Before departing the former Minotaur outpost entirely, Tallos and I worked our way around the battlefield ensuring nothing of value was hiding upon the defeated Minotaur’s bodies. We checked the remains of each but, like our earlier battles with the bipedal bull-headed beasts, only their weapons had any value, and it was marginal at best. Given the poor construction and horrible balance of the weaponry, in order to have any chance of selling them, I’d likely have to have the lot re-smelted and sold off as raw material. So, in the end, it was not worth the effort to retrieve them.
Before leaving the corpse-littered field nearby, Tallos called out my name, asking me to hold a moment. Following the elf’s gaze, my eyes found a dozen or so bulbous lumps poking above the tall grass. “We shouldn’t leave the bodies to rot and fester,” Tallos said when he had my attention. “In my travels, before meeting Captain Larsa, I used to be party to a small battalion of elves. We would roam far and wide, always on the hunt to take down monstrous foes. For me in particular, I sought to spill the blood of giant and giant-like kin. Very rarely, we would stumble upon a significantly large force as we did hear. After we secured the battlefield, our commander, a wise elf by the name of Stelion, instructed us to burn the horde of bodies.”
“Was it an elf custom?” I inquired.
“Not so much as simply a wise precaution,” Tallos responded as he paced the area, deep in thought. “Our leader explained not taking care of so many dead could have severe unintended consequences. Such as inviting powerful, and possibly, undead monsters. Having such a concentration of death energy can severally impact the local area.”
Nodding along, we agreed to arrange for the dead to hold an open-air cremation. It all reminded me of an ancient funeral pyre. While it was true our enemies in life were dangerous, in death everyone deserved to have their remains treated with dignity. The choice was not a difficult one. Beyond the respect shown to a defeated foe, I didn’t want to be responsible for further loss of life, innocent life, if the bodies remained undisturbed. Namely, the loss of life would be the countless individuals who used the nearby trade route between Allerton and Raines.
What I had initially suspected would take several long hours of grueling physical labor, considering how much larger the bodies of the dead were compared to our elven stature, actually only took a quarter of the time. Stella helpfully reminded me I could use my bag of holding to quickly and easily place the bodies into my inventory. It was almost effortless to arrange the dozen or so bodies atop one another. Seeing a look in Tallos’ eyes, as if he was reliving old memories, I moved the bodies as carefully and respectfully as I could.
In short order, a blazing pyre was soaring high into the midnight sky with thousands of burning embers dancing toward the millions of twinkling stars above. “Thank you for asking us to honor the dead,” I said, turning to my elven friend. “It was the right thing to do.”
“Indeed, it was,” Tallos replied. “Now, let’s depart in earnest to set up camp. I’d recommend at least a thousand, perhaps two, yards to the south.” Wordlessly agreeing, our small group of friends left without a look back. We moved at an unhurried pace, finding a wide, flat hilltop sometime later. In the far distance from where we had come, the pyre diminished and now appeared as only a flickering candle flame.
It was quick work to set up a pair of tents and Ripley was more than happy to stand guard over what remained of the evening. As I was preparing to slip inside my bedroll, Tallos let me know he intended to supplement Ripley’s overwatch with a scouting patrol of the surrounding area. With his full elven heritage, Tallos shared he required very little sleep, perhaps four hours every other day. So, he was more than happy to wander about in stealth to help keep an eye out for any potential enemies. It was no wonder he made such an excellent sentry up in a crow’s nest of the Moon Siren.
The rest of the evening went smoothly and without incident. While I had slept, Lowki left my side to accompany Tallos as he quietly stalked from hilltop to hilltop. The pair kept a watchful eye and, thankfully, found no hint of wandering monsters. As I was preparing our morning meal, a smile came to my face as I compared my two companions to an onyx panther and an elven ranger stalking the darkness for foes. When Stella asked me about it, I shared a rousing tale of a noble dark elf ranger and his powerful summoned feline companion and how they battled against the forces of evil. I probably didn’t do the story justice, though Stella enjoyed it all the same.
As my eyes appraised Tallos, who was hunkered nearby atop a small hillock fifty yards I turned a questioning look to my canine companion. “Say, Stella, do you think there is any way you can do to Tallos what you initially did to me?”
“What do you mean,” Stella replied with a thoughtful look. “As in, see if I can make him a Hunter?” Her tone hinted she found it unlikely she could accomplish the feat.
