Chapter Four
Three human trekkers stood around the back of their cart jabbing at the map spread across the rough wooden planks.
“We need to keep going straight.”, the hulking defender of the group said, his sausage-like finger pressing into the cheap paper. His iron spirit tilting its stone head with iron ore junding randomly out, trying to decipher the map, from atop his shoulder.
While a spirit of blocky granite sifted through the dirt, occasionally finding a small rock or pebble and throwing it into its mouth.
“What are you talking about? It’ll be faster to turn back. We need to get back to that fork and go the other way.”, The robed zapper said, tracing the route with his nimble fingers, the man’s own wind and rain spirits floating above him tossing a miniscule storm cloud between themselves.
“It’ll take us straight there.”
“How is doubling back faster?”
“You won’t understand you have more rocks in your head than Grus has in his belly.”, the zapper gesturing to the granite spirit, just as the spirit shoved two rocks the size of its head into its mouth with a grinding crunch.
“You leave Grus out of this.”, the defender grunts, poking a finger at the smaller man.
“Ahhh.”
The young female rogue that found herself the leader of the group, groans into her hands.
Her own spirits fannying her, a glassfire spirit with a body of rough glass, and a shadow spirit that appeared to be little more than darkness given humanoid shape.
The halfling turns from his cohorts with a shake of his head, returning to brushing the mule.
A wooly sheep-like spirit resting on the mule's head mimics its partner's head shake as it scratches behind the mule's ear.
While a spirit of woven grass holds a tuft of hay twice its size up to the mule’s mouth.
The halfling's third spirit, as he was the only one of the group to have three, another wind spirit simply reclined midair arms folded behind its head with legs crossed.
“Looks like another night of camping for us girl.”, the halfing says, patting the mule’s neck.
Sighing, the scout looks down the road, when a speck catches his gaze.
Squinting his eyes’ , the halfing mutters, “ Shepard’s Sight”.
His brown irisus shimmer with green and brown light for a moment.
His vision zooms in, the speck growing in his sight.
It was another cart being pulled by a mule, a man in a postal uniform sits at the reins, a young girl with a familial likeness to the man sitting next to him reading a book.
“ Thank Scęściar.”
“Everyone back in.”, the scout says, tapping his chest.
The wooly spirit jumps right at his chest with a pop, followed by the grass spirit. The wind spirits lets out a small breeze sigh and lazily drifts over before also disappearing with a pop.
“Hey! If you are done arguing, we have company.”.
The other three look up and follow the pointing finger of the halfling.
“They look friendly?”, the woman asks, her hands drifting to the twin daggers on her belt.
Pop.Pop.Pop.Pop.Pop.Pop.
The rest of the spirits disappear back into their respective partners.
“Looks like a postman and his daughter. Bet he’ll know the area far better than us.”, the halfling replies as he waves toward the approaching cart.
The postman returns the wave, then nudges the girl next to him.
The girl looks up at the man with a frown before following his gaze, when she sees the group a smile replaces the frown as she shoves the book into a bag hanging on her shoulder.
The girl jumps up in her seat and waves energetically at the group, the man, presumably her father, grabs onto her with one hand to insure she doesn’t fall from the moving cart.
The group of trekkers chuckle, letting the tension ease from their bodies.
Bandits were common in the frontier and they have had more than their fair share of run-ins with them.
The woman walks around to the side of their own cart as the man pulls up next to them.
The man, a human, looks to be in his late thirties, his short blonde hair receding at that front.
A smile causes the tan weathered skin of his face to crinkle around his mouth and warm eyes.
“Hello there fellow travelers. You look a bit lost.”, the man says with a smooth , warm voice.
“That we are. We were trying to reach Scozeg, but got a little off course.”, the woman says with a weak smile.
“We’re from Scozeg!”, the girl next to him offers enthusiastically.
“Mila, the grown ups are talking please don’t interrupt.”, the man gently chides his daughter.
“Sorry, you think she would be used to seeing trekkers with them having a guild in Scozeg, but what are you gonna do?”, the man offers with a smile.
“That is quite alright, I remember being her age and feeling that same way.”, the woman says, waving away the apology.
“Let me introduce ourselves. I’m Leanna, the big guy is Olaf, the man in robes is Sven, and the halfling is Sebastion. We are The Wild Jacks.”, Leanna says with a flourish of her arm giving a half bow.
