So it's late Friday night now. After we had completed the quest a couple nights ago, Dracuoatlax and the others had come to meet us sometime after we made our way out of the dungeon; oh, we found our waggon intact too (thankfully). After that we had a small celebration, and then we returned to doing more normal competition antics. For the next couple of in-game sessions, we and the other guilds began rebuilding our holds in the Wildlands, reclaiming ones that had been lost and capitalizing on ones that were still standing. The King-Priests retreated to the northeast sections of the area, while the Guardians fortified their gains in the southwest regions.

By day, we went through our normal school activities, including an arduous make-up rehearsal on Thursday and earlier today. We were definitely getting it down, and that's not just me saying so. It was direct from Miss Andrews herself, who was pleased that, even after we had missed a day, all of us were still on top of what we needed to do to make the musical a success.

Including possibly avoiding hit-men from possibly psychotic businessmen? I couldn't help but wonder with a wry smile as we had headed to Thomas' car later that Friday evening. Nothing had happened again on that count yet; I say “yet” because, in the end, they never did catch the guy who came after me. Which is weird for this day and age.

But anyway. I had made it home safe and sound, and after I had finished my homework a-la video call with Rachel, we had logged in to Panarena for the night.

And now we were on our caravel, once again delivering cargo to ports in Vinlandia. This time, it was not the Guardians of the Eternal Citadel on our trail; it was Rackham John Thatcher and his Black Flag Marauders. Two ships were coming after us, and I could see a third coming from ahead. The two behind us were sloops, but the one looming in the distance before us was a mean looking man-of-war.

“Hahh...” I sighed as I put the spyglass down.

“That tough-looking, huh?” Ariana remarked.

“It's not as big as the Guardians' ships would have been, but it's still too big for us to actually fight. And these sharks behind us probably pack a mean punch as well...” I noted, giving an angry sidelong look towards the two sloops.

“Just be glad they don't have forward guns.” Lizzy said as she finished tying one of the sails in place.

“Oh definitely,” I agreed. “Though they've got some decent snipers...” I muttered, and the blonde girl snickered.

Just a few minutes ago, one of the crackshots in the ships behind us had nearly taken me out. I wasn't even mad. It takes some serious skill to hit a moving target in the first place, never mind the fact that ships at sea are not as stable as waggons or carriages on land. If that guy could hit me while I was in motion and in spite of the two ships pitching and yawing about as they rolled through the waves, he deserved a freaking promotion in his guild. He'd probably have gotten one, too, if he'd actually taken me down. As it was, I managed to escape with literally twenty hitpoints left (out of a couple thousand), after which Healina frantically restored me.

“And to hit you that accurately with an arquebus, of all things,” the Sea Elf remarked as I turned my gaze away from them.

“Hmm? Ohh, the gun,” I nodded.

“The gun.” she returned with a nod of her own.

“I'll have to pay them back for that soon...” I said with a semi-evil grin on my face.

“Ahh...” Heali said with an uncertain smile.

“I wonder if we could catch their sails on fire...”

“Hm! There's a thought,” Ari remarked.

“Uh-oh. Now she's in on it.” Heali sighed, and Lizzy chortled.

“It's getting darker, so they might not see us getting ready to do so...” I mused.

“And by the time they figured out where our target is, they'll be frantic trying to put it out,” Ari said. “Still... if it was that easy, we wouldn't have anyone chasing us.. our own sails have a flame-resistance in them thanks to the fireweed fibers,” she then noted.

“Ah--! Rats...” I frowned, sitting cross-legged on the deck as I began pondering more options.

“Still... we're ahead of them, at least,” Lysandra shrugged. “All we really have to worry about is that monster.”

“For real.” Lizzy agreed. “Well, we're almost to that Vinlandia port anyway. I can see the lighthouse now,” she then said, pointing off to starboard.

“We need to get around those messy sea-rocks first.” Healina reminded her.

“Or through them,” I suddenly said.

“Ehh??”

“Oooh, nice idea!” Healina and Lizzy reacted at the same time.

