“May the Lunar Goddess watch over and protect our sister as she embarks on this new chapter of her journey.” The voice was muffled. Maria could barely hear it. Underwater, everything sounded muffled and distorted, but, in an oddly peaceful way. She was alone with her thoughts, left to float in the lukewarm water. “And may her light shine upon us all…” the voice continued, “... guiding us through the darkness and illuminating our hearts with love, wisdom, and courage.”
The hand on the back of her head lifted, and Maria rose, lifting her head from the stone basin of sparkling, golden water. Her hair clung to her face in wet strands as she gasped for air, and rubbed some of the water from her eyes. Her knees had just been starting to hurt.
The church was relatively empty. Only a few people were seated in the pews, their heads bowed in prayer to the large sculpture of the lunar goddess resting on the pedestal behind the wooden pulpit. Chariot and Tanalia were both seated in the front pews, their heads still damp with water.
In the upper left-hand corner of her vision, her XP bar was flashing. She had 26 unused skill points. It was strange in a way. She was expecting to feel something. But no, there was no feeling at all, nothing physically telling her that she had lost all her skill points.
“Congratulations, dear,” said the priest. He helped Maria rise back to her feet.
“Thank you, father,” she said.
“Anytime, dear,” he smiled warmly and hobbled away.
Maria joined her party members in the front pews and sighed. “That was… interesting. Am I like… baptized to the lunar goddess now?”
“No, that’s not how it works,” Chariot explained, scrolling through the skills menu. “The tub on the left side of churches normally has the special water that priests will use to take away your skill points so you can reallocate them. The tub on the right of the church is specifically for baptisms.”
“Have you ever?”
“Of course I have, I put my faith in the lunar goddess to help me in every battle.”
Maria nodded and opened her skill menu. It was finally time to reallocate all her points. Her spells were all gone. While she was going to totally commit to fire spells from here on out, there were still a few spells she had previously that felt pretty essential. Unfortunately, {Demons Fury} didn’t seem to branch off into any other spells. On the contrary, after she unlocks {Enchant weapon: Fire}, and {Fire Rune}, some new spells opened up that she liked the sound of. {Incinerate}, {Wall of Flames}, and {Fire Storm}. Maria scrolled back and forth through the spells, carefully deciding which ones she was going to invest more points into, and after some time, she was finished.
Flames - Fire shoots from the caster's hand.
Lvl: 5
Cost: Drains mana gradually in prolonged use.
Base damage: 11
15% chance to give burn status effect.
Firebolt - A concentrated flame projectile.
Lvl: 5
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 45
5% chance to give burn status effect.
Fireball - A large flame projectile, causes an explosion on impact.
Lvl: 5
Cost: 25 mana
Base damage: 89
5% chance to give burn status effect.
Fire Rune - Lays a trap that when passed or stepped on, explodes with fire.
Lvl: 1
Cost: 40 mana
Base Damage: 50
15% chance to give burn status effect.
Enchant weapon: Fire - Enchants users, or party members' weapons to deal fire damage.
Lvl: 1
Cost: 30 mana
Duration: 3 Minutes
15% chance to give burn status effect.
Demons Fury - Hurl a flaming skull that seeks out targets.
Lvl: 1
Cost: 60
Base damage: 100
25% chance to give burn status effect.
Incinerate - A much more powerful variation of Flames.
Lvl: 3
Cost: Drains 5 mana gradually in prolonged use.
Base damage: 60
20% chance to give burn status effect.
Wall of Flames - Summons a wall of flames
Lvl: 1
Cost: 20 Mana
Base damage: 50
25% chance to give burn status effect.
Fire Storm - Raises multiple pillars of fire around the battlefield
Lvl: 1
Cost: 100 mana
Base damage: 200
90% chance to give burn status effect.
Basic Heal - casts gradual healing. Caster must be touching injured ally.
Lvl: 1
Cost: Drains mana gradually in prolonged use.
Base health recovery: 5 HP/Sec
Summon Light - summons an orb of light.
