A large group of mages and warriors were moving fast through dense forest in a coordinated manner. Each of them wore a black cloak with some yellow embroideries on the back. They soon came out of the forest and ran through a vast field of wheat. Their speed slowed down as they gradually got closer to a destroyed village and eventually stopped when they finally arrived.
A person levitated and gave the group hand signals. The large group immediately split up into some smaller ones and scattered to various directions, only four people stayed behind. "What kind of fuckery is this?" Lucas said as he landed at the heart of the village. In front of him laid a giant monster corpse. Its size was as big as two-story building.
"Ryth Eater for the head, Boulder Bull for the body, Widespread for the wings, and Rotten Worm for the tail. Each of them should be at least level one hundred and fifty, and yet someone managed to hunt them down and made a Chimera out of them." A mage who stayed behind said to Lucas. She held a wooden staff with red crystal embedded on its edge.
"Its oldest trail indicating the monster came from the west... from the God's yard." A ranger with her short bow ready in her hand reported her finding to the lieutenant. "Though, the recent one indicating the monster walked in a circle."
Lucas nodded as he received the mage and the ranger's report, "What about the signs of battle?" He looked at another member of his squad.
"A complete massacre, the villagers unlikely put up any fight. All magics and attacks originate from the Chimera. Burned ground, fissured earth, melted rocks, and clean-cut buildings are probably from Ryth Eater's fiery breath, Boulder Bull's quake stomp, Rotten Worm's acid spit, and Widespread's blade wind. Well, all but this one." A warrior with a two-handed sword strapped on his back told Lucas and walked closer to the corpse.
"See these tiny holes? These are the only wounds on the Chimera, and obviously the only magic that originated from the third party." He said as he enlarged one of the holes with his knife and took a small shattered metal from inside of it. "Whoever killed this beast probably is a metal mage, a high-level one at that." He said while showing the shattered metal to the squad.
"So... what do we do, lieutenant?" Another member with black metal gloves asked.
"We would wait for the report from other squads. The second and third squads currently investigating the other two frontier villages. They would ensure no villager has Shaman class or level above one hundred. With what happened here, the squads would have to do a thorough investigation in those villages. The fourth squad is currently sweeping the area between the villages, see if they could find any suspicious individual hiding in there. While the Fifth squad is combing out the area three hundred meters outside frontier land parameter." Lucas said then sighed. He climbed the corpse and sat on the top. He took his canteen that hanging on his waist and drank from it.
"What if the shaman is hiding among the survivors? They are already inside the city, right?" The mage asked.
"I have met them personally together with captain Termel and lieutenant James. None of us detect any trace of spell for masking class and level. Plus, we have them stay at Mia's inn. They are basically under surveillance. If one of them is actually the shaman, Mia and other soldiers who regularly eat there hopefully would be enough to stall time until reinforcement come." Lucas explained.
The squads nodded. The swordsman excused himself to stroll the village, to find more clues about what happened. The mage and the fist-fighter were chatting with each other, while the ranger was standing on the top of a building, looking out for hidden enemies that maybe or maybe not would come for them.
After a couple of hours, all squads that had scattered to investigate the whole frontier land and its parameter came back. Each of the squad leaders reported the result of their investigation. In summary, none of them found any villager who had shaman-related class or above level one hundred. There are no strange phenomena nor suspicious activity, and no trace of the enemy outside parameter either.
Lucas closed his eyes and breathed out a long sigh. He slowly opened his eyes again and looked into the sky, "If the shaman is not among the villagers... and he is not among the survivors... then the shaman is not a human."
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A woman who looked like in her earlier twenties was sitting alone in the inn's dining hall. She had shoulder-length straight black hair with deep blue inner color that was tied into a messy low bun, exposing her alluring neck. Her bangs covering her forehead ended just slightly below her eyebrows and had longer strands on the temples. Bright blue eyes, natural pink lips, and snow-white skin were some features of her beautiful face. Blue pants and white long-sleeved t-shirt that she wore quite outlined her slim build of medium height.
Other patrons in the hall kept stealing glances at her and whispering guesses of who the pretty lady might be. The woman in question just kept looking down at her table while resting her head on her left hand and playfully tapping the table with her right hand's fingers. Not long after, a waitress came to her table and placed some plates that looked like her order.
A thick medium-rare steak, a bowl of mash potato, and a large mug of ale apparently were her late lunch. "Thank you, Mia." The woman said to the waitress and started enjoying her meal.
"You know, you are surprisingly beautiful, Reka. It took me a minute to recognize you when you went downstairs. Your appearance is so... different, compared to when you came four hours ago." Mia said as she sat opposite her.