“We can probably do it,” Lysandra said with a faint grin. “But it's risky. One wrong turn and we fail the quest.”

“Literally!” Heali exclaimed dramatically.

“Can't you call a sea creature or two to help us, by the way?” I suddenly wondered.

“Eh? Oh!! Right, I'm a Sea Elf summoner... tee-hee!” the other girl replied, getting out one of her tomes as I gazed over her with a bemused smile.

Oy...

“You big derp! You could've summoned like, a kraken or something this whole time they've been chasing us?!” Lizzy wondered in exasperation.

“I can't summon a kraken, Elisabeth Drew, keep your shirt on...” the other calmly returned as she flipped through the pages.

“Blehh. The real one's already off.”

“T-too much...” I quipped as I went to the helm, the bemused grin returning to my face.

“What's that, La-na?” Lizzy called after me with a cheesy grin.

“If it makes you feel better--” Lysandra began.

“I know, I know!” I quickly cut her off, and they began laughing. With a sigh I parked myself near the wheel, which was being handled by Myanihia at the moment. She looked over at me with an apologetic grin, and I shrugged back.

“I hope, summer vacation, is just as rowdy!” she said to me a moment later.

“Ah-heh, I can just imagine it now...” I replied.

“I'm sure,” she smiled back. “Those two, over there,” she then said, and I perked up as I realized she was pointing out sea-rocks. “I can get us, through those; they have, the easiest path through, but, we'll have to slow down, for safety,” she warned me.

“Hmm... they'd likely slow down, too... unless we tricked them a bit, made them overconfident...” I pondered.

“I don't see how,” Myanihia told me.

“Me neither... ehh, we don't have much time...” I lamented.

“We'll just take it as it comes!” Belle said as she alighted near us. “No point in getting worked up about it now.”

“I guess not,” I smiled in agreement.

“What… the heck… is that thing?!” we heard Lizzy shout a moment later.

She was gazing off to port, where the man-of-war was still lumbering towards us. But there was a bigger ship on the horizon, one which seemed all too eager to join in on the fight. I felt a shiver go down my back.

“Nyah!?” I started as I recognized the design.

“Ho-ly snap, they managed to build one again!”

“Isn't that one, larger...?” Lysandra and Ari remarked.

No kidding it's larger, I grit my teeth as I looked over at the massive Tekkousen with its proud banners denoting it as a Guardians ship. At least it can only be just the one... right? Right? I mused as I gripped one of the rails, and then I noticed its course. It wasn't coming for us this time. It was heading for the man-of-war.

“Get through those rocks, quickly,” I said to Myanihia, who nodded back at me. “We still have to worry about the sloops, but the man-of-war is gonna have that for company soon...”

“Sheesh, that's a big ship!” Belle said as she came to sit on my shoulder.

“R-right??” I replied.

The man-of-war had apparently noticed the monster ship as well. It was now adjusting its course to go and fight it, and one of the sloops was breaking off the chase to go and help. I looked over at the one which was still on our tail. Rackham himself was standing on the jibboom, his hand clenched around one of the ropes as he watched the larger ship coming towards his own giant of the waves.

At that moment, we heard a thunderous sound. Nope--it wasn't cannon-fire. It was actually thunder. The game had decided that now was the perfect time for a storm to happen. I looked up towards the sky with an unamused expression on my face as raindrops began hitting us. A streak of lightning flared across the skies, and another excruciatingly loud thunderclap sounded out as the rain picked up.

It was right at that moment I felt someone targeting me again. I'm not exactly sure how it works in-game as compared to my senses in real life, but on some occasions you can literally feel yourself being targeted by a player with sniping skills, whether bow or firearm. I myself had been foiled a couple of times in the Wildlands during our scuffles there by this peculiar function. As subtly as I could, I looked back towards the other ship.

There he is, on top of the mast... dude, what the heck? How are you even staying on there? I mused inwardly as I idly turned away from him, quietly getting out my bow. Belle looked over at me. She quickly observed the situation, and slipped off my shoulder to warn Heali in case I had another close call. What's he waiting for... ohhh, I see, one of our sails back here is half-blocking his shot. Heh. If that's all it takes to foil you, pal, I've had worse enemies in this game, I softly grinned.

