Chapter 20: Berry Borrowing

Even on the wings of a [Spell: Silverwind Song], we were deep into the night when we passed beyond the Crescent Mountains’ jagged peaks. I gripped the woven reeds of our basket and gazed up at the Air Mystic’s mesa strider gliding in his harness. Four gas balloons floated above, each as big as a mount, made of a fine, dense cloth, and stitched with intricate Soleus Mesa art styles; richly-dyed threads, swirly filigree, and sharp angles.

I gazed out into a vast expanse of desert, most of it uninhabitable alkali. But the waning half-moon was bright enough to reveal cacti and shrubs growing at the periphery of sands.

It was strange approaching Nevahj’s shining shadow with my undead gaze instead of a bees’. Even at a distance its dark edifices were imposing.

“How will we get the nectar once we’re there?” Berem boomed over the wind.

“You think they won’t welcome us?” said Relja.

“Hard to get more isolated than behind the black walls of Nevahj,” said Medett. “We should propose a trade with them. I’ll talk to their Herbalists. Council must’ve sent an envoy there, too.”

The world suddenly went lemon-colored. As I stared into the distance, the afterimage of a laser beam resolved in my vision. It came from the north.

Everyone in the basket was staring at me now.

“You didn’t shoot the first laser earlier?” Relja asked Azwold. “This skeleton does belong to you, doesn’t it?”

“Ah, um,” Azwold rubbed his chin. “I was already in a party when you tried to invite me, remember? That’s our other comrade.”

“Okay?” Relja raised an eyebrow. “How the heck did they beat us there?”

“I don’t know,” said Azwold, “but it might be a good thing.”

It pleased me to see him appreciate the Rogue’s ‘tricks.’

“Let’s focus on the quest for now,” said Azwold. “We’ll meet her soon enough, I’m sure.”

“Alright,” said Berem. “Why not fly straight to their berry garden? Let them ask questions later.”

“I’ve been thinking… [Duskberries] and [Tangybark],” said Medett. “Combining them. Could be something there.”

“To invent a new kind of elixir?” asked Azwold.

“Perhaps,” she replied. “And if we devise something useful, we’ll be wanting a good line to more berries. So no, let’s not fly straight to their brambles.”

“I agree,” said Relja. She altered her [Spell: Silverwind Song]’s tune, humming a descending melody as we floated toward the ground and the towering walls of the city. Relja wove words into her humming: “Good neighbors knock.”

“Alright,” said Berem. He bent low, whispering to Vish.

We grew silent as Fizzu descended to the sand-covered black stone of Nevahj’s expansive front porch. The obsidian walls rose above the stone, carved through with corners, angles, and symbols of all geometries. I realized that locating something resembling a “front door” may have been a tall order.

Relja threw the basket’s anchor overside. A metallic clang rang out as it bit into the dark marbled stone, dense as magnetic slab.

As we disembarked, every shred of shadow within vicinity seeped toward us. A form arose, cloaked in shadow.

“Why are you here?” it asked.

“I’m from the Soleus Mesa,” Relja bowed her head. “An ailment’s spreading. We’re trying to fight it.”

The cloaked man backed up, “and you’ve brought it here?”

I found his accent strange, too whispery.

“I need to speak with your Herbalists,” said Medett, “about [Duskberries].”

“Ah,” he said, “yes, of course. You’ve discovered [Berrybark Potion]s?”

“Wait,” said Relja. “Nevahj has a better cure and hasn’t shared with the rest of the Realm?”

“We’re so remote you see,” said the cloaked man.

“You wouldn’t mind teaching us how to make those potions, then?” said Berem, inflating himself. An intimidation check? What an odd thing for one NPC to do to another.

“There aren’t enough ingredients to share,” the man shrugged, unintimidated. “So why teach the recipe?”

“So, we’re telling you our people suffer,” said Relja, “…that I am suffering. And you’re telling us you won’t share?”

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“Apologies you traveled so far,” he replied, his cloak of shadow bowed. Then the shadows stretched out along the sand and black stone. The man sunk away and shadows slunk back to their usual places.

“I can’t believe that,” Relja was agape.

A sliver of her health ticked away.

“If the rest of the Realm knew…” Azwold stared at the enclave’s wall.

Berem stared at the wall, too.

Medett glared at him. “Where’s Vish?”

“I may have sent him in?” he said, eyes still on the wall.

They waited under the dim moonlight.

Dusty swirls slithered with the wind along the black stone floor.

Long moments passed.

The shadows coalesced again and the cloaked man returned. But in his arms, a purple bundle wriggled.

Berem hooted.

“Is this berry thief yours?” said the cloaked man. He put the fox down and Vish ran to Berem with a [Duskberry Branch] in his teeth. Relja pointed out flowers and buds on it, and a few fresh berries too.

While every other eye focused on the branch, I noticed DarkNeon’s silver-blue outline skulking swiftly across sand toward the shadowy NPC. I nudged Azwold, surreptitiously drawing his attention to her.

“Light Rogues hide better in the day," he whispered to me. "More light to bend. Can’t go full stealth at night because they shed moon glow. Another reason people don’t play them.”

DarkNeon crept to the NPC’s blindest spot and crouched, silently waiting.

“Do we have enough mats here?” Relja asked Medett.

“If we got the recipe right on the first try? We might get a couple potions out of it.”

“We need more,” Azwold told the shadow NPC.

It sighed. But I noticed Azwold’s tablet was displaying a dialogue menu.

