Though she expected to be haunted again, the voice didn’t come to her even after she sat for a few minutes. The gobo’s corpse turned into a treasure chest as she stared at it. Pushing up onto her knees, she crawled over. Inside was five tokens, a fair number of coins, and to her surprise, a couple of items! Her first real items!

<<[ Patchwork Silk Robe (Unidentified)]>>

<< Bound - Armor - Robe - Rank -- >>

<< Armor +2 >>

<< It appears to be a simple, colorful silk robe.>>

<< Required Level: -- - Rarity: -- - Class Requirements: -- >>

<<[Citrine Staff (Unidentified]>>

<< Bound - Weapon - Staff - Rank -- >>

<< Damage +2 >>

<< It appears to be a simple staff, perhaps magical in nature. .>>

<< Required Level: -- - Rarity: -- - Class Requirements: -- >>

Even though it wasn’t identified, she equipped the robe—which was basically just a step up from rags—and put the staff in her inventory. While she didn’t like her dagger, she felt safer using it for now.

One by one, she went through the other boxes in the room. One of them, she assumed, would have the item she needed since the gobos themselves didn’t. She might cry if it was an uncommon drop and she needed to wait for those monsters to respawn.

There was very little of interest. Most of what was in the boxes was junk items like spoons and scraps of metal and cloth. Maybe she could sell them for a few copper, but that was all. She did find a bottle of wine that she decided to bring back for the gatekeeper. Finally, in the third box, she found it.

Unlike Ororos’s riddle, which she had solved by sheer luck, Guin was pretty confident that she knew the answer to the rabbit’s riddle. Gingerly, she lifted the cloth-wrapped item out of the box. Unwrapping it revealed a book bound in fine leather. It was a beautiful item. She slipped in her pack and went through the rest of the boxes, but it seemed her luck had ended with the drops.

Satisfied, Guin began her way back to where the three fools waited. The cave had already spawned a handful of gobos before she left, and she took care of them efficiently. By the time she exited the cave, all four of the skills she had been using leveled up.

<< Skill Leveled Up! >>

<<[Fox Form]>>

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<< Shapeshift into a small fox. You cannot cast in this form. This ability cannot be used in the Veil. >>

<< Speed increases by 20%, Attack decreases by 80%. >>

<< Cast Time: 5 Seconds - Duration: 1 Minute, 30 Seconds - Cooldown: 1 Minute >>

<< Skill Leveled Up! >>

<<[Spirit Armor]>>

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<< Summons a thin layer of spirit power from within to protect you. >>

<< Armor increases by 4%. >>

<< Cast Time: 10 Seconds - Duration: 15 Minutes - Cooldown: 1 Minute >>

<< Skill Leveled Up! >>

<<[Backstab]>>

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<< Your weapon shines with a peculiar thirst. >>

<< Your next attack to the back of an enemy is an automatic critical hit. >>

<< Cast Time: Instant - Duration: 15 Seconds - Cooldown: 10 Seconds >>

<< Skill Leveled Up! >>

<<[Trip]>>

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<< You are adept at tripping people. When you trip someone, you have a chance to knock them off balance. >>

<< 3% Chance to cause [Unbalance] for 10 Seconds. >>

<< Cast Time: Instant - Duration: Instant - Cooldown: 10 Seconds >>

Use of stat points aside, her skills were leveling up much faster than she thought they would. The tutorial learning bonus was no joke. Entering the main game would be as crushing to her in-game now as the real world was to a graduating high school senior.

Tik-Tak joined her with a happy bounce as she exited the cave, and together they pressed on. By the time she was through with all the Moarbits and the Beedants in the area, both were up to ‘C’ rank, and she could finally see their health bars.

Ororos was waiting for her with a toothy grin.

“The girl has returned in one piece, it seems!” he exclaimed with an amused-sounding voice.

Jeek appeared out from her hole. “So it has,” she said. “Welcome back, candidate. Did you find the treasure in the cave?”

Guin pulled the book out from her inventory, still wrapped in the cloth. “Is this what you were looking for?”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“Wohh,” went the rabbit in wonder, taking the book in her paws greedily and unwrapping it without a second thought. It was the most emotive Jeek had ever been in front of Guin. “Yess, yes! This is it! I am impressed!” She flipped through the book.

“Well then,” Ororos said. “We shall take our things back now—hopefully, they have been of use to you!” he held a paw out, and Guin gave him back the dagger. She also returned the foot to Jeek—who was too preoccupied to notice—and held out the cloak for Lili, who she assumed was in his usual tree.

As expected, he hopped down a moment later and landed on her shoulder. He took back the cloak and said rather sheepishly, “Miss candidate... I know that you have just returned from Jeek’s quest, but I wonder if you might do me a small favor as well....”

Tilting her head, Guin asked, “What could I do for you?”

“You see...” he began, seemingly ashamed of himself. “I forgot which tree I lived in.”

Like a comedy act, Guin, Ororos, and Jeek nearly fell overhearing the squirrel’s words.

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(You have lost the items: Jeek’s Lucky Foot, Fang of Ororos, and Lili’s Family Tree.).>

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<

Lili the Black Squirrel has asked you to find something: “I forgot which tree I lived in.”

This quest is optional. It can be skipped.>>

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“You—” Ororos began, hackles rising. Instead of yelling, he decided to just chase after Lili. Jeek sighed and took her book and paw back into her hole.

Then, in her left ear, a now familiar—though now rather disgusted—voice muttered, “Foolish rodent. I say, girl, I offer you a... proposal. I will give you an extra chance to guess who I am. You can guess who I am once you finish the quests of all three fools—or, you can name me now, and I shall give you the answer to the final... erm... ‘riddle.’ If you are wrong now, there shall be no punishment. I am just starting to find this game of theirs dull. Call out the answer, and I shall appear before you.”