“Yeah, do you think it can be done?” The idea had come to me in the night. I had dreamt of an Accelerator hovering over Tallos’ shoulder as we traveled across worlds, defeating powerful demons. When I woke, I recalled he was much like I had been those many days ago. Stolen away from a life he can’t remember to play a role in the Games as some ultra-realistic non-player character. If I could change or alter his fate, it was worth at least the consideration.
I pulled out one of the uncommon Accelerators from my inventory, one previously owned by Adom the Savage. The metallic orb lay in my palm, entirely inert and without a whisper of the power it could bring into the world. “With one of these,” I said as I held Stella’s gaze. Leaning close, I continued, hope brimming over in my tone. “With your help, could it work?”
Stella’s features softened as she considered her response. She closed the distance between us, her eyebrows drawing close together. “I don’t think it can be done, Xaz. I know what it would mean to you, freeing someone so like yourself. What happened between me and you, that’s never happened before to my knowledge.” Her eyes went distant, no doubt viewing information available to only her.
“While this is a power I have, or at least had when we first met, it’s not something I can replicate,” Stella continued with a shake of her small head.
“Do you see anything, anything hidden within the System that could…” I trailed off, a tightness in my throat blocking my next words. While the transition to a Hunter had been jolting like nothing I had ever experienced, I would do it again in a heartbeat given the choice. The person I had always been had been buried away, seemingly never to escape the darkness in my mind placed by the System. Now, I was thankful beyond words to have my memories returned to me. If I could offer the choice to Tallos, I would.
Stella continued to work on the problem, her paws moving across several screens I could not see. “Sorry,” she finally said. “All I can see is that, maybe, one day it could open up for me. And it’s a strong ‘if,’ likely only if you reach a staggeringly high enough level. Remember, my System access grows as you do. I wish I could offer more but there is no guarantee it will ever be a possibility.”
Tallos was fast approaching, likely getting a hint of the cooked sausage on the ever-present breeze around us. “Thanks, Stell. I’ll need to be happy with that for now.”
“The two of you seem to be in a deep conversation,” Tallos said merrily, Lowki close on his heels. The two were bonding more and more by the minute. “Care to share?”
“Perhaps one day,” I replied with the hint of a small smile reappearing on my face.
“Fair enough,” Tallos replied as he took my offered plate of steaming sausages and hot cakes. We shared our meal in silence, though Stella noisily dipped each hearty link into a tiny tray full of her favorite barbeque sauce. She made adorable smacking noises with her lips as she enjoyed her meal bringing a friendly smirk to Tallos and my faces.
Soon after, our tents returned to my bag of holding and my song of travel increased our movement speed by a third, we crossed over the rolling fields in search of our roaming horses. Tall stalks of emerald blades parted around us as she traversed the tranquil prairie.
Shortly after, we found our charges. The pair of horses happily grazing on the tall grass without a concern in the world. The two noticed our approach, with the gelding even turning our way in recognition. Grabbing the horse’s halter, Tallos quickly moved aside to corral the mare. “You guys look no worse for wear,” I said after whispering soothing noises to the pair of nags. “Happy to see us?” The horses make no indication, one way or the other, of course.
“So, we have only the pair,” Stella said as I pulled out the two saddles stored in my inventory. Handing one to Tallos, I worked to saddle up my bay stallion who seemed eager to be moving. “While Ripley was riding the mare before, she can probably keep up with us as long as we don’t move too quickly. She’s quite tireless after all.”
“Tallos,” I said, motioning to the chestnut horse he was saddling. “Are you comfortable riding her?”
Tallos was in the process of making cooing sounds as he worked. His hands worked as if in a familiarity of horsemanship. He pulled an apple from a belt pouch, taking a bite himself before offering it to the light-brown filly. “That would be most welcome,” he said with a smile as his new friend took a big bite of apple. “Would you be alright with it, girl?” he asked as the horse munched on the snack, juices dripping from her lips. He turned a bright face to me, nodding the horse’s unspoken affirmation.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
We were approaching mid-day, a small group of clouds coming our way from the west. Not a storm cloud was on the horizon. We would have a clear and wonderful afternoon travel back to the capital city. Mounting up, we turned our mounts towards the expansive forest far afield. True to Stella’s prediction, Ripley lopped along at a light jog, her long strides allowing her to keep up with us.
Among the long shadows under the forest canopy, Tallos and I spoke more about his experience with giant-kind. He was happy to share tales of old friends, spirited battles, and comrades lost. I quickly learned that Tallos’ disdain for the giants of all kinds stemmed from his childhood. “My family had been slain by a roving band of giants while I was still very young,” he explained, though with none of the expected sorrowfulness I would have expected from the telling of such a tale. “I was taken in with the man who would become my mentor. He taught me the art of archery, how to stalk giant-kind, and how to live off the land.” I spent most of my youth and early adulthood hunting down the types of fiends who had taken my mother and father.”
