Ione quickly grabbed her things and ran like her life depended on it. While she had no issues leaving the orphanage, she could tell there was a ruckus happening on the floors below her when she had used [Spatial Awareness]. Nuns accosted the courier as he made his way downstairs, she assumed, to get letters from nuns to inform those of Golden Heights of her misdeeds.
Despite the need to run, and run fast, she savored the taste of freedom on her tongue. The night coated her with a blanket of cool ease, and with quick legs and a quicker mind, she vaulted high over the trees to her hearts content.
While she made her way to the abandoned dungeon area, passing lively towns and villages, she considered Fellis’ words. The red-head wasn't exactly the most knowledgeable when it came to Ione and it showed heavily in their conversations. Ione thought she should have told her sister more about her life, but at the moment, all she cared about was getting stronger. Fellis could wait.
However, she did find it absurd how much the girl clung to her relationship with her, despite the knowledge she did have. Was Fellis desperately clinging to her because of how powerful she was? Ione shook her head, she'd have to wait and see if it was a pattern of behavior when they meet again. The white-haired girl suddenly wasn't sure if the talk Fellis all but forced on her was a means to assuage her own guilt for wanting to associate with her, or if it came from a place of genuine care. Was she bluffing when she threatened to end their relationship? Ione wasn't sure. If she used her skills, she probably would know the answer.
Ione tried not to use her skills on those she cared about, including ones she'd used to figure out if people were lying, like [Predator Sense], but, the more Ione thought about it, the more she realized how Fellis didn't hold those standards. Her sister had been completely willing to use an intuition skill, and didn't ask to confirm anything, or make sure that she was okay.
It should have gone without saying, but Ione was damaged. Mentally. She had endured so much before Terrestria, through no fault of her own, and then she was born into a world that hated her very existence right out of the womb, and even in. Fellis should have been aware of that and Ione couldn't tell if it was because she was a volatile 15 year old mainly focused on herself, or if she was harboring some darker thoughts towards the taller girl. However, those aren't mutually exclusive either, so Ione was left to wonder if Fellis really was the same girl she had grown up with.
Well, Fellis admitted she had some ulterior motives when she approached Ione, and even now, refused to leave her side. What's to say the girl still didn't have ulterior motives when giving her that talk?
If Ione thought anymore about it, she would go down a hole of paranoia, so she stopped. She would know, eventually, if Fellis truly wished the best for her and for Terrestria.
Her mind pivoted to the courier. She did not want to deal with him anytime soon. She had his seal on her hand, and she could take it off whenever she wanted, but she was more so riled up about the money. Ione didn't want to have to deal with any begging and pleading, and the best way she thought she could get him off her ass as soon as possible was to throw money at him. He certainly didn't complain and it seemed to endear him to her. Yet, now she knew that he went to Belan's office with the aim of ferreting out the dead woman’s yora stash anyways. She begrudgingly gave an ounce of respect, he had put on a good facade, one she wasn't able to see through, and silently congratulated him.
He probably swindled Belan out of her money too.
She snorted at the thought. If he truly was the money fiend she suspected he was, then they would have a fantastic relationship. Though, there had to be surety that he wouldn't betray her because someone flashed more money than she did in his face.
So, in her swirling thoughts about the seal, Ione knew she was going to have to prepare herself for an ambush the first time she called for him, maybe the second, and possibly the third. Her heart raced in excitement. If he did betray her, he would just feed her growing power, and if he didn’t, then he would become a spectator of her journey and run her letters, not just to Coranne and Fellis, but to those who she connected with as well.
Connections were powerful, and Ione knew that. To know people, who knew other people, and who knew more powerful people. While she could kill LVL 25-ers with barely an effort, and a healer over LVL 100, she couldn’t be a leader of a country. She ached to explore and find new things, new places, and see new sights and she needed to have people she trusted, so that she could put them in power when the time was right, and then fuck off.
While she had a plan, she still felt aimless. Her quests were a good place to start, but a lot of them required her to get stronger than she was right now. So she hoped that the Treller politely left her alone, and allowed her to go dungeoneering in their domain.
Despite her speed, the trek was long.
How big is this fucking Valley? She could see the walls in the distance, and it didn’t scream a valley to her, but more like a gouge deep in the earth. Her brows furrowed, she wouldn't know for sure, but she hoped she would be able to have an aerial view of Whisperwind, just to really see it.
It had taken about 40 minutes of diligent running, and her stamina was at around a quarter, but she eventually made it to the wall that kept the Treller and accompanying monsters within. It was surprisingly tall, and made with metal. It appeared to be continuously reinforced due to black scorch marks that showed additional metal welded onto the original. For the first time, she had spotted soldiers of the army. Their uniforms were interesting, metal mixed with dark green fabric, and each carried something different; a sword, a crossbow, a glaive. People, who were less armored, carried a book, and others carried nothing at all. Those were the people she was leery about, as it was obvious they were mages of some kind. It was confirmed when she had inspected them from deep within the bushes.