Mila claps as her father replies, “ Well met. I am Adrean and this is Mila, my daughter. As Mila has helpfully pointed out we are from Scozeg. I am the local postman. We are just leaving to make deliveries to the towns further south.”
“We hope you have a safe trip.”, Leanna offers, before asking, “We were hoping you would tell just how far from Scozeg we are?”.
“Of course. You actually are not that far off.”, Adrean tells the trekkers as he hops down handing his mule’s riens to Mila.
Walking over to the trekkers’ map, he points to a spot on the map, “ We are here.”, a small black dot forming beneath his finger, a line forms as he drags his finger along the map, “ There is a small side road here that will lead you straight to Scozeg.”.
Olaf smirks smugly and sticks his tongue out at Sven, “ Told ya we need to keep going straight.”.
“Although if you had kept right at the last fork it would have taken you to Scozeg as well.”, Adrean continues.
“Who told whom?”, Sven sarcastically asks Olaf.
“Enough both of you.”, Leanna says, shooting both men a look that conveys a clear message, stop fighting in front of company or I will make you regret being born.
Leanna offers Adrean her hand and he shakes it.
Climbing back up onto his cart with a grunt, Adrean offers the group a last piece of advise, “ Be careful out there, Scozeg was just hit by a surge a couple of days ago.”
At this all four trekkers’ ears perk up. Sven stepping forward, “ Do they know where it originated from?”.
“The guild thinks an undiscovered dungeon is nearby. There’s talk of sending an exploratory group into the surrounding area to look.”.
The trekkers look at each other with hungry eyes and begin to climb into their own cart.
“Thank you for your help and the information.”, Leanna says, climbing behind her own reins.
“Thought that’d light a fire under you.”, Adreand chuckles, “Best be off ourselves. Nice meeting you.”
With a flick of the reins and a click of the tongue, both carts move down the dirt road in opposite directions.
“We owe you a drink for your help when you get back.”, Sebastian calls from his spot on the cart.
Adrean calls from down the road, “ I will hold you to that.”
Adrean turns to his daughter, “ Seems like a nice lot.”.
Mila facing backwards watching the trekkers go, “Heath is going to be so jealous when I tell him I got to talk to actual trekkers.”.
“You should be nice to Heath. He’s been through the wringer.”, Adrean tells his daughter.
“I know, Dad! Still he got his spirit before Jan and Me, at least I get to have this.”.
Adrean just hums in acknowledgment.
Soon both carts lose sight of each other and are alone again on the road, one heading South, the other North.
Olaf twists around to look forward at Leanna and Sven, “A unfound dungeon, did you hear?”
“Yes, Olaf. We all heard him.”, Sven replies dryly.
“Yeah well it could be good for us. Unexplored means there will be a bunch of monster cores for the taking.”
“The big lug has a point. Depending on the type of dungeon it could even have rare material and plants the alchemist would be willing to payout the nose for.”, Sebastian adds.
“Let’s focus on getting to Scozeg first. Then we can see what information the guild has.”, Leanna states. The others nod in agreement, the group falling into silence as they make their way toward Scozeg…. Well almost silence.
“Dem it! Will you scoot over you lump!”
Leanna hangs her head low and whispers to herself, “ That was a nice three seconds of quiet.”
----------------------------------------
The Drunk Stump Tavern’s common room was packed. Tables had been pushed together to make more room for walking.
Children ran around chasing one another, as their parents yelled for them to sit down and eat. Felix, the owner operator, had opened his doors for those that had lost their homes, free of charge he would remind you, although he’d fail to mention the tax write off he had gotten the mayor and tax collector to agree to.
“A good man, Felix , for letting all of us stay here.”, Heath’s mother said over the loud chattering that permeated the crowded room.
“ Although, I am looking forward to the peace and quiet of home.”, she added as for the fifth time another person’s child ran by, bumping her, causing the contents of her cup to slosh out on the table.
“Sorry about that Mrs. Brim.”, the barbaid, Maria, said as she wedged in to wipe up the mess.
“ I keep telling them to watch out for folks, but you know how kids are.”, then in a conspiratorial whisper adds,”If they were mine, I’d already tanned their hides red.”.
