The rest of our journey back to town was mercifully uneventful given all that had transpired recently. The weather was accommodating enough to let me get to know Lailah a bit better. As it turned out, she had only actually come to visit her father recently and had only been in town a day before her abduction. She normally lived near the capital with her mother, Ithora. While her parents had been separated for years, once a month Lailah would travel to spend a weekend with her father. Her mother couldn’t stand her old husband apparently since his main focus was overseeing city affairs, but his status within the kingdom granted Ithora access to the higher echelons of lords and ladies where she lived. So, they remained married on paper only, but it afforded Lailah the ability to travel semi-regularly.
“When my parents were still living together, my life was quite stagnant.” Lailah said with a slight shake of her head. “When they were not fighting, I was lucky to get attention from either one. Now though, when I visit my father, he dedicates as much time as he can to us. My mother, well, let’s just say that she isn’t stressed out of her gourd all the time now. She’s rather pleasant to be around, other than the times she brings home a suitor. I'll just leave it at that.”
Lailah had a bounce to her step as if nothing in the world could bring her down. She twirled in the air next to me as she continued, “My mother lets me live my life, how I want to. So, the arrangements of my parents doesn’t give me much to complain about. Well, other than today…”
At her last words, Lailah’s shoulders slumped and a little of the joy that she had been reaching back into her heart faded. Stella likewise noticed and moved to change the topic back to something positive. “I remember hearing from your father that you enjoy to garden,” Stella said with her tail swishing happily back and forth. “I do so love the smell of fresh roses. Oh, and tulips too!”
That brought a smile back to Lailah’s lips. “Yeah, I do. The entire garden around my father’s estate is my handiwork. I love to fall asleep under the warm sun during the blooming season.” Lailah closed her eyes, her face turning upwards in a wide grin. “When we get back, if you have time before you head out to find that man you mentioned, I’d love to show you.”
“We’d like that,” I said with an appreciative nod. My worry about where Lailah’s recent trauma would settle had been easing during our invigorating walk. She had a resilient spirit and a great support structure with both her parents. She would be alright.
Lailah gave me another beaming smile. “If not today, then certainly in the future when your travels lead you back here once more. I know you’re trail leads you away and with some urgency, but your actions have shown the type of people you are that you came to rescue me.” Lailah chuckled, “My father is going to be eternally grateful. He never forgets when someone does right by him, those he loves, or his city. I bet he’ll say something about all three when we see him.”
We kept a steady pace and found ourselves within sightline of the city in what seemed a shorter time than expected. Probably from the friendly chatter we shared with Lailah. She was going to grow into an amazing woman. Though a few clouds that looked to bring rain upon our heads passed gently over our heads, the warm day kept us comfortable and dry. When the city finally came into view, Lailah’s mood brightened even further. She was excited to see her father once more and ease any dread he may be having. Lailah cared for the man, that was plain to see.
As we approached the city, a contingent of guards rushed out to greet us, all with weapons drawn. Though, when they noticed who was with Lailah, steel quickly found its way back into the scabbards at their hips. The men and women who approached were clearly willing to fight Adom once more, regardless of how it went the first time. The determination etched in each face that approached softened and turned to smiles when the realization that Lailah was being returned home became clear.
“Madam, we are so grateful to see you return,” The guard who spoke was one I had spoken with when we first arrived at the mayor’s residence. He bowed to her before turning to me and Stella. His gauntleted fist moved to rest over his heart. “Sir Xazorus, we are eternally grateful for bringing our town’s beloved daughter home. Know that the guards of Nemmil will never forget what you have done here today.
Your reputation with the Guards of Nemmil has greatly increased.
“We were happy to help. The Hunter known as Adom will never again be able to harm another,” I replied.
The guard smiled, “That is good to hear.” The man turned to Lailah and beckoned towards the city. “Your father will be happy to see you. We would be happy to lead you and your rescuer home.”
By the time we were within sightline of her home, we seemed to have claimed every available guard in town. Flanked on all sides, it was as if we were returning with a noble treasure in tow. Seeing the pleasant smiles flashed to Lailah from guards and city folk alike, I knew we certainly were. Lailah was clearly a loved individual. She was like a bright beacon of hope and sunlight. When Lailah finally caught sight of her father, who had been rushing forward with fervor, the two held a long embrace. Claps and cheers abounded around at the reunion of father and daughter.
