A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands

Chapter 32: Priorities

With the birth of the Bone Dragon, the winged Dragons were horrified and unwilling to play any further part in the campaign. With the loss of one of their number, they felt the first pangs of fear from newfound mortality. The dragons left the mortal short-lived races to their fate and flew back across the ocean to their high mountain homes. With their departure, the war began to grow into a grinding stalemate.

- On the Cataclysm by an unknown Quassian Scholar circa 103 AC

The sharp call of a morning bird rang through the forest, loud and shrill, piercing the veil of dreams and waking me from my slumber. Groggily, I shook myself awake, brushing aside the cobwebs in my mind. Aside from the forest noises, the first thing I noticed upon waking was the delicious smell of something roasting on the fire. Getting to my feet, I sat down beside my companions, who were cooking a meal that looked suspiciously like gigantic insects on thin sticks. Sadly, I noticed that the pair had eaten all of the remaining sweet Snap-Honey heads.

“Good morning to you,” Elwin greeted cheerfully.

I took one of the insect sticks he offered me. Not wishing to be rude, I nodded in feigned gratitude.

“Much obliged,” I remarked, waiting for the Rogue to eat a piece of his.

Elwin and Kidu both began to dig in as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Closing my eyes firmly, I hesitantly took a bite. If I could eat freshly killed amphibious fish, the Bibsis, then this should be easy.

The shell was crispy and the white flesh was soft and tender. The taste was similar to that of freshwater shellfish. Not bad, I realized, but it could do with a little seasoning. I finished the rest of my meal slower than my companions did theirs. Seeing my companions eat all of the insect things, I decided to follow suit. I pretended I was simply eating soft-shell crab as I crunched into the head of the oversized bug on a stick. Calories were calories.

“Do you like them?” Kidu inquired in a voice that couldn’t help but rumble.

“Could do with a little more punch, perhaps a little salt?” I said with a ghost of a smile, “But this is the first breakfast I have had as a free man, and it tastes better than any meal at a king’s banquet!”

“I’ll drink to that,” added Elwin, lifting an imaginary cup in the air.

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“Here, here!” I played along. “What was that I just ate?” I inquired curiously.

“A Rockcrab. A bit different from the ones in the North. North Rockcrab is better eating,” Kidu informed, in a matter-of-factly tone, “These still not bad. Eating this reminds me of hunting with my clan.”

“The same ones that came with you from the North?” I said carefully, afraid that this might be a sore spot for him.

Kidu grew taciturn and withdrawn before he answered, “Yes, those same who came with me, not long ago. If I can, I wish to find them and release them from their bondage. Work and pay their brand price if necessary. Or have their masters pay the blood price if I can not. Their families deserve to be told of their fates. But most all, my soul seeks vengeance!” saying the last, almost growling.

New Quest: Discover the Fate of Kidu’s Companions

Both Elwin and I raised imaginary cups again as if to toast his last vow, but I had no true intention of helping out an NPC in a quest that could potentially take years. How could I help others when I was struggling to just stay afloat? I had to be in a position to help myself first. Then there was the matter of who or what was giving out these ‘Quests’. Was it the fickle gods of this world? I had a feeling that this ‘quest system’ was a way for the divine forces of this world to control my actions.

Also, without knowing the parameters for the quest, dismissing it was the only choice. It sounded complicated, a mission of this nature was simply too much of a commitment. This was simply the stark reality of my situation.

I swore to myself that I would only accept quests that were in line with my own goals. I would not be led around by the nose. This was my game and I would play as I liked.

Truth be told, I just did not care enough about Kidu’s grievances. The man was still loyal for the time being, and his strength and skill could be keys to my survival; I needed to keep him close. As this final thought crossed my mind, I swore I could see a darkness at the edge of my vision, quivering with delight.

“Oh, Gil, since we are on the topic of freeing friends and so forth, what are you going to do about these?” Elwin said, pointing to his collar, and bringing me back to the present. He had tried to say it as casually as possible, but he couldn’t quite hide the eagerness in his voice.

“Right… I’ll get right on it,” I answered, giving the Rogue a mocking salute and raising a hand, as if to cast a spell in his direction.

