"Hey, Darren. What are milestones? And how does one use Examine, I assume the same way you bring up everything else, will it into existence?" Cooper asked Darren after having found him walking up front with Tommy.
"Yeah, the same way as everything else. Spells and skills work the same way, so you don't have to ask next time. Milestones vary depending on what we're talking about, but I'll assume you've got some skills or abilities with something to do with milestones? Anyways, for basic stuff that you'll have access to, it'll be levels, generally dependant on the max level of the skill but every 5 or 10 levels will be a milestone level. Milestone unlocks usually come with their own special rewards too along with the milestone bonuses you'll have seen mentioned in the skill, the basic ones being rather uniform but more advanced ones can actually be tailored for you, so to speak." Darren explained rather nonchalantly.
"Yeah, it's what I figured but thought I should still ask. I don't actually have any combat related skills or abilities like your light orb thing, is that normal and how do you get those skills?" Cooper questioned Darren, who kept his eyes on the road, never looking at Cooper.
"Mmm, it's not unusual, no. Some people get skills or abilities right when they choose their class, some don't, simple as that. I studied magic in a city to learn my little trick. Your specialization for an example, doesn't immediately make you a master or even an expert. It will make everything regarding those weapons more natural, easier to learn. You will still have to train. There'll be someone capable of training you at our destination, if you're worried." Darren said, still eyeing the road ahead warily.
"Oh, that's good, and that was my next question, the training thing. Speaking of, where are we headed? I know we're headed to a town but I haven't heard the name mentioned. Also, Tommy, you're being awfully quiet, you were barely able to contain your mouth last time, what happened, did that rock do some permanent damage?" Cooper poked at Tommy.
"Yeah, yeah, funny. But Darren's doing the explaining well, in his own fancy lad way. I ain't got anything to add, so far. Except the town. Trand. We're headed to Trand. Probably where those Paladins came from too, they've got an outpost or something there." Tommy said with a smirk, clearly enjoying the small banter.
"How far are w-" Cooper started but Darren interrupted him.
"Quiet, Tommy, take Cooper back to the middle of the caravan and halt it while you're at it. Get the Captain."
"What is it? Ambush?" Tommy asked before heading towards the caravan.
"Go. Now." Darren coldly stated.
"Alright kid, we gotta go. When he gets serious like this it means we ain't got a place up front." Tommy said and grabbed Cooper by the shoulder and turned him towards the wagons, the Stalker following them.
Cooper looked back, trying to see what Darren saw, he thought he saw something in the trees, something small, moving in the foliage.
"Captain! Darren saw something and told me to halt the caravan and take the kid to the middle. Also told me to get you as well. He didn't say what it was, I don't think he knew what it was, just that it was dangerous." Tommy yelled at the Captain, still walking Cooper to the middle.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"Halt here! Get the wagons into as large a box as you can to fit the tradies inside, Von and Tilly, you're up front with me, Darren's waiting with something so lets not let him face it alone. The rest of you will protect the caravan and the tradies, Reta's in charge." The Captain said, without a word to Tommy, just motioned for him to get with the rest. Cooper kept his eye on the woods around them.
"Tommy, get to the back and make sure everyone gets here safely. Take him with you. You. You're a ranger right? Heightened Senses? Make sure we're not getting ambushed without us knowing about it." A woman with a staff, presumably Reta, said before heading towards the front of the wagons and yelling some orders at some others.
The wagons were being moved into a box formation, tradies were moving into the box and the armed, combat capable, people were either on top of the wagons or on the outside, ushering in the tradies from the back. Cooper for his part kept his eye on the woods, scanning for movement as he and Tommy kept a brisk pace towards the back of the caravan. Cooper never realized just how many wagons and people were in this caravan, he'd only spoken to 3 people, there must've been 20 times that. Cooper had been so focused on everything that was going on that he'd somehow missed 50 or so people. As they reached the end of the caravan, there were two other armed men there, making sure the tradies at the back got to the wagon-box safely. Not men, Cooper realized, but some sort of lizard-man and an elf. Cooper found himself staring and the two guards noticed.
"Is he okay? He's kind of staring." The reptile said.
"Yeah, I don't really mind but I'm getting worried." The elf continued.
"Yeah, yeah, he's fine, he's just a freshie. We're here to keep an eye on things, he's a ranger so maybe he'll be some use even though he's low leveled." Tommy responded.
"Sorry, I just haven't realized a lot of things, I've kind of been focused on my class and getting my head around all the unfamiliar but familiar things." Cooper answered, embarrassed by his unintentional staring.
"Didn't expect you to be a freshie, with that thing nipping at your heels." The elf pointed at the Stalker. "They're not exactly common, let alone for freshies."
"Right, I got a bit lucky, or unlucky, with him, depending on how you view the situat-" Cooper stopped mid-sentence, he thought he heard something rustling faintly in the woods.
"What is it kid?" Tommy asked, looking around nervously.
"I think something is making noise that way." Cooper pointed at a particularly dark area with lots of plants blocking the view deeper into the forest.
"I don't see anything, are you sure?"
"I am now, I see it. It's small, half my height? I think it has a spear too, or a something long." Cooper said as he tried Examining the creature.
----------------------------------------
Goblin - Level 8 - Tracker
HP ?/? MP ?/?
----------------------------------------
"It's a Goblin, level 8, Tracker. That's as much as I can see" Cooper continued.
"Well, shit. Catch up with the wagons, Tommy and you should warn Reta, a level 8 Tracker means it's at least a mid level goblin warband." The reptile said in response, still not having seen the actual Goblin. Before they could turn around and start heading towards the wagon-box, a spear flew by the elf, who barely managed to dodge it.
"Woah, a feisty one, I think we should hurry up." Tommy said but they were once again interrupted, this time not by a spear, but by several figures appearing from the foliage, jumping over the small ditch, weapons pointed at them.
"Fuck, I don't think we'll be making it to the wagons, there's gotta be at least 8 of them by my count." Tommy cursed.
"Didn't know you could count, Tommy." The reptile joked.
"Hah. Well, fuck it. Only one thing for it." Tommy said as he brandished his greatsword and prepared to charge.