Isekai translates to "another world." This genre typically has a narrative where a protagonist somehow gets transported to a different world. The new world is more often than not in a fantasy setting, occasionally with traits pulled from JRPG games.

Of course, this genre isn't new to western readers, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court is a good example and in a way Alice in Wonderland. Or a role-playing group in another world, Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame series

So after watching or reading some good and not so good Isekai stories, I decided to take another go at it. Beyond the Pale is the first.

Chapter 1: Please be a dream!

As the large dragon vanished in a shower of pixels, the cheers of our guild filled the cavern. My last spell had finally finished off the raid boss. Of course, other players from the forty-man raid started to tease me that I always seemed to get in the last hit, but it was all in good fun.

“Wow, that’s a lot of loot.” Minerva, one of our guild’s mages, shouted, drawing others to look at their inventory.

“Bloody well should be for an elder dragon.”

“Christ, my inventory is almost full, even with the Arcane bags you made Valindra.”

“Seems like a waste that we emptied our guild bank before the quest.”

“Nah didn’t have a choice since we couldn’t get back to the guildhall unless you like grinding.”

“I agree; it did make this whole quest line easier.”

“That’s true, oh sweet I got a pair of personalized daggers and a really nice cloak.”

“Not sure why the developers bothered, Gwendoline. Oh, you’re right, this is nice. Hey, Princess, did you look at the loot?” Contessa or in real-life, my cousin Kathy yelled to me from across the room.

“Looks like I need to fill out a bug report. This dagger’s name is spelled wrong unless frost is supposed to start with the letter ‘d’.”

Story of our lives, for the last year, we spent a lot of time as beta-testers pointing out issues for Prometheus’ brand new VR game ‘Magic-Life.”

“Sweet, new armor set, and the description has a little of my back story in it, unbelievable.” I overheard a member from another guild speak in wonder as he clicked through his inventory.

“Hey, blonde!”

My cousin continued to ignore that I was surrounded by half a dozen players trying to get my attention.

“Sorry, Harold, whenever we get done will you and Minerva start porting our guild back to the hall. Sir Smithers and Arcana, you might want to start with your guilds let me know if you need any help. Yes, Zanders, we’re pretty sure the developers will be shutting down things here in a few, so you don’t want to stick around.”

The group nodded before opening up their inventory. Apparently, everyone was now interested in the last loot we as players would receive before the game was reset and went live.

“Ok, Contessa, what’s up?”

“Look at your loot.” She ran over to me, grabbing my arm.

“All right, all right, you violent wench.”

“Might as well.” I thought.

Taking down the world boss Eldrark an Elder High Dragon had been one of the best world quests to date. Typical quest line for most computer games since my great-grandfather’s day, but this had been in VR-Life.

Oh, there had been plenty of other fantasy games before in VR-Life, mostly short dungeon scenarios. This new game Magic-Life, would encompass an entire living VR world called Magika. Prometheus, the game company, had even partnered with Gammatryk, the manufacture of well known extremely high-end VR gear.

Contessa wrapped her arms around me and whispered. “You Ok, Eleanor, you got suddenly quiet.”

I couldn’t answer as I stared at the crown that had appeared in my inventory.

“I know it's going to be hard to go back to Shawn full time. I mean, I’m sort of sorry for pushing you into playing a girl in-game. But, you seemed to love history, especially the different Kings and Queens.”

Right, I had always been enamored with royalty and their lives. Elizabeth I, Berengaria of Navarre, Lady Jane Grey, and Eleanor of Aquitaine were among my favorites.

“Your right, the money doesn’t hurt either.”

I smiled as she held my hand.

“Plus, being part of the first ‘Long term study on living in a VR world’ is going to look good on my resume. With the signing bonus I received for playing as a member of the opposite sex, I’m will be able to afford that marriage you have been talking about since we were six.”

“Idiot, you’re not paying for it.” Contessa rolled her eyes. “I did tell you Prometheus would have hired you even if you weren’t willing to play a female character eight hours a day for an entire year. Mark’s family is pretty big with Gammatryk, so it's not liked you would have been turned down.”

Several universities, along with the company, had signed on three people who were in the middle or had transitioned. For the study, they needed a primary base, someone who is not interested in becoming the opposite gender in real life. With that, they could compare it to the others in the study and see what changes, if any, take place.

“Nice to have a rich boyfriend whose grandfather owns the largest VR gear maker in the world. Maybe I can be your maid of honor?”

I couldn’t help but tease her.

“Silly, you know you’re going to be Mark’s best man.”

True that but still.

“Do you think the developers were surprised when five of their new players suddenly swore fealty to me on the first day of play?”

Contessa gave me a strange look at the sudden change of topic. “They were excited too, so Mark told me. It gave a breath of life to the world. Plus, we became the most kick-ass group on the server.”

“Plus, once our numbers hit twenty, they implemented the guild system.”

“Which they both praised us and cursed us, thankfully, Mark’s grandfather pushed for it. Stupid not to have something like that it in place before the game officially went live.”

“I thought so, and we did have fun this year.”

I learned a lot about myself, too, but I wasn’t quite ready to tell anyone that.

“We did.”

She smiled before turning serious. “So, tell me.”

Damn those eyes lethal weapons I tell you.

“Remember the first pen and paper campaign your boyfriend ran right after my parents died?”

“Of course.” Contessa leaned in, looking concerned. “I wrote up the storyline of a princess gaining her lost kingdom.”

“Which you then made me play the game as the princess, so really, it’s not like I haven’t played one before right.”

“I’m sorry.”

I shook my head, “No, you misunderstand me. It saved me. I played Eleanor again for you.”

And for myself.

Reaching into my menu, I placed Gwirionedd, the lost crown of Avalon on my head, and strapped the second item I discovered in my inventory on my side, the sword Cyfiawnder.

The two symbols of the true ruler of the lost kingdom of Avalon,
“All Hail the Queen,” I whispered.

Contessa grinned, tears running down her face. “All Hail the Queen.”

The rest of my guild picked up the chant as portals suddenly appeared to take us home.

“Well, that’s not right.”

Looking around, I had no idea what happened. For some reason, the portal took me to the center of a stone circle in the middle of nowhere as opposed to our Guild Hall.

Swiping the air with my left hand, my status menu appeared. I needed to see if I can get a GM to see what happened.

“Well, shit.”

Menu tabs were missing whole sections, including the Friends list, Guild Administration, and most worrying, the user Admin Center. The character stats remained unchanged. Skills appeared to be all in order just some sections, well important sections were missing.

“Odd, can’t even log out.”

Worse, the sweet fragrance of the white flowers that covered the area assaulted my nose.

“That doesn’t seem right.”

In VR-Live, as everyone knows, your senses are muted. Every company advertises ‘Our gear makes it so you cannot tell the difference’ but of course, everyone can.

“Shit, they pushed out another patch midgame.”

Updating the game while players were still logged on had become a bone of contentions between the beta-testers and Prometheus. We knew they were on time constraints, but for such a critical bug to be deployed, this close to launch did not bode well for the game’s success.

“Feels real, how is that possible.”

Taste, touch even smell at this point were a standard part of the VR experience, but it never feels right. You eventually get used to it. Our brains adapt quickly enough, and afterward, it’s not much of a problem, but this new update, just Wow.

Enough already, even if I could feel the heat of the sun, smell the flowers around me, and even weirder feel the weight of my armor, I had been logged on for over eight hours.

“Ok, great job guys, but come on someone give us a server-wide GM announcement. I have a party to go to tonight.”

I yelled at the sky, hoping but not expecting an answer. Still, I would not want to be in the developers’ shoes right. Heads were going to roll for this one. And of course, I can’t even fill out a bug report.

“At least push out a patch for a log out button. Oh, I have a better idea, force a mass logout. You have done it before. Fix this shit on your own dime.”

Taking a seat in the middle of the stone circle, I watched the clouds pass.

Boring.

“I’m not sitting here all day.”

The surrounding countryside looked interesting. The rolling hills, forests, and snow-topped mountains off in the distance were something right out of the pages of a fantasy novel. They might be all be idiots, but the Prometheus model developers were the brightest of the bunch.

“So new location, huh, much better than the Cold Swamp. It looks more realistic than before. Alright, if you want me to look, I will. But trust me if I find anything wrong, you’re going get an earful.”

Several hours earlier, I had been hip-deep in a swamp before we took on Eldrark. Thank goodness they pushed the environmental patch after we finished off the big lizard. The swamp had smelled pretty bad muted. Now it would have been intolerable.

“Oh, and a road too now that’s helpful.”

The location of the standing stones had given me a good view of the road below, which seemed pretty straight opting to go right up the hills; in the other direction, it continued under the branches of a rather large forest.

I couldn’t help but admire the way the developers decided to make the road. They must have researched Roman construction, although, with the help of magic, I imagine, for the people of Magika, it made the work a lot less time-intensive.

Thoughts of buying a portal back to my Guild Hall sent me walking down the hill.

As an Eldritch Knight, I had several powerful spells at my command, but only top tier mages could create Arcane Portals. Thankfully, many towns and villages provided it as a service to Adventurers for a bit of coin, especially convenient if your next Quest took you to the other side of the continent.

Thankfully, like my inventory, my Mounts tab remained unmolested. Sure, I could have walked, but as a Knight, I went nowhere without my trusty steed.

“Gwefrydd, gads, you smell like a horse now.”

Laughing at the look, he gave me. I ran my hand along his flank. As I laid my head down on his neck, I could even hear him breathe.

“Color me impressed, Gwefrydd. You ready for a bit of a run.”

Gwefrydd had become my mount after a long solo Quest, part of my class Quests. Oh, many people bought mounts to ride. It made traveling a lot easier. But as a Knight, you wanted a properly trained mount which would fight with you. Mounted on Gwefrydd, I could fight and still ride thirty or more miles in a day.

Taking a comfortable pace through the forest, I noticed that there was a bit of space between the road and the trees. Some magic must be keeping them from encroaching upon the road, seemed appropriate in a magical world. On the plus side, adventurers would get plenty of warning before being attacked by some random monster.

“Let’s start looking for a place to stop.”

It had been mid afternoon when I stepped off the hill. Riding in the dark never a smart move, thankfully I came across an open area.

“Looks like a campsite, nice. Oh, and stacks of firewood, convenient that.”

My cooking skill would summon the rocks to make a campfire. The wood would still need to be collected.

Dismounting, I thought about unsummoning Gwefrydd, but I liked his company. OK, I didn’t want to be sitting alone in the dark.

With tack and saddle removed, I pulled out several horse brushes and a large bucket from my inventory. The Horse Health Kit would keep your mount happy and apply a bonus the next time you rode.

“Not too bad for a Daily Quest reward, and you like to be brushed, don’t you Gwefrydd.”

Dodging a playful nip, I could only stare at my horse.

“Holy crap did they update mounts too. A little too real, and now you smell even more like a horse.”

Putting the brushes away, I conjured some water into the bucket while searching my inventory for oats.

“Geeze, and I smell like one too. Gwefrydd, don’t misunderstand me. I’m all for realism, the whole immersive thing, but I’m not sure if having to take a shower in-game is going to be the next best thing in VR gaming.”

The developers of Magic-Life tried to make the game as authentic as possible in terms of how it might look in a fantasy world in the middle ages. As beta-testers, we pointed out tons of inaccuracies. If you’re going to be authentic, at least hire some actual researchers.

“Not that they would have showers, baths maybe, a bucket of water and some ash?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle; soap had been part of human hygiene since the Babylonians. Sure, you can use ash from a cooking fire, but it would strip the oil from your skin pretty quickly.

“And now I’m hungry.”

Pizza Fridays had been many hours ago, and another more pressing thing started to rear up its ugly head.

“I hope the managers at Prometheus have a change of clothes for all of us.”

How does one interpret reality? By what you can see, touch, smell, and feel correct? In a virtual environment, these senses are muted, falling leaves become a single mass of color on the ground, strong odors do not attack your nose, and dirt on your skin doesn’t make you itchy.

Although you might eat, it does not state your hunger. Virtual water does not quench your thirst, and the most basic of bodily functions do not happen.

Everything went sideways the moment I vanished the lower portion of my armor to squat the same way as females of my species had done for millions of years.

This new reality felt like a punch to the gut, and I had to keep myself from throwing up while I messily watered the campsite.

“This can’t be real.”

Indeed this new paradigm kept dripping down my leg. Wiping myself off with some linen cloth from inside my inventory, I stumble towards an overturned tree sitting down before I fell.

“This can’t be real.”

Part of me wanted to believe that this was just another update, but I knew in my heart it was real.

“What happened to me?”

I told no one, least of all myself, that I wasn’t the best candidate for the study. Did anyone notice when I embraced the whole immersive thing from the start? On off days, I took lectures on mannerism. At night, I studied such things as how to walk and how to greet people in different social situations finding myself especially good at it.

I convinced myself that if I were going to be some sort of fantasy princess, at least I would learn to act as one taking to heart the writing of Robert de Blois.

Ladies should walk erect, with dignity, neither trotting nor running, nor dallying either, with their eyes fixed on the ground ahead of them.

When I wasn’t stabbing monsters in the face or lighting them on fire, and even then, I did it with a touch of grace.

Because of the way I presented myself, it came as no surprise that the developers asked for me to be placed into the position of Lead Beta-Tester. It only reinforced what I had been doing was correct.

One of my guildmates mentioned that my gestures as Eleanor had become quite beautiful. I didn’t slug him. Instead, I was quite proud that my posture in the real world improved, and muscles started to hurt that I didn’t even know I had.

I know the Study’s Psychologists expressed some grave concerns throughout the year about the amount of time we spent in-game and how it impacted our psyche. Not just me but all of us.

When they asked if I wanted to start playing a male character six months into the game, I refused. I told them that I wanted to be true to the study.

Right before the start of the last week of testing, a sympathetic therapist agreed with me that the game had been a positive experience in my life. However, did I want to wear dresses in the real world? Did I want to become Eleanor? I didn’t have an answer, but here, it seems I might not have much choice.

Sitting in only a chemise, I spent the long night taking items out and putting them back into my inventory.

“So, it appears to be mostly unaffected, but this whole thing is so surreal. “

Why did I spend the entire night playing around with my inventory? I didn’t want to think of anything else.

Morning came too soon.

“I know I’m trying to fool myself, Gwefrydd. I know this is too real for me to be in the game. But what else am I supposed to believe that something or someone summoned me to another world from inside a VR game?”

Unfortunately, he had no answers forthcoming.

“Or am I in some hospital, so wrapped up in being Eleanor that the thought of no longer being able to play her pushed me to towards some psychotic break.”

Curling up into a ball, I cried. “Oh God, what have I done to myself.”

Chapter 2: Half a league onward

Later, with the sun now fully up, I unsummoned the campfire and dressed. I knew I had to deal with the situation as best I could. If this was real, I didn’t have the luxury of breaking down again in the middle of nowhere — not the safest place to be, especially in a world full of monsters.

“Still, I’m glad I have you, stupid horse.”

I had no choice but to press onwards and find civilization. As much as I didn’t want to be alone, I prayed that my guild members, especially my cousin, did not appear in this world.

As I rode down the road, something suddenly occurred to me. In-game, the Knight class, gave me the ability to ride a horse. Just like the Eldritch sub-class gave me the ability to cast spells. However, in this day and age, not too many knew how to ride a horse, much less swing a sword.

And I had cast an ignite spell to light the campfire, how was that possible. Even stranger, I suddenly knew things — not just the skill, but the knowledge that comes from knowing it. The more I thought about it, the more real this world became.

It terrified me.

By the late afternoon, Gwefrydd had taken me almost through the forest. When several large forms burst out of the woods, it confirmed that I had not been simply transported somewhere else on earth.

Unless, of course, scorpions the size of dogs had become a thing.

A single rock scorpion was a serious encounter for low-level adventurers, just leaving the starter zones. I remembered the six of us facing one, now even the three which advanced quickly before me were nothing more than pests.

“Gwefrydd, up and at them,” I yelled, charging forward.

My favorite spear Rhew appeared in my hand as the two of us raced forward. Taking on the lead beasty, a quick swipe of my spear removed its stinger. As the creature hisses in pain, a disturbing sound, I wheeled around, plunging the point straight through its back. The next two creatures suffered the same fate.

I will admit feeling a little better, not sure if that made me a bad person or not.

Dismounting, I approached the three monsters. They didn’t look right. Too large, the claws a little sharper and the color appeared off, plus too many legs.

“So not Magic-Life, then where the hell am I?”

The fake rock scorpions also had no answers.

Usually, when you defeat a monster in-game, they would vanish, leaving you with item drops. Even coin, which I always thought was a bit strange, but these three just lay there and did not appear to be going anyplace.

“Another vote on real, fuck.” I did give the beasty a good kick for not answering my question.

The armored plates made good low-level armor, however, even with the knowledge now burned in my brain. I had no real desire to butcher the trio. Removing only the stingers from the beasties, the poison could be used in some base potions. Afterward, I dragged the carcasses off the road.

“Half a league, half a league, half a league onward.”

After exiting the forest, the road continued to an open field, and as I hoped far off in the distance, I spied the top of several tall buildings.

Riding closer for a better view, with it late in the day, the walled village appeared to be surrounded by a soft glow as the sun shone on the red and orange tiled roofs. Not sure what I had expected, but the landscape reminded me of a picturesque painting of a European village.

Another thing that excited me the setting sun reflected off a river. If I could find a boat, it might take me to a larger town or city.

“Could someone there get me home, Gwefrydd?”

Dismounting, I took off the crown of Avalon. I knew from my etiquette lessons that first impressions were important for good or for ill. Placing it back into my inventory, I took out a pair of earrings and manifested them on my ears.

“My end game gear, you're right, probably too much.”

My armor vanished replaced with a silver-steel cuirass and pauldrons along with a deep blue armored skirt made out of Nightweave linen. More silver-steel pates reinforced the skirt, arms, and legs. To top it off, Beithir hide boots.

The armor set had been a gift from Wayland, a guildmate who had maxed out the Smith skill. He had been enamored with old Japanese animation as a child and said that with my blonde hair and demeanor, I reminded him of one particular heroine.

The earrings had been a fortunate drop because, like many others, I hated wearing a helmet. However, as anyone who had spent any time-fighting monsters, lack of headgear ended many a quest.

How did the earrings protect my head, why ‘magic’ of course. Much better than a lot of high-end headgear too.

“Protective and fashionable.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at one of Kathy’s favorite saying. Armor, she commented, needed to be both if I was going to play the role of a proper princess. I knew that just gave her an excuse to spend half her time using me as a dress-up doll. No, I never objected.

“I already miss you.” With a sigh, I check myself out.

As an Eldritch Knight, my gear would never make me a tank. I flitted in and out of combat, pouring on damage to the mobs while my heavily armored Knights made sure they pulled plenty of aggro.

“That’s right. I don’t think I need to be Princess Eleanor. I’m just a simple adventurer looking for her companions.”

Most beta-testers would know of this armor, so as much as I prayed that no one else ended up here, at least if it did happen, we might be able to find one another.

“Kathy is going to give me so much shit about turning into Eleanor for real. But still, I can now officially be made her maid of honor.”

I laughed at the situation I suddenly found myself in, much better than crying.

With a quick wash of my face and hands, I remounted and headed down the road. Drawing close, I began passing fields at least a couple of miles out.

“Oats or Rye, I imagine.”

Prominently, off to the sides of the fields were stone structures.

“I don’t see any farms strange. “

Well, maybe not if there was a chance of being attacked by a monster while stepping out to the outhouse. So made sense, in a world of monsters, the stone buildings allowed workers to run off to the safety in case of an attack.

“Probably store weapons in there as well, Gwefrydd.”

Passing through what looked like a fruit orchard, I finally came across other human beings. Dressed in brightly colored cloth, they were busily pruning trees.

Several of them stared at me before quickly getting back to work, while two of their number watched me closely. Lightly armored, the spear-wielding guards did not approach.

I gave the pair a small nod before continuing. One thought made me more than a little nervous. Women in Medieval times had little to no rights of their own and definitely didn’t travel by themselves much less armed.

I remembered the fate of another female knight. I really had no desire to be burned at the stake.

Thankfully, that little panic attack vanished as I approached the village gate. At least two of the gate guards were women, although I think one of them had what appeared to be dog ears.

Dismounting, I could almost see the tension bleed off the half a dozen guards. “Well, that’s different.”

Leading Gwefrydd, I slowly approached. I took a quick look at the defense of the town. Large watchtowers were spread out, giving a good view of the land. Its high walls and arrow slits would offer excellent protection for the citizens. I wondered which threatened such a village more man or monster.

“AxKitsle Juntai Kilisar Ij Kar,” a guard on the wall called out, which gave me pause. I understood what he said, and it wasn’t in English.

“She appears to be traveling alone.”

Standing straighter, I gave a small smile. “Greetings, can you tell me the name of this village.”

After giving me a quick glance, one of the guards, a little older and more armored, then the rest approached.

The guard gave me a short bow before answering, “Wyndemere, ma’am.”

“I see. Thank you, Sargent.” Well, that wasn’t helpful. The village's name was unknown to me.

The man chuckled. “Corporal of the Gate, ma’am, are you perhaps passing through?”

“Not sure, does this village have an inn?” Now, if they had a bath.

He smiled before pointing to inside the walls. “Yes ma’am, the Wayfarer's Rest. We are quite proud of it. The east and west caravan masters use it quite often.”

“Excellent, I look forward to sleeping on a real bed then. Oh, Corporal, as I was exiting the forest, I encountered three creatures.”

I then give a description of the beasties.

“Forest Skitters, that’s troublesome. We’ll have to get a patrol together before they encroach on the farmlands.” The Corporal sounded concerned, looking behind me as if he expected more of the besties to appear.

“Won't be necessary. I took care of them already. I left the carcasses at the forest edge. They should be easy to find, but I thought you might like to know.”

The guards looked shocked. Not sure why they were only rock scorpions, forest skitters whatever.

“Oh, I do have another question if you don’t mind.”

Reaching into my saddlebag, I pull out a silver badge. A red dragon circled around the edge, trying to eat its own tail, in the center of the badge, a single golden star. I believe my companions based it off the Welch red dragon. Overall it turned out rather nice for a guild logo.

“Has anyone bearing this symbol passed this way?”

Leaning forward, he shook his head, “No, ma’am, I don’t recognize the device. You should ask the Captain he is more learned in such things.”

Thank goodness, so no one else is here. “Thank you, Corporal, and a good day to you all.”

Passing under the stone archway, I entered the village finding the inn not far from the gate. From the little I could see where the walls made room for expansion impossible, they had to build up. Even family homes had second stories. No two buildings were painted the same, quite garish but pretty in its own way.

Unfortunately, most of the structures appeared to also be made of wood, fire hazard to be sure. I wondered if magic fixed that as well.

“But it’s all so clean,” I whisper to myself, there was a definite lack of garbage covering the streets. Popular interpretations of the middle ages had everyone living in fifth.

Let us not forget, not counting the odd chamber pot tossed out the window, at twenty pounds a day per horse. You would think that the manure would fill the streets. It had become quite a real problem in our world. I’m guessing like the road and wooden house once again, magic came to the rescue.

Of course, I was an object of interest standing there, which I ignored before a teenage boy approached me from the front of the inn.

“You wish to stable your horse, ma’am?” He gave a rather fine bow from the waist.

“I do, thank you, please lead on.”

I thought about unsummoning Gwefrydd but figured the glutton would enjoy the stables. Plus, I can’t imagine that the unsummoning would go unnoticed.

“Oh, this is quite nice.” I looked around the inn quite pleased.

Not sure what I expected but the interior of the inn reminded me of some of the old fashion bed and breakfasts I have stayed at. Well lit from what I could tell magical lighting, much like our guild hall. Hardwood floors swept clean with a central room with several tables.

I could also smell something cooking, so I am guessing a kitchen stood right behind one of the doors. With it late in the day, the front room was also quite full. Unfortunately, or rather, fortunately, I recognized none of the patrons.

“Greetings traveler, I’m Master Thomasyn, do you need a room for the night or a meal?” The innkeeper, a tall man, cleaned shaven, probably the same age as my uncle greeted me kindly and like the stable boy gave bow at the waist.

“A room for a couple of nights and, if possible, a bath.” Oh, please let them have baths.

“We do have a room with a private bath for three bannerettes per night. We also have smaller rooms, and there is space above the stables.”

Bannerettes, I have heard of gross, and denarii wonder if they’re similar.

“May I also have your name?”

I had been waiting for that question, what do I say, Princess Eleanor. Although what everyone called me in-game. Even players not of my guild got in on the act. It was quite maddening.

If there are other players in this world, I want to be easily found. If not, then it didn’t matter.

“Eleanor Reine of Avalon.”

“I see, are there others in your retinue?” He looked over my shoulder a little concerned.

Wonder what that was about, I replied. “Retinue? Oh my companions, currently, no, although.”

I knew the term, needed to make sure that I wasn’t trying to pass myself off as some noble. The whole thing would blow up in my face.

Still, Liondale, Gwynne, and Murgab called themselves my knights. Contessa told everyone she was my lady in waiting. They had fun with it but still. When others joined in the madness, I gave up, really, easier for me and less of a headache. So, perhaps retinue was closer then guildmates but whatever.

Reaching for my pouch, which I just pulled from inventory, I showed him the guild logo.

“I am looking for those who wear this icon. We have become separated.”

Looking down at the badge, he shook his head.

“No, my lady, I haven’t seen anyone bearing this device. If you wish we can send word to the Captain, perhaps he would know.” He seemed disappointed he could help. That was nice.

Oh no, my lady? Well, maybe the customs were different? I looked the rich girl, so perhaps the innkeeper was just courteous. No, this was going to blow up in my face. I just knew it.

“That’s what the guards at the gate recommended. I am also a simple adventurer, so honorifics are not necessary, Eleanor is fine.”

The innkeeper game me a knowing smirk then bowed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Sigh. “Well, for now, I will take that room and a bath. Do you take foreign currency?”

“Of course, no inn worth it's salt would lack the means of handling foreign coin, especially one sitting on the Albanese Way. Please follow me.”

Behind the counter, he pulled out a dark metal sheet the size of a dinner plate. Some sort of measuring device?

Fishing for a Magika silver coin from my inventory, I passed it to him. Since the pancakes I had this morning tasted real enough, I assume the hoard of coins I possessed was real too. At least I hoped so. I really wanted that bath.

“Your coin.” He looked over the silver coin rubbing his thumb across the surface before setting it on the plate.

“A silver solidus.” I gave it the name of a common coin from the middle ages.

Nodding, he pressed his hands on the side of the plate, and suddenly it lite up. “Your solidus appears to be worth slightly more than our bannerette.”

Impressive, so from what I could tell, the little numbers glowing above the black plate told you the weight and makeup of the metal of a coin. It then compared it to the local currency, a handy magical tool for any shopkeeper.

Reaching for five more silver coins, I then added a couple more for Gwefrydd lodging.

“This is too much, ma’am.” He tried to give me a couple of coins back.

I refused, of course. “Close enough, plus my mount is currently in your stables.”

And with my share from the dragon's hoard, I’m pretty sure I can afford the room.

With the lack of sleep and stressful day, I crashed hard. I remembered the bath, dinner then that’s about it. Morning, however, did not change my situation. I was still in this strange new world, and I was still a woman much to my happiness, confusion, well whatever.

At least the bed and pillows were awfully nice goose feathers or some fowl like creature. I couldn’t help but giggle at the thought of monster geese. I wasn’t sure about the blanket, though, but didn’t need it.

With the wood paneling, a couple of lovely paintings, and fresh flowers, the room itself felt quite extravagant. It should be for the amount of money I paid.

My Lady's Maid, yes, she came with the room, Rosalyn, explained to me the different types of currency. The bannerette, a silver coin everyone used along with the more common copper coin called a lance.

The most expensive coin, the gold emperor, was used for such things as buying armor, weapons, or luxury items. For larger purchases, letters of credit were extended through the merchants’ guild.

So lunch at the local market, you would spend around two to four lances, while a good knife would cost you around two bannerettes. I wondered what the innkeeper would think of the Mithril coins in my possession.

“Good morning, my lady.” I nearly jumped at Rosalyn’s cheerful greeting as she opened the curtains letting in the sun.

So did I find ever out about the ‘my lady’ thing? Only nobility had surnames. I even remembered reading about that before.

Made sense where most people lived in small villages. If you knew Karl the butcher and William the smith, last names weren’t needed.

Another thing, people of this world could tell someone’s station by how they were dressed. Rosalyn’s outfit, although quite lovely, did not have the same quality as the Nightweave skirt I wore. Nor could the barmaid in the rough linen work outfit compare to Rosalyn’s fine linen dress.

Hairstyles told a little about someone as well. The unmarried women kept their hair long and uncovered. Married men and women covered their heads, caps for the men, and kerchief for the women.

So, even without my crown, my dress told everyone I was a Lady of apparent wealth currently single. Brilliant, I outed myself a noble without even trying. Kathy would be thrilled.

My attempts to convince my new Lady’s Maid I was nothing more than a simple adventurer failed as well. Like the innkeeper, she smiled then continued to treat me like nobility. They would both be a perfect fit as a member of my guild.

“Good morning to you as well, Rosalyn.” I tried not to grumbled, getting up.

Well, at least I could enjoy the perks, an actual private bathroom, or as the locals called it a privy. No chamber pot for me, thank you. Although toilet paper wasn’t a thing, they used linen scraps. Better than a sponge on a stick, I suppose.

After my morning ablutions, I returned to find Rosalyn laying down a small platter of meat and cheese, another platter with slices of bread and what appeared to be a cold pitcher of Murrey or blackberry wine.

“Your clothes were cleaned last night. I must say, I am also impressed with your undergarments.” Rosalyn commented as she laid out my clothes for the day.

Women in this kingdom wore silk or linen breeches or nothing under their skirts or dresses, depending on their station. Breasts were bound, the corset doing a great job, but some women wore something called breast bags.

Thankfully I didn’t have to find out what in the world was a breast bag even if I now had to deal with them. The numerous outfits in my inventory all came with proper modern undergarments in the right color. Not that the color should matter, but for some reason, it did.

In Magic-Life, if you stripped down into your skivvies, men wore grey colored boxes while women grey colored panties and what could only be called a sports bra. Since you couldn’t take them off, it kept the game from having an adult rating.

Unfortunately, as much as I would have liked to have auto-equip my clothes, it would have been hard to explain. Not being able to take off my undergarments was worse.

“If you want to look at how they are made, I have no objections.”
As I nibbled on a piece of rye bread, we looked over the red dress I picked out. I had a number of them in my inventory.

“This beautiful Lady Eleanor.” My Lady’s Maid said while separating the items into what would need to go on first.

I did not need full armor. Not that I wouldn’t be protected; all my clothing sets were made from high-tier fabrics.

I smiled. I really did, one of my many outfits made by guildmate Valindra. “I like it too.”

She, like Kathy, enjoyed using me as a dress-up doll. Others in the guild also benefited from her high clothier skill, so I tried not to complain too much.

Turning to me, apparently happy with her work, Rosalyn said, “Come, let us get you dressed.”

I wanted to object that I could dress by myself, but I really couldn’t. I only had a small clue how it all goes together, not forgetting all the laces.

Something rather odd occurred when I took out the dress. In-game, clothing, or armor takes up one inventory slot. Meaning, you didn’t need to put on and take off separate pieces. They came on and off as one set. Since yesterday, when I removed items from my inventory, they reverted to the many different parts.

So, for example, the Redtower outfit I pulled out of my inventory to wear today included panties, chemise, corset, and hose made of yellow silk. Add the underskirt over that and then the dress over that. Oh, well, the corset isn't modern, but at least the panties fit.

Now, could you imagine having to deal with that in-game, worse, how about a full set of armor? No wonder knights had squires. Oh, I guess that's why women had Lady's Maids.

Unless I auto-equip, so hurray for auto-equip.

While working on my hair, Rosalyn reminded me that the Captain would meet with me in the afternoon.

I had mixed feelings about this. Not the meeting itself, but how long I should stay in Wyndemere. If the Captain recognized the guild icon, then maybe he could point me in the right direction of my guildmates. If not, then was there any reason to stay here? Or should I move on to a larger town or city?

“Do you think the good Captain would have some maps for me to look at?” Not sure whether a map would help or make me more depressed. Still, it would be good to know where I am.

“I’m not sure, if not then perhaps Master Oscar, he is our Apocrathy. From what I know of him, he is a well-traveled and a learned man. My mother said he owns many books.”

I decided to meet the man anyway. Master Oscar, besides being one of the village healers, also made potions. I had a decent skill in potion-making myself, so I wanted to see if there was a difference in this world.

Rosalyn handed me a mirror of polished brass. As I admired her work, I did ask about glass but once again outed myself, as there were mirrors made of glass but were very expensive.

“How about the market? Master Thomasyn mentioned your village has them throughout the week.”

One couldn’t just go to the shopping mall or a supermarket. If you wanted fresh meat, fruit, fish, or even bread, you made your way to the market. Other than that, most people made everything at home, even their clothes. If there are maps, the market would be the place to look.

“Are you sure? Do you go to markets often, Lady Eleanor?”

I almost laughed, but poor Rosalyn looked concerned. What kind of market was it for her to be worried about me?

“Well, no, although, when I was younger, my cousin used to drag me out shopping.” Mad shopper, I tell you. Me, pack mule.

“Sneaking off to the market, I thought that was only in stories,” Rosalyn said wistfully.

OK, well, Aunt Sophia normally dropped us off, but we did often sneak off to the local corner store for snacks after school. So, I guess that’s true.

“Under duress, I assure you." I smiled. "Unless you have other duties, would you mind accompanying me?”?”

“Of course, my lady, I will be happy to attend you.” She sounded pleased.

“Wonderful; afterward, I guess we can make our way over to the guardhouse.”

If I couldn't find maps in the market, I'm sure he might have some in the guardhouse. At least I could confirm whether I had been transported to Magic-Life.

“Why would we do that?” Rosalyn asked for some reason. She seemed confused.

“To meet the Captain.” Why else? Didn't we already have this discussion?

Rosalyn gave me a stern look. “Oh no, that wouldn’t be proper. “

Unfortunately, I could see where this was going.

“He will be arriving at six bells. You should meet him in the sitting room.”

So that’s around three in the afternoon. Oh, my extravagant room also has a sitting room.

“I will provide some Perry for yourself and some Cider for the Captain. I think a spiced cake as well.” Rosalyn continued to count out things that would need to be done before the meeting.

Wait, it's not like I was holding court or something. I just needed some questions answered about the guild icon. That should take no more than a minute. Then again, the Captain might be able to answer my questions about the surrounding kingdoms, and he will mostly have questions for me about the rock scorpions.

“Well, I do like spice cake.” At least something will good come out of it.

Although for some reason, I felt as if my life was becoming more complicated.

Glossary:

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Chapter 3: The market and a meeting

It’s strange, for all that has happened to me in the last two days. I had not gotten any sense of wonder at being transported to a new world with too many issues to deal with, and the list keeps growing.

Let’s start with the whole transportation to well someplace. It’s not Magic-Life, or I think it might not be. I need more information. That being said, I am pretty positive if there had been a sudden breakthrough in VR technology, I would have heard about it. Mark couldn’t keep a secret if his life depended on it.

The second issue, more significant than the first, was the whole gender thing. In Magic-Life, my digital body was digital. The code forced you into an artificial construct. It felt odd for the first week, but the program compensated for it. I hadn’t thought about it since it stopped being a problem, but it was always there.

Now, it's hard to explain. It's not helping that I don’t have a problem wearing a corset, never having worn one in real-life. Nor why haven’t I planted my head face-first into the ground while wearing a long dress. I shouldn’t be comfortable in this body, damn it.

And finally, these skills, useful in-game but not something that carries over into reality. I’m a horrible cook. I burn water. Knowing anything more than stick the enemy with the pointy end of the sword was about the extent of my weapons knowledge. And, I’ve never seen a real-life horse, much less ridden one. I can’t really complain about being able to use magic, though. And, I am a little frightened thinking about what would have happened if I didn’t have these skills.

While I ponder the last few days, and Rosalyn gets us ready, I know that most of all, I miss my cousin Kathy. Since my parent’s death, she has been a fixture in my life. She sees things in me that I would have never seen in myself. I need her advice. What’s worse, I am going to miss her wedding. I hope she can forgive me.

However, with all of these issues hanging over my head, I still feel the same way as in the forest. I refuse to sit in my room and cry. Deciding to take my own advice, a visit to the Wyndemere market sounded like fun, so I planned on having a good time. Besides, I needed to find a map and, if possible, make some plans on how to get home.

--0--

Finding our way to the market took no time. Located near the center of the village, we started to pass rows of colorful stalls filled with all sorts of goods.

I could see that Rosalyn sensed my sudden excitement because she, too, was now full of smiles, “So, Lady Eleanor, we have two sides of the market. As you can see, one handles food and drink but also salt, coal, and hand made items. Several stalls will also provide a meal for shoppers, usually fish pies, although they normally cater to the tradesmen.”

“The other side looks interesting as well.” I could see armor and weapons, so that side looked promising. Not that I needed anything, but it’s fun to window shop.

Rosalyn nodded, “Well, Sarian smiled upon us today. I overheard one of the guards say that several merchants from the capital arrived by boat yesterday afternoon. So, it will be more crowded than usual, but perhaps you will find what you are looking for.”

Although I tried not to ask for too many details, not knowing the religion might prove to be an issue, I found out about at least two gods. Sarian, the god or goddess, both apparently are acceptable, of luck and merchants while Dinya, for home and hearth, and maybe women.

I wouldn’t have known about the gods except for the little things. The inn had Sarian’s symbol, a wheel on the front door, and several stalls have it hanging next to their wares. When I mentioned to Rosalyn about a medallion several women wore, similar to a triskelion, she happily explained that they were either new or expected mothers.

In Magic-Life, there were these eldritch beings who created the world, then went off to do whatever eldritch monstrosities did in their spare time.

“So, that’s the Healer’s Hall?” I point to the wooden and stone structure behind the market. “Do all villages have one?”

“Oh, no, it's not very common. As we are an important stop on the Salt Road, several merchants paid for its construction many years ago.” Rosalyn explained.

“Well, if we get a chance, I’d like to stop by for a visit. So, decisions, decisions, “ Smiling, I point to the left, “Food stalls first.”

As the two of us walked, at first glance, it appeared that most of the sellers and buyers were women. There were a bunch of small children underfoot, the older girls either taking care of their younger siblings or helping out at the stalls. Older boys were absent, so I assume they would be with their fathers.

One of our first stops, a small stall covered with all sorts of colorful produce, a lot of it seemed familiar, but most of it not. Pointing to an orange-red colored fruit, which reminded me of a peach, I asked, “Rosalyn, what is the name of this fruit?”

“It’s called a Loraine, my lady. They should just be coming into season.” She picked it up, smelled it before setting it back down.

Some of the others looked interesting too, “Could you pick a handful of different types of fruit for me?”

I passed Rosalyn a few silver coins then gave the nervous woman behind the counter a smile before stepping back to look at the next stall.

“Greetings, Beatrice, can I have an assortment of Loraines, Crowpupls, and if you have them, South Kingdom Pears for my Mistress,” Rosalynn stepped forward all business-like.

“Hello Rosalyn, sorry, no pears, but I do have a couple of Smokers that haven’t ripened yet.” The woman gave a nervous smile.

“I guess that will do.” Rosalyn sighed.

As she paid for the fruit, I overheard Beatrice whisper. “Who is your mistress today?”

“Lady Eleanor of Avalon,” My Lady’s Maid said proudly.

I didn’t mean to embarrass or frighten the poor woman as she turned red in the face and gave a poor curtsey, tricky holding a large handful of fruit.

Moving away as Rosalyn placed the items in her basket, she sighed. “I do apologize for that, my lady.”

“No harm. Let’s see what else I can buy today. Do you think someone carries honey?” Something familiar, and I had several recipes that used it as an ingredient from my cooking skill.

“Master Lovell.” Rosalyn nodded as we walked over to the next stall filled with various loaves of bread. I then selected one to nibble on while we walked.

“And Baroness Sabena’s household keep bees, but I am not aware if either will be in the market today with honey only sold a few times a year. However, we might find a merchant who carries it,” She explained as she paid for the bread.

Oh, I guess that makes sense. I have no clue when you can or cannot get honey from beehives. As we strolled around the market, like my monster geese idea, I wondered if there were monster bees that gave lots of honey.

“So, Baroness Sabena?” Perhaps the owner of the lands.

“Yes, these are the ancestral lands of House Donha that she holds for the crown. Although the village has a separate charter through the merchants guild, we still pay allegiance to the Baroness.”

Another issue that I would have to deal with in the future. More important, shopping. I had other things I wanted to find, but they were quickly shot down. Tea would be lovely in the morning, and coffee would be a dream. Unfortunately, I learned, neither had made its’ way to wherever I found myself, assuming it existed in the first place.

I stopped at a pottery stall then turned towards my companion. How I could forget, “Does this market carry sugar?”

Rosalyn looked a little confused, “Do you plan on making medicines? I heard that Master Oscar sometimes uses it in the more expensive ones to make them taste better.”

“Is it not used in confections or even candy?” Not sure what it would do to potions. In-game, they sort of had a taste, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

She suddenly looked excited, and then gave me a knowing smile, “Oh, when Princess Marguerite came of age, I did hear they had a splendid confectionery sculpture. Now I think about it. They did have something called rock candy.”

“Oh well, no matter,” So most likely not found in a village market. It's not like I planned on baking a cake.

“Lady Eleanor, Matilda could make a lovely fruit compote with the Loraines and Crowpupls as she will have some honey in stock.” Rosalyn offered, somehow thinking I was upset about not having sugar. “The Smokers, though, are a little sour until they properly ripen.”

“No, that’s fine, I have other plans for the fruit” I smiled, looking behind me at the small procession of curious children following us.

Well, we found no honey, but we did spend time at a stall for a couple of bells, where an older woman sold a variety of herbs — quite knowledgeable about their use and where to find them too. At my request, she selected a large assortment of herbs for me, both cooking and medicinal.

Along with the others, she included a jar of crushed Nursemary, used as a common contraceptive, and two filled with Barrel Leaf used for menstruation relief. I had no need for the former but dreaded the latter.

Looking at the stalls on the other side of the market to redirect my thoughts, I felt like a kid in a candy store. As we walked over, I noticed that the first few stalls carried a small selection of spices, dyestuffs, perfumes, and some lovely jewelry.

Although the price of cinnamon was comparable to the jewelry, I still managed to pick up a bit along with other spices. The merchant included in the sale a small wooden spice box. Afterward, I started perusing the armor and weapons, exciting but not a lot to look at.

I mention that to the merchant, an older man who grimaced as he rubbed his hands together. “My lady, I apologize. We normally do not bring a large selection of arms to village markets.”

Running my hands over a small buckler, I gave the poor man a smile, “I understand. I am impressed by the quality of the workmanship.”

From what I gathered, adventurers tended to congregate around larger towns and cities. From what I found in the market, all low-tier gear, for an adventurer starting, some of it was quite good.

However, with the price of a broadsword, at least in this market, at eighty silver pieces and a mail shirt for over five hundred it seemed a little out of the price range for the average new adventurer.

“What ore does your smiths normally work with?” I asked while looking over a small selection of knives.

“Iron and steel, my lady, although we do have requests for silvered weapons,” He then smiled, pulling out a box with some rather fancy looking silver knives.

Not that I needed one, but they were beautiful. “Do you know of smiths that work with more esoteric metals such as Mithril?”

“No, my lady, I have not heard of the ore before.” Putting the box away, he brought out another one with more elegant pieces. A little pretentious for my taste, did anyone buy these? Oh, he did have cute looking boot knives.

He also confirmed that Orichalcum and Adamantium did not exist. However, Mithril did have another name. “In my country, Mithril is often called Silvered Steel.”

The merchant looked a little surprised then nodded. “Yes, however, it’s quite rare, my lady. It's not something I would carry; however, I have heard that a few master smiths work with the metal. It's in very high demand among A ranked adventurers.”

He must have seen the confusion in my face. “The Adventurers Guild in the southern kingdoms ranks their members using a letter system. A new adventurer normally starts with a rank of F while our Kingdom’s elite bands are ranked A. I have heard that other countries further north use colors or metals.”

“So, how do adventurers progress in rank?” Not that anyone would be getting experience points. It’s only something you get in a game.

The merchant nodding in understanding and explained, “By the number of jobs they fulfill. Although for each rank, the number needed to progress increases.”

“Sounds like a good organization, how do you request a job?” I guess they didn’t call them quests.

“You would either contact the local constabulary or travel to an Adventurers Guild office, for example, the one in Harmon and fill out a job request form. The guild master or his assistance would then rank its difficulty and post it.” The merchant then knelt and started rummaging under the counter.

Poking at a few of the knives, I asked, “So if you’re a ranked F adventurer, you can only pick a ranked F job.”

Made sense, you wouldn't want to do a quest that was below your level, nor would you want to do one too high a level. In this world, that mistake would have dire consequences.

“That is correct, my lady.” He rose up, pulling out a swash of velvet, and started laying out the boot knives for me to get a better look.

“I see. And how do you tell if the person you hired has the correct rank or is even a real adventurer?” Admittedly, these were a much better selection than most of what I have seen.

“Well, proper ones carry their guild badges at all times, so there isn’t any confusion.” He smiled as I picked up a blade that caught my attention.

“So, what happens if someone else uses your badge?” The gold filigree was rather beautiful. Looking closer, I knew what drew me to it. A dragon wrapped its body around the hilt, with its mouth ending at a little red gem inserted into the center of the pommel.

The smile never left his face, as he explained, “Can’t happen, my lady. Upon registering, the guild uses your blood to make the badge. ”

I thanked him for his time and ended up buying that boot knife after all. In the end, I only spent thirty-six silver pieces.

As we walked away, Rosalyn asked, “Does your country not do something similar?"

“In a way, we have low, medium, and high-tier jobs. Someone with no experience wouldn’t even be able to learn about the higher tier ones.”

In Magic-Life, quests above your level, the NPC didn't tell you about them. Although if you or your party were adventurous, you could always enter a high-level area; sometimes, the rewards justified the danger.

“Oh, I should hope not. It all sounds very dangerous.” Rosalyn gave me a worried look.

I chuckled, “It's not the safest of professions to be sure.”

Lunchtime surprisingly found me sitting behind a merchant stall, sharing a meal with a cinnamon-colored cat woman, or beastmen named Opal. She and her husband were merchants who recently traveled up the river to meet up with a large caravan heading east.

“Hope you don’t mind this simple meal, my lady.” She said while pouring me a cup of Kujacha, which was a type of twig tea, but no one called it tea.

It’s some odd blend made of roasted stems, stalks, and twigs of the Kujacha plant. Tasted a bit like black tea, but it was also rather strong, so we sweated our drinks with honey.

“Of course, not Opal, this is quite lovely.” Sipping my tea happily, I looked over the spread.

Lunch consisted of meat and vegetables in a thick brown, along with flatbread, a platter of feta cheese, and some creamy white sauce in smaller separate bowls. I could also see containers of nuts and what I thought might be Dates.

“It’s all quite excellent. Is this beef?” I asked, serving myself some more of the main dish much to the annoyance of Rosalyn. She and a younger version of Opal stood off to the side, eating their own meals.