Casting Rust had now become a lot easier, though I still had to consciously rein in its power. I began to go through the motions of casting the spell, my tongue now more practiced in saying the eldritch words, and my gestures were more precise and fluid. I noticed, to my amusement, that Elwin still flinched at each utterance I made. Black lightning flowed from my hands to his collar. The whispers, these uninvited companions, echoed in my mind, as they always did, as the magic surged. The energies visibly ate into the metal, corroding it wherever the lightning touched. He squeezed his eyes shut, fearing the searing heat he thought was to come. Yet, unbeknownst to him, I had only cast the level one version of the spell.

Looking closely at Elwin’s collar, I was pleased with my handiwork. I did not need to use Identify to check the durability. I could see that the orange and red splotches, indicative of oxidization, had grown considerably and was its own testament to the effect of the spell. I turned to Kidu now and nodded at him, a gesture which he returned. He accepted the spell much more stoically than Elwin, his trust in me absolute.

“How many times do you have to do that, before you know...?” Elwin inquired.

“Honestly, I do not know. Casting this spell without causing harm to you is not easy. I do know that this spell significantly weakens the durability of the collar. I will continue to cast it as often as I can, whenever I can, until all of us are truly free,” I said flatly. The apathy in my tone was reminiscent to that of my father.

The Rogue shrugged before adding with a smile, “Can you do it again then...?”

*

In the end, I cast the weaker version of Rust two more times on both of them before we broke camp. I decided to keep more than half, the lion’s share of Mana, for emergencies. I hoped that my Mana Regeneration skill would allow me to cast Rust a few more times as we moved.

As we made ready to break camp, Kidu and Elwin left their chains behind. Kidu, with a mighty roar, threw the remains of his former bindings into the bushes while Elwin just let them lie next to the roots of a tree. I, on the other hand, decided to take a length with me as a reminder of the cruel and callous nature of this world.

We proceeded carefully through the forest in the direction of the distant smoke. Our eyes were constantly scanning the forest and searching for new threats. An hour or two passed by, uneventfully, before the world would seek to test us again.

I was talking with Elwin, fishing for more information about this world when, without warning, something hard, and moving fast, impacted against his head. It knocked him down, almost comically, to the forest floor. In those fractious first few seconds, all I could think about was that it looked like a giant wooden seed.

More thuds echoed around us and the wooden seed things continued to drop down as the branches swayed above us. Here and there, the heavy wooden balls fell from the canopy in staccato waves as a wind wove its way through the high branches. Each one a missile of death and injury.

Instinctually, I thought first to run, for my own safety, but clarity intervened. I could not survive the ordeals ahead alone, and so far, Elwin had been a useful ally. With this as a priority, I quickly knelt down next to him. The Rogue’s body lay prone on the ground, his chest still. I thought, almost instinctively, to perform some form of first aid before I remembered that we were in Gesthe, a land of magic. I began to invoke the magic of the Heal spell and stole a look at his bloody head. As I did so, something told me that a simple Heal spell would simply not be enough. A different spell whispered to me, causing threads of a new idea to lace together to form a new tapestry. A vision of an angel saving someone from death’s door came to the fore of my vision with crystal clarity.

Knowing what I had to do, I began to, instead, cast Greater Heal, before a giant seed impacted against my bronze helm. Shaking my head, I saw that the concussive force had caused almost twenty points of damage and probably would have completely interrupted my cast were it not for my Pain Nullification skill. I was able to keep control of the divine energies and complete the spell. Today at least, I was determined to not give the Reaper his due.

My voice rose in a steady cadence, sounding more like a hymn than a spell. I held my hands over Elwin’s prone form and poured golden energies into the man. An echo chorused my chanting, filling my soul with solemnity, and each syllable gave thanks to an unknown divine power.

Slowly, oh so slowly, the golden light began to mend his bloody head wound. I witnessed the magic as it closed the wound, drawing back the clotting blood and bone fragments, and knitting skin together as his skull was restored to its original form. At last, the spell ended, and Elwin started to breathe evenly. Clearly alive but still unconscious.

The wind had stopped as suddenly as it had started. No more of the heavy seeds fell to the forest floor, but a pervading sense of danger remained. We had to get out of here, and fast.

“Kidu, we need to find somewhere safe!” I shouted out to the northern Hunter.

