Malcolm swore under his breath after wiping his forehead of sweat for the millionth time. The glaring desert sun didn't take any pity as it continued to slow roast them.
He just wasn't cut out for this type of dry heat. He was beginning to miss his home. Minnesota, a place that was infamous for having the longest winters and the shortest summers, and when it was hot in the summer, they had serious humidity.
Sweet swamp ass inducing humidity. That, he could survive in, but this thin hot dryness on the other hand felt like pure torture. With a sigh of relief, he gulped down the remaining contents of his water canteen.
This'll tie me over till we reach our destination. Malcolm thought to himself. I Couldn't be transported to a cooler climate. Damn sand is getting in everywhere! The only reprieve was the Cloak of The Mist-born, it’s properties of the water and ice element kept him somewhat cool. He had clasped it tightly around him to prevent sunburn, especially now since his breastplate was destroyed by the scorpion shish-kabobbing him.
His hand flinched as if brushed against the handle of the hammer that was clasped to his belt. He remembered the conversation he had with Berlung about it being cursed. Though apparently the weapon was only slightly cursed, in the sense that it would serve him faithfully until it deemed him unsuited to touch it. Allegedly the hammer had its own hint of a personality.
"Stories say that the Goddess of the Oceans created a great many weapons over the centuries, she'd use them to fight a great beast then discard them or lose them in the battle." Berlung studied the hammer, then pointed to a small symbol on the side of the handle. It looked like three swirling circles with a cursive T in the middle. "This be her mark. Tedea, the Goddess of the Oceans and Winter. It's what empowers the curse. Though for whatever reason this weapon has decided to allow you to wield it..."
They had all looked to Malcolm then, each trying to search the human for why a Gods weapon would allow him to use it. Malcolm ignored the intrusive stares and asked. "So, what should I do with it?"
The dwarf shrugged nonchalantly. "Well since you're wielding it fine now," Berlung had said. "I suppose it's chosen you, at least for now."
For now. Malcolm scrunched up his face. What kind of shit is that? He really didn't like the vagueness. He could remember many fabled weapons in video games or comics that would be crazy powerful but then crumble to dust or become inert in the hero's greatest time of need. "Maybe I should sell this thing after all..."
"Everyone, halt!" Saria called out from the head cart. "According to the map, we should be standing right in front of our destination."
The group got excited as everyone whipped their heads around in search of this so called "Sanctuary". Excited squeals quickly turned into confused mumbling as everyone turned about and saw nothing in front of them except for sand and a treacherous mountain range.
"Don't tell me it's pass these mountains..." Someone said grudgingly.
Malcolm squinted up at the immense cluster of mountains and audibly gulped, he seriously hoped they didn't have to climb it as well. He made his way towards Saria, Darion and a few others standing in a huddle around an opened map.
He pulled out his own map as he got closer to the group. A large translucent screen unrolled in his vision with the rough details of a physical map. "So, you are sure that we are at our stop?"
Saria nodded. "There's no doubt. We followed the map perfectly, we should be standing right at the mine town unless..."
"Unless," An older man spoke. He had short dark brown hair, a square chin, a large beak like nose, and high long ears. "Lady Lorne has tricked us! Luring us to the middle of nowhere to die! I knew it was a dumb idea to listen to a goddess of death!"
The man's voice sounded like what you'd expect a creaky door to sound like if it could talk. Pretentious and annoying.
Saria shot the man a cold glare. "It's not wise to speak ill of the gods, especially while in their domain!"
"Why do you care?" The man squawked back. "As a life mage, aren't you a follower of Albris, the goddess of life and sky? Have you fallen so out of favor with your peers? One would think as a..."
"Oh, would you shut up Kaslier!" Saria snapped. "I've had quite enough of your constant nagging, the whole way up here you've been..."
Malcolm tuned the arguing elders out as he began to wander off, his eyes had caught something a few feet away. He squinted his eyes at what appeared to be a stick lodged into the sand. Upon closer inspection he found that the stick had strange symbols carved into it.
Gift of Tongues Activated! You have learned: Dorylian!
Then just like that, the squiggles began to make sense.
"Ore... mining... town." Malcolm's eyes widened. "Hey guys! I think I found something over here!"
He looked over his shoulder and groaned as he saw Darion was now acting as referee between Saria and Kaslier. "Can't hear me over the racket their making…"
Shaking his head, he looked out in front of him. There was nothing but flat wavy desert sand, did the mining town get buried by the constant shifting sands?
Just as he was about to make his way back, he noticed that the ground was uneven. Curiosity taking over, he began walking a bit further away. Then abruptly he found himself tilted a full forty-five degrees, he lost his footing and began to tumble down the sudden hill.
Finally flopping to a stop, Malcolm picked himself up. "What the hell!?" He spat out sand. "The ground was flat all around me! I must have fallen into a..." His words faltered as he looked up. "Pitfall?"