“As would I, Maria.”, the mother of two replied, “I’m thinking of it, mine or not.”.
The two women laughed to themselves, as Heath sat next to his father, he kept his mouth shut knowing better to remind his mother Nadia, her daughter, was one of those children running around.
While watching his status screen, which he had obsessively looked at for days, Heath became confused.
Name: Heath
Health:
90/90
H.Reg: 1.8(2)/ph
MP:
75/75
M.Reg: 1.3(1.5)/ph
Stamina:
80/80
S.Reg:
1.6(1.8)/ph
Stats
Base
Spirit Bonus
Str
16
Con
17(18)
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
+1
Dex
19
Agl
22
Will
25
Int
15
Wsd
13
Per
10
Cha
12
Lck
17
Spirits Contracted
Hearth Spirit (Fire): Name -Fi-ya
Rank: F Level:1
Spirit Abilities
Hearth Spirit:
20% increase resistance to fire and cold damage.
20% increase to recovery rate while resting.
Magics Available :
Hearth(Novice) - Take the comforts of home with you wherever you may go.
Fire(Novice) - Wield the primordial element of fire.
Spells:
No spells known.
His Strength and Constitution stats had grown, two and one points respectively, while helping his father rebuild their home, but just now his Wisdom and Charisma stats went up.
Turning to his father Heath asked, “ Pa, Why did my Wisdom and Charisma just go up? I didn’t do anything.”
His father look between Heath and the two women still chatting, “ Were ya think of saying something dumb and then stop ya self?”
“Kinda, yeah.”
“There ya go. Ya learning.”, his father said, returning his attention back to his own plate.
Heath sat considering his father’s words, before returning to his own plate.
The half-eaten mixed-greens and pork bits growing cold on his plate.
Not truly hungry, Heath pushed his plate toward his father and asked,”Can I go to Jan’s?”.
Scrapping the food from Heath’s plate onto his own, his father said,”Just be back before dark.”
“Thanks Pa, I will be.”
Jumping to his feet, Heath made for the fireplace where Fi-ya was playing the tavern's own hearth spirits and Naida.
Dodging running children along the way, Heath called to his hearth spirit,”Come on Fi-ya, where leaving. I’m sure your friends can keep Nadia company.”.
Nadia stops chasing around the dancing spirits and looks at Heath with sad eyes, “ Aww, does he have to.”.
“Yes, he does.”
Fi-ya sticks his tongue out at Heath, waves good-bye to Nadia and the other spirits, who return the wave.
Fi-ya flies at Heath before disappearing with a pop.
“Can I come?”, Nadia asks as the three spirits dance around trying to get her attention.
“Not this time, Nadia. Sorry. Now go play.”.
“Ok.”
His sister soon forgets her disappointment as the hearth spirits tug at her hair playfully, and begins to chase them around.
Heath smiles to himself happy to see his sister unaffected by their ordeal.
Fighting through the fifty odd mass of people, Heath slips out the tavern without further delay.
As his feet hit the cobblestone streets, Heath takes in a deep breath of fresh cool air. The tavern was so hot and stuffy, he felt suffocating at times.
Following the pinging sounds of hammering, Heath moves through the nearly empty market area the tavern sat in.
There were a few people going in and out of the general store, grabbing that one thing they needed before heading home.
Most waved, some even called out greetings to Heath, which he returned.
Walking around to the otherside of the general store, Heath spots Jan’s father, hammering away at an anvil, the muscles of his arms bulging with each strike.
Heath walks just out of reach of the heavyset man, “ Good evening, Mister Kopek.”.
The soot covered man looks up from the ax head he was working on, letting out a friendly grunt.
“Is Jan busy?”
“Inside, should’t be.”, the man grumbles, wiping the sweat and grim from his brow.
If Heath’s own father was a man that preferred to remain silent, but in comparison to the blacksmith he was a chatterbox.
Mister Kopek was rarely found speaking at length, save for festival days after several helpings of the mayor’s good liqueurs.
“Thank you.”, Heath offers the man, earning him a grunt and nod before the man returns to hammering.
Heath thinks the blacksmith likes him, he always stopped working when Heath talked to him, which was more than he did for most.
Heath makes toward the door leading to the house connected to the forge when something in a forge shifts causing flame to belch out.