“Lana?” Myanihia asked, seeing my hold the bow close to my chest so that it wasn't too obvious.

“He's trying to target me again.” I softly told her, and she nodded.

“We'll be at the rocks, in a few moments.” she told me.

“He'll try to hit me as soon as we start turning, I think. But before that...” I returned, materializing a special arrow we had made. Ariana had enchanted a few of my arrows, and Myanihia's, since she was with us a lot now, to explode upon impact. This was one of those arrows. Belle came back to join us, setting herself down on the rail.

“Is he still on top of the mast?” I asked our pixie-girl.

“In the same spot,” she nodded back.

Carefully, I nocked the arrow to the bow. I'd probably one get one good shot at him, though I would definitely loose a second for spite. Let's see... how can we add some salt to this... oh, I know! I mused to myself, queuing up a skill called Dragon Breaker. Supposedly, it had enough force to tear through a dragon or creatures on par with them. That, combined with this little arrow, would definitely get rid of the sniper if it hit--and it might also damage Rackham's ship a bit.

I looked at Belle again. She nodded. I took a deep breath, and then in one swift motion I twirled over to the side of the ship, activating the skill and drawing the bow back as far as I could for maximum effect, quickly eyeing up my target and sizing up where he would be in the next few moments. Out of panic, he fired at me. I grinned. The arquebus would take around ten seconds to reload. I loosed my own shot a moment after he did, and then hit the deck as his bullet narrowly missed me, chipping off a part of the ship. A couple seconds later there was an actual explosive sound, and I looked up; the sniper was KO'd, and the sloop had caught fire.

Cheers and whoops came from my ship as the girls clapped and congratulated me; I got to my feet with a sigh of relief, Belle alighting on my shoulder again as I collected myself once more.

“Nice shot, chick!” she told me.

“Thanks,” I smiled back.

I then heard the sound of laughter coming from the sloop; it was Rackham. He was apparently very amused by what had happened, and he seemed to be admiring my skill as well, judging from the slow clap he was directing our way. There was a glimmering smirk on his face as he gave us a thumbs-up, and then he turned away to help his crew with the fire.

“What do you know? He actually seems kinda fun,” I remarked in amazement.

“You mean he's not a nutcase who'll develop an unreasonable vendetta against us for this? I'll take that.” Belle quipped.

“Right?” I agreed as Myanihia softly chuckled. I gave her a smile and left her to work her magic around the rocks while I returned to the main deck with Belle.

The storm was still picking up in intensity, but right now all we had to worry about was it and the sea-rocks ahead of us. With that in mind, we focused on maintaining the ship, nearly forgetting all about the pirate guilds and the Guardians' massive ship until we reached port a couple in-world hours later.

***

When we reached Hedabï and turned in our cargo-quest, we made our way to a tavern to relax for a bit until we came up with something else to do. A player-sponsored news-journal, “The Harmonia Bulletin,” was at the table, highlighting recent activity and updates related to the guild competition, and some not-so related ones as well.

“The Divine Sea Emperor” is launched: Guardians of the Eternal Citadel return to the seas at long last to claim retribution for their humiliation!

Pirate Alliance “Skulls and Bones” redoubling their attention in the Northern Seas.

Highlights from the on-going tournament in Thessalia; will Wallbiter prevail over Sanya Rose this time?

Tips from Farmer's Dell on how to successfully cultivate stable crops.

King-Priests of the Demon Sands devolving into a civil war; will Rayna come to reclaim her old guild?

Venomheart and Nightkin seen together in the Borderlands.

Best rare-ore spots this week: Aergondi, Ragnarheim, and Crags of Ordnon. More details below.

Competition Rankings in fluctuation after a massive battle in the Wildlands. Who will bounce back, and who will keep sinking?

“Rare-ore spots, huh?” I wondered as I read the article more closely.

“Pfft, we have the Deeps Ore. They've got nothing.” Lizzy snorted.

