set up their little camp with this or that little sound as they used similar techniques to prime tinder and set up the cook fire.
Ivan smiled at her and knew the appearance of it had fooled her. It made his insides tie in knots, but it was easy to fake with his desire to heal what was broken mixing with the new satisfaction provided from breathing in her powerful emotions.
“Yes. Good Ivan. Be her friend. Let her vent . Tell her all the things she did were right. Not only because they were, but because we can bring her to your side. We'll need her and those like her. Those who are as angry and upset as you are with what Theadus has done.” Penelope cooed inside the Shroud.
Ivan felt various things run through his mind. Anger. Regret. Suspicion. But even as he did Penelope laughed, a full rolling thing that made him want to laugh with her, even as he made tea with Myrn, his new acquaintance.
“How did you think I was going to fight a nation with you? All by yourself? Just you and me side by side?” Penelope asked. She laughed and put a hand to her breast as if to brace herself against the heavy mirth. “Make her, or someone like her, the first of our allies. They could be your brides if you want. Your concubines more properly. I'm not so greedy as to need you all to myself after all.” She cooed.
Ivan ignored her and focused on making the tea and small talk with Myrn.
“You have the plant spark?” Ivan asked, motioning toward the trees with a movement of his chin.
Myrn chuckled.
“I'm a druid actually.” She said with a brilliant smile. “It took a great deal of work, and I have to keep from reading about it unless I want to lose the Wild Magic job tree, but I'm proud of what I've gained so far.”
“As a druid you must have lived a great deal of your life in the forest Myrn. Do you follow Rokke? Your teaching would follow the traditional methods of the elves if I'm not mistaken.” Ivan asked.
Myrn nodded, smiling sadly.
“My family has friends in the Elven Kingdoms across the sea. I was shipped off to stay with them when I was about six. That was when I first shone my spark. They were so excited. I remember sitting with my mom and reading the letter they sent back. It was in elvish of course, but all the same I was still so excited.”
“You lived a nomadic life with them then? Traveling through the forest and into the plains? Learning by storytelling, and following their traditions?” Ivan asked.
Myrn nodded again, more happily this time.
“As the First Followers did long ago.” She said with appropriate bitter sadness in her voice.
They were quiet for a time knowing that for now the ancient tales of the First Followers of Istania had more or less come again. The tragedy of which the Goddess would never speak had come and this time without her to guide them to a new land and a new hope. If only escaping to a new land were their only goal things would be so easy. In fact....
For a moment Ivan considered that idea. That red hot iron bar of his anger, ever a part of himself since that day seemed to burn at him for it, but it seemed a satisfactory enough fancy. He could go with Myrn to somewhere far away like the wild lands of the elves. They could live in peace in a land untamed by massive farms and huge human cities. They could be free on their own or become part of a tribe.
Penelope's will was plain as she struck. A mental image cast by her hand struck Ivan's mind, taking in his own imaginings. The forests and plains of the elven lands cast into fire and war. Missionaries would come spreading Theadus’s will and forcing his practices upon all across the world. The thought made him shudder and the red hot iron of his anger spark in rage. It made his head ache. All the while he had to fight from letting any of it show. Not only in his face, but to avoid Myrn's insight he would need to control the surface thoughts of his mind, even if what he projected was just a facade. She might still be able to tell it was a projection, but at least then he would keep his emotions somewhat uncertain.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything like that. I just remember how fondly my adoptive family thought of Istania back then. They laughed with how eager she had been with their elders long dead now, and how they rejoiced when she brought a projection of herself to their lands.” Myrn laughed, but at the same time had to wipe her eyes of tears. “I met her there actually. She found me living among their people and had to ask all sorts of questions. It made everyone laugh so much. Each saying how the tales were coming true again and again. It's sad to think how right they were about that, but if anything that just means we'll carry on to an even better future won't we?” Myrn asked, her voice carrying bitter happiness and sorrow.
Myrn suddenly began to frown then.
“I've got no talent for healing though. My ranger class absorbs what experience I might put to something like Alchemist or Healer with my First Aid and Remedy skills. It's handy, but only really lets me prepare basic things. You umm--” She began uncertainly, her eyes flashing toward him. “You have a job like that don't you?”
“I have Hedge Doctor actually.” Ivan answered, finding himself glad for the conversation after so long alone.
He used to talk with Tanya everyday so he didn't know how much he missed it. He wasn't sure about what Penelope was on about with brides and concubines, but Myrn was an ally at least. She had lost enough that he wasn't afraid of her betraying him. That was, of course, up to a certain demonic point.