Lvl: 1
Cost: 15 mana
Maria sighed as she leaned back in the pew. With that out of the way, she was one step closer to getting back in the fight.
“Are you finished?” Chariot asked.
“Yeah. What about you?”
“I’m finished, yes. I must say I do like what I’ve picked this time around.”
“Did you at least pick more than two skills?”
Chariot leaned over in the pew and opened her skill menu for Maria to see.
One-Handed Sword Skill
Lunge Strike - Propels the user forward and skewers the target with the tip of their sword.
Lvl: 4
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 91
One-Handed Sword Skill
Arc Slash - Sends a horizontal or vertical arc in the wake of a sword swing toward the target.
Lvl: 13
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 441
One-Handed Sword Skill
Storm Blade - Sends a gust of wind forward to stagger enemy.
Lvl: 4
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 55
One-Handed Sword Skill
Etherial Greatsword - Summon an etherial greatsword to dish out extra damage.
Lvl: 10
Cost: 20 mana
Base damage: 484
Shield Skill
Stormwall - Parry an attack, and blow the enemy away with a powerful gust of wind.
Lvl: 3
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 75
“You’re finally choosing some new skills?” Tanalia teased.
“It has been a while since I picked anything new, but yes. What about you?”
“I’m almost done.”
“I’m surprised you’re still picking,” Chariot said.
“I’m taking my time with it.”
Chariot scoffed and burst out into laughter. Her voice echoed violently through the cathedral, and she cupped her hand over her mouth. Everyone had turned their gaze onto her. “Sorry!” she said in a hushed voice.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Tanalia chuckled. “What was so funny about that?”
“You taking your time with anything.”
“There are some things I take my time with. Like sex.”
“Do you have to admit that so loudly?”
Tanalia simply flashed a cheeky grin to Chariot and showed off her new skills window.
Duel Blade Skill
Sword Hail - The user summons multiple astral blades around them and sends them at the target
Lvl: 6
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 109
Duel Blade Skill
Onslaught - Crosses both blades on a single point to form an X. Slashes forward, and sends the X-shaped projectile at the target.
Lvl: 7
Cost: 15 mana
Base damage: 166
Bow Skill
Enchanted Shot - Fire a charged arrow for extra damage.
Lvl: 8
Cost: 5 mana
Base damage: 162
Bow Skill
Starfall - Fires a rain of ethereal arrows above a target.
Lvl: 7
Cost: 15 mana
Base damage: 66
Bow Skill
Homing Shot - Fires a singular homing arrow at the target.
Lvl: 10
Cost: 10 mana
Base damage: 605
Maria gasped. “Six hundred and five damage?”
Tanalia smirked. “Mhm. Investing into skills pays off.”
“So we’re all set then?” Chariot asked.
With nods from Maria and Tanalia, she stood from the pew, and the trio started making her way out of the church.
As they opened the doors, a speeding carriage rode by, creaking loudly as it was quickly pursued by another. The crowd of Berlington watched in awe for but a moment before continuing on their day like nothing had happened. The street was just as bustling as ever, with the cacophony of noise swelling with a mixture of clacking horse hooves, loud vendors hawking their wares, and noisy conversation.
“Alright, we have one stop left,” Maria said. “I know the way from here.”
She started leading her team through the streets, weaving around the crowds of well-dressed individuals. Many of them shuffled past the trio expressionless, and the further the trio walked, the more suspicious Maria grew. Most of the people around Berlington looked the same in that regard, their pupils all slightly diluted, and strangely gray.
“You know, Tanalia, I’ve been thinking,” Chariot started, “I know you don’t, but do elves also believe in the Lunar Goddess?”
“Ehhh, some do. We don’t have any churches in Mathh Aethel. Most elves put their faith into the Goddess of Light.”
“There’s more than one god?” Maria asked, looking back at Tanalia, and taking her mind off the city folk. Wait, of course, there was. She spoke to them! Well, they didn’t say they were gods, but she was pretty sure at the time they were. Could one of them have been the lunar goddess? They were made of stars and planets, so it was possible.
