Eight Era, cycle 1721 – cycle of the squatting dog, season of Unkh, day 272
Amaka returned to stalking the tunnels once more; she came across lots of traps, more than she was used to, but no caroks. Or not at first, but then she came across a room full of caroks fighting each other. She wondered if she should take advantage of the confusion and get some experience for her fighting skills – but then decided that she still wasn’t ready for gratuitous killing.
Finally, she stood in front of a large door and started worrying at her lip as she pondered how to get inside. Her sister could pick locks and hot-wire cars, but Amaka had never learned the ability; even if she had, she didn’t have any picks on her and she was sure to need both hands.
Amaka rattled the handle fruitlessly (or so she thought), but the door opened. ‘Or, you know, it’s not locked,’ Amaka said, surprised.
The room stank of damp, fear, cruelty, blood and waste.
She approached the first cell; it was packed with bleary-eyed, diminutive figures. They were too diminutive – in fact, they were children – scrawny and malnourished, dishevelled clothing hung off bodies that had little enough strength to allow their owner to stand up. Filthy, stale water sat in rusted metal plates that were scattered around the cage, and waste was piled at the far end. They must have been locked in for weeks, at least.
There was a loud cry from somewhere else in the room, and a voice that cracked from a dry throat challenged her. ‘You, now, stand away from the kiddies, ya hear?’
Amaka turned, another cage held men that were not so obviously abused. The speaker had his hand clenched on the bars; she could hear his fists tightening around the bars. He was short with a thick, matted beard, and shoulders that could carry a house.
She blinked; he looked like a proper dwarf that you get on the cover of books, with the type of biology that shouldn’t work, built like a brick shithouse and then some, 4.5 foot tall at a guess, and probably 5 foot wide. For a moment, her fascination made her forget where she was.
‘I’m not here to hurt them,’ Amaka said stepping closer to the dwarf.
‘A human!’ the dwarf said with evident relief.
‘A human?’ The whisper spread around the room.
Amaka cut the crude leather seals on the cages quickly. Those incarcerated seemed to be split into three groups: children in one cage, adult men in another and adult women in a third, although with some of the nonhuman races it was difficult to tell their gender.
‘Are ye a human or are ye one of the fair folk, maybe? Come to take us of to torture us have you?’ one of the males asked.
‘Gorzark, one of the Lords and Ladies wouldn’t set foot below ground. The ground wouldn’t accept them like the sun does,’ said another.
‘What are they doing with you?’ Amaka asked.
‘We don’t know,’ someone in the crowd said.
Many random voices in the crowd joined in, each adding something pertinent:
‘We get told nothin’.’
‘We were just locked in the cages and left.’
‘Until they come for one of us, that is.’
‘Oh, yes; at certain times, they come ’n take someone.’
‘What happens to them?’ Amaka asked.
‘No idea, lassie; they don’t return,’ replied the first one who had spoken.
‘The queen eats them,’ chimed in another.
‘She’s the glutton monster,’ added one of the women.
‘How were you all taken? You can’t all have been hunting nearby?’ Amaka probed.
‘What do you mean “hunting”? We’re all here because we were sold by the state. Anyone who gets into debtors’ prison now gets sold into slavery. ’Tis the Tump Law, and it gets worse every new moon.’
‘The caroks have money?’ Amaka asked, opening the last cage.
The conversation once more descended into a free-for-all.
‘I don’t know who bought me.’
‘Nor I.’
‘Me either.’
‘I wasn’t in debt; I was put in prison for overcooking the master’s dinner.’
‘Aye, the magistrates get crueller every day.’
‘They’re preparing for something.’
The group parted to reveal an aged, worn man with long hands and a long face.
‘Who are you aged master?’ someone said, offering the man help to get to his feet.
‘I was the father of the vizier; my name is Tunnup. I used up my usefulness, as did everyone else in here. This is the pit into which the unwanted detritus is thrown.’
There was a muttering amongst the group.
‘What do the kids know?’ someone asked.
‘Perhaps some of them are sick, and, as such, have no use in the slave pens,’ Tunnup mused. ‘Or perhaps they have the wrong blood.’
‘The wrong blood?’ Amaka queried.
‘Sometimes houses fall and sometimes they have no heir. Sometimes measures are put into place to make sure there is no descendent,’ Tunnup clarified.
‘That’s disgusting!’ Amaka cried.
‘It is, and my son is a monster. Yet he was such a sweet boy,’ Tunnup said, with thick tears falling from his eyes.
‘So what now, girl?’ the dwarf asked.
‘It’s Amaka, not “girl”. I think I want to kill the queen of the caroks,’ she replied conversationally.
‘You won’t get any arguments from me, lassie; I’d love to help ye, but I have neither axe nor war hammer, and some of the folks are in no state to swing their dicks, let alone their arms,’ the dwarf confirmed.
Amaka half-laughed, half-choked. ‘Thank you for the… um, offer,’ Amaka said trying a mental summons to Stirgar and hoping that the spell would work like that. ‘I have a.. um, friend in the tunnels, scavenging off the dead caroks. Hopefully, he’ll have some weapons. We’ll group together, with the kids and the injured in the middle of the group, and have fighters front and back to offer protection. We’ll try to find our way out, but if we do happen to run across the chamber with the queen, I think we should make a quick stop to have words.’
There was a muttering of agreement, and the group left the vile room; many of the group were being supported by each other and they moved painstakingly slowly, Amaka was convinced that the caroks had enough time to setup an ambush. Yet, unbeknownst to Amaka, her reputation as the Wraith was working in their favour. The two petrified caroks had spread word of the Wraith appearing in a blaze of fire, and the corpse of the carok mage had been noticed. Fear was spreading throughout the tunnels, causing the caroks to bunch together in easily barricaded rooms. Her absence hadn’t diminished her reputation either, but had put the caroks on edge.
She found Stirgar tentatively trying on the boots of a dead carok.
‘What are you doing?’ Amaka asked.
‘Good boots is good boots. And the carok ain’t long dead, so it’s still easy to get them off,’ Stirgar replied.
‘Daemon spawn!’ someone shouted from behind Amaka, and raucous calls of fear rose from the beleaguered captives.
‘No, no! It’s a summoned creature; it won’t harm you,’ Amaka explained, holding out her hands passively to the group.
‘You can’t trust it; they’re evil!’ added the shouter.
‘I don’t trust it, but it’s mine, and I can banish it if it does anything. All it is doing at the moment is looting the dead. Stirgar, don’t take its eyes out now; that isn’t helping. We’re safe for now; please calm down as we have bigger issues,’ Amaka stated, looking around the group.
There were still murmurs of discontent:
‘She controls a daemon!’
‘She’s a powerful witch!’
However, there was a good deal of appreciative whispers at their powerful saviour, which became all the more boisterous as Stirgar pulled swords, bows and daggers from his swag bag, and handed them out the captives.
