E helped Mae pack up most of the camp before he head over to get the mounts watered and fed. Stroking Topher as he attached the oat bag and saddle E fell into thought. "It's got to be easier than it looks right, 6 months or death. I gotta get there, hopefully 1 month isn't to ambitious. It's all going to come down to this" E brought up his menu and went through his Seer class again.
Class - Seer
A specialist in application of
//////[Classified]//////
{Hidden Class}
{Second class varient only}
Core stats applied
Class skills - Skill Surveyor, Combative Chess, Identify ability Lv 1, Copycat
"This is the one I think will help the most. "
Combative Chess Lv 0
Provide proper information and guidance to party members to create unique tactics and combinations or tandem formations and skills. Requires in depth knowledge of party members skills and personalities.
Does not require MP at low levels.
E began to run through mock battles in his head and envisioned himself a psuedo General among his peers. With his direction he could help accomplish amazing feats with his party members working in deep unison. " Tandem skills huh, combining our skills sounds great. But if I remember right.." E looked back at Mae. Bean was helping her fold up the tent. " Damnit.. We don't have any real way to combine our skills. All of mine are with my bow basically, Bean has Throw Berserk, Rapid shot, and Eat anything. And it seems his goblin gas is not an actual skill set, thank goodness that'd be a weird skill tree to go down. Mae Has Rage and Power attack. Berserk and Rage may work sort of. I'm assuming they are similar though. How can I get this skill to payoff? Bean and Mae don't have any ideal combinations outside of size. Bean and I only truly work well if we barrage enemies at range." E looked at his skills and scratched his head. " Wait what's this one? "
Skill - Copycat Lv 0
Copy a skill of an ally or adversary at the most basic level of understanding. Deeper understanding of said skill allows for higher level output. Copied skill stays available for 1 hour. If copied skill is used effectively chance for permanent gain of skill can apply at 25% rate and increases further at deeper understanding. Activation costs of skills still apply, passive skills are not valid targets.
Available to cast on Allies at double activation cost. Activation cost - 2 MP
* Special parameter - May be used only once every 3 months on an ally.*
" Holy hell! This is amazing!" E's eyes lit up. " With this we can make more combinations and essentially learn from each other. This might breed unique classes! Mae said skills are hard to learn but this basically trumps that. As long as we can understand skills we will have a chance to learn them." E realized he had been brushing Topher's hair in the same spot as he went through his skills, only realizing he was zoning out as Mae and Bean began to pack on the current camp set up onto the steeds. E grabbed his things and followed suit. After a short walk they came to the road.
As they began to mount their mounts, Mae on heavy horse and Bean and E on Topher, Topher began to make a fuss. After E got on and extended his arm to Bean to help pull him up Topher began to sway and buck a little and let out a few neighing sounds. Only when Bean actually got up on his back did he fully buck nearly launching E over the reigns and sending Bean several feet backwards on his butt.
Mae let out a good chuckle. Looking at E and his novice riding skills she called out to Bean. " Hahaha. Looks like your riding with me. We're a couple days ride away. We better get on the move or someone else will come take our quest."
E looked at Bean climb aboard Mae's horse. Bean sat behind Mae quite awkwardly. Mae's large sword was almost as wide as him and was across her back at a slant. Even wrapped in the cloth she had on it Bean looked quite uncomfortable. He tried to maneuver himself closer to her and grab a hold of her waist but was basically kissing her sword. This time E let out a quick chuckle prompting Mae to grab Bean and sit him in front of her. She looked a bit upset at having to do so but on the contrast Bean was quite happy and looked back to E with the same look he gave him when they first met Mae. Her breast just barely lay atop his small head. Noticing this E realized it was all a careful plan laid by Bean and a stream of blood shot out of E's nose. Mae huffed as if she understood E's reaction and moved her horse to a gallop. " If you turn around even once I will fling you from this horse."
Bean lay his javelin across his lap and grabbed the saddle to brace. E followed after them. After several hours or so of riding the wind chill nipped at all of them. Their skin had all been numbed in the cold and snow began to fall rather intensely. They all looked at each other and knew it meant they had to stop for awhile. It was only just afternoon but the current weather became rather violent so they got off the road and back into the trees looking for a spot to set up for awhile. They quickly dug out an area from the snow and lit a fire. They all huddled closely and even brought the animals in towards the fire. After waiting for an hour as the snowstorm passed they got back on the road. This process repeated itself over the next day and a half until just over the horizon their eyes finally caught sight of their destination Wirewood Grove.
The tree cover to the sides of the road thinned as they approached the small town. Small was an understatement in comparison to Brackbush, but in the eyes of the Kingdom the town here was just another pitstop on the way to the capital. The homes here were made of brick and the layout was very linear. There wasnt a wall around the town but it was quite squared and had a large through road that went through it's middle. Smoke billowed from many chimneys, even though they just got here it was getting late so they road down the main road in search of a room for rent. Not to long after they came across an Inn. A large hanging board a top the building read " The Hobble Inn".
