Sara was in fact waiting when Ashi and Kaden stepped through the FarPortal to the Holding. It was past midnight in Verona, and night spawns dotted the landscape. Kaden summoned Trinity from his soul and let her roam. She rushed straight for the Holding boundary, eager for battle.
Sara and Trella stood around a fire built in one of the fields, burning scrolls.
“Kaden! Ashi!” Trella waved. “Come, help out. We found records in Trunistan of some of Mistress Scylla’s work. I bought them. Some of them. I bought one and acquired the others with the services of a [Thief] and we’re celebrating, because the less anyone knows, the better.”
Kaden accepted a scroll and tossed it in the fire. “I thought no one knew anything about what really went down.”
“These were records of purchases. Records of Sara’s shipment. And Sara, of course, has sworn an oath to the system. She literally can’t speak of what the cargo was, only imply it was for a centurion and it was very expensive and she’d really like to run that shipment again.” Trella nodded to Sara.
“All of which are true. How unfortunate that I can’t speak about it.” Sara fed scrolls to the Horror instead of burning them.
Eve held up one. “We shouldn’t burn this. It’s the deed to the house Mistress Scylla purchased. It makes no sense to destroy it.”
“It’s the burned out husk of an ugly house in the low-end merchant quarter of a Crafter city,” Trella answered. “You want to go all Kaden, fine by me. It was useful for one purpose, it’s not my gold, but I have a Quest from Mistress Scylla to destroy records and wasn’t going to turn down free XP.”
Eve stored the deed. “Kaden understands.”
“There’s no business value in it. You’ll spend more restoring it than you’d spend if you hired an assassin to murder someone in a restored house and then bought it.” Sara tossed scrolls in the air two at at a time.
Kaden gave Eve a nod. He really did understand. “When do we head north?”
“At dawn,” Sara answered. “I didn’t need more work but the City was offering a Quest to escort a shipment. At level thirty it’s less a matter of us following them and more of them following us.”
That made sense to Kaden. “I’ll get some sleep, then and be ready at dawn.” Then he stopped, blinking as he stared at the [Shield Tree]. It didn’t quite tower over the farmhouse, but stood a good thirty feet tall, glowing soft pink in the darkness. “What happened?”
“A [Ranger] came looking for you,” Eve said. “He kept lobbing demon corpses at the tree. It absorbed them and broke them down to essence. He said we should have been doing that. And that he’d be in touch about finding some demons.”
There were dozens of things he should be doing.
“I picked up the Inheritance Package like you asked,” Sara said. Kaden had been reluctant to carry more than one at a time. It made him too attractive a target for high level [Thieves]. He knew it belonged to a [Beserker] clan, but not who.
Kaden accepted the package from Sara and unlocked the package.
[Bracers of Xorn]
While wearing the Bracers of Xorn, if you will enter a [Beserker Rage], these bracers will absorb Rage points. Your damage, resistance, and health bonuses will continue to scale with total rage points, but those contained by the Bracers do not count toward your limit. Do not exceed your [Rage] limits!
Not being a Beserker, Kaden knew little about them beyond how their rage grew, and apparently their Class had different mechanisms, a [Rage] attribute that would grow, increasing combat abilities.
The bracers were made of heavy leather and covered in runes burned into the leather. The insides had no padding, the coarse skin would blister quickly if it didn’t fit. Kaden stored them away.
Sleep was more optional than a hard requirement these days, and Kaden stayed with Trella, burning documents until there was nothing left and talking about what they’d do when—not if—they finally found the [Priests] from the Saint’s Hall.
“I have [Huntress] but it’s not high enough. And I’ve hung bounties in ShadowVale for even a scrap of information,” Trella said.
Kaden had approved her taking random pieces of loot. “Metami will call me if she finds them. She won’t promise to keep them around for us to question, but if she says they’re dead, they’re dead.”
“Kaden, did you see the notice?” Sara asked. “Your giant honeybee colony arrived at Verdant Vineyards near sunset. I spoke with their keeper and he says the colony will benefit from settling in. And he sent a jug of honey. It’s odd, a crafting ingredient, re-agent and cooking ingredient all in one.”
“Let me see?” Trella asked. She took the jug Sara produced from Inventory and studied it before handing it to Kaden. “It’s just for making potions less disgusting. If the benefits are good enough, it doesn’t matter how it tastes. Like the attribute potions I’m going to brew. They’re not permanent but they’re valuable.”
