Emerilia Box Set, page 60
part #1 of Emerilia Series
An alliance between us and the POE would be awesome, but stuff like this is only going to make them not trust us. It might be an idea to get out ahead of the other guilds and Players, and start sending some envoys to the different lands to see what is going on and do a bit of scouting.
“Lucy, I have a job for your mice,” Josh said.
Lucy raised her head from her book and cast a shroud around them. People would hear them have a normal conversation and even see their lips talking but it wouldn’t be their actual conversation.
“They are currently underused, just hanging around trying to get information,” Lucy said.
Josh could see the pride and eagerness to prove her people’s worth. “The more I think about it, the more I want to know just what is happening in the other lands and to see what kind of situation we might be getting ourselves into if we go over there. See if you can’t have our people go and check it out. Also, get the word out that we’re looking for POEs and Players. I’m going to leave the figuring out if the POEs are going to be loyal to you.”
“Well, that’ll certainly be a challenge. I think I should have a talk with Malsour. He might have an idea about some kind of spell to see if a person is lying.”
“He certainly has a lot of knowledge.” Josh nodded.
“Yes, and he said that his solution probably looks at a person’s very soul. At that level, it’s impossible for a person to lie.”
“All this soul business makes me wonder if there really is an afterlife,” Josh muttered.
“Oh, don’t worry, there isn’t—we only get power from a soul because when a person dies then all that potential disappears. It’s as if you disappeared, then due to displacement, air would rush in. Creatures, Players, and POEs all have a power potential. When we die, that power loss creates a vacuum that for a second ejects the power that made up a person’s stats. It’s all rather odd but interesting. Though there isn’t anything after death, in my mind. Though, at least in Emerilia, you get to respawn when you die.” Lucy smiled.
“Well, thank you for that little bit of information. Not sure I really understand it all, though.” Josh rubbed his head.
She snorted and snapped her fingers, the spell around them breaking apart.
***
Dave shifted. His eyes opened as he looked for what had disturbed his sleep.
“Mmmm,” Deia murmured, not fully awake yet.
Dave continued to search, expanding out his range of his Touch.
He passed those who were on watch and then farther out. Emerilia might be a game but it had taught E-heads that it was always a good idea to have a sentry posted. If not for the animals, then the other Players.
“We’ve got company.” Dave opened his interface.
Group Message
Dave > Got a group of forty or so people sneaking up on our camp.
Josh > Which direction are they coming from?
Dave > From Indal.
Josh > Deia and I will scout. Everyone else, get into a line and be ready for them. We should be able to deal with it ourselves. Kim, let the other party leaders know what’s going on.
Deia stood and pulled on clothes. Dave did the same.
“So, what weapons are they using?” Deia asked.
“Most of them are using bows. All of them have daggers. There are seven with swords. Five with shields and swords,” Dave said.
“See you in a bit.” Deia pulled on her boots before she kissed Dave.
“Stay safe.”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you, too, firecracker.”
Deia snorted, grabbed her compound bow and headed off into the night.
Dwayne was in command as he put people into place. Stone Raiders got up from their sleep, not a single fire or light showing as they moved to their positions. Those without good night vision were helped by those who did. They worked silently.
Dave had detected forty people but they weren’t going to just go back to sleep and hope there weren’t more.
***
Deia pulled an arrow from her open bag, notching it onto her compound bow. She was halfway up a tree with her legs wrapped around a tree limb as she used Earth magic to wrap other limbs around her waist.
The forty-three people moving through the forest weren’t fighters but they were trackers and hunters. Even farmers out here had to know how to use a bow in case they needed some food in the winter or to drive off animals on their lands.
Now it seems that they’re determined to use those weapons to attack us. Deia understood their reasoning but she didn’t want to have to kill them.
“I’m going to try to talk to them. If they don’t listen, then take them down,” Josh said.
Deia knew that most Players would’ve just killed the POE and be done with it. For the Stone Raiders, they were easy targets and clearly aggressive. They were also some decent levels, so they could get some good experience from them. Maybe a few bits of coin and some equipment to sell off to a town later on.
The Stone Raiders didn’t even bat an eyelid.
He was a decent rogue as he moved through the shadows. He appeared a few hundred meters away from the man they had identified as the group’s leader. Although Josh had worked on his night vision, the Humans from Indal hadn’t and it showed as they cursed and wandered through the dark night.
“Hello, do you mind if I ask what you are doing tonight?” Josh asked.
“Kill them, lads!” the leader said. All of them charged forward.
With regret in her heart, Deia drew and released her arrow. By the time the first arrow hammered its target into the ground, she’d already released a second.
The hunters became the hunted as they cried out in pain and gave their dying breaths.
“They’ve got Demons!”
“Run for your lives!”
Deia cut another’s scream short as her arrow buried itself in their chest.
None of them had reached Josh but over half of their number was dead or dying on the ground.
Josh waited for a few minutes, listening and making sure that the hunters didn’t try to come after them again. “Let’s head back.” Josh sighed, upset.