“Almost every culture believes in some kind of god,” Tanalia said. “It’s all too confusing. No one gets along because of it.”
Chariot nodded. “I’ve heard of small wars that have started between religious groups over their beliefs. They never end pretty.”
“Glad that’s a thing here too,” Maria frowned and continued on. The trio was almost ready to take on the Ringleader again, but there was still one thing they were missing. Potions. With Chariot and Tanalia doing odd jobs around Lakeside Village for the last month, as well as collecting gold from the tower dungeon and selling what loot she didn’t use in enchanting, they had racked up a sizable amount of spending money.
Along the cobblestone street was a small potions shop. It was a quant little store, with a hanging flowerbed beside the door, and a wooden sign that nearly stretched over onto the road.
Cloverleaf Cauldron
“This should be the place,” Maria said, gesturing ahead.
The door was left slightly ajar, and as it was opened, it missed the tiny silver bell hanging above it. Sunlight streamed through the diamond-paned windows, casting a prismatic pattern on the rough-hewn stone floor. There were rows of shelves, stretched from floor to ceiling, and laden with an array of glass vials, orbs, and ornate bottles. The vibrant emeralds, iridescent blues, and shimmering gold all seemed to sparkle in the sunlight, reflecting a splash of color against the walls. Copper, and iron cauldrons, were placed atop a large oak counter, surrounded by an assortment of mortar and pestle sets carved from marble, granite, and obsidian.
Maria smiled as she peered up to the hanging flower gardens strewn across the ceiling. It had such a warm and cozy feeling to it, a lot less professional than Moffavan Blunog's shop. She stopped and inhaled deeply. The air was thick with an intoxicating medley of scents— earthy herbs, floral essences, and a hint of smoky incense. However, it was all quite dusty as well. Shimmering dust motes danced lazily in the sunbeams.
Two other people were browsing the shelves, an older man and a younger witch, though both looked around with the same level of amazement.
“I think this place looks very nice,” Chariot said.
Tanalia nodded quietly in agreement.
Maria opened her message window and quickly sent one out.
Maria: We’re here.
When Maria closed her message window, a bird chirped. Sitting perched on a stand on the counter, was a colorful bird. Its feathers were lime green, and it had a long, narrow beak like a woodpecker. Its talons were curved, and its tail feathers were long and flowing. It stretched its wings, and flashed a bright yellow underside. It didn’t look like any bird Maria had seen before. It almost looked like a hummingbird, but at the same time, not quite.
Behind the L-shaped desk tucked into the back corner of the store was a thick, velvet drape. It violently wooshed open, and Lycia stood excitedly in the doorway, her little wolf tail wagging furiously behind her.
“Maria!” she squealed, startling the other two patrons. The Demi-Human leaped the counter and tackled Maria to the ground in a tight hug. “Oooooh, it’s so good to see yooooouuuuu!”
“H- Hey,” she chuckled, hugging the girl back as they both slowly rose back to their feet. Lycia certainly didn’t look any different, save for her hair looking a tad more mangy than when she had last seen her.
“I love your new outfit!” Lycia said, sniffing at the fabrics, and feeling it in her hands. “It’s so soft! And look at you two!” She hopped over to the knight and Tanalia. “You two look great! You must have been doing a lot of adventuring!”
“You could say that,” Chariot chuckled.
“Lycia!” said a woman appearing from behind the curtain. She made a circular gesture with her hand.
“Oh, right, sorry, where are my manners,” she cleared her throat and turned back to face the three. “Welcome to the Cloverleaf Cauldron, where…… we’re still working on a slogan!”
The woman behind the curtain nodded and vanished into the back of the shop.
“I’m glad you were able to find another place,” Maria said. “I think this looks way better than your last job.”
“Oh my god, you have no idea!” Lycia gushed and squealed excitedly. “I actually have a bed to sleep on here!”
“That’s another step up, at least,” Tanalia said.
“Mhm, mhm, it’s great! My new potions master is so much kinder to me! He doesn’t yell at me, he’s really encouraging, and when I do a good job he’ll scratch me behind my ears!” The Demi-Human beamed.
