[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/5b0c9847-92dd-4728-954f-93579b7ef57b/dfp4b37-2263ab56-0119-45a6-902f-b5d1a28c33ac.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzViMGM5ODQ3LTkyZGQtNDcyOC05NTRmLTkzNTc5YjdlZjU3YlwvZGZwNGIzNy0yMjYzYWI1Ni0wMTE5LTQ1YTYtOTAyZi1iNWQxYTI4YzMzYWMucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.p0BsYA2Mn0G24goh6LfQIDOJpTol3cDIL-JEn-kN4yM]
Quill and Jane were in a good mood as they strode up to the log cabin outside the city walls. They’d already handed in the herbs for one quest. Now they were about to do the same with the wolf pelts that had been collected.
The log cabin was a small, two-room affair a stone’s throw from the walls. Old, leafy oak trees shaded the area, and both a tanning rack and a meat smoker stood out front. One man lived there, or so they’d been told by his daughter in the city. She’d said he was a man too old and beaten down by life to be a hunter anymore, but he’d refused on multiple occasions to move into the city and be cared for by his daughter’s family. That is why adventurers had been contracted to bring him fresh pelts, which the determinedly independent old man could still stitch into boots or a coat or a blanket or whatever else he needed before winter.
The old man in question stood outside his door, bent over and leaning on a cane in the shade of a fat apple tree, heavy with fruit, that grew next to the home. He was gnarled and thin but had a smile on his wrinkled face.
The sexy NPC woman standing outside of his door might have had something to do with that. Quill admired her as they approached.
The old man noted their arrival. He waved. “Ah! Delivery? And what has my carin’ but meddlin’ daughter thought of this time?” He chuckled.
Jane held out the wolf pelts. “We were asked to bring you these.”
“Ah! Thank you kindly. She surely thinks of the coming cold season, even though it’s months away yet. Please, leave them by the door.” He waved in that direction.
Jane placed them on the ground.
Quest Complete
Both Quill and Jane suddenly bloomed with radiant, golden light that faded after a long moment.
[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/5b0c9847-92dd-4728-954f-93579b7ef57b/dfp0tav-461de4c5-f409-40c9-92c9-267c0f8109fa.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzViMGM5ODQ3LTkyZGQtNDcyOC05NTRmLTkzNTc5YjdlZjU3YlwvZGZwMHRhdi00NjFkZTRjNS1mNDA5LTQwYzktOTJjOS0yNjdjMGY4MTA5ZmEuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.DP0NDD391DeNyCwXAeDePaiD7edQG2LFfw77KHTLGMw]
Jane
Level 2
Quill
Level 2
Quill saw the words appear in front of him and felt a rush of excitement. He turned to his partner and saw the same on her face. “Level up!”
“Nice!” She high-fived him.
They’d done this already, of course, levelling for the first time in the city with their fetch quests. But after dying and losing all they’d gained, it felt friggin’ great to get that XP back. Quill couldn’t help but grin after feeling so annoyed by the punishment he’d suffered earlier.
Plus, it was exciting to grow and having it in tangible, numerical form felt like real proof that they’d achieved something. You didn’t get that in real life. Numerical levels were a lot easier to understand than vague notions of skills growing in real life, where you have a difficult time comparing yourself to your past and future versions and to others or to what’s possible as a human being. But a number getting bigger was easy to see and put in context. That was probably one reason why video games and litrpg novels were so popular. People were drawn to the visible, obvious progression.
Quill breathed easier. With his stats, he knew that levelling was going to be a huge challenge. But at least he’d taken one small step, even if it was the first one. Wasn’t the first step the most important?
The old man grinned and gestured to the person with him. “Have you met this lovely young woman yet? No? Allow me to introduce Sapphire1 to you!”