“That's true... but this looks like a draigod ore deposit they have in Ordnon,” Lysandra noted.

“Ehh?? Really??” our smith said excitedly, taking another look. “Huh! We need to get an expedition up there somehow...”

“More importantly, this 'Divine Sea Emperor'... that's got to be the monster we saw earlier, right?” Healina said.

“Ooh, right, that!” I remembered, turning to the article in question. “Looks like it, for sure... that sneaky Fènghuáng. I wonder if there's more of them around again...”

“I'd doubt it.” Lysandra shrugged. “She's probably going for shock value over domination this time.”

“She would definitely try to make at least a second.” Anhe said. “And they will probably fill up their fleet with lighter attack ships and medium merchant ones, from what Hua Ling has told me.”

“So they're slowly building back, huh?” I mused.

“The rest of the alliance has more than enough ships to keep the balance going, I think,” Ariana remarked. “I'm more curious about the pirates now... they're focused up north, it says?”

“Probably something to do with the Outer Isles,” Maryn suggested.

“Oh right, the Hitherlands,” Ari recalled. “I bet they're after that bonus you mentioned,” she said as she turned to me.

“I bet you're right,” I nodded back.

“This says they've been searching through the ports on the mainland for something... some sort of quest or item, I guess?” Lizzy noted as she scanned through the article herself.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“Could that mean the bonus is locked behind one of those quests?” Maryn wondered.

“I wonder if it could be tied to one of the NPC factions, like one of the expeditionary or merchant ones...” I said, skimming the article for possible clues.

“Ooh, that'd make sense,” Lysandra agreed.

“Sandra; remember? The mystery faction, we found in beta,” Myanihia then remarked, and her sister lit up at once.

“Right!! The one in... tch, where was that?” she frowned at her forgetfulness.

“I, can't remember either...” Myanihia said. “I was hoping, you did; but, the area may have changed, since beta, or the faction was implemented, elsewhere,” she noted.

“Hmm... that's true... ugh, but it's also rotten.” the other twin smiled ruefully.

“Isn't it?” Myanihia faintly grinned.

“A mystery faction, huh...?” I mused, leaning back in the booth. “That probably means there's hidden prerequisites; certain things we have to do before it will even give us hints, let alone a solid lead.”

“Right,” Lizzy nodded. “Like that annoying one in AoH.”

“Ugh, don't remind me,” I smirked back.

“Heh-heh!” she beamed back pleasantly.

“It'd be nice if one of these hints decided to just walk up and hand itself to us for once,” Belle quipped with a sigh.

“Wouldn't it though?” Maryn agreed.

“I bet Lana can count the number of times that sort of thing happens in a game with one finger.” Heali said, and Anhe softly giggled.

“Ehhh, seven, actually.” I said.

“Really??”

“But yeah, it's pretty much a shocker when it does happen, if at all.” I said.

“Delivery for Lana Windstrider!” a high-pitched voice called out. There was a mouse about a meter tall coming into the tavern, wearing a tam o'shanter and a woolen sweater. Over one shoulder was a leather delivery satchel. The courier sat an envelope on the table, and then with a smile bounded away to leave the tavern.

As for us, we were practically frozen in disbelief for a few moments, and then we slowly turned to look at the envelope that had been left for me.

“… No way, right?” Anhe was the first to speak.

“Ahh...”

“Ehh...” Ari and I exchanged an uncertain smile with each other.

“If you don't open that thing in the next ten seconds I'mma take some points away...!” Lizzy then quipped, and I snapped myself to attention, opening the envelope.

Esteemed Guild Leader Lana Windstrider, I, Marios Von Goldfields, do extend to you this invitation to visit me at the following location to discuss the opportunity of a lifetime! To whet your appetite for gain in this competitive season, I have enclosed a certain map to a location that holds but a trifling snippet of the totality in profits you and yours will reap should you accept my beneficence in this matter! I look forward to our first meeting, the first, I hope, of many!

“So... eight times...” I said after reading it.

“Ehh!?!” the others chorused in unison on my pronouncement.