Tanalia chuckled. “Like this?” She reached out and started scratching Maria behind her soft, pointed wolf ear. The girl moaned, closing her eyes and leaning into Tanalia’s hands.
“Y- Yes!” she moaned, almost sexually.
Just then, another familiar voice grabbed Maria’s attention. “Ah, it’s you three!” Maria glanced up. A fairy was hovering above the four women. As Tanalia pulled her hand back, he landed on Lycia’s head and gave the trio a polite bow. “It’s certainly nice seeing you three again. I’ll say I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Ilihorn?” Maria tilted her head.
“Who?” Tanalia asked.
Chariot elbowed Tanalia’s ribs. “You don’t remember? The fairy that scared off those children you wanted to beat to a bloody pulp.”
“Vaguely?”
Chariot scoffed and turned back to him. “It certainly is a pleasure to see you again.”
Ilihorn was garbed in a fine, leafy tunic, almost like a dress, with his same pair of supple leather boots crafted from doe hide, and dyed in shades of moss with delicate embroidery. “What brings you three here? Potions I take it? We have a wide selection if you want to take a look.”
“Hold on, are you her new potions master?” Maria asked.
“That I am.”
“That he is!” the two of them said in unison.
“Well, isn’t that a coincidence,” Maria chuckled. “Things are going great for you two then, I take it?”
“Yes. Lycia has been a tremendous help to me. Potion-making isn’t so easy when you are as small as me, and I’m lucky to have come across her. She understands the craft fairly well.”
“I was wandering the streets looking for any potion masters who would take me in, and I saw a flyer pinned up on a guild board that someone was looking for a potions assistant.”
“Didn’t seem like she was your only assistant,” Maria said, glancing back towards the curtains.
“Oh, you mean Nafre? No, she is another potions master like Ilihorn, she helps around the shop to keep it running.”
“I must say I haven’t heard of a fairy who’s taken up a profession in potion brewing before,” Chariot said.
“It’s not a normal career path my kind takes, but it is one I am strangely fascinated with. The ability to create such powerful beverages with just a few ingredients and some patience, it’s a mystical feeling. I’ve spent my life studying the craft, and finally, I can run my own shop to sell my potions!”
“Lucky for you, we’re here for some,” Maria said.
“Well, then let us assist you. We have every kind of potion you could want here, and if we don’t we can brew it for you.” Ilihorn flew over to the counter and landed on the edge. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood proud. It still looked slightly odd, like Maria was staring at a little doll. He was no bigger than the Barbies she used to play with as a kid. “What sort of potions are you looking for?”
“Combat,” Chariot said. “Do you remember that man we were looking for?”
“Hmm,” Ilihorn scratched at his chin. “I do slightly recall. Did you ever find him?”
“We did, yeah,” Maria laughed. “And uuuuhhhhh… we’re off to kick his ass right now, actually.”
“Oh dear, something went wrong I take it?”
“Very wrong,” Tanalia frowned.
“Yes,” Chariot nodded. “We needed his help in finding someone else, but he sold us out to that person, and we nearly died because of it. He doesn’t deserve to walk free after betraying us like that, and working with such a cruel and evil man.”
“And we need potions before we go after him.”
“Remind me of who this man is?”
“His name is the Oracle. He’s a priest for the Church of the Lunar Goddess.”
“Oh, right, him. I’ve been hearing more and more about the Oracle as of late.”
“You have?”
“Yes. He has recovered from some grave injury he received apparently, and has resumed his work at the church.”
“Oh! I’ve heard of him too!” Lycia said. “Nafre in the back was saying she heard he was using his powers to read the minds of people and look into their futures.”
“Do you happen to know which church he’s operating out of?” Maria asked.
Lycia shrugged. “I think Nafre said he was on the east side of Berlington most days.”
“None of these people know that he is working with one of the demon king's old subordinates,” Chariot growled.
“I mean we don’t know if he’s doing anything inherently bad with them,” Maria said.