“Goat,” She replied.

The brown dish tasted a lot like beef Vindaloo without a lot of the heat. I think the white sauce might have been a type of Tzatziki sauce.

“This is a fascinating fabric.” Opal murmured her lunch now forgotten.

The swatch of Arianwen silk in her hand quite excited the fabric merchant. I asked if she had something similar, which immediately began a discussion, so lunch.

“And this comes from a spider?” She tilted her head and asked.

Nodding, I set down my spoon before replying. “Yes, they look a little like a crab spider but the size of a large pony. They inhabit cold mountainous regions, territorial, overly aggressive, and quite venomous. With their silk being so valuable, it’s well worth the trouble clearing out a nest of them.”

She nodded and then asked, “You’re an adventurer?”

“Yes.” Was it that obvious?

Opal smiled, apparently not all that surprised at the answer, “You’re far from home, yes?”

I looked up at her startled.

Opal gave a small musical laugh before she explained. “Your clothes, my lady, and your hair and complexion are somewhat out of place.”

Now that she mentioned it, most of the people I have encountered were brunettes or had soft-black hair. Skin types vary, but most were olive-skinned. My clothes, I didn’t have an answer to that, middle ages fantasy fashion?

“My Ulric has traveled most of these lands, from what he said your people must come from the far north.” She said thoughtfully.

Oh, so that’s why she wasn’t surprised that I encountered a cold-weather spider. And technically, she wasn’t wrong. In Magic-Life, when you create your character, you first pick a starting city. From there, you selected your character's appearance. My starting city Uloth sat in the far northlands of the Mercians.

“And your dress is it made of the same fabric? “As she looked over my outfit, I could tell she was itching to touch it.

Wiping my hands with a napkin, I held out my arm. Hesitantly, she reached over and touched the sleeves. “It’s called Arcane-weave.”

“It’s quite beautiful.” She smiled through Opal’s and her daughter’s clothes were also quite pretty, multi-colored layered silk robes and slippers.

“Is it enchanted?” She asked.

Nodding, I showed her the inside of the sleeve with its small golden runes sewed into it, “It made by merging two types of silks. I’m not sure how it’s made, but it’s quite popular among adventuring mages and healers of my country.”

“Your household’s seamstress appears to be quite skilled,” She murmured before turning her head and spoke up, “Daughter, ask your father for the red bag.”

“Yes, mama,” The cute little cat girl then scampered off to find her father.

“Red bag?”

Opal grinned before popping a bit of cheese into her mouth.

Rosalyn jumped up and started to clear the table as Opal’s daughter returned, passing her mother the red bag.

Reaching inside, the cat woman withdrew a large bolt of silvery cloth, which appeared to be longer than the inside of the red bag. So they have enchanted bags here as well.

“Oh, Mistress is that Rumchunder silk.” Rosalyn leaned forward but stopped herself from touching the fabric.

Opal nodded, letting her do just that, “Yes, you have a good eye, Rosalyn.”

The fabric appeared to be very fine silk. I ask, “How does it hold enchantments?”

Opal smiled, which seemed quite similar to the weapons merchant, “Quite well.”

Rumchunder appearance reminded me of some of the mid-tier mage robes a few of my guild members wore half a year ago. I think I had a teal colored blouse made of similar silk.

“I wish that Valindra was here; she made most of what I wear. She would enjoy perusing through your stock, probably buy most of it,” I sighed, my guildmate would be delighted. I found out after she joined our group that she had a small business in real-life, making costumes and clothes. I learned a lot about fashion from her.

Reaching over, I ran my hand over the silk, “You know I wouldn’t mind a dress made with this fabric.”

Trying to look at what else she might be hiding away, I asked. “So, what else do you have in that red bag of yours?”

Opal gave me a cat-like grin.

--0--

Four men and a woman had their lunch interrupted by news from the patrol leader sent out to the Forest Road. They hoped that the report had been an exaggeration. Unfortunately, it was not.

“It’s as Lady Eleanor reported, sir, we discovered the remains of three skitters at the edge of the of the road.” The Corporal stood in the center of the Captain’s office to give his report.

An older man with a jagged scar across his face grimaced. “We need to push our patrols further down the road, Captain.”

The Corporal continued, “The tails were missing from all three as well, honored veteran. We also managed to find three Heart Cores.”

“I see,” The honored veteran frowned.

A bearded man in deep blue robes chuckled. “Owning the aculeus and telson from a forest slitter isn’t a crime, Corporal. Even the most inexperienced adventurer knows the most valuable parts of that monster. As for the Heart Cores, I am sure she knew that skitters cores were not worth the effort unless they were of exceptional quality.”

“No, Master Oscar, they were not,” The Corporal admitted.

“See, then perhaps she would be willing to sell the aculeus and telson to me. The village could always use more anti-venom potions,” Master Oscar said with a smile.

The third man in a red arming coat commented, “We will have to ask, anything else, Corporal?”

“No, Captain, but I have doubled the field guards as you ordered.”

“Thank you. That will be all.” Watching the man close the door, Captain Conrad sat back on his chair, cursing silently.

“Sweet Aldor, three of them. We will also need to double our forest patrols as well, Marcus. At least until Master Zendar’s caravan is safe behind the walls.”

The honored veteran replied, “Yes, Captain, are you thinking of sending a job request to the Adventurers Guild.”

“Perhaps, but I’m hoping our new guest might be able to help. I have also sent a letter to her Grace’s seneschal about Lady Eleanor's arrival.” Captain Conrad frowned.

“I don’t expect we will hear from her with Duke’s Argyles marriage a week away.” The apothecary said thoughtfully. Everyone nodded. Most nobles had already left for the capitol.

Scratching his scar, Marcus turned to the others. “Wonder what’s her story, arranged marriage, or some other reason for her to go adventuring?”

“Not the first noble to take up the profession, nor the last. Mostly second or third sons and the occasional daughter too,” Master Oscar shrugged.

The Captain looked thoughtful. “Lady Eleanor reminds me of Count Aric’s youngest son Devon. Remember him, Marcus? He also didn’t want everyone fawning over him.”

“He was also quick to share a drink with you no matter your station.” Marcus laughed.

“A good man, especially in a fight.” Captain Conrad looked towards the Wayfarers Rest innkeeper. “So, what do you think, Thomasyn?”

The man shrugged, “She’s has a bit of a presence about her, Captain, almost frightened poor Alistair to death.”

The rest of the room turned to the innkeeper with questioning eyes.

“Thought that Queen Clíodhna had risen from the dead,” He chuckled.

Marcus scoffed.

The innkeeper just shrugged, “Still, there is no denying her presence.”

“Alright, so besides scaring a bunch of old drunks, anything else?” The Captain sighed.

“As usual, Rosalyn has no time for the ‘just’ call me Eleanor nonsense. Like her mother, she being court raised. Thankfully, our noble visitor isn’t one to press the issue. “

“Wise of her,” Master Oscar chuckled then frowned. “Did she have a guild badge?”

“Did you ask for one, Thomasyn?”

“No, why would I do that, Marcus? None of my business, she did pay in foreign coin and her accent I can’t place, but other than that she’s been a pleasant enough guest. Oh, and Matilda likes her, complimented her on her cooking.”

“That’s not saying a lot. The woman loves anyone who compliments her cooking.” Marcus grumbled.

Master Oscar jumped in. “Except, Uther.”

Thomasyn agreed, “Yes, but the bastard deserved it.”

Rubbing his eyes, the Captain gave the three a look before turning to the fifth member of the group who had been silent the entire time. “Iona, your thoughts, what do you want to do?”

The young woman looked down, playing with her robes for a moment. “I don’t think my sister or anyone in her group could kill a forest skitter by themselves much less three. Do you think she will help? I know she is looking for her companions, but maybe she can help find mine?”

--0--

Not sure why I bought so much fabric. I don’t’ have a single skill point in Clothier, but Opal did have an excellent selection. Thankfully, besides my new knife, spices, there was another purchase for me in the market, but unfortunately, no maps for sale. Still, I had a bit of a haul.

With the spice box and herb bags in my inventory and my knife in my boot, I sorted through a rather large, expensive wooden box filled with ink and vellum.

I already discovered something different about this world, and that was an item called a Mana or Heart Core. It seems that monsters inhabiting certain places manifest these crystal-like cores in their bodies.

Scholars believe it to be a form of magical corruption, as even normal animals turn monstrous as well. Those who produced potions, scrolls, and magic items require them for their work, so the cores were of high demand. The high-quality core, the more valuable.

Thankfully, my Rune skill had not changed. I didn’t need cores to create scrolls. For low-tier ones, all I needed was parchment and ink, but vellum was preferred. Unlike this world, in which cores would be ground up and used as inks, for me, the higher the level spell, the rarer the vellum needed. So for low-tier spells, you could use vellum made from sheepskin or goatskin. Mid-tier spells required more exotic skins and exotic inks.

I even had some dragon’s skin and dragon’s blood in my inventory taken from the last adventure. Unfortunately, even with my maxed out skill in Runes, I wouldn’t be able to use them since my magic spell level didn’t meet the requirement.

“Wonder if I could raise my spell level.” That was something I should look into, most likely at the Adventurers Guild.

Rosalyn knocked on the door, “My lady, the Captain, and company have arrived.”

“Already, well, no matter, I can work on this later,” I said as I let her into the room.

Helping me with my outer dress, Rosalyn had taken it off so she could brush off the dirt. She looked me over one more time before the two of us entered the sitting room and with a quick curtsey, stepping out of the way to start taking care of the refreshments.

I bowed my head politely to the three people standing in the sitting room, “Greetings, my name is Eleanor Reine of Avalon, and I thank you for coming.”

Wearing a red arming coat, I assumed he must be the good captain stood in the center of the group. Clean-shaven, well built, dark-haired, olive complexion, he looked like a knight right out of a picture book. He wore a linked silver chain around his neck with a badge of office.

Removing his armor cap, he gave a bow from the waist, “No thanks are necessary, Lady Eleanor. Let me introduce myself and my companions. My name is Captain Colin of Westwood to my right, Honored Veteran Marcus of Bridgetown, my second. “

“Honored Veteran,” I greeted him.

Marcus, a scarred veteran, looked to be a good decade older than his captain, also gave a bow from the waist before coming to something like attention. Like his captain, he wore a red arming coat of lesser quality with a hand sewed device on the right beast.

“To my left is Iona, a ranked F mage from Harmon,” The captain motioned to a dark-haired, young woman around the age of sixteen or seventeen dressed in a green linen dress which had little baggy sleeves and a "V" like neckline.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eleanor,” She stepped forward and offered a curtsy.

Smiling, I motioned all of them to take a seat while getting out of Rosalyn’s way as she set down drinks for the four of us.

Captain Colin spoke first, “My lady, I would like to thank you for taking care of the forest skitters the other day. It would have become a serious issue if the three moved into the farmlands.”

I could imagine that they would have been an issue for the guards I spotted by the Orchard, “Happy to help, Captain, if they are anything like rock scorpions in my country, they are a bit of a pest. Still, a good job for a low ranked adventuring group to deal with and make a little coin in the process.”

The captain nodded, “Indeed, we often request such a job from the Adventurers Guild.”

Thinking back on the reaction to the guards at the gate, I frowned, “I assume that you do not normally encounter three forest skitters at the same time.”

Marcus answered, “No, my lady, our patrols run into them on occasion. Even the adventurers normally only encounter one or two per season, but as you say, not at the same time.”

Captain Colin nodded. “We do have a few questions, Lady Eleanor. From your travels down the Albanese Way, assuming you came from Peturia or Coria, did you encounter many monsters? We ask this because we have a caravan scheduled to arrive from the east and are curious about the safety of the route.”

Oh, well, it’s not as if I can tell them the truth that would not go over well. Most likely, the Captain would think I am touched in the head. Better to tell them a partial truth, it's not like I know the towns that he just spoke about much less the Albanese Way.

“I don’t know, but let me tell you why. Two weeks ago, I received a task to hunt down an overgrown lizard that had been terrorizing the countryside in and around the Mercian coast.”

By the lack of recognition on their faces, I’m guessing none of them have heard of Mercia. Not a surprise, but the small part that’s left, which thinks I am still in a game, held out hope.

“Eventually, my companions and I tracked down its lair in the Cold Swamp, dealt with its minions, and finally killed the beast. Afterward, I had Minerva and Harold open up a portal to take us to our guild hall.”

“An Arcane portal?” Iona said in wonder.

“Iona?” The captain turned to the surprised looking mage.

“It’s an extremely high-ranked spell, Captain that allows a mage to teleport from one location to another. I have only heard of a few A ranked mages and of course, Archmage Phexidis that can cast that particular spell.” She explained.

Archmage Minerva?

“Well, if you ever meet Minerva, try not to call her an Archmage. Her head is big enough already,” I smiled, remembering the girl's antics in-game and out, then continued, “When I stepped out of the portal, I found myself in the center of a circle of large stones.”

“Godstones,” The young woman said in wonder.

Now, didn’t that sound foreboding? “We call them standing stones. Most of them built long before us. I take it you have similar stories.”

Iona nodded, still looking a little bit in awe.

“Unfortunately, I arrived alone. Once I reached a road, I flipped a coin and ended up in Wyndemere.”

The captain chuckled, “Well, Sarian must have watched over you, my lady. If you have traveled east, it would have taken you to Coria, which would have taken you a good ten days by horse.”

So it seems that on the off chance someone followed me to this world, they could be anywhere. I’ll have to hope that didn’t happen. I took the guild icon out of my inventory, just to be sure.

Reaching for it, the captain looked it over before passing it over to his second in command, “I have not seen this device before, Marcus, you traveled quite a bit as an adventurer.”

The honored veteran frowned, then answered, “The dragon reminds me of something, sorry as a device no.”

Nodding, I put it away, disappointment on my face but a relief in my heart. “Well, I need to make some plans. A merchant mentioned just this morning that she needed caravan guards, which sounded interesting. I thought it might provide me an opportunity to meet someone who can help me get home.”

“Have you ever done caravan work before, my lady?” Iona asked.

“Well, no, I gather it’s common?” The only thing similar, early in the game, my party did a couple of really poor developed escort missions before they removed them from the game entirely, thankfully.

Marcus replied. “Most adventurers start with similar jobs. There are a few adventuring groups that’s all they do. It’s an honest job, safer than descending into some crypt on the off chance of finding a bit of coin or core.”

“No doubt, although I could pay my way if I wanted to accompany the caravan, I would prefer to be doing something useful. Either way, I probably should register, wouldn’t want to be mistaken for some ruffian,” I smiled.

If one wanted to become an adventurer, registration was somewhat of a requirement. One could end up with a hefty fine, spending time in the stocks or worse accused of brigandry.

“Well, I don’t believe that will be an issue.” The Captain nodded. “However, I can help pass along a guild registration. We don’t have an official office in our village, but we do have several former adventurers who act as officers if need be.”

“I also have a request,” Iona brushed her hands over her robes nervously.

“Go on,” I nodded towards the young mage to continue.

“Two weeks ago, I completed a job to clear the area north of Wyndemere of monsters. I joined my sister Myra, and her group, who are D ranked. Even so, they allowed me to join them.” She said proudly.

“Was it your first quest?” I asked. My guild often did something similar for our alts that joined the guild to help them to level up.

She returned a soft smile at the question. “No, but close. I had been part of a small group that was assigned to clear out vermin under several of the inns in Harmon.”

“Not quite the same as running around the Wyndemere Forest.” Marcus chuckled.

“No, it was exciting and a bit frightening. I didn’t know what to expect. As the Captain knows, we only ran across a few deer, a bear, and a pair of gura which took one look at us and immediately ran away.”

“A gura?” Not a monster I have heard before.

“It’s a monstrous boar, about the size of a cow. The only fight occurred when we came across a pack of Lupi at the foot of the Pale Hills. We managed to kill half of them before we managed to drive them off.”

“Which I am thankful,” the Captain replied, “A pack of wolves is bad enough, but a caravan would be hard-pressed to fight off their giant cousins.”

“It was then we discovered a huge rockslide, a large part of one of the hills had collapsed. Katilia, one of the group's scouts, searched the area and came back to report a large hole in the ground. I didn’t get a good look, but my sister and Katilia were both very excited.”

“So a dungeon?” I had a bad feeling about this.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, “A prison cell?”

Oh, so that’s not a name they use. It makes sense as the term comes from a pen and paper game back before my grandfather's day.

“Labyrinth, underground ruins or necropolis, they are often called different things in my country,” I explained.

“I think so, but my sister didn’t say. Only that her group planned on returning after we reported the completion of our job to Captain Colin and the guild in Harmon.”

I could already see where this was going; her sister's group must not have returned after searching the ruins. New dungeons were always a great find but could be dangerous as well if they were above your level.

Iona started to run her hands over her robes again. “She said she would be back, that they were only going for a quick look. That was well over a week ago.”

“And you’re looking for someone to help you to search for them?” I looked towards the captain, who nodded.

“Well, yes, but I don’t have any money. The guild won’t send anyone, well can't really without some offer of payment. My friend Roberta who works with the guild, even asked around, but?” She waved her hands in frustration, her eyes full of tears.

“But a party of two isn’t a real party,” I said to her kindly.

Wiping her eyes, Iona smiled. “Oh, my aunt and uncle will be joining us. Well, even if you can’t help, they plan on searching for Myra’s group anyway.”

I must have had a strange look on my face because Marcus said, “Leo of Harmon and his wife Karin of Inswick were both well-known adventurers before Karin became pregnant. They retired but still run a guild sanctioned school.”

“Aunt Karin is an excellent marksman; she even trained members of the King’s army. Uncle Leo, when not teaching, works at the Healer’s Hall. They are or rather were C ranked; however, that was almost twenty years ago.” Iona nodded but looked up at me. I could see that even with their experience, she was worried.

“Are they here?” I would like to meet them, still if someone was missing.

Marcus then explained, “No, they’re scheduled to arrive from Harmon tomorrow. We will also escort you through the Forest Road as we are sending out an advance party the day after tomorrow to meet with an eastern caravan.”

“We are concerned with the forest skitters and some other reports that have come in recently,” commented the captain.

It sounds like the greeting party was unusual, “You think that the landslide stirred up something?”

Running his hand over his hair, the Captain looked at Iona before saying, “Unfortunately, Myra’s group didn’t mention the rockslide or the ruins only that they completed the job.”

Iona looked down and whispered, “I didn’t know.”

With a sigh, I sat back and nibbled on a piece of spiced cake. “Not unexpected, Captain with a brand new set of ruins to explore. Iona's sister wanted to be first before others decided to have a go at it. However, it seems the difficulty of the ruins might have been beyond them.”

I understood, really, in-game the first to clear a new dungeon had become a badge of honor. We also have an award given to us by the developers as the first party to be totally wiped out in a dungeon.

The Captain nodded, “Lady Eleanor, I am more concerned with the increase in monster activity. If nothing else, I would ask that you confirm if the rockslide or something else is indeed the cause.”

Truthfully, being part of a real, ok, I am admitting it mostly, searching a dungeon sounded exciting. But, with my party consisting of two older adventurers and a sixteen-year-old girl wasn’t exactly ideal.

“I’d like to meet your aunt and uncle Iona before I make my decision.”

--0--

Undergarments notes: Well, since it came up and it's pretty interesting reading, breast bags, yea they were a thing.

Henri de Mondeville, surgeon to Philip the Fair of France and his successor Louis X, wrote in his Cyrurgia in 1312–20: “Some women insert two bags in their dresses, adjusted to the breasts, fitting tight, and they put them [the breasts] into them [the bags] every morning and fasten them when possible with a matching band.”

“Many [a woman] makes two breastbags [bags for the breasts], with them she roams the streets, so that all the young men that look at her, can see her beautiful breasts; But whose breasts are too large, makes tight pouches, so there is no gossip in the city about her big breasts.”

Glossary:
Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. Also, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Escort Missions – a quest where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. This wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of quests.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) "Rocks fall, everyone dies" or wipe - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Chapter 4: Mana Bolt or Arcane Bolt?

“Lady Eleanor, you have a visitor,” Rosalyn announced as she entered my bedroom.

Looking up from my scroll making, I started to look for a clock then stopped myself, “Iona and her relatives?”

“No, my lady, it’s only the young mage,” She started to clean up a little while patiently waiting for me to decide what I wanted to do.

Couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours after the third bell, did something happen? I had already paid for another day at the inn. What happened later in the day would determine if I stayed longer.

“Please tell her that I will be with her in a moment. I want to put my things away first.”

I spent most of the night looking through the herb bags, and upon waking started to create a few scrolls. In Magic-Life, all classes could use low-tier scrolls, so having a few on hand should prove useful. Assuming it worked the same way in here.

I did ponder since the creation of scrolls in this world required mana-cores would it allow adventures to cast any level spell? Something to ask later, but since low-tier scrolls weren’t of much use for me or my guildmates, I didn’t have any in my inventory.

When Rosalyn returned, I asked, “Were you also able to speak to Master Melaka this morning?”

Opal had mentioned one of the merchants she knew sold supplies for adventurers. Like a few others, he didn’t usually set up a stall in a village market. My inventory had plenty of food, and I could make a campsite with ease, but thinking back to my pen-and-paper days of gaming, I knew other items would be needed.

Since Magic-Life wasn’t real camping, much less adventuring, I also had to ask for some general suggestions on what to take. I didn’t want to sound like a total noob, but I also didn’t want to forget something important. I explained to Rosalyn that one of my companions was in charge of making sure everyone was adequately equipped, which was true, but for some reason, I was sure it was misinterpreted.

Still, part of me looked forward to the whole outdoor experience. I had never been camping before other than the first day on the road after appearing here. Mark mentioned it a few times when he was younger going out with his brother, but they spent the night in their backyard, so not quite the same thing.

“Yes, my lady. He will have the items by lunch and deliver them to the inn.” She handed me the list, which I took before giving it a once over.

“Thank you, Rosalyn,” Putting it away, I gave her a heartfelt smile, “If I haven’t said it before, your help has been invaluable these past few days. I don’t think this week would have gone so smoothly without it.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Lady Eleanor,” She curtseyed.

“Alright, let’s see what Iona been up to this morning.”

With everything now stored in my inventory, the two of us left the bedroom to find Iona nervously pacing around the sitting room.

“Do you have news?”

“What, oh, Lady Eleanor,” Iona stammered then did a little curtsey. “My uncle and aunt should be here this afternoon, but I was sitting in my room.”

Smiling, I motioned for her to take a seat, “So, bored, nervous, or both?”

“Both,” She looked down blushing and started to play with her robes.

We sat for a few moments in silence, then I asked, “Well, if we are to be adventuring together, why you don’t tell me a little about yourself.”

“Alright, let's see. Both my sister and I were born in Harmon. My father is a caravan driver, so he isn’t home very often,” Iona gave a small frown, “My mother died giving birth to me, so Aunt Karin has more or less, raised me as her own along with Uncle Leo.”

“Did I not hear that they also have a child?”

“Oh yes, Cassandra. “ Iona answered happily, “She married a few years ago and moved to Andover. Randol, her husband, used to be an adventurer, but his father died unexpectedly, so she helps him run the family’s tannery.”

Remembering a bar I used to go to during college, which at one time had been a tannery, so profitable business if a bit smelly, “Did he meet your cousin at your aunt and uncle’s school?”

“Yes, Cass started around the same time as my sister hoping to follow in her parent’s footsteps.” Iona started to giggle, “Instead, she ended up getting married. Aunt Karin seemed pretty happy about that.”

I couldn’t help laughing as well, “Well, adventuring is a dangerous profession. I assume that you went to the same school?”

“I did, Uncle Leo is brilliant.” Iona sat up straighter, “He teaches what you need to do before going out on a job. What to ask and what to look out for when buying equipment. What to take depending on the job, how to make simple healing poultices, how to make sure the water you drink is clean all sorts of things.”

Interesting so they teach pretty useful skills at this school for adventures, which is good, as learning on the go would likely prove fatal for many. Maybe I should have spoken to him before I made my shopping list.

“And your aunt? You said she was skilled with a bow?”

Once again, I couldn’t help but compare the two worlds. A lot of my guildmates could use a bow, but in Magic-Life, it was the Pathfinders who had specific abilities that made them deadly. And, since most of our quests took us outside, their woodland skills made them in pretty high demand.

“She teaches the advanced weapons class, and many adventurers come to her for private archery instruction. Since she used to work part-time at the Adventurers Guild, she also teaches the rules on how to progress in rank, what and what not to do on a job, those sorts of things,” Iona sat back as Rosalyn set down a cold pitcher of wine.

We sat for a few minutes enjoying the wine, and then I asked something that I had been curious about, “So, where did you learn magic? Did you have an apprenticeship?”

Iona's voice faded slightly, “No, it’s rare unless you have a mage in the family or have other connections. Like most, my teacher was a former adventurer who held classes at the Adventurers Guild.”

“Was there not a mage in your aunt or uncle's adventuring party?”

“Oh, yes, Master Nickolas, but he disappeared along with his adventuring band in the Ingsmouth swamps. I think I was six at the time.” Iona then seemed to understand what I was asking and started to wave her hands in front of her, “Oh, I didn’t have to pay for the classes in the Adventurers Guild. Mistress Alidth is an old friend of theirs. She also taught me a Detect Enchantment spell.”

“That’s good; can I ask how many spells can you cast?” I was more than a little concerned for the young girl's safety on this adventure.

“Well, for a ranked F adventurer, you only need to be able to cast one offensive spell.”

“Truly?” I frowned.

That’s not too far off from what spells a new mage character starts within Magic-Life; however, unlike this world, you appeared in the tutorial area, so there was little to no danger. A player could stand in front of a monster and not worry about it attacking you.

Iona nodded then smiled, “Yes, but my aunt and uncle bought me a spell scroll for my sixteenth birthday, and I have the one I learned in my class. “

“So you have a Detect Enchantment spell, and what else?”

In-game, after the tutorial, you ended with three basic starter spells. One offensive, one defensive and one generic of your choice, but afterward, you had to buy or trade for the rest. Although a Detect Magic spell was quite useful, some sort of shield spell would have been better.

“Arcane Shield and Mana Bolt, which I am thankful for as I had a little bit of an issue under one of the taverns, “ She then blushed, “I really don’t like rats.”

We both chuckled a little. So how close were the spells in this world compared to the ones in-game? “Does the Arcane Shield give you protection by draining your mana?”

“It does.”

So similar, “So, I am going to guess that in this kingdom, spells can cost as much as good weapons and armor.”

“Yes, and the more powerful ones are even more expensive, assuming you can find someone willing to teach you. “ Iona sighed, “I would love to learn more spells, but I cannot afford them.”

So unlike Magic-Life, you couldn’t just walk up to a vendor and purchase one like you would a sword.

“Does the Adventurers Guild not provide a way for you to purchase new spells?”

Iona nodded, “Yes, but you have to submit a job request.”

Not too different from Magic-Life since buying new spells from a vendor could be rather expensive. Since the copy skill created a magical parchment from your grimoire, the preferred method was to either purchase or trade new spells from another player. We did that all the time, and I knew a couple of enterprising mages that made quite a bit of coin selling them.

“Argus, the mage in my sister’s group, did offer to teach me a spell once they returned.” Iona looked depressed for a moment then perked up again. “Oh, and Mistress Alidth said she would too once I become a D ranked adventurer.”

I sat still for a moment, thinking. Could I learn spells from this world, and could others learn mine?

I was trying not to act too surprised when I reached into my bag and withdrew three spell scrolls from my grimoire, “What do you make of these?”

Iona's eyes opened wide before gently setting them down. Gingerly opening the first one, she spent a few minutes looking it over before replying, “It's not one I have seen before. It’s an elemental fire spell. Is that correct?”

“Yes, Fire Dart and the other one.” I ignored the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach when I looked at the scroll. I had no problems understanding it, which by now I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Frowning, she began to read but took about three times as long, “I’m not sure, but is it some type of warning spell?”

“Excellent, yes, it’s an Alarm Ward, useful at a campsite, or on a door of a bedroom at an inn. So, how about the last one, what do you think?”

Biting her lip, Iona read the scroll, her eyes suddenly opened wide, “Oh, it's odd, but I think its water conjuration.”

“Very good, and it’s another spell which I use quite often,” Sitting back, I watched her read over the scrolls as I took a sip of wine.

Suddenly, her head snapped up. “Lady Eleanor, you’re a mage?”

I couldn’t help but laugh, “So, tell me, Iona, how long would it take for you to learn those spells?”

The young mage's eyes opened wide in surprise, but her smile, though, lit up the room.

--O--

“Oh, Karin looks like we found a vagabond loitering around the docks should we call the town guard?” A voice called out from below.

Marcus grinned as his friend approached before the two embraced. “How are you doing, old man?”

“Our school is thriving, but this business with Myra has us terribly concerned,” Leo sighed before patting his friend on the shoulder.

Marcus turned to the second person standing there, looking amused at the two of them, “You’re beautiful as ever, Karin.”

“And you need to have your eyes checked,” She laughed before kissing him on the cheek. “How’ s Lillian?”

“She’s fine, hoping for a small visit if you have the time but understands if you cannot.”

Karin grimaced. “I would like to see her, but we still have too many things to do before tomorrow. We are still heading out in the morning?”

“Yes, and as I said, Lillian understands, maybe a celebration when you return with Myra,” He said hopefully.

“I would like that,” Karin smiled, but there wasn’t much hope behind it. “So, what trouble has my youngest niece gotten herself into?”

“Well, she thinks she might have found another adventurer to accompany you.” Laughing at the surprised look on his friend’s faces, Marcus motioned to them to continue walking.

“Does this person know we cannot offer much? We do have a few coins tucked away, but it’s not much.” Karin shrugged.

Marcus understood, his friends might be doing well, but being able to afford to pay for the services of a decent ranked adventuring band was another matter.

“Truthfully, we were almost at the point of selling our school for the money.” Leo and his wife shared a look.

Marcus realized that his old friend was serious.

“We could have sold my bow, love,” Karin grabbed her husband’s hand.

“You’re not selling your bow, Karin,” Leo said forcefully.

“I wouldn’t worry about that, you two. I don’t believe she’s looking for payment.”

Marcus couldn’t help but smile from what he learned yesterday, Lady Eleanor’s red dress for the cost to make it you could buy a large farm maybe two.

“That’s unusual,” Karin frowned, sounding a bit worried.

“Well, Lady Eleanor Reine of Avalon is a bit of an unusual person,” Marcus couldn’t help but chuckle.

“One of the High Born? How did Iona attract her attention?” Karin turned to look at her husband, almost in a panic.

Marcus sighed; he forgot Karin had been brought up in the Eagle Empire. Her view of nobility had always been a bit skewed, not that he blamed her.

Slipping his arm around his wife, Leo said, “I’m sure it's fine love. Marcus has met this noblewoman, right? So, where is this Avalon?”

The honored veteran scratched his scar, “Not sure, but we believe pretty far north. She has the same coloring as that warrior who joined the Stone Fists; remember him, fought with that huge ax.”

Karin looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded, “The one killed by a basilisk along with Ilya the Red?”

Leo frowned, “So maybe as far north as Karlspang.”

“Long way from home then,” His wife whispered before laying her head on his shoulder.

“So, tell me a little about this Lady Eleanor Reine of Avalon,” Leo asked as he rubbed his wife’s arm.

“Not much to tell Leo, she arrived a few days ago on horseback by way of the Forest Road,” Motioning the two, they started walking again towards the River Gate.

“So she traveled with another adventuring band?” Leo asked, wondering if there were a couple of others they could approach.

“No alone,” Nodding to the guards at the gate as they passed through, Marcus replied, “We were surprised too.”

“Do you know why?”

“Yes, but it’s her story to tell, Karin. Let’s see yesterday, she went to the market, and from the way she acted, I don’t believe she’s ever been to one or at least not in a long time.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Leo chuckled.

“Still, she had a nice word with almost every owner of a stall while passing out bits of fruit to children following her. “ Marcus smiled, “According to Lilian, she sat with Mother Yana and talked about herbs for most of the morning. The women in the village are quite enamored with her.”

“No, your right, not something one would be able to say about one of the High Born,” Karin laughed suddenly, seemingly relieved before dragging the two men towards the inn.

“Well, the few nobles I have met from the Adventurers Guild do tend to be more personable. Do you know her rank?”

Marcus shrugged, “She doesn’t have a card, Leo, which is to be expected from her story. However, what we do know is she defeated three forest skitters.”

Karin almost stopped, “At the same time?”

“Yes.”

“Impressive.” Leo murmured, squeezing his wife’s hand.

“By the nine gods, this is good, so, a B ranked?” Karin looked hopeful. Although more physically fit than most people half her age, neither she nor her husband had been on an adventure for a long time.

Leo laughed, feeling better than he had for a week. “Well, it’s not something I could have done on the best of days, so at least B ranked. So did she decide to join us yet?”

“No, not until she met the two of you,” Marcus replied before opening the door to the Wayfair Inn.

“I like her already,” Karin entered with a smile on her face.

--O--

Taking a sip of water that I conjured, I leaned over to point at the part of the scroll Iona was having trouble with.

“Now, take a closer look at this part of the spell formula, see the damage, it's variable. So, unlike the Mana Bolt, if you want to do less damage, you just use less mana.”

“So why don’t I use this spell all the time?” Iona tilted her head.

Good question really, “You will for a while, but later, you will find that other spells such as Cone of Fire will be better for damaging multiple targets. Until you can cast that or something similar, Fire Dart is your obvious choice.”

“So, what’s wrong with Mana Bolt?” Looking at the scroll, Iona frowned.

“Nothing at all, it’s an excellent spell if you’re facing one opponent,” Assuming it worked the same as my Arcane Bolt, “However, it has a large mana drain if you want to target multiple creatures. And a bit overkill if you’re facing smaller monsters.”

The young mage grimaced, “I noticed that when we were clearing out the giant rats.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Wondering what else was similar, I asked, “Do you know your elemental affinity?”

Iona shook her head, “No, I don’t think I have heard of it before, my lady. May I ask, what’s yours?”

“Fire, which explains why I was a bit of a pyromaniac as a child. “

Iona giggled, and then frowned, “Then how can you cast the Conjure Water spell?”

“Oh, it doesn't mean I can't use other elements, it's just that I usually end up using a little bit more mana to cast them. “

During character creation, I selected a fire affinity. Along with those spells costing less mana, later the choice allowed me to be able to cast some of the more advanced fire spells early.

“I see,” Iona frowned. I could see that she was still a little confused.

“Anyway, Conjure Water is not an elemental spell, unlike say, Water Bolt,” Reaching into my bag, I copied another one out of my grimoire, setting it down next to the Conjured Water scroll.

“Why don’t you compare the Arcane Bolt with the Conjured Water spell and then compare them both to the Fire Dart.”

Nodding, Iona started reading through the scrolls while Rosalyn began setting down some lunch.

With a smile, I copied another spell from my grimoire and set it on the table, “Alright, let's then take a look at Mana Shield.”

I helped her through lunch and most of the afternoon. Still, I would have thought her school at least taught her the basics. Not understanding that was a bit concerning. Perhaps that was not fair as all this information had been downloaded into my brain.

Iona pushed a strand of black hair behind her ear. “I sort of see it but, I will tell you Lady Eleanor that I understand the Fire Dart spell much more so than the others in my grimoire. I can see why mages who went through an apprenticeship know so much more than the rest of us.”

“So, you weren’t taught any of this in school?”

She gave a slight shake of the head. “Not really, Mistress Alidth didn’t go into this much detail. It's not just how but why it works that we were never taught. I’m not really sure she understood herself. The guild just wanted to make sure we knew how to defend ourselves.”

I wondered what she would say if I told her a week ago that I didn’t know either. In Magic-Life, you spent skill points to learn new skills or to improve an existing ability, but there was no knowledge behind it.

As it was now while I worked with Iona, I began to see ways of improving all of my spells.

--0--

Towards the late afternoon, Rosalyn entered the sitting room, followed by Marcus and two other people whom I could only assume to be Iona’s relatives.

Her aunt, a well-built woman with broad shoulders and arms, which told of long hours pulling a bow, wore light leather armor. Looking under her headscarf, I realized she was also the first redhead I have met since coming to this world.

Her uncle was a dark-haired, well-dressed man. I couldn’t help but admire his blue and bright yellow cioppa, much like my outer dress, but unlike mine was not lined with fir. He even had one of those chaperons, a rounded hat that appeared to be made of linen — not the outfit of an adventurer but more of a merchant or a university professor.

“Lady Eleanor, let me introduce you to Leo of Harmon and his wife, Karin,” Marcus announced, stepping aside to allow the two to enter further into the sitting room.

Both bowed in greeting but just grinned at my studious companion who sat with tongue half out while concentrating on a scroll in front of her.

“Iona, we have guests,” I commented before giving her a gentle nudge with my foot. “Iona, guests.”

“Lady Eleanor?” She then noticed her uncle and aunt before jumping off the chair, screaming, “Auntie!”

“Manners Iona. “ Karin admonished her niece with a smile as her husband laughed.

“Oh, sorry, Lady Eleanor,” Iona stammered while blushing a deep red.

“Why don’t you visit with your uncle and aunt while I see to dinner? I imagine the four of us will most likely be talking for some time.” Turning to the sixth person in the room, I asked, “Marcus, are you just an escort, or will you be sharing a meal with us.”

“No, my lady, I should be getting back to the wife.”

After Marcus took his leave, Rosalyn and I didn’t stay away long, only enough to check on my new gear and take a look at the large table in the meeting room. I hadn’t expected one, but with adventuring groups using the village as a base, it’s wasn’t too surprising.

Looking over the list once more, I started to sort through the supplies.

“Rope, good,” I actually had some spider-silk rope but knew extra wouldn’t hurt. “I’ll go through the rest later. Master Melaka confirmed that he would be able to assist us this evening as well?”

“Yes, Lady Eleanor,” Rosalyn replied while moving one of the lighter boxes out of the way.

Brushing myself off, I looked around. “This room is perfect, and please be sure to give Master Thomasyn my thanks.”

“I will, also, my lady, Mistress Matilda is ready to serve dinner at any time. Just let me know.”

“I will have to do something nice for her. She's been very accommodating, especially with her willingness to feed my numerous guests.”

Rosalyn laughed, “Well, you did compliment her on her cooking, Lady Eleanor.”

I had expected the food to be rather bland, but the inn’s cook had years of experience working in the kitchen on one of the main caravan routes. She’s so well known that several nobles have tried to lure her away to work in their households.

Returning to the sitting room, I found Iona happily explaining all that she had learned today. I motioned for them to remain seated as I took my seat across from the three.

“Lady Eleanor, my wife and I give our heartfelt thanks to you for taking time out of your busy day to teach Iona magecraft,” Leo said, but all three bowed their heads.

“It was my pleasure. I found her to be an excellent student. And if things go well tonight, I will be more than happy to instruct her further in the upcoming week.”

Iona beamed happily but looking at her aunt, she lowered her head back down, but the smile didn’t leave her face.

“I heard from Marcus and my niece that you did not expect to find yourself in Wyndemere much less the southern kingdoms.”

That was one way to put it, “Indeed last week my companions and I were wandering around the Cold Swamp searching for the lair of a rather large lizard, soon after I am standing in the center of a circle of stones that Iona tells me are called Godstone's.”

Karin seemed to have questions of her own but allowed her husband to continue, “Well, Lady Eleanor, although we haven’t been adventures for some time, we still have some influence in the guild. We would be happy to put in a good word for you as one of the kingdom's ranked A mages might be able to help you get home.”

“Thank you, I will take you up on your offer but first, let us talk about your other niece Myra. My situation is not so dire that I can simply ignore a lost adventuring party.”

And it wasn’t, as much as I wanted to get home, finding a missing group of adventures sounded a lot easier. Something told me it was not going to be as simple as paying someone a little gold for a portal home.

I could also see relief in their faces, including Iona, after that statement, “May I ask a few questions.”

“Of course, Lady Eleanor.”

“Mistress Karin, Iona tells me you’re good with a bow. May I ask if you have skills such as tracking and trap making, or are they all martial?”

“Please call me Karin, my lady, and yes, I do have the skills of a woodsman. Before I met my husband, I was a scout in Emperor Naxos' Sixth Legion’s auxiliaries. I also keep up my skills while working for a number of nobles, who hire me through the Adventurers Guild to work with their Foresters.

Emperor Naxos, I hadn’t heard that name before. I also wondered if I could get the three of them to just call me Eleanor, from the look of things probably not. I blame my cousin.

Karin’s husband started to laugh, “I see where you're going, Lady Eleanor. I might not be as fit as I was twenty years ago, but my wife keeps me from losing my martial skills. I am also responsible for making sure new students don’t stab themselves.”

“And heal them if they do,” Iona chimed in with a giggle.

“And the days he is not teaching, he spends most of his time in the Healer’s Hall,” Karin gave her husband a tight-lipped smile.

“Yes, well,” Leo managed to look away, a little embarrassed, Iona just sat in her chair and giggled some more.

“I also hear good things that you have been making sure new adventures have a better chance to become old ones.” Reaching into my inventory, I pulled the list of supplies before passing it to him. “A merchant named Master Melaka has offered to add to this list. I was not sure what you had managed to gather in way of supplies in your rush to make your way here.”

“This is a good list.” He shared it with his wife, who nodded. “As you said, we are short of supplies, so I am happy to see we will be able to pick them up before tomorrow.”

“Well, let us talk over dinner about what else we will need and discuss the roles each of us will have on our way to find your niece.”

“I will inform Mistress Matilda that you’re ready to have dinner served,” Rosalyn said as she headed out the door.

“Thank You, Rosalyn,” Rising from my seat, the others quickly followed. “Shall we, I have been impressed with this inn’s cooking all week and look forward to what they have in store for us tonight.”

--0--

Authors Note: Work is taking me out of town, so I won't be updating for a couple of weeks. I'll try to get another chapter in before I leave but no promises. Thanks for reading!

Glossary:

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. Also, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Bells: Most larger communities have some way to keep time, useful for travelers, and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually the either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie, newb, noob, or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “Rocks fall, everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Chapter 5: An Unlucky number?

As the final toll of the Healer’s Hall bell announced the start of the day, fourteen mounted men and two horse-drawn wagons made their way through the streets of Wyndemere.

The second wagon barely slowed down as villagers began to climb on board and greet one another as the cart continued through the streets. Even with the long day ahead, the field workers' good mood didn’t change. All were ready to start work.

In contrast, the wagon in front contained supplies for the upcoming journey down the Forest Road— the mounted men were apprehensive at what those forthcoming days would bring.

Two men led the procession, one dressed in his familiar red arming coat and silver badge of office. The second horsemen rode heavily armored — a thick quilted gambeson covered by mail, which included the body and limbs with additional protection to his head provided by a conical kettle helm.

Upon approaching the inn, the procession slowed for only a moment as Captain Colin turned in his saddle, “I will be along in a moment.”

The guards on the way to the fields saluted before turning away with the wagon full of workers and headed towards the Forest Gate.

“Seems the rumors were true, Captain. Lady Eleanor had a busy night,” Marcus grinned at the two figures that stood in the inn’s courtyard waiting for their escort.

Leo waved then looked at his wife, who just stood there with a soft smile on her face. The healer no longer wore his elegant blue and bright yellow cioppa instead armored much like the honored veteran except on his head he wore a sallet helm, with its face guard currently up.

Karin’s light leather armor had additional protection added, including a mail shirt and heavy leather guards on her arms and legs along with a kettle helm to protect her head.

“Good morning, Captain, Marcus,” Leo approached the two men.

Captain Conrad signaled everyone to dismount. “So it’s true, she had Mistress Margaret up all night.”

“Good morning to you both, and yes, we discovered our new gambesons needed some altering.” Karin greeted the two men warmly while her husband grumbled that he hadn’t gained that much weight.

“Lady Eleanor had concerns for our safety, as neither of us were properly outfitted.”

Leo sighed. “She’s not wrong. We really can’t call ourselves C ranked adventurers anymore either as we sold most of our enchanted gear when we retired.”

He didn’t mention the additional protection Lady Eleanor insisted they wear, a ring for him and his wife, and a medallion for his niece.

“I see.” The Captain’s admiration for the young noblewoman rose, but her mystery only increased.

Lady Eleanor managed at the last minute to gather supplies for her group. Not impossible with enough silver, but the merchants seemed to want to help. Along with a long list of supplies, from what he could see, she purchased well-crafted armor for the two of them. He expected nothing less for their niece's outfit.

“Well, it looks good on you, brings back memories.” Marcus grinned, punching Leo in the shoulder.

“There she is.” The captain murmured.

“You were right, sir, she’s wearing silvered steel,” Marcus whispered to his commander.

“I’ll add it to my report to the Baroness.” The Captain nodded and then signed to his men to greet the approaching noblewoman.

Lady Eleanor Reine of Avalon stepped from the side of the inn, and into the morning sun. With her armor shining, no one noticed when she stumbled a bit at the sight of everyone in the courtyard bowing as she approached.

--0--

At least now we now look like a proper adventuring party. Karin’s gear wasn’t too bad. She just needed additional protection, but her husband had planned on wearing only a heavy linen arming coat on our journey to find his niece.

Neither of the two had proper head protection, and Iona’s gear was not acceptable. The simple linen robe wouldn’t turn a blade away, much less the teeth and claws from a monster. I didn’t have a high opinion of her sister for allowing her younger sibling to join her party wearing such an outfit.

Opal and I, along with one of the village seamstress, put our heads together to get Iona into proper gear. I didn’t mind salvaging a bit of one of my less-used outfits for her safety.

In the end, the young mage ended up with deep blue battle robes, covered by a light leather jerkin. The light mail coif she wore on her head, well, I didn’t tell anyone it would offer more protection than a full metal helm.

Leo had tried to argue, of course, about the cost, not about his niece’s gear obviously, but his own. I impressed on him that the armor was nothing more than a gift to see them all safely home.

Although you wouldn’t be able to tell, we were also well supplied. After Leo gave his seal of approval, all of the items ended up in my inventory or the arcane bag that Iona slung across her shoulder.

“Auntie,” Iona happily called out, “Excuse me, Lady Eleanor.”

“Go on, show her how you look.” I waved her off before turning to Gwefrydd, who had been following the two of us out of the stables. “You seem to have fans.”

The captain looked thoughtful, probably professional curiosity. I had no clue what breeds the guards rode, but the horses were smaller. Gwefrydd, according to his in-game description, was classified as a Destrier, and I believe most of the guards riding mounts would be called Rouncey.

Glancing towards Leo and Karin, who stood with amused smiles, as Iona happily pointed out that her blue outfit matched my armor, I greeted both the Captain and his second in command.

“I would like to thank you again, Lady Eleanor, for looking into this situation for me.” the Captain handed me a round metal disk covered with what I discovered was the Baroness's symbol, or device, a small rose surrounded by white and red painted diamonds.

“This will give you the authority as my proxy to command any adventuring parties you might come across.”

I hesitated for a moment, “Shouldn’t Leo or Karin be given this? They are more familiar with the guild.”

“No, I disagree. It should be you, Lady Eleanor,” Leo spoke quite firmly as he joined the conversation.

I glanced towards Karin, who nodded in agreement.

“I accept then.”

We wasted no time after that, Karin and Iona took a seat in the wagon, while Leo rode on an extra mount. After passing through the Forest Gate, the Captain headed off towards the fields leaving Marcus in charge.