Tears of happiness streamed down their faces for several long minutes. Her father would stare into his love’s eyes to only bear her close once more in a mighty hug. My eyes met Stella’s and an unspoken message passed between us. We had done something truly noble this day. I nodded to Stella, who responded in kind. We would do this again in a heartbeat, until the day we no longer could.
When the cheers finally faded, Lailah gave her dad one final hug before fully extending her arms, creating a little space between her and her father. She stared lovingly into the man’s eyes and with a smile turned to me and Stella. “This noble man, Xazorus the Hunter Killer, saved me. He is a true hero and friend. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for his actions and the actions of his friends.” Lailah winked at Stella at this last bit, a beautiful smile radiating from her face. “I owe them my life.”
Stella beamed and held her head high as she hovered at shoulder height. “It was our honor to come to the aid of such a fine lady.”
I was grinning at Stella’s words when Lailah turned and gave me a sudden hug. It caught me off guard, but I returned it in kind. “Thank you,” Lailah whispered in my ear as she tip-toed to stand higher before returning to her father’s side.
“I can’t thank you enough, truly. You have returned my dearest love and brought joy back into my heart. If you ever need the assistance of myself, or our town, you need only ask.” The mayor's eyes welled up at his pronouncement, tears nearly brimmed over.
“Here, here!” someone in the crowd yelled before it was repeated a thousand-fold with cheers and good-natured slaps on the back. Before it seemed as if the town itself had been holding its breath, hopeful but having no faith in Lailah’s rescue. Now, though, the town celebrated and, like a great exhale, released all tension that had been holding them back. It was intoxicating.
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I gripped forearms with Mr. Olodore, hearty smiles locked on our faces. Stella was doing what appeared to be a curtsey at Lailah when quest notifications popped up in my vision. We had been successful and the system was rewarding us for that great feat.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the quest, ‘Lailah, my heart and soul.’
Objective 1 – Find out where Lailah Olodore has been taken. Completed!
Objective 2 – Negotiate her release or slay the Hunter who holds her against her will. Completed!
Objective 3 – Return Lailah to the mayor. Completed!
Rewards – Experience & a class-specific item. Note – Rewards are variable and depend greatly on Lailah’s health and well-being.
Calculating…
Noted - Lailah Olodore 100% health, with no permanent physical injury.
Noted – Though Lailah suffered intense emotional trauma, this occurrence has been substantially reduced due to the actions of Hunter, Xazorus the Hunter Killer.
Noted - Reputation held with Lailah Olodore, daughter of Nemmil, at the time of quest completion was… Trusting!
Rewards are to be determined based on available information. Calculating…
You have earned 3,000 experience points.
Congratulations! You have earned a ‘Rare’ reward appropriate to your skills and/or class. Please see the Mayor of Nemmil to receive this item.
In short order, the crowd of onlookers dispersed as we went inside the mayor’s manner. Once inside the study that was brimming with tomes and well-used books, Mr. Olodore clapped a hand on my shoulder, “You have returned my love, and I know you went through a great deal to bring her back to me. I want to grant you this, a token of my highest esteem and appreciation.” The mayor turned to his butler, who was waiting patiently a few paces behind, who held out a small, ornate box. The mayor thanked his man before turning to me with arms held out wide, offering me the item. He was holding a fabulously crafted and stained wooden box, about the size you would expect to hold a piece of jewelry.
“After we first met, I prayed you would be successful in bringing back my dear Lailah. I saw a spark of your soul and I took a measure of your person. You have lived up to that and more. Please accept this as a small token of my appreciation for what you have done.” With that, the mayor held out the finally decorated box.
The item was slightly heavier than expected. It must be made from a dense type of wood I didn’t know the name of. My fingers ran across the delicate carvings of rearing horses and trumpeting horns, taking in its fine craftsmanship. Stella glided up beside me as I opened the lid. Peering inside, a sapphire ring sat atop a bed of velvet. The ring looked as if a pair of silvery vines had twisted together to connect and gracefully hold a deep, vibrant gem aloft. The jewel was shaped like some type of budding flower. As I watched, I could barely make out a minuscule pulse of violet energy flowing from the jewel down into the silvery vines that held it.
As I peered intently at the ring, a message popped up and identified the ring’s properties to us.
