Runeguard 027

Now what? I wondered as I stood on the steps outside the tavern.

Even with the Paragons refusing to help, I was still determined to take on the thieves. How though?

“You are not alone, Dace,” Night said. “I will help you do this thing you seek. It is the right thing to do.”

“Thank you, Night,” I murmured in appreciation. I had been so caught up in my own thoughts, I hadn’t realized the black dragon spirit was awake and watching events through my eyes.

“Where do you suggest we start?” I asked.

“When hunting prey large in numbers, it is best to divide and conquer. If you separate the herd into individuals, their numbers will mean little.”

I chewed on my lip in thought. “You might just be onto something there, Night.”

✵ ✵ ✵

I headed back to the tailor’s shop. There were a few things I needed that I was hoping the matron could supply.

I had a plan—of sorts—but much would depend on my only ally, Night, and as yet, she was only level one. “Adi, display my player profile,” I said.

“As you wish, Dace.”

Player Profile: Dace Tolman

Level: 10. Health: 270 / 270 HP. 

Stamina: 270 / 270 SP. Mana: 110 / 120 MP. 

Species: Human. Essence Points: 3 EP.

Remaining Lives: 1.

Base attack: 12 (with battlehammer).

Base defense: 18 (no shield).

Classes

Guardian, a tier 2 Class.

Nodal Capability

Max Nodes: 17. Total Occupied: 9 / 17.

Available Essence Nodes: 6 / 17.

Class Reserved: 2 / 17. 

Occupied Nodes

Strength, tier 1 Essence: 10.

Dexterity, tier 1 Essence: 10.

Constitution, tier 1 Essence: 27.

Life, tier 2 Essence: 17.

Channeling, tier 1 Essence: 12.

Perception, tier 1 Essence: 6.

Guardian, tier 2 Class: 1.

Skills

Strength: swords: 10, heavy armor: 10, mining: 10, hammers: 10, armor synergy: 0.

Dexterity: evasion: 10, sneaking: 10, daggers: 8, herbalism: 10, light armor: 10.

Constitution: recovery: 26.

Life: restoration: 11, life magic: 13, life resistance: 0, spirit expertise: 1.

Channeling: regeneration: 12, spirit link: 1.

Perception: scouting: 1, insight: 6, detection: 6, weapon-throwing: 6.

Active Abilities

Life: lesser heal, lesser bless.

Guardian: spirit guard.

Current Effects

-20% to all magic skills from 6 items.

+2 heavy armor skill from 2 items.

-10 mana from spirit guard. 

Beyond Night’s more obvious advantages, I realized my companion had another benefit: since the black dragon’s level was linked to my spirit link skill and not my player level, her level could theoretically exceed my own. 

“Adi, invest my three Essence Points in channeling,” I said. There were two reasons for this. The first was to increase the level Night could reach, and the second to increase my mana pool to account for Night’s maintenance cost.

“Done, Dace.”

“Thank you, Adi,” I murmured as I entered the tailor’s shop.

“Dace!” the matron called, hurrying to my side, “Is something the matter? Why are you back so soon?”

“Gorman is dead,” I said.

She looked at me blankly.

“A smith from the Silver Hammers who I had dealings with,” I clarified. “The thieves killed him.”

“Ah,” she said. “What can I do to help?”

I hesitated, reconsidering my plan. Only now did it occur to me that what I meant to do would place the Weavers at risk. Could I ask it of them? 

No, I can’t, I decided. I didn’t want the blood of any more innocents on my conscience.

“I only came here to warn you, Evelyn,” I said. “Your Guild has already done enough for me.”

The guildmaster snorted. “Don’t give me that young man. Now, why are you here?”

“I don’t want to endanger your—” I began.

“Nonsense,” the matron said. “Tell me how I can help.”

I held her gaze. She seemed adamant. “Are you sure?” I asked. “It may put your people in harm’s way.”

The elderly guildmaster smiled serenely. “I am. I know you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t need help, Dace, and I told you we won’t be intimidated by the thieves. Now tell me, what we can do?” 