Green. A dense forest was now before him. Palm trees with huge dark green leaves, exotic looking flowers in a wild assortment of colors, and grass so thick it was like a shag carpet. There were so many vibrant colors from the trees and flowers in front of him he had to shield his eyes. He had grown so used to the constant muted yellows from the desert sands, that this sight was nearly blinding.
"A mirage..." Malcolm said to himself. "It has to be a mirage, there's just no way."
Hesitantly he reached out to one of the flowers and felt its thick leaves. It was real. Then, without hesitation he kicked off his boots and jumped into the thick green grass. He cooed in near ecstasy as the cool grass caressed his aching feet.
"Not a mirage," He said out loud. "But an oasis!" Stretching out in the grass, he reached out and plucked a flower from the ground.
You have learned Herbology level 1!
Info: Herbology is the study of plants and use of botany intended for supportive or offensive purposes. Increase this skill to learn more about which plant does what, and to bring out its full potential.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
"Oh sweet!" He sniffed the flower and sighed. "Smells like lavender."
You have found: Azul Flower!
Info: A bright blue plant, has a sweet smell. Can be used to mix certain potions and concoctions. Weight: 0.1. Value: 5 Copper. Rarity: Common.
Reluctantly he stood up and tugged his boots back onto his feet. He had to get back to the others and tell them about his discovery. Once he climbed the steep hill and walked a few feet away, he turned back and was amazed by how the heat wave distortion made it seem like the sand continued forever. The illusion perfectly covered the entire oasis, it was surreal.
Malcolm looked straight down to where he knew the hill was that lead to the oasis, all he could see was the weird wavy distortion. "Amazing..."
When he finally made it back to his group, he was only slightly relieved that Saria and Kaslier weren't fight anymore. Instead everyone was just plodding about or sitting with expressions of defeat on their faces.
Darion perked up and came to him. "Where have you been? Look, we've talked it over and decided we should start heading to Azmar's Bay while we still have enough supplies..."
Malcolm held up a hand to stop Darion from talking. He then turned to address the rest of the group. "Everyone!" He shouted. "I'm sorry to say that our coordinates were just a tab bit off."
The crowd grumbled in annoyance, to which Malcolm smiled. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to our correct stopping point. Come along!" He then turned away from them and began to walk off.
"What are you talking about?" Saria said as she walked beside him. "There's nothing around us for miles!"
"Do you trust me?" Malcolm glanced at her.
Saria let out an exasperated sigh. "Not entirely."
"Good enough," Malcolm smirked, then looked over his shoulder to the group behind him. "Come on guys, just a bit further!"
Finally, they reached the pole in the sand and Malcolm raised a hand to halt everyone.
"Here it is everyone! This is where we'll start our new lives and be able to live freely! This is where we'll thrive!" He thrusted his arms wide in a grandiose fashion, a wide smile on his lips.
The crowd looked around them and saw nothing but empty desert and a weird stick jutting out of the sand with nearly unintelligible symbols scratched into it.
"Oh gods," Darion began. "He's completely lost it..."
"Heat madness," Saria nodded, the frown on her lips deepening. "The desert sun must have cooked his brain like a boiled egg."
"I'm not crazy!" Malcolm jabbed his finger downward. "Our sanctuary is down there."
It took nearly a full ten minutes to get the group to believe him that the sand they were seeing was an illusion. Only after seeing him storm off and dissolve into the ground as if it wasn't there did they begin to follow him.
They were hesitant at first but once they saw the incredibly lust forest and thick grass, the eruption of cheers was nearly deafening. And they lost their bearing as they inhaled the sweet scents of the flowers, flopped into the soft grass, and wiping away tears of joy.
"The Ever-Forest?" Darion said numbly as he plucked an Azul Flower. "No, can't be. The Ever-Forest is at least hundreds of miles north of here-this is a..."
"An oasis." Saria finished his thought. Her grey eyes wide with astonishment. "An oasis in the Withering Waste, I thought they were myths. Oh, look!” She pointed to stone ceiling far above them. “T-there must’ve been a protective shell within illusion spell, the desert shifting all around the outer shell created a perfect camouflage, in so it made the perfect climate for a natural biodome. The power to keep such a spell functioning after so long…"
“Is there a chance it could all come crashing down upon us?” Kaslier said in awe.
Saria shrugged. “I doubt it. It’s held for this long hasn’t it? Not to mention it had to take countless centuries just for the oasis atmosphere to take hold. It’s beyond a miracle,” She then glance to Malcolm who was ignorant to her stare as he jested with Darion. “I think it’s intentional.”
They all took a moment then to rest and enjoy the wondrous oasis. The heat was far less oppressive down here as well, it was still hot, but the wind carried a nice chill with it. And the scent of something far sweeter than the numerous flowers, fresh water.