‘Right, anyone who doesn’t feel in any condition to fight, you get into the middle; you people at the back, give a shout if any caroks try to sneak up from behind. Nobody be a hero; you’re all half-starved, and I get that you might feel like taking it out on these creatures, but we’re in their home, we’re outnumbered, and we only get through this if we form a cohesive unit. United we stand, divided we fall. If I tell you to run, run. If I tell you to fight, even if it you’re outnumbered, fight. I won’t spend your lives unnecessarily, but let’s be real here; we aren’t all making it out. We’ve got twenty-two fighters, so I want three teams of four and two teams of five.’ Amaka counted on her fingers for a second. ‘Yeah, that’s twenty-two. I have an ability that lets me see your names, and I want team leaders so I know who to bollock if you fuck up.’
There was general agreement, and five people stepped forwards.
Name: Vorstarg
Race: dwarf
Genus: sapient
Affiliation: Hephaestus
Dwarfs are of the elder race and are long lived; they dwell mainly in caves and – more recently – taverns (although no sub-race is related to this; increase your lore to learn more). There are two known races of dwarf: deep dwellers and common dwarfs. Deep dwellers are less powerful than their more common brethren, but have developed the ability to use magicka. Increase your lore to learn more.
Specialisation: miner
Class: C
State: angry
Level: 28
Health 400/1,400, stamina 4/1,400, magicka 1,400/1,400
Endowments: earth
Curses: none
Bestiary increased
Name: Gorzar
Race: dwarf
Genus: sapient
Affiliation: Hephaestus
Dwarfs are of the elder race and are long lived; they dwell mainly in caves and – more recently – taverns (although no sub-race is related to this; increase your lore to learn more). There are two known races of dwarf: deep dwellers and common dwarfs. Deep dwellers are less powerful than their more common brethren, but have developed the ability to use magicka. Increase your lore to learn more.
Specialisation: berserker
Class: C
State: resolute
Level: 31
Health 550/1,550, stamina 27/1,550, magicka 1,550/1,550
Endowments: earth
Curses: none
Name: Belafon
Race: gnome
Genus: sapient
Affiliation: Hestia
Gnomes are believed to be of the elder race, and some are known to have reached great ages; however, they are secretive and guard knowledge most jealously. There are at least two known classes of gnome: archaic gnomes, who seek the knowledge of magicka, and forest gnomes, who seek knowledge of herbology or alchemy. There is also said to be a third class. Increase your lore to learn more.
Specialisation: merchant
Class: C
State: shock
Level: 39
Health 27/1,950, stamina 41/1,950, magicka 1,950/1,950
Endowments: forest concealment 50%
Curses: none
Bestiary increased
Name: Nessa
Race: goblin
Genus: sapient
Affiliation: Persephone
Goblins are either of the elder race or were created by dwarfs; the truth isn’t well known, and goblins find the question offensive whilst dwarfs can be tight-lipped about their own secrets. They dwell mainly in caves like dwarfs, but they are less welcoming of visitors than dwarfs. A racial stigmatism of goblins is that they have an innate skill with traps, locks and warding magicka. Increase your lore to learn more.
Specialisation: sneak thief
Class: C
State: angry
Level: 23
Health 10/1,150, stamina 11/1,150, magicka 1,150/1,150
Endowments: night vision
Curses: none
Bestiary increased
Name: Tag
Race: human
Genus: sapient
Affiliation: none
Humans are the most adaptable race and one of the more profligate races on the planet. Humans will settle anywhere they’re allowed to: the frozen plains, the arid desert, the humid jungles or the jagged mountains. Because of their adaptability, there is only one known race of humans, from which all humans are descended. Increase your lore to learn more.
Specialisation: jungle ranger
Class: C
State: resolute
Level: 33
Health 65/1,650, stamina 16/1,650, magicka 1,650/1,650
Endowments: none
Curses: none
You have formed a party.
Congratulations on leading your first party; forming parties has many benefits, but also limitations.
Your party is too large for your current level, and therefore any experience earned will be split evenly throughout the fifty-four party members. Reform your party with twelve people or fewer for every five levels of leadership, and then each party member will receive the full experience from any kill your party manages.
Well, that was interesting; how many caroks would it take to level the kids up? Each stat point put into health was worth 50 extra health points, which could keep some of them alive. Still, it would be better not to go looking for a fight.
Yet the fight came looking for them. Amaka’s blood chilled as screams sounded from the back of the group, and she whipped around to see someone go down with an arrow sticking out of their face – their actual face – with squirts of blood and screams of pain, and an arrow – an actual arrow – sticking out of their face, and cutting through their nose and cheek.
Amaka used her teleport and appeared in time to catch a carok in the back; it staggered forwards, but her mace got caught in its protective leather armour, and the weapon was jerked out of her hand. As the woman next to her was stabbed through the heart by a carok, Amaka’s instincts took over, and she used her new skin-toughening spell. Her skin writhed as the magic took hold, altering her physicality to align with the spells effects.
There were gasps and cries around her as Amaka’s shaped changed subtly, but in the gloom of the tunnel it was all the more unnerving for its subtlety. The already-frayed nerves of the freed captives made them shrink back, scared of this strange beast as it struck out in an unnervingly majestic dance of death, with razor sharp claws cutting into carok throats, sprays of arterial blood splashing against its face and arms, and glistening, toxic, yellow teeth. It was as though their rescuer had changed into a beast greedy for blood and sinew.
Amaka flowed from form to form; her rigorous practising had made the movements second nature, and her sharp-taloned hands were almost as good as knives. Bleed icons filled the bottom of her vision as she moved and struck, danced and sliced.
A carok thrust its sword down towards a child; Amaka blocked the sword with her bare arm, and her toughened skin resisted the sword, but not without injury, as long cut opened in her arm. Amaka was starting to feel sluggish, she needed to invest her points into movement, but the caroks weren’t gifted fighters – they had no fighting style, and stuck to the simple stab and slash. As the fight progressed, Amaka learned their moves and, in return, never once repeated an action, confounding the caroks as more and more of their number dropped.
Soon, Amaka stood alone, panting and looking for any caroks that still lived. The group of captives huddled a short distance off, with Tag and Nessa at the front of the group; Tag with an arrow nocked, and white lightning dancing in Nessa’s hands.
‘I think they’re all dead,’ Amaka confirmed, stepping towards the group.
‘Halt, what are you?’ Nessa called, holding her hands out, with the lightning crackling threateningly.
‘I’m Amaka; you know, the girl who rescued you,’ she stated.
‘That’s who you are, but what are you?’ Nessa repeated.
‘Complicated, but this is just a spell. I can dispel it anytime, but I can only cast it once a day and I’d rather not waste it now I’ve cast it. I was hoping to use it on the queen.’
‘This is just a spell?’ Tag asked; blood was flowing from a cut across his hairline, but his arm was held steady.
‘Of course, just a something… what did he call it? A magical armour or something. A-a cohesion spell – like oak flesh, he said,’ Amaka explained.
‘Like iron flesh?’ Nessa enquired.
‘I guess, I don’t know that many spells,’ confessed Amaka.
Nessa nodded. ‘I’ve seen iron flesh change someone’s appearance, and make them more solid and silvery. I was just not expecting our saviour to know such a powerful spell. Whoever gave you the quest to free you, must be paying you a great deal. We are indebted to you.’
