The Caverns, Near the Town of Eldor. Troug, 13th.

Olea Munroe

A little over two hours and I had almost topped off my mana and even gotten some other good news.

You have killed: cave leech [Level 8]

Total Experience Gained: 340, Experience till Next Level 4,160.

Yep, my little elemental had found a snack. And I just had to look at my little sheet of statistics to get a refresher; it had nothing to be with reaffirming my inner awesomeness this time, I swear!

Name: Olea Munroe

Level: 12

Archetype: Water Priestess

Health: 164/164

Mana: 211/214

Stamina: 198/204

Attributes:

* Strength: 11

* Dexterity: 15

* Constitution: 11

* Charisma: 16

* Intelligence: 16

* Wisdom: 18

You have Zero Attribute Points Remaining

Experience Till Next Level: 4,160 remaining of 25,000.

Skills: Zero skill points remaining.

Stealth - Rank 1

* Pierce - Rank 1

* Sneak - Rank 1

Piety - Rank 4

* Armor – Rank 2

* Command – Rank 3

* Conjure Elemental Spirit – Rank 4

* Create Food – Rank 2

* Create Water – Rank 3

* Cure Wounds – Rank 2

* Detect Aura – Rank 1

* Detect Magic – Rank 1

* Dispel Magic – Rank 3

* Protection from Evil – Rank 2

* Vigor – Rank 3

* Water Breath – Rank 2

* Water Walk – Rank 3

* Wind Walk – Rank 4

Triumvir Soul Skills

* Dowsing

* Forum

* Shared Senses

* Soul Link

* Soul Vault

* Vessel of Souls

* World Map

Now, I knew I would get no immediately useful benefits from having my little elemental friend murder the local flora and fauna to bump me up to the next rank, I was aware now that I would need a teacher to advance further down my path of deity approved spell craft as it were.

No, what kept running through my mind was the fact that I was only a small amount of experience from the next Rank and that there had to be a reason that the power above did not have anyone above that first milestone caged down here.

That and it gave me something to alleviate my sense of inaction while I waited for backup to come rescue me, or rather assist me in a self-rescue. Yep, there was no way I was dependent upon some sketchy rescue plan of which I had little input in. Not me, nope, I was the hero!

Or at least a hero based upon the fact that there were apparently two other earthlings somewhere out there, and based upon my Dowsing skill they were not all that far off from my current position.

I made a mental note to track them down after I got away and had a proper shower.

I finished ruminating on my excellence and waved to Derek, motioning slightly to the pocket he had stowed my little rock into.

It was time to meet some new elemental dragon and form a new spiritual connection with a different element. Maybe one that could assist in freeing myself and this army of hungry pre-adults. Yes, I could say teens, but I was not entirely sure that some of the elves could have their ages estimated with only the first set of double-digit numbers.

I was trying to be inclusive here.

Hold the appreciation.

After catching the small rock, barely the size of a golf ball, and not quite as well-rounded, I scraped it along the flesh of my palm successfully cutting the skin and causing a trail of my blood to coat the surface of the earthen material.

I held the small stone near my chest and will my mana forth as I cast Conjure Elemental Spirit.

And then I waited.

And waited.

As my heart began to cool and still, I could feel the smallest amount of motion in my hand, almost making me drop the danged thing.

Instead, I sat the small rock upon the ground where it seemed to expand and crack along the multiple imperfections in the stone. I was also surprised to see a small portion of the earth surrounding the little thing had been drawn into as if it were water being drawn in to a very dry sponge.

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After another few seconds I could finally see the shape, my little creature was taking. It had apparently taken on the visage of a small stone man, with a scrunched face, a tail of full gray, and a dark moustache.

It looked like if nothing else I had before me the stone-demon equivalent of a truly short and stout plumber from popular fiction.

“Fantastic!” I shouted, not so quietly as to avoid a look from a passing guard.

A guard who then decided it was time to investigate, if for no other reason than to bring misery to others.

“What be going on in there?” he snapped as he drew near.

Regarding his query, and my absolute failure to produce an answer, Derek decided to act.

He did an almost handstand right there at the edge of the cage, it would have been impressive if I did not see his legs walking up the bars to get a proper start.

Mouse then joined in the act and clapped at his performance, bless her soul.

Quinn piped up saying, “That’s much better than the last one.”

Derek, not expecting the assistance of his peers, nor the praise with it broke out in a blush. It was so darned cute.

That was the moment that the guard had decided that we had wasted his time and smacked Derek’s hand with his club. Hard.

“What the hell, man?” was my instant response. I was always a good and fast thinker.

The guard scowled at me and shouted for another guard to join him from nearby. This of course drew the attention of another two guards who seemed equally bored, and they just had to come over and join the spectacle.

After a brief exchange of words between the big, tough guys someone fetched the key from their belt and began unlocking the cage.

Before anyone in the cage could react, even though Derek had tried to move to position his weak little body in front of me and the other girls who were now cowering next to me they had rushed into the cage, cudgels drawn to explain their issues with us lowly pieces of merchandise.