Sapphire seemed to be vibrating with energy and good cheer. She was dressed in tight, thigh-high, blue leather boots. Deep blue belts and pouches had been strapped to her waist and thighs, including a metallic sheath with a hunting knife, the hilt shiny sapphire in colour. She wore a form-fitting blue leather jacket with an open front. The white shirt under the jacket showed some cleavage. She had a plain longbow in one hand. A quiver hung from the small of her back, and, oddly, a large teddy bear was strapped to her side. Long, black hair reaching to her waist had been loosely braided with fresh blue-and-white morning glory flowers resting in each crossover. Another bloom sat above her right ear. The piercings in her ears and belly button glittered, a single, large sapphire gem in each.
In Quill’s opinion, she was super cute.
The archer smiled wide, showing lots of perfect teeth. “Hi! I’m Sapphire. Nice to meet you!” She stuck out her hand, which both Quill and Jane shook. She radiated friendliness and a positive attitude. “I’m a Storm Scout. We look after the lands surrounding the city of Stormstadt, keeping monsters at bay, hunting, and helping the good folk hereabouts with whatever they need.”
“I was just telling Sapphire here,” the old man said, “about the rumoured bear over yonder.” He pointed away from the city.
“Bear?” Jane asked.
The old man nodded. “Yep. Apparently, folks have been spottin’ tracks. Cattle and sheep gone missin’ too. People are gettin’ scared. Thought Sapphire here might be able to investigate.”
Saphire looked unsure. “Don’t know about that. Not on my own, at least. Bears are big. And dangerous! I can check it out. But if it’s a big one or a mother with cubs, I’ll have to bring in more Scouts. Or contact the city guard.”
Quill had a sense that this was a possible quest. So he gave it a shot. “Want some help? We could go with you?”
Saphire beamed at him, her smile blinding. “Really? Are you guys adventurers? If so, I’d be glad for the help.”
A quest screen popped up in front of Quill:
Quest:
Investigate Rumours of a Bear
[Yes / No]
He glanced at his partner. When she nodded, he accepted.
“Great! You guys have adventurous spirits. Just like me!” Sapphire announced. “Let’s go! We can talk to the villagers and see what’s been happening.”
The trio waved at the old man as they walked away, heading back towards the road.
“So, you’re a ranger?” Jane asked, making conversation.
Quill approved. They might learn something they needed to know about the mission.
“Yep!” Saphire answered. “I’m a tattooed ranger. See here?” She pulled her shirt down a ways and showed Jane the swirling, fluid tattoo between the top of her breasts; it was in the shape of a geyser. The ink looked like blue satin and seemed to flow as if made of real water.
Quill’s eyes widened at the sight of the…tattoo.
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Jane punched him in the shoulder without looking at him. “Very cool!” she enthused.
“And this one, too.” Saphire turned and showed off the one on her lower back, a more tribal design but similarly magical in nature. “I only have two so far. I’m still low-level. But these allow me to do really neat stuff with my arrows.”
“Is it…water magic?” Quill inquired. She was wearing blue, after all.
“Uh-huh. I specialize in the water element. I just think water is so important. Waterfalls, the beach, a brook in the forest; they’re all so beautiful. And it can be so powerful: hurricanes and storms.”
Quill and Jane both made appreciative noises. Neither had seen any elemental magic yet. Or any magic at all, for that matter.
“You’ve been a Scout long?” Quill asked.
“Not long. But it’s a great job.” She spread her arms wide to indicate the surrounding area. “You meet so many nice people out here, living in the little villages outside the city. And there’s so much nature.”
Jane smiled. “You love it, huh?”
“I do! Although…” The blue archer looked wistful. “One day, when I’m stronger and more skilled, I’d love to travel. I want to see the world. I want to see what’s beyond our forests. Meet new people; see new creatures. You’re adventurers, right? You know what I mean. There’s so much out there to experience. And someday, I’m going to experience it all!” She skipped down the road ahead of them, the teddy bear bouncing on her hip.
Quill was about to laugh and say something supportive, but then a thought hit him, and he glanced at Jane with a raised eyebrow. “Uh, that totally sounded like a doom-flag speech.” Doom-flags were signs in stories which strongly indicated a character was about to die or suffer misfortune. For example, in Star Trek, anytime someone with a red uniform teleported to a planet, you knew they weren’t going to make it back to the ship.