When the next in-world day began, I set out for the place that had been mentioned with Ari and Fyu, leaving the others to do as they would for the meantime. What's that? Oh, the place. It was located in the Vales of Aergondi, deep in the Aerdene Forests in sight of Silver Lake near the south. From what I understood in the letter (a quest item, by the way), there would be two great fir trees that denoted the entrance of a valley, and somewhere along the valley would be a hollow which had an ancient oak intertwined with holly plants as its marker.

“That doesn't sound too obscure,” I remarked as we arrived in Aergondi via telepad. Ari then quietly pointed to a tree that looked similar to an oak which had some strands of holly running up its truck. “Ahh--” I started, blinking uncertainly.

“We'll have to me a bit more alert, I guess,” she smiled at me.

“Y-yeah,” I grinned back wryly.

Fyu then allowed us onto his back, and he set off to the southeast where our destination would be. I looked around at the serene vistas surrounding us; the Vales of Aergondi was not one of the hotly contested regions in the game despite its special resources. This was because the best of those resources (ancient oak and elder gopherwood) were deep in the great forests, protected by the elves who lived in them.

“It almost reminds me of a cross-country train ride we had in Canada,” Ariana remarked.

“That sounds like fun!” I said.

“It was,” she recalled with a smile. “I think it happened about a month after we first met as kids,” she added.

“Oh wow,” I returned. “Heh... a month after we were up there, we were back here in the city...”

“Your other grandparents lived way outside the city, right?” Ari then said.

“Yeah. Waaay outside of it. Kind of why I like Cloverbell so much, when we're there,” I softly smiled.

“Oh def! I remember you saying something like that about it!” she smiled back.

“We'll take a visit to it ourselves someday,” I told her.

“Deal!” she beamed back.

“Perhaps by then, I myself shall be able to cross over into your world, masters,” Fyu said as he galloped along through the Vales.

“That'd be great if you could be with us there too, Fyu,” I smiled.

“Definitely! I wonder if someone's working on an idea like that...” Ari then wondered.

“Oh I'm sure.” I nodded. “Though it'll probably be a while before it happens.”

“My patience will bear me through until such a time, masters,” the dog-beast said, and I placed my hand upon his head, as did Ari.

“We'll always have you in this world for sure!” my partner said. I could imagine the smile that spread across his features as she said those words.

“Then let us continue making each and every adventure a song for the ages!” he returned, picking up his pace so that we were practically gliding along the rolling hills and vales.

***

“That's the right valley,” I said a few in-world hours later. We had just found the two fir trees, each of them massive and primeval in appearance. I almost felt like they might suddenly come to life as giants.

“There is a peculiar air here; it leads into the valley for certain,” Fyu told us. “Shall I follow it?”

“It might lead us to where we need to go,” I affirmed, and so we set off into the valley.

On our right there was a small stream burst forth from underground, continuing along the length of the valley as it grew in size, lazily meandering through the small meads and meadows that were intertwined with various groves and copses at its bottom. All sorts of curious creatures were scurrying or fluttering about, some of them similar to real-world creatures and some of them definitely more fantastical. We saw several villages of pixie-fairies high up in some of the trees we passed; I wondered if Belle had ever been here to visit them.

After a while the two of us got off of Fyu's back to walk alongside him instead. There was no rush for us, after all. As a matter of fact, we got so absorbed in the sights all around us that we nearly missed it when the oak that was our marker finally turned up. At the last second, Fyu managed to catch a whiff of the “peculiar air” he had noted before, and quickly got us back on course, leading us directly to the tree in question. It certainly looked like something we shouldn't have missed, now that I saw it; yet at the same time I could definitely see how it neatly blended in to the area.

“Here we are, masters,” Fyu then said.

“Let's get close to it and see what happens,” I said, and we ventured nearer to the ancient tree.

As we did, a magical door began opening up on the very trunk of the tree itself, its edges shimmering. I could see another realm on the other side of it. Ari and I nodded to each other, then to Fyu, and the three of us headed through it.

