After several more hours of walking behind the group cowed and cajoled by Carmella, they stopped for the night as the sun faded from the horizon.
The bound brigands went without dinner, for the obvious reasons of punishment and because their captors had far too little to spare for all of them anyway. They didn’t even get to sit by the fire that was constructed after the guards scythed away a fair section of grass with their swords, and were simply left to bemoan their hunger and the cold while tied to the lone tree that crowned the largest nearby hillock.
A lot of people from the old Earth would think such treatment harsh, and I would’ve agreed. But if you think about it, the brigands have screwed over and even killed numerous others, so one night without food or shelter on the hard ground isn’t really much by way of punishment. After all, they could’ve been executed.
Anyway, I got the distinct impression that Carmella and the guards didn’t want me anywhere near their little shindig. Which is funny considering Calden, and for some reason, the older ranger dude were both giving me the exact opposite feeling.
Regardless, it’s not like I know any of them super well or anything or owe them any favors, so I decided to not push my luck any further and instead set up shop about halfway between the brigands and Calden’s group.
I didn’t need a fire since I had plenty of jerky to munch courtesy of old Craig and my friends in Kormath, so instead I used Witness to create a sort of nest–mattress–blanket combo out of the extra tall grass, and settled in for the night while looking up at the glittering stars, and the familiar anomaly that overlapped the rising moon.
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this has got to be the most comfortable bed I’ve had in this new world.
Soft bluish light chased away the last of the sun’s orange halo, and the temperature dropped by at least a few degrees, not that I was bothered with my woven blanket wrapped snugly around me.
I listened to the various insects of this world chirp and buzz away, partly paranoid that they might try to munch on me given my current positioning, but despite my fears, my expanded awareness informed me that they were keeping a respectful distance from me.
“Ohhh! Get off me you blasted bugs! What did I ever do to deserve this?!”
“Pfft.”
Carmella’s shriek had me literally rolling. I mean come on! I was just worried about that same thing and then she goes and freaks because they’re targeting her instead! That’s hilarious!
I managed to keep my snickers relatively quiet, to the point that I don’t think anyone but the brigands noticed, and that’s only thanks to their hilltop advantage and the bright moonlight.
But more importantly, what’s up with the bugs? Why are they staying away? I don’t have an insect repellent spell or ability do I?
I half expected Uriel to buzz and give me the answer, but instead the system’s ever serene voice spoke.
I stopped, wide eyed. The heck’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying animals don’t have free will? Obviously people do, but what about monsters?
I opened my mouth, and then abruptly closed it again.
This… .
This is big! But…
Where did the monsters come from then? And why don’t animals have free will? They totally do whatever they want, and even react accordingly when people mess with them, so what gives?
Silence was my only answer.
“Ughk. I should’ve known I wouldn’t get anything else.” I huffed and rolled over onto my side, determined not to let the system’s smug silence bother me. “I should turn in anyway, oh! But first.”
I narrowed my extensive focus down to the top of the hill, and thought. Paralyze. A few stifled grunts and yelps of surprise came in response as the brigands were rendered motionless thanks to the lightning spell I just thought up, and I ignored the sigh of irritation from Carmella as I allowed sleep to approach.
I mean come on. Who wants to deal with them trying to escape? I know I don’t, and besides, tasing them again would’ve been inhumane, they’re already tied up!
#
I awoke from my usual dreams with the rising sun the next day, and stretched away any lingering drowsiness in the fresh slightly warmer breeze that accompanied the brightening sky.
I glanced behind me while I did so, and thankfully, all the brigands were there, still tied up, but no longer paralyzed. They directed some pretty stinky glares my way, and I mean ones even more sour than the ones I got yesterday for my part in their current predicament.
And here I was starting to worry that some beast or another might’ve snuck up and eaten them during the night. Though, if I’m being honest that would’ve been my fault since I totally only just thought about it right this second. I finished my stretches with a shrug. Oh well! Nothing happened so whatever!
With that, I cast a glance over at the other camp. Carmalla was, of course, just as grouchy as ever, while the older ranger looked tired from his shift as night watch, same with the two guards. Ysdra and Calden on the other hand looked to actually be in pretty good spirits, all in all, as they were both up, alert, and getting ready what they could to get back on the road… Cause y'know, the adults wouldn’t be caught dead letting them do much other than handle their own personal effects.
But I guess that's what a combo of pedigree and youth will do for you. Not that I consider them pampered or anything given how they’ve been roughing it out of desperation for the last few nights, if not longer.
It didn’t take long for them to scarf down what little jerky they had left for breakfast, okay, it took them a little longer since I was slipping the kids some of mine through the grass with Witness so that they wouldn’t be too hungry and could also share it on my behalf–as the adults wouldn’t take spit form me unless they had to.
