Chapter 06

Pelle and I were too excited to get some shut eye so we spent most of the late evening going over today’s events. We worked on absorbing our new mana crystals while we talked. The glow of our rings bathed each other in ethereal blue light. The light danced about the room with unending patterns of geometry in a spectrum of blue hues.

“Rogue’s are cool,” Pelle said. “My duos partner was nice. Her name was Cedar. She was shy at first, but when it came to battle she really came out of her shell. All the rogue’s were given long daggers, did you know that?.”

“Cool. How did you like working with Dust of Life by the way?” I said.

“Eh, it’s cool but I’m excited for what comes next. I’d really like to heal with a spell book. I think that’s my ultimate healer’s choice. You?”

“Honestly I don’t know. I’d like something permanent I could leave in places for other people.”

This was the first time I’d ever said this aloud. Honestly, I’m not sure where it even came from. It’s something I’ve daydreamed in the back of my mind. When I say the back of my mind, I mean--the back of my mind. Like, subconscious-subconscious. Pelle “hmm’d” in response and we focused on counting the additions from our mana crystals to our mana bars.

“Nice,” I said, “added 6 to mine for a total of 25. You?”

“My crystal only had 3 points, so 24. I don’t know of any permanent healing sources you can leave somewhere for other people. Do you mean like potions or something? Like, just leave a bunch of potions lying around?”

“I don’t know,” I said, “I am so new to this world. I got a lot to learn. By the way, what does your loot look like? What’d you get?”

I showed Pelle my potions, boots, and scroll. The scroll was sealed and I was afraid to open it. We weren’t able to identify anything from peeking in through the side.

“Let’s see,” she said, “I’ve got some dried flowers, 2 green potions, a club, and a small ring.”

Inspecting each other’s loot was like opening presents. At least it felt that way. Apart from everything’s generic name, we couldn’t identify a single thing. It could be that the ring, the boots, the flowers were just that, but there had to be more to identify--right?

The next day, Garmar was exalted at our successes. Trainers didn’t have to rescue a single duo.

“You should all be very proud of yourselves,” he said. “Now I know you’ve all just settled in your seats and gotten yourselves comfortable, but we are making a trip to the guild post immediately. Go to your rooms, grab your loot, and meet me at the guild post. You will identify, barter, sell, buy, anything and everything you are able to.”

All the classes were arriving at the guild post at different times of the day so we didn’t overwork the merchants. On my second visit, I noticed a lot more booths and counters with different signs above them. It was like the farmers markets that cities had once a week. Except this was like an “adventurers market,” Pelle had joked.

The first thing I was interested in were the potions. I found the healer’s guild post who directed me to the alchemist. “Probably a health potion, and probably a mana potion,” the solemn man had said.

“He’s right on both counts,” The alchemist said, a hunched over fellow with a double chin hidden behind a few wires of beard. “Not worth much to sell them, honestly. Best keep em and use em first, if you ask me.”

“How much do they restore?” I said.

“Mmmnh. Hard to say. It’s safe to guess between 10 and 15 points of health for those two, and 10-15 points of mana for that one. It’s really the color that gives it away. Come back with the glass once you’ve used em--long as you haven’t broken em, I’ll buy em off you Yeanh?”

“Yea I’ll keep that in mind thanks!”

“Young healer. Do you know how to perform an identify function on items?” The hunched man said.

“No, how?”

“Well, you’ll have to use your mana bar for it. It’ll cost you every time you use it. You can pay someone else to do it--like me--but that’s expensive too.”

“Well how do I do it?”

“The same way you cultivate mana using crystals. You can apply this technique to any item. Here watch. You got something else to identify?”

“Uh sure, some boots and uh, this scroll.”

“Which one do you value more?”

“The scroll I guess why?”

“Give me the boots then.”

I handed him the boots and he laid them on the table between us. Other healers were gathering around us and listening in and watching. The hunched fellow began to demonstrate for all of us now. Pelle had come over and flashed me a smile.

“Flow your mana bar into its complete circle like thus,” he said and from both palms formed a ball of splashing mana that stretched out into a multi ringed circle. He moved his circular mana bar over the boots, which began to float until they stopped mid circle and hovered there.

“Identifying something costs permanent mana. The higher the value an item is, the more mana it will permanently cost.”

“Permanently?” A student asked.

“Meaning you have permanently spent mana that cannot be regenerated. For example, I have 6,350 points of mana. I’ve counted. He he he. I will now use 1 mana point to identify these leather boots, leaving me with a maximum total of 6,349 points of mana. If the leather boots are worth something, it will require more mana points--1 by 1 until the item is identified. If you feel you are spending too much mana just to identify something, then you can stop at any time. However you will not recoup the cost. Watch closely now.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The hunched man concentrated for a moment as a small slice of mana from the top of his bar stretched like spider silk and absorbed into the leather boots. The boots gave a brief flash and gold lettering appeared in thin air over them. [Simple leather boots. 5 Armor. Value 2 Silver.] A lone gold rectangle appeared just above them.

The hunched man, returned his mana bar into imploding balls of blue light at his palms, then performed what he could of a bow. It only made him appear even more hunched and put a wicked gleam in his eye and turned his smile jagged.

Healers all around me began to use their mana bars to identify various items. Wheels of blue were all around me.

“That’s awesome,” I said, “Thanks so much for the lesson.”

“Of course, and I’ll let you keep the boots. I’ve got the mana and I’m delighted to provide a bit of guidance. If you ever see the opportunity to teach someone else, please don’t hesitate.”

