Beyond my initial estimations our party would oversleep when settling into bed late the night before, my eyes flickered open as the first rays of the day breached our curtained windows. Based on the sheer quantity of beer we imbibed, I was positive we wouldn’t wake up until closer to mid-day. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I was pleased it wasn’t the case. We would be able to make good use of the morning now. Even better, I realized my head completely lacked the expected pounding headache I should have had when waking up. A smile spread across my lips as the clatter from the street filtered into our room.
Rocking forward slightly in an attempt to sit up, I discovered how uncomfortable my rest had been for at least the last portion of the evening. Lowki, who had initially plopped himself down on Tallos’ cot, must have crept over at some point to intrude on my bed instead. I couldn’t recall when it happened, but Lowki decided to put himself dead center in our twin bed and, as a result, forced me to the very edge of our mattress. With one arm nearly hanging off the side, I turned my head to gaze over his slumbering bulk. Apparently, with future inns, I would need to inquire if a bed equivalent to a California King was available for rent.
Stella was no longer cradled in my arms, and when I turned my head to peer over the muscular body of Lowki, a weight shifted atop my head. I turned my head back slightly to see midnight black paws hanging across my forehead. Stella moved herself at some point, most likely when Lowki forced his way into the middle of our bed, to instead straddle my wavy brown locks. As I adjusted, Stella’s petite claws reflexively hugged my skin as if threatening me to remain motionless.
Trying to look towards her, not risking her claws to be extended across my scalp further, I reached my hand to pry one of her paws away gently. “Hey, Stella,” I said softly. “Mind letting go of my scalp?”
She mumbled a reply which sounded awfully like, “Five more minutes,” though it sounded like she was speaking through a mouthful of bread.
When her claws finally retracted as she drifted further asleep, I jerked my head off my pillow and sat upright. With the sudden disappearance of my body, her unconscious weight rolled towards the depression I made in the soft bed. She ended with her back against my hip, though barely stirred as she tumbled.
Tallos began picking himself out of bed, though I wasn’t sure if he had already been in the process of waking, or if I woke him. Neither of us felt particularly rushed in the morning air, though part of me wanted to head out sooner rather than later. In an attempt to wake Lowki, I twisted in bed so my feet hung off the side, before leaning back forcefully. The movement moved him no more than if I had slammed my back into a solitary boulder. He barely seemed to notice as my half-elven weight crashed atop him. However, I could understand why since Lowki outweighed me by something like four to one.
Seeing Stella and Lowki’s stubbornness to continue sleeping, I figured more direct action was needed. Springing up to my feet in one fluid motion, my abrupt disappearance once more caused Stella to rock in place. “Xaz,” she muttered sleepily before placing a paw over her closed eyes. “That wasn’t nice, I was trying to sleep.”
“Time to wake up,” I cooed in her ear as I bent close. When that didn’t work, I tousled the hair on her head. Finally rousing my small friend from her beauty sleep, I added, “The day’s a wasting.”
Stella blew a raspberry and exaggerated rolling her eyes at me. Though, in short order, she was hovering over the bed as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. Lowki, for his part, still hadn’t budged.
“How did you sleep?” I called over to Tallos as he donned his leather chest piece. Pulling the hard leather over his lithe frame, his deft fingers worked at the straps as he slipped an arm through his lone leather pauldron. The earthy greens and dusty tan of his garb fit his persona as if calling attention to his free-spirited nature. The armor fit him perfectly as if it had grown around him like a natural extension of his body. While the hardened leather wasn’t magically enchanted, it provided a decent amount of protection against all but head-on strikes.
“Fairly well,” Tallos replied absently as he clasped his belt and two quivers. “Though much better once Lowki gave me full control of my bed.” He turned his eyes to the ever-sleeping form of Lowki’s immense body, snorting a chuckle. “Thanks for your sacrifice, Xaz.”
“Though,” he continued as he craned his neck. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he bore a pained expression as he closed his eyes. “I’ll need some water to break the ache pounding behind my eyes.”
I looked over to the floating Stella, who caught my gaze but failed to respond to my curious look. “So, why is he hungover, and I’m not?” I asked when she didn’t catch my meaning. “I’m pretty sure I drank more than he did.”
Stella stared back silently, letting out a slight sigh. “Because you’re a Hunter, and he is not,” she replied as if her statement perfectly explained why only Tallos was feeling the aftereffects of our evening. When I moved my hands as if in confusion, she continued. “As a Hunter, you enjoy all the benefits of drinking, but none of the side effects. You can’t get hung over, like the rest of us.” This last bit, she rubbed a paw against the side of her temple.
