Chapter Twenty-One
Twice dreams of being enveloped by vines ripped Harmony out of her sleep after tossing and turning until she was knotted up in the blanket. This is why when Ambrosia sang “Wake up sleepyhead,” with her pitch-perfect voice, the necromancer threw A pillow at her.
“We have a busy schedule today. No grumping about.”
Those were some of Ambrosia’s maid skills; [Organization] and [Scheduling]. Very useful when one has to run a band and musical tours. Harmony’s [Recall] could help her remember the schedule, but organizing and keeping to it was totally different. She didn't remember any busy plans.
“What are we doing that's so important?” Harmony groaned as she pulled herself out of bed checking internally on her skills for her morning refreshment routine.
“The official Ascendant Games announcement came late last night and has already stirred up attention. Breakfast will be held in Prince Adric's room.
We've received gifts. Max has information. A quick run through the 1st floor of Nae's Garden. Skill training with your books. Lady Coodly has said a late lunch this afternoon would be perfect.”
“But we only started an inquiry about that last night?”
“Apparently the old matriarch expected an invitation the day we arrived in Naewauld.”
That's how Tyler knew they were coming. She’d blamed Ambrosia’s little song and dance arrangement, but the young lord needed to be aware of happenings outside his interests to pick up on that.
“Fine.” Harmony let her skills get to work, fixing her posture, unknotting muscles, refreshing her spirit, and smoothing her skin.
Ambrosia presented her with an actual dress for the morning. Night finally got to stay tucked inside of her. It was time to stick to the schedule.
Harmony used her napkin to wipe jam off the corner of Prince Adric's mouth. Her stomach was comfortably full from her two cheese and jam-filled pastries. He was on his fifth.
“No one from the evolved kingdoms is willing to share their techniques for conquering the garden. Stone walls there. Even drunk the moment you prod their lips seal up tight. I'm sorry I haven't been able to get information on the skills you'll need. But I'll keep looking, my lady.” Sir Maxwell assured, looking extra exhausted. He probably hadn't slept all night trying to dig up something useful.
Most teams took on a member of the Grave Society to help soften up those plant-heavy floors. Those who found working with necromancers distasteful had a more challenging time. Fire skills above level ten. Poison skills above fifteen. Multiple cutting strikes if used in conjunction. Hyper-specialized ones like Billy the Lumberjack had. They also still had teams for backup.
“Max, I appreciate any information you can find, and if there are any skill stones that might help me, keep your ears open.” The idea of adding poison or fire to herself didn’t sit well. Mixing ice and fire usually fizzled or caused issues unless the practitioner had a lucky break.
The door to Adric’s room opened and Bates strolled in pushing a cart filled with boxes and chests. “Gifts.” He announced. “Most of these are from the guild to support your progression. The small chest in the back is from Bertold Gothheim. Madam Peartree is requesting another visit to the Grave Society. She sent a token providing you with an honorary membership that was dropped off this morning. There are also a dozen invitations to various functions that came as well.“
“I’ll evaluate those to see if any have merit.” Sir Maxwell offered.
“I’ll help.” Prince Adric volunteered.
Good. Because together the pair of them should have more of an understanding of the Naewauld political underpinnings than she would. Lady so-and-so or Lord this-and-that didn’t appeal to Harmony when she had other priorities. Rose would have been ideal if she hadn’t been involved in that earlier nastiness with attempting to poison Adric. Even if she had been under the queen's heel. Too early to forgive her. Too fresh.
“Ambrosia, let’s see what the guild thinks I’ll need to advance.”
Together they pulled down all the boxes, mostly supplies but there were three books. Garden of Monsters, a more detailed compendium of monsters you’ll find in the dungeon and their weaknesses than any of the guides or even the book the Grave Society provided. Thibodeux on Evolution, ew. Her theoretical rival on theories. She’d at least hate-read that one since she hadn’t yet. Less popular than his book on Skills, but apparently Thorne thought it would be valuable to her. Dungeon Tactics 101, another educational book, which couldn’t hurt.
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The other supplies were potions and patches. Ambrosia picked up one of the white square patches. “What’s this?”