No one said anything as they moved from their positions, turning away from the battle and back toward their camp.
Deia noticed something odd: the Players weren’t happy about having killed the hunters. They seemed to understand that they’d taken lives.
It’s almost as if they were becoming POEs and actually care about what impact their actions will have.
She found Dave as she was putting her bow away. He pulled her close, as if sensing her own sadness. She put her head on his shoulder and breathed in his scent. He kissed the top of her head, rubbing her shoulder and reassuring her as they made their way back to their bedroll.
Deia doubted that she would be able to sleep much that night.
Chapter 11: Komo
Komo was the largest town Dave had seen in Emerilia so far. Its roads were shaped into a Y, with the prongs leading to Roun-Tuk and Indal and the bottom leading toward Nadorf. It was a large trading hub connecting the north with the south. Raw goods were funneled down from this point to feed, heat, and supply Nadorf and the southern cities.
There was a tension in the air as they arrived.
Malsour guided them to a tavern that he and Induca had stayed at in their travels. They were the last of the Stone Raiders to arrive. Suzy was slower than all of the others. She’d only just started out on Emerilia and couldn’t keep up with the hectic pace of the rest of the guild.
Dave cast her a glance as Deia helped her in. She’d pushed herself hard today and she needed rest. Dave had a proud smile on his face. He knew that Suzy would push herself harder than anyone to not only get on the same level as them, but to surpass them.
Inside the tavern, a couple of people were having a drink but it was by no means busy.
“Hello, good to see you. Wish it was under better circumstances,” a burly barkeep said from the bar as they approached. “What can I do you for?”
“Four rooms and meals, please,” Dave said.
“What’s happened? Everyone seems nervous,” Induca said.
“I can do the rooms and the food—one gold and two silver.”
Trade
Gar Jorkn has four rooms and food for:
12x Silver
Do you accept?
Y/N
Dave accepted and the money seemed to disappear from his pouch.
“I’ll have Olai take you up.” Gar raised his voice. “As to why everyone’s all shook up—well, a Dragon moved into Endal Mountain.”
A teenage girl walked out of what must’ve been the kitchen.
“Olai, show these fine people up to their rooms—four of them.”
“Yes, Papa.” Olai waved for them to follow her.
“I’ll be up in a minute.” Dave smiled.
“Okay, I’m going to take a nap.” Deia smiled.
Party Chat
Deia > Let me know if he says anything else interesting.
Dave squeezed her hand and she headed off for the stairs. Malsour, Induca, and Dave stayed.
“So, what is this Dragon called?” Dave asked.
“Quindar. Everyone saw him come in down through the sky—never seen anything move so fast! Then he just moved into one of the dungeons that was up there. A group of hunters said that he called himself Quindar and that he wanted to be left alone. A few groups of Players have gone up there since his warning. All of them were revived at the Altar of Rebirth.
“Apparently, he’s really powerful to kick the Player’s asses.” Gar shook his head.
Dave looked to Induca and Malsour.
“That isn’t even the worst part! The mountain keeps on shaking and people are swearing that it’s growing! It’s been bad for business. No one is moving from Nadorf to Komo for fear that he might take it as a slight and attack.”
“So, nothing is going down the road?”
“Nothing. People are too scared. There are plenty of traders looking for Players who might be interested in providing security. Though they want a freight bond,” Gar said.
“Freight bond?” Dave asked.
Gar squinted at Dave. “Sorry. Thought you were a few levels higher. The way you hold yourself, I could swear that you’re a bit stronger than your level,” Gar said, apologetically.
“No worries.” Dave smiled, happy to have Gar underestimating his skills.
“So, a freight bond is basically an insurance policy. If someone is moving freight or protecting it, then they need to get a license that if they lose their freight that they get something in return. They’re backed by the traders’ and fighters’ guilds. Some kingdoms like the Per’ush also offer them. There’s nothing as binding as an agreement with a Per’ush trader.”
“I didn’t think that many people would want to leave Per’ush. It sounds like quite the marvel,” Malsour said.
“Oh, it is. The smartest and brightest go there. Biggest and most revered mages guild in all of Emerilia. It’s turned them into a center of magical innovation for centuries. Now, if you’ve got all that smarts hanging around and you’re stuck on some floating rocks, you’re going to have a few people experimenting with different things. Those experiments have requirements.
“The mages guild has a bunch of people who need materials and everyone needs food. They’ve got traders who span the world, selling Per’ush’s magical wares and buying up the world’s delicacies in food. The fact that they have the mother gate makes them the most powerful continent. It’s why all of the other powers play nice with them. No one wants to piss off Per’ush and their mages’ or fighters’ guild.”
“Fighters’ guild? I thought that they just had the mages college there,” Dave said.
“Well, they did in the beginning, but after getting their asses kicked by a bunch of fighter Players a few years back, they started thinking that just casting spells left them weak. Now all of their students train in the martial skills and the magical. There aren’t many spellswords, but they might be able to hold their own in a bar fight.” Gar shrugged.