With our number now at thirteen, I had a sudden thought. I hoped that there was not another dragon at the end of this adventure.

--0—

Leo and I had been riding behind the wagon for most of the morning. Gwefrydd wanted to go faster, but Marcus was letting the horse pulling the wagon set the pace.

During that time, I learned a little about the caravans that traveled from the east. Carrying salt, iron, wine, textiles, and numerous luxury items, they would generally be composed of two dozen wagons along with its masters, divers, animal handlers, servants, passengers, and maybe forty or so guards.

“It's not unheard of that before they cross the Ulmar mountains and into the Dry Valley, that the number of merchants will triple as many of the caravan leaders will band together for protection,” Karin nudged her niece, who started to make a face.

“Is it that dangerous?”

“It can be, my lady, especially through the Dry Valley.” Taking a sip of watered-down wine, she passed it around. “Often, one of the rich merchant houses will make a request to the Emperor for the Legion’s assistance.”

“That’s how I met my wife.” Leo chuckled at the look his niece gave the two of them.

I couldn’t help but grin, “I guess, she’s heard the story before?”

“A few times,” Iona murmured before passing the wine bag back to her aunt.

“As you know, I was a member of the Sixth Legion. We were called upon by the Emperor to escort a caravan when it came under attack by a large group of Dal Riata raiders. The lead scouts, which I was part of, were quickly overrun. A week later, I awoke in a Healer’s Hall.”

Leo picked up the story, “The Legion commander dropped off its wounded auxiliaries in Peturia turned around and headed back through the pass.”

“So, they just left you there?”

Karin made a face then shrugged, “We weren’t important enough, and any of the wounded who did return afterward would most likely be arrested for desertion. A cousin of mine warned me about that. Instead, the caravan master paid for our healing and offered us jobs.”

“Which was a good thing,” Leo smiled at his wife. “About a year later, my companions and I were hired on as caravan guards. We met not long after that.”

Before Karin could continue her tale, a loud crash came from the front of the column.

“I’ll take a look.” Quickly riding around the wagon, I reached Marcus, who had called for a halt. But, before I could open my mouth to ask what was going on, two of the outriders retreated past us as a tree crashed to the ground, sending up a large plume of dust into the air.

“I’ll get the others and check it out,” I called out as I wheeled my mount around.

Riding back, I quickly dismounted, “There something down the road causing problems.”

Iona started to rise, but Karin put her hand up, “Stay here.”

“But.”

Drawing the weapon I was most familiar with, my longsword Marwolaeth, I pointed to a place towards the front of the wagon, “No, it’s a good idea. If you stand right over there, you will get a good view. If anything approaches the wagon, it will be your responsibility to take care of it.”

I could see her struggling for a moment, before taking a deep breath and noddeding. Karin mouthed the words ‘thank you’ as the three of us moved past the front of the column.

With me taking the lead as we discussed last night, Leo moved to my right with his spear, and Karin, with her bow at the ready, remained a few steps behind to my left. Obviously, I would be the tank of our party, although they didn’t understand the terminology they did the intent.

From the looks of things, the whole tree line on the left side of the road had been torn up, with a couple of trees upended. I could see why the outriders were spooked.

“Looks like a gura or something as large,” Karin announced as she moved closer to my side.

“They don’t normally attack humans.” Her husband grimaced at the pulverized tree, which had been thrown clear from the forest by a good distance.

“Not unless they’re annoyed, or in heat, they can be pretty unpredictable.”

I’m not sure if either of the two noticed the six foot tall, half-ton of wild boar with its razor-sharp tusks bearing down on us from the tree line, but to me, it moved in slow motion.

Stepping out of the way of the charge, I drew my sword back and struck as it passed piercing its skull right behind its right ear. The beast continued forward, not realizing its fate, but as it turned, it stumbled, earning it two arrows in the flank.

“That’s a big pig.” Leo moved to set his spear, but the massive boar just collapsed to the ground.

“Think it's large enough to feed thirteen people?”

“I would hope so, my lady,” Karin moved to place herself behind her husband with another arrow nocked.

The three of us stood watching the tree line for a few more minutes before deciding that was the only threat.

“I’ll go back and see if we can get help dressing the beast.”

“Bring Iona back as well, luv,” Karin called out as she cautiously approached the gura. Retrieving her two arrows, she pressed her hand on the beast's skull. “Well struck, Lady Eleanor.”

“Thank you.”

Strange, in the real world, I had never killed anything nor had a desire to do so. The skitters were bugs, so I didn’t give them much thought. Even as the wild boar lay there, I was more concerned that I had made sure it didn’t suffer than I had just killed it without a thought. Truthfully, I didn't know if I was horrified or thankful.

“That’s even larger than the ones we saw. How did you kill that thing?” Iona said in amazement as she joined us with the rest of the guards.

“Quite easily, Lady Eleanor struck it behind the ear as it charged past us.” Karin pointed to the wound.

“Sweet Dinya,” One of the guards exclaimed.

Thankfully, Marcus started ordering everyone about, and soon, several of the guards were getting to work field dressing the boar.

Not interested in watching, I started walking towards the pulverized log that stood between us and the tree line. “Well, unless you want to help, Iona let’s move off and see how you’ve progressed with the Fire Dart spell.”

I thought she looked a little green because she quickly moved to my side. Karin also joined, leaving Leo to help the guards. Dousing the tree and the surrounding grass with conjured water, no need for us to set the forest on fire, I walked back to the road.

“All right, that’s your target.” Standing back, I watched as Iona concentrated on her spell.

Chanting for a moment, she sent a palm-size fire dart into the log. The penetration of the spell wasn’t as good as an Earth or Ice Dart, but not many living things like to be caught on fire.

I asked for her to cast the spell again, then for her to do two darts at once. Karin voiced her approval as her niece readily complied with all my requests.

“Excellent, now can you double the number of darts?”

Biting her lip, she nodded, then concentrated for a moment, and after a quick chant sent four darts into the overturned tree.

Taking a deep breath, she gave me a satisfied smile. Iona wasn’t panting, but I could tell she was tired. “Can I ask, Lady Eleanor, how many darts can you cast at once?”

“Let’s try eight,” Pointing I sent the darts into the tree, which flipped over from the impact of the spell.

Stepping back, Iona clapped her hands together, “Egads, my lady, do you think I will be able to do that?”

“With practice and experience, but remember there will come a time where you're just wasting your mana. The drain of nine fire darts is more than a Cone of Fire, which will do more damage in a wider area. “

I noticed something else which thankfully no one had pointed out. Unlike Iona, I never chanted before casting the spell. I didn’t know if that was normal or not or just something that made my magic different.

“Why don’t we find a place and work on the Alarm Ward maybe you will be able to cast it by the time we reach your sister.”

--0—

“So what else do you normally expect to encounter on the road,” I drew Gwefrydd closer to the wagon again after riding up and down the column.

The men were very efficient in dressing the boar. The tusks were offered to me, which I placed in Iona’s bag. Most of the meat had been cut up and placed in a barrel, and then covered with salt. The rest would be cooked as soon as we stopped.

“Goblyns, my lady,” One of the guards riding near me commented. “But, they won't bother us none since we’re all fighting men.”

“And ladies,” Another guard jumped in.

Karin nodded, “Forest Goblyns tend to travel in several small family groups, but it’s the goblyn clans to the east that cause the caravans the most grief.”

“Lupi, too, but they tend to stay in the hills,” Iona looked up from her studying. “And well, wolves.”

“Well, wolves are everywhere, little Miss, but your right about that,” The guard smiled and then moved off to join his partner further to our left.

“Might see an Ogre or two.”

“Truly,” Iona turned to her uncle, who rode up. I couldn’t tell if she was excited or nervous.

“Hush, you.” Karin admonished her husband. “Don’t scare her. We’re too far from the Ulmar mountains to run into one.”

Shrugging, Leo explained, “We do see them but not very often. I heard they are much more common further north. Is it true, Lady Eleanor?”

“Ogres, sure, do you also have problems with trolls?” Not sure if Ogres roamed the north, but they were a pretty common monster to fight in-game. Trolls were of an abundance too, and wondered if they would be something seen in this world.

“Oh that’s right, my lady, you mentioned you were traveling in a swamp.” Leo nodded, “We see them down south along the Red River and in the saltwater swamps near Castlerock. They can also be found occasionally in some rivers as far west as Harmon.”

“What about Rock Tolls?” Iona looked around.

Karin shrugged, “Pretty sure they are just Ogres.”

Swamp Tolls and River Trolls, well, that’s a thing, “Looks like Marcus is calling for a halt.”

“There’s a campsite up ahead.” One of the guards pointed to another clearing I had passed on my way through the woods the first time. Since we were pacing the wagon, it was going to take a couple of days to get out of this part of the forest.

Creating a campsite with my cooking skills fascinated everyone, although we needed more than just one with the number of people we had. While Iona gathered wood from the woodpiles, I stood off watching the guards who were felling a tree for more wood for later groups.

“So, if there are so many people, my lady, why are the four of us setting a watch tonight?” Iona asked after dropping another load of sticks down on the ground.

“Because we need to be getting into the habit,” Her uncle replied. “You and Lady Eleanor will be taking the first watch as we talked about.”

“This way, we can go over the spells you are learning.”

“Thank you, my lady.” Iona beamed at me.

“So, while they are getting ready for dinner, let us continue working on the Alarm Ward. Then afterward, you can watch me set them around the campsite.”

The roasted gura ended up being overcooked, which was probably for the best. We added salt and a few herbs at least around my campsite, which was appreciated. Marcus had joined us, and we discussed the plans for the days ahead. From what Iona mentioned, her sister’s party had turned north about a half day from the Godstone's.

“So, it took over a week for your sister’s group to get to the Pale Hills?”

“Yes, my lady, but we didn’t go straight there.” Iona picked at some bread I had pulled out of my inventory. Cutting it up to make sandwiches with the pork had been a great hit. Adding BBQ sauce would also have been nice, but finding molasses in this world seemed pretty unlikely.

“If we push ourselves, we should get there in three or four days' time.” Leo frowned, “But we’re still not sure the direction your sister’s party went from there.”

“Sorry, uncle, I didn’t really pay attention. Once we left the rockslide, we traveled west for most of the day then started back towards the road.” She said unhappily.

“No matter,” Karin reached over and gently ran her fingers through her niece’s hair. ”We will find Myra.”

Well, this was going to come out eventually. Marcus had wondered about my mount. We planned on walking toward the Pale Hills, and of course, Gwefrydd would have to be left behind.

“Once we get there, I can take Gwefrydd out for a ride. I should be able to cover quite a bit ground, even in broken terrain.”

“Are you not leaving your mount behind, Lady Eleanor?” Karin frowned. I could see confusion in her eyes.

“Well, he isn’t exactly traveling with us.” I pointed to Gwefrydd, who stood off with the other horses in a picket line, happily eating his dinner. Sorry, I’ll make it up to you later. I then unsummoned him.

Everyone at our campfire, but Karin jumped. She whispered, “You have bonded with a Caddaja.”

“What?”

Karin looked towards me, “A spirit horse, Iona.”

I nodded as it was a good explanation as any. I had planned either to explain that it was a summoning spell or a magic item, but this explanation seemed to work better.

“Oh, I never heard of that before. Can I get one?” She looked up at me, hopefully. I knew Iona was fond of the greedy guts.

“It’s not as simple as that, Iona. My mother told me a story of Princess Freia, who was said to have a vision from Nyyrikki while out hunting. Taking the form of a great white stag, he led her on a merry chase through an ancient forest for six days and nights. On the fifth day, she fought a gigantic horned snake and on the sixth, a giant she-wolf. On the seventh day, she battled a corrupted spirit, which stood guarding a golden horn in the forest’s heart.”

As Karin continued to tell her tale, how the Princess defeated the spirit and freed the Unicorn Adara from her prison, I knew that my life had become considerably more complicated.

--0--

Author's note: a wee bit shorter but snuck one in, thanks for reading! See you in a few

Glossary:

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. Also, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Bells: Most large communities have some way to keep time, useful for travelers, and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually the either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie, newb, noob, or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “Rocks fall, everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Chapter 6: Over the Hills and Far Away

The story of Princess Freia ended with her marrying a famous Legion commander and fighting by his side against their enemies. The grandmother of the current Emperor, she was the person all Imperial scouts strived to emulate. So it came as no surprise that Karin knew her story well.

“Here, give him this. Gwefrydd probably a little moody after I unsummoned him and interrupted his dinner,” I passed Iona an apple, which she happily took to wander off towards the picket line.

Watching her interact with my now re-summoned horse, I had a feeling he had gained a fangirl. On the other hand, by the starry-eyed look, my student gave me, I had gained one as well.

“Alright, let’s see how you’re coming along with the Alarm Ward.”

The young mage nodded happily, returning from her quest to feed Gwefrydd, “Yes, my lady.”

Biting her lip for a second, I could see her gathering up her courage to ask me something, which came as no surprise that she wanted to hear about my quest to find my spirit mount.

“Not tonight.“ I raised my hand at her disappointed look, “If you continue to be diligent with your studying, I will tell you the story.”

Iona nodded happily and began to start studying. I would tell her the tale, only if she learned both the ward and the conjuration spell. Karin nodded with approval, although I had just been trying to put it off a little.

I had thought about explaining that my quest for Gwefrydd wasn’t that adventurous, but I knew no one would believe me. Although I didn’t have a god of the hunt lead me on a merry chase, it was a long and difficult solo quest. Some of my encounters also struck a strange similarity to the Princess’s story as I, too, had to defeat a corrupted spirit in the center of a ruined castle to free Gwefrydd from captivity.

Karin interrupted my lecture on the distance mechanics of spell crafting right before nightfall, “Found signs that goblyns have been through here recently.”

Rising, I started to follow her. She and two of the female guards had wandered off to bathe. I had supplied a couple of buckets of warm water, which they were very thankful for but left when they started to disrobe to the waist.

Passing the latrine trench the guards had dug for the female members of the party, we arrived at the location where two of them now stood, with spears at the ready.

I don't think I would have noticed the strings of different colored bones and feathers hanging from a tree branch, nor the strange marks carved into its base without her pointing it out.

“At least three families.” She motioned to two other trees further away.

The next morning, Karin and I found ourselves in front of the column as outriders. I had spoken to Marcus the night before about my intentions as the forest around us began to show signs that not all was peaceful.

“I need to get a closer look.” Our Pathfinder quickly moved off the road towards the tree line. Not for the first time since we started marching this morning, we had stopped when Karin discovered tracks or some other signs.

Raising my hand, I could hear orders called out for the column to come to a halt.

Now dismounted, she knelt studying the ground, “More goblyn tracks, my lady.”

Karin also pointed to the carving on the trees, warning other families on the move to keep away. Frowning, she picked up a broken stone tool from the ground before discarding it. For the most part, goblyns in this region tended to use stone tools and weapons, unless they stole something better.

"Seems to be a larger group."

Twisting in my saddle, I looked towards the other side of the road. What they were fleeing from, I couldn't imagine, “I can see that they crossed the road too.”

Luckily, the village of Wyndemere sat on the northern edge of the eastern caravan route, so there was little chance of goblyns coming across any other communities.

“The only good thing about finding these tracks, it should give us a better idea of what direction we should start searching for your niece.”

We both knew that the four of us had a lot of ground to cover, so I was glad she looked a little more hopeful that this trip would not be in vain.

Although we spotted evidence of more creatures moving across the road, other than our illustrious bowmen showing off her skills by taking down two rather large elks to add to the cooking pot, the rest of the day was uneventful.

That evening we stopped at a familiar campsite. Thankfully, the others left me to my thoughts. It's amazing what changes a week's time could bring to one’s self. Still, I didn’t know if searching for Iona’s sister was simply a desire to be part of a real adventure or a desperate need to do something, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

With dinner finished, my student and I started walking around the camp. At this time, I would normally begin casting the wards, but tonight, Iona would see if she could do it herself.

“Alright, let's start small. Place one around the horse picket.”

Nodding, she began the rather lengthy chant.

That’s one of the things that bothered me about this spell. It was one of the first that players could cast in Magic-Life. It seemed rather overly complicated and took much longer for Iona to learn than Fire Dart.

“Done,” She smiled, looking a bit tired.

“Excellent,” I tried not to frown.

The mana cost shouldn’t be that high. I knew in-game the Base Mana Cost of a spell depended on its level. Then some calculations using your magic skill and stats would determine how much you spent casting it. How it worked in this world, I had no clue, but a single casting of an Alarm Ward should not have tired Iona out.

Putting my fingers to my mouth, I whistled. Seconds later, Iona jumped as my trusty mount trotted towards me. Nudging me with his nose, I reached into my inventory and fed him an apple. Unfortunately, I appeared to be running out, which meant he wasn’t going to be happy with me soon.

“So, I assume that you were alerted when Gwefrydd walked across the ward line?”

“Yes,” Iona giggled as Mr. Greedy Guts continued to nudge me with his nose, obviously looking for more apples.

“Excellent, then let us take a break for tonight, then tomorrow we’ll pick up with the Conjure Water spell.”

Looking about, I cast my own Alarm Ward covering the entire campsite. Iona's eyes opened wide, realizing that this was not a difficult task for me.

Before she could say anything, I explained, “Experience and Practice. Come on. Let's get back to our fire. It’s been a long day.”

Most of the camp slept soundly, although the guards had been doubled because of the additional monsters we have been tracking. In the center of the camp, I'm sure it looked strange with me sitting under the eerie glow of Witch-light spell while I studied the Alarm Ward formula.

“Huh, so that’s why.”

Anyone who has ever played a game, whether it be fantasy or sports, know that the developers spend a lot of time trying to achieve some sort of game balance. Skills or spells were often adjusted to either make them more powerful or nerfed to make them less so.

The Alarm Ward had, like most spells in-game, gone through several iterations since we started playing and even more during the initial game testing. And right here in the spell scroll, the process appeared in great detail.

However, as developers made those changes, they never removed the old ones. So a mage, in-game, the spell worked as designed even stepping through the older sections of code first. Learning the spell took no effort; however, in this world, Iona had to understand the old and the new parts before she could cast the ward. Plus, pay an additional mana cost.

“Lazy developers.”

Pulling out the Fire Dart scroll, I discovered, unlike the developers of the Alarm Ward, they had removed almost all of the old formulas. Water Conjuration, too, appeared to be even cleaner. However, Arcane Shield and Mana Bolt were a total mess.

With a sigh, I put everything away into my inventory. It looked like before I began teaching Iona any new spells, I would need to see what the developers forgot to remove. Not necessarily a bad thing, as some of the additional sections gave me ideas on how to make my own changes. I really wanted to see if I could modify the mana cost of some of my other spells.

Well, it would be something that would keep me busy once we returned to town.

--0—

As we finally exited the woods, any thoughts of turning north early were forgotten. I knew Marcus appreciate the escort, as it now became our job to make sure that the town guards reached their destination safely, not the other way around. However, that responsibility ended a day later when we stopped at the caravan campsite near the Godstone's that stood off in the distance.

I had subconsciously walked halfway up the hill towards the circle of stones before I discovered Leo had joined me.

“Looks to be another warm day tomorrow, my lady. I’m sure being from the far north, you’re not used to Caleo being this hot. “

Caleo, huh, was that a month? There was still so much I didn’t understand about this world and its common knowledge being one of them. At least being known as a foreigner, it didn’t seem too strange when I didn’t know the proper names for the days of the week.

Looking up at the cloudless sky, I nodded, “It’s wasn’t too bad today, and at least it doesn’t seem like it's going to rain anytime soon.”

Leo chuckled, “No, my lady, though, we’re lucky it’s not the middle of Sere as it rains every afternoon. Good, for the crops, though.”

With one last look at the standing stones, we started to walk back to camp, “So, Iona still can't remember which direction she traveled with her sister?”

“Somewhere north of here.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle before we both turned towards the Pale Hills, which we could see off in the distance. Although the land surrounding the road would be called rolling hills, the ground off to the north rose significantly. Most of the latter half of the trip would be over broken ground, through copse of trees and dense scrub.

“I spoke with my wife last night. We were thinking we should start traveling northeast tomorrow. Once we reach the Pale Hills, we might have a better chance of finding Myra when we start moving westward.”

Nodding, it would take a little longer, but it was a good plan. We had a rough idea of where we wanted to look, but there were many places in the Pale Hills that could hide a landslide. We both agreed that I would still summon Gwefrydd and ride for a half a day to the east.

Back at camp, the guards had been busy. Apparently, taking a page from Roman history, they were setting up what could only be called a fortified camp as they were busy digging up the ground. I could see the makings of a trench that would eventually cover the area around its exterior. I knew from speaking to the guards afterward that they would also add additional protections such as surrounding the camp with wooden spikes.

What interested me the most was a magic item that Marcus used to soften the ground to help the guards dig the large trench. It was a common magic item for caravan masters to own, but I imagine it was also invaluable for armies on the march.

In Magic-Life, such items would be novelties, although I could see some use for them. However, in this world, like modern appliances, they made life more livable. The money exchanger that the inn and wealthy merchants used was a magic item that many people were familiar with.

There were others that removed the heavy odors from tanneries, the poisonous fumes from potions shops, and the more wealthy families used magical lighting in their homes. Even the ordinary person, who might not be able to afford a magic item bought potions at the Healer’s Hall or an Apothecary.

The streets, too, were clean of filth, because of powerful magic items. Incidentally, the rather prosperous family who emptied the latrine trenches along the caravan roads also owned the contract to collect the night soil in the village.

Magical cores made this all possible, and those adventurers who collected them could become quite wealthy, well those that survived.

--0--

The next part of our trip started with the rising of the sun. Leo was right. It was going to be warm. However, plans had changed again. I would remain mounted, at least for the next couple of days. On Gwefrydd, I had a much better view of the surrounding countryside, which would allow us to react quickly to any monster that we might encounter.

“Do you think we will run across anymore goblyns?” Iona asked nervously as the four of us passed another small cluster of trees. Marcus and company had disappeared long ago behind the rolling hills.

“Maybe but remember, they tend to like darker places, so will most likely stick to moving through the forest rather than the open hills,” Leo started to explain, but I interrupted the discussion.

“Karin, stop!”

“My lady?”

Standing in the stirrups, I looked beyond where she now stood, “Is that webbing?”

Less than half a dozen yards away, the ground appeared to be disturbed, with several large rocks blocking the path. From what I could see, just under the rocks looked what could only be a thick grey bed of webbing.

“I don’t see any spiders,” Iona said, standing on her tippy toes.

Leo moved closer to his wife, “They are hiding underground.”

“Oh.”

Everyone nodded as I said, “No sense looking for trouble.” As we moved around the rocks, I did wonder how large a spider they were talking about. The decision to keep me mounted paid off again when I noticed a campsite off towards the east.

Iona spun around on top of the small hill where the campsite was located, which gave a rather good view of the surrounding countryside. “I think we stopped here for the night.”

“You sure?” Karin asked while gathering nearby kindling. The sun had started to set, so it was an excellent place to stop.

“I think so, Auntie.” Iona nodded then turned to me, “Lady Eleanor, do you think we should start heading north?”

Pulling a bundle of wood out of my inventory, I thought it wasn’t a bad idea, but still, we could miss the landslide if we weren't careful. “Did your sister’s group turn north from here?”

“Well, no, I don’t think so. We sort of went back and forth.”

“Leo, your thoughts?”

“Another day to the northeast, I’m thinking, my lady.”

Karin nodded, “Wouldn’t hurt. Afterward, we can turn north.”

Everyone then looked to me for a decision, which came as no surprise as I had somehow been elected party leader without an election.

The next day had started rather promising; unfortunately, by lunchtime, I dismissed Gwefrydd. We had already climbed around several outcroppings, so it had just been easier to leave him unsummoned.

Still, I don’t think even while mounted, I could have predicted what happened next. We had just climbed around another group of rocks with me taking the lead, Leo off to my right, his wife to my left and Iona bringing up the rear when Karin started screaming as she was lifted off her feet.

One of the rocks moved frighteningly fast, knocking her to the ground before a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth opened and covered Iona’s aunt with a cloud of grey smoke.

The lizard, which had been camouflaged among the rocks, casually swatted Leo out of the away with its tail as the healer attempted to rescue his wife. Iona, too, sent four fire darts towards the beast, but all harmlessly splashed on its tough hide.

It really shouldn’t have ignored me.

With Marwolaeth already in hand, I charged past Karin, who was crawling back up the hill and slammed into the beastie, turning aside its maw as it tried to take a bite out of our Pathfinder. Nor do I imagine it liked when next I dodged its tail before removing half of it if the creature’s screams gave any indication.

With its attention one hundred percent on me, I slammed my armored fist down, closing its mouth as it started to use its breath weapon again, before raising Marwolaeth and plunging it directly through its skull.

“Karin!” Leo screamed as he scrambled towards his wife.

“Sweet Merciful Nyyrikki, how am I still alive?” She cried as he drew close, and took her into his arms.

I looked up at the panicked Iona, before kneeling next to the two. “Are both of you, alright?”

“It was a basilisk.” Karin sobbed into her husband’s chest, “I should be dead.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Leo whispered, knowing that the magic items they wore had protected them from both the breath weapon and the physical attacks.

Reaching over, I patted his arm before dragging their niece off to the side, “They’re both fine, come, let’s give them a little privacy and take a look at the lizard.”

Iona looked at her uncle and aunt then reached up and touched her, medallion, “Thank you, Lady Eleanor.”

“I did promise we would all return home safe. Now, why don’t you tell me what you know about basilisks?”

“Yes, my lady. A basilisk turns its victims to stone with its breath and can kill with a venomous bite,” she explained while nervously approaching the creature. “It’s considered extremely dangerous for lower-ranked adventurers to encounter. Higher ranked should fight at a distance. It's considered at a minimum a ranked B threat.”

Interesting, I remember in Magic-Life, basilisks had a petrify attack, which rooted you for a time or until dispelled but don’t remember a camouflage ability, but for some reason, it felt right.

“So how does it eat if its prey is turned to stone?” I asked before summoning a long dagger ignoring the fact that I knew exactly how to remove the useful parts of the beast.

Placing it behind its skull, I cut deeply, trying not to cover myself with blood. The poison sacs should be easily accessible, and the ability to expel petrification gas came from another organ near its lungs.

“Ahh, it turns it back to normal, I think it’s something to do with its tongue.” Iona continued while stepping closer, apparently fascinated by what I was doing.

“Saliva, dear.”

Turing, both Karin, and Leo stood hand in hand, watching my work.

“Oh, that’s right auntie,” Iona chirped, running to her side.

The three remained quiet as I continued, but I finally found what I wanted.

“Here Iona, place it in your bag.” With a quick Conjure Water spell, I washed it off and handed her the mana core.

“It's big,” She raised it up looking through the sparkling orb.

Basilisk skin offered some spell resistance, so I decided to see what I could remove as I continued to dress the lizard. The poison sacs and the petrification or Petra organ ended up in my inventory. The meat, if appropriately prepared, could be eaten as well. Eventually, both Leo and Karin joined me with the two explaining to Iona what exactly we were doing.

--0—

“You were right, Lady Eleanor,” Leo said as I stirred the pot of basilisk stew.

One of the good things about my cooking skill, it removed the impurities of any meat before summoning up the correct cooking utensils depending on the recipe. All three of my companions had been surprised at first; now, it’s just something I could do.

Taking a sip of the broth, I asked, “In what way?”

“The armor you insisted on purchasing, your offer of magical protection, really everything.” He sighed, looking over at his wife and niece, who were quietly talking to one another.

We didn’t go far after the almost disastrous encounter with the basilisk. Just far enough away from the carcass so we wouldn’t be near if it attracted predators, but that was about it.

“If the three of us had encountered the basilisk without you, my wife would have been petrified, my chest would have been crushed, and Iona would have had to face the basilisk by herself. So, as head of my household, we are in your debt.” Leo then bowed at the waist.

I opened my mouth to say it was nothing, but I couldn’t say that with the serious look in Leo's eyes, nor did I miss that both Iona and Karin had stood up, and now were in deep curtsies.

“Thank you, all.” Pulling bowls out of my inventory along with several loaves of bread, I reminded them of the promise I made at the inn. “As I told Iona earlier, if it's in my power, I will make sure that all four of us came home safely. I cannot say the same for your other niece, unfortunately, as I do not know her circumstances, but I will do my best in that regard.”

“Thank you, Lady Eleanor.”

“Your welcome, Leo. Now Iona, why don’t you help me pass out these bowls while I get the spoons, and we can see how the stew turned out?”

Our progress slowed down a little, understandably, with everyone giving a second glance at the rocks in front of us or the trees we passed under. Eventually, the Pale Hills drew closer, looking more like mini-mountains than the rough hills we had been trekking over the last few days. Reaching a spot under their shadow, beside a wide running stream, we decided to make camp.

“I do remember filling our water bags before crossing this stream.” Iona pointed towards the west, “I think it turns southwards towards Lilly Lake.”

“And the Eastward Marshes.“ Karin then asked, “Did you follow it?”

“Yes, when we came back from the landslide before turning south towards the road.”

“Then, I think I am going to take a look around.” Summoning Gwefrydd, I took one good look around before staring at the sky, “It's still early. I'll be back before sundown.”

--0--

“I’m very proud of you with how well you're progressing under Lady Eleanor’s tutelage.”

Iona smiled at her aunt but kept an eye on the stream. Her teacher had been gone most of the day, and it would soon be dark.

“She makes it easy. Auntie, it’s amazing how much she understands these complicated magical concepts. Now don’t get me wrong, Mistress Alidth was a wonderful teacher but.”

“I understand,” Karin smiled before passing her husband a bowl. She had managed to shoot a couple of horned rabbits, which now roasted on spits over the fire.

“I wonder what Lady Eleanor was like as an apprentice, “ Leo thanked his wife for the food than like his niece watched the stream for their companion.

“Probably like this one.“ Karin grinned, “Full of questions and wanting to know everything.”

“Hey!” Iona pouted, “I’m not that bad.”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“Auntie, “ Iona tried not to whine, “Anyway, I wonder who taught her. Some Archmage probably, don’t you think?”

Her uncle looked thoughtful, “I wouldn’t be surprised, a court wizard, no doubt.”

“So someone like Archmage Phexidis?”

“I don’t know perhaps, would depend on her rank. Although from what I hear, one of Lord Southbridge's sons will be Phexidis, next apprentice. So anything’s possible.”

Karin nodded, “Right, Princess Adela was just recently betrothed to one of the Princes of Aryn.”

“King Henry’s eldest, I believe.”

“I would have liked to have seen Duke’s Argyle’s wedding,” Iona smiled, fantasizing of being married in the great shrine of Dinya.

“Well, if Lady Eleanor gets invited to the next one, as her apprentice, you would be able to attend.”

Iona looked down sadly, “Uncle, I love you dearly, but I’m just the daughter of a caravan driver. She's just being kind.”

Karin reached over and gently brushed her niece's hair from her face, “Yes, she is kind, but I think you underestimate yourself and our good lady.”

“And she lives so far away, how could I leave you.”

“Well then, you will just have to learn that portal spell you told us about,” Leo smiled then laughed as his niece's head shot up.

“Oh, wouldn't that be grand,” Iona then frowned as it was getting too dark to see.”Where is she…Wait.”

All three stood as they heard something splashing in the stream to the east when suddenly, Lady Eleanor appeared out of the darkness with a large grin on her face.

“I found it.”

--0--

Glossary:

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. In addition, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Bells: Most large communities have some way to keep time, useful for travelers, and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually the either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie, newb, noob, or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Root - Can refer to a class of abilities as well as its effect. A root spell immobilizes a target. The target is then said to be rooted. Early versions of these abilities involved references to plants, hence "root."

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “Rocks fall, everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Horses in the Middle Ages:

The Destrier
The Destrier was the most expensive horse and were typically owned only by nobles and knights. Destriers were tall horses and were typically only used in battle. Trained to not only bite and kick on command but also to trample fallen enemies. Destriers were not common and, as a result, were highly sought after by knights.

The Palfrey
The palfrey was used for riding, traveling, and hunting as well as for ceremonies. Riding a palfrey was much more comfortable and was the favorite riding animal of noblewomen.

The Courser
Coursers were fast horses and had good endurance. They were often used by messengers as well as by people who needed to move quickly. Many knights who did not have access to a destrier, preferred to ride a courser into battle because it was fast, strong, and agile.

The Rouncey
The rouncey could be used as a pack animal or even on the farm. It could be trained for war or used as a riding horse and was often used by knights who could not afford any of the other horses. A knight would also provide rounceys to his squires and other men at arms.

Chapter 7: Grim Reality

Setting out first thing in the morning, we marched upstream until we found a place to ford. It was only an hour’s walk, and Iona remembered the location, which I hoped she would when I rode past it the day before. Ultimately, the decision to travel northeast had been a good one. It now seemed unlikely that we would have missed the landslide, but it made the search easier.

“Goblins have passed through here.” Karin pointed to the now-familiar signs.

“Yes, you’ll soon find out why.”

Breaking through dense underbrush, we turned east, and even with our destination far off in the distance, the devastation caused by rockslide was hard to miss. Tons of soil, rock, and other debris had broken off from the top of the hill, leaving a wide trail of destruction.

Other than Iona acknowledging that she remembered where she was now, the rest of the journey was made in silence. With the broken terrain making travel difficult, we didn’t reach our destination until late afternoon.

As we helped one another climb the rocky slope, I pointed to a group of fallen trees. “Do you see the ropes?”

“Only three?” Iona asked. The missing adventuring party consisted of six members.

“Assuming they have more rope, I’m sure they decided to save the rest, in case they needed it later,” Leo explained, then called out to me as I continue to climb past the hole. “We’re not going to look?”

“Not yet. There is something I want to show you first.”

Our destination was an outcropping above the devastation. I had noticed a winding path on the eastern slope while searching for signs of Myra’s party. It soon brought us to a large opening protected by the overhanging rocks above.

“Oh, it’s another campsite!” my student shouted, scampering up the slope.

“Careful, Iona!” Karin quickly followed her niece.

Leo and I continued walking, watching the two in amusement. “How far does it go back, my lady?”

“There is a larger cave further in, but I didn’t go much past that.”

As the two of us reached the opening, Karin once again pointed to familiar markings adorning the walls. “These are goblyn caves.”

“Well, now we have an idea why they might have fled.” Leo stared at the devastation below. “They could have undermined the hill face.”

We took a quick look at the next chamber before returning. Although it was getting late in the day, everyone wanted to continue the search for Myra’s party.

Iona grabbed one of the ropes, before leaning over the precipice to get a better view of the darkness below. “That’s pretty deep.”

“Careful!” Karin called out, trailing a rope behind her. We had tied three more lines to one of the many trees caught in the landslide.

Iona sighed, “How far does it go down, Lady Eleanor?”

“Thirty feet or so,” I answered before tossing the end of one of the ropes into the opening. Part of the way was accessible without aid, but then it dropped straight down.

Karin nodded her approval, as Iona started to prepare her own decent. “Another cave?”

“Actually, no, something else.”

That caused everyone to stop. I had not discussed what I had found other than the location of the landslide. “Come on; you will find it interesting.”

Casting a Witch-light, which illuminated our way, I shifted my hold before starting my descent. “Take care; most of these rocks aren't too stable.”

I then disappeared into the darkness beyond.

“This isn’t a goblyn cave.” Karin mused, almost stumbling as she let go of her rope before moving out of the way for her husband.

And she was right. It wasn’t. We had dropped into a large cavern, but to our right stood what could only be called a castle wall with the top covered in crenulations.

“Looks more like a bailey to me,” Leo said in wonder, noticing a similar wall to our left and what appeared to be a gatehouse to our rear. What gave everyone pause, to our front stood a large building, which could only be described as a keep.
Although some cataclysm could have buried these structures, nothing was in disrepair. These were not ruins.

“Auntie, do you think this place is a living labyrinth? Like the one under Olicana?” wondered Iona.

“I…don’t know.” Karin looked to me, “Lady Eleanor, what do you think?”

This dungeon already appeared quite unusual, but something told me I was missing something important.

“Honestly, I am not familiar with the name, but I assume whatever magic is in that labyrinth is similar to this place?”

“By Andor’s beard, I hope not,” Leo swore.

Karin frowned at her husband then explained, “After Caltius landed with his legions on the beaches of Prydain, he built the great city of Olicana on the Sacred Hills above them. One of the imperial augurs had proclaimed that Hashan came to her in a dream revealing wondrous magics under those hills.”

“So did they find something wondrous?”

“Yes, my lady, scholars believed it to be an ancient holy site; however deep beneath its ruins, they discovered swamps, open fields, even a strange forest.”

We all grew silent as she continued her tale.

“The augur was correct mana stones in great numbers have been brought out, but every adventurer that has descended into its depths claims that the labyrinth is alive watching and waiting to kill you.”

“Lady Eleanor?”

Damn, “Yes, Iona, I’m familiar with that type of labyrinth.”

In Magic-Life, all dungeons had a bit sentience to them, and like the labyrinth under Olicana, they would do their best to try and kill you. And we had a novice adventurer in our party. Well, this wouldn’t be the first time.

Turning to my student, I made sure she understood by my look that this was not a suggestion, “You will stay behind me at all times Iona. If any of us tells you to run, you will run. Do you understand me?”

Nervously looking towards the keep, she nodded. “Yes, my lady.”

So living dungeons, it would have been nice to have known about them sooner. I was beginning to regret my half-assed knowledge about this world.

“Good, all right, let’s go.”

Manifesting Marwolaeth, I lead the party across the courtyard up a flight of stairs and through an archway. Inside we found a great hall with its walls higher than it was wide. Eight thick stone pillars stood in two lines to each side like some silent sentinels reaching up towards a domed 30-foot high ceiling. There were three different exits, another archway to the front and two smaller doorways to our left and right.

Iona quickly moved to my side, pointing to one of the grey stone pillars excitedly. “Look, Lady Eleanor, Myra’s adventurer’s mark!”

It could only be described as a large letter ‘M’ with an arrow drawn through its center.

Leo chuckled. “They haven’t decided on a group name yet.”

Although I hadn’t gone further into the dungeon, I did notice the mark the day before, so I knew that we were in the right place.

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t indicate which door they took.” Karin pulled out a sheet of parchment and a stick of charcoal before passing it to her niece. While Iona mapped the room, we searched the exits.

“The one on the left is magically sealed,” I commented while studying the second doorway but found no additional enchantments.

Finished with her mapping, Iona cajoled, “Lady Eleanor, you should mark one of the pillars too.”

“I should?”

Karin shrugged, “It's sort of tradition.”

Adventure graffiti sure why not, placing my hand on the nearest pillar, I cast my Mage’s Sigil. Suddenly a bright red flame appeared, taking the appearance of a red dragon dancing along the grey stone surface trying to eat its own tail, and in the center, a white lily blossomed.

Sealing the second doorway, no need for something to come up behind us, we decided to search the corridor on the other side of the archway. After about fifteen feet, it ended at a T intersection. Thankfully, we discovered another adventurer’s mark pointing to the exit behind us.

“There’s a body, my lady. “ Leo pointed to his right, and indeed some twenty feet down the corridor lay a corpse.

Drawing closer, we could tell it had been dead for some time. Not that it was alive when it was slain a second time. The mummified remains lay there motionless with its right arm removed as well as its head and from the hole in its chest the heart core as well.

“One of Mania’s children,” Karin said, slipping into the back rank with Iona in the middle and Leo to my right

Looking into two more rooms, we concluded that Myra had taken this route after we discovered four more dismembered corpses. Further down the corridor, in a smaller room with shelves filled with beautiful white and black terracotta amphoras, we decided to take a short break.

After checking the room for magic, three of us took a spot on the floor. It would have been helpful if someone had the Delver skills, especially if we stumbled upon any mundane traps. Handy folks to have in your party if you run into a magical chest you cannot open either.

Our fourth member, however, happily danced about the room, looking through each container before pointing to one closer to the door. Most of the other jars were broken while several others lay on their side.

“This one filled with oil and that one’s filled with wine. At least that’s what it smells like.”

“Come, Iona, have something to eat.” Karin waved her over, “You need to be sure you take breaks and not tire yourself out.”

Nodding, she sat down, taking the water bag, from her aunt, who also passed her a small loaf of bread and a couple of lamb kebabs that had been sitting in my inventory.

We happily stuffed our faces before Iona queried, “So, how can the oil and wine still be good?”

Leo laughed, “You’re asking that while eating something that’s still warm after being pulled out of storage?”

Blushing, my student took a sip of watered wine and said, “Magic.”

“Magic.”

“I wonder how safe it is to spend the night down here,” Leo pondered while noisily licking his fingers.

Karin gave her husband a look before pointing to one of the broken amphoras I had filled with water before passing him a linen napkin.

I tried not to smile. “I can seal and ward a room easily enough, so it should be fine unless there are any objections.”

Afterward, Iona had gone back to playing with the amphoras while we finished cleaning up.

“Lady Eleanor?”

“Yes?”

With a grin, she started to shake one of the jars. The telltale signs of coins rattling around filled the air.

A little richer, our party continued on its search. I ended up placing several smaller amphoras in my inventory after Karin commented that many merchants would happily buy them from us. While I had no need for money, I’m sure the three of them did.

Down another hallway, blackened walls told us that someone, most likely Argus, had set a large portion of it on fire in the hope of killing almost a dozen basketball-sized spiders.

“There are more of them,” Leo murmured, pushing another crispy arachnid out of the way with his spear.

“Smells dreadful,” Iona complained while carefully marking our progress. “Do you think Myra came this way?”

Her uncle had been pleased with her diligence with the mapping of this dungeon. Once we returned, it would be copied and given to the Adventurers Guild. Unlike other fantasy games, Magic-Life did not offer a mini-map, even with Iona’s mapping skills, it would have been helpful right now.

“Well, it’s either this way or through the other door,” Karin replied from the rear of the party.

Earlier, we had discovered a barracks which had two exits. It was where we also planned to spend the night, if possible. The rope beds looked comfortable enough.

At the end of the passageway, we stepped into an empty library thick with cobwebs. I immediately noticed a light breeze coming from a darkened window. Casting a Flare spell through the opening, Witch-light’s brighter cousin, revealed a massive cavern beyond covered with webs and even larger spiders.

“No, this isn’t the way.” The missing adventurers might have climbed out of the window, but something told me they didn’t. At least I hoped not.

An Arcane Lance swatted one of the giant beasties that attempted crawl its way to us before we withdrew, leaving someone else to deal with the nest.

Reentering the barracks, we passed through the second doorway, which turned up an armory now only filled with empty armor and weapon racks. Finding nothing useful, I sealed both doors, and we happily settled in for the night.

After Iona fell asleep, the three of us spoke about living labyrinths. I learned that they weren’t common, at least not in the southern kingdoms. The only one known was in the Ingsmouth swamp sitting between the Principality of Aryn and the Kingdom of Cadeep.

As young adventurers, Leo and Karin had searched the upper levels of that dungeon until several new members convinced their party to challenge the lower depths. After one particular harrowing adventure, in which they lost a third of their number, Karin discovered she was pregnant. It was then they decided it was a time to retire.

“Twenty years ago, the Ingsmouth Labyrinth had just been discovered so any adventuring band could test their worth. Now the Adventurer’s Guild has strict guidelines who and who cannot enter.”

“Don’t forget the taxes.” Chirped Karin, who was off to the side of the room, digging through Iona’s bag.

Leo chuckled. “Hard to forget them, dear, then about ten years ago, the Kingdom of Cadeep tried to stop the selling of mana stones outside of Ingsgate.”

“Ingsgate?”

Karin sat back down after placing an extra blanket on her niece. “It’s a village, well a town now, near the entrance to the labyrinth.”

“So it’s ownership has been an issue.”

Leo nodded. “There had been several skirmishes over who had the right to collect taxes. After Cadeep’s proclamation, Aryn declared war. At times the fighting spilled over into the labyrinth.”

“We think that was the cause of our dear friends Katia and Nickolas disappearance. There were rumors of adventuring bands ambushing one another.” Karin sadly explained.

Leo reached over and patted his wife on the arm. “When healers started to complain about the scarcity of mana stones, old King Alfred and a few of the other monarchs interceded, forcing the Peace of Ingsmouth.”

Countries were the same, no matter the world. With a secure supply of mana stones, this dungeon would be a great boon to the Kingdom of Estassa, which apparently I had been living in for over a week, and Baroness Sabena, who owned the land. However, the chance of great wealth also brought its own troubles.

“So I take it that the Emperor was not willing to share the bounty found under Olicana during that time?

Iona’s aunt gave a very unladylike snort in response.

--0--

On our way back to the T intersection the next morning, we discovered something disturbing. Most of the corpses were missing. It seemed some of our headless friends had either de-spawned or walked away. The spiders thankfully were still dead. We were quick to check that before returning to the entrance.

“Uncle, this isn’t normal, is it?” Iona nervously drew closer to me.

“No.”

Looking to my rear, I questioned our Pathfinder, “Is this something you have seen in other living labyrinths?”

Karin didn’t answer but closed her eyes and nodded.

“So it’s either that or someone or something is controlling them.” I frowned before casting several protection spells on my companions.

“My lady?”

“Karin, the rings and Iona’s medallion should keep all of you safe, but undead attacks are not always physical. If we are also dealing with a necromancer, then additional magical protection is essential.”

Zombies and other lesser undead should not be a threat to this group unless they came in great numbers. I prayed to whichever gods were listening that we wouldn’t encounter an undead member of Myra’s adventuring party.

Continuing our search, we found several hallways blocked by stone and four more empty rooms. I could see the relief in Leo’s eyes when we came across another one of Myra’s marks. We didn’t believe that they entered the spider cavern, but it was good that we had confirmation.

Further down the corridor, we discovered a dining hall that could probably feed thirty people. There were also a number of exits. One lead to an empty kitchen while another to a large storage room. Except that instead of sacks of grain, we encountered three unhappy looking zombies.

I quickly dispatched the first two walking corpses, the third I didn’t have to lift a finger. Leo stabbed it with his spear, Karin put a couple of arrows into its chest, and Iona blasted the creature’s head clean off with a Mana Bolt. Later, I tossed the pieces into the fireplace at the end of the dining hall before setting them on fire. Good luck with raising those three.

“Do all castles look like this?” Iona asked as we sat around a large wooden table, taking a break.

Thinking back to my old gaming research, I made a slight face. “Sort of, but they tend to all have different layouts. This one is a little odd, which shouldn’t be too big of a surprise since we’re thirty feet underground.”

That brought a chuckle from the group. Their spirits had lifted considerably when we came across signs that Myra’s party had shared a meal at this very table.

I didn’t’ know what we expected to find beyond the dining hall, but it wasn’t a circular stairway going down. We proceeded cautiously.

About a third of the way down, the walls started to change. The castle’s interior had been light grey stone, the way forward dark red brick. After another thirty feet, the stairs ended at a large circular landing. A large iron door on the other side of the room was the only exit.

We only took a dozen steps into the long hallway beyond the iron door before it shut behind us with a loud clang. Turning around, we found this side of the doorway to be heavily scorched and blackened.

“Lady Eleanor,” Iona squeaked.

Studying the door for a moment, I shrugged, “It’s only magically locked.”

A low rumbling from further down the hallway made us turn. We felt it first, sounding like a truck’s engine or the guttural growl of a large best. Suddenly, two shadows in the shape of wolves stepped out of the darkness.