Adric, who had long since gotten bored talking politics with Max who was mumbling to himself over a pair of the invitations, was now peeking at the gifts and answered, “A heal patch. Much quicker and easier than chugging potions. Ten times as expensive too. Automatically kicks in a heal if you take so much damage. Mom always made sure I had one stuck to me before I left the house.”
“Useless if I need to use [Stride.]” Harmony complained, remembering what she’d lost the other day.
“Not useless, but less useful. There are enough here to cover you three times a day until we have to return to Hazeldown. I want you to stick one to your ass every time you leave the house too.” Ambrosia lectured.
She knew her friend would slap one onto her backside while she was sleeping if she didn’t. She made a show of taking a patch. Peeling off a sheet of wax paper on one side and adhering the sticky bit under her dress.
“Happy now?”
“Absolutely, Lady White,” she answered with a curtsy.
That only left the gift from Bertold. Harmony approached it.
“After you run the first floor of Nae’s Garden. We have a schedule to keep.” Ambrosia interrupted. “Don’t want to keep Hyacinth waiting.”
That deviless. She’d already seen what was in all the gifts and wanted Harmony to wait on this one. Servants were always first to know. She could have her fun.
Rather than ruin her dress, Harmony stepped into Adric’s closet. It was a sad state that made her feel guilty. The poor boy only had three outfits. Clothing hadn’t been prioritized as an option for him, especially when the cost of keeping him on a level with his station would have taken everything they had. It did leave her plenty of room to take off the dress, leave on the patch, and summon Night onto her body. It did take some effort to leave the healing patch attached to her. Next time she’d have to slip one on after. The armor instantly made her feel more secure.
Stepping outside, two of the babysitters were waiting. The guild-supplied bodyguards loomed only a scant distance away. She did her best to ignore them. It was tempting to [Stride] ahead, but she knew the scolding she’d get if she wasted one of the new gifts just to be petty.
Down the stairs, the two other guards were immediately seen holding back an over-eager crowd. “Lady White, what do you know of the Ascendant Games?”
“Is it true you have a special relationship with the Hazeldown dungeon?”
“Have you met the Queen?”
That question came out of nowhere, but the crowd of a dozen or so reporters were throwing mud balls to see what stuck or drew a reaction. Maybe the bodyguards weren’t a complete waste.
Harmony ignored them. The Dragonfly Inn staff started to swoop in as well to break up the group. It took Ma Bell plunging in, her innkeeper skills in full force, as she got them to agree that it was an honor to be allowed to see the inn’s guest this morning. Opportunities to interview her would be forthcoming.
Harmony didn’t like that concession when she wasn’t involved in making the decision. She suspected that a select few journalists with the right connections might make a visit to the dinner table, even if it cost them producing overly positive press for the business.
Outside, there was also a small crowd, but this time much more respectful people who were curious about the news spreading around town. Their progression didn’t hinge on getting a scoop of news. That got them a polite wave as she approached her familiar who waited in the shadows. “I’ll be back at this location as soon as I clear the first floor.” She informed the guards as a thank you for earlier. Hand on Hyacinth’s back they slipped into the shadows. Moments later they were outside the booth for the entrance.
“Welcome, Eternal.” The operator said recognizing her.
At least that was something different from Lady White. She walked by with a nod.
On the stairs she up she turned to her toad, “Let’s see how fast we can clear this.”
“Groak,” Hyacinth answered, both of them eager to make up for how the last run ended embarrassingly.
The answer was, super easy, barely an inconvenience. As aggressive as the wooze were it turned out you could ambush them if you moved fast enough. Exploding balls of fur mauled to death in the toad's mouth or chilled to collapse and dispatched. You couldn’t hit people when frustrated, but monsters were perfectly acceptable. Harmony’s armored foot snapped the neck of one bare moments after she removed its fuzzy armor.
Even the floor's final defender flinched as Hyacinth launched out of the woods with a booming Croak, a [Strided] Harmony on his back as the other her kicked off to rush the brood mother with violence. If only she had such combat skills boosting her confidence when she first entered Old Bones to advance, the maid mused as she stood over the corpse and harvested what was useful.
They took the stairs down rather than up. There was no trip to the second floor without a plan. Time to teleport home and find out what surprise Ambrosia had chosen to save for last.