Chapter Twenty-Four – The Limits of a Hero
A surge of blue light and a whooshing, breathtaking feeling were all it took to see Tara safely back in the Shieldmistress’s Vale.
Tara was immediately relieved. Something about this place, out of time and yet part of everything, made her calm. The misty clouds swirling under her feet were strange, but she was pretty used to strange by now. Here, at least, she didn’t have to be so careful about what she said or did.
“Tara MacQueen,” said the Shieldmistress, looking up from tending the iron skill tree. “Back so soon?”
Tara stomped towards the elf. Something about Altheria made her feel increasingly childlike, perhaps because the Shieldmistress seemed to have so many answers and insight into things that were still completely baffling to Tara.
“There’s something wrong with the game—I mean, down there,” said Tara awkwardly. “In Allerion.”
“Ah,” said the elf. She paused in smoothing the rough edges of one of the skill tree’s crystals. “Do you still think of this as a game, Tara MacQueen?”
“Why does everyone like saying my full name so much?” complained Tara. “I mean, I know I typed it in the character name slot, but you guys could just call me Tara. I honestly wouldn’t mind. I mean—Tara MacQueen is kind of a joke.”
The fair elf’s blue eyes were unwavering. “There is nothing humorous about names, Tara,” she said. “A name is as special as a blessing.”
“Could you please just call me ‘Tara,’ though?” begged Tara.
“Very well, Hero of Allerion.” A mischievous smile quirked the Shieldmistress’s mouth at Tara’s groan. “Now please tell me what your trouble is. Do you need to practice one of the skills you unlocked?”
“No,” said Tara. “Not yet, anyway. It’s just, we’re at the cave called Wanderer’s Bane. I found the secret entrance. But we can’t go in.”
There was a moment’s silence.
“Yes?” prompted the Shieldmistress.
“We can’t go in,” repeated Tara. “It’s like there’s some kind of barrier holding us back. Wenrik and Horon both tried and none of us can enter. Kell said it’s some kind of rare magic—”
“Kell?” Altheria’s eyes narrowed.
“Yes, the fey we rescued from a bear,” said Tara. “Is something wrong?”
The elf seemed to consider. Although she maintained her outward calm, Tara sensed she was disturbed.
“No, nothing,” she said. “This barrier you speak of. It is nothing for you to worry about. It simply means that as a hero of Allerion, you are allowed to enter a dungeon with only two companions. I believe you are currently in the company of three.”
“You mean four,” said Tara. “Horon, Wenrik, Elita, and Kell.”
The Shieldmistress beckoned for her to follow. They went past the chest with its special, purchasable items to an area with the mist cleared to reveal a smooth, bare floor.
Standing together, their faces void of any thought or feeling, were Horon, Wenrik, and Elita.
Tara’s mouth opened and closed. The figures were breathing, life-like, but they were neither moving nor seeing.
“You must choose two of them to join you in Wanderer’s Bane,” said Altheria. “Select the companions who you believe will benefit you the most in your quest.”
“They all benefit me,” said Tara, slightly stung by the elf’s cool words.
“But not equally,” said the Shieldmistress. “And these are the rules, Tara—Tara.” Tara noticed that Altheria caught herself from saying her full name, and was grateful. “If there is one thing you must know as a hero of Allerion, it’s that going against rules is never allowed. It simply cannot be done.”
Tara paused, thinking. “Yes, but in the game they don’t know I’m picking and choosing,” she said. “Here, they will. Won’t they be…hurt?”
“They will honor the significance of this mystery,” said the Shieldmistress.
Tara wasn’t entirely satisfied, but she wasn’t going to argue. “Why isn’t Kell here?”
“Kell is not a companion.”
Tara glanced at her. “But that’s not true. He’s following us.”
“Yes.” The Shieldmistress’s jaw clenched slightly. “This is strange and new to me. Nonetheless, despite his presence, Kell is not a companion.”
“Do you know something about him?” asked Tara. “You don’t seem to like him.”
“I accept him for who he is,” said the fair elf.
“Is he dangerous? Will he hurt us? You can give me a hint.”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“No,” said Altheria. “This you must discover for yourself. Already, your path is a unique one. I shall watch your progress with interest, Tara.”
Tara opened and closed her mouth it. She could see that the Shieldmistress had made up her mind not to answer any more questions about Kell.
“Alright then,” she sighed. “Let me see the stats for Wenrik.”
The table appeared next to Borzerk warrior’s motionless figure. Tara felt a slight, uneasy chill. While it seemed natural in-game, in person there was something oddly clinical about these. She didn’t think she had ever been so uncomfortable since her arrival in Allerion.
Character Name
Stats
Special Skill
Wenrik
Stamina: 150
Strength: 160
Intelligence: 82
Dexterity: 120
Magic: 30
Bloodrage - When a Borzerk succumbs to bloodrage, they are able to fight with +50 strength and sustain terrible injuries for a short period of time. This skill costs 100 stamina.