“Vargrs!” Leo shouted, readying his spear.

“Iona.” I calmly commanded, “Mana bolt the beast to your left if you would please.”

As the spell flew past my ear, the two wolves started their charge. The bolt seemed to damage the beast. “Excellent, a couple of Fire Darts next, please.”

The Fire Darts seemed to do a little better.

I knew Karin’s bow was heavily enchanted, so it didn't come as a surprise when three shafts of pure light, instead of solid arrows, sped past and slammed into the shadow wolf to the right, which checked its charge.

However, the two beasts would never reach our line as I immediately filled the hallway with lighting, leaving only hazy smoke and two heart stones, which bounced towards us.

“Waste of mana.” Oh well, bending over, I picked up the sparkly orbs before passing them to my confused looking student.

“But why?”

“Iona.” Her aunt admonished her. Her uncle only chuckled.

“What do you mean, Iona?” I smiled as she began to pout.

I was also pleased to see that Iona didn’t seem tired after casting two offensive spells in a row. I needed to get a better idea of the size of her mana pool before she learned anything else.

“Sorry, Lady Eleanor. Why didn’t you cast the lightning spell first?”

Good question, but Karin beat me to it. “She was gauging the Vargrs strength.”

“Correct, unfortunately, I wasted mana casting the Chain Lighting spell. From what I could see, your aunt’s next volley would have easily slain one of the wolves.”

Unfortunately, I had to look to Leo and Karin to figure out the difficulty of this dungeon. In my old game, sure, in this world, I needed to learn more.

After we started moving again, Iona inquired, “Lady Eleanor, have you fought those shadow wolves before?”

“Vargr no, but I have encountered grim, which are quite a bit larger and roam the moors of Mercia. Oh, you seem to have recognized these creatures, Leo.”

“Yes, my lady. They tend to haunt ruins and are quite common on the first floor of the Ingsmouth Labyrinth.”

I raised my hand for everyone to stop. We had reached the entrance to a large chamber at the end of the hallway. The remains of a half a dozen humanoids lie scattered about the floor. With no apparent exit, I didn’t like this one bit.

“Sweet merciful Dinya, it’s Argus!” Iona cried out in anguish.

The poor mage lay on his face at the back of the room with a large ax sticking out of his back. Thankfully, Leo grabbed her arm before she could rush to her friend because, at that moment, five of the armored corpses started to rise.

Karin was quick with her bow, sending shaft after shaft of light into the nearest creature. Leo followed up, blocking their path at spear point. I bisected one of the monsters, easily shearing through its ancient armor as it moved forward with a glowing longsword to attack our healer. After punching another one in the face, I helped Leo finish his opponent.

“Iona, stand back! “ Karin urged her niece. “These aren’t like the undead we faced earlier.” And she was right; these were wights.

The largest and more heavily armored among them casually reached down with its gauntlet pulling the ax out of the back of Myra’s former mage.

“Lady Eleanor, let us take care of these two! “ Karin called out, pushing Iona to the side, to fire point-blank into the wounded one.

Leo stepped into my position, shoving his spear forward, forcing it back. Although his continued attacks did little damage, the creatures could no longer advance. I needed to do something about Leo’s lack of magical weapons.

While the two fought their remaining opponents, Iona ignored it all, sending spell after spell at the one who had apparently murdered her friend. It didn’t seem to care.

As I approached, the wight looked up, giving me a malevolent glare. Like its ax, the creature’s aura was another terrible weapon. I knew what it was now, and I couldn’t let this monster pass.

Unlike the lesser wights, which Leo and his wife fought, this was a barrow wight. These monsters’ vicious attacks were deadly, draining the very life out of its victims. Unfortunately, we would also have to burn the corpse of poor Argus least he turned into one of these foul creatures.

Slamming my shoulder into its chest, I wouldn’t give it a chance to harm anyone else. While the barrow wight staggered back to crash against the wall, I summoned my spear Rhew then stepped forward, thrusting it through the monster’s body.

Giving me a hatred filled glare, it tried to attack me again, but it was already too late. I had over-cast an Immolation spell directly through my weapon.

As soon as the foul thing collapsed in a flaming heap, Iona rushed to the slain mage’s side sobbing.

After checking everyone for injuries, Karin sat with her distraught niece while Leo and I searched the room. Mana stones collected, usable items stored, we stacked the wight corpses, which I intended to burn, in the center of the room.

No one objected when I insisted that Leo take the enchanted longsword. The battle-ax was cursed. Even touching, it was a bad idea. Storing it directly into my inventory seemed the only option; hopefully, either the curse could be removed or the ax destroyed.

We were not done. Karin took Iona off to the side as we approached Argus. There would be no resurrection for the young man — no raise dead cast by one of my guild healers. The death penalty, annoying in-game, was permanent in this world. The idea that this was a game had finally been ruthlessly crushed. Strangely, it didn’t scare me but only reinforced my desire to make sure we all returned safely home.

However, we couldn’t just dump his body with the other corpses. After storing his personal belongings, we gently wrapped him in two blankets, sealing the top and bottom with a bit of rope.

“Take his staff, Iona. Argus would want you to use it,” Karin assured her niece.

While my student silently stared off in the distance, I couldn’t help but notice Leo and Karin’s concern for not just Iona but for what fate might have befallen the rest of Myra’s adventuring band.

--0—

Glossary:

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. In addition, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Bells: Most large communities have some way to keep time, useful for travelers, and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually the either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Death Penalty – In real life, death is well permanent. In MMORPG, not so much. Yet death in 99% of MMOs is a mere inconvenience and speed bump — you don’t lose experience, and you don’t lose much of your time.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

Minimap - A mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are usually only a small portion of the screen and thus must be selective in what details they display.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie, newb, noob, or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Root - Can refer to a class of abilities as well as its effect. A root spell immobilizes a target. The target is then said to be rooted. Early versions of these abilities involved references to plants, hence "root."

Spawning - In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character, item, or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of a body from the game world.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “Rocks fall, everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Horses in the Middle Ages:

The Destrier
The Destrier was the most expensive horse and were typically owned only by nobles and knights. Destriers were tall horses and were typically only used in battle. Trained to not only bite and kick on command but also to trample fallen enemies. Destriers were not common and, as a result, were highly sought after by knights.

The Palfrey
The palfrey was used for riding, traveling, and hunting as well as for ceremonies. Riding a palfrey was much more comfortable and was the favorite riding animal of noblewomen.

The Courser
Coursers were fast horses and had good endurance. They were often used by messengers as well as by people who needed to move quickly. Many knights who did not have access to a destrier, preferred to ride a courser into battle because it was fast, strong, and agile.

The Rouncey
The rouncey could be used as a pack animal or even on the farm. It could be trained for war or used as a riding horse and was often used by knights who could not afford any of the other horses. A knight would also provide rounceys to his squires and other men at arms.

Chapter 8: Ants and Rats

I could feel the apprehension of my companions as we approached the iron door. They shouldn’t have been concerned. The ability to dispel a magically locked door in-game had been straightforward. The Unlatch spell specifically targeted the magic used for securing doors or chests. Anything locked, really. Only your magical skill and mana pool would determine how difficult an enchantment you could unbind.

One Unlatch spell later, and we were standing at the foot of the stairs placing Argus off to the side of the room. As I planned to burn the wights as soon as we left the corridor, we had brought Argus with us using a bit of levitation to lighten the load. Was that going to be his fate as well? Time would tell, but I tied an extra bit of rope around his body just in case.

As we settled in the room, my thoughts were still on the conflagration I had planned. Would smoke be an issue being sixty or so feet underground? So far, the labyrinth’s magic kept it well ventilated. Well, OK, then.

Returning from the hallway, leaving the beasties burning merrily to our rear, I questioned the group, “Magical or mundane?”

Assuming Myra’s party escaped the wight’s ambush, they would have exited the hallway through a concealed doorway or by some magical ability.

“Lady Eleanor?”

“What do you think, Iona? How did your sister escape?”

My student’s eyes lit up. “Auntie, I know you don’t like her, but I’m sure Katilia would have discovered a way.”

“Your right, as much as I dislike the girl, she does possess those types of skills. Still, she’s trouble. I don’t know why your sister invited her to join her band. As I said before, nothing good would come of it, and I was right,” sniffed Karin.

Iona made a face. “It’s still not her fault that my sister decided to search this labyrinth. Even Argus was excited about what magic they would find.”

“And you see what happened to him, poor boy.”

“Ladies now is not the time to argue over this again, especially in front of Lady Eleanor.” Leo stepped in before the conversation could become even more heated.

“So Katilia, is the band's scout?” I asked.

“Thief.”

“Auntie!”

I couldn’t help but smile, “I understand, Karin. I would trust my companion Sukesada with my life before I trusted him to hold my coin purse.”

Well, no one in Magic-Life was fooled with the class name Delver. You only had to look at the skills to realize that in any other game, it would be called a thief or a rogue class. As much as I would have liked to have those skills myself, as an Eldridge Knight, spending any points in them would be too expensive, so I never gave it another glance.

--0—

Starting in the wight chamber, we worked our way back. Finding no magical or mundane exits, we continued our search. I believed or at least hoped that there was an exit across from the room or somewhere down the corridor.

Although I had no Delver skills, I did remember my old pen and paper days. Everyone joined me as I started tapping on the walls with my armored fist. Detect Magic so far had found nothing.

“Does anyone remember what side of the wall the Vargr came out of?”

“Right here,” Karin said, knocking on the wall with her dagger, then stepped back surprise to find it hollow. Everyone smiled at the discovery.

“Let’s continue to look for another exit, just in case.”

And so we continued to search the walls all the way back to the iron door but soon returned when we determined there were no other exits.

The secret door looked exactly like the rest of the hallway but made of a lighter stone. Karin pushed it in, then gently slide it out of the way, revealing another room with an exit to our left and one directly to our front. Like the passageway behind us, the walls and floor were made up of the same red brick.

“Did they come this way?”

I could see they were concerned. Myra should have placed one of her marks on the wall of this room. All we could think of in their haste they didn’t. We took the exit in front of us but returned when it opened into another room with two doors.

Not long afterward, down the second corridor the path diverged but as we approached the crossroads, my witch-light illuminated Myra’s mark on the wall.

“Oh, thank Dinya!” Karin rejoiced then sighed. “Which way?”

“Let’s go in this direction,” I said, pointing to the hallway to the left.

Further down, it turned slightly to the right before opening up into a large chamber with half a dozen exits. With the smell of blood filling the air, we stopped. In the shadows, we could see a large creature eating something.

“Antlion,” Leo grimly remarked as we knelt, peering into the darkness.

OK, I could see that the beastie had the familiar body of an ant and something that looked like a lion for a head. I actually would have preferred more spiders. Unfortunately, as gruesome as it might be, we needed to see if the antlion was feasting on one of Myra’s party members.

“Dangerous?” I asked, switching to my spear. Getting rid of sugar ants from my dorm room had been a pain, no doubt that this would be as well.

“One or two warriors shouldn’t be too much for my niece’s band,” Karin whispered, coming up behind us.

I didn’t bother to mention that they were currently short one member. Iona started with a Mana Bolt. Karin followed up with a couple of arrows as Leo and I advanced on the creature. The four of us made short work of it.

“Ratkin,” Leo verified, looking relieved as we inspected the remains of a short, stocky creature that looked a lot like its name suggests. Much like goblyns, they preferred underground lairs or other dark places.

From the discovery of other corpses in the room, a small band of the ratkins had either stumbled upon the antlion, or tried to hunt it with unfortunate results.

Retrieving the monster cores, we decided to try one of the exits. The faint scent of decay hung in the air as we discovered much like the first room, the floor was littered with ratkin corpses. However, unlike the first, water or some other liquid slowly dripped down one of the chamber’s walls.

Well, not the best source of water, but it might be drinkable.

This world had its own version of Conjuror Water called Summon Water. A little more difficult spell but common for D ranked mages to cast. Myra’s group would not have been able to search the dungeon without Argus being able to cast it. However, with his death and no obvious source of water, they were going to be in trouble.

“I wouldn’t touch that, Iona,” Karin called out to her niece.

“Don’t worry auntie. I wasn’t planning to.”

Upon further inspection, we found grey mold slowly covering parts of the floor. From it grew little white mushrooms.

“I could see why the ratkins were interested in these chambers.” Karin knelt but did not touch anything,

“Food and water.” I had to agree.

The two exits out of the room turned up little else, so we returned.

“They’re putting up a hell of a fight,” I poked the corpses of two antlions in another chamber. Surrounding them were the remains of a dozen ratkins.

Iona kept careful track of our progress. There were many ways for a group to become lost down here.

After defeating another antlion in an adjourning room and finding no signs that Myra’s group had traveled in this direction, I turned to Leo and said. “I think we're done here.”

“I agree.” He wearily responded as we returned to the original crossroad.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to go far. Upon discovering an adventurer’s mark on the wall across from an empty room, we stopped and settled in for the night. It had been a very long and emotional day.

Once Iona fell asleep, the three of us sat down to discuss our way forward. The antlion’s nest revealed that living labyrinths were extraordinarily large. We had been lucky in finding Myra’s adventurer’s mark. What happens if we could longer find them? Do we continue? When do we stop searching?

“I don’t know, my lady. I keep hoping we would turn a corner, and my niece would appear safe and whole. Now with Argus’ death,” lamented Karin.

“They shouldn’t have descended further into its depths.”

“I’m sure Myra’s band thought it to be safe, Leo. From what we have seen, they managed to easily defeat the spiders and the zombies, sorry Mania’s children, on the upper floor.”

“Unfortunately, the again-walkers we dispatched proved them wrong at the cost of one of their own, Lady Eleanor,” Leo sadly remarked using this world’s name for the wights.

“And, the revenant you defeated, my lady.” Karin shuddered. “Leo and I have encountered them before, terrible foes. “

Leo grimaced at the memory, “I don’t believe they even finished searching the upper floor. I thought I taught Myra better than that. “

“Well, even veteran adventurers fall into that trap either because of greed or wanting to see what’s beyond the next door.”

“That’s unfortunately true, my lady, and I can’t say we haven’t done that ourselves.” Karin rested her head on her husband’s shoulder.

“And now, after searching through Argus’ backpack, we discovered they are also running short of food.”

In Magic-Life and many other games, food and water weren't necessary. Drinking was for fun or worked like food, which gave buffs, healed you, or replenished your mana. In this world, food and water were matters of life and death.

“If you’re hungry enough, my husband, you will eat anything, but what I am more concerned about is their water supply,” fretted Karin.

Now, we did discover water. So it did exist down here, but.

“What do you think they will do now?” I questioned the two.

Leo sighed. “They obviously cannot return the same way, so I imagine they will be searching for another exit.”

“Unless they have found another source for water, they won't be going far.”

I had a feeling that finding more water was possible. An easily accessible and drinkable source was another story. However, if Myra’s party could find clean water, they might be able to find creatures they could hunt. Even if what they ended up eating was less than ideal.

“Well, it’s not unheard of for living labyrinths to have levels where water’s plentiful.” Leo looked thoughtful.

“Unfortunately,” I interrupted them. “With one less member in their band, they are going to have difficulties proceeding further.”

Neither was happy about that revelation. I had another one.

“Was Argus not as experienced as the rest of Myra’s group?”

In Magic-Life, unless there was a minimum gear restriction, it was common for players of different levels to enter a dungeon.

Both looked surprised, then Leo asked, “Why do you think that?”

“The magical lock shouldn’t have been that difficult to disenchant. “

With a little practice, Iona could have dispelled that magical lock. Why was Argus, who was of a higher rank, not been able to? Did he not have Dispel Magic?

“Sarding boy,” Iona’s uncle cursed.

“Leo,” Karin reached over and cupped her husband cheek, “Please, the poor child has already paid for any mistakes he might have made.”

“Or something changed that made it more difficult for him to dispel.”

The two looked up at me, surprised.

“Your right, we’ve seen that before,” Leo commented, now sounding embarrassed.

The three of us could have continued looking for answers, but we really wouldn’t know the whole story unless we actually found the missing adventurers.

--0—

Deciding that Myra’s party would not have gone far, we continued on our journey. It went well at first, most of it without trouble, but by the end of the day, we found no more adventurer’s marks. After warding an empty room, we settle in for the night.

In the morning, we decided we would return the way we came. Finding an empty room, we took a break to look over the map. I would admit the labyrinth was living up to its name.

“I still don’t think they would have gone far.”

I could tell Karin was hoping for something that might not be true. Although we hadn’t brought it up with Iona, the three of us discussed returning to town if we found no further signs of Myra’s party.

However, it doesn’t mean that my student wasn’t aware of was going on by the frantic way she was pointing out different routes on the map.

“Iona love, that whole area leads to the antlion’s nest.”

“But!”

“More ratkins too, and those horned worms we fought.” Leo sat forward, studying the map.

Iona sighed, then made a face. “I didn’t’ like those things.”

I didn’t particularly like the slimy brown worms either nor the black beetles that spat corrosive acid at us. Karin had gotten a face full in one attack, thankfully only receiving a slight sunburn. We were going to have to look in another direction.

Looking at the map, I noticed a path off the route where we last discovered a mark on the wall. Not really, the best choice, but frankly, we were almost out of options.

“How about this passageway?”

After a meal, we moved out, faces grim.

Unlike the monotonous hallways behind us, the new corridor doubled in width, with the ceiling rising into the darkness. Along its path, every ten feet or so slender columns held the roof aloft. The hallway was long.

After we had traveled some forty feet, Leo suddenly stopped. “Myra’s mark.”

On the wall between two pillars, we could see a familiar ‘M’.

“Why here?”

“Lady Eleanor, I think there is something different about it.” Iona ran her fingers over the mark after casting a detect enchantment.

Looking closer, sure enough, like the hallway near the wight room, there was a section of the wall looking a little out of place. Were we going to have to retrace all of our steps to see if Myra’s party managed to find another secret door? I felt that we were looking for a needle in a haystack.

“Any sign that they went in that direction?” queried Karin.

“Nothing obvious.” Leo sighed.

“So, we continue.”

Iona marked it on the map as we preceded down the large corridor.

We traveled another fifty feet when Iona suddenly pointed over my shoulder, “What are those?”

Large white gems the size of dinner plates appeared to be embedded in the center of each pillar ahead of us.

“They’re enchanted.” I replied before the group could ask.

Cautiously stepping forward the first two lit up then the others followed, lighting the path with a soft white glow revealing a set of large bronze doors.

“They’re magically locked.”

Leo looked at me and nodded. We would need to return to the secret door. As we left the area, the gems went out one by one.

--0—

The door easily slid out of the way revealing a small corridor. A stream of water slowly cascaded down both walls into a channel on the floor. A slight gradient kept it flowing away from the secret door and into the darkness beyond.

“Careful, it's slick.”

We proceeded cautiously, finding it difficult with half the corridor cut in half by the stream. The path ended at an arched stone bridge that crossed an even wider channel. The bridge although not long had no handrails and appeared to be extremely wet.

“Can’t see much further down the stream,” Iona held on to me as she peered into the darkness.

“Water’s coming from above.” Karin pointed to the right. The corridor slanted up ending at a wall. From the ceiling sheets of water poured down falling into the stream below.

“There is a pathway on the other side of the bridge.” I really wished Sukesada was with me now; I didn’t like this one bit. “Let me go first.”

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a spider silk rope wrapping it around my waist before handing the end to Leo.

Surprisingly, I reached the other side of the bridge with no problems. “Iona, your next.”

Nodding, she tied the end of another rope to herself before passing it to her aunt. She then crossed, holding the line attached to me, quickly joining my side. The steps were repeated until everyone stood on the other side of the bridge.

The path forward at least remained mostly dry although we still had to be careful. Two small flights of stairs brought us closer to the stream before it flowed under a large archway. Our path forward went under a much smaller arch however, it was the faint sounds of combat that reached our ears that hastened our pace.

As we ran down the corridor, the sounds of battle drew ever closer with the passage ending at a massive chamber. Below us, surrounding a small pond stood ratkins by the score. They were screeching, calling out from what I could tell were creative insults in their language. A small group hidden behind shields allowed their fellows to run up and toss crude spears across the water. Every so often one of their numbers fell to an arrow to the throat.

On the other side of the water piles of corpses lay under a wall. To their left the ratkins appeared to be piling up debris creating a makeshift ramp to reach their quarry. Their prey was none other than Myra’s adventuring party or what was left of them.

A young woman whose appearance could only confirm her to be Iona’s sister, stood high on the wall with her bow drawn firing an occasional arrow into the swarm below. From what I could see, those arrows were becoming as precious as the water they were fighting over.

A second figure, dressed in black leathers sat a little higher up wielding a light crossbow. She too picked off another rat that attempted to drop another load of debris onto the ramp.

A third member well armored and dressed in healer white, stood over another member of the party protecting him with a large shield. She also safeguarded their mage lamp, the party’s only source of illumination which I could see annoyed the ratkins almost as much as the arrows.

“That’s Myra with the bow.” Leo pointed to his niece. “Katilia is the one with the crossbow.”

“There’s so many“ Iona whispered moving next to me. “ Auntie, I see Amice and Warin but where is Denis?”

Finding no sign of the other party member, I asked. “So Amice is a healer.”

“Yes and Warin, her betrothed, was once a town guard in Harmon.” Karin replied as she nocked an arrow. “And if he is unable to move, then I can see why Myra hasn’t retreated from this place.”

“Reinforcements.” I pointed to a large exit below where another group of ratkins emerged. This group also carried spears and debris, which they tossed into piles for others to drag to the ramp.

One of the things in Magic-Life we didn’t have to worry about was friendly fire, at least when it came to magic. As long as the other characters were a member of your party, they could not be hurt by collateral damage. That is not to say if I picked a member out and tossed a fireball at him, he wouldn’t be hurt. No, it meant, that a party member standing next to him wouldn’t be caught in the blast. I didn’t think this would be the case here however; it wasn’t going to stop me from sowing a little chaos.

“Karin, can you do something about their leaders. I notice a few of the larger ones are keeping the ratkins in line.”

She nodded, then grinned as she sent an arrow dropping one big fellow with a well-placed shot right through the left eye. As several more members of the swarm began to fall from the unexpected attack, the rest started to panic.

“Iona.”

“Yes, Lady Eleanor.” She excitedly replied.

“Cast as many fire darts as you can below. You don’t have to kill them, just make them nervous.”

With a grin, she happily moved to join her aunt. As Iona sent another four fire darts on their way, Myra’s party noticed our little group and began to cheer.

“Leo, I know you want to take the path and run over there, but it’s too exposed. Don’t worry. Trust me, this won't take long.”

One enormous fellow, not happy that our arrival started to cause a panic among his rat brethren picked up a club and began to bellow out orders. That seemed to help until Karin and Iona turned their sights on him.

Upon discovering several more exits to the room, I decided upon my action. Fire Storm would probably be overkill. Only a little push was needed to make them run. As more reinforcements started to pour out of one of the larger exits, I sent a fireball over their heads.

The explosion went in all directions, the debris turning into deadly shrapnel like a fiery scythe felling a score of their number. The ramp caught on fire, along with the rats manning it. Who in turn caught others on fire as their panicked flight caused them to run in all directions. Quite a few ran into the lake drowning themselves.

A second fireball convinced the rest of the ratkin to turn tail and flee.

--0—

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. In addition, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Bells: Most large communities have some way to keep time, useful for travelers, and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually the either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Buff - refers to preparatory actions taken prior to combat, usually involving the casting of spells. Adding additional bonuses to characters.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Death Penalty – In real life, death is well permanent. In MMORPG, not so much. Yet death in 99% of MMOs is a mere inconvenience and speed bump — you don’t lose experience, and you don’t lose much of your time.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

Minimap - A mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are usually only a small portion of the screen and thus must be selective in what details they display.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie, newb, noob, or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Root - Can refer to a class of abilities as well as its effect. A root spell immobilizes a target. The target is then said to be rooted. Early versions of these abilities involved references to plants, hence "root."

Spawning - In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character, item, or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of a body from the game world.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “Rocks fall, everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Horses in the Middle Ages:

The Destrier
The Destrier was the most expensive horse and were typically owned only by nobles and knights. Destriers were tall horses and were typically only used in battle. Trained to not only bite and kick on command but also to trample fallen enemies. Destriers were not common and, as a result, were highly sought after by knights.

The Palfrey
The palfrey was used for riding, traveling, and hunting as well as for ceremonies. Riding a palfrey was much more comfortable and was the favorite riding animal of noblewomen.

The Courser
Coursers were fast horses and had good endurance. They were often used by messengers as well as by people who needed to move quickly. Many knights who did not have access to a destrier, preferred to ride a courser into battle because it was fast, strong, and agile.

The Rouncey
The rouncey could be used as a pack animal or even on the farm. It could be trained for war or used as a riding horse and was often used by knights who could not afford any of the other horses. A knight would also provide rounceys to his squires and other men at arms.

Chapter 8.1: Interlude - To the last arrow

Myra daughter of Ella slowly let out her breath before letting loose an arrow. Her target, which had been trying to sneak up the ledge, gave a final terrified screech before its body fell back into the pool of water.

“Good shot,” Katilia opined before letting loose one of her own.

“Thanks.”

Looking at her friend, Myra found her counting the bolts in her quiver. The arrows in her quiver now numbered only nine.

“You know, I won’t be angry at you if you tried to make it out of here by yourself.”

“I’ll think about it,” Katilia deadpanned before letting loose another bolt then murmured, “Idiot.”

Myra couldn’t help but smile. There was no question that the four of them were going to receive Mania’s warm embrace; it was just a matter of time. A sudden bang caused both women to jump. Their healer had blocked another spear that had been thrown onto the ledge.

“Amice looks angry,” Myra chortled. “You almost have to feel sorry for the rats when they eventually climb up here.”

The party’s scout snickered, “Almost.”

“I’m sorry,” Myra let loose another arrow, this time dropping a ratkin who was trying sneak up to throw a spear. She now had eight arrows.

Katilia sighed, “You’re at it again. I told you before luv. Sarin just turned his back on us. We all knew the dangers.”

She and Myra had braved the labyrinth for the thrill of the adventure. Argus had been the easiest to convince, for he was always searching for rare magics. Denis joined because he had nowhere else to go. Amice and Warin had been the hardest to convince to return to the Pale Hills.

“I’m just annoyed we’re going to miss Amice’s wedding.”

“Oh, that’s right; you mentioned you have never been to one.”

Myra remembered her cousin's wedding. Cassandra looked beautiful in her blue cotehardie standing with her soon to be husband under the Wedding tree. Her grandmother had worked almost a whole season on the dress. Of course, chasing her cousin to capture the garter and the dancing afterward had also been fun.

Katilia just shrugged; there were many things she missed having grown up in the Taurn orphanage.

“I was looking forward to the dancing.” Myra stepped back, no need to empty her quiver. At least not yet.

“So was Argus,” Katilia chuckled at her friend's confused look. “You did know he was rather fond of your sister?”

“What?”

She couldn’t help but snort. Myra was so obtuse sometimes. “He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.”

Raising her crossbow, she dispatched one of the spear carriers that had been trying to sneak around to the other side of the pond. “Of course, he was also terrified of her.”

Myra huffed. “OK, now I know your just making fun of me.”

“No, really,” Katilia dropped down from her perch to take a seat. “You know how she kept trying to get him to discuss magic with her.”

Iona’s sister couldn't help but groan. “It's hard to get her to stop.”

Katilia snickered, “Poor Argus didn’t understand half of what came out of her mouth.”

“How do you know?”

“Angus told me, of course. He wanted some advice on how to approach her. I don’t think he ever would, though.”

“He did tell me that he planned on teaching my sister a couple of spells when we returned.”

“Oh, maybe he gained some courage after all. Well, good for him,” Katilia said approvingly.

“Hmm, they’re pulling back,” Myra commented wearily. The two watched as the ratkins retreated into the darkness, most likely to regroup. “I’ll be back.”

Keeping one eye on the shadows below, she moved over to their healer. Perhaps some of them would get out of the mess she created after all, “So, how is he?”

Looking up, Amice gave her childhood friend a sad smile, “I fear that Warin’s not long for this world.”

Kneeling, she started to rummage through her pack, “I still have some food.”

“Save it, Myra, you will need your strength.”

They all agreed that they were lucky to get as far as they did after the disastrous ambush. The young warrior had taken a grievous wound, trying to protect his friend Argus. Only Amice’s skill as a healer had kept him alive, but now he looked pale as if his very life was draining from him.

“Why do you and Katilia remain? If you can, you should try and find a way out of the labyrinth.”

“You know I’m not leaving the two of you, Ams.”

“Then you’re an idiot.” Reaching over, Amice took hold of Myra’s hand, “This is not your fault.”

“But, Denis, Argus, and now Warin,” Myra started to sob.

“We all agreed to search this labyrinth, all for different reasons, but it was our choice.”

Myra tried to pull back her hand, but the healer’s grip was firm.

“We followed you because we love you. And, you needed someone to keep you out of trouble.”

The young pathfinder tried not to laugh as she rubbed the tears from her face.

“Didn’t help.”

“I guess it didn’t.” Amice tiredly conceded. “Now go back to Katilia. Whatever you two were talking about brought smiles to your faces.”

“Oh, she was telling me that Angus was afraid of my sister,” Myra explained while counting the number of arrows in her quiver again.

“Ahh, I wouldn’t say afraid but perhaps nervous about embarrassing himself in front of someone he liked.”

Amice suddenly raised her voice, apparently coming to a decision. “Myra, when the time comes, you will retreat from this place. I will buy you time.”

“Ams.”

“NO! You will not die here. I will not allow it!” The healer almost stood up, tears now running down her face.

“They're coming again!” Katilia called out.

Myra nocked an arrow as she watched the ratkins readying themselves for another attack, “Not going to happen, Amice.”

“So, you will be leaving Iona alone?”

The pathfinder's head snapped back as if struck, “You’re a cruel woman.”

“Nonetheless, you made a promise to her, did you not,” Amice countered.

Drawing the bow to her ear, she loosed an arrow. A ratkin, who appeared to be giving orders, took it directly in the mouth. The second one bounced off a shield as another rat ran forward. A third disappeared into the darkness.

“Alright,” Myra reluctantly agreed.

“Thank you,” Amice smiled. “Don’t worry, before I join Warin in the Halls of Nemin, I’ll make sure the ratkins and their dark gods remember my name.”

Dodging a spear, Myra returned to her post. She noticed almost immediately that even more ratkins were working on the ramp. How much time did they now have?

“I see you're not happy,” Katilia commented as she let loose a bolt.

Myra grumbled, “Amice brought up my sister.”

Raising her bow, she picked off a ratkin who has been trying to cross to the other side of the chamber. Counting the arrows in her quiver, she frowned, only three.

“I see. So, what’s the plan.”

“Once we're down to our last couple of shots, we'll make a break for it,” exasperated Myra as she sighed heavily.

“I assume it's only the two of us?” Katilia muttered aside.

“Yes, she won't leave Warin.”

“I understand.”

The two of them looked into each other eyes, blushing then set about defending their positions at least until their arrows ran out when suddenly everything changed.

--0—

Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. In addition, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Bells: Most large communities have some way to keep time, useful for travelers, and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually the either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Buff - refers to preparatory actions taken before combat, usually involving the casting of spells. Adding additional bonuses to characters.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Death Penalty – In real life, death is well permanent. In MMORPG, not so much. Yet death in 99% of MMOs is a mere inconvenience and speed bump — you don’t lose experience, and you don’t lose much of your time.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

Minimap - A mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are usually only a small portion of the screen and thus must be selective in what details they display.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie, newb, noob, or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer, or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Root - Can refer to a class of abilities as well as its effect. A root spell immobilizes a target. The target is then said to be rooted. Early versions of these abilities involved references to plants, hence "root."

Spawning - In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character, item, or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of a body from the game world.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “Rocks fall, everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Horses in the Middle Ages:

The Destrier
The Destrier was the most expensive horse and were typically owned only by nobles and knights. Destriers were tall horses and were typically only used in battle. Trained to not only bite and kick on command but also to trample fallen enemies. Destriers were not common and, as a result, were highly sought after by knights.

The Palfrey
The palfrey was used for riding, traveling, and hunting as well as for ceremonies. Riding a palfrey was much more comfortable and was the favorite riding animal of noblewomen.

The Courser
Coursers were fast horses and had good endurance. They were often used by messengers as well as by people who needed to move quickly. Many knights who did not have access to a destrier, preferred to ride a courser into battle because it was fast, strong, and agile.

The Rouncey
The rouncey could be used as a pack animal or even on the farm. It could be trained for war or used as a riding horse and was often used by knights who could not afford any of the other horses. A knight would also provide rounceys to his squires and other men at arms.

Chapter 9: O for a muse of fire!

Myra reached into her quiver for one of the three remaining arrows with a heavy heart when suddenly one of the larger ratkins she had been planning to target collapsed.

“What’s happening?” she blurted as the creatures below who had been pressing forward started to look around in confusion.

“I don’t know.” Katilia lowered her crossbow then pointed, “Over there!”

Bright light from the other side of the cavern pushed away the overwhelming darkness revealing four figures. The closest an armored bowman drew an arrow and let loose with uncanny accuracy slaying a ratkin from clear across the chamber.

“Is that my sister?” gasped Myra when a robed figure’s incantation produced a handful of small balls of flame to burn the rats below.

When the familiar-looking mage cast the spell a second time, Katilia cheered, “Take that you sarding rats!”

Myra joined her jubilation when both the bowman and mage took care of one enormous beast who had been trying to stem the tide of the now panicking rats.

“Sweet merciful Dinya, “ Amice whispered, feeling hopeful for the first time since Denis’ terrible death.

However, it wasn’t the bowman whom she assumed was Mistress Karin nor the armored spearmen who had to be Master Leo that caught her attention. In the center of the group stood a warrior in shining silver armor, watching the turmoil below as if she could feel the flow of battle. When she raised her hand, the healer’s instincts screamed.

“Get down!” she shouted, covering her betrothed with her shield.

Katilia didn’t have to be told twice. Grabbing Myra by the scruff of her neck, the two hit the ground as a ball of flame sped past them into one of the nearby tunnels. The explosion took their breath away as the flames quickly spread out, annihilating everything in its path. As the heat of the conflagration washed over their position, they watched in wonder as the fire destroyed the ramp only to then turn back on itself.

“Her control is amazing,” Katilia, laughed as she watched the rats burn.

While no stranger to powerful magic, the three could not explain what happened next. As the roaring flames consumed the ratkins, it appeared to reach out and grab those who attempted to flee, pulling them back into its fiery embrace. It was as if the fire was a feral animal controlled by the silver knight. Any idea that the creatures below would be continuing their assault ended when the second ball of fire exploded in their midst.

“Myra!” A young girl screamed from the other side of the room.

Katilia, who was almost lying on top of her friend, giggled. “I do believe that is your sister.”

Blushing, the two disentangled themselves as they watched the young girl scamper across the small ledge towards their location. Behind her moving in a more sedated pace with his faceplate now raised was her Uncle Leo.

“He doesn’t look pleased,” Myra sighed, striking her suddenly how much trouble she must have caused her relatives.

Her adventuring band knew the decision to delve into the labyrinth without guild sanction, although not against the rules had been unwise. Only the arrival of Myra’s family had prevented the whole journey from turning into a tragedy.

Katilia almost didn’t move out of the way in time as Iona flew across the ledge to embrace her sister. While the two cried in each other's arms, she watched the silver armored warrior who, along with Myra’s aunt, drop off the ledge and float gently to the floor below.

When the warrior stabbed a wounded ratkin with her spear, she asked, “What are they doing?”

“Lady Eleanor is meting out Mania’s mercy,” Leo replied before embracing his long lost niece. Kissing her on the forehead, he turned towards the band’s healer. “How is Warin?”

“Dying Master Healer,” lamented Amice.

Nodding, he squeezed Myra’s hand gently before walking towards the young man who seemed more dead than alive. “Well, let us see if I can do something about that.”

“We found Argus,” Iona said sadly then asked, “Where’s Denis?”

“We entered a room near here and he…,” Myra faltered.

“He’s dead, Iona. Something grabbed him. We barely had time even to understand what happened when,” Katilia grimaced. “At least it was mercifully quick. Warin managed to fend it off enough to allow us to escape the room. We tried to make it back to the stairs, but Argus couldn’t remove the enchantment on the door.”

“Was he able to before,” Leo asked half-listening while he looked over Warin.

“Yes, Master Leo, we made sure of it before we searched this floor.”

“Then what happened?” Iona nervously asked.

Myra picked up the story. “Since we couldn’t go through the door, and we already found one secret exit, Argus thought that there might be another one magically hidden. What we didn’t expect to find was an empty room full of corpses.”

“The again-walkers, ” grumbled Iona.

“So determined of finding a way out, we just entered, foolish.” Myra shook her head. “When they started to move, Warin managed to strike first, killing one of them. Didn’t matter though. Argus was stuck on the other side of the room. Although Warin tried, he couldn’t reach him in time. We fled then remembered this chamber, not realizing how badly he was wounded until later.”

--0—

The overwhelming stench of burning rat had surprisingly started to vanish by the time I jumped off the ledge to deal with the wounded below. Although I didn’t feel particularly bad about dropping a couple of fireballs on the ratkins, which was worrisome to some degree, I couldn’t allow those wounded to perish in such agony. Thankfully, Karin volunteered to join me.

It wasn’t pleasant. Trying to ignore the terrible burns of the few remaining breathing ratkins, I finished off one before asking, “So tell me a little more about your nieces’ adventuring band.”

“Oh, I guess we haven’t really spoken much about them.” Karin looked surprised before plunging her husband's spear into the back of another moaning ratkin.

“Well, from her skill with a bow, Myra obviously takes after you.”

Karin sighed, “In more ways than one. In a way, I blame myself for her misadventure in this place. When she and Iona were little, I often told them stories of the great adventurers who dared the Olicana labyrinth. Instead, I should have told them of the horrors we faced in Ingsmouth and the friends we lost.”

Inspecting one of the ratkins, I flipped him over then grimaced before continuing. We did our work in silence until we reached one of the exits. Several corpses were blocking the passageway, but I pushed them away before warding the floor.

“Let's see, “ began Karin, “Amice I have known since she was a child. She, along with my daughter and Myra, grew up together. I can't say I am surprised at what happened. The three of them always managed to get themselves into trouble growing up.”

“Not Iona?” I inquired, remembering my friend's younger siblings, who always wanted to know what we were doing.

She smiled. “On occasion, but Iona’s more like my husband. She’s more than happy to sit and study her grimoire. Myra, on the other hand, could never sit still.”

After warding another exit, we found ourselves standing over the remains of an enormous ratkin that we thought might have been the leader. While neither of us had any desire to search the charred corpse, I did cast detect magic a few times. Finding nothing, we continued.

“Warin her betrothed, as I mentioned before, was a town guard. He’s a little older and has been a good addition to their band. Amice was the one who invited him into the group after the two met at the Healer’s Hall.”

“Oh?”

She smiled. “Apparently, he needed healing after falling off a wall while attempting to catch a thief. Nothing serious, but I heard he managed to hurt himself a couple more times so she could heal him.”

That gave us a good chuckle as we crossed the chamber. Thankfully, the raging fire that had been happily burning what remained of the ramp was now just smoldering. Almost all of the ratkins in this area were dead.

“And Denis?” I asked as we walked around the pond, odd that we couldn’t find any bodies. Wondering if there was something that took them, or perhaps the corpses floated somewhere else, we decided to give it a wide berth for now.

“I can't say I knew much about him. He seemed to enjoy speaking to my husband, but from what Myra tells me, he was rather shy,” Karin smiled sadly. “The group asked him to join them after sharing a caravan assignment. Argus joined the band at the same time. He was recommended by Alidth, a friend of mine who teaches magic at the guild.”

As I warded another exit, Karin explained that she and her husband ended up what sounded like mentors for Myra’s adventuring band. She introduced them to influential people within the guild. The two even advised on what jobs they should look for to leverage their strength.

Going forward, she didn’t know what to do. Karin was disappointed with her niece. Well, all of them, but she was quick to admit her own terrible choices. She just wished they had not made similar ones. The question for Myra’s band was what to do next with half their members dead or wounded?

The sickly sweet smell of death still permeated the air as I entered the tunnel where I sent my first fireball. The reinforcements were almost burned to the point of cremation. That did seem a little odd, but then again, my experience of spell casting was in Magic-Life. There would be no survivors here.

I saved what should be an interesting story for last. “And Katilia?

Karin tried to hide her grimace. “I don't hate the girl. And there is also no denying her ability, but I just don't believe she is good for the band.”

“Can I ask why?”

“She hasn’t been entirely truthful, “ Karin shrugged. “I’m from a poor family in the empire. Many of my friends fell into a life of crime, and most of those are dead. My cousin, thankfully, had been able to get me a position in the provincial scouts. So I might not be as proficient as Katilia, but I am familiar with her skills. And trust me no matter what she claims, she did not learn her craft in some fictitious guild school in Aryn.”

Iona’s aunt turned away, appearing lost in thought. “Her martial skills are also way above those of a normal scout. One guildmaster told me there were rumors that Katilia once worked as a sellsword.”

The old definition of a sell-sword was a mercenary, but from what was implied, it was different in this world.

Looking back towards me, Karin added, “Oh, she’s a C-ranked adventure. Did I tell you that?”

As for being a C-ranked adventurer, “I see. You think that’s why Myra braved this labyrinth?”

“In part, yes. What I am most concerned about is Myra getting caught up in Katilia’s old line of work.”

I nodded in understanding.

Karin sighed. “The two of them are also rather close. I just can’t see it turning out well.”

Kicking the remains of the ramp with my foot, I walked away from the last exit after setting the last combination of alarm ward and fire rune. The reason? We still needed to escape from this place, and having a wounded party member was going to make it slow going. What I didn’t want was to be surprised by the ratkin’s reappearance, especially in force. The fire runes would turn those hallways into a death trap.

“Lady Eleanor, may I crave a boon?”

Since leaving the road, my three companions' speech had become more informal. I don’t think I could have gotten any of them to call me Eleanor but the ‘my lady’ this and ‘my lady’ that had decreased. Karin's sudden formality caught me off guard, especially when she knelt in a pseudo-Japanese style and then lowered her forehead slowly almost to the floor.

I felt myself slipping into a familiar role. My guild members often asked for a boon typically with a stupid grin on their face. Karin, however, was all business.

“If it is within my power. So Mistress Karin, how may I help you this day?” As I addressed her formally, I couldn’t help but notice the somewhat unique setting standing in the center of a score of burnt ratkin bodies.

Looking up and crossing both hands in front of her, she began, “First of all, I wish to thank you for saving our lives. Without you, I know we would not have made it this far.”

Remembering the encounter with the basilisk, I couldn’t deny it, so I simply replied with a ‘you are welcome.’

Nodding, she continued, “Second of all, thank you again for spending your valuable time training Iona in the ways of magic. However, I am concerned about her future.”

I could see where she was coming from. Karin could have lost both her nieces if Myra didn’t have the foresight to force her sister to stay at home. It wasn’t hard to imagine her envisioning Iona on the floor with an ax sticking out of her back if the circumstances were different.

“I see you are troubled that she will ask to take Argus’ place in her sister’s adventuring band. I can speak to her, but I gather you wish for something else?”

“It is our hope that you would officially make Iona your apprentice,” implored Karin.

I cannot say I didn’t see this coming. Admittedly, I had just as much fun teaching her as she did learning new magic, but that was not the problem.

“Mistress Karin, you are aware that my lands are far from here?” Or maybe in another universe or dimensional plane, whatever.

“Yes, my lady. The three of us have spoken about this, and although it might be presumptuous of me to ask, especially with how much you have done for my family already.”

Truthfully, I had no qualms about teaching Iona magic in the future. But from the little I knew how apprenticeship worked, she would more or less become my responsibility. And I still had no idea what brought me here or why. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be terrible to have someone to help me navigate this world either.

Looking around, I smiled. “Mistress Karin, let us speak of this again, perhaps in a more comfortable location. Then the three of us can sit down and go over my responsibilities and what I would expect from Iona if I do decide to take her on as an apprentice.”

--0—

Amice pensively sat as she watched Master Leo examine her betrothed. With her heart in her mouth, she explained, “I was able to treat his wounds, but for some reason, they kept returning. I thought it might have something to do with the again-walker curse since I couldn't remove it either.”

Leo nodded then cast another one of his detection spells, “Was he struck by the one with the battle-ax?”

“I believe so, yes,” worried Amice.

“I thought so. Unfortunately, he took a wound from a revenant.”

Leo ignored the cries around him as he continued to work on the young man. Casting several spells unsuccessfully, he frowned then tried one last time.

“Alright, I was able to halt the progression of the curse” Reaching over, he grabbed Amice's hand, who started to cry in relief. “However, we will still need to take him to Harmon for cleansing as I doubt we will find a potion in Wyndemere.”

Katilia started to say something, but it only came out as a croak.

“Master Leo, I will be forever grateful for not just rescuing us from our own folly but for healing my beloved as well.” Turning to her friends, the healer declared, “I will approach Countess Orebella personally for her supplication to the goddess.”

“I will see what I can do as well, Amice.”

“Thank you, Master Leo, your help is appreciated. Thankfully we set aside money for our wedding in addition to the funds held by the guild in case something like this occurred.”

“I don’t understand,” Iona said perplexed

“It’s very expensive,” her sister explained. “I will help too, plus we still have all of the heart cores we collected.”

Myra turned to Katilia, who laughed, “You have to ask? Of course, we will all help. But if we are going to pay almost twenty gold, wouldn't it be better if we purchased a Cleansing Potion from someone in the guild.”

“Perhaps although with Amice and my contacts in the Healer’s Hall, it might be cheaper to approach Countess Orebella,” speculated Leo surprised that the young scout knew the cost of the ritual.

Iona squeaked. “Is it really that expensive?”

“Katilia isn’t far off,” murmured Amice.

Myra pointed out. “And I doubt the stones we collected could be used in the potion. We would have to post a job for it.”

“Well, there is always the heart core from the basilisk,” Iona proposed.

Leo sighed, “It’s not ours to give niece.”

Myra’s party just sat there with their mouths open until she stammered, “You fought a basilisk?”

“Yes,” Iona grinned then frowned. “Well, not really, Lady Eleanor killed it.”

“We need to think about also paying Master Leo back for the cost of hiring an A-ranked adventurer as well,” marveled Amice.

“So, where did you find her?” Myra looked across the chamber, watching as her aunt, and the noblewomen walked around, stabbing things.

“There is nothing to pay Amice, and we met her while she was staying at the Wayfarer's Rest,” Leo explained.

“And she taught me so much and look at my outfit. She made it for me, “ effused Iona.

“It’s beautiful,” Katilia smiled, running her hand over the fabric.

Leo noticed the woman’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. He couldn’t fault her for the dark thoughts that might be running around in her head from what little he knew of the scout’s past.

“Are you her apprentice?” Myra asked, confused.

“Well, no, “ the young mage said sadly. “ But she taught me several spells.”

Katilia frowned.

“Captain Conrad approached Lady Eleanor to see if she could determine the reason for the increased monster activity on the Albanese Way,” Leo jumped in. “Iona was in the initial meeting as she was looking for other adventurers to help locate your band, Myra.”

