Part II

Waywalker

"Waywalkers, if real, present a significant opportunity. The wonders beyond the World Gates that we may never know are infinite. We can only learn so much from conversations with World residents. Waywalkers can break the shackles that bind us, experience the unknown, make discoveries we could never fathom. The bounty of knowledge potentially available to them could change everything. If they are real."

- The Mysteries and Oddities of World Gate Travel, Volume 12

* * *

New Valour - Market Street

Hex stared at the glass jar in front of him, not quite sure what to make of it.

For one, he’d never had a drink in a see-through container before. Weren’t jars supposed to be for preserving jams and creepy potion ingredients? This one probably had frog legs in it yesterday… I hope they washed it.

The transparent jar revealed the other oddity of this beverage. Little black balls rested at the bottom, serving some unknown purpose.

The wooden sign above the outdoor cafe read ‘Brandi’s Bubbly Beverages.’

Hex stirred the concoction with a wooden straw and watched the balls swim in the opaque brown tea before settling back down to the bottom. It wasn’t even that bubbly.

Monsters sat at several other tables around them, all enjoying thier own strange teas.

It can’t be that bad if everyone’s drinking it…

Skel had already finished his and was busy trying—unsuccessfully—to pick up a ball from the empty jar using nothing but his straw. He would get it almost to the top, where it would teeter atop the curved edge of the straw, then roll off and fall back to join its brethren.

"I still can’t believe you already learned a new skill, Cala," Skel said, attempting again to balance the ball between the side of his jar and the straw.

Dracala took a sip of her tea. Like Hex, she’d been a little more hesitant than Skel about the unfamiliar drink. "I only had one boring skill before, so I think I just got lucky that I just had one Level until a new one."

The starting skill she had was a simple bite attack. It seemed all Monsters had a base skill that covered whatever ‘advanced’ physical attack they could naturally perform. Even at Level 1… This came in the form of biting, headbutting, scratching, tackling, punching, or—of course—bouncing. Everyone could also use a weak attack, which Skel described as hitting, but ‘no one uses that because it’s terrible.’ The skills section on the Leveling Scroll didn’t even have it listed, so Hex figured he was probably right.

"What’s it called, again?" Skel asked.

"Wing Burst."

"Such a cool name."

"Not as cool as Umbral Bracers," she said, looking pointedly at Hex.

He felt at his wrists instinctively, even though his new equipment was stored safely away back in the dormitory.

"True that, wise bat!" Skel said. "When are you going to tell us what happened back in Minecube anyway, Hex?"

When Hex had returned to the dormitory at the end of that first day, he’d immediately been bombarded with questions from Skel, Dracala, and the slime siblings. He’d left out any mention of Corruption and Waywalkers, but he’d been wearing the Umbral Bracers, so he couldn’t completely avoid that topic. It’d been intentional—all part of his plan to distract them from the truth. Even still, he shared the bare minimum. Just that they gave him a stealth ability.

His friends had all left unsatisfied with his vague explanations for staying behind with the professor.

But now was the perfect time reveal the next layer of his cover story.

A hint of truth…

"Alright. Alright," he said. "I’ve kind of… been lying to you."

Dracala squinted at him, trying to read beneath Hex’s words, but he kept his face unreadable.

"I told you all I was Level 5, but only because I was too embarassed by my real Level."

Skel leaned forward eagerly.

"Professor Blackbeard is letting me borrow the bracers to help me catch up with the other slimes. My true starting Level… Was Level 1."

The lie won’t last forever. Once it’s obvious I still have the bracers after gaining a few Levels, I’ll need to come up with something else. But this’ll do for now.

Skel opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again, but said nothing. One of the rare times he was rendered speechless.

"You could have told me…" Dracala said.

"I know…" Hex said. "But I… I felt like if I didn’t talk about it, then it somehow would be less true. Like the spoken words would make me even weaker than I already am. I know it doesn’t make any sense."

His gooey center spun a little faster. Those words might be a little to close to the truth.

"I agree," Skel announced, as if the entire coffee chop needed to hear his declaration. But then he calmed down and patted Hex on the shouler. "And you don’t need some advanced items to keep up. You’ve got us. We’ll do whatever it takes to help you grow. Right, Cala?"