Jane made a sad face and whispered back. “Aw. I hope she doesn’t die. She’s really cool.” She tilted her head as she watched Sapphire walk ahead. “You know, is it just me, or is there something special about her? She seems…I dunno, different from the other NPCs. More…vibrant?”
Quill studied their guide. And not just her athletic form and tight bum, which looked rather decent in those thin, skin-tight leather shorts. There was more to her than her physical appearance, and now that Jane brought it up, he also had his suspicions about her personality. “Yeah… It feels like she’s on another level compared to the NPCs we’ve been dealing with. Maybe she has a wider range of behaviour patterns than the others? Maybe she’s a bigger character in the game? I mean, the ones we’ve been dealing with just do the same thing all day and give out a few lines. But if she’s accompanying us on a quest, she’d have to be able to think a lot more. Do things herself.”
“Mm,” Jane agreed.
Sapphire paid no attention to this side dialogue. It seemed she only registered comments directed at her or related to the quest.
“I love your hair,” Jane complimented.
“Thank you!” Sapphire gushed, grabbing her braid and turning to show it off as they walked. “These are real flowers. A friend of mine, Risa, she’s a super powerful electro mage who works at Stormstadt Academy; she made a preservation spell so that they always stay like this. I love it!” She dropped her braid and grinned. “Actually, I liked the idea so much that I kept going back to her for more. I’ve got orange and red flowers for the fall and winterblooms for when the snow falls. And all sorts for spring.”
“They’re very cute,” Jane told her, looking impressed. “I wonder if I could do that to my hair. Like this braid,” she touched Sapphire’s hair, “I’ve never done that style before.”
“Sure! After we finish this investigation, I’ll show you how to do it. It’s easy!”
They reached the road and followed it for a short while. Soon enough, they came across more civilization. It wasn’t a town, but a string of farms, a small, single-story inn with a thatched roof, and a few thatch-roofed houses could be seen along the road ahead.
As they strode past the first farm, a small cornfield with a classic scarecrow in the middle of it, the farmer who must have owned it came running towards them. “Sapphire! Sapphire! I need your help!”
The young woman’s eyes lit up, and she eagerly jogged over to the fence along the road. “What is it, Mr Jenkins2? Monsters? Goblins? I’m ready to fight.”
He slowed and stopped at the fence, laughing. “No! Don’t be silly. We have the city guard for problems like that. No, I need you to give my field a good soaking. Been too hot these past couple of days.”
Sapphire’s face flickered, but the smile remained determinedly in place. “Sure. Sure, Mr Jenkins, I can do that.”
They watched as Sapphire pulled an arrow out of her quiver. She aimed into the sky. “[Rain]!” she shouted.
The arrow flew high into the air in a soft, blue streak. Then it burst, energy forming a dark cloud. A steady shower came down, dousing the field.
The farmer nodded in approval. “That’s the stuff. Thanks, Sapphire. Can always count on you.”
The young woman’s reply was somewhat despondent. “Sure, Mr Jenkins. Glad to help. Well, we gotta be going.”
The farmer waved as they carried on their way, not noticing Sapphire’s disappointment in the slightest.
When they were safely out of earshot, Quill nodded back in the direction of the farm. “That’s a cool spell.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Yeah? Thanks. Leeroy, er, Mr Jenkins, he asks for it now and then. It really helps during dry periods. All part of being a Stormstadt Scout.” She took a breath and seemed determined to regain her previous cheer.
He and Jane shared an empathetic glance. Poor girl.
They were passing a small stone house next to the road when the curtains in the front window shifted. An old woman came shuffling at top speed out the front door. “Sapphire, dear! Sapphire, a moment.” She looked very anxious.
“Mrs Olston?”
“Oh, thank goodness you’ve come by. I’ve been so worried.” She huffed and puffed even after such a short distance.
Sapphire’s face brightened. “What’s wrong? Did your grandson run off again? Have thieves broken into your home? I’m ready to—“
The old woman laughed. “Don’t be silly. Nothing like that. It’s my garden. Such nice weather we’re having, but hot and no rain in a week. My garden needs water, and it’s so hard to haul buckets from the stream these days. My old bones, you know.”