Kaden sampled it. “It’s honey. It’s thicker than regular honey but taste-wise, it’s just honey. Ashi? Can you tell if this has mana in it?”
“Minor solar mana,” Ashi said. “Better for eating than magic. Once, there was a [Mage] who bathed in it for a hundred years.”
“And?” Eve asked. “What happened?”
“For thirty six thousand days, she was sticky, and not for pleasant reasons,” Ashi said. “Do not make her mistake. Honey is good for many purposes but not for power.”
Eve gave a genuine smile. “Where I grew up, honey was offered to the goddess at the summer solstice. I would sneak into the temple at night and eat it while I was supposed to be purifying my heart. May I?” She sampled the jug in such a dainty manner. “For a long time after I was marked as a [Transfusionist] I wondered if stealing the sacred honey was the reason. Now I can enjoy this without guilt.”
“That’s a jug. The smallest harvest known was twenty barrels. Eat all you want,” Sara said. “We really should get a few hours sleep. I have a few plants that will be ready to harvest near dawn, and the [Prismatic Frog Colony] is ready as well. It’s all [Aether Frogs], unfortunately.”
“I tamed an [Granite Golemn] and took [Tireless],” Kaden said. “I don’t need to sleep, not like everyone else.”
Trella reached back in the shadows and picked up a black housecat with gleaming yellow eyes. “Are you going to help me, Eclipse? I’m almost jealous. Kaden’s beasts love him. Kaden’s beasts serve him. Trinity’s always there for Kaden.”
Ecllipse began to purr and buried her head in Trella’s arms.
“I don’t have [Tireless],” Trella said. “As much as I know you’d love to stay up all night shooting monsters, I’ll sleep better with you beside me.”
Kaden looked into the darkness. Somewhere out there, Trinity was putting herself through a nightly trial, always seeking the biggest boss she could battle. But his heart was right here. “There’s always more monsters.”
###
Sara woke them a few hours past sunrise. “I have explosive waddlers, strangle vines, and a few other surprises that took longer than I expected since I had to climb out my window to harvest them. I hope everyone slept well, we’ll eat at the harbor. Kaden, Trinity dragged back a monster. Could you please take care of it?”
Kaden found Trinity asleep on the front porch, curled around the head of a centipede with literal swords spiking out of its back every few inches. The body stretched all the way to the Holding gate. “How did you even kill this thing?”
Then he took a closer look. The monster’s head had been smashed.
And Trinity was covered in gouges and slashes. The feeling of satisfaction that radiated off her made him smile.
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“At least you won.” He pulled her into his soul so she could heal and used [Reap Materials] on the centipede. The Centipede’s crafting options were like none he’d seen before.
[Bladed Crawler]
The Bladed Crawler is a fearsome foe, capable of rolling at enemies and spearing, slashing, and mauling them. Prized for the enchanted weapons belts made from their corpses, they have been hunted for ages. Far too often, the hunter becomes the prey, as these beasts create new weapons perfect for slaying their foes.
One look and Kaden made a decision. He wasn’t a crafter, though he did reap materials, and [Field Harvest] was always handy. The monster was too large to fit in Inventory. So he hefted it on his shoulders and dragged it to the FarPortal. The Falcrow carried his message—and his warning—to the portal mages at the Guild.
It would cost extra gold, but when the FarPortal activated, Kaden dragged the monster through—and emerged in the Guild, where he let the array of swords do the talking as he wrestled the corpse up the stairs and onto the crafting commune floor even before it opened.
“You! We open at—oh.” The Commune Director shouted at Kaden—then called for help as he dragged it further and further onto the crafting floor. “What a pleasant surprise! We’ve got work to do! I want this monster harvested in under an hour! This isn’t a moment for stars, it’s teamwork.”
Kaden dipped his head. “I’ll pay the fee for the harvesters, bill it to my account at the guild, I don’t know what I want crafted, and I appreciate the understanding. I didn’t want to risk a valuable corpse on my skills.”
“There’s only one piece of equipment that monster makes, and once it’s known we have one, [Men at Arms] will be coming to bid from every continent,” she answered. “With the right enchantment, it makes a [Belt of Weapons]. Only a [Man at Arms] would dare try and use them, but the ability to pull endless weapons makes them sought after.”