We found ourselves in an area reminiscent of Bethelia, but this area was dominated by a people who looked like the courier we had encountered. They were a mouse-like people, averaging a meter in height, all of them fond of bright and cheery colors, judging from the raiment they wore and the nearly-sparkling colors of the buildings we could see around us. More specifically, they resembled field-mice.

“Hullo, hullo, hullo!” one of them, dressed in a particularly flamboyant yet also quite elegant formal-wear, called out to us. “You're the visitors Old Marios is expecting, yes?”

“That's us,” I nodded.

“Right-o! Come this way, come this way! His manor is in the next town over; I'll just activate this little mirror-walker here and we'll be at his front gate before you can blink!” he told us, and we followed him over to the thing in question. Judging from how he described it, I surmised it was a special telepad/wayport for this area.

“Where are we, exactly?” I wondered as he input a destination into the device, activating a portal to our destination.

“What's that? Ohh, you're in the land of Apodemia, friend! And we are the Ragamis!” he proudly told us before heading through.

“Cute!” Ari remarked as she hopped through after him, Fyu following her.

“Apodemia, huh?” I mused as I brought up the rear, stepping through the portal to find myself and the others at a large mansion indeed. Out of curiosity I brought up my map; apparently we were quite a distance away from the town we had arrived in, which was called Wheatdale. As for where we were now...

“Welcome to Goldfield Manor, friends!” our guide told us. “By the by, my name is Henry Martin, Chief Steward of the Goldfields at this mansion. A pleasure, I'm sure!”

“Good to meet you!” I smiled back.

“We don't often get big folk or dog-beasts here these days, but I'm sure we can at least accommodate your friend with a quaint repast over yonder, if he should desire?” Henry said.

“I shall accept such hospitality as you can afford me, little Ragamis,” Fyu said in reply.

“Much obliged, I'm sure; here's Maisy Tubbs, she'll show you to where you can have a rest, good friend!” the other returned as another Ragamis turned up to show Fyu where he could take a break.

“We'll be back... sometime, I guess,” I said to Fyu.

“Fear not, masters, I shall be here!” he told us as he followed Maisy.

“As for you two, the master has desired to see you in his gardens. This way, please!” the steward told us, and we followed him around the grounds of the manor to the gardens.

It was all very spectacular, in a cozy and even whimsical sort of way. The manor itself was no exception to the colorfulness of the town further east of us, its chief colors being a daisy yellow and spring green. There was such an abundance of flowers about the place as well. I knew I could never name them all, even if I spent a year learning in-world botany just so I could make the attempt.

Marios Von Goldfields himself was seated at a flower-wreathed gazebo near a great pond, another attendant waiting upon him as he dined upon tea and tarts. There were several other delicacies on the table as well, including various kinds of cookies and what looked like a delicious berry-pie. As soon as he caught sight of us he waved, and the steward pulled out a couple of seat-cushions so we could sit at Goldfields' eye-level comfortably.

“Greetings! So it's you who are the cunning leader I have heard so much about these past few weeks!” he said to me.

“Lana Windstrider; good to meet you,” I told him.

“Likewise! And I'm sure you recall my own name, Marios Von Goldfields. Now, before business, have some refreshments!” he said, raising his teacup in a toast to us as the attendant poured us some, and we gratefully accepted them, choosing some pastries to eat as we exchanged a few more pleasantries before our host became more serious. It was after the two of us had eaten a third treat that he cleared his throat and set aside his tea, giving us a knowing look.

“So... we have a couple of our friends investigating the map you sent us; what's the whole picture?” I said as I sensed it was time for business.

“Indeed!” he nodded to me. “Have you heard of the Outer Isles? The Hitherlands? They're in your world specifically, our own being somewhat apart from Panarena, so I assume you have at least some knowledge of them?”

“We've heard of them, yes,” Ariana nodded.

