The Calling of Wrath - Chapter 12 - History and Threat

                                                                    Cassandra
                                                                Ten years ago

“Give that back, you little scamp!” my tutor practically shrieks while chasing Rodrick around the room as he waves her wig and laughs. “I’m trying to teach your sister!”

I barely hold myself back from giggling at the scene. Partially because father told me not to do that, and partially because it might just make Viscountess Jessabelle lengthen this tutoring session if she heard me.

And I know father wouldn’t be opposed to it if he knew why she would be doing it.

Rodrick’s only a few years older than me, but he’s still faster than the Viscountess thanks to his allotment of World Tree Sap, so in the end, she has to call Charles – who is currently studying in the next room – to get him.

After hearing the Viscountess’s shouted complaints, I hear a book close from the open door before Charles walks in a few seconds later and looks at me.

I keep as straight a face as possible from my spot on the chair at the center of the room while nodding my head towards the idiot.

He just lets out a sigh before rushing over to him at a speed faster than any normal human can move.

After not even two seconds have passed, I find him standing where Rodrick was while holding him by the back of his neck and grabbing the wig. He then tosses it to the tutor and walks out with his newfound baggage.

This time I do let out a short giggle, only to cut it off immediately once I see the look Charles sends my way.

When I look back to the Viscountess, I find her sitting back down on the chair across from the fancy table from me with a slightly frazzled look on her face, already with her wig back on her head, only for her to return to her usual business manner.

“Now, returning to the subject we were on before,” she immediately gets back into the lesson, making me want to groan, but I hold it back, “the three continents, each ruled by their own separate royal families. Can you tell me the differences between these three families?”

I take in a breath before answering with the words that were practically drilled into me by both the Viscountess and father, “The three families are the Lunas, the Solars, and the Alheims. Each of these families have complete control over their nations and everyone in it, along with the World Tree Roots located under each continent’s capital. But each royal family treats their people differently.”

I pause for a moment to point at the map of Midgard situated on the table between me and the tutor before focusing on the Ardene continent, “The Solars rule over the Ardene continent with an iron fist. They are absolutely brutal and allow very little self-governing within their kingdom. Slavery is perfectly legal there, along with pretty much any sort of crime as long as they have the royal family’s permission.”

After that, I move my finger to point at the Aulta continent while continuing, “Meanwhile, the Alheims rule over the Aulta continent with a much more power and skill based control. In that nation, personal strength and talent is everything, and if someone doesn’t have any, they’ll likely end up as a servant or possibly even a slave.”

I pause to take a breath before glancing up at the tutor and seeing her nod her head to signal for me to continue. So I look back down at the map and point at our continent, Liathtria.

“Lastly, my family, the Lunas, rules over Liathtria with a much more laxed control than the other two royal families. We don’t directly involve ourselves in the problems between the nobles unless we have to, and we allow a lot more self-governing between the nobles and their lands than the other nations do. Slavery and any type of crime associated with it is illegal in our nation, and we try to keep most crimes under control, even if they aren’t of the enslavement nature,” I finish while looking up again at the tutor.

“Good,” she says with a nod before pointing at the World Tree and adding, “and the World Tree is protected by the sacred beasts, who also moderate the royal families’ World Tree Sap usage while also making sure that the families allow the other people below them the chance to have some. Which is where the royal challenges originated from.”

I nod my head, only to hear Charles shouting at Rodrick to sit still.

Which makes it very difficult to keep a straight face, but I-

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                                                                     Cassandra
                                                      Year 819 | Month 1 | Day 5

I’m instantly ripped from my dream by a very loud shriek coming from outside of the cave.

I quickly jump off of the bed before narrowing my eyes at the barrier.

What I end up finding is two direwolves fighting with a floating, ethereal creature. It has a tattered cloak covering its upper body, with no lower body at all, and nothing but two glowing orange eyes peeking out of a pitch black cowl in the place of its head.

A reaver.

And a level 10 one at that.

This… isn’t good. Unless it can’t pass through the barrier.

Just in case though… I hide around the corner of the entrance before sticking my head slightly around to peer through the barrier from within it to watch the ongoings outside.

The shriek from the reaver is quickly joined by several howls from direwolves that sound about a kilometer or so away.

Why did they have to be fighting outside of my cave?

Were these direwolves separated and looking for a shelter for the night, only to run into my blocked off cave instead? Or maybe they’re just traveling along the river?

It’s more likely the first option since most of the daytime monsters from the Dark Forest know to find shelter for the night.

Suddenly, two more reavers begin to materialize next to the first as their shrieks join its own, making the direwolves begin to back off.

Both of the newcomers are the same level as the first, making me very glad to have this barrier here. Because I’d probably-

No, I’d definitely be dead without it.

As if on cue, a faintly transparent mission note appears in my vision.

I quickly swipe my hand through the mission before returning my focus to the reavers that are quickly surrounding the direwolves.

Not right now System.

But thank you for telling me that they’re gonna come back again tomorrow night.

Which means I have to reach Tier 2 today, otherwise I’m dead.

As if to prove my point, the reavers suddenly rush forwards toward the direwolves while their tattered clothes open up to reveal several ethereal, spider-like limbs that quickly begin to tear the direwolves apart.

After nearly a minute of watching this, I flinch slightly as the three reavers turn their attention towards me before beginning to approach the barrier. Once they reach it, two of the three begin to poke it with their spider-like limbs, only for the third to suddenly slam into the barrier.

Fortunately, the barrier holds firm without seeming to waver much at all.

Then the other two do the same thing, and this time the barrier just barely wavers, but still holds.

The reavers try a few more times, but eventually begin to fly away, leaving me covered in a cold sweat as I watch their floating figures begin to fade away.

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Table of Contents

For those of you who can't read the images:

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Name: N/A

Species: Reaver

Level: 10

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The second Random Item Draw is dark green, and therefore Tier 3.

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Mission Acquired!

Title: Reaver Threat!

The reavers have appeared at your doorstep!

Wipe them all out before they come back tomorrow night with more!

Rewards

Reward for finding and killing them in the daytime before they come back:

1000 EXP and 1 [Random Item Draw]

Reward for killing them tomorrow night in mass:

2000 EXP and 1 [Random Item Draw]

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