[Rokthar Gol- Flame of Gostra] - LVL 187
[Patry Hule- Piercing Icicle] - LVL 196
Sheesh.
She needed to avoid an all out fight. That meant - as she ran 100 meters in the opposite direction - that she would need to - she started running towards the wall - jump as high as she could - with powerful legs, she soared high above - and run up the wall - with haste, she did so.
The motion was executed perfectly, albeit, not as quietly as it should have been, and the protesting voices along with fireballs and a myriad of other elemental attacks flung at her were indication of her known presence.
She laughed as she ran away and hopped over the wall, while the wall was there to keep the beasts in, it also served to keep the soldiers out and when she emerged, she hoped to be a much stronger version of herself.
This area was markedly different from the landscape she grew up in, akin to a densely forested swamp, the air was even more humid, and pockets of water littered the ground. The trees were darker and mangled, with their leaves hanging limply towards the dirt.
Forest of Wind? More like Forest of Fuck Around and Find Out.
As it was nighttime, it made the scenery all the more creepy. It felt like she shouldn't be there. Yet she pressed on, using [Stealth]. She wasn't exactly enthused about the situation, she had very little option for leveling up besides the dungeons in the Forest of Wind, or escaping whisperwind which was a no go at the moment. Her name was also broadcasted above her head, and if people lived under a rock, they would know exactly who she was, which meant the soldiers most likely knew who she was.
There would be an entourage waiting for her once she left. She wasn’t sure how fast her growth would be, she had to figure out the calculation for her class, but she was confident she could either escape with her life, or slink away quietly.
Back to the matter at hand, she wanted to find the dungeons. There were a few here, she was told, and she suspected that they would be for differing levels. While she was LVL 7 at the moment, she killed those in the church easily enough.
She walked through the forest, keeping watch for beasts, and it only took about 10 seconds of sneaking before she registered a beast from [Spatial Awareness]. It appeared still, and was laying down, before she realized that it was sleeping.
Awwww, that’s so cute.
The urge to sneak up on it to see it up close and attempt to pet it was strong, but not strong enough to kill herself. That would be a monumentally stupid decision, so she decided to avoid it, crawling far behind the creature and safely getting it out of her range. Before she ended up coming across another beast.
Jesus fucking Christ! They weren’t kidding when they said the place was infested.
Ione methodically crawled around the sleeping creatures, their snores were a comfort in that they wouldn’t try to tear her limb from limb. It took about 9 hours of sneaking before she wanted to give up. The dungeons were apparently very hard to find and she cursed her lack of knowledge.
As she was sneaking past a sleeping beast, their outline more visible as the sun started to rise, it woke up with a grunt and stretched its stout body.
Ione’s heart fell into Harold.
Shit!
With as much speed as she could muster, she climbed up into a tree. Just so, it turned around to inspect its hind quarters, noseying its butt and Ione took the opportunity to look at its level.
If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
[Treller’s Beast] - LVL 154
She found it interesting how the class title wasn’t shown, and suspected it was due to it being a lower cognitive creature, rather than a being that had classes to choose from. It was born as the Treller’s Beast, and that’s all it would be. In a way, she felt sad for its existence, but quickly overcame that thought as it locked eyes on her and her [Prey sense] blared.
Double shit!
It made some sort of weird noise, a call, or maybe a warning, and that’s when she heard it. A stampede of thundering steps that made their way towards her. It wasn’t long before she was surrounded.
They were fast.
She tried to reason with them, hoping that they had some sort of higher cognitive function, “Uhhh, I’m really sorry for being here but I’m kinda on the run, and I’m looking for the dungeons.” She kept her voice soft and level, “I don’t want to fight you guys, and I don’t really want to die. I’m not asking for much, just my life.” She held her hands out, palms up. Placating.
One of the beasts snorted, and then, as if parting like the red sea, the beasts moved to form two perfect halves and a being trudged through, its steps heavy with power. Taller than Ione, and just like it was described by Amahn, it had vines and twigs intertwined to create long and humanoid limbs, yet unlike the teachers description, its face was of white porcelain, like a mask, that extended to a point to touch the ground, with two small black eye holes that pierced her to the spot.
[Treller- Guardian of the Forest] - LVL 288
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Ione G’alatria?” A smooth voice rumbled from the creature, almost British in lilt.
Huh?
