{Main mission: Find safety.
Difficulty: Average
Mission description: You have rescued your comrades and left the royal palace of Irmanir with most of the artifacts and treasures obtained through years of accumulation throughout the territory, decades of history and inheritances reserved for the most loyal. You will be hunted. Don't die.
Time: 29:23:44:39
Warning: In case of failing the main mission, you will be penalised with a fee of 400 points and one attribute will be reduced by one rank. In case you are unable to pay with points, your attributes and equipment will instead be used as colateral.]
"What even was your original mission around here anyway?" Aki asked, the horse he rode in a strange state between exhaustion and a frenzy, being heavily reinforced as the man carried most of the treasure they'd pilfered and could not mount anything other than a rhinoceros with the weight on his back. Than again, that was mostly because despite his gravity lift the animal was still carrying around half a ton on it's back if everything was summed up.
"I had to end up a rebelion, but then i met the leader and changed sides because the leader was cute and I didn't prepare as much as I had thought to take down the noble around the region. I kind of got focused because of how much i pissed the guy off instead though, so the rebelion should still be going despite us being captured." Said the now lightly armored middle eastern with a grin, shrugging as she got a questioning glance.
"I'm starting to like you. Say, any idea how big of an army people here send against rebelions?" Aki grinned as he shouted over the wind.
"A couple of thousand standard. Now though? At least ten equiped with siege equipment. They will want us." Smiled the woman, a sadistic glint in her eyes.
*****
They ditched the horses after some twelve hours, mostly as a diversion, though Aki's horse seemed to have gained a small glean on how to reinforce it's own body, which made it the pack leader after being released, the look on it's face trying to convey heartfelt thanks the young man actually reconised on the equine face.
That was going to be a fun story for later, but he was pretty sure they'd meet again and tried to convey that to the now magical beast. The fear it momentarily expressed showed that it understood.
The rebels aparently had a base two days on foot, though the one with lowest dexterity, Ben, had the attribute in question at C-, meaning they could keep a very long stride for long periods of time, making the trip with inhuman speed and endurance last around some eight to ten hours. Initially, there was silence all around, but when Queen, yes that's the ID of the contractor, got bored and asked wether Aki could sing well, they were rather surprised to hear that he had reached apprentice rank on it.
People didn't normally use their points on 'profession' skills unless they had an actual use for it, so admitting he had the skill for it was similar to admitting it was part of his combat stile too. Players didn't do that. Aki just looked at them strange though.
"You fucks literally saw me negate sound for over two hours as we explored the castle and exploded the wall on the oposite side to here, there was doubt about me having bardic magic, really?" He questioned.
"I honestly know fuck all about magic, just thought you had a silence skill or item. They're pricy, but quite hot on market." Shrugged Ben. Mani didn't even try to answer.
"What's bardic magic?" Asked Queen.
"General term for sound based magic. Did you not look into fantasy settings after starting to dungeon dive?" He pointed out, frowning at the woman and sending a questioning glance to her bodyguards.
"Magic isn't actually that well understood in the big city either, and plenty of people scorn fantasy nerds for likening the magic we know to the ones spread by midia." Explained Mani, his cold voice sounding simpatetic.
"And no one wants to share why they are strong because that could get them horribly killed even if you sign a contract. Yeah, makes sense. Say, how much did you pay to get refered to someone like me? An independant spell caster not reliant on items is rather rare, or at least i haven't seen any other till now." Aki continued the line of thought and then asked.
"Not much, just twenty k." Shrugged his contractor. "They seemed pretty happy to throw you at the wolves though."
"Of course they did. This place is perfect to test wether i am fully focused on spirit or can survive despite the circunstances. Great to figure out if i can be a realiable partner they should try to recruit after my little stunt."
"And what would you be refering to?" She sweetly asked.
"Wow, information travels slow here. I was being beaten in an bid for a skill i really needed and ended up using golden points to increase my spirit, knock the other guy or girl back and get the item before they got back up. Don't let people scam you into paying for this kind of info, it's irelevant. Just know i punch hard." He laughed, then began to sing, the others taking it as a tactical indication that he would not be giving out more information. They all quickly noted how they were somehow getting faster while listening to Skillet and Neffex however, leading to the monotunous hours through dusty wasteland passing rather quickly as they reached a forested emcampment before being bothered at all.
"Halt! You are surrounded!" Said an androginous voice that seemed to come from everywhere.
"You mean the rebelion you talked about was made out elves!?" Aki questioned, a big grin on his face. "That makes things much easier."
"Silence!" Said a now more irritated voice.
"It's me! Your Queen! Stop this bullshiting already Matrak!" Said the woman while pouting and taking her hood down.
"Lady Q! But, how?!" Questioned a distinctivelly more masculine voice.
"She got lucky. I had a beef with the same mage that was holding her captive and we escaped the castle together! The man was already dead when i got the door of his chamber open though." Explained Aki before laughing while stretching.