“Well! I have it on good authority that there is quite the fortune to be made in those regions; to be more precise, one of my distant ancestors, a traveller of some renown in her day, undertook a long expedition in your world. During her time there, she discovered these places, and she also discovered that they have a peculiar effect on the otherwise mundane items which one can find there. It's all detailed in her journal, which I have had transcribed into a new and annotated manuscript by simply the best scribes one can find here.” he told us, producing the item in question. “All in all, it's a simple offer I'm going to make you: you can have a claim on any of the resources you can cart off from these places, so long as you bring back to me a goodly stock of the items I have listed in my own little book here,” Marios continued, taking out another, smaller book for our examination.

“That sounds more than fair,” I nodded back.

“Of course it is! Ragamis are not noteworthy explorers and such, my ancestor being one of the rare exceptions. I'm a businessman, not an adventurer. But I can't just have any old adventurer going up there, oh no-no-no-no-no!” he shook his head vigorously. “They have to be willing to go the extra mile, and they have to have a noble-heart! That's why I've settled on you! From what I've heard you've gone at least several extra miles for your friends during the course of events down in Panarena, and anyone who puts that awful creature back into his mystical cage of nothingness simply must have a noble heart!” he said, nodding twice as vigorously as he had shaken his head.

“Down” in Panarena, eh? Huh... interesting, I mused, and I guess “that awful creature” is Djaziim the Unholy.

“We certainly try,” Ari smiled.

“And you succeed! It's not everyone I send a personal courier to, after all! The last time I did was a couple years ago, but that poor girl got mixed up with some awful folk. Couldn't invite her back after that, goodness gracious me.” he said sadly, his two servants shaking their heads.

A couple years ago in Panarena time would be about when the game went live; huh, I wonder who the girl was...

“Poor, sweet little songbird!” the attendant remarked. “She had such a pretty name, too!”

“Yes, she did indeed; our once-sweet little Melody.” Marios lamented as his lady-servant dabbed her eye with a kerchief.

Ariana and I exchanged a brief glance of shock at the words.

No way, right...?

Maybe?? Who knows?

That'd be nuts!

Right??

“Anyhow! Mustn't dwell on past failures! The future, the future is what we are discussing now!” Marios then said confidently. “So then! What do you say? Ah! I almost forgot! I have also a special series of charts, here, created by my ancestor as she noted the currents and general wind patterns of the region in question. Mayhaps they can also be of use to you in this journey!” he said, setting the charts down on the table as well.

“Hmm... I don't see a reason to refuse, and we'll definitely get the edge on the pirate guilds who want these things for themselves. I wonder if these currents and things are what's thwarting them?” Ariana said as she looked over the charts.

“That could be,” I nodded in agreement. “A claim to special resources in a place that's difficult to get to in exchange for a fair cut of specific items you yourself want; that sounds like a bargain to me!” I said to our host, who grinned merrily.

“I knew you'd see it my way!” Marios smiled “Ah! One more thing; I will be sending my niece along with you for the expedition. All Ragamis carry with them an enchanted bracelet allowing them to move between our world and yours; she'll make it easier for you to get the items to me when you do have them. Henry! Fetch Anna Belle and tell her the time has come!” he ordered, and the steward bowed, hurrying off to do so.

“Fair enough.” I nodded.

“Indubitably!” Marios returned. We shook hands with him, and the quest then appeared in our logs.

Hitherlands Expedition, Chapter One: Staking a Claim.

“Oh wow!” Ari remarked as she read the title. “It's a quest series!”

“Hmm...” I mused as I quickly looked it over. “Looks like we'll have to set off from Ragnarheim again... this time, though, let's do things a bit differently when we set out. Or at least when we get ready to set out.”

“Gotcha. Not enough time tonight no matter how we spend it.” she nodded.

“The Lady Anna Belle Goldfields, as requested!” Henry then announced, and a Ragamis in sunshine yellow apparel curtsied to us with a smile as we rose to greet her.

“Greetings, adventurers! So you're the ones taking up uncle's quest, are you?” she said to us.

“They are indeed, my dear!” Marios himself said as he got to his feet. “Will you be good enough to accompany them?”

“Of course! Though it will take some time for me to prepare myself, Uncle Mar!” she replied to him.

“It'll take us a little while to get ready ourselves,” I added.