‘Er, something like that,’ Amaka responded.
‘I say let her lead; if she wanted to eat us, why would she have freed us?’ Vorstarg grilled, putting his hand on Tag’s arrow and pushing it down.
‘Fine, but she goes first, and don’t use that stealth skill of yours; I want to see you,’ Tag stated firmly.
‘That would make me a target,’ Amaka said, but she held her arms up as Tag lifted his arrow.
Amaka pressed on; the back of her neck prickled as though she could sense Tag aiming his bow at her, but she tried to ignore the sensation. A few caroks spotted her, but they were in ones and twos, so the caroks ran at the sight of the blood-soaked creature with eyes that seemed to drink in the light.
They soon came to a split in the path; one way led to more tunnels and the other was an immense oval room with tiered seating, like a Roman theatre, with overhanging lower-tier seating some 8 feet above the ground. Thick pillars described the outskirts of the chamber, and recesses in the walls held statues of long-forgotten deities. Cages hung from the ceiling, and an immense metal grate was placed in the centre of the room, covering over a fire pit that was creating a heat haze several yards away from its epicentre.
Several corridors led off from the room; many of them were guarded, but some were left abandoned. Near the centre of the room was a massive figure, who was perhaps 9 foot tall and nearly as many feet wide. Amaka licked her lips at the sight of the carok queen. There was a little nub at the top of it, which Amaka presumed to be its head, and thick, stubby arms, which were almost absorbed into its fat. It struggled to move on stubby legs, and it moved in a jerky, almost stop-motion movement. Its stubby legs caused deep vibrations in the ground when it walked, and Amaka would soon realise that the stink of sweat overlaying the smell of death and excrement was coming from the gore-covered queen. It strode naked, bar a covering of gore, and held the carcass of a creature, which the queen was eating – ripping strips of flesh off and gnawing the bones. Its massive feet trod on bones and squelched on the carcasses of the mutilated bodies that were yet to have the flesh eaten off them. The puddles of viscous blood and entrails, which skeets were drinking, were the final insult to the dead.
Name: Melarnus
Race: carok
Genus: artificial
Subspecies: queen
Class: B
There can only be one queen of the caroks; when a second one is born, the hive will split and a new home will be sought. The queen is not limited like the males, and once she is placed in her home she will never leave. Increase your lore to learn more.
Harvestable items: fat
State: hungry
Level: 36
Health unknown, stamina unknown, magicka unknown
Endowments: physical resistance, 30%
Curses: none
Bestiary increased
Amaka reached into her bag and withdrew a bottle she’d taken from the mage’s room; from smell alone, it clearly contained a potent poison.
‘Spread this over your arrow heads; I want the sneak-attack bonus, so try to attack in unison. Can you manage that?’ Amaka asked Belafon, who nodded. ‘Good, I also want a magic burst after the arrow attack; its health is massive, so we’ll need to hit it hard. After that, I want you lot on clean up duty; wipe out any caroks who arrive, and I’ll keep the queen’s attention. When there’s a lull in caroks, go for the queen. I want you lot to attack and then move; don’t give her a chance to strike you, as she looks powerful.’
Belafon arranged his archers, coated as many arrows as they had with poison, and then used the remainder on the swords. The poison would last for a couple of strikes and give them an advantage.
The archers hid in the shadows and raised their bows; the arrows flew through the air, not in perfect unison, but in a close group, and smacked into the queen with all the apparent effect of a gnat. The queen scratched her back, the great rolls of blubber parting like the Red Sea, and Belafon leased another round.
The queen looked around, her blood shot eyes narrowing as she scanned the room.
Nessa then took charge; lightning, water and ice flew through the air, and impacted the giant figure. This made the queen bellow in rage, and Amaka burst from the group with a single focus.
The queen moved like a drunken cow, tottering from foot to foot, but her speed built up and, with a full head of steam, she was quicker than she looked. Amaka could feel the queen closing the gap between them as there were intensifying earthquakes, and Amaka turned from the queen when she was sure she had her full attention.
Amaka slipped as her foot landed on the remnants of intestines, and she fell heavily into rent flesh and guts; she rolled, things squelched under her as she regained her feet, the queen closed on Amaka, and Amaka rolled again as a massive foot came down inches away and caused her to bounce up from the floor from the impact.
Next, Amaka sprung to her feet, ignoring the sensations of bits of bone and skin against her hand. The queen was smart, and, instead of stopping, she slowed enough to turn, with the oval shape of the room being conducive to her large turning circle, and the queen was behind Amaka with heart-stopping speed. The queen launched a backhand that travelled with the sound of a thunderclap, and Amaka dived to avoid it, but moved far too late and was caught by a blow like Thor’s hammer. Amaka was thrown through the air and cracked her skull on the ground.
Affliction: dizziness
The world spun slowly, and Amaka blinked twice, three times, four times, and noticed the queen was turning again. Amaka tried to get up, but she was unsteady and fell over on the first attempt. The second time she moved slower, but the queen was back. She balled both hands together and brought them down with the intent to crush Amaka.
Amaka dived forwards without a hope of avoiding the crushing fists, but her teleport activated, augmenting her dodge, so that Amaka landed several feet away from the queen. Amaka was quick to her feet this time, and she started running around the oval room, casting a healing spell and attempting to dodge through the many fights that had broken out all over the room.
She neared three caroks with long pikes, which were looking to spear her. Amaka dodged to the right, lowering her shoulder and taking a step, but it was only a feint, and she took a quick half-jump to the left and avoided the pikes. A carok managed to recover quicker than Amaka anticipated and it jumped at her; she had to parry the blade with her bare hand, and her toughed skin deflected it, but her hand split open and blood flowed out of the shallow wound. As she did so, Amaka noticed the charging queen, and Amaka started running again. There was a sickening crunch and crack like a whip as the queen crushed the carok under foot without pity.
Amaka tried to turn, but she was still dizzy and tumbled to the floor. As she looked up, the queen was bringing a large foot down to stomp her, and Amaka noticed the cool-down period of her teleport had ended, so she moved.
The queen had been intent on the tiny figure who had dared to challenge her in her throne room and in front of her caroks; her single minded intent had caused tunnel vision, and the queen hadn’t noticed the low ceiling. As she charged forwards, her skull cracked against the protruding gantry, the entire cave system shook, the stone balcony cracked, and the queen dropped to the floor, stunned momentarily.
Battle log:
Carok queen strikes blunt object for 75 damage points, x 1.5 critical damage
Amaka looked round; the queen’s health was down by half! Yet it was at 285, which was still a mammoth number.
The queen and Amaka started an odd dance; Amaka allowed the queen to get close and would dodge as the queen swiped at her. Amaka taunted her, calling out to the queen in the carok language, and darted forwards occasionally, slicing at any flesh she could safely reach. As the queen grew frustrated, she started to charge Amaka, who would start to move towards groups of caroks, and if they didn’t scatter, the queen would crush them uncaringly. Then Amaka would lure the queen to the low ceiling and, as the queen’s eyes started to glint in triumph, Amaka would teleport.