He flinches away, bumping into a nearby workbench.
Metal tools bang against the wood and each other, but none fall.
Heath was still weary of fire, which was understandable, but vastly inconvenient seeing as his only bonded spirit was a hearth spirit.
Mister Kopek shoots a glance at Heath, before returning to his work with a shake of his head.
“Sorry, Mister Kopek. Just startled me, that's all.”
A grunt is the only reply to Heath’s words.
He continues to the house climbing the two stone steps to the door and pushes it open.
Jan is standing by the fireplace, placing a pot of stew on a bed of embers to keep it warm.
“Stews ready Da.”, Jan says before looking up and seeing who was coming in.
Jan smiles at Heath,”Oh Heath, thought you were my da.”.
“He’s still working outside.”
“Nothin new.”, Jan says as he dips a ladle into the pot.
“Ya hungry, got more than enough.”
Jan offers him a bowl of hearty stew that he had to admit that smelled really good.
Jan’s mother had died to lungrot several years back when it had swept through the town.
Jan’s father may have been a fine blacksmith, but the man couldn’t cook to save his life.
For about two years Jan and he had either eaten with Heath’s family or at The Drunk Stump.
Since then Jan had become a fairly decent cook, and had even confided to Heath that he enjoyed it, and sometimes dreamed of being a chief in a big city, but was afraid he’d disappoint his father.
“I already ate, thanks.”, Heath says, waving away the bowl.
Jan simply shrugs before sitting down and eating from the bowl himself.
Heath sits in the chair across from Jan and watches the other boy eat.
Jan looks up and with a mouth full of stews asks, “ya just gonna watch me eat, or ya gonna say some em’?”
“I was going to ask if you wanted to help me figure out my magic, but I don’t know now.”, Heath says, turning his head away from Jan as if upset.
A smile creeps across Heath’s lips.
Jan gives a crooked grin and throws his bowl back, drinking the entirety of it in a single gulp.
With a wipe of the mouth Jan jumps to his feet, “Whatcha waitin for? Lets go!”.
The two boys race from the house passing, Jan’s father.
“Goin out Da! Be back later!”,Jan yells to his father, the man simply lifting an arm at him in reply.
The two boys race down the cobblestones until it gives way to grass.
The two boys collapse onto the ground as they make it to the clearing between the town and forest.
The boys laugh as they catch their breath, the two had not been able to hangout as often since the attack.
With Heath helping his father rebuild their home and Jan having been helping his father make nails, screws, and whatever else was needed for rebuilding.
The two sat up for a moment just enjoying being with a friend.
With Mila out on delivery with her father, there wasn’t really anyone else to play with.
The three of them were the only kids around the age of thirteen in Scozeg, most were younger than eight the rest just turning sixteen and becoming adults, not having time for playing or kid’s games.
Jan is the first to sit up, and nodges Heath with a foot, “So how are we gonna figure out yer magic?”
Heath looks over at his friend and shrugs, “ I’m not really sure. Pa told me some things, Mom too, but everyone has been so busy. I tried to go to the repository, but without Mila to explain the big words I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.”
Jan nodded, “ So what did ya Pa say?”
Heath sat up, crossing his legs, “ He said I need to get a feel for it and I should ask Fi-ya for help.”
Jan snickered at the spirit’s name, “Fi-ya, Ha!”
Heath smacks Jan, “ Shut up! I didn’t name it.”
“ Still funny though.”
At Jan’s last comment, Fi-ya appeared between the two boys. Its cherba-like body floating mid-air, flames flickering along its orange skinned body.
With hands on its hips, Fi-ya glared at the two boys before sticking its tongue out at Jan.
“Fi-ya! Just the spirit I wanted to talk to.”, Heath said, trying to sound as nice as possible.
Fi-ya rolls its eyes and shakes its head back and forth, turning to Heath the spirit motions with its hand for him to get on with it.
“Right. I was hoping you could show me how to use fire magic.”
Fi-ya huffs and nods floating back some, the hearth spirit points at itself.
The boys nod, so the spirit continues. Rubbing its stomach the spirit wigglies its fingers as it spreads its arms out.
“I don’t get it.”, Heath says.
“Me neither.”, Jan agrees
Fi-ya silently shushes Jan, before turning back to Heath.
Pointing to him, the spirit touches its head and waits expectantly for Heath.