“Good thing too, “ Karin commented, causing everyone on the ledge to jump. So intent on their conversation, they didn’t hear the two of us approach.

With our task completed, Karin was amused at how we were able to return to the path twenty feet above. Leap and Descent were a useful bit of magic, especially when you're wearing heavy armor. It also allowed for some exciting combat maneuvers on occasion.

Could I have just used magic to descend from the entrance of the dungeon to the floor? Absolutely, could I have leaped back up? Unfortunately, no, with it being over thirty feet in the air, I still needed a rope.

Karin turned to me and started the introductions as everyone came to their feet. “Lady Eleanor Reine of Avalon, may I introduce my niece Myra.”

Dressed in green leather scale armor, she looked like an older version of her sister. Even with her surprisingly short jet-black hair, I could see the family resemblance in Karin as well. Myra’s weapons looked well kept, which included a self-bow and a footman’s mace attached to her waist.

She gave me a friendly smile as her aunt continued. “To her left is Katilia of Ramsgate.”

The attractive petite woman wearing black leathers stood a little off to the side. I wouldn’t describe her as thin, but wiry came to mind. She, like the others, was well armed with at least two daggers visible and a longsword belted to her waist. When announced, she bobbed a curtsey, “My lady.”

“And finally, may I introduce Healer Amice of Harmon.”

“My lady.” She bowed formally.

In stark contrast to their scout, the stocky woman who looked more like a blacksmith than a healer, stood heads above the rest of the party. She had a falchion on her hip and wore healer’s white under a mixture of chain and cuir-bouilli leather armor. Her eyes were welcoming and full of warmth if a bit forced. Understandable with her intended on the floor beside her.

“How is Warin?”

“Amice did an excellent job keeping him alive,“ Leo nodded to her before walking over to the injured man.

Remembering where Warin’s wound probably came from, I used my healer’s Check Status skill, “But he’s still cursed.”

Leo looked started for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, my lady, I was able to halt its progression but not remove it.”

A Detect Curse spell revealed two hexes, a Life Drain and another, which I only knew too well. When I struck something living with my longsword Marwolaeth, it caused additional necrotic damage and on a critical strike, a large amount of burst damage. The ax’s curse caused continuous necrotic damage, and well, it just felt wrong.

The two curses also seemed to merge in a rather strange way, which I imagine was why Leo could only see one. However, whatever counter-curse spell he used would soon need to be reapplied as it wasn't high enough level to remove the second curse.

“Healer Amice did your betrothed’s wound keep reappearing?”

“Yes, my lady, do you know why?” She looked at her fiancé, concerned.

“It’s a combination of two curses, Leo, a life drain, and a necrotic curse.”

“So the need for healing,” he nodded in understanding, “It’s from the ax.”

“I believe so.”

It wasn’t difficult to see that in Warin’s current condition, that moving him would be dangerous, but we had no choice. So, I now had a difficult decision to make.

Magic-Life had several builds for each class that allowed you to buy skills from other classes. If you wanted to play a Delver healer, you could. It wouldn’t be cheap, but the game did give you that flexibility.

Sometimes it was required to be able to use a specific secondary skill. If a Paladin wanted to brew arcane potions, they had to have eldritch lore. I needed healer’s lore to brew cure potions.

One of the benefits of having a magical fire affinity was that healing wasn’t as expensive as learning, for example, Delving skills. So I ended up buying a few healing spells. Amazingly useful at lower levels and when I went adventuring by myself. Cure Wounds was the most common healer's ability. The next was removing harmful status effects.

Those spells were essential in completing my quest to rescue Gwefrydd. With a castle filled with wights, barrow-wights, wraiths, and at the end a Shadowknight, it seemed I ended up being hexed after almost every encounter.

So removing the two curses wasn’t an issue even if compared to the healers in-game, my ability was subpar. But, did I want to reveal that ability here? My simple adventurer story already lay in tatters. So, not really, I had no desire to add more fuel to the fire if I could help it.

Still, Warin needed to be healed. Luckily, I still had other options. “If I could remove the necrotic curse Leo, could you remove the life drain?”

“We call it the Wasting Curse, but yes.” He and Amice started to smile.

At least I didn’t need to use a Greater Purify potion, which I only had a few left. Lesser Purify might do the job, but I haven't carried those in over six months, so a Purify Potion would have to do.

Reaching into my inventory, I passed the potion to Leo. As he gave it to Warin and then cast his own remove curse, Amice fiancé’s color immediately returned. Unfortunately, unlike Magic-Life, he didn’t just stand up and continue as if nothing happened. The two hexes had wracked his body and spirit. It was going to take time to recover, but at least he was alive.

After hearing about Denis’ fate, there seemed to be no real reason to remain. “Karin?”

Looking at me she smiled, Warin’s recovery had lifted everyone’s spirits. “Yes, my lady.”

“Let’s go home.”

--0--
Author’s Note: So here we are at the end of Volume 1 of The Lost Queen. Luckily, you don’t have to wait months for the new one to show up in your local bookstore.
Volume 2 – We will see more of the kingdom as Eleanor journeys onward. Will she continue to be blissfully unaware of the casual havoc her presence is causing?

What do you think?

I run these chapters through Grammarly ad nauseam, so of course, it still misses things. Therefore, a special thanks to Michelle SidheElf Amaianna and others who have found them then prodded me to fix my errors.

Thanks again for reading. You’re all wonderful.

--0—

MMORPG or RPG Terms
Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. In addition, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Buff - refers to preparatory actions taken before combat, usually involving the casting of spells adding additional bonuses to characters.

Burst damage- is a term used to describe dealing high amounts of damage in a brief period of time. Spells that qualify for burst damage are often mana inefficient.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Death Penalty – In real life, death is well permanent. In MMORPG, not so much. Yet death in 99% of MMOs is a mere inconvenience and speed bump — you don’t lose experience, and you don’t lose much of your time.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

Minimap - A mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are usually only a small portion of the screen and thus must be selective in what details they display.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Noob- Newbie newb noob or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

Root - Can refer to a class of abilities as well as its effect. A root spell immobilizes a target. The target is then said to be rooted. Early versions of these abilities involved references to plants hence "root."

Spawning - In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character item or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of a body from the game world.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically, the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) “rocks fall everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Weapons & Armor

Chain (mail) - maille is a type of armor consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was generally in common military use between the 3rd century BC and the 14th century AD. A coat of this armor is often referred to as a hauberk and sometimes a byrnie.

Cuir bouilli - leather that has been treated so that it became tough and rigid as well as able to hold molded decoration. Cuir bouilli was used for cheap and light armor; although it was much less effective than plate armor, it could be reinforced against slashing blows by the addition of metal bands or strips, especially in helmets.

Falchion - A one-handed single-edged sword of European origin whose design is reminiscent of the Chinese dadao and the modern machete.

Longsword - a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use a straight double-edged blade of around 85 to 110 cm and weighing approximately 1 to 1.5 kg.

Scale Armor- (or scale mail) is an early form of armor consisting of many individual small armor scales (plates) of various shapes attached to each other and backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. The material used to make the scales varies and included bronze iron steel rawhide leather cuir-bouilli seeds horn or pangolin scales.

Middle Ages Terms:

Bells: Most large communities have some way to keep time useful for travelers and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually, either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

The Destrier - was the most expensive horse and were typically owned only by nobles and knights. Destriers were tall horses and were typically only used in battle. Trained to not only bite and kick on command but also to trample fallen enemies. Destriers were not common and, as a result, were highly sought after by knights.

The Palfrey - was used for riding traveling and hunting as well as for ceremonies. Riding a palfrey was much more comfortable and was the favorite riding animal of noblewomen.

The Courser – were fast horses and had good endurance. They were often used by messengers as well as by people who needed to move quickly. Many knights who did not have access to a destrier preferred to ride a courser into battle because it was fast strong and agile.

The Rouncey – often used as a pack animal or even on the farm. It could be trained for war or used as a riding horse and was commonly used by knights who could not afford any of the other horses. A knight would also provide rounceys to his squires and other men at arms.

Chapter 1: Dum est spes uitae

We had been successful with our quest to find the missing adventurer party. Iona had been reunited with her sister. Her aunt and uncle had plenty to report to the guild. Me? I had no desire to spend any more time in this labyrinth.

All I wanted was a bath and to sleep in a real bed. Trust me. Dungeon delving lost quite a bit of its shine the first time I had to squat in the corner of some empty room to relieve myself. Thankfully, whatever magic that kept the air clean also disposed of our organic deposits. I'm not sure what the dungeon did with it, nor did I particularly care.

How did we do with the rest of our appointed tasks?

Leo and Karin both agreed that there was enough information to rank the dungeon’s first two levels. Unfortunately, this world did not have a safety net for adventurers like many older computer games. Players knew when they ventured into an unsafe area as creatures were color-coded based on their difficulty. For example, red for higher-level monsters, green for the same level, and white for an encounter below your level. So the need to scout this world’s dungeons was an important task given out by the guild.

As to the request from Captain Conrad, although the appearance of the basilisk could have been the cause, the increase in monster activity was to be expected with a living dungeon in the region.

Still, there was a lot to be done here, but any further requests would need to be made by either the guild or whoever they placed in charge. Right now, it would be impossible to convince me to do anything unless it had something to do with bathing.

Since Myra’s band had been running low on food, Leo thought it would be a good idea to feed everyone before we departed. While the new group happily finished off the rest of the basilisk stew, I jumped to the floor below to set up a few more surprises for our ratkin friends.

Since I was down there anyway, I also walked around the lake to find it truly empty. Strange, no monsters, nothing, but the bodies had definitely disappeared. Maybe the dungeon removed the dead to keep the water clean.

Now with everyone fed and watered and our wounded warrior in a litter carried by Leo and Amice, we began the long journey home.

“Are all A-ranked adventurers this…” Myra hesitated before finding the right word, “Cautious?”

At that moment, I had been tying a rope around my waist to get ready to jump to the other side of the stream. I still didn’t trust the bridge or the ledge above and wanted everyone to be attached to something before they crossed.

Karin interrupted my denial of being an A-ranked adventurer by replying flatly, “Only the living ones.”

I left three younger women cringing behind me as I leaped, safely landing on the other side of the trench. With the anchor rope set, Amice and Leo crossed next, carefully walking over the bridge. The rest of the party soon followed with Katilia being the last. I could tell she also felt uneasy as the scout gave the waterfall a nervous look before stepping on the bridge.

Thankfully we proceeded without incident.

“We encountered whatever killed Denis down that hallway.” Myra pointed towards the gem lit corridor.

“Room on the other side of the bronze doors?”

“Yes, Lady Eleanor.”

Karin turned towards her youngest niece and asked, “Did you mark it on the map Iona?”

“Yes, Auntie.”

After comparing the group’s maps, it came as no surprise that we missed quite a bit, although mostly hidden rooms and passageways. Myra’s party had been meticulous; the four of us, on the other hand, had been on a speedrun.

Reluctantly the group turned away with no requests to search for the dead. Everyone agreed, Warin’s welfare came first, especially with the knowledge that something lay in wait on the other side of the door. Another party would have to face the creature, but at least they would be forewarned.

Passing through the rest of the level using several hidden passageways, our party found itself standing in front of the door that would take us to the stairs.

“Why?” Myra asked, sounding heartbroken as the door opened with ease.

Leo looked at his wife before answering, “I think it’s because your band was not successful in passing through the bronze doors.”

Kaitlin groaned, “We needed to open the way to the third floor before the way to the first opened again.”

“Yes, that’s what we believe,” Leo agreed, “It’s something a few adventuring bands have run into in Ingsmouth, including our own.”

Another unexpected surprise greeted us upon entering the next room. Argus’s wrapped corpse had disappeared.

“The living labyrinth takes its due,” Karin whispered.

Most adventurer bands never returned with their dead. Gear and valuables would be either split amongst the party members or passed on to the families of the departed. So bones discarded weapons and armor were a common find in a typical dungeon.

In living labyrinths, dead adventurers eventually disappeared gear and all. Whole groups have vanished into their depths only for the missing party’s equipment to reappear in other parts of the dungeon. The bodies, however, were never recovered.

Warin’s healing had already brought a new sense of purpose to the group, increased further after he opened his eyes and spoke to Amice for a moment as we started to ascend the stairs. Now with the exit in sight, we almost had to tell Myra’s party to slow down. I could tell the three were waiting for something to stop us from exiting the dungeon. Thankfully, the half a dozen zombies I dealt with in the dining hall were the only monsters that barred our path.

“Careful!” Karin called out as we started to lift Warin through the hole in the ceiling of the cavern.

The two older C-ranked adventurers knew their business ordering the others around so everyone could make their way out of the dungeon safely.

Jumping up a rope, I levitated Warin past the unsteady rocks. With his fiancée and Leo keeping watch, I dropped back down. The remaining party members looked relieved. Everyone had a feeling that I needed to be the last one to leave the labyrinth.

Afterward, we headed up the hill towards the old campsite hidden under the overhanging rocks. It had been a long day for the four of us, and Myra’s party hadn’t slept in days.

After returning from warding the entrance, I found Leo and Amice waiting for me.

“My lady, will Gwefrydd carry a litter?“ Leo asked politely.

My three companions had, unfortunately, drifted back to the more formal way of speaking to me. Still a good question, probably, I think.

“I’ll have to summon him and see.”

Amice looked surprised, “Summon, Lady Eleanor?”

Karin joined us and answered, “Gwefrydd is her spirit mount.”

“Oh,” the young healer whispered.

Before we could continue the conversation, angry shouts and squeals of laughter came from further inside the cave. We found Myra and Katilia drenched with what I could only assume to be water and a cackling Iona trying to hide behind a rock.

“Lady Eleanor, look! “ my student called out as she gleefully conjured water. I was amused to note that both her sister and Katilia backed away as soon as Iona started the incantation.

“Excellent.”

Now I needed to look through my grimoire and find something else for her to study. Unfortunately, I had little time to look over my lower level spells. Why was Iona literally vibrating in place? Oh, right, my promise.

“Looks like you will get to hear the story too, Amice.” Leo chuckled at his niece's antics.

Ignoring the light laughter coming from Karin, I sighed, “After dinner.”

My soon to be apprentice’s excitement at the upcoming story had the side effect of further lifting the dark cloud that had hovered around Myra’s party. I thought it was a good thing, but it still left me in a bit of a quandary. How do I explain an in-game quest ignoring the fact that it bore an eerie resemblance to Princess Freia's tale?

For additional payment, I put Iona to work, helping me make dinner. The basilisk stew was gone, and I didn’t want to plunder the rest of my inventory, so we decided upon roasted gura.

“Do you…cook at…home my lady.“ Katilia’s eyes opened wide as she tasted the well-seasoned pork.

“Oh no, I’m not allowed in the kitchen,” I laughed.

Well, I am permitted to get snacks, make a sandwich, and the like. But to actually cook a meal? No. We will also not discuss the exploding egg incident. Other than I learned, it’s a pain in the ass to get eggs off the kitchen ceiling.

“Did your cousin teach you?”

“In a way, Iona, when I started adventuring, Contessa wasn’t interested in eating trail food. And since a tavern wasn’t always available, we needed to learn how to cook.”

Actually, she said no Princess would put up with vendor food. Although I learned the skill for the status buffs, I couldn’t disagree. The food you bought from the merchants in Magic-Life wasn’t very good.

“So you cooked for everyone in your band, my lady?” Myra asked. She, too, seemed to be enjoying the roasted gura.

“No, we were supposed to take turns.“ I sort of grumbled, “But I seemed always to be skipped.”

Even with our rotating schedule, my companions wouldn’t allow their Princess to cook. Jerks every one of them.

“Eventually, I managed to convince one of my healers to be in charge of our meals during the times we managed to all be together. I learned most of my recipes from her.”

In real-life, Agatha or Sandy was a culinary student. She also had the highest cooking skill in Magic-Life and worked with the developers on many of the recipes.

So what to do about my story? I decided to wing it.

“It began when my band and I were celebrating the defeat of the Green Hag, a fearsome creature whose very presence brought pestilence in the lands of Mercia.”

In Magic-Life, the monster was the final boss of the Kinkenadon dungeon. My guild spent a week running through it repeatedly before they finally fixed all of the bugs. It was a lousy design, poorly balanced, and the whole area around the dungeon was glitchy as hell, hence the pestilence.

“While sitting around a campfire, I drew Marwolaeth for the first time. As soon as it cleared the scabbard, a ghostly warrior appeared in front of me, introducing himself as Sir Artegall of Tremonton. He spoke of how he had been slain by a tyrant calling himself the Black Knight, who had besieged his family’s ancestral home in the hills of Brigliadore. Marwolaeth was his family’s blade.”

“Marwolaeth?” Amice asked.

Suddenly my spear vanished as my sword appeared on my lap startling those who had not seen me summon my weapons before.

Kathy was sure that the developers had gifted me the unique sword as a special thanks for the many late nights I spent working with them, trying to fix the issues with the dungeon. Although other Eldritch Knights received similar mount quests, none of them were tied to a sword called Marwolaeth.

“Lady Eleanor, how did your blade end up in Hag’s possession?” questioned Leo.

Running my hand over the scabbard, I shrugged, “I’m not sure. One of her lieutenants wielded it. Perhaps she was allied with the Black Knight.”

“Do all your weapons have names, my lady?” Iona asked, “I remembered you called your spear by one too.”

“Rhew and no, not all of my weapons have names.” With no more questions coming, I continued, “The knight begged me to rescue those held captive by the Black Knight and free his lands. So my companions and I headed off towards the hills of Brigliadore.”

Of course, my friends knew this was supposed to be a solo-quest. However, I had to travel a bit to get there, so they escorted me. I glossed over most of the journey. By then, we all had riding mounts, so we rode around most of the encounters.

“Everyone vanished?” Iona gasped.

I had been in the middle of explaining that we had come across a strange stone archway as we traveled down a long road. On the other side lay Sir Artegall’s ancestral lands. Dismounting, I passed under the arch, only to find that I had left my companions behind.

“No, I could still see them. But I was told only someone wielding Marwolaeth could pass under the archway. At that moment, Sir Artegall reappeared, ready to escort me to his castle.”

“Oh, like Princess Freia,” Iona clapped her hands together.

Not really, but I wasn’t going to argue with her.

“Who’s Princess Freia?” puzzled Amice.

“Oh, the Emperor’s grandmother,” Iona explained.

Katilia frowned, “I’m confused.”

“It’s another story. I’ll let Karin tell it,” I gave Iona’s aunt a smile, which caused her to chuckle.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Were you trapped, Lady Eleanora?” worried Amice.

Ah, considering what the group just went through, I wasn’t surprised at the question. I knew my friends lay on the other side of the Instance, and if I wanted to, I could have quit the quest at any time.

“I don’t think so. If I relinquished Marwolaeth, then I believe I could have returned to my companions.”

Iona protested, “But Sir Artegall’s family and retainers were being held captive.”

“True, so I continued.”

Everything around me lay dead or dying. The very ground seemed cursed, which confirmed to my listeners that the Green Hag had been an ally. Traveling through a diseased forest, I told of my encounters with a monstrous wolf, a guardian stone golem, and a giant horned snake. Upon exiting, the ruined remains of the home of Sir Artegall lay off in the distance.

Iona sniffed, “Oh, but there was no one to rescue.”

“There was, but it’s not what you think,” I explained.

Although it had been difficult so far, the quest was supposed to be a solo quest. Clearing out the bailey of a few skeletons took no time at all. My ghostly companion then told me I needed to enter the castle’s three towers and face their guardians before I could approach the Black Knight in the Great Hall.

After defeating the banshee and her wraith attendants in the eastern tower, the ghostly form of Sir Artegall's wife appeared next to her husband. At the top of the western tower, I faced a zombie ogre whose destruction released the shade of the castle’s chamberlain.

Inside the final tower, after fighting my way through a handful of lesser wights, I faced a barrow-wight. With its defeat, the ghost of Sir Artegall’s brother joined my spirit host.

“So with my ghostly companions supporting me, I entered the Great Hall to find a shadowknight, a corrupted spirit whose very presence was poisoning the land. He was mounted upon a steed made of shadows and charged as soon as I stepped into the hall.”

“And then what!” Iona exulted.

“Why I fought the foul creature with fire and steel.”

The hall did not give my foe a lot of maneuvering room, and I quickly dismounted him. In the end, we faced each other in the center of the hall.

Ok by now, I had gotten a little more involved than I intended with my storytelling, and although I wasn’t a bard, I think everyone was enjoying the tale.

“And with a final stroke, the shadowknight disappeared, its screams echoing through the hall.”

My audience was sitting forward as I explained that my ghostly companions started to fade but not before thanking me. Leaving the Great Hall, I found Sir Artegall mounted upon a familiar looking horse.

I tried to remember his last words.

“Brave Knight, thanks to you, I can finally rest in peace. Please continue to wield my family’s sword. I am content to know that I leave it in the hands of such a fearsome warrior.”

Dismounting, he handed me the horse’s reins. “And the spirits of these lands, who now sing with joy, wish to offer you a companion. Like my household, he had been shackled to the Black Knight and now wishes to offer you his service.”

He thanked me once again and vanished.

“And then?” Iona squealed.

“I mounted my horse, who I named Gwefrydd, and rejoined my companions.”

--0--

In the early morning hours, a troop of horsemen followed by an elegant coach traveled through the streets of Harmond. One of its occupants Baroness Sabena of House Donha, pushed aside the curtains and smiled, “It’s good to be home, Marsilia.”

“It is mother, although I am still surprised that you wanted to depart so early. And please don’t keep insisting that it’s because you don’t like parties. I am old enough to remember the Festivities of Solas you and father used to host.”

The older woman chuckled. “Yes, well, we were much younger then.”

“Mother.”

She waved her hand, dismissively, “Your right, of course. Just some unfortunate politics I have no desire to get involved with. Your cousin Geoffrey will keep us informed. He and his wife have always enjoyed the capital’s parties.”

“Well, I’m proud of how Byron acted this past week.” She looked down at the young boy whose head lay on her lap. “I know his father would be as well.”

“Sarian willing, you will be seeing him soon enough.”

Marsilia smiled; her husband, Sir Thomas Branmark, was a member of the diplomatic entourage sent to Peturia to be part of the ongoing trade negotiations with the Eagle Empire.

“It was also nice of you to chaperone Princess Adela and her betrothed. She and Prince Ethelred appeared to be well matched.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is besotted.”

Marsilia grinned, aware of the rumors. “Although I’m surprised Archmage Phexidis wasn’t there since she is his apprentice until after the wedding at least. In fact, I don’t remember seeing him at all.”

“I was informed by the Queen Mother that he had been summoned to the Shrine of Hashan on Dragon Tor. She didn’t know or wouldn’t say why.”

“That sounds rather ominous.”

The Baroness shrugged, “Perhaps, but his Majesty didn’t think it important enough to mention it to his nobles, nor did Princess Adela seem too concerned.”

When the noise outside the carriage suddenly changed, Marsilia knew they were approaching Donha Castle.

Turning to the young woman who sat quietly across from her, she said, “Catherine, please take Byron upstairs and put him to bed. He hasn’t slept well on the road. A little extra sleep will be good for him.”

“Yes, Lady Marsilia.”

Stepping out of the carriage, the group ignored the controlled chaos around them as the Baroness greeted her scheneshal or steward of her estate. “Good morning Sir Odo how fare you this morning?”

The older man bowed deeply at the waist. His silver shoulder-length hair revealed his age, but his bearing still screamed warrior. “Excellent, my lady. How was your trip?”

“Pleasant enough, oh, and please convey my thanks to Master Theodore for his recommendation in hiring the Captain of the Sylith.”

Matching his lady’s stride, the two entered the estate’s great hall, followed by men-at-arms maids and other retainers.

As he watched the twenty or so men and women move around him busy with their assigned tasks, he replied, “I will. Although truthfully, my lady, I was a bit concerned considering Captain Henry’s reputation.”

The Baroness gave a small chuckle. “Well, I’m sure he earned it. He has the eyes of a rascal, but he was the perfect gentleman. Oh, and Byron has told everyone he wants to be a sailor when he grows up.”

“A sailor,” Odo replied in amusement.

“Yes,” she grinned. “He spent most of his time on deck learning the trade from the crew. Of course, Marsilia doesn’t approve.”

“Mother,” she sighed, but there was a hint of a smile in her voice. “I am going to follow Catherine. I will meet you in the study.”

“That’s fine, daughter.”

Looking up, Baroness Sabena gave her scheneshal a nod then continued through the estate with a smaller group trailing behind her.

The study with its hardwood walls lined with books and filled with trophies of her husband’s time as a soldier along with a painting of him astride his old warhorse was different from what one would expect of a gentlewoman’s study. For the Baroness, she gained strength from this room, almost feeling his presence. She wouldn’t change it for the world.

Stationed behind a beautiful black pine desk, Baroness Sabena sorted through the pile of documents. In front of her, sitting in high backed chairs were her daughter and heir and her scheneshal.

Waiting for a servant to leave after setting down a silver tray along with a pitcher of refreshments, Odo reached into a leather satchel and added another two documents to the ever-growing pile.

The Baroness gave him a look before returning to her reading.

“Excuse me for my tardiness, my lady.” A young man in a blue arming coat bowed at the waist upon entering the room.

“Its perfectly fine, Sir Eric take a seat. I assume your lovely wife and child are doing well?” Sabena smiled, setting several papers to the side to sign later.

Taking a seat, he replied, “Yes, my lady. She sends her regards and a thank you for the beautiful blanket.”

“I look forward to seeing her and the new baby.“ The Baroness then picked up two documents, and her smile disappeared. “An interesting report from Captain Conrad in Wyndemere, wouldn’t you say, Sir Odo? So this Lady Eleanor of House Reine suddenly appeared on the Albanese Way by way of the Godstones?”

The other two people in the room looked shocked as her seneschal reached over and passed the report to the knight before acknowledging his Baroness. “Yes, my lady, although there is no way to confirm her story.”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing before.” Sir Eric looked up from the report, surprised.

“Neither had I,” Odo confirmed. “I sent a missive to Countess Orebella for her thoughts on the matter.”

“Then we will wait to see what she has to say. Now then Captain Conrad has also confirmed that her armor is silvered steel,” Sabena frowned. “So we have a foreign noble who happens to be an A-ranked adventurer wandering around inside my borders. Who also seems to have effortlessly ingratiated herself with one of my loyal captains.”

“What country?” questioned Lady Marsilia.

“Avalon,” Sir Eric answered before passing her the report. “Unless it’s a city, it doesn’t say either way.”

“Not a city or a country I am familiar with, “ Odo remarked. “ Although from her coloring, Captain Colin suggests Lady Eleanor’s lands might be as far north as Karlspang.”

“Long way frome home,” Lady Marsilia murmured then shook her head. “I can understand why he sought her assistance in determining the cause of increased monster activity but to place an unknown noblewoman in charge?”

“I know the captain well, my lady, and trust his judgment,” Sir Eric reassured, “Perhaps it’s because someone of her station might not be willing to follow the lead of the others in the band. Or that she would have more experience in determining the threat of this unknown labyrinth.”

“I agree with Sir Eric, “ Odo concurred.

“The other two, what do you know of them?” The Baroness asked.

Her scheneshal nodded, “They are former C-ranked adventurers that currently run a guild sanctioned school here in the city. Along with their youngest niece, they approached Lady Eleanor in the hope she would help them find a missing adventuring band led by another niece, a Myra of Harmon.”

The Baroness gave a thoughtful look as she studied the second document before passing it to her daughter, “What do you think of this livery badge?”

Taking the other piece of parchment, Marsilia studied the drawing of a dragon eating its tail with a sunburst in the center.

“It's not on our kingdom’s register, obviously.“ Biting her lip, she added, “Its interesting a warrior family who values glory but also the sanctity of life.”

Sir Eric looked at the document than said, “I have not seen such a device before my lady, but I will ask around.”

“Thank you, “ Baroness Sabena tapped her lip with her finger. “ Increased monster activity on the Albanese Way is very troubling, especially this time of year. Sir Eric, I would like you to support Captain Conrad. Send whatever additional troops he might need. Odo?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“I would like to speak to Guildmaster Stephen today. For him not to have reported any of this is unacceptable.”

--0—

Glossary –

Instance- is an environment where the structure is the same for all parties who enter you will never encounter another party while yours is playing through the area, and thus it is a specific instance of this area or mission. Instances usually have much better rewards than the normal overworld map in an MMORPG.

MOB difficulty – a quest or mob's difficulty color is sometimes referred to as its "con.” This is a holdover from text-based games where the standard command to determine difficulty was /con or /consider. Many games have simplified the process by displaying the appropriate color on a hostile mob's portrait's level number when you target it.

Speedrun - is a play-through or a recording thereof of a whole video game or a selected part of it (such as a single level) performed with the intention of completing it as fast as possible.

Chapter 2: Wyndemere or Bust!

It had been a week since the four of us departed from Wyndemere in the hope of finding Myra’s party. The return should be a little faster, even with Gwefrydd carrying Warin. However, we didn’t start the next day or the day after as our new party members were in really no condition to travel. Besides needing more rest, the four hadn’t had a decent meal in days.

Thankfully, feeding the group on the way home wasn’t going to be a problem. Besides what was left of the salted gura and some forty or so pounds of raw basilisk meat, I had purchased almost eight weeks of what Kathy would call trail food before we left. So, we had plenty of supplies even without having to delve further into my inventory.

Finally, after two restful days, even if most of it was spent in a cave, everyone appeared to be in better spirits as we prepared to depart.

“It’s getting hotter,” Iona grumbled as her sister tightened the straps on her armor.

Myra yawned, “It’s almost Sere.”

“It’s actually the second of Sere,” Karin said as she walked over, passing her oldest niece a score of arrows. “Sorry, Katilia, we didn’t bring any extra bolts.”

The petite woman nodded in understanding.

“Where did these come from Auntie?”

“Iona’s bag,” Karin smiled then walked out of the cave to join her husband.

“All done, “ Myra shook her head and then spun her sister around. “I still can’t believe you are walking around with a mystic satchel.”

“Don’t all nobles have them?” Iona asked.

Katilia mumbled, “Only the really rich ones.

“Yes, but most don’t just hand them out,“ Myra grinned at her friend then looked thoughtful. “Although I guess most A-ranked adventurers use them.”

“So does that make us an A-ranked adventuring band now?” Iona giggled as she dodged her sister’s friendly slap and then sighed, “Katilia, stop making that face Lady Eleanor isn’t like that.”

“How can you be sure?” the scout whispered fiercely. “She bought you gifts and asked for nothing in return. No noble I know of does that.”

“You sound like Aunt Karin,” Iona sighed. “She also saved you, well, all of us really, and asked for nothing in return.”

Katilia huffed, “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Well, if Lady Eleanor is doing a job for the guild, she would be paid something,” remarked Myra. “Uncle Leo said that he didn’t have to hire her.”

“I don’t think so. I mean, we didn’t have to hire her, but I don’t think she asked anything from Captain Conrad.”

Katilia rolled her eyes. “Look, Iona, even if she wasn’t a noble, no adventurer works for free. She doesn’t know us why should she go out of the way to help you. Since Lady Eleanor is a noble, I bet the request came from Baroness Sabena’s Household.”

“Ahh, that makes sense.”

“I think you're both wrong, anyway, should it matter?” Iona asked the two girls. “Besides, it’s not unheard of for a Master Mage to purchase clothes for their apprentice.”

“That’s more than just clothes, dear sister,” Myra deadpanned. “Wait! When did that change?”

Iona couldn’t help but grin. “Well, it hasn’t yet, but Auntie told me that she and Uncle approached Lady Eleanor about accepting me as her apprentice.”

“And she said yes?”

“Well, she didn’t say no. They are supposed to go over the details once we get back to Wyndemere.”

Her sister’s eyes opened wide, “Really, I’m so happy for you. From what I can tell, she is a formidable mage. Kat, you have to admit that even you were impressed with her magical skill.”

“Merciful Dinya, “ the scout groaned. “You too, Myra?”

The two sisters giggled.

“Fine just…be careful,” pleaded Katilia.

--0--

Gwefrydd sat there stoically as the two healers finished with the last of the straps. Leo and Amice had spent part of the previous two days building a litter that would allow him to carry Warin.

“Are you sure, my lady?”

“Its fine, Leo, the slope isn’t too steep on this side of the hill. It will be slow going, of course, until we get to the bottom, but it should be fine.”

I wasn’t particularly worried; something told me that Gwefrydd would remain sure-footed no matter the terrain.

Amice smiled at her, fiancé, “How are you, my love?”

“Ready to go home,” Warin answered in a raspy voice.

The two extra days had been good for him as well. He seemed more alert, although prone to nod off to sleep.

“The girls are almost ready,” Karin reported as she exited the cave.

Iona and her sister joined us a few minutes later, followed by a grumpy looking Katilia. Probably upset that we didn’t bring any extra bolts for her crossbow.

The first day we got almost as far as the ford. Any hope of our journey being uneventful, however, was lost when a pack of two-headed dogs appeared on our right flank as we headed out the next morning. The monsters meandered back and forth out of the trees following the stream, but it seemed these beasties were smart enough to stay out of bow range.

“Orthus!” Leo growled. He quickly moved to place himself between Gwefrydd and the hounds.

“We can’t stay here!” Karin called out from the rear.

Suddenly the pack shifted as a third of them crossed the stream drawing closer to us. It was then the largest of the hounds began to howl immediately picked up by the rest pack.

“What's happening?” Myra shouted fearfully.

Amice sounded terrified. “We have to run!”

All around me, I could feel the onset of panic. As if the howls had the ability to cause fear, which wouldn’t have surprised me in the least.

“Hold!” I ordered drawing my sword as I marched back through the center of the party.

Somehow, I found myself instinctively using one of my class skills, called Stand Fast. An area of effect Command ability that was useful in removing morale based debuffs. Soon after, everyone settled down.

Looking over the group, I noticed my old party hadn’t been affected by the howls. Leo and Iona appeared to be ready to beat back the Orthus’ charge while Karin just looked angry.

Letting loose several arrows only for them to fall short, she cursed, “Sodding dogs!”

Leo chuckled then looked up to me with a grim face keeping an eye on our wounded.

“Lady Eleanor?”

I watched the monsters as they continued to keep out of bow range. Not that it would help them. Because of my elemental affinity, I could reach out and touch someone much further than our Pathfinder’s weapon.

“Look to the others, Leo. Gwefrydd can protect Warin.”

Although too far away for most of my spells, the hounds were still close enough. The first spell that came to mind was Starfall. Although less destructive than a fireball, it was just as useful.

The hounds stopped howling, apparently confused why their prey hadn’t broken and run when I let loose the first spell. Seconds later, the Starfall detonated in a tremendous explosion directly in front of pack showering the more aggressive of them with chunks of searing rock. The second spell soon followed, catching the rear of the pack covering them in a cloud of white death.

Since I imagine that two-headed canines were not particularly fond of white phosphorus any more than anyone was, the monsters now seemed less inclined to pressing forward. Of course, the spell didn’t actually explode in a shower of white phosphorus. It just looked like it.

I hadn’t planned it, but the first two spells forced the pack to clump together as the final Starfall detonated in the center of the pack. Quite a few of the hounds immediately fled into the water. It wouldn’t help, as the magical fire would continue to burn until the spell expired.

I tried to feel sorry for the hounds but couldn’t. They were planning to hunt down and slaughter members of my party, my new friends in this world. I hardened my heart and willed the fire to burn. When the largest of the creatures collapsed, taking a direct hit from several flaming chunks, the Orthus scattered in all directions. Well, except towards us.

Sigh, I needed to stop spamming mid-tier spells. All spell casters in Magic-Life tended to have a bit of an obsession about keeping an eye on their mana use for obvious reasons. With a distinct lack of a mana bar, I needed to rely on experience. Would I even feel tired like Iona when I was low on mana? Falling flat on my face because I didn’t keep track of my spell use would be stupid if not fatal.

Hearing a gentle sob behind me, I turned around to find Amice standing there with tears running down her face looking lost.

“Amice.” Reaching over, I placed my hand on her shoulder and gently called out to her once more. “The hounds have moved off.”

“I…almost ran Lady Eleanor. I almost left…him, “ she shuddered then as if coming out of a trance, she gave me a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

I gave her a gentle smile before reaching into my inventory to pull out an apple and fed it to Gwefrydd. He, of course, didn’t care about the howls, and if I didn’t know better, he rolled his eyes at me, thinking it did.

“Warin, how are you?” I asked while tightening the litter’s straps.

“I’m well, my lady.”

“Good man,” I patted him on the leg.

I then went to check on the others. Most just stood there watching as the white phosphorus-like fog started to drift away, revealing a handful of charred canine bodies.

“Leo?”

“Yes, Lady Eleanor?”

Sigh, I swear he was about to salute me. “Let’s find a quiet place away from here and take a break.”

As we moved off, I tried to understand what just happened. In Magic-Life, as your character progressed in levels, you gained additional class skills. These abilities were almost all passive because, unlike old computer games, you couldn’t click on the screen and activate them.

In the game, there were several talents, whether through word or action, that you could trigger. I hadn’t thought much of them since arriving in this world. Maybe because the situation allowed me to use one?

Not wanting any more surprises the next day and every day after that, I took Gwefrydd out for an early morning ride. Both Leo and Karin noted that the area around the new living labyrinth was slowly becoming more dangerous.

According to the two, the upper floors of the Ingsmouth labyrinth were not particularly dangerous. The swamp surrounding the dungeon, however, could be deadly — most adventurer bands needed to join heavily armed caravans to even travel to the town of Ingsgate. The Olicana labyrinth, which sat in the heart of the Empire, had two full legions patrolling the upper floor and surrounding area.

Sages of this world believed that the magic rich environment around living labyrinths attracted monsters. Caravans moving down the Albanese Way through the Forest Road on the way to Wyndemere were about to find that the trip had suddenly become more hazardous.

Hopefully, whatever benefits that came from a ready supply of mana stones outweighed those risks.

--0--

We were still a couple of days from the Godstones when Leo’s prediction of afternoon showers came true. It had been threatening to rain starting every afternoon for the last couple of days, and suddenly, it started coming down in torrents.

“It’s raining,” Warin commented from his litter atop Gwefrydd.

Amice laughed. “Yes, dear.”

“I hate the rain.”

That caused everyone to chuckle. Of course, we were standing out in the open, so we could commiserate. Thankfully, off in the distance, a grove of evergreen oaks was calling our names. About an hour later, now soaked to the bone, our party stepped under its overhanging branches.

And, as predicted, the rain ceased by nightfall. Between the campfire and the hot meal I served, we kept in good spirits. Well, until everyone realized that we were still a good ways from Wyndemere.

The next day during my morning ride, I ran across two very aggressive wivers. These little flying lizards had been feasting upon a couple of deer when I disturbed them. Before I knew it, they were in the air trying to make a meal out of me and my mount. Gwefrydd would have none of that. Ignoring the creature’s venomous bite, he managed to crush the skull of one while I took care of the second.

Returning, I realized that the familiar landscape told me we were very close to Wyndemere. By the end of the day, we should be able to reach the Godstones. From there, the village was only two days away.

“More wivers,” Leo sighed.

We had seen a handful flying off in the distance the day before. Although only dangerous in numbers, they could be a real nuisance to a caravan, as they loved horseflesh.

“It’s not going to be easy to find their nest,“ Karin commented while staring off towards the Pale Hills.

“Another thing to report to Captain Conrad,” Leo looked at me.

I nodded, but I had other things on my mind.

“Leo?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“You mentioned to me before we left that you might know someone that could help me get home.”

“Lady Eleanor, we do have contacts within the guild. Karin even knows a couple of A-ranks. So yes, if there is a way to get you home, we will help you any way we can,” assured Leo.

I gave them both a grateful smile, “Thank you.”

The standing stones were a reminder that I still didn’t have a way home. And I missed my friends, especially Kathy and Mark. Did I want the two of them here? No, they were supposed to marry, have lots of babies, and live happily ever after. I didn’t want them to be in a world where monsters were real.

--0—

Captain Conrad sat on his horse, watching as the last of the supplies were offloaded from the barge. Much like the men supplied by the Baroness, the additional foodstuffs and other items were sorely needed. He had been concerned about having enough guards to protect both the village and the field workers until help arrived.

“The Ulmar caravan is scheduled to arrive by the end of the week.” He told his second in command. “I’d like Corporal Aldous to be in charge of the escort.”

“Yes, sir, may I also suggest we double the number of guardsmen as well. That Lupi pack was seen lurking around the eastern fields again.”

“Tell the Corporal to pick some of the older men.”

“Too bad, we don’t happen to have an A-ranked adventurer to act as an escort this time.” Marcus chuckled. “Although I imagine we should be hearing from Lady Eleanor fairly soon.”

The Captain turned in his saddle and began ordering his men to start loading the carts. “True. I do hope she managed to find the missing adventurers.”

The honorable veteran sighed, “Leo and Karin will be heartbroken if anything happened to their niece. Foolish children, unfortunately, the Pale Hills are scattered with the bones of many foolish adventurers.”

“True, I also look forward to hearing what that band found that made them run off without properly reporting to the Adventurers Guild.” The Captain tried not to grumble. “Apparently, so does Baroness Sebena and Guildmaster Stephen.”

Marcus understood his Captain’s plight. Only Sarin knows what rumors the merchants of the Glendale caravan were spreading. While escorting the group through the forest, a goblyn family had surprised them in the early morning of the second day. The monsters did nothing more than scare a few horses, but the Master of the Caravan had called a halt at every shadow afterward.

Since then, messengers had been arriving, asking for updates. All the Captain could do was report the increased monster activity and the need for adventurers to clear out the surrounding forest.

“Captain!” A voice called out, startling both men.

“Guardsman Edward, you need something of me?” he asked as the mounted messenger approached from the direction of the River Gate.

“Yes, sir. You wanted to know when we sighted Lady Eleanor’s band.”

“Seems you will get your wish, sir,” Marus chuckled. “Is she already in the village, Edward?”

“No honorable veteran. Miles sent a rider from the field guards, knowing you wanted to know when Lady Eleanor returned as soon as possible.”

“How many in her band?”

“Eight sir, one of their number is also on a litter.” The guardsman replied.

“Seems they’ve taken casualties, Captain,” Marcus frowned, concerned for his old friends.

“Guardsman ride ahead and inform the Healer’s Hall that there is an adventuring band bringing in wounded.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Waiting for the guardsman to ride off, Captain Conrad called out to a woman who appeared to be managing the loading of the carts. “Guardsman Fina, once the men have offloaded the barge, have them report to Corporal Alan.”

“Let’s go, Marcus, we should probably warn Master Thomasyn as well.”

--0—

We had made good time through the Forest Road, only having to stop once before we got a glimpse of Wyndemere’s walls. Since we left the Godstones, we also had not run into any monsters, but both Myra and Karin found tracks of both guru and Lupi in the area.

“Aren’t you hot, Lady Eleanor?”

Iona and I had been walking in front of the party while having a light discussion on the use of runes. She was familiar with them, but true mastery was needed if you wanted to become a spell crafter or even create scrolls.

Looking up at the sky, I shrugged. “Not particularly. Although my guess it’s because of my elemental affinity.”

“Lucky,” she murmured.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, Iona. I’m sure we can find something cool for you to drink once we reach the Wayfarer's Rest. If nothing else, you can get out of your armor.”

I looked up at the sky again. “That is if the rain doesn’t cool you off first.”

It seemed we were now in a race to see if we would reach the inn before the heavens opened up. As we drew closer to the gate, I could see a few familiar faces. I knew the guards working in the fields had noticed our presence. A few of the workers gave us a friendly wave as we passed by.

Once we settled in for the day, I would have to see about speaking with Captain Conrad if he wasn’t too busy. His badge needed to be returned, and Leo and Karin would want to report the presence of the living labyrinth. Although they didn’t break any guild rules, Myra’s party really should apologize for not reporting that they had found something in the Pale Hills.

Oh, and Warin, of course, needed a place to rest. Hmm, it might be easier with all this going on if the party all stayed at the same inn. I hoped that Master Thomasyn had enough room for us.

“Corporal, it’s good to see you again,” I called out to the guard in charge of the Forest Gate as we approached.

The man bowed. “Lady Eleanor, we received word of your arrival. If you will follow me, my men and I will escort your adventuring band to the Wayfarer's Rest.”

I attempted to tell him it wasn’t necessary as I knew the way, but the guards had already lined up and marched off. I had no choice but to follow. The streets were more crowded than the last time I entered. Several women I recognized from the market smiled and gave me a curtsy as we walked by.

“Leo, I’ll speak to Master Thomasyn while you and Amice get Warin ready to take him upstairs.”

“It’s not necessary, Lady Eleanor,” the younger of the two healers insisted. “The two of us can stay in the Healer’s Hall. There is no need for you to trouble yourself.”

“It’s really no trouble,” I replied.

“There are a couple of other inns we normally stay at, my lady,” assured Myra.

Was the inn that expensive?

Our conversation halted when we noticed the group standing outside the inn consisting of Captain Conrad, Marcus, and a handful of other guardsmen.

“Lady Eleanor, it’s good to see you again.” Captain Conrad greeted me as the rest of the group bowed.

“Greetings, Captain, it’s good to see you as well.”

He looked over the group. I was sure he didn’t miss that there were two missing members of Myra’s party. “I see you were successful. “

“Yes, for the most part, and we do have a few things to report.”

“I look forward to it.” He then asked, “Does your wounded need to go to the Healers Hall?”

“No, I think that Warin just needs bed rest isn’t that correct, Amice.”

She hesitated a moment before replying, “Yes, Lady Eleanor.”

I could see that the healer was a little overwhelmed by the welcome. I couldn’t blame her. I quickly moved out of the way when Marcus started giving orders to his men to help with the litter. It was then I spotted the Wayfarer's Rest's innkeeper who had been staying out of the way.

“Hello, Master Thomasyn. I should have asked first, but is there enough room for me and my companions at the inn?”

He bowed at the waist then said. “Of course, Lady Eleanor, we have rooms for all your people. Please come this way.”

“It’s good to see you again, Lady Eleanor.” Rosalyn, who had joined him outside, greeted me with a smile and then bobbed a curtsy.

As the two escorted me into the inn, I could already see her wanting to get me out of my armor and into something less martial and cleaner. I hoped Rosalyn also warmed up the bath.

The usual crowd was gathered in the main room, sharing a pint. I discovered that most of them were masters or retired masters who worked in the village. The men greeted me rather cheerfully, a few rising to their feet then as a group went back to whatever they were doing, well drinking mostly.

Poor Captain Conrad, I could tell he was chomping at the bit to ask me some questions, but no one stands in my Lady’s Maid way when she was on a mission. That was just fine, as I wanted to get out of my armor.

“Perhaps Captain, we should all reconvene in the meeting room in a couple of hours.” I looked to Master Thomasyn, who nodded.

Excellent, two hours should be enough time for a bath and a change of clothes. The Captain reluctantly agreed. I also couldn’t help but be amused as the others were herded upstairs, although Karin and Leo stopped to talk to those in the hall.

--0--

It was good to be back in Wyndemere. I won't say I’ll never go adventuring again, but I discovered I don’t like being dirty. I was out of my armor almost the second I walked into my room. I swear my gambeson could have walked to the laundry by itself, and let’s not discuss my undergarments.