“That explains why you’re so skilled at it,” I replied casually. The air in the woodlands was a step or two more humid as we continued under the towering trees, seeming to me like we were traveling within a rainforest. It wasn’t as overbearing as the previous day, though I still broke out in a light sweat from the humidity. “Let’s take a small break. Our horses are building up a lot of sweat. We don’t want to overdo it.”
Lunch quickly turned into early evening when we finally broke the tree line at the edge of the expansive boreal forest. Allerton hailed far out in the distance, its thick alabaster walls standing proudly on the edge of our horizon.
“What are your plans, Tallos, when we enter the city,” I asked my friend, we had paused to take in the scene of the tiered capital city and the floating obelisks visible even at this distance. “Will you be returning to the Moon Siren, or would you seek to remain with us?”
“For now,” Tallos replied with an unforced laugh. “I intend to continue with you until my life debt is repaid.”
We met eyes at his words. “You owe me nothing, plus I doubt I would have survived back there.”
Tallos didn’t respond other than to tilt his head with an easy smile. The matter settled; I didn’t press him further. In my mind, Tallos was free to leave. He owed me nothing. Though, if I was honest with myself, I enjoyed his companionship and would be happy if he remained at our side. Additional words were not shared as we quickened our pace to the city walls. As we approached, a pair of guardsmen greeted us at the raised portcullis. At least one knew us from the prior day, so showed no concern as we trotted up.
“Hello again,” I said as I dismounted, Tallos following my lead. I offered the reins to the soldier. “I’d like to return these two fine mounts. They served us well, my many thanks. Can you please help me find Guard Captain, Baracus? We bring word of the merchant caravan which had gone missing.”
“Of course, Hunter Xaz. Captain Baracus left word as he believed you would be returning this day, perhaps tomorrow at the latest,” the friendly man said. He struck me as a man who thoroughly enjoyed his job and appreciated the honor he brought to the city with his principled efforts. He called over a squire, instructing the young man to see to our horses. I gave the friendly mounts a pat on the neck as they were led away before calling out to the squire. Flipping the young man a silver coin, I asked he ensure our parting friends were well cared for, as well as an ample supply of juicy apples. He graciously confirmed it would be done as I instructed, pocketing the silver. My tip was more coin than the squire likely earned in a month.
“The captain is within the city barracks,” the leading guardsman continued an appreciative grin on his face. “He certainly will. Would you like for us to accompany you to the barracks?”
“No, but I thank you for the offer,” I replied with a hand to my chest.
“Good day to you then, sir.” He lifted his halberd once, giving a single thump of his butt to the ground. “We’re glad you have returned safely.”
“What is your name, my goodman?” I asked.
“Guard Darius, sir.” The man replied.
“Good day to you as well, Guard Darius. It’s clear you take your duties and bring honor to your station.” My compliment caught the man off-guard, bringing a prideful smile to his face.
“Thank you, sir,” Darius replied brightly.
The usual hustle and bustle of the city around us brought comfort to my shoulders. I hadn’t been consciously aware of it but I had been holding tension worrying Duke may have returned while we were away. Nothing in the friendly movements and going about of the hundreds of citizens hinted such a travesty happened in our absence. A cool breeze followed us as we ascended the several levels of the hilltop capital. Life had returned to normal, it would seem, so I hoped Duke would never return. Perhaps, when we turned in our quest, Baracus would have some word or clue to our next step.
We found our way to the main barracks in short order. The place was bustling with activity, armored men coming and going from all directions. Nearing the main entrance of the building, a door guard recognized me, flagging us over. “Hunter Xaz, are you here to see the captain?”
Nodding at his question, we were led inside and found our way up the familiar flights of stairs to the command room from where we had last seen the guard captain.
After a swift rap on the door, we were led inside. Most of the windows were hung open, allowing the din of soldiers moving far below to reach our ears. A gentle breeze flowed into the room which slightly rustled several nearby sheets of parchment. The oaken table still dominated the space, immediately drawing eyes to its lavishly stained wood. Baracus was leaning against a corner of a desk. He wasn’t wearing his plate mail as he had been during Duke’s incursion. Now, he wore what I took to be the uniform of his station, and it made him look quite regal. It reminded me of military livery. A black jacket complete with a silky dress shirt, and navy blue pants with a golden stripe running from hip to just above his polished boots completed his ensemble.