“Talk to Munoz, find out who’s looking to craft one. It’s her call who gets to do it, it’s my loot to auction.” Kaden really had to make it to his party. He ran down the stairs, ducked past the Guild Administrator—and ran into the Guild Administrator as the [Assassin] used a short range teleport. “My party is waiting, I have a quest.”
“I know.” The Guild Administrator was a black man with a smoothly shaved bald head and surprisingly kind eyes for a Centurion [Assassin]. He wore comfortable robes and would have easily been mistaken for a [Scribe] if Kaden hadn’t seen him in action. “I saw the notification about Sara. The Guild pace can be hard, I don’t blame you for wanting some time off, but I do hope you’ll consider Faction Quests. Sara has a queue of ones only for your party. She doesn’t want to talk to me, so you’ll do it.”
“I’d be happy to.” Kaden would bring it up when it was time and not a moment sooner. “When were you planning to mention we’d fulfilled our obligations?”
“You were making my life easier! I’m never going to say no to good Quest-work. Go on, I hear you’re headed to collect from some beserkers. I remember when that was worth doing. Can I offer advice?”
Most of the time Centurion advice wasn’t applicable. “Anything to make the job easier.”
“During a civil war there’ll be half a dozen clans. When you first arrive, make the rounds and collect from anyone willing. Then arrange deliveries to the ones who do. That’ll pressure the others.” He pointed to the stairs. “Pretty sure they just took a FarPortal to Ellespring Harbor. What, you think we don’t keep track on everything you go? There are factions terrified of what Sara or Eve will become.”
Kaden rushed to the FarPortal, consulting the bored mage. “I’m heading to—”
“Guildmaster sent word.” He spoke as though it was normal. “You still have to pay.”
The silver coins were cheap for the luxury of immediate travel. Kaden stepped through the portal—and out into the cleanest, most well built port city he’d ever seen. The wood, while faded wasn’t rotted, the salt buildup was minimal, the smell of dead fish and seaweed was…normal.
Then again, Ellespring had been destroyed during the last Monster Surge and that was one way to get rid of decay. “Wisp 71? I bet you never have morning breath. Can you take me to Sara?”
The oversized globe of mana faded into existence and began to bob through the streets. Kaden had thought Krevat busy but this was ridiculous. People stuck to the sides because cargo wagons would run them over. Unlike Krevat, city officials stood at every corner directing each wagon to keep cargo moving in—or out.
No wonder the Mercari loved Ellespring, it was a vital artery of their trade.
Your business: S&K Holdings has completed Quest(s)
Quest Master is Active.
The Long Haul - Make a profitable trade run of over 5,000 leagues. Reward: Port Tax Reduced.
Strange Waters - Trade with a nation whose total exports are less than 1% of the total shipments. Reward: 30% bonus on reselling
Blood in the Water - Defend a shipment and have it successfully arrive at a friendly home-port. Reward: 2% bonus to attack and defense
I’ll Take That - Recover a vessel from pirates and make a profitable run with it. Reward: Vessel may not change hands for ten years.
Kaden sprinted through the streets now, sliding under wagons and ignoring shouts as he headed west to a dillapidated dock. The Chalmer’s Child sat moored to one side, the Skeleton Crew on the other, and at the far end, a slim, double-masted schooner Kaden barely recognized. The name on the side read Tresha.
A name he hadn’t seen for over a decade.
In the depths of Fangwood, where the brush had grown thick and dark, Kaden had found a quiet clearing and left the cradle his father had built for the sister who never drew breath. Tresha had been carved in the wood.
Sailors labored to unload the ship, and standing on the deck was Trella, directing every box. “Trella!”
She waved, and her Deception snapped into existence beside him. “We’re so rich. Well, you and her are. The Achemist’s Guild is bidding on the entire shipment.”
That made Kaden frown. “Sara? Go get Sara.”
“I don’t work for you,” the Deception answered.
Kaden spotted the tip of one of Sara’s psuedopods waving above a group of sailors and sprinted up a mooring line. “Sara! I need a business manager!”
“There you are!” Sara looked to Kaden. “What’s wrong?”
He filled her in, and Sara dispatched her messenger parrot immediately, then headed across to where Trella stood locked in negotiations with a spindly [Alchemist]. She looked to Sara and Kaden. “Do you have any idea how much they’re offering?”