Dual Strike – During combat, the warrior performs a critical strike, increasing damage by 5%. This skill costs 20 stamina.
“He’s gained intelligence since you increased in skill,” observed Altheria, amused. “Interesting.”
“Yeah,” muttered Tara under her breath. “He must be learning from my mistakes.” She glanced at Horon. “What about him?”
Character Name
Stats
Special Skill
Horon
Stamina: 100
Strength: 92
Intelligence: 100
Dexterity: 100
Magic: 80
Speechcraft - in tight situations, the Fen use their gift of persuasion to temporarily calm or confuse a threat. Cost: 70 dexterity.
Skull Crush – during combat, the warrior executes a critical strike, stunning the enemy for 3 seconds.
“His strength has increased,” said Altheria. “The Fen are a hardy, strong people.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure this is entirely accurate,” said Tara. “Speechcraft? Horon? He can barely stand talking to anyone but Elita and Wenrik.”
“People can surprise you,” murmured the Shieldmistress. “I expect you want to see details on Elita as well?”
New text appeared next to the little gnome’s motionless figure.
Character Name
Stats
Special Skill
Elita
Stamina: 52
Strength: 50
Intelligence: 250
Dexterity: 150
Magic: 120
Vanish - gnomes have the ability to become invisible for short bursts of time. This costs 20% of their magic and -10 strength.
Barricade – The gnome can use the terrain around its companions to construct a defense against attackers, increasing companions’ strength by 2%.
“The values don’t always seem significant,” said the Shieldmistress. “But every increase is worth something. Since meeting you, Elita’s endurance has grown since you’ve known her. It is remarkable how you all benefit from working together.”
Tara wasn’t really listening. She was unhappy, thinking how she was going to split the three friends apart.
“What should I do?” she asked.
The Shieldmistress turned a critical eye towards her. Her lips pursed. “You really are the most unusual hero I have met,” she observed. “Most would be comparing your potential companions’ skills and how it will benefit you in your quest, for the benefit of all.”
“They’re not potential companions,” said Tara. “They are my companions. And I don’t want to hurt any of them.” She gnawed her lip anxiously. “I need Elita, that’s for sure. Her Barricade skill will be a huge help. As for Horon and Wenrik—that’s more of a coin toss. Horon is probably more of a tank than DPS.”
“They are both skilled warriors,” agreed Altheria.
“I’ll take Horon,” decided Tara.
“Oh?” The Shieldmistress was intrigued by her swift decision. “May I ask why, Tara?”
“Horon talks big,” said Tara, “but he’s not nearly as insensitive as he pretends. It would tear him apart to be separated from both Wenrik and Elita. Now Wenrik, he’s loyal to them both, but he’s more independent. He’ll handle the distance much better.” She frowned. “What about Kell? Do I have to be worried about him?”
“He isn’t a companion,” repeated Altheria with disturbing coolness. “You will be able to enter the cave with him.”
“Because…he brings nothing to our side?” asked Tara. “He won’t help us? Will he try to stop us?”
“I cannot predict the future, hero.”
“But you can maybe take a wild guess?” persuaded Tara. “The minute I mentioned Kell, you had a face on like someone had walked over your grave. What do you know about him?”
“Very little,” said the Shieldmistress. Her manner was somewhat frosty.
“Shieldmistress, I know you’re hiding something—”
“He is not supposed to be with you,” interrupted the fair elf suddenly. “He is supposed to be dead.”
Tara didn’t speak at once. She was shocked. “What?”
“The bear you saved him from was meant to kill him,” said Altheria. “You would have searched his body and discover a letter that would tell you all you were ever meant to know about him. You would collect a few coins and a tarnished, silver ring of hardly any value. You might grieve. And then you would forget about him.”
Tara stared at the Shieldmistress as if she had never seen her before.
“That is how it has always been,” murmured Altheria, her voice drifting back to its former serenity. Again, her eyes went to Tara’s. “Until now.”
Tara was silent, rigid.
“I don’t know what this change means,” said the Shieldmistress. “My advice is to destroy the anomaly at once.”
Tara inhaled. “What do you mean?”
“Send him away,” said the Shieldmistress.
“But you said…'destroy’…”
The elf’s eyes were stone. “Do you think he will survive the wilderness? He is one of the last of a dying, nearly forgotten people. He will join them as a memory.”
“No,” whispered Tara. “How can you say that?”
“Because while he lives, he is a threat to the fulfillment of your quest as a Hero of Allerion,” said Altheria. “His very presence endangers us all. Even a pebble can change the course of a stream.”
“I can’t believe you’re talking like this,” said Tara, astonished. “You want me to murder someone?”
“There is a difference between murder and sacrifice,” said the fair elf. “And we are depending on you. All of Allerion is depending on you.”
“No,” said Tara. “I’ll do everything I can for Allerion. But not like this.”
“Then you will fail, Tara MacQueen,” said the Shieldmistress. “And so will we.”