Spell 03 : The Mind

I stifled a yawn as I finished putting back the tomes back to the shelf. The library was usually quiet during this period.

Ghanda was still away, and I practically had nothing much to do while he was gone. I have not seen him ever since I cleared that tree dungeon a few days ago. Before he left, he taught me a new spell, Barrier, that could absorb damage up to a certain threshold before it shatters, and told me to raise it up a few levels by the time I see him again.

With the help of the training dummy (Ghanda somehow managed to rig it to shoot fireballs whenever I stood in front of it), I got my Barrier spell up to level 5 as well. Since then, it stopped functioning. With nothing else left to do, I used a portstone to materialize in the ground floor of the Enchantium, right next to Leyla's desk.

Leyla suggested that I should go explore the forest a little, and learn as much as I can about things I may not be able to pick up in the Enchantium. She also told me to consider picking up a craft skill, which would greatly aid me in time to come.

Even without her mentioning it to me, I was already putting some thought to the idea of getting a craft skill. But the question is, which one? There are so many craft skills available, and none of them have actually been thoroughly explored yet. Even people who chose the crafting professions have barely broke through the advanced levels of crafting.

And so, for the first time in 2 weeks, I stepped out of the Enchantium. I headed towards Veldrassil, where trade was most abundant. Because of the growing popularity of the area, there was a tax imposed on all vendors who decided to set up shop there by the Council. This was to keep the area from overpopulating with stalls and vendors.

When I reached Veldrassil, I began to question Leyla's concept of 'not so busy today'. Clearly, she did not visit Veldrassil much as well. The entire tree was bustling with activities. Even its branches were not spared. As I walked, I noticed the people here were of all races. It seems travellers all around the continent came here to purchase Elven wares. It was a widely acclaimed fact that only the Elves appreciated artistry more so than any other race. Even the simplest of wares like quills had embroidery on them. I walked along the path, trying to find anything that would pique my interest.

It looks like I would probably pick up a craft skill here more related to vanity-related items...

Feeling thirsty, I decided to go refill my canteen from a nearby spring. Even though I had 5 pieces of gold for clearing the dungeon, I wasn't about to go splurging unnecessarily on scented dews that were the common thirst-quenchers here. I sat down on a bench made up entirely of tree vines and watched the activities with hardly any interest. This felt like another day going to waste.

I heard sobbing nearby and I looked towards the noise. I saw a young Night Elf girl walking slowly along, with her hands cupping her eyes while she bawls them out. Thinking that she might have lost her parents, I walked up to her.

'Hey, little Elf, what's the matter?' I asked.

She stopped crying and looked up, clearly a little afraid of this strange High Elf talking to her.

'P-Papa told m-me to l-l-look after the stall while h-he was g-gone. B-but I-I'm just a little girl. I c-couldn't stop those devilish i-imps!' she said, in between sobs.

'What imps? What did they do to you? Tell me, so that I can make the situation better.'

'T-they took almost everything! P-Papa is g-going to b-b-be so angry!' She started crying again.

People nearby were giving us stares, and I knew I had to do something to make her stop crying. Or else I'll have a lot of explaining to do to the guards if they come.

'Look, little Elf. I'll help you get back your papa's items. Come, can you show me where I can find those imps? But you have to promise me you'll stop crying!' I said to her reassuringly.

'R-really? Okay! I will stop crying! Will you really help me?' She said, sobering up.

*DING*

[p=center]Quest Received!

You met a crying Elf girl, and she told you her father's stall got raided by imps. You have to get back the items that the imps stole. Do you accept?

Difficulty : F

Yes | No[/p]

'I accept.'

[p=center]Quest Accepted![/p]

'This way!' she said, and ran off towards an overgrowth nearby. I followed closely behind, keeping up with her.

Eventually, I was brought to the entrance of a den. She stopped right there and pointed into the hole.

'They should be in here somewhere! All the imps are found here!'

I assumed from here on out I was alone. I told her to stay there, and I walked in. There was hardly any light present.

'Cast Luminous Light!'

'Cast Barrier!'

I could see clearly into the den now. Having shields up is paramount when adventuring into unknown areas, especially when one is adventuring alone. It could be the difference between life and death when an enemy springs a surprise attack. However, I was not really worried; tree imps in this region were of low levels. To be honest, there wasn't really anything they could throw at me that could hurt. But, just in case.