Dave waved the skill away by making it look as though he were scratching his beard. He felt that Gar was a talkative guy and not having many people around had made him get a bit bored.
“So, this Dragon—when did he show up?” Induca said.
Dave’s eyes slid to Malsour and Induca. Seems that they might know the angry Dragon.
“About nine days ago. It was really bad timing. It was just as we got the timber from the Asha-moor forest.”
“Hmm, well, our guildmaster might be interested in talking to these traders who want protection. Where might we find them?”
“Best place is over at the traders’ guild. They’re debating whether to go to Milheilm with their load, which would double or triple the time it would take. Those roads in the early spring aren’t the nicest—more mud than gravel.” Gar winced.
“That doesn’t sound like a good time at all.” Dave shook his head.
“Do you want a drink? We’ve got a decent selection of beers and even some Elven liquors if you’ve got the silver for it.” Gar smiled.
“I’ll take a beer—they’ll take some of that Elven stuff.” Dave nodded to Malsour and Induca. “Might as well make that three since Deia will want some as well.”
“A man who thinks of the lady is a smart man indeed.” Gar laughed, quickly selecting a beer for Dave, filling it and passing it back before he moved to the rear counter, putting ice in three glasses and pouring some amber liquid out of a silver-looking flask on top.
“Do you want to start a tab?” Gar asked.
“I have a feeling that you know the ways of my group a bit too much.” Dave grinned, taking the beer and saluting Gar with it.
“Ahh, I’ve seen the Stone Raiders a time or two and you are a rowdy bunch.” Gar laughed as Dave took a drink.
“Ohh, now that is beer!” Dave looked at the contents of his mug.
Gar laughed again. “Well, we aren’t going to give you that pig swill that other places might have. Make that stuff right here on the premises.”
“Hmm, well, I’ve been doing some experimenting with my own alcoholic concoctions. Would you mind trying a few? I’m trying to get a certain flavor but I haven’t quite figured it out.”
“Thanks for the drink, Dave. I’m going to retreat somewhere far away from this brewing discussion!” Induca grabbed Deia’s drink and headed for the stairs that led up to the second floor.
Dave, Malsour, and Gar turned to one another and shrugged.
“Okay, so first I’ve got this kind of lager here.” Dave reached into his bag, not actually pulling anything out but conjuring one of the many beers that he had put into the cold storage he’d made inside the seeder.
Gar smelled it. He took a sip and moved it around in his mouth before he spit it out into a sink.
No light bulbs but they’ve got some kind of sewage. Hopefully the new pipes hitting the market will sort out that whole running water issue as well as the heating box. I miss taking showers.
“Not bad. Didn’t warm the hops enough and I’d go with an Adurn-made cask instead of the Gorla—less of an overpowering taste and would nicely complement the other flavors in the beer,” Gar said.
Dave nodded, looking through his notes on brewing as well as other information on the things that he was talking about.
“Hmm, okay, what about this one?” Dave pulled out another mug.
“How many beers do you have in there?” Gar laughed.
Dave smiled. It was hard not to with Gar. “’Bout fifteen beers and seven liquors. Though five of the beers are just working prototypes to try to get my final product.”
“He’s been trying to make this dark beer from his homeland; been working on it for months, but he’s not there yet. His attempts taste pretty good, though. Oh, and his fiancée made him move all of his distilleries out of the house.”
“I am truly sorry for your loss,” Gar said solemnly, snorting and taking another swig of the next beer as he chuckled at Dave’s misfortune.
Chapter 12: Job Opportunity
Suzy was just drifting off to sleep when there was a knock at the door.
Nope, you didn’t hear anything. It’s just your imagination. Just go back to sleep and everything will be fine.
The knocking continued as Suzy moved in her bed, making annoyed noises.
“Suzy, need your business mind!” Dave said through the door, his words a bit slurred.
“It’s four thirty in the afternoon!” Suzy yelled back.
“Come on, I’ll buy you a drink afterwards and make you one of the rune necklaces to train up your magic!”
Suzy tossed the sheets back and pulled on fresh clothes from her bag. She opened the door and gave Dave a dark look. “What?”
“Okay, so, there are a bunch of traders in town. They want to get to Nadorf, but there is a Dragon in a big ole mountain that doesn’t want people annoying it.
“I have it on good authority that the Dragon just meant that it didn’t want people on its mountain. Now someone needs to talk to the traders and see if they would be interested in hiring our services for the trip. I talked to Josh, Dwayne, and Kim. They like the idea but then they’re not the best people for making trading agreements. They’re more the kind of people you talk to if you need a dungeon or raid area cleared.”
Dave burped and Suzy let out a frustrated noise in response.
Quest: A road through Dragon Lands
Traders want protection and guarantees that their freight will reach Nadorf. They’re scared that Quindar, whose lair is near the road, will attack them.
You have it on good authority that Quindar will not attack the traders.