After recuperating, Malcolm wrangled both Saria and Darion and began to journey deeper into the forest. Saria questioned Malcolm about what else he had discovered.
"No much else, I found the entrance then turned back." Malcolm grunted as he shoved a branch to the side as he continued forward. The trees of this forest were so familiar, they looked like elms, oaks, and pines but were just a bit off. Either the leaves were too big or oddly shaped, or just wrong.
Malcolm cocked a brow when he noticed a birch tree with vibrant blue maple leaves. Was this fantasy realm created by Dr. Seuss?
"The trees and flowers are beginning to look more wilted now, we must be getting closer to something." Saria said as she examined a leaf in her hand. "Keep your guards up. I’m beginning to sense a disturbance."
"What's this?" Darion gestured to a stick of wood with a sign nailed into it. "Can't read a word it says." He scrunched up his face as he scanned the sign.
Malcolm looked over the elf's shoulder and grin. "It says, Welcome to Mine Town #46."
“How can you possibly read that?” Darion squinted at Malcolm. “It’s complete gibberish!”
He just smiled in reply as he pushed pass a thick bramble of bushes, then nearly tripped over himself as he glanced down at a long-abandoned town. From on top of the hill Malcolm could see that the town was of considerable size and had an octagon-like shape due to the way the buildings were placed. The largest building, which Malcolm guessed was the townhall, was backed by a lake which glistened wondrously thanks to the sun. The small town was perfectly nestled between the mountains, the lake, and lush forest.
Despite all that the place was in total ruins. The buildings were either slouched and crooked due to rot or completely overtaken by decaying vines from the forest. But that wasn't what made them stop moving forward, what made them stop were the shambling figures moving about the decaying buildings and huts.
"By the Gods!" Darion gasps. "The whole town is overrun with undead."
Malcolm nodded numbly. "This is the place," He placed his hand on his gut. "This is the spot Lorne wanted me to find, I can feel it." Ever since he had stumbled down in the oasis, a strange tugging sensation bloomed within him. Now it was pulsating so intensely that there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that this was the location Lorne had marked on his map.
Both Saria and Darion gave him a look, then glanced back at the skeletal beings clattering around the small town. Saria held up a hand to shush them, she scanned the town below them and nodded.
"Don't be intimidated. They are very low level undead, just meager skeletons." She pointed out. "If we go at it smart, we could clear out the town before nightfall. They get stronger in the night, so I suggest we head back and get some volunteers to help and handle it swiftly."
"But there's over thirty of them..." Darion began to protest.
"As a life mage, my spells are very effective against undead. As long as we stick close to each other it'll be fine."
After some more discussion, they started their way back to the rest of the group. Malcolm informed the group of their findings and then asked for two volunteers. Saria had suggested that all they needed was a full party to clear out the not so abandoned mine town.
To his surprise, Kaslier, the old grumpy wood elf stepped forward. The old elf announced himself to be a fire mage and brandished a wisp of flame as proof.
"Though I am low level, I can be quite effective to undead. Fire is one of their weaknesses I believe." Kaslier squawked as he tugged at his greying moustache. "I felt rather useless during the scorpion fight, so please allow me to aid you now."
The scorpions had been immune to fire attacks, which forced the old mage to sit on the sidelines. Malcolm was glad to see that the elf was more inclined to help. Further to Malcolm's surprise the next volunteer was Berlung who announced his class as a rogue, the dwarf spun a pair of steel daggers with impeccable dexterity then sheathed them to their nearly invisible holders on his side.
Officially forming the party was strange to Malcolm. Thankfully Darion walked him through the process. All he had to do was say aloud that he wanted to form a "Light Party." and then will his invites to Saria, Darion, Berlung, and Kaslier.
Apparently, a Light Party was the most common, a group of two to five people. Then from there it went to Full Party, which was a group of six to eight and usually used for dungeon explorations. And finally, there were Raid Parties, which were strictly used for war tactics and were a group of nine to twelve people.
Light Party Formed! As Party Leader new options have been made available to you.
After forming the party, Malcolm gasped as he saw small translucent boxes with his party's information in them. He could easily see their health, mana, and stamina bars.
"This is amazing!" Malcolm chuckled as he adjusted the boxes to his liking, setting them just to the edge of his vision so they wouldn't interfere while he was in a fight.
Malcolm had wanted to grab more volunteers to at least form a full party but had reconsidered after Darion pointed out that they’d be leaving a good chunk of the group unarmed and defenseless in the middle of the forest. So before heading off to the undead infested mine town, Malcolm set up a few of his most armored members of the group staying behind to set up a perimeter.
Who knew what else could be lurking in the forest, better safe than sorry.
"You guys ready to bash some heads in?" He gripped the handle of his warhammer, feeling the coolness caress up his arm. "Let's go clear out our new home!"