The den was not dug in too deep, and eventually I found my first foes. Those devilish creatures were small and looked weak, but they had sharp claws that could tear your eyes out if you weren't careful. Still, there was nothing they could do against my magic. Two Fire Strikes were enough to get rid of them. However, they weren't the imps who took the girl's items.

As I continued venturing into the den, I met more and more imps. None of them had the wares on their bodies. Finally, I came across a trio of imps that seemed meaner and stronger. These imps must have leveled up and grown stronger from conducting successful thefts from unsuspecting vendors.

When they saw me, two of them charged while one stood behind and seemed to be looking for something in its leather bag. I let loose a bunch of Frost Bolts and Fire Strikes on the two. Thanks to the bonus Intelligence I gained from my earlier exploits, my spells tend to hit true even when the Imps had rather high Evasiveness. The two Imps had their last breaths, and collapsed on the floor. Then, something exploded in the air about a hair's length away from my head, and I felt my Barrier broke.

I turned to look at the last Imp, and saw him lighting a flask. From the looks of it, this Imp had some nasty flask-bombs! It threw the one in its hand at me, and I ducked just in time. Wasting no time, it started to light another flask. However, I was one step ahead of it. I quickly took aim, and cast a Fire Strike not at the Imp itself, but at the flask it was holding.

Well, you can pretty much guess what happened after that.

Naturally, it got blown to bits, and I proceeded to check on their bodies. Sure enough, I found the missing wares. There were many lumps of precious metals and a few other rather crudely-cut gems.

So the girl's father is a jewel-crafter huh... Maybe I should go find her father and see if I can learn something.

I gathered up the items, and headed for the exit. The girl was outside, waiting patiently for me to return.

'Here you are, little girl.' I said, handing her a bag with her father's gems inside.

'Oh thank you, big brother!' She squealed, and slid on the bag.

[p=center]Quest Completed!

You have not only gotten back the gems, but you have also gotten rid of the pesky thieves that constantly harasses the vendors!

Reward : +350 XP, + 50 Fame[/p]

With that XP, I leveled up.

'Hey, little Elf, do you want to go home now? I will protect you and your father's gems on the way home!' I requested.

'Sure!' She replied.

And thus we set off, towards her home.

The Night Elves, as I found out later, lived in harmony with the High Elves up here. Though Elves by nature, all the different elves considered themselves as different sub-races. The Wood Elves decided to live in the roots of the forest because they took it upon themselves to protect the trees from monsters that are constantly preying on the nutrients found in the roots of the trees. The Night Elves lived mostly in the alcoves within the trees that they have built themselves, and like the name given to their race, were typically more active at night. However, to deal with the surge of foreign traders, they were forced to adapt and work during the day. Most still continued to come out in the night though.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

I followed the little Night Elf, and eventually we reached yet another gigantic tree. This one, I suspected based on the number of clothes-vines that hung tunics and blouses, was probably a resident tree. The sign near the entrance read 'Plumdrassil'.

I took a moment to take it all in, and followed the girl inside. Strong smells of honey-scented dews assaulted my sense of smell immediately. It was like a mini-cave that had many entrances to different alcoves. These were all homes to the citizen Night Elves here. There was hardly any activity going on, seeing that it was right in the afternoon now.

'Over here!' She said, next to an opening with pretty vines made up of mint leaves hanging all over it.

In we went, and I saw a rather nicely-decorated home. There was a terrace on top that was open to the outside of the tree. Everywhere I saw were furniture made of oak. One thing I noticed about Elven furniture was that they never seem to be made. They were more like... Grown. One thing for sure, there were no traces of glue or screws being used. Everything was connected perfectly.

'Well, you're finally home. I was worried when I found the stall unmanned and went around searching for you. Luckily Enthaius closed the stall for us when he saw no one near it. What's the matter? Did you cry?' A male voice entered the room.

I looked around, and saw a middle-aged Night Elf standing next to the kitchen caressing the little Night Elf girl's hair.

'Now, dry your eyes and go to bed. We have to re-open the stall later again.' He said to her, and she trotted back to her room.

'Sorry for all this. Were you the one who brought her back? Did she cause any trouble?' The male Elf said to me.

I shook my head, and told him the entire story.

'Wow, thank you so much! If I knew the Imps would even dare to attack in broad daylight, I would never have left her to tend the stall! I was just coming back here to get more crafting materials... Is there anything I can do for you in return?'