“Gardner has long been at level 5 for me, but hasn't advanced to Green Thumb because I don't have any sparks. I could have gotten Farmer I suppose, but I've never grown enough for that.” Ivan went on.
He took a little pinch of the powdered mix they had set aside.
Myrn raised her eyebrows at him as he extended the pinched fingers of his hand toward her.
“Administer Medicine.” Ivan chanted. It took only the tiniest bit of will and mana, but his Hedge Doctor job allowed him to give Myrn a noticeable little refresh to her stamina and overall condition.
Myrn shuddered and let out a little sound as she worked her tongue in her mouth.
“So bitter!” She laughed.
Ivan smiled, enjoying her reaction as she squirmed a little where she sat. He could tell though that as small as the material supply had been, the little spell noticeably picked up her mood.
“So Gardner into Hedge Doctor then? What level?”
“I've been gathering and making medicines above my level with this actually.” Ivan answered, showing her the Jade Mortar and Pestle.
“An expensive item.” Myrn said, and when they made eye contact both hesitated. Myrn may have gotten more as Ivan felt he let slip his sharp startled reaction at his own foolishness.
“Of course you would need to take whatever steps you could to move forward.” Myrn amended quickly.
Her eyes met with Ivan's and for a short moment Ivan felt her uncertainty, her attraction to him, and her desperate need for a friend. Even if looking for that in Ivan was objectively the wrong choice. He was a little surprised at the part of his mind that realized that.
He knew that and something inside him wanted to grin like Penelope was doing. Something inside knew the first step he needed her to take to drag her deeper was for her to lie for him. It bound them somehow. The first tiny thread that was so important. Ivan shuddered as a sensation of being tied in threads himself ran over him.
His anger burned at their touch, and the thoughts that surrounded them. And then he was back to making tea, his thoughts and moments of sensations contained within the space of an eye blink.
“You have to do what you can at times.” Ivan said more calmly than he felt.
Myrn nodded and beckoned him to put the kettle over the fire. The stout little pole hook held the kettle up as it percolated the herbal mixture. It gave off a bitter sweet scent and would make an excellent tea. Ivan had as much before and similar besides. Often just as rudimentary.
“So what level have you managed actually?” Myrn persisted.
Ivan sighed.
“Level 6 so far. I do what healing I can, but I can't get away with much more without drawing attention to myself.” Ivan answered. He watched Myrn for her reaction, but she seemed to understand.
“Have you been using a different name then?” Myrn asked. “Or just being the super suspicious guy who won't give his name wherever you go like in my uncle's Inn?” She asked with raised eyebrows.
Penelope chortled in the Shroud. Ivan hung his head.
“It might be a good thing you did for now, but we can start a new tale when we get back.” She said with a laugh. “It will be hard to hide you from the Inspections they've started doing, but we can find a way around it somehow.” Myrn went on.
Ivan looked at her, and inwardly to Penelope. She was smiling and observing things quietly enough, but she openly showed how pleased she was with how things were going.
“She'll hide you. Using her uncle. That will work. And she already knows you've stolen and murdered to get by. There's nothing to hide. Just keep it basic for now. We'll bring her in on the rest of it when it's time. And my won't that be fun.” Penelope exclaimed excitedly.
“I've been raising the Thief job.” Ivan said, feeling a thread around himself yet again as before, but it wasn't an uncomfortable sensation.
He realized what he was interpreting in his thoughts was his own intentions mixed with those of another. His and Penelope’s to be exact. It made his head ache faintly again, but he thought he understood. It was some kind of skill he had that had yet to fully surface. He would need to keep feeling it out this way to gain proper understanding of it.
Meanwhile Myrn nodded, showing only the slightest unease in her outward appearance.
“For Rogue and its Falsify Identity Skill?” She asked.
Ivan nodded.
“Are you close?” Myrn asked in that same slightly too even voice.
“It's level 4.” Ivan answered.
Myrn's dark red eyebrows shot up again.
“Really? Did you have it before?” She asked.
Ivan shook his head, and things between them turned quiet for a while as her expression changed to impressed more than curious, but still holding a mix of both.
“You have a plan?” Myrn questioned, but Ivan didn't answer. She didn't seem to need it, the question seeming mostly rhetorical. She gulped and for a moment Ivan could smell the fear contained within the sweat on her body, but that was washed out by a sudden and clear sensation of anticipation and violent hunger for vengeance mirroring his own.
A shiver ran through him at the thoughts circling the changes in his senses and these strange sensations, but Penelope shushed him from inside the Shroud calming his thoughts. Her touch on the shadow grave stones of his fallen family carried with them a certainty of her intent too clear for him to dismiss. It was just as clear as the growing smile on her face and the sensation of thread bound by his own hand and two others tightening around him.