"You exaggerated, all I did were just took a short nap and had a nice bath," Reka replied as she cut her steak and brought it to her mouth. She happily chewed the meat and savored every bit of the taste. "You are an excellent cook, Mia."
"Thanks, but it was my husband who cooked all the meals. I just take orders and deliver them to the tables." Mia said as Reka ate her meals. "How are the girls?"
"Nadja and Navish are still asleep. I intend to let them rest until they wake up by themself." Reka said and sipped her ale.
"I heard about what happened, my condolences. I take it you purposefully rent an expensive room so they could sleep in a nice bed and have a warm bath?" Mia asked.
"Yes, I worry they would have nightmares from time to time. I hope soft mattress with smooth sheets are enough to make them sleep soundly without having any dreams. I'm also afraid they would be traumatized when taking a bath. So when I heard the room have an inside bathroom with enchantments to take a warm bath, I immediately choose it. I didn't even think about the cost. Thanks again for the discount, though my sense of money is off. How expensive is it anyway?"
"Yes, I heard that too, to think you three barely survived and nearly dying yourself by freezing in the well for the entire night... I think your judgment is correct to provide them with a warm bath. Oh, don't think too much about the discount. Just take it as a little help from a mother of two. My spine runs cold when I imagined my kids were the ones in your situation. I thought that's why captain Termel helped you too.
"As for your question, the room you rent costs three silvers per week, two meals per day included. You rent two rooms for twenty days - three weeks - so that makes it eighteen silvers, I gave you a discount so Nadja just paid me fifteen silvers. To make some perspective, a single normal room cost half silver, or fifty coppers per week - meals excluded of course, and a light meal in this inn cost five coppers." Mia said while resting her head on both of her hands.
Reka stopped chewing her steak when she heard how much money she just spent. "Damn. You knew some places that hiring?" She smiled wryly.
Warrior - Level 1
"I don't know any place that is willing to hire a level one warrior, Reka. When did you change your class anyway?" Mia said after identifying the woman.
"Just before I took the nap. Shit, you have some making money advice for me?" Her hands let go of the knife and the fork. She completely stopped eating and focused on asking Mia for a job.
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"Hmm... You know there is no adventurer guild in this city, right? So you can't depend on your class to make a living. I am sorry I really don't know any place you could go at the moment, Reka. But I'll let you know when a place opens a vacancy." Mia said as she leaned back on the chair.
Reka dejected, "That is good enough, I guess. Thanks, Mia. Sorry for the trouble. While we are at it, do you know any blacksmith that highly likely would sell me some cheap but reasonably good weapon?"
Mia raised an eyebrow. "You still going on about that? Why did you choose warrior class anyway? Are you not a seamstress? Why not just choose your former class back?"
"Well, first, because it didn't appear again in the class options I could choose. Second..." Reka went quiet for a moment, she now looked right at Mia's eyes. "I didn't want to be powerless again, Mia... I really hope I would never encounter that kind of monster again but the Chimera already left a deep fear in me. I want to be able to kill it with my own hands when fate deemed me to cross with such monster again." She said in all seriousness.
Mia sighed, "I know you have some desire for revenge but please don't inspire the girls to do the same. Let them live as their mother might wish them to live, Reka. As for your question, There are only three blacksmiths in this city. Two of them have been in business for a long time and take pride in their craft as their patrons are not only civilians but also guards. The other one just opened about a month ago so I guess they are still offering some discounts to attract customers."
Reka nodded, "Thanks, Mia." She said and continued eating her meal.
Mia stood up and was about to head back to the kitchen when Reka called her again. "Mia..." She turned again to the women. "Yeah?"
Reka paused and looked at her, "Please tell Jean and the guards to directly come to me if they have any suspicions and questions. I am willing to indulge them in their speculations rather than have them make you secretly digging up information out of me."
Mia smiled daringly, "You are too smart for a mere village girl."
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Lucas and Termel were standing up at attention. In front of them were three people that were sitting behind a long marble table and currently reading through the report they gave them. Not long after, the men behind the table finished reading the report and looked at each other.
"Good work. You two can leave my office." A young man who sat at the middle of the table dismissed Lucas and Termel. He looked like in her late teens and had blonde hair and amber eyes. He wore a well-embellished yellow tunic and black coat with golden threads. The two people he addressed slightly bowed and left the room.
"It has been fifteen years since the last time a monster from God's yard knocking on our door. We must prepare for a stampede." An old man who sat to the right of the young man said. His gray hair was a sign of his age and the simple yet delicate black armor he wore was a statement of his standing.