Unfortunately, stupid as caroks were, after the third time, the queen learned, and was slower and more cautious. Time was against Amaka, as her party were quick to fatigue from their mistreatment, and more caroks streamed into the room. Even without moving at full speed, the queen was fast enough to keep Amaka on the move, and Amaka’s stamina bar was puny when compared to the queen’s.
Suddenly, a carok jumped from Amaka’s blind side and grabbed her, and the two wrestled, but the carok had her in a death grip. The queen spotted this and grinned wildly, measuring her pace and bringing her fist back. Amaka’s teleport still had seconds left to cool-down as the giant clenched fist tore through the air in a powerful haymaker, and the carok cried out in triumph as its sacrifice would prove to be Amaka’s death. Amaka’s blood was cold as she watched the milliseconds count down on the teleport ability; each millisecond seemed like a lifetime.
The queen’s fist struck, Amaka teleported, and, when she reappeared, she was thrown by the impact she didn’t manage to fully avoid and she smashed into the wall.
Affliction: dizziness, blurred vision, bleeding
Dizziness, 7 seconds remaining
Blurred vision, 10 seconds remaining
Bleeding, 2 minutes 30 remaining, 1 health point lost per second until bleeding stops
You have been concussed.
All spirit attributes lose 5%
Your skull has been fractured.
All spirit attributes lose 5%, all body attributes lose 5%, max health reduced by 70%
Your eye socket has been fractured; your eye is dislocated.
Max health reduced by 20%
Amaka’s vision went black; the icons started counting down, and her head was burning with pain so intense that it took her breath away. When she opened her eyes, she was blinded by the lights. With exaggerated slowness, she tried to get to her feet, staggered and fell. A sound of heavy grunting grew closer as the queen approached, moving slowly.
Sweating, breathing hard and with blood dripping down to blind one eye, Amaka got to her feet. She spat out blood and a couple of teeth, and opened her good eye carefully. The dim light was too intense for her concussion, and she vomited. She saw an icon of a skull with a red cross (meaning fractured skull), plus max health reduced, concussion and slow-bleed icons, a per-second penalty of -1 health point, and her health was at 19 points and ticking down.
The queen started to charge again, Amaka tried a teleport, but the concentration of the spell was too much and she fell instead, unable to hold back more vomit.
Affliction: dizziness
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 16 health points remaining
Her left eye was closed with blood, a carok appeared grinning wickedly, and Amaka stabbed her hand at it, but the action was weak as her claws only opened a slender cut on its cheek. Yet it was surprised and pulled back; a pike ripped out from its chest, and it toppled sideways.
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 14 health points remaining
Amaka noticed the queen slow, savouring the victory.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 12 health points remaining
Amaka’s shanking hand reached into her bag and pulled out a health potion, but her fingers were clumsy and she dropped the bottle; it rolled away.
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 11 health points remaining
Amaka knees buckled and she collapsed face down on the floor, her right eye closed, her breathing slowed and the carok queen roared in triumph.
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 10 health points remaining
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 9 health points remaining
Amaka looked up as rank, warm air engulfed her; the queen was above her, she reached down and grabbed Amaka by the hair, pulling her to eye level. Laughing with a cruel, sonorous laugh, the queen thrust Amaka towards her gaping maw.
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 8 health points remaining.
With her last act of will, Amaka summoned up her resolve and her teleported. In a blink, Amaka appeared inches in front of the queen’s eye, and – with a cry of pain and determination – Amaka thrust her arm to the elbow into the queen’s eye socket. The queen bellowed as hot, sticky blood gushed over Amaka. The queen staggered back and onto the glowing metal grate. The sound of flesh searing was covered by the scream of pain from the queen; the intense heat from the fire prickled Amaka’s skin as the queen fell, releasing Amaka. Even though it was from only a few feet from the ground, Amaka landed heavily.
Battle log:
Fall damage, -2 health points, 5 health points remaining
Affliction: bleeding, -1 health point per second, 4 health points remaining.
The queen writhed and screamed as her skin blistered and burst, and she was unable to push her way off the grate, as she struggled on her back like an overturned turtle and was cooked alive slowly. To the background of screams of pain, Amaka slipped into blackness once more.
‘She’s still alive, and the bleeding’s stopped.’ The voice sounded distant to Amaka as her awareness returned slowly.
‘She’s tough as old tunnel rat tongue, this one.’ That sounded like Gorzark.
‘Girlie, can ye hear us?’ This one was definitely Vorstarg.
‘Yes,’ Amaka said; her eyes refuse to work and she almost passed out again.
‘Can ye cancel your armour spell?’ asked Vorstarg.
‘Sure, if it offends you,’ Amaka offered.
‘It ain’t that, missy; it’s resisting our healing magic,’ Gorzark replied.
‘What?’ Amaka asked as she was helped into a sitting position.
‘That spell of yours for toughened skin is resisting our healing magic,’ reiterated Gorzark.
‘Oh,’ Amaka declared, and she released the spell; it was like releasing a bra after a long day.
‘It’s alright, lass; we’ve got you,’ a voice said.
Amaka felt warmth spread through her, the pulsing headache lessened, and her vision focused.
‘Slowly now; your body will be recovering,’ continued the voice as Amaka got to her feet.
‘Where’s the queen?’ Amaka asked.
‘Over there; she’s dead – cooked alive,’ Gorzark explained with a laugh.
‘Has anyone seen my teeth?’ Amaka asked probing her mouth with her tongue; she’d lost at least three, maybe four.
‘They were the least of our loss,’ Belafon verified.
Amaka stiffened. ‘How many did we lose?’
‘In total, we lost seven fighters, although everyone has some form of injury; three of the non-combatants were killed and two others died from the captivity,’ Belafon said gravely.
‘But we freed them,’ Amaka stated, shocked.
‘Alas, it was too late; there was nothing we could do,’ consoled Belafon.
‘Twelve dead,’ Amaka uttered weakly.
‘Not to mention the three lost in the scuffle in the tunnel,’ Gorzark added.
‘They were good deaths; the two who died from their captivity died free, and the others died holding off caroks who broke through. The fighters gave their lives so we might live; I think even Nessa sacrificed herself with pride,’ Belafon explained.
‘Nessa died?’ queried Amaka.
Belafon nodded. ‘Nessa, the mages Olando and Navar, the archers Tag and Tom, Hilda from my group, and Yoksley from Vorstarg’s group. Surprisingly few, all things considered.’
‘You did well; I am proud to have been led by you, and so was Yorksley,’ Vorstarg said.
‘Aye,’ agreed Gorzark, and other voices rose up in chorus.
‘Take the dead; we’ll cremate them outside – in the daylight,’ Amaka suggested.
‘That is a good offer, but Yorksley must be taken back to a dwarf mine. Dwarven burial customs are excessive,’ Gorzark explained.
‘Oh, well, if you insist,’ Amaka stated. ‘Stirgar, I notice your lack of concern. Loot this place; I want everything that has a price.’
‘Right you are, boss,’ Stirgar said, setting off with a greedy glint in his eye.