But with all that aside we were off into another beautiful day before the sun had even fully risen, and it was only about a couple hours before I could spot what looked like a large fortified town off in the distance.
Its walls were thick and made of a mix of gray and brown stone with no real rhyme or reason to the order in which they were cobbled together, but still wound up making a rather complementary contrast all the way up to the top of the what had to be forty foot structure.
A lone gate sat sternly in front of us, the iron teeth of the portcullis open wide to slowly swallow the short line of people and wagons waiting in single file to get into the settlement. And though there was no sight of any other entrances, the other dirt roads I spotted meandering through the hills in the distance suggested that there were at least two more to be found elsewhere.
Beyond the walls I could see an eclectic assortment of houses, warehouses, and what I assumed were shops, scattered haphazardly throughout the space the walls enclosed. They were of solid design, wood, stone, and plaster, no glass on the windows, at least not that I could tell from this distance, and had puffs of white smoke drifting lazily from the brick chimneys; denoting that wood was their primary fuel.
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That. Why the heck do I know that? Was I a lumberjack or sumthin’?
Anyway, there were also several, considerably shoddier, homes outside the walls. Made mostly of stacked stones and mud, with piles of thatch for their roofs, they reminded me a bit of Kormath, but likely belonged to the local farmers rather than hunters, since there were quite a few plowed fields in the area nearby.
They’re much smaller than the farm fields I’m used to seeing. Though that’s likely due to the fact that there isn’t any industrial equipment and they have to rely on beasts of burden or something.
The last thing of interest was the tall stone tower at the center of town. Like the walls it was made of an assortment of different colored stones, and was fairly fat for a tower being around one hundred and forty or so feet in diameter, and to my surprise a little over twice as tall as the walls. There weren’t any giant flaming eyeballs either, so all in all, it seemed a pretty normal construction aside from the height.
Our fairly large group made its way down the hill we were currently on, and passed through several valleys until we neared the gates of what had to be Ariadholme. The smell of manure got stronger the closer we got to the farms and pretty soon we were in the shadow of the now fairly imposing wall.
From here the senseless chatter of those waiting to be let in mixed with the hustle and bustle of the goings on inside town. Cart wheels clattered, hooves clopped, and many a boot clicked against the cobbled main street in front of us. So the roads outside of town are dirt, but the main one in town isn’t. Kinda looks like all the rest that branch off of it are dirt too, so this place must be fun when it rains.
For a second, I thought we were going to wait in line like the rest, but before we could join the back of the queue, several guards came out of the gatehouse to greet us. It might’ve been due to the obviously tied up brigands, or because one of the guards beckoned, or both, but the guys who approached looked pretty tense for people who spend the day checking in others.
The most ‘elaborately’ dressed gate guard, differentiated only by the fact that his small helmet was adorned with a colorful plume, tapped the butt of his spear on the ground and said. “Alright, what’s all this then?”
Carmella just rolled her eyes and withdrew some sort of pendant from her sleeve. It was gold, and had a crest that looked like a tiger’s paw with two crossed swords behind it. It also had a few minor enchantments on it that Uriel identified as a sort of user authenticator, tracker, and ward against wear and tear, but was otherwise just a bauble.
It didn’t impress me much, but one look was enough to turn the guard pale, and before he could bow and scrape, she said. “Take these degenerates and lock them up in your most secure dungeon, and tell Baronette Barigg that Lord Calden has returned.”
He nodded several times, motioned to his men to receive and cart off the tied up troublemakers, and gestured for Calden and company to follow. I once again got the feeling that Carmella was beyond irritated that I was still tailing them and not waiting in line, but I didn’t care much, and passed by the line and on through the gate with no one to stop me. Hey, it’s not like I’m gonna keep pestering them, I’ve got better things to do!
I stopped a few feet into town and took another look around. Most of the buildings were no more than two stories, if even that, and the only real differentiation they had from one another was the occasional sign that denoted the name of whatever business happened to be operating there.
Several townsfolk passed me by without a word or nod, though I did get the occasional glance that more often than not turned into a double take and then a stare as they wandered off in the direction they had been originally headed.
Kinda glum here, though I’m not sure what I expected from a medieval society, magical or not. And talk about rude! I get that my appearance is… unique, since Ysdra and the others all made conflicting reports on what they saw, but come on! They don’t have to gawk like I’m some long dead relative or something!
Beyond that, there was also a difference in the people’s appearance. Those with untattered and even slightly colorful or patterned clothes stayed on the main road, while those who wore simple tan, ragged, or plain garments remained in the shadows of the side streets, only daring to step onto the main road when they needed to enter one of the shops.
It also looks like most of the people in the side streets have feet wraps instead of shoes. I guess I should be glad that Kormath had a cobbler, and careful that I don’t get robbed.