'Well, there is actually. I believe you are a jewel-crafter? Is it possible for you to teach me jewel-crafting?' I replied earnestly.

'You want to learn the craft? Sure! Why not? It is not everyday I get to teach someone how to craft jewels. But I have to warn you. This craft skill is fruitful with its rewards, but its fatalities for failure is also tremendous. What I mean to say is that while you may be able to craft valuable gems of exquisiteness and great value, should you cut a gem a fracture too much, not only will the gem become useless and you suffer a loss, you will also lose your hard-earned reputation. It is not an easy profession to pick up. Do you still want to learn Jewel-crafting?' He said, with seriousness in his tone.

'I accept.'

*DING*

[p=center]Gained new Craft skill : Jewel-crafting

Jewel-crafting Beginner Level 1. 0%

You are able to cut glass into simple shapes.[/p]

'Normally, all beginner Jewellers would start off with an engraving knife to cut glass, but since you're learning from me, I have a secret technique for magic users like you. I believe you are familiar with Enchanting?' He asked.

I nodded. It was a common skill picked up by most magic users. Basically, it involves casting permanent enhancements to equipment to give buffs or other forms of enhancements. It was something definitely good to have.

'Well, Enchanting involves recreating certain parts of the item and introducing foreign matter to make it stronger or to entice it to give the user more benefits. It is the simple molding and re-molding of an item with the heavy use of magic. Using the same concept, I have devised a secret technique. To use basic Enchanting to mold the glass or metal into the shapes of gems that we want! Imagine not having to spend so much effort perilously shaving glass just to get a round shape. With magic, you can reshape gemstones with your will.' He finished, giving me a wink.

[p=center]Gained new Craft skill : Enchanting

Enchanting Beginner Level 1. 0%

You are able to enchant vests to give small buffs. You are also able to reshape certain objects.[/p]

This was good news indeed! To be able to learn not just one, but two craft skills just from this NPC is an occasion too rare to be true! Not only that, both are profession skills that will aid me in my magic casting. I can create gems that have innate magical abilities to be socketed into my armor, as well as buff up my equipment with relevant enchants!

This was turning out to be a pretty fruitful day afterall.

Just then I heard a message in my mind.

'Crow, I am back. Return to my chamber at once. I have something new to teach you.'

It was the voice of Ghanda summoning back to his chamber. Well, it would not do to disobey possibly the best mage in the world.

'I am truly grateful for the skills you have granted me. Regrettably, I wish to stay and learn some more, but I have business elsewhere. I am thankful for your hospitality.' I said, rather much too humbly for my own liking.

However, the Night Elf seem to took it all in.

Well, they were once noble beings afterall...

'Your polite manners have pleased me greatly! Here, take these few pieces of glass to work with. I'm sure you will be a master Jeweller and Enchanter in no time! Oh, and my name is Lithus. Do come by my shop sometime!' He said.

*DING*

[p=center]Obtained Items : 10 Medium Glass[/p]

Saying my thanks, I ran back to the Enchantium.

When I opened the doors to Ghanda's chamber, I immediately saw the old man peering deeply into his scrying sphere.

Seriously, when will this old man stop spying on people? If he weren't such a high leveled archmage, I might have believed he's Keith in disguise...

Ghanda cleared his voice, and said, 'so what did you manage to find today, young apprentice?'

"I managed to learn two professions, Master Ghanda. Jewel-crafting and Enchanting, sir, from a rather interesting Night Elf, though I suspect you already knew that.' I said.

'Ah, impertinent as always. I was merely looking out for your safety. The creation of ornaments and socketable gems, as well as the mystical enhancing art of enchanting. You have chosen well, apprentice.'

'Now, on to business. I believed you have kept up on your training?' He asked.

I nodded, and proceeded to bring up my Barrier.

He considered my Barrier for a moment, then flicked a casual lightning bolt at my Barrier like he was shooting a fly, instantly zapping my Barrier!

Surprisingly enough, I received no damage.

'Excellent. I am confident you are ready to begin your next phase of training. From now on, I will begin to teach you magic that no other mage knows. Are you ready for this?' He asked, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Am I ready? He's gotta be kidding me!

'Absolutely ready, Master.' I replied.

'Fine. Then we shall begin on our first Forgotten Magic, which was once commonly known as... Mana Manifest.'

[p=center]Next Chapter?[/p]