He gawked at me then for a few moments, before bursting into a blaze of action, running to search for sanctuary. With Kidu gone, I was alone with Elwin and constantly looking upward, praying that the wind would not return. Luckily, Kidu came back a minute later, and between us, we dragged the unconscious Rogue to a glade. There, sunlight bathed, a rarity indeed in the otherwise dark forest, the moss-covered forest floor where one of the mighty trees had fallen. Bushes and plants grew in a ring around the fallen titan, all reaching upward in a race toward the sun. We went into the hollow of the gigantic tree, searching its cavernous interior first for threats. Next, we placed Elwin down, disturbing some creatures who chittered as they ran away from us. The three of us rested then in our safe space that smelled of earth and the slow rot of wood. Kidu looked over our new accommodation critically, as he searched for hidden danger. I was visibly shaken by the recent events in this hostile environment. The hollow must have passed some unspoken test as the Hunter grunted in satisfaction, however, all I saw was just another dank hole in a giant tree.

The adrenalin rush now slowly fading, I plopped myself down next to Elwin’s comatose form. In the heat of the moment, I had saved the Rogue because overall he added to my chances of survival. He was handy with a blade, and heavens, his class might be useful later on, but risking myself to save his life was decidedly alien to my nature. No, a hero did not just save people because they were ‘useful’! It would lessen me to think of people by just their utility. After all, Elwin was more than just an ally; he was a friend.

After a while, Elwin began to stir. I wondered what sort of effect having his brain smashed in would have on his personality. Possibly an improvement, I considered, in dark jest. Just like the visions, it seemed that the spell Greater Heal really could save a person that was on Death’s door.

Worryingly, Kidu began to shake the convalescing Rogue. I knew from some half-remembered first-aid course that his actions were not the most appropriate thing to do at this critical moment, but I didn’t quite have the mental energy to stop him.

“Wha...?” Elwin mumbled, with a slurred voice and unfocused eyes. He searched around for something, or someone, familiar.

“Be at ease, little man, you are safe here, for the moment,” Kidu said brusquely, if not unkindly.

“The shallow river… I heard her bells… they were all calling for me…” the Rogue continued

“Even the damn nuts in this forest are dangerous...you were hit by...a seed...or a bloody nut! What were those things!?” I tried to say in a serious tone, but a ghost of a hysterical giggle entered my voice from the thought of the absurdity of the situation. Luckily, neither Kidu nor Elwin noticed my faux pas.

In the old world, I had heard of large spiked fruit called durian killing a few people every year; I read online that, statistically, they were more dangerous than sharks. Ah, the internet. What I would give to have access to that wealth of knowledge and entertainment.

Out of the corner of my eye, I looked down at Elwin. He had torn the sleeve from his linen tunic, exposing his arm and I could see that his slave brand had disappeared. Looking closer, I saw nothing but healthy unscarred skin in the place of the brand.

“Kidu,” I hissed loudly, “His arm… look!”

“By the ancestor spirits, so it is!” Kidu exclaimed, his voice going up almost an octave in pure surprise.

Could it be that the Greater Heal spell had effects other than miraculous regeneration and healing? Was Elwin’s hair a little thicker, the crow’s feet around his eyes a little less pronounced? I brushed these thoughts aside as I realized I had a way to remove all the marks of our slavery.

Removing our slave brands through magical means would take up a lot of Mana. However, if I exploited my Rest skill to squeeze out as much Mana as possible in the shortest amount of time then the process could be significantly sped up.

“Kidu, I will need to rest and to regain my Mana,” I began, a plan of action already forming in my mind, “If you can watch over us and find us something to eat, perhaps start a fire, it would be most appreciated. What was it that downed Elwin anyway?” I added.

“That is hard task. Safeness or forage, that is a decision for you to make. As for the little man’s attacker, I know not. At least with no trees above us, we should be away from those warm land nuts,” he then looked at me, waiting for my order.

“Scout out the area near us, and come back when you can. I am afraid to say I know nothing of making a fire, so be quick.” I would have to trust that I could sleep lightly, or that Elwin would be able to come to his senses. With Elwin out of action and Kidu soon to be out scouting I needed Mana more than anything. It was a risk, but with Kidu securing the area nearby it was a risk I was willing to take. As a bonus, it might help me with power leveling my Greater Heal spell.

Kidu took a quick drink from a canteen at his hip, before rising to make his way out. Before he left the hollow he nodded in my direction, “Be safe and may the ancestors watch over you.” With that, he leapt out into the forest with his spear leading his way.

I positioned myself just outside the entrance to the hollow of the tree, sitting cross-legged and willing myself into a half-doze as I attempted to clear my mind. With the sounds of the forest and worry plaguing my mind, sleep did not come easily.