The guard captain held an book in front of him. Turning his gaze as we entered, a friendly smile creased his fine features. “Hunter, Xazorus,” he said as he placed the book down atop his mahogany desk. “It is good to see you. I hope you bring good news regarding the missing caravans.” He came around his desk with an arm extended which I eagerly took, locking wrists with the proud man.
“We do, indeed, bear news though not all of it good,” I replied conflicted, pressing my lips together in a slight grimace. The thump of marching boots filtered up into our room from the streets below. “We were successful, though I regret to inform you we found no survivor from either the merchant convoy or their guards. All the men were lost at the hands of an entrenched band of Minotaurs.”
A pained expression fell like a shadow across the captain’s face before he pinched the bridge of his nose. “As I had feared, though I had expected as much.” Before he continued, Baracus straightened himself and took a cleansing breath. “Were you able to bring justice to those responsible for committing such atrocities?”
“Yes, my friend,” I replied with a nod of my head as I attempted to steer the conversation beyond the bitter pill that was the loss of an unknown number of men. We had found no remains in the end. “The vagabond Minotaurs and their leader, Narek the Indominable, have been defeated. Their advance outpost, a reinforced palisade made of colossal timbers, lies a day’s journey west of Allerton. The camp is beyond a mighty forest, whose name I am not familiar with, and then into the open plains of evergreen grassland beyond it.”
“I believe I know of where you speak,” Baracus replied. “And did you discover the hijacked supplies from the city of Raines?”
“We did,” I answered. “We found all the supplies which had been stolen. It lies within the now abandoned fortification. You need only send out men to recover it. Sadly, none of the wagons stolen were land worthy for us to bring back. However, we did find this chest which we believe belonged to the lead merchant lord.”
“Thank you for returning at least this,” the man said as I placed the reinforced chest atop his sturdy banquet-sized table. “Merchants within the city had reported it would have been among the goods stolen away. It will be returned to its rightful owner.”
At Baracus’ words, the quest was updated and completed in my vision. With a quick thought, I moved the message to the side as the captain continued speaking. “I would much like to hear everything of your tale. It must have been quite harrowing considering the foe you faced and your relatively small band. Had I known it was Minotaurs, I would have sent a contingent of guards with you. So, please tell me, how many of the vile creatures did you put down? I will see you justly rewarded for your efforts.”
Over the next half hour, with Stella and Tallos jumping in a few times to ensure I didn’t miss any important detail, we shared how we had defeated twenty-five of the impressive beasts. We shared how at least five Minotaur had shown considerable intelligence compared to the simple monsters they commanded, as well as of the fuming monstrosity leading the band named Narek. With each word, I imagined Baracus’ eyes widen further but he remained professional and only interrupted a few times to ask clarifying questions.
“It is quite the tale, Xazorus,” the captain said when we finished. We had moved to a nearby set of chairs surrounding a similarly stained oak table, though only a quarter of the size of the one that monopolized the room. “I am surprised even more you were able to emerge victorious. Such a feat would have taken perhaps three or four scores of my finest soldiers and, certainly, without a significant amount of casualties. Your prowess as a Hunter is growing, and the legend of what you did will no doubt ring around the city in only a day. Thank you, truly, for uprooting a horde of monsters who would have taken days or weeks to displace.” Well-earned respect and mirth radiated out from the man. It had been a vibrant retelling of our story these past days.
“I would not have been able to do it without Tallos, here,” I said and gestured to the proud ranger at my side. “He was instrumental in the success of the mission.”
Baracus nodded to us as a previously stored notification popped up in my field of vision. Sure enough, we had completed the quest, and the System was calculating the rewards. This was likely why it had maximized itself once more.
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the quest ‘Vengeance of the Waylaid.’
Objective One: Locate the unknown enemy encampment, ‘Advanced Outpost, Reinforced Palisade,' COMPLETED.
Objective Two: Slay all monsters. Vagabond Minotaurs, 0 of 25 remaining. Defeat ‘Narek the Indominable,’ 0 of 1 remaining. COMPLETED.
Objective Three: Locate the missing supply shipment from Raines, 15 of 15. COMPLETED.
Objective Four: Report back to Guard Captain, Baracus. COMPLETED.
Rewards: Experience, a level-appropriate spell or skill, and a possible clue as to the whereabouts of Hunter Duke.
Calculating rewards… Please stand by.