Njuko is sweating heavily from the strain of training. Vers is walking being him like a hunched back camel, his head like a hump, swaying side to side with each step. Myr and Grid are talking about something clamly. He wonders how strong she is she seems almost unohased by the tough training.
Njuko feels tired whatever muscle he is using for lightning it is spent. Every part of his stiff but he continues. The walk takes them through a deeply wooded area. The creature didn't attack but rather seem to flea as soon as they catch the sight of them. This makes it a very dull trip. Even Vers said it's usuall for a kobold not to attack.
Loria is at the bottom of a valley and the sun is setting as they make their way into the small town. The town is built around an old well. That was later converted to fountain. It's made of dark stone. The figure where the water flows from is a naked bare breasted maiden. She is holding a vase that is detailed with leaves. Njuko pulls Vers away who is enjoying the fine natural aesthetics of the Stoneface.
Njuko had a different reaction because the stoneface was not complete. It's a bad omen when a stoneface has incomplete features. Her eyes had only been edged. None of the detailing found on the rest of the stoneface had such a glaring omission.
The towns people are mostly Aardelings, thou Njuko is sure there is at one Tanok. That one had been wearing a huge cloak so he couldn't be entirely sure. Grid moves them towards a t Tavern attached to an old house. The sign is of a raging bronco. Floating on a sea of beer foam.
Inside there are three people. The tavern keeper. A fair skinned young lady, wearing a red dress and a simple braid holding up her black hair. There are two men sitting in the corner by a small wooden desk. They are playing a game of tally with a deck.
They take a seat by the only table that will fit four people and just barely. It's made of a strong smelling fiberous wood. Its natural gold coloring accent by a silver bowl at its center.
Grid says, "Loria is nice start for each of you. You can rest first then tonight each of you will go into one of the three low level dungeons and complete it."
Myr is rubbing her thighs her muscles are sore, stiff and utterly without energy. "Are we doing the whole thing alone?" she asks Grid who is preparing something. He has taken out a page of some kind that he working on. He raises his hand the tavern keep comes out from behind her counter.
She speaks a version of common mixed with a tinge northener. She is not from Loria which is already clear from her fair skin. "Which is that all you will be having?"
Grid says, "that witch is, do best be served." She smiles, leaving a jug of golden ale.
Myr utterly curious about the accent and strange form of speaking. "What was that? You sounded kind of silly just now." she holds back her urge to laugh. Njuko admires her from his seat.
Grid says, "Sometimes it's pays to be silly. I suggest you all prepare yourselves. Since in the dungeon you will be only allowed to use your one spell Njuko." Njuko jumps up the words snapped him. Ọya feels distant at the moment she has been spreading herself thin ever since he started training.
"That's a tough ask, why only my spell I have a weapon. One that you made and is pretty demanding. What about an emergency let's say I'm going to die." Njuko ask as joke but also completely seriously.
"Then you should rather die," Grid says completely serious also joking. Grabbing a couple of mugs from the over hanging hooks. He pours each of them a drink.
"These dungeons are one of a kind, they cursed you see. The story is very old very long and very boring. So the curse challenges the Hunter to use only one attack to clear. The last guy who failed to do so stopped being a hunter because the dungeon cursed him. Similar thing have happened to others who failed. The most famous of these being Logain half hands." Grid Says sipping on his drink.
"You mean The Half hands of doom, Logain is a famous hunter." Vers says he knew the man. Well he has seen the man with only half his hands.
"That's the one, he famous now but for a long time. He cursed his hands. The oddity about his hands is that the dungeon curse took half of each hand." Grid says laughing and gesturing with fingers as if he missing three fingers.
"Then about those that clear it?" Says a small voice. It's Myr she too know half hands. She thou has up close that exactly half his hand missing. Not injured just missing. He wears gloves to cover that you can see the muscle and blood vessel wear the hand dissappeared. Even more unsettling for her at is his middle finger which is also in half in a straight line to his wrist. She shivers just thinking about it slowly drinking her jug of ale.
"Well that's a matter of debate, the prevailing and most probably is something valuable. That's what you get, but my old friend has studied this place and believes it's grants what a person needs most. Most hunters it wi be something rare but ever now then a miracle can happen. Do any of you Harold Bluetooth? " Grid says.
Njuko shakes his he vary knows anything, so does Myr. She has never heard of a Bluetooth. Vers says.
"I think he might have been a king or something." Grid nods in approval
"He was just a boy when he came here to Loria. He fought in the dungeon for seven days and seven nights. Bruised tattered and utterly exhausted he cleared it and was rewarded with a bluetooth. His tooth was actually the only remaining piece of Ulwango. So he Harold became his first and only child because the tooth transformed him giving him dominion over the oceans. " Grid says.
Njuko can't imagine how having a Bluetooth would be useful. However if it does what grid say he would take it, 'Well maybe a goldtooth rather than blue' he thinks.
"So a tooth made him an ocean master?" asks Vers he has read stories of certain elementalists claim that they have become ocean master and have control over the seas.
"Yes and no. Those kinds of ocean masters are common place compared to Harold. Where the others control, he has dominion which means he command waves not wave. Seas to part and whatever was in the ocean was his to do with as he pleased." Grid says.
Vers whistles in astonishment calling an ocean master common is like saying three horned goats are Comman and he has never heard of a three horned goat.
" So if we do it the way you say we will get something like?" Vers asks Grid. Who downs his cup.
"Don't be silly you are all going to it, three times then the real price to be found. A true cosmic power guaranteed." Grids says after a very loud burb.
"All three?" asks Njuko.
"Yes all three, the dungeons are a set each one a simple test of strength, endurance, and intelligence." Grid says looking around for the tavern keeper. She is still in the back.
"Why if took Herold seven days to do one, how long do you think it will takes to do all three? Asks Njuko. Grid puts up three fingers.
" You only have three days. Your first one is the easiest so by tomorrow morning you should each be done." Grid says with a devilish grin his. Myr asks her voice barely audible she is a whisper on the wind.
"How many dungeons did half hands clear?" Grid still smiling responds in an ominous tone.
"Not even one" Bang a loud thud as a tray of foods is dropped in front of them Njuko and Myr jump bumping into each other. Vers manged to control himself.
"Tis do be best to eat while hot, Ousen." Says the tavern keep who has brought out a ridiculous amount of food. Piled onto a single tray.
The food is steaming hot, arranged so that nothing falls out even after she slammed the tray. Njuko can see some meat he might like to try. He offers for Myr to go who thanks him and take the exact piece of meat he was eyeing.
The gang spend the rest of the evening eating drinking and resting. Grid had seen how tired they are and extended their rest to three hours. He is still trying to get a good firm understanding of where everyone stand and the the trials of fate is as good a place as any to start.