Dracala nodded firmly.

Hex felt his cheeks flush. Well, now he was getting far too much attention. I don’t want pity either… "Dracala, can you show us your Wing Burst?" he asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"It won’t work here. Weren’t you paying attention to Professor Xavus in class?"

"I know that. I meant next time we’re in Minecube."

They’d attended the Gate travel safety class with the old human the day before, which proved to be a lot of interesting information Hex wished he knew before their first day, delivered in the most boring way possible. But, as Professor Blackbeard warned him, it provided little detail on Corruption aside from the all-important ‘avoid it!’

I trust them. And I want to tell them more about what happened with the Corruption. It’s just…

He stirred his tea again and finally took a sip. It was far tastier than he expected.

"Maybe we can think of a landmark to meet up at once we spawn," Skel said. He leaned back in his chair and peered up the crowded street of shop stalls and customers. "I think there’s a shop around here that sells maps."

"Or we could just use Party Stones," Hex said.

Skel and Dracala both stared at him.

"What’s a Party Stone?" Dracala asked.

"It’s genius, is what it is!" Skel slapped his own forehead. "Hex, where in Hysterium’s canyons did you hear about Party Stones?"

That’s the second time someone mentioned Hysterium recently. What’s with that place?

"Professor Blackbeard gave them to Yolo and me."

Skel shook his head. "I can’t figure you out, Hex, my friend. One minute you have no clue what a Leveling Scroll is, the next you’re tossing around Party Stones like candy!"

"No one’s answered my question…" Dracala reminded them.

"It allows you to respawn in the same location as anyone holding linked Party Stones," Hex said.

"Oh. That is genius! Is there a shop that sells those here, Skel?"

"Any general adventuring supplies shop would have them." Skel threw a few coins on the table and waved to the naga lady—presumably Brandi—serving another table of Monsters. "Grab your bubble teas! We’ll return the jars on our way out."

Hex followed the skeleton through the chaos of the market. Dracala fluttered above them, smartly avoiding the crowd altogether.

There were vendors with wheeled carts or more permanent kiosks and store fronts. Most of the temporary shops sold speciality items at ridiculous prices. The others were more traditional, from weapons and armor to potions and scrolls. Some sold food and drink—one in particular was selling suspicious-looking meat on a stick that smelled like body odor.

Hex was busy looking at that last one, trying to figure out what animal that meat could’ve been from, when he collided with someone in front of him. He fumbled to rescue the jar of tea in his hand, but it was too late. The liquid spilled all over the shirt of an elf boy.

"Hey, watch it!" he yelled, wiping his hands on the stain. Then he looked at Hex. "A slime? You’ve gotta be kidding me."

The boy shoved Hex.

He tumbled back and fell onto the cobblestones, dropping his bag. He scrambled to grab it, but the elf beat him to it.

This is like the cave all over again. I can’t believe this is happening.

Skel and Dracala were further ahead now, but they’d noticed him missing. He could see them looking back through the crowd.

"Let’s see what the little Monster has in here," the elf said. He dumped the contents of the bag on Hex’s head.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

The Leveling Scroll and Energy Capsule fell out first. Then a few notes he’d taken in class. And finally… the lazurite from Rupert’s axe. He reached to catch it, but it bounced off his clumsy hands and rolled past the legs of several onlookers.

The sound of stomping on wood made everyone in the vicinity pause.

"Cut it out!" a female voice said. It wasn’t anyone Hex recognized.

An elf girl with short pink hair stood on a table from a nearby food stall. She stomped again.

There were quiet murmurs in the crowd, but no one took their eyes off her.

She hopped down and another elf with long green hair and thick black eyeliner joined her.

"Maldeus Flingdrake," the pink-haired one said. "You’re going to be a piece of dung dangling off a gnoll’s ass here too, I take it?"

The elf boy—still holding Hex’s bag—flinched at the words, but could only avert his eyes. He was the same age as her, yet completely subdued by her presence.

"Why don’t you give the slime his bag back? We can all forget this ever happened."

"M-My shirt. H-He ruined it," the boy stuttered.

"That’s the excuse you’re going with? Your shirt was ugly anyway, Maldeus. Now let’s have it."