The voice made her want to laugh, but fear swallowed it. “I told your…creatures that I bear them no ill will. I don't want to hurt them, nor them hurt me. Actually, I don't think I'd be able to hurt them at all and more like they'd just tear me to pieces and…” Ione was rambling. Maybe if she amused the creature enough it'd let her go with a light tap on the wrist. Although she couldn't be sure if the tap would result in a broken arm. She kept her voice steady even though she was shitting her pants, knowing that this being had all the power to crush her. “Sorry, I just needed to get away from being chased. I killed my jailer and she was pretty well known, so now I'm on the run and I'm trying to get stronger.”
The Treller nodded in understanding. It's eye holes bored into hers and she felt a root twist around her ankle. She gave a tentative jerk and it held strong. While she could use [Escape], she didn't want to draw the Treller's ire.
“You are an Elf.” It stated.
Ione nodded. “I am, and half human.” It bristled, but she kept going. “Even though I'm also human, other humans hate me, for the most part. They only see the elf. I was put under contract to serve the human kingdom, but I was able to escape.” She rambled.
“What are your goals?” It asked.
“Um, do you mean for Whisperwind, or for myself?”
“All.” It said, with a tone of finality.
Ione acquiesced.“Well, for Whisperwind I want to end the war between elves and humans. I think there's potential for humanity, but there's too much mind control right now. The leadership is corrupt and I will kill all of those who have had their crummy toes dipped into power for the sake of power. I want to figure out what really caused the war, because I know what they told me was a lie, or some loose version of the truth.” She took a deep breath. The beasts stood unnaturally still. “ For myself, I want to explore. This world has much to offer and I want to experience it in its entirety. I also want to grow stronger, stronger than anyone has ever known before. I want to ascend and I want to figure out why this system exists and I want to kill a god. Maybe a few if I can figure out why the world will renew in 300 years.” Her gaze focused on the Treller, and hoped that that was enough.
It's pointed chin ducked to the ground. “You are holding something back.”
“I uh, about what?”
It was silent. She knew what it was doing, using silence to force her to speak, to fill the void the lack of sound made. A strategy she rarely employed, but seeing how ominous this beings presence was, she vowed to use it more in the future.
If she had a future. She felt the vine coil tighter around her leg, and she slowly strengthened the limb with stone. Just in case.
She had to be truthful. “I also…have a desire to kill. No innocents. Only those I deem are evil. And not just people. I want to kill to become stronger. The promise of bloodshed excites me, and I don't know why. I think it's from a past life, or maybe even a part of my personality that laid dormant until I came to this world, but now it's here.”
The Treller tilted it's head.
“Tell me of your past lives.”
“Are you sure? It's going to take a very lo-”
It interrupted her. “I have all the time I need. Tell me.” It sat down, limbs curling around itself until it was a coiled mass with a mask resting on top.
She shrugged. Then the words flowed out of her.
It was an attempt to relay in chronological order, one she barely succeeded at, but the Treller was a great listener. Ione, with her burgeoning tendency to ramble, seemed to hold the Trellers attention.
It was therapeutic, in a sense. Even if she was held hostage. She thanked her resistances to eating, sleeping and drinking as day turned to night, then night to day, then back to night and then back to day again. Her mind relived the memories just as her mouth spoke them, and she couldn't recall the last time anyone had ever granted her their time to listen like this. Gave her their full unbroken attention.
Her vocal chords hurt, but once she started, she couldn't stop. The Treller, ever patient and listening intently, didn't interrupt her, not once.
There had been a moment where the beasts left and she heard the sound of snarling and flesh ripping, just out of [Spatial Awareness].
She paused. “Um, what's go-”
“Nothing of importance. Please, continue.”
So she did. Ione eventually finished, she had recounted all of her lives, including the deaths, interesting things she had experienced, and her concluding thoughts on each one.
The Treller uncoiled itself and stood up. The root around her leg fell away and she stared expectantly, waiting to see what the Treller would say next when a little being, about as high as her knee, came scrambling out of the brush. It had no distinguishing features because it looked just like a small walking hill. A body covered in leaves that sprouted seemingly at the top of its head, with little green arms and feet that only just protruded from its rotund shape.
[Spewn- Servant of Roots] - LVL 257
“Master I've come back! I finis-” It then saw her. “Intruder! Intruder! Kill it master!” It pointed its finger at her. The Treller made no move to do such a thing and the creature laughed. “Of course, Master! I shall kill it!”
Master- servant relationship. The Treller might get upset if I attempt to kill it, so go on the defensive only.
With a speed that Ione wasn't expecting, the being hurtled itself at her location and she quickly covered her body in a thin layer of stone as she braced for impact. Before anything could happen, the Treller used a root to swipe at Spewn and gently brought it back down to the ground.
“Spewn, this is not an intruder, but a guest. Show your respect.” It said in a gentle tone.
“That is a human!” Spewn said defiantly.
“Look closer.” The Treller guided.
It shifted its whole body on the account that it didn't have a neck, and Ione withheld a giggle. It was kinda cute in a weird way. Spewn studied her for all of 3 minutes before it turned back to the Treller.