“A wonderful gift you have, though a part of me wishes you could lend it to me right about now,” Tallos said with a small grunt of pain. “I’ll be fine enough, once we get moving.”
“Speak for yourself,” Stella replied absently. “I don’t think I can muster the energy to move out, just yet.”
As she finished her comment, I moved close and helped her to my shoulder. “Lucky for you,” I smiled up at her. “You need only rest here.”
“I’m not going to complain about that,” Stella replied contentedly. “What’s the plan for the morning again?”
“First, we’re going to check on the price of a pair of horses, though I doubt we have enough funds to cover it just yet,” I answered as I followed Tallos’ lead in equipping my blazeweave armor set. It was far easier for me though, as I only needed to move each from my inventory screen to my character sheet, each piece appearing instantly as I did. The magically reinforced fabric always reminded me of the clothes a Samurai might wear beneath his hardened raiment. “After checking, we’ll be heading north to the bridge spanning the channel away from the Ceres Sea. It shouldn’t take us more than an hour to get there by foot if we can’t acquire new mounts.”
“And from there?”
“Thankfully, my in-game map was updated with the details shared by Baracus. Though it was mostly the general topography between us, and the settlement described as potentially being Duke’s,” I replied as I expanded my mini map. Tallos couldn’t see the screen but didn’t seem bothered as he continued getting ready. “There’s a town, here, called Mammoth that’s about a day’s travel east of the bridge. So, I think we should head there, hopefully before nightfall.”
We were ready to go, though Lowki still hadn’t budged. Trying something new, I clicked my tongue, seeing if that would work where force had failed. As if he had been awake the whole time, the great cat sprung off the bed with surprising quickness and agility. Stella jostled backward in surprise, though kept her position by grabbing firm with her claws.
Leaving the inn, we inquired with some nearby guards, learning of a horse stable only a couple hundred feet outside the city wall. Thanking the men, our group crossed under the open portcullis at a leisurely pace. Empowered by my movement song buff, our footfalls sped us along as if we were instead moving at a fast power walk. Soon after, paddocks of a dozen grazing horses marked our destination. Sadly, the barn owner turned us away as we couldn’t cover the twenty-five-gold cost for even one of the fine animals.
“Sorry, Stell, though I’m not sure why you’re disappointed,” I said. She seemed rather displeased at the outcome of the visit. Around us, people of all sorts were coming and going with more than a few heavily laden wagons clogging the narrow boulevard. “You’ll be resting on one of our shoulders the whole way.”
Stella didn’t respond, so I didn’t press further. My best guess was she enjoyed how much easier it was to chat while on horseback. “I promise, when we can afford it, we’ll get some horses,” I offered, though Stella only nodded in response.
We picked up our pace upon leaving the city’s fringes, leaving behind the bustle of people laughing and calling to one another. Greetings and hails were shared freely as we passed by wagons and a fair share of other travelers, owing to our increased movement speed allowing us to outpace nearly everyone. The morning weather was ideal, with a high enough population of clouds to provide ample shade as the miles passed. The sun shone brightly against the blue sky, and the temperature was warm and comfortable.
Stella still seemed like she was brooding, so I started up some easy banter between her and Tallos. Shortly before a sturdy marble bridge became visible over the horizon, she loosened up and soon her sweet laughter traversed the space between us.
The bridge ahead was composed of five arched piers, with the largest diameter semi-circle in the dead center. Large marble blocks stacked atop one another gave the structure an impressive visage. Solid cutwaters split the raging river into five avenues for ships to pass beneath. The parapet along the edge ran some four or five feet above the roadway allowing sight of the multitude of carriages and people walking from one side of the river to the other. Along the corner of each arch were elegantly chiseled depictions of impressive warships giving the look they were engaged in fierce combat.
Even at our present distance, the marble bridge didn’t seem as high when considering the numerous ships between us and the bridge which would need to travel underneath on their way to the Ceres Sea. My eyes narrowed in confusion as the arches rose perhaps four dozen feet from the clipping river’s waterline. Some of the largest ships, with their four masts standing proudly and countless sails unfurled to catch the stiff morning breeze, had no chance of passing through without their upper portions being sheared off.