He reluctantly handed the bag to the girl. She gave it to Hex.

"Now run along."

He slunk into the crowd.

"Nothing to see here. Back to your business," the green-haired elf said as the people around them resumed their shopping and browsing. She knelt down and helped Hex up, placing a small object in his hand.

It was the lazurite stone, its glow less obvious in the daylight—thank the Creator.

"You’d best not be dropping that again." She winked at him.

Hex tucked it away and cleaned up his things.

"Thank you," he said. "I—"

But the two elf girls never heard him. They were already gone, blended back into the sea of other Humanoids and Monsters in the market. He tried to look between legs and over shoulders, but it was useless.

That jerk listened to her without hesitation. She must be important.

He added two to his mental tally of friendly Humanoids. Or maybe they just hate bullies of any kind. I should introduce them to that Garo orc prince. They’d set him straight. Though they were just as likely to be sliced in half by his axe.

Either way, they probably could have reported him to some sort of authority for having the lazurite. It wouldn’t have been too difficult. Pairs of guards with spears marched through the market at regular intervals.

Skel and Dracala finally reached him.

"Hex, are you okay?" Dracala asked, landing beside him.

"I’ll be fine. Just making friends, you know?"

His friend brushed dirt off his back with a wing. "You make friends on the ground?"

"On occasion."

"Well," Skel said. "On this occasion, we’re gonna fetch ourselves some Party Stones. I found the shop just up ahead."

Skel weaved ahead through the people, but Dracala hung back and put an arm on Hex’s shoulder.

"You don’t have to pretend to be brave just because Skel’s around," she said.

Hex sighed. I’m always going to be viewed as the coward, aren’t I..? At least by Dracala and Skel, who already know the real me.

But the truth was, he didn’t feel fear in that moment—even as his mind flashed to his last incident with an elf back the cave. Embarrassment, obviously. But no fear.

He was afraid of Cullings, the thick-muscled Garo, and Corruption now.

But Maldeus Whatever-his-face?

He is nothing.

The shop Skel found was a true store front, rather than one of the stalls or pop-ups in the market street. A sign above the door denoted it as ‘Endemeter’s Emporium.’

A spider sitting at a cart nearby paused whatever he was knitting with web and gave Hex a curious, wry smile, revealing two fangs. Hex waved.

The inside of the shop was immaculate and organized to perfection.

Behind a counter, the proprietor hadn’t even noticed them yet. He had oversized circular glasses resting over kind eyes on a large nose. A red bowtie was visible peaking out at his neck under a leather apron. He was busy tinkering with some strange gadget and smiled at something in his own head.

Hex ran his hand along a glass case containing at least a hundred vials of different color liquids. Each had a little paper tag with the potion name written neatly. Cube-shaped cubbies arrayed the wall above it, with various stones resting on plush fabric pillows. More glass tables contained maps laid out perfectly flat and aligned to the edges. Each one was to a different World Gate.

Hex peered down at the closest one. It was gigantic. Montains, rivers, towns, dungeons. So many unfamiliar names.

But there was only one name that mattered to him.

Embershard Mine.

He spent far too long staring at the map, his eyes starting to go cross. But to no avail. Embershard Mine wasn’t on this map or any of the others on display.

I’ll find you soon, Dad…

"This place is amazing," Dracala whispered.

It sure beat Trellamina’s shop back home, which had mostly contained uncleaned odds and ends found in nearby caves or buried in mud. Her map of Monster Territory had been a child’s scribble compared to these intricate and precise charts.

Hex found a bookshelf and was examining titles against the list Charlie had given him. He skimmed an appendage against the spines as he held the small paper in the other. None of them were here. These all appeared to be more technical than entertaining.

He certainly hadn’t expected to find ‘Calamity’s Heart Torn Asunder’ in a place like this, but he’d hoped some of the other ones might be here. Hex probably wouldn’t even try to find that one anywhere. Even though Charlie claimed he was providing a non-trashy novel list, the title alone betrayed ‘Calamity’s’ probable genre.

The only thing that gave Hex pause was a rip in the list—a puncture through the paper right beside that book. Most likely from one of Charlie’s long fingernails. He would’ve had to intentionally do that. It’s not as if his fingernails are so sharp he goes around accidentally skewering things all the time. But why that book in particular?