“Half Elf?”
“Yes. She is allowed free range within my forest. Do not hurt her.”
Spewn didn't seem to like it, but it gave a hesitant nod nonetheless.
The Treller turned to Ione. “You have provided me something I have no had in a long time, so I shall give you your freedom.” It paused, as if waiting for her to grovel, then nodded when she didn't. “I have two conditions.”
Ione nodded. She wasn't sure exactly what she provided, but she was glad she gave it to the elderly monster.
“One: do not hurt my beastlings. I will know if you do. They will not hurt you if you do not hurt them. Two: once you finish with the dungeons, you will come to me. I may have a quest for you.”
She perked up at the idea of a new quest, so she nodded. That was easy enough. ‘Don't kill my pets and come find me after you grow stronger.’ Which already implied that she would probably need to fight something. Giddiness filled her being and she gave a gracious tilt of her head. “Thank you.”
It nodded, then turned to Spewn. “Come, I have need of you.”
“At the ready, Master!” The little guy said.
Just before they were out of earshot, Spewn asked, “why did you let the half-elf stay?”
The Treller paused. For the first time, she heard it give a tired sigh. “She brought me to worlds unknown. For just a brief moment, I was outside of my forest.”
Then, Ione heard nothing. She felt the tell tale stinging.
~~~~~
The Forest of Wind was vast, and Ione was lost. The map she'd swiped from Belan's office unfortunately didn't detail any dungeons, for obvious reasons, but Ione parsed it like it was an archeological find, as if it would hold some secrets.
She wished she knew where the dungeons where, and she thought about asking the Treller for help, but she didn't want to bother it. It had already allowed her to leave with her life, and to live in its domain, so she didn't want to push her luck.
Warily, she approached one of the beasts, but it paid her no mind.
Maybe it would understand?
“Cheerio Treller's beast! I'm looking for the dungeons. Do you happen to know where they are?”
It gave her a lazy look, snorted, and then scampered off.
Rude. I even brought out the British accent.
She climbed up to the top of a tree and looked around.
Trees for days, my favorite.
Her body position faced north, the wall was in the distance to her right, and the left wall of the valley was to her left. She decided to go left.
She jumped off the tree and landed square on her feet. A thought crawled its way into her mind: how high up can I fall? She shuddered. Go away, intrusive thought.
She dusted herself off, turned her body to the left, then nearly screamed as Spewn somehow appeared right in front of her.
Ione cursed herself. She didn't have [Spatial Awareness] on since she felt pretty safe, but in that moment she knew she would never turn it off.
They looked at each other in silence until Ione crouched to get closer to his level.
“What's up?” She tried to extend an olive branch.
“Nothing, puny half-human!” It spat the word ‘human,’ as if it was a curse word.
Ironic. First I'm hated because I'm an elf. Now I'm hated because I'm a human. It never ends.
Though, for some reason, she found the green guy endearing. Was it because it was so cute and little? Perhaps she was infantilizing it too much.
“Well then, why are you here?” She asked in a gentle tone.
It sniffed. “Because my Master told me to be here!”
She smiled and murmured a simple, “okay.” Then went on her merry way, leaving Spewn to its own devices.
Apparently those devices were her.
“He-hey! Where do you think you're going?” With fast feet, it scurried up beside her.
Even though she suspected it knew, she still answered. “I'm trying to find the dungeons.”
“I know where they are!” It proudly exclaimed.
Ione asked, “then, do you mind telling me where?”
It shook its body no.
Lovely.
She kept walking. It followed. Ione stopped to pee and it turned around with a gross scoff.
“Your vile humanness is starting to reek! Can't you hold it in?”
“No,” she said curtly. She thought about taking a shit in front of it, but then decided against that course of action. She had tried to disgust Spewn multiple times, picking her nose, then her ears and sniffing it loudly, but nothing deterred the unfriendly hanger-on.
It was just over an hour when she said, “you do realize that I'm not going to find them anytime soon, and the sooner you help me, the sooner you can be free of me.”
It stood still. Then said something that surprised her. “I know. Master told me you would say something like that, and now I have a proposal of my own.”
Ione nodded.
“I want to fight you!” It burst out. “I want to fight and if we fight then I'll tell you!”
“I'll die.” Ione simply replied.
“I won't kill you.” Spewn assured her. “Master and I would like to test your strength, so don't hold back!” It replied.
Ione was at a large disadvantage.
“Wait!” The girl held out her hands. “Why?”
“My Master has their reasons! I do too, now, get into position.”
She quickly shrugged off her backpack and threw on the Pendant of Gostra. Ione knew this was no longer a proposal, but a requirement.
Settling into a decent fighting stance, she exclaimed, “ready!”
“Go!” It screamed, and then flew at her.