Amaka watched him go, picking through the gore on the battlefield; she closed her eyes and used her respect-for-the-fallen ability. The caroks might not deserve it, but those who lost their lives fighting for the freedom of the captives deserved to be respected.
There were gasps from the group as their experience increased, as if willed into being by Amaka, but Amaka ignored all of her prompts for now.
‘What should we do with these?’ someone asked gesturing to draw Amaka’s attention to a few cornered caroks.
‘They surrendered?’ Amaka asked surprised.
‘Sure; once the queen was dead, they lost all fight,’ Vorstarg elaborated.
‘I say we cook ’em alive,’ Gorzark suggested.
‘No, wait,’ Amaka said, standing up and walking over to the caroks.
The people parted to let Amaka pass; she walked up to the caroks and checked for their names.
‘You know me, Jarznar, and you Dregnard, Ulum and Dremmal.’ Amaka announced, speaking their tongue.
The caroks looked at each other and shuffled their feet.
‘No,’ Dregnard said taking a step back.
‘Yes, you do; you all do. You spoke about me in whispers, you shared stories about me, and you knew to fear me,’ explained Amaka.
‘Who… who are you?’ Ulum said, stuttering.
‘You call me the Wraith,’ she confirmed.
‘No!’ they cried, huddling back.
‘Yes, you all know of me; I am the antithesis of cruelty and slavery. I am going to let you few go, but do you know why? So that you can spread knowledge of my existence throughout carok kind, and tell them… tell them that in any warren you squat in, anywhere you go and take in living creatures to be eaten… er…’ Amaka paused, as that technically included farms, ‘er, to be eaten alive or tortured. I’ll find you. Understand?’
They all nodded rapidly and continued to back away.
‘Then go; go and spread the message,’ she ordered.
Amaka stood aside, and the caroks bolted from the room without looking back.
‘What did you say to them?’ someone asked.
‘I told them to spread the word of what happened here to other caroks. Hopefully, it’ll clear a few more caves out,’ said Amaka.
‘You speak their tongue?’ Belafon asked.
‘It’s my affiliation with… um, the… um, lady without name or some melodramatic bollocks; she gifted me with languages.’
‘The nameless lady, the madam of absence? You are a rare creature indeed,’ declared Belafon.
‘There’s a breeze coming from over here!’ The shout caused Amaka and the others who’d gathered around her to investigate, and they congregated around a broken and half-collapsed doorway. The queen’s antics must have destabilised the hidden entrance, and now a faint hint of light was accompanied by a fresh breeze.
‘Let’s clear the path!’ Gorzark called, pulling rocks from the path.
Thanks to the dwarfs, the path was cleared quickly, and Jarner, a young and sprightly goblin, was sent ahead. He soon returned, dancing a caper and announcing that it led to the outside. There was a cheer and a renewal of effort to help the injured leave the cave. As they worked, Amaka studied her prompts.
You have gained 375,419 experience points following your battle against the carok queen.
You have exceeded the maximum party size; the experience points will be shared evenly amongst the forty-two survivors.
You have gained 8,939 experience points.
Level up! Level 14
(7,536 experience points to the next level)
Reward for killing boss – carok queen: 6 attribute points randomly assigned – ↑ determination, ↑↑ speed, ↑ agility, ↑ composure, ↑ concentration
Quest update: held captive 1
You have freed the captives of Malox Passage, 500 experience points for each captive freed, total of 21,000 experience points
You have exceeded the maximum party size; the experience points will be shared evenly amongst the forty-two survivors.
Total of 488 experience points received for freeing the captives of Malox Passage (7,048 experience points to the next level)
Rewards: 2,000 relationship points with all you freed from the caroks
Relationship levels increased from stranger (0 relationship points) to ally (2,000–4,999 relationship points).
Quest update: held captive 2
You have found and freed captives, but why were they held and are there more? Will you continue to help?
Rewards: unknown
Quest update: let sleeping dragons (dragonoids) lie 1
The passages are now clear, and Dances on Water is now safe from soldiers being sent to investigate the carok presence.
Receive 1,000 experience points
You have exceeded the maximum party size; the experience points will be shared evenly amongst the forty-two survivors
Receive 23 experience points
(7025 experience points to the next level)
Quest update: let sleeping dragons (dragonoids) lie 2
Dances on Water requires solitude and peace; if anyone were to trespass in Malox Passage, you may be called to stop them.
Rewards: unknown
Quest complete: the dying of the light
Your quest is finally at an end.
Your weeks spent lost in the dark have changed you irrevocably; they have allowed you a deeper understanding of yourself, both physically and mentally, but it came at a price. You have numerous physical scars, lost your right arm, lived on vermin and larvae, scavenged food from the corpses of your foes, and drank moisture from damp rocks and moss.
You found an escape only to fall into yet another trap, made a friend and had to watch her die, entered the den of a legend and looked it in the eye, faced a powerful fiend with tainted magic, discovered the depravity of a carok slave pen, and faced off against the queen of the caroks, with the gore and residue of her meals painting the room red with blood.
Yet, in spite of all of this, as the universe turned the screw and forced you to your knees you uttered one word strongly: no. You would not give in. You have found the secret ways in Malox Passage and left with your life – and power.
Rewards: navigation ↑3, 30% increase to attack and defence for 4 days, 200 gold coins
Skill increased: navigation level 7
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 5 in navigation, 500 experience points (6,525 experience points to the next level)
Cave cleared: Malox Passage
You have cleared Malox Passage; your map has been completed to show all tunnels and routes. You are free to use the passage at whim.
Congratulations, you have cleared a gruelling-level cave.
Rewards: navigation ↑5, 11,000 experience points and 1,000 gold coins
You have exceeded the maximum party size; the experience points will be shared evenly amongst the forty-two survivors.
Total of 256 experience points received for clearing Malox Passage (6,269 experience points to the next level)
New alias earned: Wraith
You have terrified the creatures in Malox Passage, but you have left no survivors until now. The stories of your actions were spread by firelight, and no carok would dare travel in their own tunnels without a torch and company.
By letting the trapped caroks go, the story of your existence will spread, and other carok dens will fear your name of “Wraith”.
You operated in the dark and silence; receive 25% boost to your stealth when in carok dens.
You killed entire groups, leaving no survivors; gain 12.5% boost to attack against caroks.
You took down a carok queen and let witnesses go with a grim warning; receive 25% boost to attacks against caroks.
You are a figure of nightmares; your presence intimidates caroks. Caroks lower than your level suffer a decrease to their fighting spirit by 30%, caroks on the same level suffer a decrease to their fighting spirit by 10% and caroks of a higher level see you as a scourge and gain a 20% fighting spirit.
Additionally, earning an alias is a noticeable achievement and earns you accolade points.
Caroks are a benighted race and are not taken seriously. Therefore, you only earn a small amount of accolade points; receive 20 accolade points, current points 20.
Your new alias was earned through notoriety, bloodshed and fear. This is a step into the abyss; your spiritual alignment ticks back and forth as the gods witness your actions and judge you.
Your actions have consequences.