About to pose a question to Stella, my words caught in my throat as one of the cruisers was a half dozen feet away from colliding with the center arch. No one else seemed to care or even take notice of the upcoming disaster. I gazed on in amazement as the top of the ship, its mast, and billowing sails clipped through the marble foundations, phasing phase straight through. It was like that section of the bridge had been nothing but an illusion, though I knew for certain that was not the case. I could only imagine some formidable magic was at play here to allow such seamless passage. Magic really could solve any problem so it would seem.
As we continued our approach, dozens of ships passed through the bridge to no apparent ill effect. The smaller vessels used the archways closer to the riverbanks, with the largest ships using the centermost three archways. With how tall the parapet was, we noticed that the passage of a ship didn’t impede the steady flow of wagons and people milling about.
Coming around the corner abutment, we finally found our way up to the impressive roadway laid out before us. Running across to the far side of the bridge was a single, incredibly long, marble slab. The bridge was a good sixty feet wide. Horse-drawn carriages and wagons traveled the center of the bridge, while pedestrians walked close to the edge next to finely polished wood handrails that ran down the entire length. As we moved along with the flow of foot traffic, I was treated to the mysterious magic of the bridge firsthand.
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From our new perspective, it was now the masts and many sails that seemed to phase out of existence like some ghostly apparition as it passed through the marble structure. At one point, a horse-drawn carriage moved right through a mast that was four feet in diameter, and not even the horse gave it a second thought.
“This is some impressive magic,” I muttered in disbelief after seeing such a remarkable display.
“I do love seeing the look of wonder on your face, Xaz,” Stella said beside me. Her head tilted forward so she could see my entire face. “I’m surprised you didn’t expect such a thing after witnessing the floating obelisks back in Allerton.”
“Maybe one day I’ll get used to the wonderous nature of this world,” I said, my eyes taking in the simplicity of the bridgework around us. “That day is not today, however.”
Crossing to the far east side, we saw where most of the people were traveling to and from. Running the entire east side of the coastline, all the way to the sapphire ocean far in the distance, were the most magnificent homes I had seen in the world. Mansion-sized estates, marble manors, and intricately carved wooden households, each enormous enough to cover a city block, arrayed one after the other. Each luxurious home had a pathway down to the edge of the river which hosted sprawling docks filled with expensive-looking sailing yachts.
“The rich and famous side of Allerton so it would seem,” I muttered as we left the impressive marble structure behind. The familiar grassland with thousands of small hillocks from the western side of the river, gave way to expansive country fields of forests and tilled farmland the further away from the capital we traveled.
Pausing on the side of the road for lunch, we enjoyed a meal of sliced ham and dried fruits. Thanks to the properties of my bag of holding, the nutritious pork was piping hot as if we had just been handed it by the preparing chef. Stella, like usual, summoned a small dipping cup of Marv’s special sauce.
Friendly passersby waved to us as we rested, most heading toward the capital. Though, a few of the wagons we overtook earlier caught up as we relaxed on our break. One young wagon driver who caught my attention wore a particularly wide grin as he passed by.
Packing up, our bellies warm and satisfied, we continued. In short order, we fast overtook the same waggoner from earlier. As we did the driver called out a friendly taunt at our backs. He promised, in an embellished inflection about how he would, ‘catch up’ and ‘pass us by’ as soon as we paused for our evening meal. Seemingly in good fun, as if the driver was poking fun at our magically enhanced speed, I only waved and smiled back at the man. Unbeknownst to my friends, I had just silently accepted the man’s challenge and, when we were out of eyesight, I intentionally increased our tempo to a light jog.
When Stella inquired why we quickened our pace, saying we were in no rush, I insincerely responded, “The exercise will feel good under the afternoon sun.” Stella gave me a side eye as if she knew my real intentions. I didn’t see it, but she mouthed the word ‘ego’ to a smiling Tallos.
As the miles disappeared, Tallos and I chatted more than a fair bit. He shared tales of his free-spirited childhood among his elven brethren. Midway through his telling, images of absurdly tall trees with dozens of suspended bridges spanning wide wooden platforms, everything a few hundred feet in the air, unfurled in my imagination.
“Kelewithe is a true wonder to behold,” Tallos said of his home city. “Most of our homes are built within the enormous naturally formed tree hollows, or directly upon the platforms using only reclaimed lumber of fallen trees.”
“Sounds like it would be a spectacular sight to see one day,” I replied wistfully.
“You need only wait then a good tenday, as you’ll see similarly constructed homes when we reach the elven kingdom we’re heading for.”