“I don’t need to know.” Sara looked to the [Alchemist.] “These are the only alchemical reagents to leave Xiao. You might be offering a tidy sum, perhaps a large sum. But the power of thousands of different [Alchemists] competing against each other is a much larger sum.”
Trella’s Deception rushed to instruct a sailor. Now, Kaden understood, they were making a collection of items specifically for Trella. It was fine. Keeping the ship had been more an act of defiance than good business sense. It had cost him so much gold Kaden had sometimes wondered if he would have been better off just letting it sink.
A [Sailor] approached, a Xiao man Kaden didn’t recognize. Well, mostly didn’t recognize. “Do I know you.”
“Wyverns. I stole an egg,” the man said. “Now I sail with my family. It is not such a great life, but it is a life, and I am not alone.”
Kaden nodded. The best life was the one you built for yourself. He couldn’t give anyone that life, just the chance to build it. All around him, the ship was a thing alive as the crew worked it.
And negotiations had ceased as the spindly [Alchemist] stormed off. Trella seemed deeply pleased with herself. “Sometimes I wish I’d chosen a business profession. But I like making potions even more.”
“All you need is a friend with the profession,” Sara said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I had distribution routes scheduled for everything a month ago. Trella, I know I said I wouldn’t get involved with your cargo, but if you want help making the most gold—”
“That!” Trella said. “I want my stuff shipped home but the rest of this, I want shipped out to every Alchemist’s shop that pays for the privilege.”
That was the Trella he loved. Bloodthirsty and cutthroat in battle and business deals. “Did you time our arrival with the shipments?”
“I did!” Sara beamed. “I was terrified they would come back during the Lesson of the Strong. This is just the start. We’ll build. We’ll grow. We’ll make so much money we could afford to build a town from scratch. Not that we should.”
Eve came up the ramp with Vip in her arms. It was like she didn’t even realize Vip had legs. “Those Quests were impressive, but they didn’t add XP. Tell me you had Faction Quests.”
“I’m not on good terms with the Mercari right now,” Sara said. “But yes. I not only leveled, I’m a fair chunk of the way to 30 and my last fast talent.”
Thirty had seemed impossible, once.
Kaden picked up Sara and tossed her in the air “Look who’s trying to catch up!”
Sara landed in a flurry of messenger birds who clung to her armor, speaking in a flurry. She righted herself and listened, her frown growing deeper. “I planned to have us stay in port and celebrate with the crew. Then we would sail north with basic trading supplies. The war among the beserker clans has become less of a civil war and more of an all-out war. We’ll take a FarPortal north and let the ships catch up, the Quest has changed.”
Kaden checked the Quest interface.
Quest: Checks and Balances - Among the Beserker clans, the Resyr are allies to the Mercari. As a ill-advised war descends, protect the allies. Your presence alone will send a message, and if it does not, the blood you spill will send a different message. This Quest will pay by the week, in addition to any benefits you reap. Reward: Gold, 3 per week. Faction Tokens (1x month), Favor (minimum 1 level boost).
“This is going to a be a long haul, isn’t it?” Kaden asked.
Sara nodded. “Eve, Trella, Ashi, I’ll understand if you don’t want to commit for what could be months. Kaden and I are required. Me, to handle business and Kaden to shed blood.”
“I’m in. I don’t care where. I don’t care what. If Kaden’s there, I’ll back him up.” Trella put a hand on his shoulder. “Ashi, it’s near an Ice Mana Domain. Will you be able to handle that?”
“I cannot yet tell,” Ashi said. “I do not choose to absorb mana. My wraps are far more protective now, we shall see.”
That left Eve. “I don’t like the cold. I grew up in Egalion, where cold is when the sun dips below and you only sweat when you move. But I knew more about the line between peace and war by fifteen than most will by fifty. Please contact your Quest Broker and ask what rewards they would offer for alliances, pauses in conflict, or full peace agreements.”
That was a lot of intelligence beyond what Kaden would have asked for. “The Guild Administrator said we should make a quick round of clans on arrival. Sara can ask for repayment. Eve can offer her services as a negotiator. I can introduce myself.”
Sara hadn’t stopped staring at Eve. “I didn’t even think of asking for bonuses based on agreements. I’ll do it immediately. We have a guide from the Resyr waiting for us. Let’s not keep them waiting.”
Kaden led the way to the FarPortal. New lands awaited. New challenges. And new beasts. He couldn’t wait.