Morality change:
Morality is a personal trait. How you live your life is not much of a concern to the universe in general; lie to a woman to get them into bed, or bite the hand that feeds you – the universe cares not.
However, some actions have an impact on the wider world; this is noticed.
Morality is not the same as legality; stealing bread for your starving family is not enough to tip the balance.
The methods your actions used were through concealment and blood.
New badge awarded: by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes
The blood on your hands can never be removed; -50 relationship points from strangers.
You found those trapped and dying, and risked all to save them.
New badge awarded: sempre fi
↑50 allies fighting spirit when in your eyeline.
Quest update: envoy of the lady 1
Your actions in Malox Passage have impressed, rewards attributes increase
↑↑↑↑ Determination ↑↑ speed ↑↑↑ composure ↑ balance
Quest update: envoy of the lady 2
Continue impressing to progress this quest further.
Skill increased: sneak level 20
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 20 in sneak, 2,000 experience points (4,269 experience points to the next level)
Skill increased: melee level 15
You ain’t pretty, but you take the target down.
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 5 in melee, 500 experience points
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 10 in melee, 1,000 experience points (2,769 experience points to the next level)
Skill increased: navigation level 12
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 10 in navigation, 1,000 experience points (1,769 experience points to the next level)
Skill increased: unarmed combat 20
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 10 in unarmed combat, 1,000 experience points
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 20 in unarmed combat, 2,000 experience points
Skill increased: blunt level 11
Milestone unlocked: you have reached level 10 in blunt, 1,000 experience points
Level up! Level 15
(14,879 experience points to the next level)
Amaka blinked; that was a lot of information to digest, so she decided to view her stat screen.
Name: Amaka O’r Enaid Caredig, “Wraith”
Race: draconic kin
Genus: draconic
Brief description: 6 foot tall, athletic build, sharp features, skin the colour of a brown snake, copper eyes, curved scar circling right leg mid-calf, impact scar above left eye, missing arm, missing lower lateral incisor, missing lower cuspid, missing upper first premolar, Mohican
Class: A
Level: 15 (14,879 experience points to the next level)
Affiliation: the nameless lady, taniwha, spiral gecko
State: exhausted
Accolade points: 20, unknown
Endowments: 12.5% magicka resistance, ↑50 to ally fighting spirit, mental resistance 30% (four days remaining), 30% to attack and defence (four days remaining)
Curses: -50 relationship points from strangers
Magicka skill schools
Consciousness 5, void 2, cohesion 1, movement 1
Control and technique
Willpower 36, meditation 5, language 100, composure 9, concentration 8, intelligence 12, anticipation 15, conceptualisation 6, visualisation 8
Attacking attributes
Strength 25 (-25% due to injury), melee 15, unarmed combat 20, blunt 11, knife 2, standard bow 15
Main Defensive Attributes
Resistance 5, toughness 5, sturdiness 3, natural healing 12, adaptability 14
Movement and positioning
Dexterity 23, speed 13, agility 12, sneak 20, balance 13, fitness 12, gymnastics 3, parkour 1, recovery 7
Mental traits
Insightfulness 44, cunning 17, lore 15, navigation 12, tracking 9, negotiation 20, traps 13, determination 10, erudition 12, inventiveness 18, leadership 5, perception 7, team ethic 8, empathy 29, introspection 12, assertiveness 5, instincts 21, physics 12, biology 14, chemistry 9, maths 12, weather watching 3, brushstroke 20, needlework 9
Miscellaneous
Foraging 12, luck 25, cooking 1
Health 750/750, stamina 750/750, mana 750/750
Endowments: bhasha of the nameless lady, elemental resistance
Abilities and spells: respect for the fallen, all seeing eye, teleport, execution, weak haemostasis (item spell), fractural reduction (item spell), weak rejuvenation (item spell), pounamu skin, tame
Tattoos bestowed: with this skin, I become taniwha; daemon’s mark
Active quests: right hand of a god, who watches the watchers?, SOS 2, let sleeping dragons (dragonoids) lie 2, held captive 2, getting to know you 2, ancient powers 4, the old ways 1, envoy of the lady 2, those who walked before us, dwarven glyphs, castles in the sky, treasure maketh dragon – or taniwha
Affliction: exhaustion
You have not rested properly in days; you are mentally and physically exhausted.
Your health regeneration speed has reduced by 50%, your magicka regeneration has decreased by 150% and your stamina regeneration is down by 25%.
You have been concussed.
All spirit attributes lose 5%
Your skull has been fractured.
All spirit attributes lose 5%, all body attributes lose 5% and max health reduced by 70%
Your eye socket has been fractured; your eye is dislocated.
Max health reduced by 20%
‘Not bad; not bad at all,’ Amaka said to no one in particular.
‘Preening over your stats?’ came a voice.
Amaka jumped, not thinking anyone was close by. ‘Stirgar, I didn’t realise you were still here.’
‘I am a creature of many surprises; that’s how I lost my virginity.’
‘Ew. So what if I am happy with what I see on my stats? I think I’ve earned a little pride,’ Amaka stated, standing straighter.
‘Stats aren’t everything; if they were, you would never have got this far. After all, you took down a boss more than twice your level.’
‘Well, that just means I’m determined and composed, like the stats say.’
Stirgar burst into uncontrolled guffaws; he laughed so hard tears came to his eyes and a damp mark spread from his crotch. He tried to control himself a few times, but, as his laughter started to lessen, he would break into sporadic cackles and howls. Finally, after a period that was a good deal longer than Amaka felt was polite, Stirgar controlled himself.
‘My word I laughed so hard I pissed myself; I haven’t laughed so hard since Malmanmalax shoved Heanargthson’s head up his own arse,’ he explained.
‘You are disgusting,’ declared Amaka.
‘He shouldn’t have summoned an incubus to be his bed warmer. Look, you beat the queen; that’s fine. But you never would have done that against a smart foe, or if you were in a meadow or something. You took advantage of your surroundings; if there hadn’t happened to be a massive fire pit or awkward architecture, then the queen would have just ripped you up and eaten you alive. That wasn’t about stats but about smarts; your melee level is far too low for your skills. I’d almost think you’d done that kind of thing before, only you would have a higher level if so. Maybe it comes from being a traveller from another realm; it lets you do or think things that aren’t portrayed in your stats. It raises the argument of the soul versus the body again. The other reason you’re doing so well – or did so well back there – is your team. Out here, you can be killed by something lower than your level if it surprises you or if it’s in a group; creating a party makes you stronger!’ Stirgar said, looking at Amaka critically.
He continued, ‘Anyway, a well-trained level 4 guard will kill you; you don’t even know how to block. Guard break, piercing strike, quick strike and chain strike are all taught to guards before the end of their second year. They’d have you down, and I doubt you could land a strike of your own. For all that you’re three times their level. I mean, just look at your levels: you’re a 15 with melee 15, blunt 11 and knife 3; you shouldn’t even be at level 4 with that lot.’
‘Well, I got a boost from my all-seeing-eye ability, lucking me into a scholar questline,’ Amaka admitted.