I blew out a breath. “Thank you, Evelyn,” I murmured. “I need a cloak to hide my face—something a wizard would wear—and a staff if you have one.”

“We can supply you with that easily enough,” the guildmaster said. Turning around, she snapped her fingers. “Joyce, bring out a selection of the hooded cloaks from the back. Something to fit this big lug over here. And one of those staffs that group yesterday traded in.”

The younger woman bobbed her head in acknowledgment and Evelyn turned back to me. “What else?” she asked.

“I need an alchemist,” I replied. “Someone reliable. Can the one you’ve been dealing with be trusted?”

“Absolutely,” the matron said. “You’ll find Alexis in the alchemy shop. It’s on the east side of town. Tell Alexis I sent you.”

“Thank you,” I said. 

“Is there something else?” the guildmaster prompted.

I was silent for a moment. This next bit was tricky, and I was not sure if it would work as I desired, or if I would risk too much of myself in the process. “I need your people to spread rumors of a dangerous beast having been spotted near the outskirts of town.”

The matron looked at me curiously. “What sort of beast?”

“A wyvern,” I said. 

Evelyn’s eyes widened. “A wyvern,” she breathed.

I nodded. “Keep mention of it vague. Nothing definitive. Just half-caught glimpses, and reports of players slain.”

“Alright,” the guildmaster agreed. “But what do you hope to achieve with these rumors?”

I shrugged. “Maybe nothing.” Or maybe I’ll sow enough doubt to blur the truth. “It is a bit of a gamble,” I admitted.

Evelyn’s brows furrowed as she studied me, seemingly unsure of what to make of my response, but she didn’t pursue the matter further. 

Joyce hurried over just then, a black hooded cloak and staff in her hands. She handed the items to me, and after nodding my thanks to her, I put on the garment and inspected the staff.

You have equipped a hooded cloak and water wizard’s staff. 

Item: Water Wizard’s Staff

Base attack: 6.

Parent Essence: water. Parent skill: staffs, water. Requirements: water and strength.

Enchantment: -10% casting time to lesser spells.

Warning: you do not have the Essence of water. Until you unlock the water Essence, you may not use this staff in combat.

The cloak, while a bit large, met my needs and fully concealed my features so I was not immediately recognizable. I wasn’t concerned about the System’s warning regarding the staff. I didn’t actually intend on using it.

“What else do you need?” the guildmaster asked, seeing that I was happy with the cloak.

“That’s about it. Thanks Evelyn. Your help means a lot.”

“It’s not much,” the matron said. She pursed her lips in momentary thought. “There is perhaps someone else you should consider approaching.”

I looked at her questioningly.

“The Wardens. They are not like some of the other Guilds in the Creche, and they have had their own run-ins with the thieves. I believe they will look favorably on you if you ask for their help.”

I bowed my head as I considered the matter. I was wary of tying myself to another guild. My experience with the Paragons had soured me somewhat, and while the matron’s recommendation was certainly a mark in the Wardens’ favor, I wasn’t quite ready to trust another group.

“I’ll think about it,” I promised the matron. Saying my farewells, I left the shop. 

✵ ✵ ✵

At this early hour, the alchemist shop was still empty. I pushed my way through the doors and entered the building to find the inside well-lit by multihued globes hanging from the ceiling.

The globes weren’t torches, nor did they appear magical in nature. An alchemical creation? I wondered. 

The rest of the shop was just as weird.

Long desks littered with flasks, test tubes, scales, colored powder heaps, and measuring scales filled the room. More disturbing, scorch marks covered the walls.

“Can I help you?”

I swung around, my hand dropping to the sword at my side. A youth stood not six feet away with her arms folded and fingers tapping impatiently. How had she approached so close undetected?

The young woman made no hostile move though, and I relaxed minutely. “Adi, who is this player?”

“Her name is Alexis Womack.”

“Well?” Alexis asked. “Are you going to stand there all day? Or are you going to tell me what you want?”