I repeated my thanks three or four times before finally returning to the healer’s post. The same solemn man hadn’t moved a muscle. He did not smile as I approached and laid the sealed scroll on the table.

“Excuse me sir,” I said. “Could you help me with this scroll? I got it in my first looting and I don’t know if I can open it, or what it is, and I don’t have that much mana to spend on identifying it.”

The man grabbed the scroll gingerly with big square hands and broke the scroll with meaty square fingers.

“Breakfast Scroll,” he said, and handed it back to me. “Normally you’d want to go to the mage’s post for things like this. Or you can break the seal and read it yourself.”

“I thought maybe I’d ruin it if I did that.”

“Most are fine to just open. High level scrolls can be dangerous. This scroll will conjure a simple breakfast for you.”

“Breakfast?”

“That’s what it says. Simply flow 5 mana into the scroll--see the cost written here--and it will cast, earning you a conjured breakfast.”

“Is it a permanent cost?”

“No sir,” the solemn man said and returned the scroll to me. “Identifying and improving items require permanent mana costs. Now I have others to help. Are we done here?”

Whew. This guy’s got a mood to him for sure. I had more questions but without invitation I just gave him my thanks and left. Left with a scroll that would conjure me a breakfast. Well at least it was something.

With nothing else to really do, I sought out Pelle and together we made our way back to the healer’s guild where Garmar waited, reading through a hefty tome. The rest of the healers filtered in throughout the hour.

“I hope you’ve all taken the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the guild post. Ours acts like a replica to a real world trading post.”

Garmar slammed his tome closed and paced the edge of the stage.

“How were your first dungeon runs?”

We broke into dozens of conversations at once, pelting our trainer with our tales of battle. Garmar asked us what our biggest obstacles were and we again deluged him with answers. When we settled, our trainer listed out some of the problems he heard.

“Inefficient healing, not being able to read your and your teammates health, carrying inventory, running out of healing, having no weapon; Oh--and poor teammates is something you will all encounter repeatedly. Unfortunately there is nothing I can personally do to help you with that.”

“Let’s go over these issues,” he continued, “Inefficient healing: I suggest you be careful how much you use at one time. Inventory: purchase an inventory pouch at the guild post as soon as you can. You will thank me for it later. We’ll discuss health soon. As for weapon wielding, let’s go to the armory!”

To say we were ecstatic was an understatement. We were basically a stampede on the way to the armory. The building was massive and long, situated adjacent to the guild post. We could see the anciennes ambling about for their turn at the guild post.

“Good morning Edmun!” Garmar said to the old woman who manned the armory. She gave a brief nod.

“Garmar, good morning. Healers, good morning. Inside you will find a variety of weapons to choose from. One by one, you will return to me with your choice and I will prepare you with a basic version of that weapon.”

We dispersed to inspect that wide array of weapons. I was nervous and a bit downcast. Pelle and the other healers were gleefully going over all the choices and debating their options but I stood back, unable to go forth and choose.

“Young man,” Edmun said, “Something bothers you. Is there a particular weapon you’re looking for?”

I couldn’t speak. My throat was stuck. I stuttered and struggled to say a single thing. Garmar saw me and his expression bore a worried frown. He was instantly by my side with Edmun.

“Everything alright Tosin?”

I still couldn’t speak so instead I held up a trembling hand. My right hand. The one missing my index finger.

“Ahhh,” Edmun said, fully understanding the problem, “You’re worried you might not be able to properly wield a weapon with your handicap.”

I nodded vigorously, though I was finally able to speak again. I was terrified four fingers wouldn’t be enough to wield anything properly. Perhaps it was a fear of being left behind or being inadequate or something. Maybe being a burden.

“Come with me Tosin. Tosin was it? Yes, follow me.”

I followed Edmun through the armory. She helped me try various weapons one by one.

“Weigh it well, let me see you move about with it.”

She watched me carefully as we tried different weapons. She was an expert and helped me narrow my choices. The staff was too “unwieldy,” she said. The dagger might be fine, a light mace might be fine, a light, most anything may be fine.

In the end, I chose a light mace. Mostly because it felt the most comfortable to wield. The light dagger was my next choice, but even though it was lighter, the mace just felt more comfortable.

“These are excellent starter weapons. Let me know if you need your weapons holsters or sheaths adjusted,” Edmun told us after we’d all received our respective arms. “Don’t forget, you can change your weapon of choice anytime you like. There is no penalty. If you have any questions or concerns, come see me. I’ll help you with all that I can. In the meantime, I have one more thing to give you. I am going to teach you how to level up your weapon.”

“Right now?” someone said.

“Yes,” Edmun said, “but this technique is not limited to weapons. You can level anything really. It’s entirely up to you. Now--please flow your mana bar before you.”

Dozens of blue circles hovered before each student. The armory was cast in rippling hues of blue.

“Drop your weapon in the circle. It will float and a single point of your mana bar will reform to make the beginnings of a new circle just above your weapon.”

I hesitantly dropped my light mace in the circle and it floated without problem. It shimmered as it spun until a single point of my mana formed the beginning of a new bar, changing color and appearing golden. It floated like a wavering gold rectangle.

“That rectangle is called a level bracket. I want you to spend 1 permanent mana point on your weapon. Simply float the single point of mana into your weapon.”

I watched the blue traverse to the weapon in a stretch of watery chiffon. The light mace glinted like it had just been polished and the edge sparkled with a new gleam. Then another bracket of gold appeared right next to the first. My mana bar closed in on the missing piece until it was a perfect circle again, leaving me with a total mana pool of 24 now.

“Congratulations healers! Your weapons are now level 2!”