{Haladril’s Sapphire Ring of Return}. Quality: Mastercraft. Rarity: Rare. Slot: Finger. Durability: 1000/1000. Properties(s): Plus two Constitution and Intelligence. Once equipped, the user is able to affix an identical ring to a weapon with a rarity of ‘Rare’ or higher. Then, once every twenty seconds, this item grants the user to recall the affixed weapon to their hand with a thought. Duration: Instant.
“When I heard of the axe that you carry with you, I knew this ring would work perfectly with you,” Mr. Olodore said. When I peered at what looked to be a faint inscription, the man nodded and continued. The language was unknown to me. “It’s written in an ancient dwarven dialect from what I have been told. It translates, roughly, to ‘return to the hand of the master.’ Or perhaps it was the owner, I can’t be entirely sure.”
“Nonetheless, may I?” the mayor asked with an outstretched hand. Acquiescing, I handed the ring back to him.
Mr. Olodore took out what appeared to be a small dagger from a belt sheath. The weapon’s hilt had several small jewels that glinted and reflected different hues of color. “All you need to do is wear the ring, like so, then another matching ring will appear in your hand.” He demonstrated this then slipping the matching ring over his dagger’s hilt. “It will adjust on its own to accommodate nearly any weapon, and then…”
With a flick of his wrist, the dagger flew through the air to strike a support beam on the opposite side of the room. The man’s movement was well practiced. “… at your mental command, it will return.” The mayor eyed me, winked, and held an empty hand up. Quicker than I could process, an identical dagger suddenly appeared in his firm grasp, its blade pointing to the ceiling.
When I turned back to the pillar, the dagger that had been quivering from the impact seconds ago was nowhere to be seen. “An impressive item, to be sure. I don’t often hurl my weapon at my enemies, but this will certainly open up some options. Thank you.”
The mayor removed the original ring from his finger and the mirrored ring vanished from the throwing dagger’s hilt. In a fluid motion, the dagger was returned to his belt sheath. The man was obviously talented with the small blade. With a smile, the ring was once again offered to me. I promptly placed the ring on my right hand and attached the mirrored version to my battle axe’s hilt. He gave it to me, which I promptly attached to my weapon, the size adjusting magically to be large enough to slip over its spiked end. Before locking seamlessly in place, as if it had always been there.
“You have a fine weapon.” Mr. Olodore said as he admired my axe. “There are different uses for the ring, other than simply throwing your weapon at an enemy. Its value will become clear the first time you lose your weapon in battle or, mayhap, to an enemy’s grasp.” The mayor’s face took on a distant expression as if he was reliving a memory. I could guess that one of the man’s distant foes once errantly thought the jeweled dagger had been theirs to wield. “There is no limit to the number of times you can call upon it, only the small delay between uses. I am unsure of the limit of the magic’s power, but when I was an adventurer years ago, I was able to recall my dagger from even the farthest throw I could muster. May it serve you as well, as it did me. It saved my life on more than one occasion.”
Once more, I clapped my wrists with the man knowing we would be parting as friends. Lailah’s face was full of pride as she watched the two of us. “Thank you,” I said before turning to Lailah with a smile. “I wish you the best, Lailah. I hope our paths cross again one day.”
“What will you do now?” Lailah inquired before her father could.
Her father piped in before I could respond, “Would you be so kind as to stay for dinner and regale me with the story of Lailah’s rescue?”
Turning once more to the mayor I gave a slight bow. “While I would very much enjoy regaling you with the events that transpired to rescue your daughter, my road leads ever onwards. Someone who brought pain similar to the last Hunter you encountered, even now, takes another step further from here. He demands my attention and I dare not tarry long. Know that should I find myself back in your fair town, I will certainly stop by and take you up on your offer of a delicious feast.”
“Of course, I understand. The road of an adventurer is in constant motion, I remember that and more from my youth. From what I was able to gather while you were out searching for Lailah, I’ve learned that the Hunter known as Duke was seen heading northeast some time ago. A townsman overheard him speaking to himself, something about seeking out a small town a few day's journey from here, a place called Mammoth. Though, beware of its magistrate. That… fellow always strikes me as being not quite right in the head.”
The mayor shook his head at the thought of this ‘magistrate’ which gave me pause enough to consider the man carefully should we meet. Mr. Olodore continued, “Again, thank you for all that you have done here. You will always be welcome here.” The mayor reached out and we clasped wrists one final time. “Farewell, Xaz.”
“Goodbye, my new friends,” Stella uttered before we once more found ourselves heading out of town. We had done something special today. Our spirits were lifted as our footfalls carried us ever closer to our quarry.