"Excuse me!"

Hex peered around the shelf of tomes.

The proprietor now had his hands firmly pressed on the counter and was glaring at Skel, who held an extremely fragile-looking glass ornament of some sort.

His eyes were no longer kind.

Skel promptly placed the object back on its pillow.

"Have they not taught you creatures to read yet?" his voice was like an obnoxious squawking bird.

"Uhh…"

"The sign outside! No Monsters!"

"Whoops," Skel said.

"I don’t need your kind tracking filth in here. I just mopped the floors! Now shoo! Off with you!"

Hex was the first to make it outside the shop. Skel and Dracala joined him shortly after.

The spider he’d waved to before pattered over, now wearing a worn purple top hat on his head.

"Trouble in the Emporium?" he hissed, as he weaved a pair of angry eyes with web between four of his eight legs.

"You knew!" Hex said. "You knew we weren’t allowed in there when we walked by before. Why didn’t you say anything?"

The spider broke up the web-drawn eyes and the wind carried the strands away. "Some things a Monster must learn on his or her own, yes?" He created a new web image, this one depicting a slime, a bat, and a skeleton. The spider’s fingers moved at lightning speed.

I wonder what his dexterity would be if he were a Gate adventurer.

"New students, I presume?" the spider asked.

Skel swatted a hand through the web. "We aren’t here for artwork. You sell things from that cart, or is it just for show?"

"To business, then. I have discount for new students, yes? Half-off your first purchase. A good deal, yes?" The web showed a coin cut in half.

It sounds like a great deal to me.

But Skel looked skeptical.

"You can’t trust these street peddlers," he said to Dracala and Hex. "Half of them are looking to cheat you and the other half are overpriced. He probably charges twice as much as the other shops to make that deal worthwhile."

The spider drew a web sword stabbing into his own abdomen. "You wound me, young Skeletor Bonedust. I am but an honest trader, yes?"

"How do you know his name?" Hex asked.

"A friend of the father am I. Exclusive provider of all things elixir. Potions, draughts, poisons. ‘Look out for my son,’ he tells me. Red lightning for eyes." The spider pointed to the red tattooed bolts over Skel’s eye sockets. "This means you, yes?"

Skel nodded slowly.

"What’s your name?" Hex asked, trying to ease the awkwardness. He’s kind of strange, but it’s better than being yelled at just for being Monsters.

"Lexan Westerberry, at your service." He spelled out the first name using his web and used one of his four unoccupied legs to hold his hat in place as he bowed. "I give you extra ten percent off. Friends and family discount, yes?"

Skel hardly acknowledged the spider, but walked past and began examining items in the peddler’s cart. "He’s got Party Stones."

"Of course. Of course. Three stones for three friends, yes?"

"I’m paying for my friends," Skel said, picking up one of the stones and weighing it in his hand, as if testing ot verify its authenticity. "You’ll give me the full new student discount plus the extra ten percent. I’ll get two for each of us. And if you throw in some Hub Transport Stones we’ll come back to you next time we need supplies."

Lexan did some math on his legs, mandibles twitching like a mustache. "For son of Skeletor, yes. I do this."

Skel had agreed to pay for Hex and Dracala until they found a way to make some money. He claimed to have plenty anyway, thanks to his father’s assignments.

"Do you have a map of Minecube, too?" Dracala asked, digging through a barrel of rolled up parchments.

"No. No. There are no maps of Minecube. Land changes to quickly, yes? Heroes dig and build, reshape the world."

Skel paid for the stones.

As they were walking away, the shopkeeper from Endemeter’s Emporium walked out. He swept nonexistent dirt away from the entryway and the mat in front of the open door. Readjusting his glasses, he plucked a handheld brush from a pocket of his leather apron, then dusted off the ‘No Monsters’ sign beside the door.

He paused when he noticed Hex and his friends. Then he turned to Lexan.

"You!" He swatted the broom toward the spider. "I told you to stop setting up shop on my property! Shoo!"

Lexan rolled back, avoiding the broom. He took a bow and grabbed the handles of his cart before scurrying away and out of view down the street.

"Creator, why do you curse me?" the Emporium proprietor mumbled as he made his way back inside the shop.

