Journal Entry

18 Thunderstorm 644TD

Jareth Blossom

Health data transferred to Hope:

* Vitals are stable

* Adept Core 70%

* Injuries on left arm healing and detox of poisons with antibodies to complete in 2 hours

Quest updates:

* Investigate the anomaly – In progress

* Make a deal for Shadowfang scales – Completed

* Targets of opportunity – Completed

* Hiring new guards – Completed

New Status since the last update to Hope:

* Contract with Aria Windsong

* Contract with Axel ThunderStrider

Journal Entry:

Greetings Goddess,

Today was an odd one. First, there was a pair of younglings going through the market, shadowed by one of the Weaver’s agents. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity and removed him. I then noticed the kids were shopping for gear and were novices likely on their first foray into the jungle. I decided to open my shop since they had given me such a great gift.

Then they gave me a second surprise: bags full of Shadowfang scales, something I had been looking for in the area for the last few months. How a pair of novices could take down such a beast makes them truly unique and may be worth my time. The third surprise was that the lass Aria is such a spirited negotiator, though inexperienced, as I trapped her into making young Axel dig the latrines and cover them every day.

This was the first time in years that I relaxed around someone I did not know. The girl, Aria, just seems to have a charm about her, above that which her race normally has, causing me to let go of my worries while in her presence. Axel led a great conversation about the best creatures that could be used in the making of armor or weapons based on his village hunters’ local manufacturing.

As I lay in my wagon, I find that this life alone is beginning to weigh on me. Years of hiding and hunting have worn down that once raging flame I once held to an intense ember looking for some fuel. That is more than enough of this woolgathering; I have things to set up.

As always, please keep my wife and children safe until I can see them again.

Entry 3 days later:

So, Weaver wants one of these two dead badly. He activated a bandit cell to eliminate them by sending three of his specially trained Adept agents. This is from two novices who are just starting their journey. I may need to become slightly more active in their protection as Greenhaven is one of his main hub locations to collate intelligence for the Calamity and has many agents there. I will need to talk to my friend to get those scales into a suit faster than planned.

Both younglings are impressive, starting with Aria holding a specialist in dueling for so long as I took out the adepts only to get bodied by Axel. Then their teamwork, while flawed from their seeming newness to each other, took down twice the number of people who seemed to be. The only worrying thing was the degree of crimson backlash he suffers from. Thankfully, the girl Aria seems to have a handle on it.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Goddess, you are handing me an interesting challenge and maybe a way to find Weaver and his hidey-hole. I think it will be time to get busy, though sadly my merchant business is going to suffer from this lack of attention, but needs must. As always, please keep my wife and children safe until I can see them again.

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Journal Entry

22 Thunderstorm 644TD

Lyra Windchime

Health data transferred to Hope:

* Vitals are stable

* Body trying to recover from radical surgery and removal of genetic material. Journal still assessing the damage done. (Restored from backup)

Quest updates:

* Meet with an old friend – Completed

* Plan for the future – In progress

* Keep it secret from everyone – In progress

New Status since the last update to Hope:

* Removed affiliation status with Healers of Hope

* Removed citizen status with Jungleheart

* Became party members with Axel and Lyra

Journal Entry:

Goddess, it was so good to see Axel again. Just knowing that he is alive and not dying in the jungle with how injured he was from the duel. Finding out that he almost immediately jumped into saving a stranger, quest or no quest does not surprise me at all. Thankfully, Aria seems to be a good influence on him, and they seem to get along well. He is still as dense as ever though and can’t take social cues very well, though looking at him and Aria together makes me wish that I could see him that way.

I am still in shock at what Tess did to me and how she must have gotten a Blessed healer to hide the fact from my journal that I was being drugged and my genetic material was being taken. I didn’t even know that was a thing you could do, and the only reason I began to suspect anything was when she helped Mom fake Dad’s death in the duel. I learned through this that my journal has backups of health data, and I could access them through my gift. There has to be more to this blessing you gave me to explore, and I am looking forward to finding it.

Goddess, like I mentioned in earlier entries, there is something wrong going on with the village. New people are showing up and taking over positions in the Hunters and Guards. Finn has even told the Enforcers that they were unneeded as the village is peaceful and they are causing a tax burden on it to pay them to sit around. I am also noticing there is a feeling of being watched anytime I left my home in the village or now when I leave the inn.

Thankfully, today I met Aria in the common room of the inn. When she walked up to my table with that sway in her step and asked me out, I felt my heart flutter more than a little. She talked to me so gently, and before I knew it, we were heading to a nice café for drinks. Over drinks, she told me she was with Axel and that he had gotten my message. I will say I was a little disappointed that was why she had gotten me out of the inn for drinks, but she did take me to the inn that they were staying in while she went to get Axel, only to return splashed in blood to change clothes and head back out.

It was a pity that she ruined that dress as it fit her coloring really well, but she was in a hurry to meet back up with Axel that I could not tell her she missed a spot of blood on her cheek. When she returned with Axel, I don’t know what came over me at the time as I just leaped into his arms to cry. Why do I feel safe in his arms but don’t get excited if I try to think of him romantically as I do if I think of Aria when she was changing clothes and was in her underwear? Goddess, why does the mind have to be so complicated?

Anyway, I plan to follow the plan that Axel and Aria worked with me to leave the villagers without leaving them scared that something happened to me. I am also looking forward to getting my core and seeing if I am a full healer just so I can spit in the Healers of Hope’s face when they come to me looking for me to join. If you do decide to not allow me that level of healing, my Goddess, then I think I will follow Cade’s planned path as we had worked together planning it out, though, with Axel’s information on variant powers, it may be slightly revised.

Well, it has been a long day and tomorrow promises to be just as long with Aria taking me shopping and to get some better gear for my Trial. Then later this week, it is training at the Vanguard followed by my Trial. I am looking forward to hanging out with Aria though! Good night, Goddess.