“It can’t be inherently good either. I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Well, I’m not one to stop someone in the name of justice,” Ilihorn said. “Might I suggest a couple of potions?”
“Certainly,” Maria said.
“Thorns and Wrath potions will be quite helpful. I might also suggest Ironskin and Swiftness potions.”
“Lucky for us, we have those on the list of ones we need restocking.”
“Sounds like you’re avidly prepared.”
“That we are,” Maria said and slid over a list of potions, as well as how many of each they needed.
“Do you have rage potions in stock, by chance?” Chariot asked.
“I have some set aside just for you!” Lycia beamed.
“You’re lucky we have all these in stock,” Ilihorn said as he walked over to the paper. It was nearly as big as him.
“If you don’t mind, master,” Lycia interrupted. “These three women helped me see how harsh and abusive my previous master was. I owe them a thank you. If it’s alright with you, might I give them a few potions on the house? I can make it up to you in any way, just tell me. I just want to do something nice to them as thanks.”
Ilihorn pursed his lips and looked back at the three. “Well… I suppose I would be alright with it just this once. I’ll come up with some way you can repay me later.”
“Thank you, master,” Lycia said excitedly. Her tail started wagging. She retrieved the potions the three had ordered, and brought them all out front, handing them out one by one. “Alright, you three should be all set. Go kick this… what’s his name?”
“The Oracle,” Maria said.
“Go kick his ass!”
“We will, thank you, Lycia. It was nice seeing you again.”
“Yes! Please, come back anytime! Maybe we could get something to eat one of these days?”
“Maybe once this is over. We’ll be seeing you around.”
Lycia waved goodbye to the three as they left the shop, and stepped back out onto the street.
“I’m glad to see she’s doing better,” Chariot said.
“It is nice,” Tanalia nodded.
“Mhm,” Maria agreed. “Now… like she said. Let’s go kick his ass.”
Maria’s Potions.
x20 Greater Health Potions - Red, regenerate a 50% of health upon drinking
Duration: Instant
x20 Greater Mana Potions - Blue, Regenerates 50% of mana upon drinking
Duration: Instant
x10 Magic Power Potions - Sparkling Purple, 20% increased magic damage
Duration: 3 minutes
x10 Inferno Potions - Magma Red, Summons a ring of fire around the drinker that ignites nearby enemies.
Duration: 3 minutes
x10 Ironskin Potions - Bright Yellow, Increase defense by 20
Duration: 5 minutes
x4 Antidote potions - Yellowish Green, Provides a cure for most poisons
Duration: Instant
X3 Gravity Potions - Purple, Grants the user the ability to manipulate their own gravitational pull.
Duration: 3 Minutes
Chariot’s potions.
x20 Greater Health Potions - Red, regenerate a 50% of health upon drinking
Duration: Instant
x10 Endurance Potions - Grey, Reduces damage taken by 10%
Duration: 3 minutes
x10 Ironskin Potions - Bright Yellow, Increase defense by 20
Duration: 5 minutes
x8 Thorns Potions - Lightish Green, Attackers also take damage
Duration: 3 minutes
x8 Titan Potions - Dark Green, Increases knockback
Duration: 3 minute
x4 Antidote Potions - Yellowish Green, Provides a cure for most poisons
Duration: Instant
Tanalia’s potions.
x20 Greater Health Potions - Red, regenerate a 50% of health upon drinking
Duration: Instant
x10 Archery Potions - Lightish Orange, 10% increased bow damage, and 20% increased arrow speed
Duration: 3 minutes
x10 Featherfall Potions - Light Blue, Slows falling speed
Duration: 3 minutes
x4 Hunter Potions - Dark Orange, Shows the location of enemies
Duration: 5 minutes
x4 Night Owl Potions - Bright Green, Increases night vision
Duration: 10 Minutes
x6 Thorns Potions - Lightish Green, Attackers also take damage
Duration: 3 minutes
x10 Swiftness Potions - Lightish Green, 25% increased movement speed
Duration: 3 minutes