Heath watches the spirit, and he starts to understand the spirit somehow.
“I need to think about it.”
Fi-ya nods rapidly, then begins to pat all over itself
“Think about how it feels?”
Another nod and then the spirit shoots its hand out, a tiny fireball shoots from its finger before dissipating.
“Then imagen it coming out?”, Heath asks unsure.
Fi-Ya nods, giving Heath a look that says, maybe you’re not so bad.
“Okay, I think I’m ready to try.”, Heath says, jumping to his feet,” Jan if I set myself or the grass on fire try and put it out.”
Jan gives a thumbs up, as Fi-ya diseapers.
Heath stands still with his eyes closed.
He thinks about fire, of course he instantly thinks of the fire he’d barely survived.
As Heath begins to panic, he feels Fi-ya comforting him from inside him.
Taking deliberate breaths, he continues, he thinks of how the fire felt, how it burnt his skin, the heat as his clothes begin to burn, how he almost died.
No, focus just on the fire.
He imagens the flame building inside him, the heat filling his body.
Holding out a hand, words form themselves on Heath’s lips, “Fire Bolt.”.
Suddenly a heat erupts from his hand.
Jan yelps and exclaims, “Whow!”
Heath’s eyes spring open as the last of the fire dissipates thirty feet away from his outstretched hand.
“Ya did it!”, Jan says, jumping up and down in excitement, “ Do it again!”
Heath agrees with a huge grin, “ Yeah.”
Heath repeats the process again, this time with eyes open.
“Fire Bolt!”
As the words leave his lips, heat pours from his hand as a length of flame, roughly the size of an arrow, shoots out thirty feet before breaking apart.
“I did it!”, Heath yells triumphantly.
“Ya did it!”, Jan yells equally excited.
The two jump up and down laughing.
“Let me check my status screen.”
“Do it! Do it!”
Name: Heath
Health:
85/85
H.Reg: 1.7(1.87)/ph
MP:
65/75
M.Reg: 1.2(1.31)/ph
Stamina:
65/65
S.Reg:
1.3(1.43)/ph
Stats
Base
Spirit Bonus
Str
16
Con
17(18)
+1
Dex
19
Agl
22
Will
25
Int
15
Wsd
13
Per
10
Cha
12
Lck
17
Spirits Contracted
Hearth Spirit (Fire): Name -Fi-ya
Rank: F Level:1
Spirit Abilities
Hearth Spirit:
20% increase resistance to fire and cold damage.
20% increase to recovery rate while resting.
Magics Available :
Hearth(Novice) - Take the comforts of home with you wherever you may go.
Fire(Novice) - Wield the primordial element of fire.
Spells:
Fire Bolt (Fire) - Caster shoots a bolt of flames up to 10 yards. (1-6) Fire Damage.
Cost: 5 MP
“It's there! I learned a spell!”, Heath yells happier than he’d been since the fire.
“Mila’s gonna be so jealous!”, Jan adds, still jumping around in excitement.
Heath smiles at his friend jumping up and down. Placing a hand on his chest, Heath softly says,” Thank you, Fi-ya.”
----------------------------------------
On the other side of town a lone cart enters from the South. Its four occupants dusty and tired.
“Finely! Let's find the guild. I need a drink.”, Sebastiens lets out, throwing his arms in the air.
“Agreed!”, his three companions cheer as one.
Leanna looks around the small town, “ Now where do you think it is?”
“With how small this place is, it can’t be too hard to find.”, Sven grunts.
Leanna opens her mouth to speak, when a bell starts to ring.
The trekkers watch as people begin to rush from buildings in a panic.
“Something tells me that’s not the dinner bell.”, Olaf states, jumping from the cart.
The other three trekkers following suit.
Drawing her daggers, Leanna gives commands, “Sebastian, take the cart and mule, find a place they’ll be safe, then I want you up on those roofs with your bow.”
“Yes, captain.”, the halfling scout replies before leading the mule in a hurry down the road toward what looks to be an inn.
“Sven, you and Olaf need to help these people get ready anyway you can. I’m going to find whoever is in charge and see what is going on.”
The men nod and rush to the nearest group of people.
“Why can’t anything be easy?, ”Leanna asks herself as she begins running toward the most official looking building she can find.