Rosalyn already knew my secret, well, my ability to auto-equip. She is a woman of many talents; being a squire wasn’t one of them. We could have asked someone else to help me with my armor, but really, it was easier just to show her.

Very practical was all she said but insisted on helping me with my other garments, claiming she would do a better job. I had to agree. They did fit better when she helped me put them on.

As I sat in the tub, I could feel the weeks of grime just slipping away, and the warm water was relaxing, soothing my tired muscles. Suddenly, it occurred to me, that I wasn’t particularly self-conscious about my body. Nor did I seem to have an issue washing myself while having a pleasant conversation with Rosalyn.

I mean women bath together all the time right. So, it should be normal. But why did it seem normal to me? I just added it to the already long list of weird things that I didn’t understand.

It did frighten me a bit and was confusing as hell, but I doubt I would get an explanation anytime soon. I mean, I still had no real understanding as to why I ended up in this world in the first place, much less how.

I did insist, however, that I could bathe myself.

--0--

Glossary –

Gambeson - a quilt undercoat commonly worn under armor. Gambesons cover shoulders, thorax, abdomen, hips, groin, and thighs. They may be lengthened to cover the knees and maybe half- or full-sleeved. The skirt is split to facilitate mounted use.

Mana (bar) - in many games, healers and damage casters have mana bars, but other classes might not. A class with a mana bar expends mana whenever they cast a spell, and different spells have differences in mana costs and possibly cooldowns. The spell cost is particularly important for games in which certain spells are spammable, e.g. Greater Heal vs Flash Heal.

Spamming - in the context of video games, refers to the repeated use of the same item or action. For example, "grenade spamming" is the act of a player throwing many grenades in succession into an area.

Chapter 3: Time waits for no woman

In no time at all, I was clean, took a short nap, had a snack, and now I was having my hair done. It was so nice being back in civilization or close enough to it in this world.

Realizing I had no idea how much was left until the meeting with the Captain, I started to look around the room then stopped. "Right, no clock."

Something else I missed from my world, unfortunately, I couldn’t even enable the one available in Magic-Life with my Administration Tab missing. In-game, it would hover right below your health and mana bar. Most of the beta-testers hid it, though, as it was just another distraction.

"Lady Eleanor?"

God, I'm such an idiot. Two hours, really? "When is the next bell? Actually, what is the next bell?"

"Fifth, my lady, although you still have time before your meeting with the Captain if that is what you're asking. When Master Thomasyn heard when you wanted to meet, he lit a candle clock."

A candle clock, huh. My knowledge of the history of timekeeping was somewhat hazy. The Greeks used sundials, the Chinese incense, and I think I remember reading that Big Ben was finished during Queen Victoria's reign. Oh, and the Arabs and the Romans used different methods to tell time, I think.

"Have you ever heard of water or mechanical clocks, Rosalyn?"

"A mechanical clock? No, my lady, although perhaps a follower of Savaro, might have heard of one." She paused for a moment. "However, in the port city of Rartham, there is a water clock at the Shrine of Ler. It's supposed to be very beautiful."

That got me curious about magical clocks. I wondered if this world had such a thing.

--0--

At the appointed time, the two of us entered the meeting room, and for a moment, I thought I heard a gasp before everyone came to their feet. They all appeared to be a little more rested and except for Captain Conrad had gotten out of their armor.

Karin and Leo gave me a warm smile looking comfortable in their light linen tunics. Iona wore the same dress she was wearing the first day we met. The others, too, had changed into well not exactly clean garments but cleaner than what they had been wearing. Warin, of course, was absent sleeping soundly upstairs.

I decided to wear my Black Lily dress so named because of its little black fleur-de-lis’ decorating the sleeves and skirt. The white nightweave outfit, like most of my clothing, was made for me by one of my guildmates who knew that I had a lily as part of my Mage’s Sigil.

Captain Conrad was present in his usual arming coat. However, I didn’t know the swarthy looking gentleman dressed in a blue and red houppelande along with a rather lovely tall-crowned chaperon.

“Master Jeffery of Harmon, let me introduce you to Lady Eleanor of House Reine.”

House Reine?

“My lady.” He took off his hat sweeping before him as he bowed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master Jeffery.“ I give the man a smile before taking a seat. Everyone soon followed, making themselves comfortable.

“My lady, I will be taking notes and passing them on to Guildmaster Stephen,” he began to explain as I watched him pull out a box setting it aside, an inkwell and a stack of parchment.

"Is Guildmaster Stephen the head of the guild in Harmon or the kingdom as a whole?" I asked.

Leo answered, "Harmon, my lady."

"Thank you. Captain, perhaps we should begin with Myra's band and let them report on their journey."

On our way back to Wyndemere, we only managed to get part of the story from Iona's sister. It would be a good place to start.

"Master Jeffery?" queried the Captain.

"Excellent suggestion, my lady." Picking up the quill, he looked across the table. "State your name."

At that very moment, I had a strong sense of déjà vu that left me breathless. Everything suddenly changed replaced by the conference room in the Prometheus' main office. Our Friday afternoon meetings where we went over the week's beta-testing problems occurred around a similar looking table.

Mark and Kathy took the place of Leo and Karin. The other members of my guild now sat next to me instead of Myra's party, and even the lead developers swapped places with Captain Conrad and Master Jeffery. It was so real. If I reached out, I could almost take Kathy's hand.

"Lady Eleanor?"

Then the world crashed around me. "Sorry Karin, what did you say?"

"You were concerned about the rock formation at the entrance to the labyrinth?"

Oh, it seems I missed part of the story.

Waving off the worry I could see in Karin's face, I replied, "Yes, most of the lower half was unstable. Either the entrance needs to be reinforced or that whole rock face removed."

The Captain looked confused but nodded. They must not have gotten to the part where we decided it was a living labyrinth.

Myra continued described how her party entered the dungeon and began exploring. They were thorough, searching every room, and examining every corridor. Her group also encountered a lot more monsters then we had during our short time on the first floor.

When she was finished, Jeffery looked at the copy of the map in front of him and began to ask about things that she had glossed over. From his questions, I could tell he must have been an adventurer himself.

"Do you think the spiders have an exit out of the labyrinth?"

Myra's party didn’t seem to know, so Leo offered up a response. "Although we didn’t encounter any of the creatures outside, we do believe that through the large web filled chamber, there might be a way to the surface."

Karin looked towards me, "Lady Eleanor searched the caves at the top of the hill after we exited the labyrinth."

"Although I didn’t go far, Master Jeffrey, the cave system seemed fairly complex." I explained further, "And from the tools scattered about, we believe that the goblyns were actively expanding it."

"That’s why we're confident that they unintentionally caused the rockslide by undermining the cliff face," Leo remarked. "It might have blocked the spiders' exit, but we just don’t know."

"I see," Master Jeffrey made a note on another piece of parchment. "And it's not unknown for the two groups to work together."

Some goblyns lived in a symbiotic relationship with certain types of spiders. Their dead, sick and wounded were fed to the arachnids, and in turn, they harvested the webs for all sorts of things and even rode on the larger ones into battle. I had read about similar monsters riding giant wolves but spiders!

Thankfully we took a small break. While Rosalyn set down a cup of Mulberry wine in front of me, I could see that the next part of the story was going to be hard on Myra's party.

Once everyone returned, Amice picked up the narrative describing how their band traveled downstairs to find the way forward blocked. It was only after Argus couldn’t remove the magical lock on the door at the entrance that the group decided to take the stairs. Not being able to dispel the enchantment should have raised a red flag, but then again, I probably wouldn’t have stopped either.

"So, your mage Argus was able to remove the enchantment on the door?" Master Jeffrey pointed to the map.

"At that time, yes."

Nodding, he made a notation on the parchment, and in his notes, "Continue."

Much like the first floor, Myra's party was thorough, finding several rooms and passageways we missed. They also decided to leave the antlion's nest alone. When Amice got to the point where they entered the corridor with the glowing gems, the guild's representative raised his hand.

Looking worried, he then directed his next question towards Iona's Aunt and Uncle, "A floor guardian?"

"Yes, we believe so," Leo confirmed what I believe was worrying Master Jeffrey.

"Sweet merciful Dinya," he whispered in shock.

"Floor guardian?" Captain Conrad asked.

"In living labyrinths," the Captain's intake of breath caused Leo to pause for a moment. "In living labyrinths, certain monsters must be defeated before you can advance."

"It's also normally a much more difficult opponent to face than the rest of the creatures on that floor," Master Jeffrey explained further.

Amice hesitated then looked to the others. "The door was magically locked, but Argus easily disenchanted it. Unfortunately, as soon as our band entered the room, we could hardly see. It was if someone had thrown a blanket over the magic lamps."

"Argus thought it was some sort of magical darkness," Myra added.

Katilia nodded, "It was at that point that the floor guardian or whatever it was dropped from the ceiling and attacked. Poor Denis didn’t even see it coming."

"With his throat slashed, his death must have been almost instantaneous," Amice sadly added. "Warin seeing his friend fall, immediately charged forward."

"But he couldn’t touch her; it was as if she was made of shadows. The creature was also very beautiful but in a horrible mockery of beauty," Myra commented with a frown.

"She?" The Captain asked.

Katilia shrugged. "It was humanoid fought on two feet, but it was so sodding fast. It wielded no weapons, just razor-sharp claws that chewed through Warin's shield like parchment. Argus' magic did little to it; in fact, we couldn't harm it."

"Were any of your weapons enchanted?"

Myra answered, "Only Denis's sword, Master Jeffrey, but we had to leave it behind."

"Enchanted weapons only then," I commented. Normal weapons might be able to do it but would have to be able to get past the creature's physical resistance.

"I agree, my lady. Could also be the reason why he was targeted first," Jeffrey acknowledged and then wrote a few sentences for his report. "C-rank or better, although once the floor is cleared, it should be reevaluated."

"We knew this was a fight we couldn't win, so we retreated. Well, after Warin tossed his now useless shield at the monster."

"We ran Katilia," Myra whispered.

"We did, and that is why we're still alive!" the scout pointed out forcefully. She then took a deep breath. "When the doors closed behind us, we discovered that the creature didn’t follow."

"Thank Dinya," Amice said.

Katilia continued, "Most of us at that point were wounded. Amice was thankfully able to heal us, but it didn’t change our decision to leave the labyrinth."

"But she wouldn’t allow us." Myra then explained how Argus was unable to remove the enchantment on the exit.

Iona reached over and held her sister's hand.

Jeffry frowned. "That’s an unusual requirement for a floor guardian, although I've heard that the Ingsmouth labyrinth has something similar."

"Yes," Karin replied. "In the marble chamber on the third floor, you have to defeat the stone sentinels to be able to leave the citadel."

"Since Argus couldn’t open the door to the stairs, we began searching for another way out. Maybe a secret passageway or hidden doorway we missed." Katilia recalled, "To our surprise, there were bodies on the floor in a chamber near the exit."

Myra looked towards the others. "We should have been more careful but with Denis's death."

"Which should have made us more cautious, not stupid," Katilia sighed.

The three went over the fight with the wights, Argus's death, and the long retreat back to the waterfall chamber, ending with how the four became trapped by the ratkins.

Iona asked, "Lady Eleanor, you called the again-walkers something else?"

"Wights or lesser wights and the heavily armored one with the ax was a barrow-wight."

"Thank you, my lady." Jeffrey wrote it down. "It's not unheard of for different countries to have their own names for the same creatures Mage Iona. I heard that in the far north, the again-walkers are called vaettrr."

After a few more questions from Master Jeffrey, we took another break. Amice immediately excused herself and went to check on Warin.

"You don’t have to remain, Myra. If the three of you want to rest, maybe get something to eat?" Karin offered. She looked towards the guild representative who nodded.

"No, that’s OK, Auntie. I'll stay."

"I will too, Mistress Karin."

Once Amice returned, she informed us that Warin was doing well. The two had spoken for a few minutes while he was busy having something to eat. She also thanked Captain Conrad for getting one of the village's healers to watch her fiancé while she was in the meeting.

"Iona, why don’t you start? You have most of the background of what went on before the two of us were acquainted."

"Yes, my lady," she nervously replied then went directly into the tale of what happened after her sister left her back in Harmon.

She got sidetracked a few times where Karin had to step in, but finally, Iona got us to the meeting the night before we left.

Captain Conrad then interrupted her. "Lady Eleanor, I would like to thank you for escorting my guardsmen through the Forest Road. They were able to meet with the Glendale caravan and return safely with them."

Although I vaguely remembered they were escorting us at first, I replied, "You're welcome, Captain, and it's good to hear everything turned out alright."

Karin then described the encounters on the road. When she got to the point where I killed the guru with a single strike to the back of the ear, Jeffery gave me a strange look but went back to writing.

"Lady Eleanor, were those the Godstones that you traveled through to end up in our Kingdom?" Jeffrey inquired.

I am not sure I traveled through anything, but that’s where I landed. Thankfully he seemed to know the story, so I didn’t have to tell it again. "Yes."

"Thank you, my lady."

Leo picked up the story with our party leaving the guardsmen then the encounters with the spiders and the basilisk. As he started to explain how his wife was knocked off her feet and covered by the basilisk's breath weapon, the guild representative started to laugh. Captain Conrad, however, didn’t seem as amused.

"A basilisk, Leo?" Jeffrey chuckled. "Absurd, your wife should have been slain. I don’t doubt your martial prowess, my lady, but even you…"

He seemed a nice enough man, but I hated it when someone called me a liar. The sound of something heavy clattering on the table stopped him short.

"Lady Eleanor?" Captain Conrad looked at me, concerned.

"Karin, if you would be so kind as to give this to your guild representative, perhaps he recognizes the tooth."

It even had a bit of flesh left on it. I then took out a second to have her hand it to the Captain.

"I collected most of them since I thought I could find some other uses for basilisk teeth."

With wide eyes, Jeffry looked at the ten-inch long fang then hesitantly asked, "My lady are you perhaps an alchemist or an enchantress?"

I shrugged, "I dabble."

Nodding, he stood then gave me a deep bow. "I apologize, Lady Eleanor, if I have offended you."

I waved off his concern. "It's fine, Master Jeffrey."

Passing the fangs back to me, Karin tried to hide her shit-eating grin while her husband continued with the rest of the story. The guild representative, however, had taken his seat but hadn’t picked up his quill. It didn’t matter as this part of the journey was mostly covered by Myra, or well, I think it was, as I missed most of it.

Once we got into the dungeon, Master Jeffrey picked up his pen but only wrote a few notes. He did seem interested when we discussed how the bodies disappeared the next day, confirming or at least hinting at that this might be a living labyrinth. The fight, however, with the wights had him sitting forward in his seat. Captain Conrad seemed just as interested.

"And this ax that the…what was the name you called it? Oh yes, barrow-wight. You retrieved it?"

"We did," Leo replied then looked at me.

"It's in my possession." As much as it would amuse me, I wasn’t going to take it out of my inventory and toss it on the table.

"Would it be possible for someone in the guild to examine it, my lady?" Master Jeffrey respectfully asked.

"Unless anyone has any objections, I have no issues with it."

"Thank you, my lady." And of course, he noted it in his report.

Leo continued with finding the gem lit corridor, then the encounter with the ratkin, and rescuing Myra's party. Captain Conrad seemed more interested in the fight than our guild representative did.

"Lady Eleanor, can I ask you about these wards you placed on the entrances into the Waterfall chamber?"

"Of course."

"Are they permanent?" Master Jeffrey seemed somewhat concerned.

"No, as I didn’t carve them into the stone. I very much doubt the fire runes much less the alarm wards were still active once we left the labyrinth," I assured him.

Although the developers hadn't implemented a full PvP system yet, in a future release, there was supposed to be a battleground in which players could invade other guildhalls. So, we tested and retested the creation of traps and wards inside our hall. Once we were finished, they looked a lot like carved runes.

Since I was the guildmaster, I set up the initial wards, and then Minerva added the rest. She even set up numerous magical traps to deal with any uninvited guests. The developers amused themselves for most of a week afterward by having all the players try to conquer each other guildhalls.

"Can you please mark them on the map?"

"Of course," I picked up the offered quill dipped it in the inkwell and wrote with my now very feminine script that I had added both alarm wards and fire runes.

"Oh?"

"Is there something wrong, my lady?" Karin asked.

"It's nothing," I smiled and handed the map and quill back to Master Jeffrey.

Besides my sudden quill mastery, I had just written in the language used in the southern kingdom. I could only assume my writing language prowess was part of the whole language package I picked up.

Leo finished the story with both our groups returning to Wyndemere. The Captain had a couple of questions about the monsters we encountered, especially the two-headed dogs. It only confirmed how dangerous the Pale Hills were getting.

"I am hesitant about setting the difficulty of the first floor right now, but between the again walkers, the antlion nest, and the floor guardian, we are most definitely looking at a rating of C-rank at the minimum for the second floor."

"The three of us also came to that conclusion, Jeffrey," Leo concurred. "Note in your report that the ratkins came in numbers. That’s going to an issue even with a C-ranked party."

"That’s all well and good, Master Jeffrey." Captain Conrad said, sounding a little frustrated. "Sweet Dinya, a living labyrinth. Are you sure you aren’t mistaken?"

Leo looked apologetic. "Captain, my wife and I both have been in Ingsmouth. And from what we have seen, we think that it’s a living labyrinth."

"Lady Eleanor." He looked at me expectantly. Shame, I was going to have to dash his hopes.

"I have to agree with Leo and Karin. That place has a certain intelligence."

Master Jeffrey nodded, "It's not uncommon for higher-ranked adventurers to have those feelings inside a living labyrinth."

"And as you say, Captain Conrad, traveling the Forest Road has also become much more dangerous." Karin pointed out.

"This will have to be reported to the Baroness and eventually His Majesty." The Captain frowned. "The Merchant Guild isn’t going to be happy either."

Iona looked a little confused. "Why?"

"It's going to cost more for the caravans to use the Albanese Way due to the need to increase their caravan guards," Leo explained. "Thankfully, the labyrinth is in the Pale Hills and not next to the village, like Ingsgate."

"Well, having a living labyrinth in this kingdom will be a great boon to us," the guild representative chirped.

I could tell Captain Conrad was trying to hide a scowl. Instead, he asked, "Master Jeffrey, I will also need you to speak with your Guildmaster. I need two more adventuring bands besides the ones I have already requested to clear out the forests around the village."

The guild representative nodded then wrote down what the Captain asked for. Master Jeffrey then sighed, his cheerfulness dampened quite a bit, "I will have to hand this report to the Guildmaster personally. He will also have questions, oh so many questions."

He then looked up to me hopefully, "Lady Eleanor, it might be a bit presumptuous of me to ask but is it possible for you to accompany me to Harmon. And the others too, as they also might have information that the Guildmaster might find useful."

I gave the man a sympathetic smile, "Master Jeffrey, I understand the need to return with this information in a timely manner. However, you must understand that we have only just returned to Wyndemere from the labyrinth. Some of us are in no position to travel further."

I could see him deflate. "However, may I suggest that you start the journey? I believe in a couple of days, some of us will be able to follow, although Amice and her betrothed will most likely remain here."

The young healer gave me a grateful smile. Warin was doing better, but from what I was told, he wasn't going to be fit to travel for at least a week.

"I will also send a message to Sir Eric at the castle, Master Jeffrey. He will want to be at the meeting as well." The Captain then turned to me, "Lady Eleanor, if you don’t mind traveling by river. I am sure one of the returning supply boats can take your band to Harmon."

Captain Conrad thankfully ended the discussion there. It had been a rather long day. After telling everyone that I would be available tomorrow if they needed to speak to me further, I left the room, followed by Rosalyn.

I tried not to let it show, but the vision or whatever it was had rattled me. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed.

Of course, I couldn’t fool my Lady's Maid as she helped me undress, "Are you sure you don’t want something to eat, Lady Eleanor?"

"No, thank you, Rosalyn, I just want to go to sleep. Though if you could please inform Master Leo and his wife that I would be happy to meet with them sometime tomorrow to continue our discussion about Iona?"

"Of course, my lady," she replied, setting down my outer dress over one of the chairs.

"I'm sorry." Wiping tears from my eyes, I tried to give Rosalyn a smile, "I'm just tired."

"I understand, my lady," she replied softly.

As soon as the bedroom door closed, the tears came again and wouldn’t stop until I drifted off to sleep.

--0--

Deep in the Dry Hill, a half a dozen riders increased their pace when the afternoon sky began to darken, threatening rain. Normally those who travel through the dusty land welcomed what relief the afternoon showers would bring, but it would only slow them down. Their early morning departure from the caravan had not been noticed, but a prolonged absence would not.

Such was the life of those who lived in two worlds.

If anyone told the well-dressed horsemen that they would be in danger from the Dal Riata, the group would nod sagely and then laugh among themselves. So it came as no surprise to their leader when suddenly surrounded by raiders, it did not come to blows.

"You’re a long way from your caravan, cath fach!" A rather tall catkin called out much to the amusement of his dozen or so mounted companions.

With a long-suffering sigh, the one he called cath fach, pulled off her rose-colored hood, and said, "I need to see my grandmother Drog."

"Oh, and I thought the two of you weren’t speaking to one another."

The cinnamon-colored cat woman gave the rider a hard look. "Do you think I would be out here if it wasn’t important?"

"Maybe you got lost!" Another catkin called out, causing the raiders to roar with laughter.

"I have no time for this," she whispered fiercely.

"Oh, let her through cousins," another beastman rode through the group. "How are you, Opal, growing soft in the cities?"

"I'll show you soft, Pendrin, if I wasn’t in such a hurry," she greeted him warmly, "How's Shryan?"

"Beautiful as always and as big as a horse," the catkin laughed.

Opal sighed and shook her head, "Pregnant again?"

"Of course." He then motioned the others to move back and leaned forward. "I take that whatever news you have is urgent."

"It is. Please, Pendrin, I can't be away from the caravan long."

"Alright, Opal, don’t blame me if you lose your head. Your grandmother wasn’t happy when you left. Come, I'll escort you. The others will have to remain here. You can tell me about your family on the way."

He then turned his horse around and started to ride off towards a large group of tents. Motioning to her guards to stay, Opal followed the younger beast-man into the Dal Riata camp.

Chapter 4: The Curse of the Moon

In virtual reality, touch like the other senses was muted. When your character took a wound, it didn’t hurt, but there was something, a shadow feeling. Everyone knew that developers were always researching ways to improve the experience, but in a game where you were killed quite often, no one wanted it to be any more real.

So it felt strange when first appearing in Magic-Life as a member of the opposite sex. There was a disconnect between my mind and my avatar body in this new reality. However, after spending a year almost full-time as Eleanor, I stopped thinking about those new or lack of body parts. I no longer felt a sense of wrongness, but now dreaded reality because it was Shawn's body that felt alien.

So, it shouldn't have been a surprise that after suddenly being transported to this world, I had trouble realizing what had happened because, to me, nothing changed. It took Mother Nature slapping me in the face to understand that my virtual body had actually become real. The morning after returning from the labyrinth, she would punch me in the gut and confirm that truth.

On any given day, I don’t think many people spent a lot of time contemplating parts of their bodies. Take the foot, for example, if you stub your toe, sure, or if you need to put on your shoes, then yes, but other than that probably not.

So let's talk about breasts, mainly mine. Stuck in armor, and not fully undressing for the last week or so, I rather forgot about them. Or, more likely since I had them, well virtually, for a year already, I was used to them. See my foot theory. The next morning, however, I knew I owned a pair because they really hurt.

Mother Nature, the bitch, finally brought me the lovely gift that I had been dreading, the one which women know only all too well. I didn’t freak out or scream. Ok, I might have hyperventilated a little, but my first thought was, how do you get blood out of a bed, and God, what a fucking mess.

Stripping out of my chemise, I headed off to the bathroom. As a former male, who probably made some inane comments about the monthly visitor, I also offered up an apology to any and all females before conjuring water to clean myself up.

Thank goodness, I had known this situation would eventually come up, so I wasn’t all that weirded out. OK, I totally was, but I think most girls were a bit freaked out with the thought of having their first period. Moreover, for some shitty reason, my Healing Lore skill kept insisting that this was perfectly normal. Right, because bleeding out of your crotch was a good thing.

Three women in my life came to the rescue of my sanity. Kathy, because she insisted I knew everything about what she had to deal with in her life, including her periods. An ex-girlfriend of mine from college, who liked to have sex while on the rag, her words, not mine, claiming orgasms were good for cramps. From her, I learned how to deal with the messy part, nothing else. I'm sticking to that story too. However, Rosalyn was the hero of the hour.

Discovering the bloody bed and chemise, she followed me into the privy, and I'm sure half expected to find a homicide. Thankfully, when buying all sorts of herbs, we discussed what they called the Moon Curse. Moreover, as a Lady's Maid, she was always prepared.

How do the women in each of our worlds deal with their periods? Surprisingly it was very similar. Yes, they used tampons and pads, well those women could afford the fabric. Obviously, they were handmade. Unfortunately, cotton doesn’t absorb as well as modern sanitary pads. The rest of the women just bled into their clothes. Scarlet petticoats were not just fashionable but helped in hiding the mess.

For me, a hot bath helped, and so did the wine mixed with the herb barrel leaf for the cramps. Rosalyn fed me, although I didn’t want to eat. She then made me as comfortable as possible, even though I felt like I was wearing a diaper.

Deciding that I was going to live, I pulled out my lower levels spells, hoping to find one, not in a total need of a rewrite. I still felt like hitting someone, though. Happy period, fuck that.

Setting down some clean linen, Rosalyn said, "Lady Eleanor, Master Leo, and Mistress Karin wondered if you are able to speak to them today."

I looked up from my work on the Witchlight spell. A relatively low-level incantation, so Iona should have no problems casting it. Truthfully, I was having a hard time determining what or what she cannot cast.

In Magic-Life, as you progressed in levels, you immediately mastered higher tier spells. In this world, did it come from a better understanding of your magic, a natural increase in your mana pool, or some third reason yet to be determined? Iona would be my own little guinea pig.

"That’s fine; we need to speak before we leave for Harmon anyway." Sitting back, I played with my skirt.

Rosalyn just smiled when I auto-equipped the black hakama and kosode, but I wonder what she thought of my garb. Wearing a tight corset was right out, so I was happy that I had this in my inventory. Wayland might be a little obsessed with Japan, but I have to thank him for making this for me if I ever see him again.

--0—

"Good afternoon, everyone," I managed a smile upon entering the room shadowed by Rosalyn.

A small part of me thought to change, but I decided against it. There was nothing at all wrong with the kosode. Besides the pink sakura decorations on the silk robe being rather pretty, the fabric was impossibly soft and comfortable. I did have to loosen the obi a little, though.

Everyone else seemed to have dressed up as well. I shouldn’t have been surprised as this was an important discussion for Iona, sort of like a job interview.

"Thank you for meeting with us, Lady Eleanor," Leo said.

"Of course, and I am happy to see everyone appears to be a little more rested. Amice informed me this morning that Warin was doing better. He even walked around the room a little. How are Myra and Katilia?"

"Doing well," Karin replied, "Although Iona found them still asleep before we came downstairs."

"Well, I'm not surprised," I chuckled, "Did the group come to a decision on what they will do going forward?"

"Well, with Denis and Argus's death and Warin and Amice's decision to retire, as a group, they will have to disband. Which is what we expected," Leo explained. "Myra and Katilia will remain together and travel with us to Harmon."

"I believe they eventually plan on signing up as caravan guards," Karin said, looking towards her niece who nodded. "It’s a good way to find new companions."

"I see, well, I wish them luck. So let's talk about Iona's future." I give the young mage a warm smile. "I do have a few reservations, though. Although I am not against it, she's a wonderful student; it's my own circumstance that makes this a bit of a challenge."

"But, I'm willing to travel back to your kingdom with you." Iona jumped in, ignoring the look her aunt was giving her.

"And I appreciate that," Which I did, but I wasn’t going to subject the poor girl to the modern world, even without me knowing how to get there. "But you're aware how I came to this kingdom, right? So as far as anyone knows, I might wake up one morning back home."

Both Leo and Karin nodded in understanding.

"So the four to six-year traditional time frame is probably unrealistic. And she is really beyond the point of a starting apprentice anyway."

I gave Iona a smile, which she looked down and nodded.

"That being said, I still would like to continue with her studies but with an understanding that it might not be for very long. She will, of course, move into my household, and like any other apprenticeship, I'll be responsible for her lodgings and clothing. I am also not asking for a Master's Fee."

Thankfully, Rosalyn was quite forthcoming in explaining to me how apprenticeships worked in this kingdom. There were legal as well as other considerations that I had not known. One was that the families often paid a fee, which was sometimes rather large for their child to become an apprentice to a particular master.

Although Iona's Aunt and Uncle didn’t look too surprised, they did look relieved.

"That's very generous of you, Lady Eleanor," Leo said.

"Well, I think I will benefit from the apprenticeship, as much as she will."

Besides Iona's assistance in helping me understand the magic in this world, I was feeling protective of this young woman. It was almost like having a younger sibling. I knew Kathy would like her as well.

"I am curious, my lady, have you taken an apprentice before?" Karin asked.

"Iona will be my first teaching magic."

"Of course, you had squires," my soon to be apprentice chirped.

Well, we did train the many Alts that joined our guild. And for the most part, the warriors called themselves my squires, much like my companions called themselves my knights, difficult people every one of them.

"Well, sort of. Sir Belvedere was actually responsible for them as I had other responsibilities. But I trained and adventured with all of my companions when I could."

No one in Magic-Life needed another person to teach them magic. However, since it wasn’t a computer game where you would point and click a mouse to activate a skill, you could improve some of them through training.

Those who had real-life swordsmanship skills (kendo, fencing, whatever) were sought after. And, although the computer did most of the work, we discovered that even learning the proper footwork gave us an edge.

It was common for most mornings to see players sparing with one another, learning new tricks, honing their skills. A little more of what I missed, although with beta-testing coming to a close, that daily interaction with my guildmates would have ended as well.

"Although, now it appears I have an Apprentice, if you're willing, Iona."

"Yes!" She called out happily.

"Excellent, I'll also be sure to add weapons training to what I am going to be teaching you as well."

She seemed surprised, but I could see the approval in both her Aunt and Uncle's eyes.

Iona's family still had a few things to arrange. Leo had to notify the Adventurers Guild, and because his niece was a member, he needed to arrange a formal contract. For her part, Iona understood apprentices needed to fulfill expectations, or her Aunt and Uncle could be fined. Not that I worried about such things.

We spoke a little bit more, mostly about logistics, and the upcoming visit to Harmon before I returned to my room for a nap. Iona went with her family to get her things before moving them into the room next to mine. She had been sleeping in Marcus's daughter's old bedroom until recently.

My Lady's Maid bobbed a curtsy upon entering my bedroom. "I have something to ask you as well, Lady Eleanor, when you have the time."

"You don’t need to stand on ceremony, Rosalyn, just ask," I said, trying not to yawn in her face.

"I wish to accompany you to Harmon, and continue to be your Lady's Maid."

That was a surprise, "Oh, Rosalyn, are you sure? I mean, that would be lovely. But, I don’t want to poach you away from Master Thomasyn."

I wouldn’t say I was distressed about the thought of leaving her behind, but it did feel as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders. Rosalyn had been invaluable in helping me grow accustomed to not just this world, but having a female body. I know this morning would have been a disaster without her advice and assistance.

"That’s not a problem, my lady. He knew that my working here was just temporary. Since Master Kenneth no longer needed my service after Mistress Margaret passed away, I had been looking for a more permanent position."

I motioned for her to take a seat, which she thankfully did. "I see, but you were there when I had a similar discussion with Iona. I still have no idea how I arrived in this kingdom. And as far as I know, I might wake up tomorrow back in my own bed."

"That is true, my lady," acknowledged Rosalyn, "However, you plan on traveling to Harmon and perhaps Volis. And if I am unable to return with you, being in the capital would improve my prospects of future employment, as opposed to staying in Wyndemere."

I smiled at her, glad she was thinking ahead. I also knew that her mother had been a Lady's Maid to a former Lady-in-Waiting for the Queen mother, so she had a good understanding of who might help me get back home.

"I believe I can also help you with Apprentice Iona's studies. Not magical or martial, of course, but she is supposed to have a certain proficiency in etiquette being a student of someone of your station."

I couldn't help but be amused at some of the other things Rosalyn wanted to teach Iona, including dancing, music-making, and other so-called elegant pastimes. Part of me didn’t think she needed such skills, but in this world, they would be beneficial to possess.

--0—

The next day morning was better. Rosalyn said that Dinya must favor me, as the bleeding was not heavy. The pads I wore during the night, at least, kept the bed clean.

I didn’t know if it was the same reason why I knew how to walk in a dress or just me being stubborn, but like every other woman in either world, I got on with my life. My only consolation, I remember female athletes tended to have infrequent periods. However, considering my luck, they will come in like clockwork.

After Iona settled in, the two of us, along with Rosalyn's help, came up with a schedule for the next couple of days. After breakfast, I would teach my apprentice magic until after the fourth bell. Afterward, my Lady's Maid would teach her etiquette while I worked on my scrollwork.

Iona had been able to learn Fire Dart in about a day; the Alarm Ward took almost three times that and the same with Conjured Water. Hopefully, she would be able to cast Witchlight before our arrival in Harmon.

Since I felt better and with everyone getting in another day of rest, we decided to leave the next morning. Captain Conrad appeared relieved after hearing the news. The poor man had received at least two more messages asking about the status of our departure.

Unexpectedly I had another visitor later in the day. As I entered the parlor, Marcus didn’t even raise an eyebrow at my new outfit. I had changed out of my kosode into something different. Admittedly, the many silk layers of the jūnihitoe were probably too much, but it was comfortable.

OK, although most of my outfits were gifts, I will freely admit to becoming a bit of a clotheshorse. Moreover, you might think that some beta-testers, including myself, were obsessed with clothing, and you would be right. However, since Magic-Life was supposed to be a virtual world, the developers wanted to include all aspects of life. We were not just there for fighting.

Although every player was an adventurer, we spent just as much time testing our non-combat skills such as cooking, sewing, smithing, and alchemy. Several players even challenged one another to find the most out of the way spots for fishing.

Holidays were where we went truly nuts. Halloween, for example, was a lot of fun, the food and costumes in-game became quite elaborate. Even the developers got involved for those who didn’t have those skills. Breaking out my magical fox ears would be amusing but would probably raise too many questions.

"Lady Eleanor, I hope you're doing well." The honorable veteran smiled, taking off his arming cap as I entered the parlor.

I told him that I was doing well, and we spoke for a few moments about his trip back from the Godstones. However, I could see that he was a bit anxious, so with the pleasantries out of the way, he passed an envelope to Rosalyn. I motioned for him to take a seat while my Lady's Maid opened it.

Giving it a quick glance, she then passed it to me before explaining, "It's an invitation from Baroness Sabena."

The very vocal 'eeep' from next to me made me turn my head. Iona stood there red as a tomato and with both hands on her mouth.

Chuckling, I read it over. The Baroness wanted to meet with me. Strange, I would have thought she would have more important things to do than meet with some random adventurer traveling through her lands. Then again, if she's anything like Mark's grandfather, Baroness Sabena would want to hear about the living labyrinth from someone who was there and not just read about it in a report.

Before Mark got all lovey-dovey with my cousin, he and I used to travel every summer with his grandfather. As the eventual owner of the company, Mark needed to learn the ropes and decided that I needed to come along for some reason.

One of the more fun things was when the old man decided to show up at some factory or office unexpectedly. The location didn’t matter, as he had his own private jet. Even government officials were fair game. I ended up meeting a lot of interesting people.

Remembering my own etiquette lessons, I said, "I will see about what type of gift I can bring. If either of you has a suggestion on where the Baroness interests might lie, that would be helpful."

Mark's grandfather always brought local confections or some other food for the office to share. Other times it would be more personal for someone like a factory manager. I will have to think about it.

Rosalyn suggested, "I imagine that the Baroness will also offer you a place to stay while you are in Harmon, Lady Eleanor."

I couldn’t imagine why. Sigh, ok, I understand it might be because of the whole noble thing. I'm not that dense. I just don’t feel like going there. An inn would be totally fine, as long as it had a bath.

"Well, I wouldn’t want to be an imposition, and I do have my own funds." Folding the letter, I passed it back to Rosalyn. "I imagine that there are plenty of inns or hostels in Harmon."

"Oh yes, Lady Eleanor," Iona spoke up, "I think you would like the Grande, is just north of the market district near the castle."

Smiling at my apprentice, I turned back to my Lady's Maid. "I believe it's unnecessary to send the baroness a response right now as we plan on traveling soon, but I'll need to one once we settle in Harmon."

"Yes, my lady."

--0--

The seven of us departed the inn with little fanfare just after the third bell. For most of the village, the day began hours before at sunrise, so the streets were full of people as we made our way towards the River Gate. Several of the villagers we passed even wished us a safe journey.

It was nice of Captain Conrad to arrange transportation for the trip down the River Southbourne. Since not all of us had mounts, it would reduce the almost four-day travel time on foot to just a little over two. Although I am positive that, a certain someone's desire for an in-person report on the labyrinth expedited our travel plans.

With Wyndemere being at the western end of the Salt Route, many merchants would either unload their supplies or continue deeper into the heart of the southern kingdoms by road. For those heading northeast to the Eagle Empire, it was the last town before traveling down the Forest Road and towards the dangerous Dry Hills.

For the masters shipping their cargo south, the river started from Lilly Lake and the Eastward Marches to the northeast and then meandered its way until it reached the sea. Along the way, the river passed several towns and cities, including Harmon, before emptying into the sea south of the kingdom's capital, Volis.

I couldn’t say anything good or bad about our transport as we found it tied to the docks. My slim knowledge about barge travel started and ending with knowing that they used to be horse-drawn on canals. The Vittoria was almost 50 feet long by 15 or so feet wide and ran up and down the Southbourne powered by poles, wind, and magic.

We found the ship's captain yelling at the small crew. The poor sailors or lightermen as they liked to be called moved over the barge, getting it ready to depart.

"Hail the Vittoria!"

The captain, an older man who features spoke of years working in the sun, stopped in mid-shout and turned to me in confusion.

"You Lady Eleanor?" He gruffly asked.

I heard a few chuckles behind me, and an unhappy sound from Rosalyn.

It seemed from the surprised look on his face that he did not expect an adventuring party. I had not been aware at the time, but some of his displeasure directed at the crew, besides being forced to wait an extra day, was the annoyance of having to host some pampered noble. This was a working barge, not some pleasure craft from the capitol.

"That I am, Captain, permission to come aboard!" I called out from below.

"Aye, come on we don’t have all day." He then went back to ordering his crew.

Two days later, while standing near the prow of the Vittoria, I half-listened to an older mage's discussion with Iona. Besides the Captain and his six-person crew, the ship's company also included two adventurers hired through the guild for protection.

The youngest, a warrior, was about the same age as Iona, while the second was an older mage who looked ready to retire. Both were pleased, however, at our appearance when boarding the ship. Our group was well armed and armored; even if river travel was safer than the roads, it was not without its dangers.

"Hey Blake, you're going to stab yourself if you can't stop flirting with Lady Eleanor's apprentice!" one of the lightermen called out, causing them all to laugh.

The young man, who had been trying to show off his weapon forms, huffed then turned away, finding a sport under the awning towards the rear of the barge.

"Sorry about my nephew, Mage Iona," the older mage chuckled then called out to me. "Lady Eleanor, are you sure it's alright for me to have a copy of these two spells?"

Witchlight and Conjurer Water were two that any low ranked mage should be able to learn. As predicted, Iona had already mastered Witchlight. The water conjuration, although wasn’t the best mana wise, was easier to cast than the Summon Water spell used by many D-ranked adventurers. The mage who sat with my apprentice had been traveling the river for twenty years but had not advanced beyond E-ranked.

"Its fine, Mage William, it's two spells that everyone should know," I assured him.

Standing up to give a bow, he rubbed his chin while looking over the scrolls. "Mage Light, I was never able to master, but these two, might take me a few weeks, but thank you."

The two of us had spoken the better part yesterday, allowing me to learn a few important things about this world, so if he wanted to offer me payment, I would point that out. Although I believe he was just happy to see another mage interested in his work. Besides overseeing ship security, he was responsible for the magic item that helped propel the ship upriver.

Much like in Magic-Life, there were many different types of magic items in this world. Potions, one of the least expensive, were consumed after use while weapon enchantments were permanent but not cheap. A third type, which I didn’t even know existed, were those that needed to be recharged.

"So, this isn’t permanently enchantment?" I asked, kneeling to look at a black iron box attached to a metal plate at the stern of the barge.

"Oh, no, my lady," William chuckled while puffing on his pipe. "The owners couldn’t afford such a thing. No, it's cheaper for them to buy mana stones every season. Plus, brigands are enough trouble trying to steal cargo, but if there was a magic item on board like that."

Leaning over, I studied the runes inscribed on the iron plate and on top of the box. Running a finger over them, I smiled. "So it's relatively inexpensive to make then, interesting. So you are the only one who knows how it works?"

The runes weren’t complicated, and I could probably turn it on if given a few minutes. From what I could tell, the magic box used several incantations to pull water into it, then propel it back out through copper tubes, almost like a waterjet.

"Ahh, well, I have the incantation to start and stop it. Plus, my contract allows me to purchase mana stones from the guild when they are needed."

"And of course, you’re the only one on the boat that knows how to charge the magic item too." I gave him a bit of a grin.

"Of course, my lady," he laughed. "Guild secret and all that."

He also informed me that in an emergency, he could manually charge the box using two brass rods attached to the rear of the box. Only in life or death situations, though, because the item might not let him go and would drain his magic and stop his heart.

I now understood the demand for information on our discovery. Much like our world, mana stones were a resource in great need. It could also be a new era of prosperity for the Kingdom of Estassa or, like many times in our world, plunge it headfirst into never-ending wars.

--0--

Author's Note: I am going out of town, so next Sundays chapter will be delayed a few days

Chapter 5: A Midsummer Day's Confusion

Harmon, the northernmost city in the Kingdom of Estassa and the gateway into the Southern Kingdoms, was a fortress. Throughout history, an Imperial Legion, several goblyn clans, and a necromancer's undead horde have broken their backs upon it.

Inside the ten-meter tall outer walls that surrounded the city were orchards, farms, stables, and closer to the city gates, the many residences of the working-class poor of Harmon. On the other side of the next, higher and thicker walls were guildhalls, shops, warehouses, and the home of the many tradesmen and their families.

As you went deeper into the city, you passed through another gate. Inside the third wall, you would find shrines to the gods, higher-end shops, and homes of the wealthy. In the center of it all was Castle Donha.

"Reminds me of Carcassonne," I commented to my apprentice as we got a better view of the city.

Iona was currently studying my Arcane Lance spell. Although it did significantly less damage than its elemental cousins, the mana cost was not as high. After a little testing, I came to the conclusion that her mana pool had grown since we first met, or perhaps her ability to draw more mana from the environment.

Either way, my apprentice was ready to progress to the next level of spells. Mage William, however, could make no sense of the incantation, but I did leave a copy for him to look over, which he was very grateful.

"Is that a city in your Kingdom?" Iona looked up from her work.

It's not even in my country but close enough, although I think the French government would object to being called a Kingdom.

I smiled and nodded in reply as I watched Rosalyn approach.

"Lady Eleanor, did you wish to change?" She asked.

We were still about thirty minutes away from docking, but she did have a point, no need to walk around the city fully armored. Sometime yesterday, we actually passed a point where the river became less dangerous. The crew, however, didn’t seem too upset that we hadn’t changed out of our adventuring gear.

"Probably a good idea to get out of the way of the crew anyway."

I motioned to Iona to remain and continue her work as Rosalyn, and I made our way to the stern of the ship.

Although there were places to sleep, a kitchen, and the Captain's cabin, no one wanted to spend any amount of time in the rear of the barge. It was too hot, even at night. The heat didn’t really bother me, it was rather nice, but the crew and the rest of our group spent the night on the deck under a large awning.

I noticed with some amusement that my Lady's Maid seemed to be wilting under the heat of the cabin. "You know Rosalyn, as much as I appreciate your help, I can do this by myself if you're too hot."

The Captain insisted I be given one of the nicer cabins. The owner of the Vittoria had a storeroom converted into a duel-purposed room for himself and his wife, which they used while traveling. Not that it was large, my bedroom closet at home was bigger, but for a two-day boat trip, it was cozy.

Smiling, she shook her head, "I'm fine, my lady, although if you can do your magical change of outfit spell, it will speed up the process. I can then make sure everything fits right."

Laughing, I nodded, then looked through my inventory, hmm, how about the green and white dress. As soon as I auto-equip the outfit, Rosalyn's eyes opened wide, obviously surprised at something.

"Lady Eleanor."

Oh, I forget that the green dress was part of the Midsummer's Event unique armor set. On the first day of the weeklong event, a series of rather fun games determined who would preside as either King or Queen of Midsummer. That one lucky player would also receive either the Oberon's or Tatiana's outfit. Of course, members of my guild went out of the way so to make sure that I ended up winning.

Reaching up, I removed the corolla, or I guess you could also call it a diadem from my brow and ran a finger over the beautiful silver flowers and leaves. The way it was designed made it look like a wreath, which went with the whole forest theme of the armor set.

"Is, as in mockery," I whispered. "Set, the spring, the summer, the childing autumn, and the angry winter,"

Placing the corolla back into my inventory, but leaving the rest of the forest-inspired jewelry on, I motioned to Rosalyn, who stepped behind me and started to loosen and tighten things. Immediately I could tell the difference. It's not that it was uncomfortable before this was just better.

"Iona, if you need the room, it's available," I said as we exited the stern.

Smiling, she waved to her sister, who grabbed her girlfriend before the three of them went to change. Moments later, Karin joined them.

"So this is the only one over the river," I asked as we traveled under an archway of a stone bridge some twenty minutes later. Its appearance reminded me a little of a drawing of the old London Bridge.

"The only one this far north, Lady Eleanor," Mage William explained. "Another day and a half by river south of here is the bridge at Black Hallow Castle."

"Most of the time, you have to cross the river by boat, my lady." One of the lightermen added.

"So it splits the Barony in half," I murmured. Too wide to ford, and the closest points were heavily defended. Wyndemere, unfortunately, was located on the wrong side of the river.

As we passed numerous taverns, warehouses, and homes of the dockworkers on the eastern bank, the lighterman added, "Keep a hand on your dagger and another on your coin purse if you decide to visit the taverns at night, my lady."

"So, most of the south going caravans pass through there?"

"Yes, my lady," Mage William answered, and then asked, "You plan on a bit of traveling?"

"Perhaps," I said, and then pointed to the other side of the river. "And if you take that road beyond Harmon?"

"It will take you to the Barony of Redwater."

As we drew closer to our destination, the Captain once again started to shout orders to the crew. It seems the owners had their own section of the docks, so we didn't have to wait long.

"The carriage is for me?"

Standing at the foot of the gangplank, I watched as it came to a stop right in front of me. Although I had no comment on its decorations, it appeared somewhat comfortable, and at least the cobblestones would make it a reasonably smooth ride. Just not something, I was expecting.

"Does it not..." the man standing beside me fretted. Introduced as Master Theodore, he was the eldest son of the owner of several river barges, including the Vittoria.

I waved off his concern, "No, its fine, Master Theodore, it's very much appreciated, thank you."