I guess Calden noticed that I had stopped following them because he stopped and came back to me, which in turn halted the nervous guard, and the rest of his entourage.
In his usual timid manner he partly drew back his hood and peered up at me like the lost child he sorta was. “U–um, great one? Is there something wrong?”
“Huh?” I glanced around but sensed nothing strange or dangerous. “Nope, I just figured I’d let you all go on from here. I’ve got things to do, and places to see after all.”
The light left his eyes and he started to slouch, but caught himself and quickly recovered. “I understand. It’d be selfish to monopolize your blessings, so thank you for all you’ve done for us, and please don’t hesitate to call on me if there is anything I can do to repay you.”
I brushed aside one of his curly brown locks, and smiled. “I didn’t save you so that you could be in my debt. But if you want to do something for me…”
Crap! Come on! Say something inspirational!
“Then take the light I’ve given you and let it shine for all to see. That way, those around you who are lost in the dark can find their way home, and kindle a light of their own.”
He trembled, and I watched his face contort into the ‘I really don’t want to cry right now’ expression that everyone’s made at least once in their lives, before Carmella yanked him back, and pressed in close.
To my surprise she did not, in fact, look even slightly relieved to hear that I’d be leaving. Rather she appeared to be worried, and deeply so. In a hushed voice she snapped. “What exactly are you planning to do here?”
My eyebrows shot up. “Me? I was planning to take a look around, maybe buy a map, find some lodging, buy provisions, look for artifacts. You know. Standard stuff.”
For whatever reason her mouth opened but no sound came out. She closed it and tried again, but wound up with the same result so I just smiled, patted her pale cheek and said. “Take care now, dear.” and waltzed off down one of the wider side streets that happened to be filled with street stalls.
With that behind me, I set Uriel and my enhanced senses onto the task of finding a map. I focused most on weaving through the mid day crowd of shoppers out to secure lunch, and saved a fair bit of time by ignoring any and every food stall and restaurant that I came across.
I don’t need to eat after all, and the nicer establishments seem pretty expensive given my current funds, so I’ll pass on the whole idea for now.
I made a lap of the city’s back roads and side streets, using my hood to avoid all the stares I got on arrival, and found that the town was primarily made of private residences along the outer walls, with all businesses being located as close to the main road as they could get. For the most part, the construction was all uniform, save for the far western region which looked older and more run down than the rest, with the poorest looking people dwelling there.
Public order was pretty good, as there were only a few disorderly drunks loitering in or around the local taverns, and guards made intermittent patrols along the bigger streets to avoid any funny business. On the topic of funny business, only two pickpockets tried to target me, both on one of the darker and more narrow streets using the ‘oh I accidentally bumped into you’ tactic, but wound up regretting it when I replied with the ‘oh, I accidentally tased you’ method of getting my money back.
I of course checked their statuses, but since they were both poor and trying to provide for their families I wound up healing them, and asking them questions about town in exchange for me buying them some bread, which is how I learned that there are no maps available to the general public.
Seriously! Not a one to be found anywhere! I grumped down another side street to avoid a crowd, and stopped, too annoyed to go any further. I guess it makes sense. Knowledge is power, and knowing the terrain and location of settlements is a dangerous thing to circulate during this time period. Heck! Standardized, accurate, maps probably won’t be available until satellite imaging becomes a thing again… So much for that idea.
My only consolation prize came in the form of the mental mapping ability that I had picked up when I left Kormath. It had recorded everywhere I had been and everything I’d seen in rather shocking detail, and if I focused I could do a sorta first person view of everywhere I’d been, all in my own head!
And that’s when I noticed something shiny at my feet.
Naturally, I picked it up, scrubbed the muck and dirt off of it, and gave it a once over. No larger than a quarter, the coin had the visage of a single eye on one side, and was blank and almost reflective on the other. It appeared to be some sorta bronze, but was otherwise unremarkable.
That was until Uriel buzzed.
Coin:
Name: Elthead's Eldritch Eye
Power: 0
Mana: 650
Durability: 1000
Traits:
Far sight; Scrying; Clairvoiance; Clairaudience; Revelation; Danger detection; Concealment
“Huh.” I turned the thing over in my palm a few times. “Wadda I do with it? Keep it? Sell it? Gift it to Calden? Ysdra? Toss it in a well and make a wish?”
#
“Carmella! Let’s go!” Julius shook her back to her senses, and the pair watched the hooded figure of the mysterious Anon melt into the crowd. “What’s gotten you so shaken anyway? What did they say?”
“I–I.” She smacked her cheeks, and took a deep breath and whispered. “That… being, just implied that there’s an artifact here in Ariadholme. I hate the idea of competing with them, let alone begging for their aid after how much we already owe, but how can we let something so precious pass us by? I think we’ll need all the power we can get if we’re to return the young lord safely.”