The smile on Sapphire’s face drooped slightly before being resolutely fixed back in place. “I see. And you want—“
“One of those lovely rain arrows of yours, dear. It would be so helpful.”
“Sure, Mrs Olston. No problem.” Sapphire strolled around the house to the garden out back. She fired another arrow. “[Rain]!” Another shower fell, turning the soil dark.
The old woman clapped her hands. “Oh, Sapphire. You’re the best. Thank you, thank you.” She continued to thank the young woman as she immediately ushered Sapphire back to the road before she turned and went back inside with a distracted wave.
Jane frowned at the house. “Well, that was kind of rude.”
Sapphire shrugged. Her smile had definitely faltered. “It’s ok. That’s just how Mrs Olston is. I don’t mind. Just…happy to help.” She forced the smile back in place. “Just another part of being a Stormstadt Scout.”
Quill actually felt bad for her. He knew that she was just an NPC and that her feelings weren’t real. And yet, he couldn’t help but react as if they were. After all, everything about Sapphire felt just as real to him right now as Jane did, albeit except for the more limited conversation ability. “You do this a lot for the people around here?” he asked her.
This time the smile faded. She sighed. “Yeah. It’s actually pretty peaceful around here, so there’s not much call for getting involved in anything too dangerous. And if there is, the city guard is usually called out to assist.”
“Do you help them out then?” Jane asked.
Sapphire shook her head. “Nah.” She seemed to struggle with something. “Well, you’re adventurers so I’m sure you know. Water elemental magic isn’t nearly as popular as fire. Fire tends to make a bigger impact when used. It’s more destructive. So if there’s ever trouble, they usually call on someone else.”
“Why’d you choose water?” Quill hated seeing her down like this.
“Well,” she shrugged, “I thought it would be fun. And so few people pick water, especially archers. So I figured that would mean I’d have less competition and be able to help more. Plus, you know, fire reacts with water, creating dangerous steam clouds. Unfortunately, it turns out there’s a reason nobody becomes a water ranger. We don’t really work well with fire spells compared to mages. We either don’t produce enough water to cause a reaction, or we put the fire out, like with my [Rain] spell. Or maybe it’s just me. I dunno.”
“What about working alongside other elements?” Jane inquired.
“Yeah. I can combine my arrows with electro and cryo. But, like I said, I’m kind of weak, I guess. At least, there always seems to be someone better than me, more useful than me. Anyway, I don’t get asked to help much with anything dangerous or combat related. Just crops and gardens. It’s kind of embarrassing.”
Quill shared a sad look with Jane. “Ok, this is just heartbreaking. Whoever created her background was just mean.”
“Yeah,” Jane heartily agreed. “I feel bad for her. I wish there was something we could do to help.”
By the time they arrived at their destination, though, Sapphire’s good cheer was back. They were just outside the small village beside a farm. Three men and a woman stood around in serious conversation at the side of the road. Next to them was a heavy wooden fence that had been torn to pieces. A single cow stood in the remains of the enclosure, as far from the damage as possible. From the way it rolled its eyes, something had put the fear of death into it.
“Got to be a bear!” one man heatedly exclaimed.
Another argued back. “It’s not a bear. Print’s too big to be a bear.”
“A bear’s a bear,“ the lone woman snapped. “Just look at it. Any fool can see what it is.”
“The prints just look big in the wet muck, is all,” the first insisted. “Unstable footing. Makes it look larger than it is. But it’s a damned bear, I tell you!”
Male
36
QUILL KRAU
Class NONE, Level 2
STR
1
STATUS
DEX
3
Currently definitely not checking out Sapphire’s butt. Prob.
HEA
7
SKILLS
INT
2
WIS
17
ITEMS
STA
14
dagger
CHA
11
Female
26
JANE EULA
Class NONE, Level 2
STR
6
STATUS
DEX
11
Currently adoring this Sapphire girl. So cute! Just wanna hug her like crazy and find out how to do my hair like hers.
HEA
19
SKILLS
INT
18
WIS
18
ITEMS
STA
2
knife
CHA
5