The trio tied off their horses on a standalone beam that was erected in front of it's doors, seemingly made for this purpose. Opening the doors they walked in and we're met with a very warm waft of air and the smell of sweet fresh bread. The open area in front of them was adorned with a humble seating area in front of a fire place. In the far side of the room was a desk and behind it sat a older gnome woman who called out to them as they looked around.
" Hello dears, my you must be cold please sit by the fire. Are you in need of a room?" Her sweet twangy voice melted their hearts. " I'll be right back with some tea, just relax a moment."
Everyone took a seat. The past couple days of horseback left everyone's rear end sore, even more so E since he had never riden before. It came to him easily, Topher seemed to respond or react well to his subtle movements, and most of the time he just followed Mae and Bean. E stared at the fire in a light daze out reaching his hands to warm them. He hadn't realized how cold it was going to be, perhaps the horseback made things worse or he was just used to being indoors more often in the winter. Nevertheless he looked at his attire and wished he had more clothing, it made him realize how Bean must have felt. He had barely anything on but hadn't made a fuss about it. E then remembered he grew up on the mountains. Mae also took to the cold well. She wore an average amount of clothes but they were rather tight and leather so not to much could be said about the warmth provided. E was curious " How come your not cold Mae? I'm freezing. Its so nice in here."
" I'm an orc, we're extremely hot-blooded. No pun intended. It's just in my gene's."
After their breif respite, the elder gnome woman came walking out pushing a cart with tea and bread rolls on it. She barely stood as tall as the cart but it was the perfect size to be reached from the couch. Mae began to blush and smile, she was immediately gushing over how tiny and cute the old woman was.
" Okay sweeties drink up some tea and have a fresh roll, Best stay out of the cold. The room for you is just upstairs at the end of the hall on the right, next to the community restroom. It's one gold per night, breakfast and dinner included." She outstretched her hand. E promptly fetched a gold from his bag and handed it to her.
" Ma'am is there a stable nearby? We've got two horses. And thank you" E grabbed a cup of tea as Bean began to hum happily as he eat his bread roll.
" Oh yes there's a stable just down the road. You're not to worry though I can put them in the back yard in the shed for the night. Let me just get Freddy." She went back to the small desk and opened a door that went halfway up the size a regular door into a small room. A moment later and old male gnome stepped out.
" You've got some horse's? Do they like carrots? I can tease em to the back, lest you'd be kind enuff to steer them with me Miss." He spoke out to Mae as he approached the couch. He was a thin old gnome very small glasses on his larger crooked nose. His hair was grayed and he was in a night slip with a small night cap on.
Mae about died she was truly a sucker for the tiny folk here, and their humble speech just had her enthralled with them.
" Yes I can help you tell me where to go." Not thinking much of it she picked up the little man and walked out with him.
The old gnome man was a little caught off guard but let it be. Bean's happy smile fell into a sort of frumpy frown as they walked out. He then hopped off the couch and headed upstairs. E sensed a bit of jealousy.
Eventually they all made it up to the room. It had only two beds in it but Bean curled up on a nice leather chair in the corner leaving Mae and E each the beds. Everyone quickly fell asleep afterwards.
The next morning everyone woke up to the smell of sweet fruits and flowers in the air. A gentle knock at the door roused them. " Breakfast is ready dears, head on downstairs and eat up."
Mae sat up and looked around the room.
" I could just live here these sweet old gnomes are so cute. We've got to get up and find out about the church though. I don't want to be fighting bugs into the night." Bean and E both nodded and everyone gathered their things and went downstairs.
After a small breakfast and a chat with Glenda, the old gnome lady, they learned the church was out to the west side of town. It was just beyond the main home stretch and was on the plot to the cemetery. Before it fell to ruin apparently it was a church of the Divine Moon, an all-faith church that allowed folks of all relations to gods a manner of prayer so long as they're no lasting or mischievous attachments to them. Apparently after the Pastor died the church became a boarded up building as it awaited it's new priest, who seemingly never came and many years had past and it decayed. The cemetery grounds it were on became less tended to in that same regard and so many folks just avoided it until it had become completely abandoned.
E booked another evening with them and decided to leave behind his horses. After tending to them they trio made way to the Church. Not more than 20 minutes of a walk away they set out.
The Wood Knights stood at the gates to the cemetery and could see the church off in the distance, it erect there left it gloomy and bleak only leaving them with a sense of dread as they looked on at it. They entered the cemetery " Alright lets walk the perimeter at a safe distance and get a good layout and then make preparations this will be our first quest let's not fail!" E spoke out proudly.
On the inside of the church a pair of beady eyes stare at the trio in their approach. " Fiiiinallllly.... Fooood isss hereeee"