Guin snorted, watching the animals chase each other. It sounded reasonable to her. Aside from the fact that it liked to terrify her, she was starting to rather like this ghost of hers. “Conquest. War. Famine,” she muttered. “I know you not, but name you the Harbinger of Death.”

The voice chuckled. The two who had been running around came to a halt, and Jeek popped her head out. First, there came silence. Then—there was a sound of purring as something nuzzled against her cheek. Even though part of her expected something like this to happen, it took her a moment to accept it. She lifted her hand up to what appeared to be a large, pale blue-grey cat with silvery eyes. After nuzzling her a bit, it jumped off her shoulder, landing gracefully on the grass in front of them.

“Indeed,” it said, flicking its tail and looking at her with dignity. “I am Liorax Sith, the Jester of Death. I am that which follows all, but not all acknowledge. That you can see our forms and hear our voice; ‘tis a rare thing.”

Ororos bared his teeth and sneered, “Where have you been?”

“Why do you care?” the pale cat asked with a bored voice as it put its rear end in the wolf’s face. “By the way, on behalf of the girl, your tree is this one, stupid squirrel.” Liorax went over and marked one of the trees.

“Get away from my tree!” Lili shouted, trying to chase the cat away. Liorax adopted a pouncing pose. Its butt gave an adorable wiggle as it lunged. Squeaking furiously, Lili ran up into his tree.

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< You have solved the riddle of the spirit that haunts you. What you do with the knowledge is now up to you. >

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Choice? Guin looked at the spirits. Liorax jumped back up onto her shoulders. It rubbed its tail against her face.

“You have found me out, and now you have come to my reward for doing so,” it said. Guin tilted her head. “Before you, you now have all four Jesters of the Court of Harbingers. Now, the one whom you choose to lead you to Wise shall be the one to haunt you as you continue your journey in Uldarin. Choose which of us whose blessings you would prefer to have on your journey.”

Blinking, Guin looked between the four, all of whom were looking at her with rather expectant eyes. She had a choice in this?

Conquest. War. Famine. Death. But what did that even mean?

“H-How should I think to choose?” She asked them.

Ororos stepped forward first. “Let us introduce ourselves properly. I am Ororos Fenris, Jester of Conquest. My eyes are as sharp as my teeth, and my paws are silent as a shadow. I am a patron of the rouge arts, a leader of assassins, archers, thieves, and criminals abound. Choose me to follow you on your path, and I shall teach you my ways.”

Jeek hopped forward. “I am Jeek Jack, Jester of War. I may look cute and fluffy, but my nature is that of power. I am fast and strong and a master of tactics. I am a patron of combat and honor; a warrior among warriors; a soldier, a knight. Choose me to follow you on your path, and I shall share with you all my wisdom in the coming days.”

Lili crossed his arms and stared down from his tree. “I am Lili Breaker, Jester of Famine. My weapon is my mind, my words, and my motions. I am a patron of the mage arts, a magician of unusual talents, a healer, and a leader among all those who would commune with both the natural and arcane worlds. Choose me to follow you on your path, and I shall share with you my brilliance and power.”

Liorax jumped down from her shoulder and sat on the ground. “And I am Liorax Sith, Jester of Death. My weapon of choice is unpredictability and mastery of the universe. I am as much a patron of life as I am of death—though my talents are better put to use in the slaying of enemies than the curing of wounds. I can do all, yet I need to master none of it to accomplish my aims. Choose me as your companion, and nothing for you shall change.”

Crossing her arms, Guin considered the four before her. This was some kind of class path choice, she realized. If that was so, then did she need to choose? She didn’t want to be a rogue, she knew that much, but she hadn’t gotten a chance to try other means of combat yet.

“Then,” she began. Why change now? She had actually become quite fond of the voice that had helped her get this far, anyway. “Then I should keep you, Liorax. You have been with me since the start.”

Liorax grinned—very much like the Cheshire Cat indeed. “Are you certain?” it asked. “Once you make this choice, then I, Death, shall follow you to the grave and beyond.”

“I’m sure,” Guin nodded. “You’ve helped me thus far—I feel that I owe you. Will you continue with me and take me to Wise?”

“Very well,” said the cat, hopping into the air, stopping to float in front of her. Its green eyes glowed brightly, and behind it flashed a bright green, eight-pointed star. “I am now eternally bound to your person. As I am the Harbinger of Death, so now are you.”

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This quest is optional. It can be skipped.>>

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Guin smiled as Liorax landed on her shoulder and started nuzzling her face again.

The other three nodded at them.

“Good luck then, candidate!” Lili said. “Call on us again if you need to!” The squirrel then proceeded to disappear into his tree.

“We shall meet again, I am certain!” Jeek said, going back down into her hole.

“Don’t fear the future, child,” Ororos said. “Call on us if need be.” The wolf then shot into the woods.

“Where did they go?” Tik-Tak asked, walking up to her and Liorax.

Shrugging, Guin answered, “Home?”

Liorax laughed. “Shall I take you to Wise?”

Guin nodded. Liorax took to hopping on the air, bouncing on nothing, and occasionally just flying. The cat was certainly the first spirit she had seen to really act like a ghost might—though she guessed that they weren’t really the same thing. Tik-Tak bounded after the cat, asking silly questions about who they were and if they knew about foxes and hunters.

First, they would find Wise, and then, she would see about helping poor Tik-Tak and his mother. Then what? She should ask Stella what her plans were later. Smiling, Guin re-cast her spells and went bounding off after them.