"Please don't say something ominous like that, General Gala. The city only just enjoying prosperity after we rebuild it from rubbles with so many difficulties." the man who sat to the left of the young man rebuked. He wore a set of lavish cloth, brown -- just like the color of his hair and eyes.
"It is the fate of Preveantis, Grieschach. To be a stronghold that repels those The Maiden had driven out. This single fortress is the manifestation of the Laiven Kingdom's devotion to protect the plains. As long as it fulfills its purpose, we should not concern about how many times the fortress should be destroyed and rebuilt." The young man spoke.
"I know, prince Falari. It is just... It would be so nice if we could enjoy a moment of peace and taste the fruition of our labor. We just recovered from Batasal's invasion fifteen years ago, and now we must deal with another imminent danger. Isn't there a chance that this Chimera attack was just a stray monster randomly ventured into the frontier land?" Grieschach asked.
"Chimera is an artificial beast, Grieschach. One that was created by a shaman. So no, this attack was orchestrated by someone, and that someone was not human. That means we are facing another race." Gala turned down the man's notion.
"The investigation led by lieutenant Lucas under captain Termel's order was too short. I deemed it too hasty to draw a conclusion on something this big in less than a day. Isn't there a chance the shaman is just an evil human who wants to harm Prevaentis? Maybe he is a Batasalian, survivor of the war, who tried to bring down Preveantis after they learned the hard way that the Laiven Kingdom would not fall unless they conquered the capital and this fortress simultaneously?" Grieschach kept confute.
"What's the difference? Be it human or other race that we would face, we still need to prepare for defense against the hostile party." Gala retorted.
"Well, first of all, we don't need to shut down the whole city, closing all gates and halting all business and trades. Nor do we need to make all citizens anxious and let the city be filled with unrest. Second, we don't need to move the entire army to be at the ready for twenty-four hours a day for an attack that maybe or maybe not come to this city!! Just increase the patrols and be done with it!!" Grieschach yelled.
"You disappoint me. Fifteen years of peace and paper works have dull your sense of danger and blind your eyes to reality. We are in Deathmouth, Grieschach! We are literally bordering God's yard!! -- Vast uncharted western part of the continent that filled with nothing but monsters and human-eating races!! And do you even read the report?! All evidence and how they came to such conclusion is written there. The trails indicate that the Chimera came from God's yard. The Chimera was made of monsters that only exist in God's yard. We are the only human settlement out here and everyone else that wants to pass Deathmouth and enter the God's DAMN yard must pass through us first! For the sake of The Maiden, Why the fuck are you so in denial?!" Gala stood up and yelled back.
"Enough. City administrator Grieschach, I know how frustrating it is that the city you just rebuilt and finally prosper is about to be destroyed again. But the imminent calamity in front of us doesn't regard for such thing and it will wait for no one. If you don't want the city you cherished so much to turn to rubbles again then you should help us prepare for maximum defense and stop prolong this discussion, maybe we could lessen the damage or spare the city completely after all." Falari arbitrated.
"I... yes, Prince Falari. Let us prepare the defense." Grieschach cave in.
"Thanks for your understanding, Grieschach. General Gala, could you calm the fuck down too?" Falari asked. Gala closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he sat down.
Glanced at the two men at both his sides for one more time, Falari breathed out a long sigh, "Great. Now that you old men stopped being a child, let us begin the discussion and arrangement of our army and defense."
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"You said that to her?" Nadja asked while drying her hair with a towel. She just finished her bath and had not put on any clothes.
"Yup," Reka answered while caressing the still sleeping Navish.
"Isn't it wiser to play dumb and let them do their game?" Nadja said and sat at the edge of her white bed.
"Maybe. But I hate it when people are nice to us on the front but secretly weighing whether to stab us or not on the back. Well, at least now they know we are really tired of being suspected and looked at with judging eyes." Reka explained herself.
"Hmm..." Nadja giving short affirmation and didn't talk any further. Reka glanced at her and noticed the short subtle change in the girl's demeanor. Not noticing Reka already glanced her way, Nadja accidentally locked eyes with her when she too tried to glance at the woman. "But they kind of right, tho. You are the one who killed the Chimera." Nadja said while quickly diverted her eyes the opposite way.
"Well, killing monster is not a crime, no? I am not the one who created the beast after all. Even better, didn't I basically do their job at terminating strong monster? If anything they should be grateful to us. Thanks again by the way, for covering me up when we were questioned by the guards." Reka smiled at her and stood up from Navish's bed. She slowly walked to the naked girl's bed and sat down to her right side.