"Is... is this blood spawn speaking the truth my lady?" Questioned a man dropping from the canopies around them.
"Mostly. We need to move though. Prepare for the troops that will be searching for us and get to Vanes with the blade they wanted." Shortly explained the woman in question, her flippant nature till now vanishing to the wind.
"Let me guess, there's a whole profecy behind this blade and the one to use it?" Guessed Aki, getting a nod from the woman and a frown from the elf. Neither of the other two body guards cared much. Their contracts didn't involve helping negotiating with other players even if they chose to help with the side quest.
Generally only one person would benefit from most side quests, but when it was big enough, several could be generated or even just a straight special event, which would affect someone's rating depending on their contribution.
"It won't be a problem then. I'll let you guys borrow it. Unless you can give me another treasure to my liking, then it is yours." He shrugged.
"You'd bargain what is rightfully our when thousands of lifes are at stake? Truly despiceable. My lady, allow me to down this fowl..." *Snicker*
"You talk to much young one, do you think my own life isn't at stake? Do i seem to be a hero to you? Why the fuck would things be any diferent when i have the sword and you can't take it from me?" Aki laughed, the elf staggering in place as blood started to drip from his nose and veins popping all over as he fought against the suddenly increasing gravity, his weight multiplied by over twenty times for a moment. "Besides, i would rather kill all of elfen kind than to allow me or mine to die. Without power, that will hapen." He said on a much more serious tone before the pressure was raised again and the elf fell to the ground, a rumbling sound coming from several directions around them. "Well then that should be enough to get me paid." Muttered the man who just downed twenty fighters all around them. He'd also be the one who would be waking them up, so he'd take some energy and top himself up again, some forty percent of his mana being spent already, but they would be going to the rebel base one way or another, his companions mostly not bothered by his posturing.
*****
Reaching the tree house, a quite fitting code name for a series of labirintic rooms through overgrown trees and their roots, was quite easy. Actually reaching the leader of the rebelion had their now group of five spending half an hour waiting for traps to be dissarmed and a lot of normal walking.
Aki's first impression of them was that they were powerfull, his bloodlust making all present weary.
"Sorry for that. Instincts and all." He apologised, looking rather embarassed.
"If that is so then all is forgiven, but while i am happy to see a friend return, i question why she finds herself accompanied by a blood kin." Said the extremely velveted elf, their pale face completely androgenous, their white toga with green and gold embroidment also unisex and not showing any indication of gender, though their voice did carry a matronly worry and experience that seemed contrary to the shoulder lenght straight hair framing a youthfull face as the elf seemed to try and pass a rather ethereal countenance, not really reaching the standarts set by a certain weeb.
"Coincidence." Shrugged Queen.
"And payment." Aki pointed out, the other two nodding despite not really being acknoledged in the conversation.
"I lament to inform we have little to offer, but i imagine my advisor would know that already." They said with a questioning tone while still sitting on their throne, which was pretty much just a root from a big tree in the format of a big chair.
"We figured an agreement between us, they won't be charging you or the rebelion." Nodded the woman in question.
"The thing is that this agreement had in it that we could take things we looted during operations, anything that was of use to us, and it just so happened that I claimed Syltindar for myself before discussing anything or even knowing about your profecy. Meaning that according to our contract it is mine but i agree to lend it to you until your profecy is fullfiled. As long as i receive proper compensation." Aki explained with a small smile. "By the way, i came here personally because if she allows something to happen to me on a circunstance like this she dies because of our contract." He said, looking at the man who'd first received them. The man visibly paled before frowning at him. There was no two ways however, a player breaking a contract would either pay a previously stated fine or die. There was no fine in this case.
"And what do you consider suitable in exchange for the treasure of our people then?" Frowned the leader.
"I have two things in mind, one or the other will do but neither will criple you or the like. I say this meaning no offense, but a cup of your blo..."
"Inexcusable!" Shouted Matrak, drawing his sword. He was not the only one however, all guards in the room pointing lances at him and hidden agents preparing to pepper him with arrows and magic. The tension on the room was palpable, but the high elf raised a hand and said a word in a language Aki didn't speak before all elves lowered their weapons, though most still vigilantly stared at him.
"I would give much more than just a cup of my blood if that gave our champion the chance to wield the fated sword, but it is not a decision for me alone to take. What else would you exchange it for?" Calmly said Vanes, sighing with a hand on their forehead.
"Lessons on spell craft and spell songs for the time i remain here while being gifted tomes with notes on the subjects for after i leave. I never received a formal education on the subject, so most of what you can teach should be useful." He explained, fully expecting the exchange that'd just happened. "And for your general information, i was born and raised human, recently having eaten the heart of a young vampire of high patent. I don't have any relation to any of the courts you all know." He pointed out, adressing the crowd of elves.