“No fear, no fear! We're in no rush!” Marios grinned. “Though I feel it only fair to mention that the Silvestri of Felidalia have a notable figure like myself among their people also, one who is less scrupulous when it comes to picking adventurers. You see, his ancestor had a run in with mine, and she of course, delighting in having found a kindred spirit, shared with him most of what she had found out -- including these oceanic charts. The descendant, as I implied, is far less noble than his dignified ancestor. I can only hope that his laziness has given us the edge in this matter!”

“We'll do what we can to capitalize on what might be an early start,” I nodded back.

“Good show, my lady, good show!” our host clapped his hands. “Well we all have our preparations to make! Take the books and the charts with you; Anna Belle will join you when you're ready. Oh don't worry about us not knowing; all you'll have to do is tap this little trinket three times,” he said, handing us a gold and diamond pendant.

“Three times -- got it!” Ari nodded to him.

“There you have it! I'll see you delightful folk again sometime! Henry, bring Old Fyu Dongtian this way and then open a portal to their world, would you?” Marios said as he turned to his servant.

“Of course, Master Goldfields,” the steward said as he again scurried off to get Fyu.

“Capital chap, really he is. Simply splendid!” our host remarked.

“By the way,” I wondered, “Are you... in charge here?”

“Around my manor, my word is law!” he said to me, “But I, Marios Von Goldfields, am but a humble servant of our Grand Chief, one of nine. I oversee the economy and resources management of our fair land; so you can imagine my excitement at the opportunity to expand my horizons for such endeavors!”

“Of course,” I smiled back.

“No title of course, no title at all! That would be far too silly for our sensibilities.”

“Oh?”

“We're a simple folk, for the most part,” Marios nodded. “As the one who oversees one of the more complex parts of our society, I do have a certain level of ambition; but it's less about personal gain and more about enriching our peaceful land of Apodemia as a whole!” he said with a proud grin.

“Then I look forward to working with you,” I smiled back.

“Indeed!” he winked back as Henry returned with Fyu.

Later that day, Ariana and I were at Cloverbell, lounging together in the hotspring. Lizzy, Heali, and Anhe had found a secret cache from the map we had been given, and were still sorting through its contents. It had apparently taken them to the Mystic Marshes, up north to the west of Ragnarheim. They had even found a port town up there, and had marked the wayport for us, of course.

“What do you think about the Silvestri quest?” Ari wondered as she laid her head on my shoulder.

“Hmm...” I pondered a moment, going over it in my head again. “I have a funny feeling they're a cat-like people... and that their quest might the one that Rackham and the other pirates are looking for. The real question is what would trigger this apparently lazy yet unscrupulous counterpart of Marios' to flag them down.” I said.

“You thought cats too, huh?” she said with a laugh. “But I agree with that as well. I wonder if that's why they've been trying to raid our cargo-runs? If they eventually succeeded, would it trigger the Silvestri's interest?”

“Ooh, good point,” I said with a nod. “That's definitely plausible.”

“Or maybe even a certain amount of successful piratings,” she continued.

“Agreed.”

“We should put out an alert to the others just in case.”

“I'll send one now,” I nodded, pulling up the messaging function and sending a quick note to the other alliance leaders.

“At least it's Friday, though...” Ari then said with a smile. “And we have our homework all done.”

“For real,” I sighed.

“Now now. It was easy tonight.” she reminded me.

“Yeah... it was.” I agreed with a half-grin. “Hmm?” I then said as I heard a ding. It was from Wildeye.

Alliance Meeting Requested; meeting point, Hålla, Ragnarheim, in one in-world hour.

“Hrrmm...” I sighed as I sank into the water, blowing bubbles in frustration.

“Maybe someone else had some information as well, or they want to talk about a new strategy going forward for the competition.” Ariana said as she patted my head.

“I guess.” I reluctantly agreed. “Time to get out of our personal paradise, I guess.” I then added, and she giggled as we got out to dry off and don some formal-wear. Once this was done, I sent a message to Maryn and Anhe, asking them to add a certain kind of item to two of our caravels, and with that Ariana and I set off for Ragnarheim.