Motioned to slow our hurried pace as I figured we created more than enough space between us and our inevitable pursuer, Tallos continued describing his upbringing. “My parents were wood carvers by trade, making everything from tables and chairs to more decorative pieces sold to nearby human cities,” Tallos reminisced as he bounded lightly on his toes as we walked. “They wanted to impress upon me their desire for carving the marvelous heartwood of Kelewithe teak. Unfortunately for them, I had long instead developed wanderlust for the forest. My homeland’s woodland spanned a hundred miles in all directions. Where I was born, a world away and many days south of the human capital city, I fell in love with the land, the forest, and the ever-peaceful prairies.
Tallos glanced up into the cumulus clouds floating lazily over our heads as he recollected old memories. “While the death of my parents had been devastating, I count myself blessed in a way. The awful tragedy brought my aching soul to my oldest friend, my mentor. He was a like-minded warden, named Zeik. He saw within me, an orphaned child, a kindred spirit. Soon after my parents passed, Zeik adopted me and took me under his wing. For the next two decades, he taught me all I know. From archery to herbalism, to stalking prey regardless of their size, Zeik guided me. Without him, I don’t think I ever would have had the courage to leave my hometown. He was once quoted as saying my spirit, my ‘essence,’ was akin ‘to the gale of a thunderstorm.’ Always roaming, always seeking a new challenge, that’s who I am.”
“Sounds like someone I would very much like to meet,” I remarked. Tallos had a glow about him as if the memories sparked something deep within himself. “So, what brought you to sign on as a member of the Moon Siren?”
“You would have been able to consider yourself blessed, had you been able to meet my friend and mentor. I believe he would have immediately taken a liking to you, as I did. Zeik’s death was, in a way, responsible for my decision to leave my birthplace. Zeik fell in battle defending a distant elven hamlet against the same giant monsters who took my parent’s lives. Zeik’s death enraged me at first, I won’t lie, but my anger was tempered by the wise counsel of our village’s elders. Instead of charging out, which likely would have resulted in my death, I was charged with exploring the world to find like-minded people. As you saw among the varied nature of his crew, Larsa welcomed aboard any man or woman regardless of their heritage. I was quick to see this honorable man held no ill will like so many other humans did against those who didn’t share their heritage.”
“Even before I met the man,” Tallos narrated as he continued his story, a cheerful look upon his striking face. “I first learned of Captain Larsa from a half dozen elves, all passing through my home on their way through the expansive forest kingdom. Stories shared about Larsa instantly reminded me of Zeik. So, when I decided to embark on my adventure away from Kelewithe, I intentionally sought the man out. My respected elders were correct in their counsel, telling me my purpose would become clear upon finding souls akin to my own.” Tallos turned his head skyward, breathing in the beautiful summer air as if summoning pure contentment into his being. “I miss my friend, Zeik, deeply. In his honor, I dedicate myself to saving innocent people against any giant or their kin. So, after you saved my life and were sent to bring justice to those marauding Minotaur, I knew my life’s journey was being altered.”
“I can say confidently if you are anything like your old friend,” I said, the corner of my lip rising in a smile. “Then he was certainly the hero you’ve described him to be. You will make his memory proud.”
“Zeik reminds me of my friend, Stouter,” Stella added cheerily a few moments later, though a single tear had fallen upon her cheek. “If those two had met, they would have certainly become the heroes told as the legends they were.”
“Without a doubt,” Tallos agreed as he invited Stella to share a place on his shoulder. Stella smiled gratefully and landed lightly next to his head. “The noble duo would certainly have inspired many to follow in their wake.”
By early evening, the gentle breeze that had been accompanying us all morning gave way to moderate gusts which created eddies of dirt particles that likely skirted the roadway. The bright sky above was soon encased in dense cloud cover, with only irregular breaks allowing sunlight to fall upon our path. Our party shared more tales as we closed in on our destination. We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Stella would jump in from time to time, making one joke or another, all the while flitting between our shoulders.
With the frequent travelers heading in both directions, there was no need to scout for potential ambushes, so Lowki kept himself close. He was broad enough at the shoulder’s so I could rest a hand upon him as we walked. He seemed to appreciate the contact, so much that he would brush against my hip to prompt a desired pet or scratch of his ears. The rolling prairies, more prominent on the opposite side of the capital, gave way to the eastern landscape that was lined with trees, graceful meadows, and pastures. Butterflies and dragonflies zoomed about randomly, and small gophers and deer moved around carelessly. The warm earth, pollen, and countless flowers permeated the air around us. Birds cawed lazily among the squirrels and chipmunks chirping excitedly, so our worries evaporated in the serene atmosphere.