Skel handed Dracala and Hex their Party Stones and Transportation Stones.

"Let’s not come back to this section of the market anytime soon," he said.

Hex nodded, but he wasn’t actually listening. He held up the Party Stone and stared at the funny symbol on it.

I can’t wait to test this thing out again. Ideally, for more than thirty seconds this time…

* * *

Eloise Bramblewood sat at the singular boba shop on all of Market Street. In typical fashion of the human city, they were far behind the modern trends—at least four of these style cafe’s scattered the market back in Whispering Falls.

There were no other Humanoids at this one.

Apparently Monsters like bubble tea as much as elves. She chuckled to herself and took the final sip of her drink.

The naga shop owner arrived seconds later with a refill for both her and Exelyn.

"You’re being quiet again," she noted to her friend.

"I’m always quiet." Exelyn surveyed the throng of the market street as if she were looking for something in particular—or someone.

Eloise, had her suspisions.

"Ex… You’re not this quiet with me. You’ve been acting strange ever since we got to New Valour. Disappearing at odd hours, constantly on the lookout."

"I’m always strange, too."

Well, I can’t argue with that. Maybe I’ll just test the waters here…

"Is this related to a certain princely roommate of ours?"

"What?" Exelyn stopped looking out through the market and stared at her, cheeks flushing ever so slightly.

That’s a yes. "Rowan Regicast, huh? I never really pegged him for your ty—"

"Why would you even think that?" Exelyn continued, turning more red. "What would I have to do with him?"

A definite yes.

It was obvious now. The way Ex had completely turtled in on herself during their first introduction. She’d had no problem getting along with the Tully and the Anvilfist boy. And she kept glancing back at Rowan during the Gate safety class. She was probably looking for him in the crowd even now.

Does she really have it that bad? This is all Gil’s fault. That ass. He broke her.

Eloise smiled, trying to rid herself of those memories. "I mean, he is cute. If you’re into that princely egotism sort of thing."

"What? No! I—Ugh… You’re insufferable, El."

"I try."

"He’s so stuck up. Haven’t you seen the way he carries himself? He thinks he’s better than everyone. And those clothes!"

Eloise held back a comment about his attire being much more appropriate for royalty than Exelyn’s. No need to go there right now. Her friend wore her signature baggy blouse and ripped pants. At least the shirt was black today—a little more roguish.

She was about to dig deeper into this infatuation with Rowan, when she noticed that little green slime they’d helped bouncing toward the cafe with his friends. Eloise kicked Exelyn under the table and nodded her head in their direction.

The slime was with a skeleton and a bat. An interesting trio. They dropped empty glasses at the counter. The skeleton winked at Brandi, who giggled girlishly.

They turned to leave when the slime locked eyes with her.

He froze, his goo going slightly pale.

Eloise smiled and gave him a half-wave. Why did the Creator make slimes so freaking adorable?

The slime scampered off after his friends and disappeared into the crowd.

Poor little guy. So out of his depth here.

"I can’t believe you made me embarass Maldeus Flingdrake like that," Exelyn said.

"I didn’t make you."

Ex rolled her eyes. "You were about to beat the ears right off his skull."

"His ears would’ve been fine…"

"I’m trying to keep a low profile, remember?"

Eloise smirked. "And you think dating Rowan Regicast will help with that?"

"I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. DATE. ROWAN. REGICAST!"

Several Monsters peered their direction awkwardly.

Low profile… riiiight.

She loved seeing Ex all riled up. Made life so much more entertaining.

"Keep your voice down. He’s probably somewhere in the market, right now!"

"No he’s not."

"So you were looking for him!"

Exelyn slammed her head on the table.

The conversation drifted to other topics. Eloise had picked on her friend enough for one day.

She only half-listened to Exelyn going on about how she could’ve taught a better course on Gate safety than Professor Xavus. Her mind was more focused on something else she hadn’t mentioned to her friend yet.

That slime had a lazurite stone.

She’d been so confused when she saw it fall out of his bag as Maldeus dumped the contents to the street.

She was still just as confused.

Giving it back had been the right thing to do, but…

What is a slime doing with lazurite?

And more importantly…

What am I supposed to do about it?