I had expected to walk to wherever we were going, but as usual, people had other ideas.

He beamed at the compliment, "Your Lady's Maid has informed me that you plan on staying at the Grande."

"That is correct, Master Theodore."

The young man nodded and walked towards my waiting transportation, speaking to the driver.

"We will be going as well, Lady Eleanor," Leo said as he and his wife set down their baggage. "I need to check on our school and make a report to the guild. Myra and Katilia would also be traveling with us."

"I will inform the Guildmaster where you will be staying." Karin smiled then wrapped her arms around her youngest niece. "You be good, Iona."

"Yes, Auntie," she replied a little tearfully.

"Sorry that you're going to have to leave Blake behind, little sister?" Myra grinned.

"Please don’t start." Iona sighed. "He was so annoying."

"Most teenage-boys are my dear," joked Karin.

It then surprised me when Leo bowed, and four women made a deep curtsey, which caused several people on the docks to turn to look at what was going on.

"Thank you once again for your help Lady Eleanor; we are all alive only because of your assistance. We will never forget that," Leo said.

"It was my pleasure." I smiled at the group. "Although this is hardly farewell, I imagine that we will be seeing one another fairly soon."

That got a small laugh from everyone. We had spoken about the Pale Hills Labyrinth over the last two days and knew that the repercussions were going to be enormous. All of them half expected that I would receive an invitation from the throne, which reminded me that I still needed to send my reply to the Baroness.

"Master Theodore," I called out.

"Yes, my lady." He hurriedly came to my side.

"Do you know of a way I can get a message to Castle Donha?"

"I do. Let me get the Captain of the Docks." He immediately ran off again.

"Excitable fellow," Leo chuckled.

I sighed and gave him a look, which made him chuckle even more. "You know you don’t have to stay."

He just smiled, then it faltered a bit when he spotted the group of people approaching. Huh, I only wanted to borrow a runner or something.

"Lady Eleanor of House Reine?" A lightly armored soldier stepped forward, followed by four other similar armored guards. Behind them, Theodore looked on nervously, obviously curious at whatever problems he might just have caused.

I smiled at the woman and nodded, "Yes, you must be the Captain of the Docks?"

"Yes, my lady." She didn’t return the smile, but all five of them bowed. "My name is Captain Adeline, and I was informed that you might be arriving, but we were not sure of the day."

"Oh, I see, well, I imagine that Baroness Sabena and Guildmaster Stephen were not aware of our early departure from Wyndemere. Master Theodore mentioned that you might be able to deliver a message for me to Castle Donha?"

She looked confused for a moment. "We can, of course, my lady, but if I am not mistaken, the Baroness is already expecting you." She then motioned me towards the carriage as the guard moved forward. "We will be happy to escort you to the Castle, my lady."

"Oh, I see, thank you, Captain." Considering the importance of the information, I guess time was of the essence. Still, why does it feel like I am being kidnapped?

Smiling at my nervous-looking companions, I said, "We will see each other soon. Rosalyn, Iona shall we depart."

--0—

With all that had happened to me in the last month, traveling by horse-drawn carriage seemed the most surreal. The two armored escorts riding to our front and the two to the rear allowed us to pass right through the gates, but we did attract quite a bit of attention.

"So, you live around here, Iona?" I asked but couldn’t help but smile while watching her look out the window. She was practically vibrating with excitement and nervousness at the same time.

"Yes, that’s where my friend Elios lives with her parents. Her father's a Scrivener for the courts."

A lawyer, huh, well, I guess you can find them in every world.

"And the bakery we just passed, that's Mistress Leigh's. She is an old friend of my mothers," she grinned then pointed to the other side of the street. "We live in that direction beyond Harpers' Hall near Master Ribald shop. He's a bladesmith."

"Oh, are there many shops like that in Harmon?" A weapons store sounded like something I would find in Magic-Life.

Iona sat back, thinking. "I guess, although most adventurers buy their weapons and gear through the guild. Master Ribald's swords are better made, though. At least that's what Aunt Karin says."

"You will find more shops like Master Ribald in Harmon than in other cities, Lady Eleanor," Rosalyn said.

Iona perked up. "That’s true. There are a lot of ancient ruins to the west of the Southbourne River. Plus, the town leaders of Kilby, Feywood, and Rivermoore, and of course, Wyndemere, are always posting jobs."

"Like the job of cleaning out rats under the inns of Harmon."

"That too," Iona beamed.

After we passed through another gate, the ride had become considerably smoother; the houses around more expensive, and along the side of the street, I could see what appeared to be street lamps. The district reminded me more of 19th century New York than a medieval city.

"Are those gas lamps?" I asked.

"Gas? Oh, no, my lady, those are mage lights," Rosalyn replied.

This world was not mine, and I didn’t know its history or its inventions. I was surprised how often the technology around me seemed modern. The homes and shops on this side of the wall had magical stoves, indoor heating, and lighting.

Talking about the magic items in the neighborhood, I wasn’t surprised when Iona brought up my share of the treasure again.

"Are you sure you don’t want any of the mana stones, Lady Eleanor?" she asked as we continued our way through Harmon. "I mean, Uncle Leo's probably keeping a few. He'll just take the cost for them out of his share."

Oh, that’s interesting. "I assumed we were required to turn most of them in. I still possess the basilisk's core because you all insisted I keep it, but the rest we would have to sell to the guild."

Iona shook her head. "It's against the law to sell them to anyone but the Adventurers Guild. Although from what I have been told, you're not supposed to give mana stones away either but people do it anyway."

"The kingdom needs to collect its taxes, Iona," Rosalyn commented with a smile.

"That’s what Uncle Leo said. If you sell them, you could be fined or even imprisoned if you're caught."

I wondered how they policed it, though. There had to be some sort of black-market them. Maybe it's like the days of prohibition where you would buy a mug from a local tavern, and they would give you a mana stone instead of alcohol for free.

"Only those merchants with a license from the crown can sell mana stones, my lady," Rosalyn explained. "So, for example, if you have a magic item that requires them, you can get a contract through the crafter or the guild."

My apprentice was still making a face.

Apparently, the mana stones we found in the Pale Hills were of a much higher quality than those typically found in ancient ruins, which was always the case with living labyrinths. Between the undead, the giant insects, and yes, even the ratkins, we collected quite a few.

Now, humans, beastmen, and even goblyns do not own heart cores. The ratkins, however, were the exception. These monsters were created by magic, or some scholars believed normal rats corrupted by it.

Iona's first adventure was an essential job for young adventurers, not just because no one likes rats, but they might eventually turn into ratkins. Even though it's never been a real problem, the monsters usually only inhabited ancient ruins and living labyrinths, but no one wanted to take the risk.

"As I told your Aunt and Uncle, Iona, I have neither need of coin nor a need for mana stones. And, I also have no issues with him splitting my share and adding it to the rest of the group. Amice and Warin are starting a new life, and this way, Argus' family, will receive a little more money. But thank you."

Unfortunately, no one knew anything about Denis. If he had something set up with the guild, then Leo will add to it.

"I believe we are about to arrive, Lady Eleanor," Rosalyn said as she looked outside the window.

--0—

Sir Odo steward of House Donha grumbled as he passed through the halls of the Keep. He and his Baroness had been in a meeting all morning with one of her peers going over the new tax laws when they were told the news of Lady Eleanor's arrival.

What he did not expect was a beautiful woman standing in the middle of the great hall, wearing a green dress that would put most noblewomen's clothing to shame only to be accompanied by an apprentice and her Lady's Maid.

She also seemed to be politely ignoring the half dozen or so guards, which stood about the room for some reason. Considering the recent reports he had received about her, he wasn't surprised she didn’t seem concerned.

Bowing respectfully, he announced, "Lady Eleanor, my name is Sir Odo, Steward of House Donha. I apologize for not having someone to meet you, but we had not expected your arrival."

The young woman gave a small laugh and then nodded, "It's as I expected, Sir Odo. Your Captain of the Gate wasn't even sure to let my carriage pass. After overhearing the conversation between my escort and the other guardsmen, there must have been some sort of miscommunication."

She took note of the armored men in the room with a wave of her hand.

He frowned at them for a moment and then asked. "Did you just arrive in Harmon?"

"Yes, and as soon as we stepped off the boat, we were immediately escorted to the castle."

The knight tried not to cringe. What were they all thinking? Thankfully, the powerful adventurer didn’t look upset, he thought. You could never tell sometimes.

"I apologize for that, Lady Eleanor. Unfortunately, Baroness Sebena is currently unavailable."

"It's no problem, Sir Odo. If one of your soldiers could call for a carriage, I would be more than happy to find an inn for the night. Perhaps we can meet in the morning?"

Now that was refreshing; however, his Baroness would have his head if he let this noblewoman go.

"No, no," he objected, "I believe that the Baroness intends to speak with you as soon as possible. She would also want you to stay at Castle Donha during your time in Harmon."

"Are you sure?" She asked. "I wouldn’t want to be an imposition upon her household."

"It's no trouble, my lady," he insisted. "Considering the size of your retinue, we have plenty of room."

She once again gave a charming laugh. "Yes, well, it appears I have misplaced most of my companions. Well, thank you, Sir Odo, then I'll happily accept the Baroness hospitality."

--0—

"It's not funny, Stewart," The Baroness sat back on her chair, rubbing her eyes. "Could you have imagined if she was one of the empire's high born?"

"Sabena, please tell me if I am wrong, but doesn’t it sound like Lady Eleanor was literally dragged off the boat, tossed into a carriage, and brought to the castle," the Baron of Redwater took a sip from his glass trying not to grin.

"I don’t believe it was that bad, my lord," Sir Odo sighed. "But after speaking to one of the guardsmen who escorted her carriage from the docks, I don’t believe Captain Adeline gave her much of a choice."

"Lilia," the Baroness turned to a young catkin standing in the back of the room. "Please remind me to speak to Sir Eric about this situation. This is not the first time Captain Adeline has come to my attention."

"Yes, my lady."

"It doesn’t sound like she meant any harm, Sebena, maybe a bit over-zealous in her duties." Baron Stewart shrugged. "At least with this Lady Eleanor being an adventurer, the worst thing is that you insulted a member of some lower noble house."

"I'm not sure that is the case, my lord." Sir Odo frowned. "Even after twenty-five years of marriage, I am not well informed about woman's fashion, but Lady Eleanor's dress would not be out of place at High Court."

"Well, of course, she was dressing to meet a Baroness. It sounds like an adventure that recently came into some coin."

"Ahh, but it's not that Stewart, she didn’t expect to be coming to the castle today." Sabena had a small smile on her face as she tapped her finger on her lips. She then looked at her scheneshal and asked, "So only three in her entourage?"

"Yes." Sir Odo nodded.

"And no luggage, correct? So the reports from Master Jeffrey and Captain Conrad sound more believable." The Baroness sat back, looking thoughtful.

"She must have left her gear with some of the other members of her band." Lord Stewart frowned. "Or I am missing something."

"I believe it is in the Baron's best interest to know what we know, my lady," Sir Odo opined.

"I agree, go ahead, and give him the reports to read, Odo."

Barony of Redwater frowned and set down his drink before picking up one of the reports of the Adventurers Guild. "Sweet Dinya, a living labyrinth in our Kingdom. Sebena, has the crown been notified?"

"Of course, Stewart, however, we only received the report from the guild four days ago. His Majesty would only now be receiving the report. I'd expect Archmage Phexidis to appear in Harmon immediately afterward if I didn’t know he hasn’t been seen since before the wedding."

The Baron nodded, "He still wasn’t in the capital two days later when I departed. His Majesty was less than pleased about it." Picking up another sheet of parchment, he then whispered, "Arcane bags, blood bonded weapons, and a spirit animal."

"So, what do you think?" Baroness Sabena asked.

"I think your Captain Adeline lucky to have her head still," he said sincerely. Setting down the report, he frowned. "I am going to assume these aren’t rumors; you know how adventurers tend to be braggarts."

"It's all been verified by multiple parties. Guildmaster Stephen talked to your Guildmaster in Kindale, and will offer her a ranked-A rating if she registers."

"That’s going to cause a ruckus," the Baron frowned. "Her Kingdom, this Avalon isn’t going to be happy about losing one of its defenders. Do you think they will send others to look for her?"

"According to Captain Conrad in Wyndemere, she had members of her band who can create portals."

"Not more than one?" The Baron looked shocked. "Surely, that Kingdom doesn’t have more than one Archmage."

"So, she says." Sabena shrugged. "However, there hasn’t been any reason not to believe her. Although suddenly appearing in the Godstones, I still don’t know what to think of that."

"I assume you spoke to Countess Orebella?"

The Baroness shook her head, "She hasn’t returned from the capital as of yet."

"So, there is no possibility of her being one of Emperor Naxos' pet adventurers?" Stewart asked.

"Can't say it isn’t a possibility, my lord," Sir Odo replied. "However, her coloring reminds me of those mercenaries the crown hired from Karlspang."

"Whale hunters, huh," he made a frown. "Well, they lived up to their ferocious reputation. Unfortunately, we know just as much about the White Wastes as we do about the lands beyond the Great Sea."

"Which is next to nothing," Baroness Sebena smiled. "Could you place her accent, Odo?"

"No, my lady, but she does speak well. I wouldn’t assume she came from the common class like most A-ranked adventures who were raised to the peerage."

"And how does she present herself?"

"No different from any woman of noble birth, my lord."

The Baron of Redwater then asked, "Would you like to hear my thoughts on this, Lady Eleanor, Sabena?"

"I always value your opinion, Stewart," she smiled.

"Most of the time," he grinned, motioning to the stack of parchments covering the new tax laws. "This report, the arcane bags, blood bonded weapons, and the rest, she's no simple adventurer."

"I agree, only the older noble families have blood bonded weapons, and even then, it's rare but not just that." She motioned for him to continue.

"Her Spirit Mount."

The Baroness nodded, "Go on."

"I think she's hiding behind the guise of an adventurer. Oh, she might even be one or had been at one time."

The Baroness nodded. "True, her martial prowess doesn’t have to come from being an adventurer, and she's a mage."

"And she's a mage," Stewart agreed.

"If she were a beastmen, I'd say she's a relation of Queen Clíodhna," Sir Odo commented.

The Baron of Redwater spun on his seat, almost in a panic. "But she not, right, Sir Odo. She's human," he insisted.

The knight's eyes opened wide; he then looked thoughtful and nodded. "Yes, my lord."

Baroness studied the painting of her husband for a moment then looked at her scheneshal, "I would like to meet with Lady Eleanor, Odo."

The Baron of Redwater stood up and said, "I would as well."

Chapter 6: Hints, Lies, Rumors, and Legends

Archmage Phexidis stepped around part of the collapsed ceiling before entering the great library inside the Shrine of Hashan on top of Dragon Tor.

"I was wondering if I would still find you here, my dear."

Countess Orebella, surrounded by great tomes, looked up from her reading. Slipping her glasses on her head, she smiled at her old friend. "So, you're ready to leave?"

"I am, are you sure you will not come with us?" the older man straightened his robes before sitting on a section of rubble.

"Once things settle here, I will send word to you."

"If they settle," Phexidis said doubtfully.

While looking around the library, it was not hard for him to notice part of the walls had collapsed; another section of the ceiling was missing, and many books that were once shelved now lay in large stacks around the chamber.

"So still nothing?"

Orebella sat back and closed the book. "Hints, lies, rumors, legends, fanciful tales, nothing more, even after all these centuries we know very little about the Godstones. We don’t even know who built them or how they work exactly."

Phexidis nodded, looking around at the ancient architecture made by those same unknown people. "And you still think it's all connected?"

The priestess sighed and then made an unhappy face. "I believe so. However, if possible, can you please verify that other shrines experienced similar magical disturbances? All we know was that the ones in Harmon and Volis were not damaged. In fact, except for everyone complaining about headaches, I doubt we would be this concerned.

"But then again, there isn’t a Godstone sitting in the middle of those two shrines."

"Very true. We were lucky with all of the damage here that there were no fatalities." Orebella looked thoughtful. "I wonder if the Olicana Shrine experienced the same disturbance."

"Right, I'll just open a portal to Naxos' throne room and ask him." The Archmage rolled his eyes. "And if it's anything like here, I will have to walk back to Estassa. It's going to take me three days to get to Hidale as it is. I told Henry we wouldn’t be long. He isn’t going to be happy we both missed his brother's wedding."

Orebella shrugged, "I believe you will be forgiven considering the circumstances. Still, I would not be surprised if you needed to travel beyond Hidale before you can create a stable portal. One thing we can be thankful for was that healing spells appear to be unaffected."

"Have you found any reason for that?" queried Phexidis.

"Hints, lies, rumors, legends…"

"… and fanciful tales, nothing more," the Archmage grumbled. "I get it."

"Since the incident, the magic here, Phexidis, you can almost taste it, can't you?" praised Orebella. She cast a simple light spell that surprisingly illuminated the room like a miniature sun. Blinking away the spots from her eyes, she shook her head. "Truly, I feel closer to our goddess more than ever, so I don’t understand how you cannot be in awe."

"It's not that…." He looked puzzled for a moment, and then his eyes went wide. "Living labyrinths, that’s why you asked about the Emperor."

The priestess laughter filled the library. "You were so much quicker when we were children."

Reaching for another book, she opened it, flipped through several pages, and placed her glasses back on her face. Reading for a moment, she then passed it over before removing her glasses again.

"By the wonders of Hashan, this could be a boon, but." The Archmage looked thoughtful for a moment as he looked over the page then closed the book. "We must go to Ingsmouth."

"I'll leave that to you. You always enjoyed searching that place." Waving her hand as if she was shooing him away, she said, "I'm sure they will be relieved to see the Archmage of Estassa if what I believe has happened."

Phexidis nodded and then asked again, "Are you positive you won't be returning with me?"

"I believe my goddess wants me here." Orebella smiled happily then pointed to the stacks of books, scrolls and parchments. "I also want to study this further."

He looked around, concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Don’t worry, Phexidis, those who reside here will come to no further harm." She pronounced then placed her glasses back on her face once more. "Regis has my letters for the Queen Mother and to Initiate Merry in the Shrine at Volis; if you could be so kind as to deliver them when you find the time."

--0--

Sir Odo appeared to be quite sure that the Baroness wanted to meet with me, so I happily wandered around one of the courtyard gardens while we waited. Since it was such a relaxing place, I wasn’t surprised to find we also weren't alone.

The Baroness of Redwater, not that I had any clue who she was at the time, walked with me as we discussed the types of flowers found in the southern kingdoms. I professed my ignorance other than I knew roses were red, which she found amusing. My uncle did have an apple orchard, which she found fascinating. Before we realized we hadn’t actually introduced ourselves, a young voice called out.

"Aunt Amabel, who's that?"

We both turned to find a young boy standing, well looked more like hiding, behind a small fountain in the center of the courtyard.

"Why hello, Byron, this is," she looked at me surprised. "I don’t believe we gave each other our names."

"I'm Eleanor." I laughed and leaned over a little. "And you must be Byron."

"I am," he grinned, which faded a bit because his Aunt had given him a look.

"If I am not mistaken, aren’t you supposed to be in your lessons, dear?" the Baroness of Redwater asked with a little bit of steel in her voice.

Looking embarrassed, he scratched his head and then said, "I was told an adventurer was here, and I wanted to see her."

Ahh caught playing hooky; I decided to fess up too. "Well, I guess that would be me."

"Really?" Byron slipped out from behind the fountain and quickly approached.

"Really really."

"Truly, you don’t appear to be the type." Amabel looked at me surprised and then smiled. "Well, then you will have to explain how a young woman of your station decided upon such a dangerous profession."

Soon afterward, I ended up sitting in another section of the open courtyard, telling the story of my last adventure in Magic-Life. Somewhere between the fountain and the table, we picked up a few more stragglers. Byron's mother had been looking for her son, along with the child's governess.

Quickly introduced as Marsilia, the poor woman was dragged along by her son. Feeling bad for any trouble I might have caused, I had Rosalyn retrieve a few things that I had intended to give out as presents.

"Which ones are these Eleanor?" Marsilia asked, pointing to a colorful selection of candies on the table.

"Ahh, that one is I believe crystallized ginger or candied ginger." I pushed the box towards her away from small prying hands. We had slowly been sampling a collection of sweets from my inventory and a few items that I managed to make on the way to Harmon.

Young Byron, however, looked quite happy with a large chocolate-covered strawberry. "So, what happened next? Were you able to rescue Sir Smithers and his companions?"

We were about three-fourths of the way through the highly edited, kid-friendly story when Sir Odo appeared with two people I didn’t recognize.

"Oh Stewart, come join us you must try some of these magnificent confections Eleanor has brought from her country," the Baroness of Redwater called out as soon as who I assumed was her husband approached.

"Marsilia?" the other person, an older woman who looked a lot like Amabel, sounded perplexed.

"Hello, mother." She covered her mouth, being caught taking a bite of the crystallized ginger, then turned back to me with a smile. "Oh, Eleanor, this is quite lovely."

"I know, oh, Marsilia, you might like the lemons as well," I said, pointing to the yellow fruit next to the candied oranges.

"Hi Grandma," Byron chirped, deciding to chime in. "We're hearing a story want to listen?"

"Where are my manners? Eleanor, this is my husband Stewart and my sister Sebena," Amabel said between bites of a glazed strawberry. "Come sit, you two."

Now I am not in any way an expert on sibling relations, but from the exasperated look the Baroness of Harmon gave her sister the Baroness of Redwater, the two have probably butted heads a few times. Although I'm not positive, I am going to venture a guess that this time was for her less than formal introductions.

I smiled at the newcomers nodding my head in greeting. "Yes, please join us, as you can see I have plenty to share. Oh, and let me also introduce you to my apprentice Iona of Harmon."

She had been quiet since we sat down, nibbling nervously on a piece of candy mango. I think Iona tried to rise probably to give a proper bow or curtsey, but Byron and his mother's chair blocked her. "My Lord, My Lady."

The Baron appeared to be amused; the Baroness resigned, and poor Sir Odo just looked confused, but we eventually got everyone settled. Rosalyn, as expected, managed to at least give a proper greeting before pulling out another candy tray out of the arcane bag I provided her.

Finding a seat, the Baroness said, "So you're Iona of Harmon. Guildmaster Stephen had some good things to say about you."

"Me, my lady?" Iona looked shocked.

"But what about Sir Smithers and his companions?" Byron asked again with a bit of whine in his voice, obviously annoyed that the adults were still talking.

"Byron," his mother gently scolded him.

"Oh no, sorry for interrupting, dear." Sabena frowned then took a glazed strawberry from her sister. "Is this about your most recent adventure?"

I shook my head. "No, the one I was on right before I found myself in your Kingdom."

"I think I would like to hear that story too," the Baron of Redwater said after taking a seat next to his wife.

I didn’t exactly come to the rescue of Sir Smithers, but the questline they were on was totally broken. A little hard to do complete a quest when the monsters continued to respawn as this kept the players from gathering the items needed to advance.

We couldn’t even skip this one, beyond the fact we were beta-testers, everyone was required to complete all five parts for the world quest, so I had to speak with the developers to get it fixed.

"How many adventurers were there in total, Eleanor?" Baron Stewart asked as I finally came to the part where we gathered for the raid.

"In total, there were forty of us," I said, which was easy enough to remember, as it was a forty-man raid. "I had twenty-four companions, Sir Smithers brought along eight, and Arcane had five in her band."

"With you in overall command?" Baroness Sebena asked, looking thoughtful. Not sure what she was thinking, though.

Nodding, I answered in the affirmative.

"Is your band always that big?" Byron asked wide-eyed.

"Oh no, when we traveled to the Pale Hills, the only adventurers with me were Iona and her Uncle and Aunt."

"Oh!" he exclaimed and spun in his seat, looking at my apprentice with interest. "You’re an adventurer too?"

"Yes," her cheeks colored a little. "Although I have only been on three jobs."

"Egads," he grinned, eyes sparkling.

"I'm sorry I missed the first part of the story. Can you tell us again how you ended up leading these adventurers?" the Baron asked. "You said you were in the Kingdom of Mercia, correct? Did the crown entreat upon you for assistance?"

"The crown of Mercia?" I asked then shook my head. "Not directly, one of the chieftains or the lords in charge of the coastal villages in the wetlands approached Sir Grendel, one of my companions, and requested our aid."

I believe there was a High King named Penda. However, chieftains ruled the handful of towns and villages in Mercia, and they, in turn, swore allegiance to clan chiefs who seemed to be the ones actually in charge. Northumbria, another kingdom to the northeast, had a similar system of government. We as players however interacted with quest givers, whoever they might be, from a farmer in the fields to a king's scheneshal and, on occasion, the king himself.

"So this Sir Smithers and Arcane, their people were not your retainers?" the Baroness asked.

"My companions no, but they had helped us before in similar situations," I smiled slightly; many of them were also good friends in and out of the game.

After answering several more questions about the government in Mercia, I continued with my party traveling deeper into the wetlands. Movement there was often difficult at times, even if there were causeways; however, the Cold Swamp, our next destination, had no such luxuries. The Baron and Baroness seemed interested, asking a half a dozen logistic questions, but by then, we could also tell Byron was starting to get antsy.

At least the young boy seemed to enjoy the retelling of my encounters with the ice sprites and the horde of the Drowned, although I could see his mother didn’t quite approve. Well, not everyone likes zombies.

Finally, we reached the location of Eldrark's lair.

"We were surprised to find in the center of the Cold Swamp dry land, an island."

"Oh, and that's where the lizard lived?" Byron asked excitedly.

"Indeed."

"May I ask how large this creature was for it to threatened villages along the coast?" asked the Baron of RedWater.

How big was the world boss? Well, it was a dragon, so enormous, but I should skip using the D-word. Looking around the courtyard, I said, "The beast might be able to fit into this courtyard if it was so inclined."

"Sweet merciful, Dinya," Marsilia whispered.

I nodded, "It was a big wyrm."

Byron made a face "Why did you call it a worm?"

"Wyrm." I sounded it out for him. "Well, it's an old name for the creature as it only had two legs. It also preferred the water, so we were lucky to catch it on dry land."

"Ahh, so it was some sort of a sea serpent then." Sir Odo remarked. "I can see why it attacked those coastal villages."

I shouldn’t have been surprised that he had heard of them, although I expect the ones in this world don’t also have wings. I continued with my story up to the point where the forty of us confronted the world boss.

"A lair made of ice," Byron gasped.

His mother smiled. "She did say that the ground was covered in ice."

"The serpent was freezing the waters," Baroness Sabena noted.

"And the fishing fleets," I added.

In Magic-Life's end-game story, the elder dragon was a creature similar to Jörmungandr from Norse myth. If it won the world of Magika would eventually be covered in eternal winter

"It was a fearsome white beast with swords for teeth, claws like spears and scales offering protection like the best mail."

"And then what?" Byron asked, sitting at the edge of his seat.

I looked at Iona and gave her a wink. "We fought the beast with fire and steel."

--0—

Dreams of cold, unmoving, shadows in the darkness, so cold.

"Lady Eleanor?" some voice whispered through the fog.

So cold.

"Lady Eleanor?" the same voice repeated the call this time a little louder.

Unmoving.

"Your Majesty."

"Wha?" Sitting up in my chair, I groped around, trying to catch my reading material before it slid off my lap and onto the floor. Looking around, I found Rosalyn standing above me with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm sorry, my lady, I couldn’t wake you." She leaned down and picked up the remaining sheets that were out of my reach. "Guildmaster Stephen and the others have arrived."

Although I would have preferred the day to end, it wasn’t up to me. As much as I enjoyed retelling my tale to Byron as I drew closer to its conclusion, it reminded me of my situation, not that I needed reminding. It wasn’t as difficult though this time around, though, but someone I think, Baroness Sebena, must have seen it in my eyes.

We were shown to our rooms much to the disappointment of her grandson, who wanted to hear about our last adventure. Sir Odo also informed me that the Guildmaster had been notified of my arrival, which I confirmed that Leo and Karin were reporting to him as well. I wouldn't be surprised if Guildmaster Stephen didn't immediately hustle the two of them into a carriage and drag them off to castle with him.

My thoughts were still confused, but from the light in my room, I must have only nodded off for a few minutes. "I assume they would like to meet as soon as possible."

"Yes, my lady." Rosalyn still looked worried.

Smiling, I tried to reassure her. "I'm fine, just an odd dream." Not that I could remember it, but whatever, shaking my head, I stood up.

I only took a few steps before I realized something turning around. I asked, "Rosalyn, what did you call me?"

"My lady?" She quickly stepped back.

Did I see fear?

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes. Why were my thoughts so muddled?

"I'm not angry, just curious. It was the corolla, wasn’t it?"

I guess it could have been worse. I might have had a larger audience, or I might have switched into my end-game raid armor. I needed to go through my inventory and make sure nothing else was attached to my outfits that would raise more questions than I had answers.

Walking towards the window, I looked out at the garden in the courtyard. The heat of the day had not lifted, but why was I so cold?

"I'm far from home, Rosalyn, without my companions."

I needed to nip this in the bud as quickly as possible.

"Your Majesty, you should." She took a couple of steps forward but stopped.

"Please, Rosalyn, none of that. Lady Eleanor, my lady, or even just Eleanor, if you could," I asked her kindly.

She frowned for a moment and then nodded. "I see."

"Do you? I'm just a simple adventurer," I started to say but stopped when she gave a very unladylike snort.

OK, am I really that bad.

"Oh my lady," she giggled. "Forgive me, but no one sees you that way."

"No?"

She shook her head.

Well, at least Rosalyn was smiling again. The fear in her eyes disturbed me. "Well, I try, even if I am not doing a very good job of it. As I said, I am far from home without my friends, my companions."

"I understand, my lady. As an adventurer, you can walk freely through the kingdoms even if you are a foreign noble but as royalty."

Well, something like that. I didn’t want the trouble. Now, I will admit the whole thing while playing in Magic-Life was good fun, no matter how much it annoyed me at times; however, it's just a story that Kathy made up, and that the developers ran with.

Avalon was no more real than Hy Na-Beatha.

"So please let us keep this between the two of us."

My Lady's Maid then asked, "Even from Iona, my lady?"

I looked over the garden once more, not sure how much commotion that would cause. Eventually, my apprentice would need to know the truth or as much as I understood it.

"For now."

Rosalyn then went down into a deep curtsey, her head almost touching the floor. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Cheeky woman.

--0--

Strolling through the castle with Rosalyn and Iona behind me, we made our way towards the meeting room. Although it would have been nice to have this discussion in the center of the garden, I am sure that Baroness Sebena wanted something a little more formal.

Familiar and not so familiar faces greeted me as we entered the room. Leo and Karin smiled at me before bowing. The man next to him must be the Guildmaster of Harmon. He had a dangerous air about him, even with his white hair and a body wracked by age. Master Jeffrey was also in attendance as a member of the guild's party.

The Baroness of Redwater approached me, looking worried. "Are you well, Eleanor?"

"I'm fine, Amabel. I just needed a little nap." I smiled, which she just raised an eyebrow but nodded.

Dragging me to the other side of the room, her husband greeted me before I took a seat next to Baroness Sebena. To her left sat the Baron of Redwater and his wife while Sir Odo and another Knight I didn’t recognize remained standing along with Rosalyn and several other people. Only Marsilia seemed to be absent, most likely taking care of her son.

"I hope my grandson didn’t cause you any trouble?" she asked.

"Oh no, it was fine. Although perhaps we will have my apprentice tell one of her adventures next time."

Sir Odo then approached. "Lady Eleanor, you know most of the people in this room, but let me introduce you to Baroness Sabena's Captain of the Guard Sir Eric."

"Sir Eric," I nodded my head in greeting, which he bowed in return.

Sir Odo then introduced me to Guildmaster Stephen, who also bowed deeply at the waist. With the introduction done, I noticed a lot more formal than before; he continued.

"Sir Jeffrey, I believe you were the guild's scribe who met with Lady Eleanor's band after they returned from the Pale Hills?"

"Yes, Sir Odo." Reaching into a leather satchel, he passed a stack of papers to a fawn-colored catkin.

She then only passed them out to the nobles, although she almost tripped when approaching my side of the table.

"Esgusodwch fi fy arglwyddes," she said nervously, as she set the parchment in front of me.

"Mae'n berffaith iawn." I waved off her concern with a smile.

"Lilia, is everything alright?" Baroness Sebena asked while giving me a strange look.

"Yes, my lady," she replied before stepping back, returning to Rosalyn's side.

Reading a report of our adventure in the Pale Hills reminded me of the after-action reports that we had to write for the developers. "You didn’t include Myra's report. Nevermind, I see you included the information in this one."

Nodding, I quickly flipped through the pages. Interesting to see their conclusions, although I'm not sure how I became to one to come up with them as I am pretty sure I didn’t speak that much when Master Jeffrey interviewed the group.

"Before we continue further," Guildmaster Stephen stood up and bowed to Baroness Sebena, then to me. "Lady Eleanor, as head of the Adventurers Guild in Harmon, I would like to give you my thanks in your timely rescue of one of our adventuring bands. Without your assistance, we would have lost both groups."

"As I told Master Leo and Mistress Karin, it was my pleasure. I could not in good conscience have remained in Wyndemere, knowing that I could do something about it. And, as I gained an apprentice, I believe I was well compensated." I said, smiling at Iona.

"I understand that you insisted that your monetary share of the mana stones go to the families of the adventurers that were lost. However, as a thank you, the guild would like to offer you twenty percent of the stones that were recovered for your personal use."

"You’re an alchemist too," marveled Amabel.

"I dabble," I smiled. Turning back to the guildmaster, I said. "Thank you."

Since I didn’t need the money, I thought it would be better if I bought mana stones from the guild, so that was a nice quest reward. I had a few things I wanted to test using the mana stones but also included having Iona make a potion without a mana stone but using my ingredients.

"In the report, it mentioned that you gave Warrior Warin a restorative potion to counter the Wasting Curse. Was that an elixir of your own creation?"

"Yes, I did create the potion; however, the recipe is not mine."

"Thank you, my lady." He bowed again and then continued, "After reading through the two reports, I agree with Lady Eleanor's assessment that the basilisk was the initial impetus for the increase in monster migration towards the Forest Road. However, with the discovery of the living labyrinth, we believe this will continue to be a danger."

"Eleanor, from your experience, do you also believe it's a living labyrinth?" Baroness Sebena asked.

"From what I have been told and seen, I believe so; however, both Master Leo and Mistress Karin have more experience with them in the southern kingdoms," I answered truthfully, having never been in one before. "I will say though that there was a purpose behind the actions of the dungeon, and it was watching."

"Most high ranking adventurers who enter a living labyrinth have said the same thing, my lady," Guildmaster Stephen explained turning to his Baroness.

"Thank you, Guildmaster," she replied.

The meeting continued as both Leo and Karin were drawn into the discussion. Once again, we went over particular points of our adventure. Sir Odo and Sir Eric were interested in the fight with the wights. The Baron and Baroness were very interested in the quality of the stones.

By the time we finished, the sun was setting.

Leo and Karin departed with the rest of the guild, although I made sure to let them know I would keep in touch. I made plans with Sir Odo and Sir Eric for them to examine the cursed ax. And the Baron and Baroness had other questions but was interrupted by Amabel.

"Sabena." The Baroness of Redwater stepped to my side. "I understand that this is important to the kingdom, but Eleanor has been answering your questions all day."

"Its fine, Amabel." I tried to say, but she gently slipped her arm through mine and began leading me off.

"Don’t let them bully you, my dear." She said warmly. "Now, I have more important questions for you as we make our way to dinner."

I raised an eyebrow having no clue what she wanted to know.

"Who designed your lovely outfit, and is it true that you have more of these exquisite creations inside that little magical bag of yours."

Chapter 7: Interlude – Ingsgate

As his spear tip broke off, sending the broken shaft through the nearest troll's chest, the knight of the Kingdom of Cadeep cursed his luck. Tossing the remains of the weapon on the ground, he drew his broadsword. The charge had taken him through the pack trolls that now began to turn so to attack the impudent human.

Moments later, a small dark-haired woman stepped out from behind a tree and raised a black bow. As she let loose an arrow, it burst into flames before slamming into the back of the head of the already wounded troll. Even the creature's thick skull offered no protection, and it collapsed into the swamps soft earth.

Suddenly a small ax flew out of the morning shadows and into the small of the back of one of their number.

"Got him!", a voice crowed.

As several of the beasts charged the mounted knight, others started to turn to face the new threats but not before being hit by two more axes. Then out from those same morning shadows strode forth, a heavily armored mailed warrior. Drawing a massive battle-ax, with a great bellowing shout, he charged.

After the last troll had been slain, the mailed warrior reached down, pulling a hand ax from the back of one the creatures, and growled, “Blast you Arthfaell, the purpose of the ambush was so they don't have a chance to fight back.”

“Seems rather unsporting friend, Uffe.” The knight dismounted to retrieve the broken spear tip from the troll's chest.

A small grin stood on the bowman's lips as she approached the fallen creatures. Finding several of her arrows had been driven right up to its fletching, she sighed theatrically, "I do believe I will allow the trolls to keep those arrows but Uffe, you have to admit, it was rather unsporting of us."

“You're no help, Gwendolyn,” the northern warrior grumbled, ignoring her giggle as he took off his nasal helm, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Although it wasn’t bad now, being in the early part of the morning, the temperature in the swamp would become unbearable once the sun reached its zenith. It also didn’t help that the heavily armored warrior was a Wolfkin.

“Well, that’s another group of trolls that won't be threatening Ingsgate.”

“This is true,” Sir Arthfaell said as he scanned the horizon, searching for any more threats.

Moving to her husband's side, Gwendolyn began to check him and the others for injuries. “Albus's information about the increase in monster activity seems to be accurate.”

The knight and the bowmen smiled at one another but then turned upon hearing a splash.

Dropping from the largest of the trees was a man dressed in blue robes who snorted, "At least it's more accurate than his knowledge of the location to that lost city.”

The mailed warrior laughed. "That would require the guildmaster to have a sense of direction, Tulio. Even I knew that Autum should lie somewhere to the northwest."

"We did lead those imperial pikemen on a merry chase though," Sir Arthfaell smiled fondly at his wife.

"That we did my husband."

Shaking his head at the two annoying lovebirds, the wolfkin began the messy work of retrieving the troll's heart cores.

--0—

Inside the guildhall of Ingsgate, the adventuring band and a guild representative spoke of their most recent job. However, the most important aspect of the process, at least to the adventurers was the evaluations of the heart cores.

"Hmm, the quality is as almost as good as those from the labyrinth," the guild mage commented as she looked over the stones collected by the band.

She, however, didn’t just rely on sight but appraised them with the use of a small silver rod. As guild mage gently pressed it against each stone, the small crystal on top of the rod would glow a different color depending on the quality.

"I thought as much," Tulio grinned. All of the cores the band had collected appeared to be that way.

"Gertrudis, did I hear correctly the guild decide to raise the difficulty of the labyrinth?" inquired Uffe.

Looking up from her work, she nodded, "The guildmaster has informed the guards not to allow entry unless the band is C-ranked or better."

"Good."

"The younger adventuring bands aren’t going to be happy when they hear the news," Tulio chuckled.

The wolfkin shrugged, "Better for them to be alive."

"Oh." The guild mage smiled. "The Dawns March safely returned this morning."

"Egads, they must have Sarin's blessing," Arthfaell looked surprised.

"Who has Sarin's blessing, my love," Gwendolyn now wearing healer's white asked as she closed the door to the guildhall meeting room.

"Maria's band returned," her husband replied with a smile.

"There was never any doubt in mine eyes she would not," she stated as she took a seat.

"How far down did they go?" Uffe asked the guild mage.

"Rumor has it they made it passed the Blacks Falls."

"Merciful Dinya," Tulio whispered, knowing that if the rumors were true, the B-ranked band had descended at least twelve levels. He then said, "I heard that King Charles's been pushing the guildmaster to elevate them to A-ranked."

Arthfaell looked thoughtful. "Did they return with all their numbers?"

"They did," the guild mage confirmed before passing the receipt for the mana stones and monster parts to the party. "Thank you. The guild considers this job successfully completed."

--0—

Tulio looked a bit harried as he took a seat across from his band. They had decided to celebrate a little, and considering the gold earned picked one of the better taverns.

"I just returned from the shrine," he leaned forward. "The Archmage of Estassa suddenly appeared while I was there."

"Why in Nemin's name would old Phexidis come to Ingsgate?" Uffe grumbled before downing half of his mug of ale.

"I am not surprised, my friend," Sir Arthfaell commented, and then said, "News of the sudden increase in the dangers of the labyrinth must have reached his honored ears."

Tulio rolled his eyes. "I doubt he was concerned for our wellbeing Arthfaell, most likely Estassa worried about their supply of mana stones."

"Why should they not be?" Gwen countered. "However, I have also heard that the Archmage is an honorable man. Besides, what you say might be true, Tulio, but cannot it be both?"

The Ocalan mage just shrugged.

"Enough politics for one night," the wolfkin groused. "Did you hear if the guild was going to offer the Dawn a job of searching the labyrinth for any of the missing bands?"

"It’s a fool's folly," murmured the party's mage.

"How many of them have not returned?" Gwendolyn gave Tulio a look as she asked.

"Six total, although according to Gertrudis from what she can tell, those that retreated to the surface right after the flash of light all returned safely," Uffe responded.

"Well, the only named band missing is the Ten Thousand Knives," the mage scratched his chin. "The others were unknown D-ranked and C-ranked."

"They should have known better, idiots." Uffe shook his head and then finished off his ale.

"Don’t speak ill of the dead, my friend," Arthfaell said then turned to his wife. "You mentioned before we left that a few adventurers were still coming out of the labyrinth in one's and two's?"

"Yes, although that is no longer the case." She gave the group a sad smile.

"Well, from what I heard," Tulio began, "The reason it took so long for the Dawn to return was that the way back had changed. Their maps for a lot of the labyrinth's levels were of no use to them."

The knight of Cadeep looked shocked, "That was most unfortunate."

"Makes sense, remember Gertrudis mentioned that the first and second floors had grown in size," the wolfkin grinned as another ale was set on the table. He waited for the barmaid to walk away before continuing, "This might be a good thing for us?"

"Missing adventurers?" Gwendolyn asked.

"Wait, no," the wolfkin waved his hands. "It's just that it's been a while since we've been in the labyrinth. With fewer bands entering, there should be a good chance for us to make some good coin."

The party's mage nodded in agreement. "Plus, Gwen, the guild pays well for accurate maps. If we don’t go any deeper than say the fifth floor, we should be fine."

"Don’t call me Gwen," she grumbled. "And don’t tempt Sarin's fury."

Arthfaell chuckled, "Our good friends have a point, my love. I believe you are also tired of the swamp around Ingsgate."

"I'm never going to get the stink out my gambeson," the wolfkin murmured in agreement.

--0—

The town of Ingsgate had grown over the years since the discovery of the living labyrinth. The walls were not just filled with adventurers but the many that supported them from innkeepers, to shop owners, and even the guardsmen that kept the peace. Everyone also needed a place to live, and the wealthy discovered that the higher ground to the north, the miasma of the swamp was less troublesome.

Arthfaell stood at the bottom of the staircase in his small manor for a moment before asking a passing servant, "Stella, is my lady taking breakfast in the garden?"

The servant bobbed a curtsey, then replied, "Yes, Sir Arthfaell."

With a smile and a thank you, he headed outside to find his wife sitting in the center of the small garden breaking her fast. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek before taking a seat.

"You're up early, my love."

"Yes, well, I thought about stopping at the shrine." She looked pensive for a moment and then sighed, "I spoke with Mathis this morning."

"Oh," the knight said, reaching for a loaf of bread. "And how is our fine cook?"

"Two of the missing adventurers were cousins of his."

"I see, give him my condolences, but that’s the life we all lead." The knight looked thoughtful as he chewed on the bread and then asked, "What ails you, my love?"

"I am wondering if we have fulfilled our vows to His Majesty."

The knight sat up, not looking all that surprised. "I see." Thinking for a moment, he said, "I believe we have done all that has been asked of us for these past two years. Hendrik is coming along well and his cousin…"

"Oswald."

"Yes, did you not say he is a good addition to the Healer's Hall?"

"All he lacks is experience." Gwendolyn took a sip of her berry wine.

"Didn’t we as well at one time, dearheart," her husband then looked into his wife's eyes. "We have put off starting a family long enough."

She laughed, "You know me all too well, my love."

"This has been on your mind since the untimely demise of most of Agatha's band."

"Indeed, she was such a sweet child. She didn’t deserve what happened to her," Gwendolyn said sadly.

As the knight looked around at the courtyard, he remarked, "We have built a lovely home here, but it would be good to walk on my father's lands again."

Sir Arthfaell's childhood keep might not be as opulent as the mansion in Ingsgate, but it was home.

"I miss the sea," she whispered then smiled. "Thank you, husband. I hope this won't cause you trouble."

"Nay, my love. His Grace informed me two years ago that this appointment was temporary. At the time, I was the one with the most experience. Still, I will pass on my responsibilities to Hendrik. He seems to get along with our comrade's well enough."

"Do you believe they will stay together once we have departed for home?"

Sir Arthfaell shrugged, "Uffe doesn’t appear to be wanting to leave the adventuring life anytime soon."

"And Tulio will never get out from under his gambling debts," Gwendolyn grinned.

Arthfaell scratched his chin. "Convenient that."

"Tell Hendrik to keep an eye on that one. He might be one of your eyes and ears, but I don’t trust him," she said suddenly serious.

--0—

"Raise the point higher, rhyfelwr ifanc," Uffe called out to the sparing beastmen, both E-ranked adventurers. "You will end up breaking your wrist otherwise."

The foxkin in question nodded with a serious look on her face, the other a catkin returned the same nod. Circling the two began to fight once more, much like the dozen or so other adventurers in the guild's courtyard. It was an excellent place to increase those skills necessary to survive, and there was always a higher-ranked adventurer willing to tutor those who had the coin.

"Greetings, brother of my father!" a young voice called out from across the training ground.

Uffe raised an eyebrow staring at the last person he thought he would see in this swamp-forsaken place. "It's Uncle, Hillevi!"

The young wolfkin shrugged as she approached. "Strange language, Uncle."

She then smiled, greeting him less formally.

"Why are you here?" he asked, trying to keep the displeasure from his face. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer.

"She's playing with him," Hillevi decided not to answer the question. Instead, she pointed to the two combatants. "The fylgja, she's not taking the spar seriously."

Sighing, Uffe turned and nodded. He watched the grinning white fox dance around the catkin, easily staying out of his reach.

"Aurora good, she's rated as an E-ranked, but she will be D-ranked very soon."

The young wolfkin stepped closer to her Uncle and whispered, "What is one of the fylgja doing this far south?"

"Maybe the same reason you’re here, Hillevi." He looked at his niece, who suddenly moved further away to watch the fight.

"Your right, though," the wolfkin sighed then raised his voice, "Aurora, are you sparing with Oscar or flirting with him?"

The two combatants jumped back, blushing, then with a nod to her opponent, the fox girl jumped in, and the next thing Oscar knew, he was on his back, staring at a training blade.

Raising his hands, the catkin sighed, "I yield."

"She's fast, Uncle," Hillevi said, surprised. "Are fylgja all that fast?"

"For the most part, that’s why Queen Clíodhna Rhyfelwyr Ysbryd were nightmares on the battlefield."