Mouse cried out as she was knocked over by the falling Quinn, who herself had taken a sharp blow to the back from one wayward swing and then a boot for good measure from the guy at the back who could not get a good shot at us otherwise. The man who had stayed near the cage door did a quick two-step into Derek’s side before watching the one-sided fight continue.

I caught sight of Mallory standing idle at the other side of the cage, furthest from the door. She seemed caught within some inner conflict and did nothing to aid in the melee. Though who could blame her, this was not something a bunch of small children could win without some much-needed setup time.

Quinn was crying while sprawled out over top of Mouse, possibly shielding the smaller child, or possibly unable to move after the heavy blow that had put her there. I had begun swinging my fist at the bastards the moment I had a clear shot.

I was surprisingly ineffective in every single attack I landed upon my assailants, though I did rediscover my dislike for blunt instruments encountering my body after being directed with force.

I was never and would never be a fan of that type of greeting.

You have killed: Huntsman Spider [Level 10]

Total Experience Gained: 400, Experience till Next Level 3,760.

“Not the time.” I muttered, even as the shorter, pudgier guard landed a solid hit on my shin from behind his fellow.

“Didn’t my friend say you lot had to keep quiet!?” He said as he backed away from my attempt at retaliation, to be fair I would have missed regardless, but it was nice to know he considered my meager attack a threat.

“Roy, hold her down!” came the voice of man number three. He was an average height guy with less than average looks and a lazy eye that kept staring at the ground.

I felt myself slammed to the ground where Pudgy McPudgison grabbed my legs and held me to the stone floor while the man who had been closer placed his hands upon my shoulders.

The only good thing about my current predicament was that I could feel that none of my bones had been broken, despite the heavy, blunted impacts they had received.

The terrible thing about my current predicament was that I could see that man number three had stepped between his friends and was currently in the middle of removing his thick belt.

I had been in some shit back on earth, and I knew both directions this small conflict could take once a fight reached this point, what I had not expected was to be still being watched by someone who I had counted as at least a minor confidant as I was being attacked by evil bastards; yes, Mallory was still standing at the other side of the cage, just watching, she did not even look concerned.

What the hell.

Another thing I had not expected was for the man who had been fumbling with belt to suddenly grunt and collapse, directly atop me.

I could not really help it at this point, I lost my collective shit.

I began biting any piece of flesh that came near my mouth as I thrashed about on the floor, noticing after an unknown amount of time that I was being slowly warmed by an expanding pool of blood that was collecting under me. I froze up, thinking I had been cut somewhere and not realized it as I was admittedly a bit out of sorts.

Apparently the other two men who were working to hold me to the floor took this as the third man preparing for some sport in the person he had fallen upon, they had yet to notice the blood.

“That is enough!” came a voice as sharp as steel.

It was now time for the other men to freeze, the two holding me down that is. The third man was still unmoving.

“I said enough. Get up before I make such an endeavor impossible for you in the future!” Came the voice again, it was a voice I had not heard while down here in the gloom of this hellscape.

The men slowly stood, releasing me carefully as I had resumed my attempts to free myself, if not quite as vigorously now.

They stood and gasped in unison as they took in the sight under them.

I shared a similar reaction to the sight as the man atop me was kicked to the side, his corpse heavy and lifeless.

Above me stood the man from days previous, a man garbed in red with a pair of swords at his waist and a small dagger in hand which would normally sit in a cross-carry scabbard of some sort.

His gaze was as murderous as the blood dripping from the edge of said dagger.

In the center of my assailant’s chest was a small wound, no doubt the exit of the sharp tipped blade I was currently looking at.

“What has happened here? What damned fool decisions were made that required me to put down one of your number, and for what reason are you even inside the cage of this slave?”

The man in red stared at the three surviving men, for some reason I did not think he expected an answer to his questions.

“Out.” Was the only word he said to them afterward. And not surprisingly they all listened, no even turning to give me a glare they filed away dragging their fallen companion behind without even being told to remove the body.

I began sitting up and rolling just a little to get better purchase on the slick stone beneath me, noticing that my newly summoned elemental was sitting prone near the cage entrance, poised as if waiting for some command to attack.

Nope, not today. The man before me was shaking with controlled rage and killing intent, even a novice combatant like me could feel his desire to clean away this marred moment on his otherwise normal day.

I stood slowly as the man looked at me, assessing the property for damages no doubt.

I moved slowly to assist Quinn and Mouse in their own efforts to right themselves but made no move to aid Derek just yet, he was on the other side of the man in red.

“I am sorry for the rude behavior of your stewards; I shall have someone down to clean your lodgings shortly.” He stated simply before turning and leaving the cage, a new guard who had followed the man came over and secured the door, closing it firmly as the man exited.

As the door clicked with a snick the man turned around.

“You may call me Reginald if you feel the need to speak to me in the future, I shall make myself more available to you as you are one of my mistresses more prized acquisition.” He said in a perfectly flat voice, as if he was not referring to people as property and held no real feelings on the topic whatsoever.

I simply nodded as I stood there, still unwilling to make any more movements, though I did catch the glance Reginald gave in the direction of Derek, or perhaps the gaze was directed at Mallory.

“Well, crap.” Was all I could muster to as the man left with a few guards in tow.

I really needed to get the hell out of here, and soon.