"It was the least I could do to my savior." Nadja smiled at her while warping her head with the towel.
"You know what, Nadja? When I talked to Mia I realized I don't know anything about this city. Like, I don't know this city doesn't have adventurers guild or which blacksmith that sells weapon cheap. This talk about you covered me up also make me realize I don't know any norm and common sense in this world. Could you teach me about it? I don't want to be killed just because I accidentally broke a taboo." Reka said, slowly re-sitting herself an inch closer to the naked girl.
Nadja chuckled, "Learning geopolitics simply to survive, just like a commoner. And here I thought you are secretly a noble."
"Commoner's learning geopolitics? Why?" Reka asked, while slowly re-sitting herself an inch closer to the naked girl.
"When kings and nobles waging wars and battles, most of us would choose to evacuate and flee to another city. Because when a man finally gets drunk with blood, soldiers from both sides are the commoner's enemy. That's why we need to know who hates who, and who owns what. We have to leave before the battle begins and we need to avoid escaping tiger's maw only to enter crocodile hole. Those who choose to stay are mostly just soldiers' families or those who have spent enormous amount of money to own a building in the city. Me myself have moved places two times together with my family." Nadja explained.
"That is dark," Reka commented, this time she couldn't re-sitting herself because Nadja kept looking at her.
"So, what would you want to know?" Nadja asked as she now stopped looking at Reka and began gazing at her younger sister who was still aslept.
"How about how many countries are there, what are their distinct aspect, what city they have, what are their general political view, what value they hold dear, how they govern, and any noticeable mountains or rivers and whatnot around the area," Reka said, slowly re-sitting herself an inch closer to the naked girl, again.
"Okey. Maybe I'll start with the three ancients. They are three nations that have been around since god knows when. Though, some people say they were founded when The Maiden successfully liberated the plains off monsters and heinous races. Anyway, these three ancients are Chrysiai Kingdom, Erythia Empire, and Laiven Kingdom. Oh, we are in Laiven's territory, by the way, I'll get to that later." Nadja explained.
Reka just simply nodded as she, once again, slowly re-sitting herself an inch closer to the naked girl.
"First, the Chrysiai Kingdom, they are located at the southeastern part of the plains and they are bordering the Great Estereece Forest, an elven domain. Come near even its outskirts for whatever reason is a crime. If you get caught by the Woodseers you are dead, if you are successfully entering the forest without getting caught you are still dead. After all, the elves are known for killing human at sight.
"Oh, Crhysiai is known as the biggest exporter of grains, fruits, spices, and magical plants in the plains. They are also known for their harsh treatment to outsiders and refugees, just like a farmer despises foreign bugs as they fear it would bring new diseases to their crops." Nadja said, there was hatred in her voice.
"Hmm..." Reka said as she pretending to listen, also she was re-sitting herself an inch closer to the naked girl again.
"Next is Erythia Empire, they are located at the eastern end of the plains and surrounded by Myela Hills. They are home for every alchemist... and vampires. Getting out of buildings in high noon to bathe in the scorching light of the sun while lightly cut a finger until it slightly bleeding is mandatory for everyone, including the empress herself. The Redguards are constantly patrolling every nooks and corners of their cities. In Erhytia, everyone is watching everyone.
"Oh, Erhytia is the biggest exporter of various kinds of potions and elixirs. They are also the most advance in blood magic and rituals. Though, with their situation, they are not very keen to outsiders and refugees too."
"Heeeeh..." Reka still pretending to listen, and re-sitting herself an inch closer to the naked girl.
At this point Nadja was aware of what the woman was doing, "... you are not listening, are you? and you are too close." She complained.
Reka didn't reply and gently pulled her into her arms and held her close. "You know what, Nadja? I know I am basically a stranger to you. I met you at your most difficult time, and we helped each other simply based on our mutual needs. But this stranger will not hurt you, this stranger will not steal from you, this stranger will not demand responsibility from you, this stranger will not look you with judging eyes." She said as she hugged her tighter.
"I will not spread the words of how ugly you are when you cry. I will not scold you for complaining about how heavy the burden you suddenly shoulder. I will not mock you for missing your parents. I will not be nice to you on the front just so I could stab you at the back, that, I can promise." She said while caressing her back.
Nadja shuddered. She raised her head and looked at Reka. She tried to speak as she failed to hold back her tears, "My mom and dad are dead... they are gone... What do I do now?... I'll just forget it all... No, I can't forgive this... I'll kill them... Kill who though?.. I want to talk... But talk with whom?..." Nadja kept spilling her thoughts while crying, and Reka simply embraced her even more.