‘And that’s great when it works, but what happens if you’re out hunting and meet a sabre bear or dire jaguar? In fact, any ambush predator with a good sense of smell or hearing. You need to take training seriously, especially now you have that negative stat against strangers.’
‘How are you seeing all of this?’
‘People will always be on edge around you, so they’ll be quicker to strike. Then, before you know it, you’re dead. You’ve got to this level without really earning it. You’ve got resilience, but you actually need to know how to fight if you’re going to survive out in the big, wide world.’
‘Why are you helping me, if I can’t trust daemons?’
‘Ah, that’s why we can’t be trusted – we’re devious. But, I’ll be honest; if you die, the chances I’ll ever be summoned back to this world are negligible, and you’ve been alright so far. So, for now, it’s in my best interests to help you. Besides, when I’m around, I get the same experience you do, and I need levelling. So, for now, it’s quid pro quo.’
‘I get it, I get it. Stop going on about it; you’re worse than my mother. Although it is good advice, I need to be wary because stats don’t tell the whole story. That’s a good lesson.’
Stirgar grunted, farted and then did both simultaneously.
‘Hey, how can you see my levels when you’ve hidden yours from me?’ Amaka quizzed.
Stirgar shook his head sadly. ‘Daemons, hey? It’s almost like you can’t trust them!’
‘And how did you translate my fighting style? I only did it because of my gift from the lady.’
‘I am amazing.’
Amaka looked at him from the corner of her eye. ‘Are you being kind to me?’
‘Yep,’ Stirgar said, picking his nose and flicking the bogey at her.
With that, she banished Stirgar.
‘Belafon, how did you get your specialisation?’ Amaka asked.
‘Specialisation, Amaka? Oh, being a merchant, you mean. You’ve heard of me then? Haven’t you got your own specialisation yet? The way you fought, I assumed you were a berserker or some such?’ he responded.
‘No, the specialisation option is hidden to me.’
‘Hidden? You mean it isn’t on your character sheet? What level are you, if I may enquire?’
‘You may; level 15.’
Belafon gave a humourless chuckle. ‘You are quick, Amaka, but you don’t need to tell me.’
Amaka placed her fist on her hip, her severed arm mimic the stance. ‘I am level 15.’
Belafon blinked. ‘My word, I knew you were not human, but… what manner of creature are you to tear through a carok den at level 15!’
‘Don’t you have a skill to identify things? I assumed that, as a trader, you would, so you’d know what the items are that you sell, and that would let you read me.’
‘There are many such abilities; however, they are all hideously expensive. I have scrolls to do that, although each one of them was a small fortune.’
‘Well, I’m draconic.’
‘Is that your tribe?’ Belafon asked, unsure.
‘No, it’s a distinct race of its own.’
‘Well, well. I wouldn’t believe someone claiming to be of the dragons if I hadn’t seen all you’ve done,’ Belafon mused. ‘Yes, yes, I can credit that – my word!’
‘What?’
‘Did you know your race has a quest attached from the scholars?’
‘Oh that; yes, but I can’t get the fame points because I’m not a scholar.’
‘Well, nor am I, but I have enough credit with the traders to acquire the points,’ Belafon confirmed, rubbing his hands together. ‘This will be worth a pretty silver. Oh yes; I beg your pardon.’
Amaka waved off Belafon’s sudden avarice. ‘How does that work as well? It wasn’t until you seemed to believe me that you acted like you got the message, and will everyone get that message?’
‘Yes, we have a lot to discuss,’ Belafon stated, consciously having to stop rubbing his hands together. ‘Well, the mental prompts are much maligned. You can get books that explain things, and they are hideously expensive. Knowledge is power, and power is wealth. The message didn’t appear because I didn’t believe I’d met a dragon kin.’
‘He… it wasn’t actually a dragon, so I’m just draconic kind, not full dragon.’
‘Even so! However, to get back to the point, if I had a spell to reveal it – or after I decided you were trust worthy – then the message appeared. Without either, then I would never believe I met a dragon kin – a draconic creature – and without the mental acceptance, the prompt would never had appeared. If you were lying, but I believed you, I wouldn’t have got the prompt; however, unless I knew to expect it, then I wouldn’t have been suspicious. A scholar who knew of this quest would have been, however. As to how many get this message – well, I guess until it is common knowledge that dragons – draconic creatures – walk once more.
‘As for specialisations, they are a closely guarded secret; however, as you literally just saved us all, I will offer you some explanation. To start, the specialisation requires you to be over level 25, depending on which specialisation you wish to attain. There are stories of specialisations that require the person to be level 50; my great, great grandfather used to tell a story of a level 140 specialisation, if you can credit it. Specialisations give you quests, skills and abilities.’
Belafon moved his hand and said, ‘Chénmò de qiáng,’ which Amaka’s language skill translated to “silent wall”.
‘What was that?’ Amaka questioned.
‘I told you, these are secrets of the trade, and I don’t want anyone else to hear. Now they can’t. Specialisation is akin to a job; you will meet very few guards who specialise in assassination, say, but a guard could be a berserker or warden, and a skilled armourer could specialise in blacksmithing, tanning or similar. To choose a specialisation, you must have a skill relating to it; almost everyone gets negotiation, as even buying bread counts. But once you have a specialisation, you can sacrifice experience to it to unlock new abilities or new skills. With the dizzying array of attributes available to each of us relating to trade alone, not to mention all the other stats, well, it becomes apparent why books on attributes are so expensive. As to why an attribute is worth sacrificing well-earned experience for, after all, if I level up I get 7 attribute points to spend, so why place all those experience points into one attribute to unlock it? Because I might never unlock the attribute or spell otherwise; that is why. And although stealth is an attribute, I cannot level it up with attribute points I receive when I reach the next level. Why is this? Why are some attributes able to be levelled with attribute points and others aren’t? I know not, but I do know that all attributes that offer experience for reaching a milestone cannot be levelled with attribute points. Now for an example of a skill I might never learn without unlocking it, and might be too slow to level, so I spend experience points on. How about ecommerce?’
‘Excuse me?’ Amaka asked, astonished.
‘Indeed. In my younger days I was obsessed with the “skill tree”, which is the view of all attributes and skills available on the trade skill tree. I spent months perusing it and reading the names of the different things to unlock. Yet my lore skill wasn’t sufficient to give everything a description, and so, most of the time, I tried to work out what they were by the name. It was a great game I used to play with Manx, a boyhood friend of mine.’
‘Er, great game,’ Amaka said flatly.
‘Well, I got ill; it was a rather delicate illness from an unclean… woman of negotiable affection. During the long recovery period, I delved further into the skill tree than before; I spent a day absorbed in it. When you leave the menu to eat or drink, then it resets and can even shuffle. I won’t go into the intricacies of why it is so difficult to navigate, such a secret is worth more than my life, but suffice to say that I went further than ever and I found many unusual skills. I forget most but that one, “ecommerce”, stuck in my mind. What use is it? Should I train myself in it? It was far too expensive for me to ever risk unlocking, but I always wonder, even to this day.’
‘I wouldn’t bother; it has no use here,’ Amaka said, offhanded.