1) “What if I tossed this gold pouch your way?” (Bribe, lose 333gold; Charm)

2) “The Nevahjian Council should understand, in their dark wisdom, that an ailment of this scope requires widespread healing efforts. You can’t cut yourselves off from the rest of the Realm.” (Persuade; Wisdom)

3) “Surely you can spare a couple of plants? We’ll figure out how to grow them elsewhere. This problem needs more bright minds working on it. If we’re successful, you won’t have to worry about future solicitors.” (Persuade; Intelligence)

4) “Fork over the berries, dark wad, or I’m gonna start swinging.” (Intimidate; Strength)

Azwold selected option 2. He attempted to reason with the shadow man by appealing to his big-picture sensibilities.

The man held up a hand to silence him; unswayed.

“If you’d pumped [Aura: Wisdom Tooth],” Azwold muttered, “I’d have 5% more Wis per skill point for stuff like this. Just saying.”

I could have reminded him we had [Aura: Wisdom Tooth I] already, but I was remaining silent and secretive. He just failed at being persuasive.

“My turn!” DarkNeon leapt into the dark NPC’s field of vision, and cast [Spell: Dazzle III].

Blinded, the man’s cloak of shadow burned away, leaving him cowering in a plain black robe.

DarkNeon then cast [Spell: Prismatic Splash], saturating the poor fellow in a kaleidoscope of colored light; a debuff that prevented any attempts to stealth or go invisible.

Berem moved to grab the NPC’s wrists. “Just in case he’s a runner.”

“I believe the mage requested a couple of plants,” said DarkNeon, holding her ruby dagger to the NPC’s ribs.

The cloaked man eyeballed us darkly. Then two inky vortexes swirled up to flank him. The shadows flittered back and away, leaving behind two young, potted [Duskberry Bramble] plants. He said, “Here. Please have these. And be gone.”

“Thank you!” Relja clapped.

“Are we good?” asked DarkNeon. “Can we let this guy go?”

“You should ask our literal quest-giver,” said Azwold, motioning toward Medett.

The Light Rogue frowned, questioning.

Medett gave an affirming grunt. “Best get back to the Tang Tree Orchard now,” she said. “Let him go. Please forgive our unorthodox methods.”

Nevahj’s doorman sneered, wiping away dripping rainbows.

“And if we need to come back,” said Berem, “don’t be stingy next time.”

The NPC cowered. DarkNeon cast a simple dispel. Bubbles of light swirled around him, glimmering, then rose and vanished, taking the prismatic splash away.

The man stood, hesitating. Then he handed Relja a rolled up scroll, nodded to them, and vanished in a swoosh of shade.

Relja coughed hard and Berem caught her arm.

“Maybe you should try and mix something up right now?” he said to Medett.

“Already on it,” she said, digging in her satchel for tools and flasks.

“First test subject?” Relja said, smiling wearily. “Yay.”

“Yes, I think there must be something in the nectar or pollen that repels the fungus. But the berries aren’t immune. So we take the flowers and mush em up with the soft tangybarks.”

The Light Rogue sidled up next to Azwold. “Something’s off about those two,” she whispered.

“We know.” He held a finger to his lips, “shhh.”

“They gave us Alchemy instructions,” said Relja, peering at the unrolled scroll.

Medett scanned the page with her, “Well let’s get started.”

There was a dark glimmer across the scroll paper. New writings appeared on it.

“Suggestions on how to grow duskberries,” said Medett, “on the Mesa.”

“You think we could grow them down in the Canyon?” asked Relja.

Medett pondered, re-reading. “Seems like it,” she said. “And I’m glad for it.”

“Can you guys help me convince Mesafolk to try the potion?” asked Relja.

“Of course,” Berem said. “I’ll go door-to-door if I have to. But will they trust a Nevahjian cure?”

“I’ll be proof the cure works.” Relja breathed in heavily.

“We can forget to mention Nevahj?” Medett shrugged.

Berem stared at me for a moment. “We need to look into helping the bee colonies too,” he said. “A much better project than being my sister’s gopher.”

“We will try,” Relja nodded. “Um. Either of you know much about Animun?” she asked. Berem shook his head, solemn.

“Why do you mention Animun?” asked Azwold.

“I learned via [Motes of Learning] that there was a Spirit Harvest near Stonesthrow Island,” said Relja. “And there was another one down near Berem and Medett’s village, right?”

“Elder Stoneleaf saw Animun on the night of the Grave Grove desecration,” said Berem.

“The Telemoon tower on Stonesthrow?” said Azwold. “That was us; we knocked it down. They were siphoning Spirit Realm energy from a sacred kobold site. It was 100% Telemoon, not Animun.”

“Man,” said DarkNeon, “things keep getting juicier and juicier. But, you know what?” she hiked a thumb toward Nevahj’s obsidian walls. “I wasn’t exactly nice to that guy. Maybe we should get while the gettin’s good?”

We climbed into the reed basket and Fizzu leapt up onto the grip bar. He squawked eagerly, big orbs floating above. Berem reached over the side, tugging on the anchor. Relja whistled a swift arpeggio and snapped her fingers. The anchor became light as steam. She began digging in her satchel, and I thought about the books inside. About Elder Neejael’s candle. About Animun.

I wondered what Relja might do if her elder’s candle wax was still warm. Relja shivered, feverish. What a tragedy; the untold, forgotten wisdom of elders past. I sympathized with her wish to hold onto knowledge, finding similarities in my lost memories.

The balloons rose. Relja selected a book and steeled herself. She took a shallow breath, exhaling the beginning of a raspy [Spell: Silverwind Song].