I eyed the woman carefully. She was the one the matron had sent me to find. The alchemist was skinny to the point that her bones showed through her worn clothes. With her overlarge head, green frazzled hair, and soot-stained face, Alexis looked the picture of a mad scientist. 

Or she could just be another weird teenager, I thought wryly. And Evelyn thinks this girl can be trusted? I wasn’t so sure, but given the emptiness of the shop, I had no other option.

“I need an alchemist,” I began.

Alexis rolled her eyes. “Obviously. Why else would you be here? 

“I need you to make me a few items,” I said, “but discreetly. No one else can know.”

Alexis studied me suspiciously. “I don’t deal with thieves and murders,” she warned. “If that’s what you are, you can get out now.”

With some difficulty, I held onto my temper. “I’m not a thief,” I said slowly. “On the contrary, I want to stamp them out.”

That earned me a snort of disdain. “That’s what they all say.”

“The Weavers Guildmaster sent me,” I said, ignoring her retort altogether. “She said you could be trusted.”

Alexis’ eyes narrowed. “The Grandmother sent you, eh?” Her gaze roamed over my tall frame. “Are you the one who harvested the mushrooms and venom sacs?”

“I am.”

She bobbed her head in grudging acknowledgement. “Thanks,” she said. “Those ingredients came in very useful.” She leaned forward. “You think you can get any more?”

“Perhaps,” I said. “But not today.”

“Oh,” Alexis said, looking disappointed.

“So will you make me what I need?” I asked, returning to the topic on hand.

“You still haven’t told me what you want,” she reminded me.

“I haven’t,” I admitted. “But I need your agreement first.” 

Alexis’s lips thinned. “No deal, bud. I won’t consent to a blind trade.”

I hesitated and considered Alexis anew. I didn’t want any rumor of what I was about to do to spread across town. Could I trust her? She was certainly irascible, but nothing about her bespoke dishonesty. 

I’ll trust the matron’s judgement, I thought. “I need firebombs,” I said. “Or something like them.”

Alexis scowled. “I don’t make weapons,” she declared.

I almost laughed. But my amusement faded as I saw she wasn’t joking. “You can’t be serious,” I said with a scowl of my own. “What sort of alchemist are you?”

“The pacifist kind,” she said.

I stared at her. Her attitude didn’t make sense, especially not in a world such as the Proving Grounds, but I didn’t have time to argue. “What about poisons?”

“Don’t do those either.”

“Then what can you make?” I asked, exasperated.

Alexis studied me for a moment. “Look, this will go a lot easier if you tell me what you are trying to do.”

I threw up my hands. “I need something that will cause people to disperse.”

“Why didn’t you say so in the first place? For that I have smelly bombs, smoke traps, and terror bombs. If those don’t serve your needs, I can mix you sleep potions or confusion bombs. I will need a few hours to make those, though.” Alexis paused. “So what will it be?”

My mouth dropped open at the wealth of options. I closed it with a snap. “I’ll take everything you have in stock already,” I said without hesitation.

Alexis simply nodded and initiated a trade with me.

I studied the trade window for a second, before dismissing it. “What about oil?” I asked.

“What about it?” Alexis asked with a glare.

“Do you have any? Or anything flammable for that matter.”

Alexis frowned. Sensing her impending refusal, I headed off her objections, before she could get a word out. “It’s not a weapon,” I pointed out. “Only an ingredient. What I do with it, is not your responsibility.”

Alexis relented. “Very well,” she said, and reinitiated the trade.

Trade Window

Goods Offered by Alexis Womack

5 x terror bombs.

8 x smelly bombs.

4 x oil flasks.

3 x smoke traps. 

“What do you want in exchange?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she said, turning away.

“Nothing?” I asked in surprise.

“Nothing,” confirmed Alexis. “Consider it a favor for Grandmother Evelyn. That old lady has done me enough good turns already.”

“Thank you, Alexis,” I called, but she had already disappeared into another room and didn’t respond.