Belafon’s eyebrows jumped so high they disappeared into his hairline. ‘You know of it?’
‘Oh, well, where I come from magicka is rare. We use… um, steam power,’ Amaka explained, thinking of something that wouldn’t sound too outrageous. ‘And steam can create static power, like when you wear thick socks and scuff your feet on a carpet. You get a shock when you touch someone.’
‘I think I know of this phenomenon,’ Belafon said nodding seriously.
‘Well, we call that electricity, and ecommerce is creating a market using communication through electrical devices and such.’
‘I see, and would it take long to set up such a thing here? I could get a drop on the market and have a monopoly,’ Belafon pondered, and Amaka imagined he was drooling inside.
‘It took hundreds of years to set it up, get people to understand and then trust this method of working. Dealing in items you don’t see until they arrive, it takes trust,’ confirmed Amaka, shaking her head.
‘Alas, yet that’s one fewer mystery,’ Belafon said genially.
‘Since we’re on the subject of business, what could I do in this new world to earn money? I imagine mercenaries are everywhere, and there’s not much money to be had in questing?’
‘Au contraire. What lords and barons do when they are requested to create an army by the ruler is to make as big an army as possible, train them, but then pay them on their return home to save money.’
‘How does that save money?’
‘Because you don’t pay the dead.’
Amaka thought about that then turned to Belafon appalled. ‘They want the soldiers to die?’
‘The good ones will survive, and, hopefully, the bad ones will take an enemy out with them and increase the odds for the rest of your army. You have 1,000 soldiers and the money for 700. If more come back, then you mount a few skirmishes to raid places and either make more money to pay them off or kill them off.’
‘That’s horrendous.’
‘Indeed. But it means those who survive are either loyal or very good. Either way, it doesn’t leave many mercenaries so plenty of work for you.’
‘So, how do I learn more about skills and abilities to increase my options for a specialisation?’
‘There are books on the subject, but they are so expensive; alternatively, you find a trainer, take an apprenticeship, become indentured or such like.’
‘Don’t schools help people level up their skills?’
‘What is a school?’ Belafon enquired, interestedly.
‘Seriously? Wow, they’d be so useful on their world!’
‘Perhaps you should start one then. I’d be interested to learn what it is. I might even invest.’
‘I’m not sure how much money there is in a school. How much do guilds pay to learn at one?’
‘I think a gold a year is not uncommon.’
‘Wow, okay, so there is really good money in a school! Well, that’s a lot to think about, thanks. Actually, there is something else: how much are magic books and items worth?’
‘Ah, a troublesome question. The truth about trade is that an item is worth as much, or as little, as someone is willing to pay. The truth about tradecraft is that it is, and will ever be, a buyer’s market. Unless we had some way to communicate around the world to find the most desperate buyers, like your ecommerce.’
Amaka laughed. ‘Should you really have told me that?’
‘You saved my life; I couldn’t charge you full price if I wanted too.’
‘But if I come across items on my travels, what should I be looking for?’
Belafon puffed out his cheeks and let out a slow breath. ‘Unfortunately, that is not a question with a definitive answer. It depends on your stats first and foremost; actually, it depends on the honesty of the trader you’re trying to buy from. It also depends on the type of book or item. Is it a book that describes a skill and thus gives you a skill point? Those books are the cheapest type of book, but if it is a skill in blacksmithing, it would be worth, say, 100 gold; that’s if your level is low and the trader’s is high. The same book but on, say, needlework might get twenty gold. For some reason, it is a much underestimated skill school.’
‘I’d say; you can’t beat a good pair of walking socks!’
‘Indeed. Then a book on magical locations is worth between, say, 50 and 300 gold, depending on the types of magic and locations described. A book with a magical quest is perhaps 1,000 gold, but there’s no guarantee the quest rewards are worth the same. For a magical book that teaches you an actual spell – well, there is no price. There was an auction last month that had a book teaching the reader a fireball spell. Just a basic fireball, nothing special. It went for 40 acres of land. Books so rare and powerful rarely go for actual gold.
‘To learn the spell, you need to meet certain requirements, although those requirements aren’t described, so if you don’t meet it then you may never meet the requirements because you don’t know what to level up. Most mages know very few spells; there are spell books that grant you limited knowledge where the magicka wears off, so, say, for a few months, you know the spell and then it wears off. There is a chance you could learn the spell permanently during that time, but you will need to study. For a spell book that teaches you, so a regular textbook but about magicka, well, that could take years to understand. Most mages, as I was saying, know five to ten spells after decades of study, and the rest of the spells they use are from magicka items or scrolls that are imbued with a spell. The difference is that the scrolls are cheaper, but they burn out after one use. Having said all of that, however, the best mages use their experience to unlock new spells, know a plethora of spells and are as gods to us.’
‘Wow, reality check; nice,’ Amaka said chewing her lip. ‘But something doesn’t make sense to me. Once you can use experience to unlock new abilities, why would you ever bother to level up again? I mean, all you get are a few spare attribute points to spend, but it’s quicker to train if you want to get faster, stronger and fitter.’
Belafon laughed. ‘There are other reasons to get to higher levels; for instance, to raise your luck and charisma, then attribute points are the best method. And once you reach the higher levels of stats, it is easier to level up, going from agility 50 to 51 takes a lot of training. Although, at that point, people usually use armour and items to increase their stats, never forget that there’s more than one path to power. Also, I’ve heard stories that attributes level slower if they are too high for your level, but this isn’t my field of knowledge. Another reason to level up is intimidation; a level-70 person strikes more fear than a level 40. Also, there are some specialisations, guilds, dungeons, skills and so forth that require minimal levels to enter or use. Then, if you have happened to open any gates or things, that means extra mana and stuff; although, I must say, I don’t understand that aspect at all. Every choice you make defines you in this world.’
*
They all left the cave to be greeted by the sun, and many broke down in tears and kissed the ground, or kissed and hugged Amaka, who felt distinctly uncomfortable. After their long captivity, they were quick to tire, so they set up camp immediately. They had lost any mages who knew fire spells, and Amaka wasn’t keen to use the wand, and so, with a sigh, she summoned Stirgar, who appeared with a “Peg the Cook” apron and agreed to create a fire on the condition he got to watch the girls bathe. After being punched a few times, Stirgar got the fire going with bad grace, and stole the first food off it.
Amaka found it difficult to eat. At first, she drank too much water and got cramps, and then the sight of the half-starved children made her lose her appetite. By the time those in the worst state had eaten, Amaka found she was exhausted and slipped away from the chattering group to sleep.
She found a spot where she could see the sunset, and, when the sun set, something strange happened: the sky exploded.
Before the sun set, they were in a clump of dense woodland, the ground was wet and the air was chill – it wasn’t so different to the caves. But when the sun set, the sky above opened up into an infinite intergalactic extravaganza. An Aleph-naught of stars (more than it was possible to count) twinkled and called to them, a nebula shone and shimmered, and Amaka felt like she was going to fall from the surface of the planet and drift away for eternity. She had to look away, look down, and curl up in a leather coat and hide from the impossibility of the night sky.