When I shared tales from my life back on Earth, my stories raptly held Tallos and Stella’s attention. I spoke of the wonders of science and technology, and a fair amount of my favorite movies and video games. Stella always perked up at those parts.
“I like this television device you’ve talked about,” Stella said at one point. “In a way, it reminds me a lot of the audience tuning into the Game, here on this world and thousands of others. With your shows from your old home, millions would excitedly watch their favorite contestants, just like Hunters here. If I ever could, I’d like to play some of the video games you’ve talked about. Sounds like fun, being the hero saving the world and all.”
“You already are a hero, Stell,” I said confidently which had Stella beaming back at the kind words.
We continued, mostly in silence as we enjoyed the day, though we did laugh at the odd tale one of us shared. When the sun was closing on the horizon, Stella spoke up, letting us know we would find the next town soon. “As we know, it’s called Mammoth, though don’t let the name fool you. It’s not as large as it would seem,” Stella said as her paw moved over an invisible screen. “The city was actually named for the hunting prey preferred by the settling hunters, now a hundred years past. Mammoth is listed as a medium settlement, both in size and population. It does appear to have seen a generous increase in population in the last year, with many new homes built to accommodate the increase in citizenship.”
Stella sat back on her haunches, pressing a paw to her lips. “Hmm, this is new. I see the city has a magistrate appointed by an official from Allerton, though, I’m reading it was a political posting, almost as if he was placed here as a punishment. This is interesting, normally this type of information isn't available to me. I'm wondering if I can access it because of your increased reputation or increase in levels. Either way, we have greater access than before.”
“That’s a nice added benefit,” I said. “I wonder if that info will help us. See anything else of note?”
“Yeah, so Magistrate Ussek, as I mentioned, has fallen out of favor with the capital city. He has oversight of Mammoth still but doesn’t hold much true political power. Not sure if that helps, but it’s what is listed.”
“We’ll find out, I’m sure,” I said as the town became visible a few miles up the road. Like the village of Merton, the city didn’t have an outer wall or fortification protecting the town. Wood homes ranging from single to triple-story buildings seemed jarring compared to the expansive countryside surrounding Mammoth. The residences were nothing compared to the lavish mansions seen earlier in the day, though were more upscale than those seen in Merton. Coordinated movement caught our attention as a guard patrol came around a city corner. Instead of the plate armor worn in Allerton, these men were protected by tan leather brigands, spaulders, bracers, and reinforced leg guards. Each man had sheathed swords, though as they moved horridly about, they were calling out something we couldn’t make out at this distance.
As we neared the city, it was clear the guards were agitated by something, based on their curt shouts, exaggerated movements, and not to mention their assertive expressions. Of the citizens we could see, most halted their conversations when a patrol drew near, before heading down the road the guards had just come from. Others still, behind the back of the barking soldiers walked in the opposite direction as if they didn’t want to be involved in something.
“Something seems off, wouldn’t you say?” I asked the group.
“Indeed, though, for what reason we cannot yet know,” Tallos replied quietly as we approached the main thoroughfare patrolled by a quad of guards. “Sounds like something about a city-wide meeting.”
As we were about to draw close to the armored men, they abruptly turned around in unison before marching back the way they had come, giving our party not a single glance. “I guess we’ll need to follow to find out,” Stella said casually.
“Hey Stell, does our reputation with Allerton reach out here?” I asked, turning my head in her direction. I recalled receiving a prompt after turning in the Minotaur quest, making me an ‘honored citizen’ of the capital. I was hoping that would extend out here, though I wanted to see if Stella could confirm that or not.
“Yes, it does,” Stella replied quickly. “We should be able to count on your reputation all the way to the edge of Tallos’ elven forest.”
We continued to follow the central road further into the city of Mammoth. Storefronts covered with striped awnings, numerous colorful flower boxes, and tree-lined sidewalks accompanied us as the crowd of people steadily increased as we made our way. We looked to be on a main road heading toward the center of town.
We lost sight of the city guards as they turned down an offshoot road, likely looking to call even more citizens to whatever was happening ahead. “Well,” I said as the townsfolk we were following picked up their pace, furiously whispering among themselves as they trudged on. “Let’s see if we can figure out what has everyone on edge.”
From the clamor and commotion coming from ahead, many people were gathered. Perhaps the entire town.