He then stepped forward and spoke to the two beastmen. "Good work, both of you. Oscar, go find Phillip and tell him I said you need to work on your footwork. Aurora had you stumbling over your own."

"Yes, Master Uffe." The catkin jumped up and stumbled off to the other side of the guild's training yard.

"Aurora, you keep dropping the point of your blade. Go and speak with Carl. See if that’s truly the right weapon for you."

The fox girl bowed at the waist. "Yes, Master Uffe." She then trotted off in the opposite direction.

"So, should I expect your brothers to be showing up here as well?"

Hillevi looked confused for a moment then sputtered, "I…have permission to be here…Uncle Uffe."

"Oh?"

Puffing herself up a little, she boasted, "Mama gave me her blessing, and so did Seidr Mari. I am a Morwyn Darian even that fylgja is no match for me."

Raising his eyebrow, the wolfkin threw her a training sword. "Prove it, daughter of my brother."

--0—

The C-ranked group, Menton's Company, made one last check of their weapons and armor. They went through the list of supplies the would carry into the labyrinth then checked again. If they didn’t take it with them, they would have to do without.

Their numbers had grown as well. Bands often hired more adventures or joined other bands when delving into the labyrinths. Small groups were often not heard from again.

With a frown, Uffe motioned to of their new companions to come closer. "You two will stay close to me. However, if Arthfaell gives you a command, you follow it. Your mother will be angry with me, Hillevi, if you don’t come home in one piece."

The young wolfkin appeared as if she was going to say something else but only said, "Yes, Uncle."

Aurora grinned; she had hardly been standing still since entering the room. "Of course, Master Uffe."

"Stick to Imperial, Aurora," the wolfkin commanded then begins to look over his niece's gear.

"So serious," teased Gwendolyn stepping forward to look over the two new members of the group. "You must have some pull with the guild we didn’t know about Uffe for these two lovely ladies to be able to join us."

He just shrugged. "Since our job is just to map the changes to the first floor, the guildmaster didn’t object."

Both his niece and the fox girl already held an E-rank. He knew, however, that both were quite capable, and only guild politics wouldn’t allow them to be D-ranked quite yet.

"And won't you introduce me to the other gentleman standing in the back of the room?" the healer frowned, noticing the strange tattoos on the stoics man's face.

Hillevi looked up then to the back of the room then shrugged, "He's my caethwas tarian."

"A slave, really," mocked Tulio, who had been sitting on a chair with his eyes closed.

"He was a gift from my mother," the young wolf-girl protested.

Uffe sighed, "He's been with the family for years, and his name is Wyborn."

Shaking her head, Gwendolyn gave the wolfkin a look before warmly greeting the large man, "Well, welcome to our adventuring band, Wyborn."

He bowed at the waist in reply, shifting his large shield to the side.

Tulio noticed the hammer attached to the slave's waist for the first time, "He's armed."

Uffe turned to the mage and growled, "Would you expect anything less?"

The Ocalan native only raised his hands then went back to napping but looked up when three more people came through the door.

Sir Arthfaell entered the room, gave his wife a warm smile, and then asked, "Everyone ready?"

"Hendrik, Oswald."

Both men bowed at the waist as Gwendolyn greeted the two men who had accompanied her husband.

"I assume that the Black Ravens will meet us at the gate?

"Hello to you too, Tulio," Hendrik chuckled. "And yes, to your question."

The streets were quiet as the group walked down the cobblestone streets. Unlike the lower portion of the town, they were relatively dry. At least the smell from the swamp was not as overwhelming, not that you could convince the three beastkin in the band of that.

"There's Cecilia," Gwendolyn waved as the band approached the gates. Along with the town guards, six more adventurers stood waiting.

As the two women greeted one another, Sir Arthfaell approached the Corporal of the Guard and passed him a letter.

The guard took it, read it then nodded, turning to his men he commanded, "Open it up."

Returning the document, he said, "My lord, be aware that Guildmaster Albus has decided to close the gates to anyone, not on official guild business."

"Can you tell me why?" the knight asked as he put the letter away.

"Archmage Phexidis orders. He, along with the Dawns March, entered the labyrinth early this morning."

The knight gave a sidelong glance at the band's mage, who looked at him and nodded.

"Thank you, Corporal."

The party of adventurers soon formed up, final comments were made, and with a cheerful farewell to the gate guards, they entered the Ingsmouth labyrinth.

--0—

Author's Note: Happy Friday, home for a few hours. I took a nap, made some food, and got to do some writing. And out the door again, but not before another nap, I think. At least its to spend a couple of days at the beach. Hopefully, work will be nice to me so I can get back on schedule.

Chapter 8: Arglwyddes Eleanor o Ynys Afallon

A quiet drink(s) and a discussion about political ongoings, the ducal wedding, and the Kingdom's new tax laws followed dinner. Having taken finance in college, and with a business degree, I was more familiar with the modern ones, but I easily followed along and even added my own opinion on them.

Before I finally decided to retire for the night, I promised that I would be happy to review anything the Baroness needed. She seemed quite pleased about that. I guess another set of eyes couldn’t hurt.

Iona, however, didn't last that long, falling asleep on a chair in Sebena's study. As I escorted my sleepy apprentice back to her bedroom, I looked over at my lady's maid.

"Rosalyn, you can turn in as well."

For some reason, even with all that had gone on today, I didn’t feel much like going to sleep, but my companions were totally exhausted.

"If you're sure, my lady."

I nodded, seeing she was holding back a yawn. "I am going to go read a few chapters of the book the Baroness lent me before I go to bed."

While sitting under the stars, it only took me a few minutes to glance over the first few pages of 'Treatises on the Healing Craft' to determine that potion making in this world was completely different than Magic-Life.

The developers added real-life elements to the game as much as possible. Thankfully, the process of creating potions was not one of them. It was simple. Besides having the appropriate skill, the player only needed to own an alchemic board, and the tools usually called a potion-making kit.

Formulas were generally inexpensive, unlike spells, as the cost came from obtaining the proper components. Purchasing those items was the quickest method. However, you could always collect them yourself, and herbalism and monster lore were both excellent skills to have anyway. Many players also discovered that selling the ingredients could earn you quite a bit of coin.

Along with your alchemical board, a beaker of some type, usually glass, iron, silver, gold, or mithril depending on the recipe, some sort of liquid, and a little mana were all you needed. After you put everything together and cast the formula through the board, the ingredients would vanish, leaving the desired result in the beaker. Since you were using mana, creating high-tier potions could take some effort, but lower-level ones were easy, assuming you had the necessary ingredients.

In this world, for the most part, recipes were all the same, only the quality of the mana stone determined the power difference. Oh, they still used plant and animal ingredients, but the actual process was closer to brewing or cooking. Moreover, potion-making in this world took a lot of time. However, unlike Magic-Life, from one description, small cauldrons could be used to make large batches.

From my reading, I am also led to believe that this world lacked the more esoteric potions that I happen to have in my inventory. Restoration, healing, antidotes, and mana potions appeared to be the norm. Resist fire, night vision, and the like seemed to be to nonexistent or were extremely rare.

Although there was a story about a young mage, who stumbled upon an elixir that allowed him to breathe underwater, so I wasn’t one hundred percent sure. Still, I imagine that the powerful alchemic philters from Magic-Life, ones gained from a quest, were totally unknown.

My curiosity was now piqued. What was the difference between this world's potions and the ones in my inventory? Could Iona use my alchemic board and create one using my method if I managed to acquire the proper formula? Unfortunately, unlike spells, I couldn't make a copy of a potion recipe and give it to someone. I would have to give this some thought.

The guildmaster had also not departed without dropping of my reward. A beautifully crafted silk-lined box filled with mana stones with each stored in its own little container. Attached to the inside of the lid was a device that would tell me their quality and a small parchment with instructions. I cannot imagine that this was a permanent magic item, so it must draw its power from what it was analyzing.

Pulling my basilisk heart core out of my inventory, I pressed the pen-like item against its center.

"Interesting."

Just a quick look at the parchment revealed that the quality was of what they would call a premier stone. How much was it worth? I had no clue. I had no idea how much these stones would have cost me if I bought them from the guild.

"So much of this world is familiar, but so much of it is not," I murmured as I ran my hand over the hardwood box on the table in front of me.

--0--

In the center of an unused bedroom, a figure waited patiently in the dark. The fawn-colored catkin had managed to delay if not deflect any questions about the Baroness's new guest. However, right now, she needed to speak to the person she trusted above all.

"Took you long enough," Lilia grumbled as two more catkins that were having a friendly but quiet conversation entered the room.

"You do realize how late it is?" the youngest of the three women replied before turning to her companion then said, "We'll talk later."

"Osmia," the Baroness's assistant called out to the servant as she prepared to leave. "Please keep this to yourself, its clan business."

Startled, the older woman nodded and curtseyed before departing. "Yes, mistress."

"Pulling rank, sister?"

"Aoife, please," Lilia grumbled then walked towards the veranda, "Follow me."

"Alright." Stepping outside, she looked around before taking off her helm. "Pretty night. So what's this all about, and why all the secrecy?"

Lilia tilted her head. "You feel nothing?"

"No, should I?"

Pointing to another veranda, she queried, "Do you see that woman over there?"

"The one sitting in the dark reading a book?" Her sister rolled her eyes." I'm not blind, Lilia. So, what about her? Other than I'm surprised that she could see what she's reading."

"Look closer."

Aoife shrugged, "Tall, from her coloring most likely from Scandza or may be further west. Anyway, you know all humans look the same to me."

Lilia raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," with a huff, the armored catkin leaned forward. "Huh, so that must be the A-ranked adventurer everyone's been talking about. The morning watch was pretty embarrassed about something that happened at the gate. What was her name again? Eleanor something?"

"Arglwyddes Eleanor o Ynys Afallon."

"Ynys Afallon," the younger of the two women giggled. "I'm sure you misunderstood her. As I told you last time, if you pulled me off guard duty because you listened to too many of grandmother's stories, I'm going to be angry."

"And I wasn't wrong the last time either." Lila stepped forward, prodding, "You still insist that you smell nothing and see nothing, dear sister?"

The young catkin looked confused and then closed her eyes. "Fine, maybe, it's in the wind but hard to catch. Remember, I like to stab things. I'm not good with the mysteries."

"Aoife, you might not have cliriad, but you are our mother's daughter. Remember what nain taught us."

Nodding, she closed her eyes once more then suddenly smiled. "Oh, it smells like a warm..."

Aoife's eyes snapped wide open as she almost cried out while stumbling back into her sister's arms. With a fierce whisper, she asked, "Mam felys y cysgodion pwy ydy hi mewn gwirionedd?"

"Arglwyddes Eleanor o Ynys Afallon."

Three things could be seen in the young catkin's eyes as she looked over at the other veranda, wonder, excitement, and fear.

"Oh, it's gone," Aoife said sadly. "How does she do that, and how do the humans not know?"

Smiling, Lila looked over at the young woman who now sat watching the stars.

"She's letting out just enough tân angerdd for those who have the gift to announce her presence," she whispered in wonder. "Maybe some of them can feel it, perhaps not. It's not unheard of for bodau dynol to have mother magic's blessing."

"But she looks so…human. I never took grandmother's stories seriously. I mean, they are just stories. Do you think she has," Aoife started, "I mean, do you know?"

"I heard that the Arglwyddes is looking for a way home. Apparently, she suddenly appeared in the center of one of the cerrig cychwyn by accident."

This time the armored catkin couldn’t help but snort. Covering her face with her hands, she looked over at the other veranda and lowered her voice, "By accident, really?"

"So, I have been told." Lila shrugged but also didn't look too convinced at the statement.

"I bet she is looking for something, though."

"Or someone."

The armored catkin made a face, "Still, the elders will want to know of her presence. They could help her. I mean, if she needs help."

Nodding, Lila instructed. "I will leave that to you, but just let the henuriaid know the Arglwyddes has not formally announced herself. If we cause her trouble, she's not going to be happy. And I'd rather not have to explain to Baroness Sebena why her city is on fire."

Aoife looked across the courtyard then grinned, "I'll talk to Aunt Caira; she will know what to do."

--0—

Under the hot morning sun of the Empire's capital, a young knight dismounted from his horse before approaching a group of a dozen men and women who stood standing in the center of a large courtyard. He knew they were watching the mana fires that continued to burn throughout the city since they broke out several weeks ago.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but nothing has changed."

Sir Thomas Branmark sighed as the young man gave his report. "Thank you, Alaric. Go get something to eat."

"I imagine his Majesty is still looking for someone to blame," a short, plump brown-haired woman grumbled before motioning to some of the others around her to disburse. "Can't say that I am looking forward to a long sea trip back home, Sir Thomas, but it doesn’t appear I have much of a choice."

"I had hoped that your Court Mage would have been informed of your late return, my lady."

Unlike the Baroness, the wolfkin who spoke was tall and wiry with sun-kissed hair. To the untrained eye, she might appear to be just a boyish-looking woman, but the well-used weapons at her side said otherwise.

"If what happened here occurred back home than Phexidis has more important things to worry about, Rhianna," Court Baroness Millicent chuckled as the group returned to the great hall and out of the hot morning sun.

"Should I inform Captain Alessandro that you will be returning with him to the southern kingdoms?" the Estassa Knight asked while motioning to a servant to serve some refreshments.

"I believe so. How many days do you believe it will take us to get from Port Chalcedon to Veniza?"

"Ten to twelve days as long as the weather holds, my lady." The wolfkin reached for a goblet, smelled it then set it in front of the noblewoman.

"I believe you should return as well Sir Thomas." Millicent raised her hand at his objection. "Trade negotiations have broken down for this season. What we have in place will keep for now. Until the Emperor gets whatever this is under control, his advisors will have no time for foreign delegates."

"Yes, my lady. I know my wife will be pleased."

The Court Baroness considered further, “Lord Nicolas will remain in charge as Estassa Chief Consul until His Majesty decides to appoint someone else."

"I believe we should also return with most of the Ambassador Guard," advised Sir Thomas, "The good Captain won't be upset if we supply some extra swords on the trip, well, just in case."

"Naxian pirates," the wolfkin growled.

"I will leave that up to you, Sir Thomas."

-0--

Sleep did not come to me. I spent the night on the veranda overlooking the courtyard. Other than some noisy catkins, I spent most of it alone with my thoughts while watching the stars.

However, as soon as it started to get light, Amabel joined me for a cup of Kujacha. The warm twig tea was just what the doctor ordered as we quietly spoke about inconsequential things until the sun broke over the battlements.

We then took ourselves to Baroness Sebena's study to return the book. Amabel decided that she would help me find something else for me to read. Between my room and the study, we also managed to pick up Rosalyn, followed by Amabel's lady's maid.

"So, what language is this book even written in?"

Passing a couple of books to Rosalyn, I looked around the small bookshelf towards the Baroness of Redwater. "Excuse me?"

"The book that my sister let you borrow," she replied, making a face as she flipped through the pages. "Looks to be something similar to imperial, but older, maybe."

"Arcadias," a voice answered from the doorway.

"All the way from the eastern Empire?" Amabel looked at the book once more before setting it carefully down. "Good morning, Sebena, would you care to join us?"

"You're up early," the Baroness commented after she greeted everyone then plopped down a stack of papers on her desk. Her assistant, Lilia, followed closely behind her then curtseyed before adding more documents to the pile.

"Stewart wasn’t feeling well last night."

"Oh?" I asked, coming back to the table with a small collection of books. "You didn’t tell me that? Is he alright?"

Amabel grinned, "He's fine. He just had a little too much to drink last night." She then turned to her sister. "I blame it on you. He never does this at home."

"Sorry," Sebena huffed. "These new tax laws are driving both of us crazy. How are you this morning, Eleanor? Sleep well?"

"Can't say I slept long, but I did spend a pleasant evening on the veranda." I smiled. "Anything I can help you with?"

From what I remembered of the conversation over last night's drinks, most of the Kingdom's taxes came from landowners, whether they were noble or commoner. The next largest source of revenue was acquired from trade goods. Quite a bit of money was added to the Kingdom's coffers from the Adventurers Guild as well.

Much like my world, the majority of the taxes went towards military spending. But unlike my world, they were to protect the Kingdom from not just its neighbors but also roving monsters.

What the king wanted was to add a new tax, which sounded a lot like a poll tax. There had been a referendum to tax movable goods, but that had caused a lot of unrest and unnecessary headaches for the Baroness of Harmon. Unfortunately, her poor head wasn’t going to get any relief, as the new tax would be an addition to the already high fees the nobles paid as only the poor would be exempt.

"I imagine your King will be pleased with the new source of revenue from the living labyrinth," I commented while looking over the wording of the new laws.

Quite a bit of coin was to be had in taxing heart cores. Soon more documents were passed around, and while a light breakfast was served, Sebena and I discussed what parts she and others found the most objectionable.

"Ahh, sorry for interrupting Eleanor, but can you really read those books?" Amabel asked as she looked at the titles. "And how in the world did Nardo find these things?"

"Well, my husband always said he was more of a scholar than a warrior." Sebena warmly smiled as she passed her hand over one hefty leather tome. "Merchants often came to the castle just to sell him something new. Although he couldn’t read some of them, if it looked interesting, he would buy it."

"And you." Amabel raised an eyebrow at me, pointing to a book on plants.

"Me?" I asked as I sat down my cup of twig tea. "Well, my mother said that knowledge was its own reward."

What else could I say? Unfortunately, the Baroness of Redwater had already found me reading several different languages before I realized it.

"She must be missing you."

"I would like to think so, but they were killed…" I faltered, as I wasn’t sure how to explain being killed in a car crash. "Anyway, my mother's sister, who raised me afterward, also valued learning."

Amabel smiled as she reached over and squeezed my hand. "Well, I'm sure they would be proud of you."

"So did you find the book on potion making of any use?" Sebena asked.

"I did." I smiled in the way of thanks. "It covered some interesting topics."

"Excellent. What else are you looking for? My husband's library might not be as famous as the one in Dragon Tor or as large as the Great Library in the Imperial capital, but I'm proud of it."

"I hope you don’t mind us being in here?" For some reason, I didn’t question Amabel when she dragged me into the room. We had shared drinks here after dinner, which was when I spotted the potion book on the shelf.

"Not at all, just your choice of reading is intriguing," she said, pointing to the title of the book 'Treatise on the Barbarian Kingdoms of the Great Sea' than the one sitting next to it. 'My travels through the Southern Kingdoms.'

"Oh, I was looking for an atlas or a book with maps."

The village market didn’t have them or any books for sale, which at the time I wasn’t too surprised then afterward I had other things to tend with.

"Well, then you picked the right book," Sebena said as she opened the travel journal and after flipping a couple of pages pushed it towards me. "The same author also wrote of his journey through western kingdoms. Another interesting read."

Reaching for the book, I looked down, and then my world turned white.

"Eleanor, is everything alright?" I heard through the fog.

Looking up, I smiled at a very concerned looking Baroness of Harmon. "Yes, I didn’t realize until now how far away I was from home."

Running my finger down the familiar peninsular, I noted that the boot of Italy was now attached to Sicily by way of a land bridge. Both Corsica and Sardinia stood off to the west, but both appeared to be a little larger. The coastlines looked similar, but I imagined it how it would look if water levels were lower.

It’s a shame my knowledge of the map of Italy ended with being able to recognize it. I asked the Baroness where on the map Harmon was, and all I could tell it was more in southern France than the Italian Peninsular.

Amabel leaned over for a better look. "So where on this map do you live?"

With a sigh, I moved my arm northward. I couldn’t point across the sea, maybe I could have, but I hoped that this would raise fewer questions. Remembering Eleanor's background and the world of Magic-Life, my finger ended up well off the map.

It was then I thought I heard someone in the room whisper Ynys Afallon.

--0--

Author’s Note: Once again, we are at the end of another Volume of The Lost Queen. Volume 3, we will see more of the Kingdom as Eleanor journeys onward in her search for a way home.

I run these chapters through Grammarly (yes, I recommend it) ad nauseam, so of course, errors are all my own. Therefore, a special thanks to everyone that has prodded me to fix what I missed.

Side Note: I had sort of made an end of the year resolution to get a chapter of something published every week. Over the holidays, I managed to meet that quota. Unfortunately, RL had decided that it was a silly thing to promise. So, I am moving this story (among others) to be posted every other week. Easier for me, and I won't feel like I'm rushing things.

Thanks again for reading! You are all wonderful.

Chapter 1: Shadows of the Past

The cool spring air blew across the large camp, promising a beautiful spring day. It had been raining the past week, making the march difficult. Every beastkin knew traveling through the valley during this time of year had always been trying at best, which was the best that everyone could hope for right now.

Since Norgrad, it had hindered the mad Emperor's Legions as they fled across the countryside with their tails between their legs. Every day more and more prisoners were collected as the alliance's light cavalry caught up to stragglers.

Saren moved through the beastkin's camp, greeting everyone she met with a smile. Something in the air concerned her, what it was she wasn’t positive. The festival-like atmosphere, which had blanketed the whole camp, now seemed almost forced. As a healer, however, she had other concerns. Her mother had been with the Queen all morning, so she knew that eventually she would be told.

Moving north out of the beastkin camp, she found her way to the banks of the Mynydd Oer. It had been an excellent place to look for cariad coch. The small flower that only appeared during this time of the year would be invaluable in the days ahead. Something, however, made her stop. Looking up, she noticed that many of the human soldiers were on the move.

"You'll catch your death of cold dressed like that this time of the morning." A familiar voice called out to her.

The catkin rolled her eyes at her mother's friend, "Good morning to you, Ellisif. It looks like the rain's finally letting up."

"Yes, it is a good morning," she said with a smile, but the young girl was quick to notice that it didn’t reach the white-tailed foxkin's eyes. Kneeling, the older woman touched a small flower rubbing a finger across the red petals. "Always thinking of others first, you’re a good person, ljúfur."

"I guess." Rubbing her nose, she sighed. Human camps always smelled wrong. "Something happened, hasn’t it?"

Rising, the foxkin turned to watch the soldiers on the move. "Come, your mother needs to speak with you."

The feeling she had all morning got worse as the two strolled through the other campsites. It seemed as if whole families were now on the move, packing in haste. With a frown, she increased her pace to keep up with her mother's friend.

So worried about the ongoings around her, she almost missed that they weren’t heading towards her mother's tent. Saren became even more concerned when the two of them crossed one of the wooden legions made bridges that her cousin had captured during the rout.

"Don’t dally, child. All the clan chieftains are meeting with the Queen."

Approaching the royal encampment, the grim-faced guards told her that something had indeed changed. They were almost at the tent when a group of wolfkin approached. None of them looked happy.

"Fjandinn humans," the largest of them growled then frowned as he watched the foxkin and catkin approach. "Ellisif, you have to get her to change her mind. What she wants to do, it's…"

Smiling sadly, she said, "I know Ragnar. I spoke to her last night. We all spoke to her this morning. Her Majesty won't change her mind, and truthfully, she isn't wrong. You know as well as I do that if we don’t push right now, he will come back with more legions and then what. Obviously, from what just happened, we cannot rely on these humans."

"Madness." Scratching his cheek, he sighed, "No, you're right. It's just."

"I know." The foxkin just smiled. "So, what are your plans?"

"No matter what Clíodhna says, Ellisif, I have never trusted these so-called allies of hers, so we will remain behind. If you're successful, then so be it; if not, then we will make them bleed no matter whose side they say that they are on. Either way, with Kort's men holding the western pass, we will meet up with him and head towards Bryon. Forkbeard needs to be informed."

Saren just stood there, stunned. What was going on? Suddenly she felt very worried.

"Come." The foxkin motioned her to move forward then turned around. "We'll talk again Ragnar before we leave."

The large man just nodded and made his way back to camp with his men following close behind.

As they approached the tent, Ellisif raised her finger to her lips. Even from outside, they could hear the argument going on inside.

"My infantry won't be able to keep up with you." A tall wolfkin grumbled, pushing a map aside.

"She knows Sax, she knows, that’s why I want you to move your Housecarls south. Prince Harold plans to keep the pass open." Saren heard her mother explain.

"He just wants to keep the way clear for his own heavy infantry, doubtful his father cares about us."

"Can you convince him to leave his heavy cavalry?" One of the catkin chieftains frowned. "You're going to need it."

"We will have to do without; however, his Winged Lancers plan to stick around." She smiled then pointed to the human standing in the corner who gave the group a smirk.

"Ahh, his people aren’t particularly fond of the Imperials." The catkin gave the man a respectful nod the lancers might be under the command of the King who ruled in Venaria, but their own leaders did what they wanted.

"What about you, Ciwt?

"I follow my Queen," She smiled. "Osian and Merik will be joining the hunt as well; the rest will remain behind and escort our people to our summer grazing lands."

"Mama," Saren gasped. What was going on?

Before she could answer, two more people entered the room. A tall blonde foxkin of the royal line, wearing silvered steel armor followed by a much smaller armored human female who appeared to be like many others trying to get the Queen to change her mind.

"Clíodhna, they might be in retreat, but we know Alexander has at least three more legions on the march." The Baroness of Harmon sighed then turned to the others in the room. "Please, Ciwt, can you make your Queen see reason?"

"Shouldn’t you be retreating with the rest of your people, dynol?" A catkin grumbled.

"Now, now, we are all friends here." The Queen smiled, but there was steel in her eyes. Everyone quieted down as she turned to the Baroness. Everyone knew the two had become close since the siege of Harmon. "As I said before, I have responsibilities to my people, same as you. And no, I refuse to allow you to join us."

She raised her hand at the Baroness objection.

"Celeste, you swore on oath to your King. As much as I would like to take your heavy cavalry along, you will need it if his Imperial Majesty changes his mind."

"So you really think the mad Emperor's still with his troops?" a wolfkin chieftain asked. "I mean, can't his Archmage just create a portal for him? What was his name?"

"Theodoric and no, we dealt with him several weeks ago." The Queen smiled as she looked towards the other human in the room.

"Now that was a fun raid," the Winged Lancer commander chuckled, remembering the early morning battle. The hubris of the Imperials commanders who thought even surrounded by an army believed themselves untouchable.

"What happened, Ellisif?" Saren whispered.

"The humans have made peace with the Empire." The foxkin replied. "And before you ask, we weren’t included."

The catkin looked towards the Baroness of Harmon, who overheard the conversation. The young woman gave her a pained smile before looking down, obviously upset and embarrassed.

"Good morning to you, Nain." Opal stepped next to the older woman disturbing, dragging her back to the present. "It looks like the rain's finally letting up."

"Yes, it is a good morning," Saren said with a smile her eyes instinctively moved towards the riverbank looking for a familiar flower. "It's been years since I crossed the Mynydd Oer."

"The road should be better onward, and I'll send word ahead to see if we can get a boat to take us to Harmon." Opal then turned to watch as a small group of catkins moved across the stone bridge. The temporary one had been replaced decades ago.

"You're worried about your wares?" She asked her granddaughter.

"Nain," Opal sighed.

She wasn’t worried about her wares or husband as he planned to travel to Coria and do a little business before returning to Harmon. What the younger catkin had not expected was for her grandmother to suddenly start packing as soon as the two of them had finished with the news of Lady Eleanor.

She also tried not to glare at her daughter, who was trying not to laugh. "Will the clan be moving?"

Opal had asked her parents the same thing. Although her mother was technically the clan chieftain, no important decisions would be made without one of the cyffwrdd blessings.

Saren looked thoughtful for a moment then shook her head. "No, not yet, although I believe your father will be sending word north. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lord Sax returns with him."

Although it seemed important at the time, Opal had no idea what would happen when she informed her grandmother of Eleanor's arrival. Considering the commotion it caused, she wasn’t sure if she should have kept her mouth shut.

--0—

Were things suddenly different once I discovered that this world resembled my own? Not really, as I still needed to find a way home that hadn’t changed. Strangely enough, knowing that the worlds were similar made me feel better. At least I could now use the little knowledge I had about geography.

The two Baronesses didn’t appear too surprised at my revelation. As I surmised, my Nordid looking features must be comparable to those who lived further north. Lilia's reaction seemed a little off, but then again, beastkins were not part of my world. If push comes to shove, I'll take her aside and speak with her.

I did wonder, however, about the strange lowering of the Mediterranean Sea. The only thing that would have caused that, at least in my world, would have been an Ice Age. I remembered reading that there had been one during the Middle Ages but didn’t know much about it.

I thought for a moment about bringing it up but determined that it would probably cause more questions than I had answers. Further research was needed, and luckily, the Baroness had a library.

Sabena had to leave to deal with her own responsibilities, so I was happy she went and left her secretary behind. I soon found Lilia knew what the library contained and its location. She was most helpful.

"Arglwyddes, here is the book you were looking for," she said before setting down a small travel book in front of me.

"Thank you."

The author had written several books. This one covered some of his experiences up north. I noticed that Amabel was looking at the two of us with a strange smile on her face.

"What?"

"If just fascinating by your knowledge of languages. How many do you know?"

Oh, good question. I had a feeling I could say 'all of them' but that wasn’t something I could admit to. "A few."

Amabel gave a good-natured laugh. "Oh, don’t be embarrassed, Eleanor. I'm just impressed. I could only understand a third of what Lilia said."

"I'm sorry, my lady." The young catkin looked horrified.

The Baroness of Redwater waved off her concern. "Oh, don’t worry, my dear. I'm sure it's nice to speak to someone in your native language."

Before we could continue further, a familiar-looking young boy burst into the room. "How do I get a guild card?"

"Byron!" A voice called out from the hallway.

Looking behind him, he cringed, then looked into the room at the face of his Aunt and winced again.

"OH, well, it's pretty easy. All you need to do is go to an official Adventurers Guild office and request a card from one of the clerks," Iona explained, looking up from scroll she was reading. My apprentice had joined us finally, and after a simple breakfast, I put her to work. She looked embarrassed at answering, but I waved at her to continue.

"Ahh, you're then taken to another room and have to touch a magical metal tablet."

"That’s all?" the young lord sat down next to her, followed by his exasperated mother.

Iona attempted to rise but was told to sit then continued. "It's all pretty simple. The item takes a bit of your blood and actually creates the card. It's free for the first one but will cost a silver to replace."

"So with the card I go can an adventurer?" he asked excitedly, leaning over to get a better look at the scroll the apprentice was reading.

"I thought you wanted to be a sailor, Byron," his Aunt said.

"Well." He started to explain without looking at me.

"There are rules about what job you can take and which ones you cannot," Marsilia told her son while giving me an apologetic look. "Plus, you're still too young, sweetheart."

"Really."

"You do need to be of age," Iona nodded, "And you can only pick a job or any number of them as long as they are equal to or one rank above you. When you get your card, you start as Rank F."

Amabel leaned over and whispered, "Did you start as an F-ranked adventurer, Eleanor?"

"Well, we don’t do it the same way, but everyone has to start someplace."

"True." The Baroness of Redwater nodded.

--0—

Baroness Sebena of Harmon slowly walked through the halls of her castle deep in thought. She would be the first to admit that speaking with Lady Eleanor about the new laws the King had planned was enlightening. However, it brought up some interesting questions.

"Good morning Stewart," she said as she entered solar.

The Barone of Redwater just grumbled, putting aside a document he had been trying to read. "Gods woman, nothing's good about it."

Smiling, she sat down across from her brother-in-law. "Apparently, I'm a bad influence on you."

Rolling his eyes, he passed the document over. "Brilliant, really, I'm surprised how familiar Eleanor was with the wording."

"Almost like she had a hand in writing similar laws herself," Sebena said.

"Perhaps," Stewart nodded then groaned. "At least what she suggested will give other people headaches."

"Your wife seems enamored with her."

"She tends to be protective, and Amabel knows the two of us only too well."

The Baroness of Harmon did not pout, but it sure looked like it. "I think she's a collector, Eleanor, that is."

"Oh," Stewart leaned forward.

"Her apprentice, Iona, she must have seen something in her, and after speaking with the Guildmaster, I wasn’t surprised. Apparently, she's a prodigy. She kept asking questions about magic that no one knew the answers for much less understood. I heard they brought Mistress Alidth the Scholar out of retirement to teach Iona's class. Stephen wasn’t happy when he found out that Eleanor snapped her up."

"And nobody thought about approaching the young girl's family?" He asked, but he knew the answer. "Never mind, Eleanor doesn’t care about social class niceties."

Sebena chuckled, "Well, she's having her lady's maid, make sure that her new apprentice at least knows how to act in polite society."

"I can see from your look that you know something else."

The Baroness nodded. "Her lady's maid's mother used to work for the crown. From what I heard, she was part of Princess Matilda's inner circle."

"So, that’s why your household seems to move a little quicker about her." Rubbing his head, he gave off a tired sigh. "Any more surprises? Did Stephen at least manage to get some information from the former members of her band?"

"No, they're tight-lipped about it." Sabena couldn’t deny the woman's charisma and the way people reacted to her, so she wasn’t surprised.

"What about your secretary?"

Sebena raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, don’t give me that look. As long as I have known her, Lilia has always been unflappable. She is anything but in Eleanor's presence. Since she's not by your side, I gather that you left her in your study."

"She's assisting Eleanor."

"If you're not careful, Sebena," the Baroness grinned. "She is going to start collecting members of your household too."

Authors Note: Hey, sorry, I am late. It’s a little short, but I wanted to get something out. Unfortunately, while the Coronavirus is keeping many people from working, some are now even busier. As for the virus itself, please be well and stay safe.

The Lost Queen - Appendices

MMORPG or RPG Terms

Aggro - general term used for the way mobs react to players, i.e. aggressive. Players getting "aggro" did something to anger the mob that will start attacking them. There are several ways to "draw" aggro: coming into a certain radius of the mob, or initiating combat with them yourself.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. In addition, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Buff - refers to preparatory actions taken before combat, usually involving the casting of spells adding additional bonuses to characters.

Burst Damage- is a term used to describe dealing high amounts of damage in a brief period of time. Spells that qualify for burst damage are often mana inefficient.

Class - a specific type of character, signifying a role or profession (ie. medic, paladin, mage, warrior...).

Crafting Craft - a general category of skills that allows players to manufacture objects from raw resources.

Escort Missions – a job where you have to safeguard an NPC without getting them killed. Now, this wouldn't be so bad except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of jobs.

Death Penalty – in real life, death is well permanent, in an MMORPG, not so much. Yet death in 99% of MMOs is a mere inconvenience and speed bump — you don’t lose experience, and you don’t lose much of your time.

Instance- is an environment where the structure is the same for all parties who enter you will never encounter another party while yours is playing through the area, and thus it is a specific instance of this area or mission. Instances usually have much better rewards than the normal overworld map in an MMORPG.

Guild (Clan) - an organization of players. Guilds are supported by in-game systems that allow for sharing of resources, experiences, and information with other members. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

Minimap - a mini-map or minimap is a miniature map that is often placed at a screen corner in video games to aid players in orienting themselves within the game world. They are usually only a small portion of the screen and thus must be selective in what details they display.

MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

MOB - an old programming acronym of Mobile Object Block. Mobs are all computer controlled characters in the game. You should likely use some other term such as monster, creep, or bad guy.

MOB difficulty – a quest or mob's difficulty color is sometimes referred to as its "con.” This is a holdover from text-based games where the standard command to determine difficulty was /con or /consider. Many games have simplified the process by displaying the appropriate color on a hostile mob's portrait's level number when you target it.

Newbie Zone - an area around starting cities where newbies first start killing mobs.

NPC - this is a non player-controlled character. The server controls the characters. A "computer" character.

Noob- newbie newb noob or n00b is a slang term for a novice or newcomer or somebody inexperienced in a profession or activity. Variant forms of the noun include Newby and newbee, while the related term noob (often stylized as "n00b") is commonly used in online gaming.

PvE - Player vs. Environment. Combat between players and computer controlled opponents.

PvP - Player vs. Player. This means for one player to attack another player

Mana (bar) - in many games, healers and damage casters have mana bars, but other classes might not. A class with a mana bar expends mana whenever they cast a spell, and different spells have differences in mana costs and possibly cooldowns. The spell cost is particularly important for games in which certain spells are spammable, e.g. Greater Heal vs Flash Heal.

Quest - an adventure requiring cunning, discipline, bravery to succeed, but invariably undertaken with idiocy, disorder, and cowardice. Reward is always inversely proportional to the effort and risk involved.

Rollback - the full state of the game world is usually not saved permanently on the game servers continuously, but is done at intervals. To fix a big problem with a gaming world, the game may be rolled back to a previous state. Players possessions, their whereabouts, their state, etc. will all be rolled back and appear to be in the same state as they were on that point in time.

Root - can refer to a class of abilities as well as its effect. A root spell immobilizes a target. The target is then said to be rooted. Early versions of these abilities involved references to plants hence "root."

Skills - various abilities the character is capable of using, such as wielding specific types of weapons, wearing specific types of armor, casting specific types of spells, or even creating specific types of items

Solo - the act of playing alone, hunting mobs alone.

Spamming - in the context of video games, refers to the repeated use of the same item or action. For example, "grenade spamming" is the act of a player throwing many grenades in succession into an area.

Spawning - in video games, spawning is the live creation of a character item or NPC. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction, perhaps after losing one of its lives. Despawning is the deletion of a body from the game world.

Tank - a tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically, the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Threat - related to Aggro. This is what a character "gives off" to generate or draw monster aggro.

Total party kill (TPK) - “rocks fall everyone dies” or wipes - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.

Speedrun - is a play-through or a recording thereof of a whole video game or a selected part of it (such as a single level) performed with the intention of completing it as fast as possible.

Weapons & Armor

Chain (mail) - maille is a type of armor consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was generally in common military use between the 3rd century BC and the 14th century AD. A coat of this armor is often referred to as a hauberk and sometimes a byrnie.

Cuir bouilli - leather that has been treated so that it became tough and rigid as well as able to hold molded decoration. Cuir bouilli was used for cheap and light armor; although it was much less effective than plate armor, it could be reinforced against slashing blows by the addition of metal bands or strips, especially in helmets.

Falchion - A one-handed single-edged sword of European origin whose design is reminiscent of the Chinese dadao and the modern machete.

Gambeson - a quilt undercoat commonly worn under armor. Gambesons cover shoulders, thorax, abdomen, hips, groin, and thighs. They may be lengthened to cover the knees and maybe half- or full-sleeved. The skirt is split to facilitate mounted use.

Longsword - a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for two-handed use a straight double-edged blade of around 85 to 110 cm and weighing approximately 1 to 1.5 kg.

Scale Armor- (or scale mail) is an early form of armor consisting of many individual small armor scales (plates) of various shapes attached to each other and backing of cloth or leather in overlapping rows. The material used to make the scales varies and included bronze iron steel rawhide leather cuir-bouilli seeds horn or pangolin scales.

Middle Ages Terms:

Bells: - most large communities have some way to keep time useful for travelers and tradesmen heading off to work. Usually, either the Town’s Hall or Healer’s Hall will ring a large bell. It's Midsummer, so the times below will change depending on the time of year and location-

First 2:30 a.m.
Second 3:40 a.m.
Third 7:00 a.m.
Forth 12:20 p.m.
Fifth 3:00 p.m.
Sixth 7:00 p.m.
Seventh 8:20 p.m.
Eighth 9:30 p.m.

Sellsword - historically is a soldier who hires out his services to the highest bidder. Most sellswords are professionals with some experience in fighting. They existed way back in antiquity, prominent in the 100 years war and Italian wars. Typically not as good as professional armies.

The Destrier - was the most expensive horse and were typically owned only by nobles and knights. Destriers were tall horses and were typically only used in battle. Trained to not only bite and kick on command but also to trample fallen enemies. Destriers were not common and, as a result, were highly sought after by knights.

The Palfrey - was used for riding traveling and hunting as well as for ceremonies. Riding a palfrey was much more comfortable and was the favorite riding animal of noblewomen.

The Courser – were fast horses and had good endurance. They were often used by messengers as well as by people who needed to move quickly. Many knights who did not have access to a destrier preferred to ride a courser into battle because it was fast strong and agile.

The Rouncey – often used as a pack animal or even on the farm. It could be trained for war or used as a riding horse and was commonly used by knights who could not afford any of the other horses. A knight would also provide Rouncey to his squires and other men at arms.

--0--

Authors Note: All new and other interesting glossary terms will be living here. New ones will be posted but then transferred here. So you don't have to read the whole thing every time. I will also be adding world entries here as Eleanor learns about them as well. Thanks for reading!

Update 1/1/20

*Note: Found this on my PC and its really early where I was still playing around with Alice and how things work so don't be surprised if its a bit quirky*

--O--

Billy Sanders looked down upon the remains of his 69’ Mustang. Three years spent refurbishing the old girl only to have his idiotic brother roll it into Blair Lake. Dragging against the Williams’ brother’s Vet, who in the hell did Jake think he was Tony Schumacher?

Jake Sanders, who sat off on the side of the road, looked at his brother unhappily. "He looks mad."

"Do you blame him?" A young girl sitting next to him gave a small laugh.

Jake shrugged his shoulders. “Not really I guess. I mean, I did have a good excuse though.”

"Oh."

"I was bored."

Trying not to cringe at the look the Gothic looking girl was now giving him, he continued. “And not your normal run of the mill bored mind you.”

"I can see that." The girl rolled her eyes.

A commotion down by the water caused the two of them to turn. A diver had just emerged signaling that they had found a body.

As Jake watched his broken body being pulled on shore, he realized he now had more to worry about then just being bored.

~o~O~o~

Authors Note: Found this sitting on a external hard drive. I had written in a while back and just gave it a tweak to add it to the Always & Forever Universe. Thanks for reading

-Elsbeth

John Andrews passed through life as invisible as possible. His early memories were difficult living with unhappy parents who frequently took out their unhappiness on him. Emotionally scarred instead of lashing out, John retreated into himself. Blend in, don’t make a fuss, make sure not to stand out be invisible. Unfortunately, the necessities of survival disconnected him from the rest of the world as well.

School life consisted of going to school every day, doing his work and coming home. John wasn’t a nerd, didn’t like sports nor was he into student government. No one really remembered him, just the quiet person that sat in the back. He made no connections. College life was the same. Picking a college and major at random it really didn’t matter. He just needed enough money to survive. After graduation his invisible existence continued, sitting behind a desk all day doing his work and then leaving without a fuss.

John Andrews existed nothing more, nothing less.

The invisible man did have his virtues. He was a kind man, always helped a stranger, would lend money to people he knew and would not expect it back. On especially hard days, he would find himself in pet store and visit the caged animals. John connected with those creatures knowing he lived in a prison he made for himself. The saddest part if anyone bothered to ask if he was happy, John would have truthfully said, I don’t know.

Fate would step in on one cold wintery day. Sitting on a bench outside his office, John watched a group of children skate across the frozen city lake. Sipping a cup of gourmet coffee, one of his few vices he watched as some of the girls spun around like tops. They all seemed happy, laughing and giggling even when one of the girls fell. There was no rancor in their laughs just friends having a good time. The only thing John was concerned about was the warm spell that lasted a few days earlier in the week. The ice might be thin in some parts and he hoped that the city would have checked it beforehand. A terrified scream brought him to his feet.

It felt that his purpose in life had all lead up to this moment in time. John reached the break in the ice in seconds, not even realizing that he should have slipped half the way. Three older women had managed to pull two of the children out of the freezing water.

“Who is missing.” He asked while taking off his shoes and jacket.

A small girl, with tears in her eyes said. “Alison and Janet didn’t come up.”

John dove into the water, it’s cold hitting him like a hammer. A thousand needs smashed across his nerves, but he felt none of it. The first girl he found quickly. It was difficult to see in the murky water but John reached under her arms and brought her to the surface. With all of his might, he pushed the girl on to the ice. After two quick deep breaths, he dove again.

Unfortunately, years of neglecting his body started to catch up to him. His chest began to burn. Pain radiated in his arms and back. Still the thought of those children’s happiness marred by a death of one of their own drove him forward. He never knew such happiness in his life and he felt, no he knew that he needed to protect it.

Still the body has its limits. It screamed at him to stop but he couldn't, he wouldn't. The flash of a skate in the darkness filled him with purpose, his lungs now bursting he reached down grabbing a small girl from its murky depths. His vision darkening, with one last push he drove towards the surface.

When the darkness cleared, John Andrews sat on a little hill overlooking the lake. Quite a number of people had already congregated at the lake's edge. Of course, it didn’t really matter anymore but he was glad to see he had at least made it to the surface. Paramedics seem to be trying to resuscitate him, but John was sure it was pointless. The only thing that still concerned him was the little girl the other set of paramedics were worked on. He really hoped she would live.

“Well John Andrews that was one of the bravest things I have seen. You humans can be quite amazing, though usually you suck.”

John looked up to find a young girl dressed in what appeared to be a Victorian outfit including an old fashion fur muff. He wondered if she was in some sort of play then he remembered he was dead.

“No I am not an angel, nor a Valkyrie or whatever else you might imagine.” She replied reading his thoughts. "I am a spiritual detective.”

“A spiritual detective, that’s an odd job function.”

“It’s an odd job,” The young girl smiled. “So what are we going to do about you?”

“What do you mean? I’m pretty sure I died. You can now take me to heaven, or that other place.”

“You’re taking this all very well John Andrews.”

“Well there is not much I can do about it, so no real reason to get excited over it.” John wasn’t paying attention to the conversation he really wanted to know how the little girl was doing. “Plus I feel that I have accomplished what I set out to do in this life.”

The world changed around the pair. They now stood inside County Hospital in the emergency room. He looked around, groups of nurses and doctors appeared to be working frantically to save their lives.

“You had a purpose John?

He nodded. “To save those girls happiness.”

The young girl slid her arm into his. “Because you never had any yourself?”

“Something like that, I guess.” John replied, it didn’t really matter. He never felt alive except for those
last few minutes of his life. If he died now, it would be OK.

“No it wouldn’t John. You’re a good spirit, who had a hard life. You deserve to have more.”

John laughed, “Not likely, looks like the doctors have given up on me.”

“True you had a massive myocardial infarction. Pretty much destroyed your heart. You don’t do anything by halves do you John.”

“A heart attack, well that would do it. What about the second girl I saved?”

The spiritual detective squeezed his arm. ”Alison has moved on as well. Learned whatever she needed to learn, fulfilled her purpose.”

“No.” John could feel sorrow build up inside him. Both girls needed to be saved, that was his purpose in this life.

“John what if your purpose in life was to save Janet but Alison’s purpose in life was to save you.” The spiritual detective walked behind John and gave him a little push.

John slowly opened his eyes finding himself in a hospital room. Everything felt different, looking down he knew why. He raised his hands, no longer were they the rough hands of a middle-aged man but that of a young girl. New memories came to him, her memories. Alison’s family, her friends, her experiences but over all her love of life flooded into his very spirit. It was like merging with the sun.

Alison once John turned her head as her parents entered the room. She could feel their warmth their love. Her smile lit up the room. She would not waste this precious gift of a second chance.

A young woman in Victorian dress floated above the family reunion. Alison’s parents moved forward to embrace her in a hug, quickly followed by a little girl who was bouncing about the room in joy. The spiritual detective reflected that in John’s entire life his smile never touched his eyes as it did now.

“Be happy John Andrews.” The spiritual detective smiled then faded from view.

Alan sat at the back of the room pencil in hand lost in the world of his own creation. School as for so many seemed to be just one more day of insanity. Institutionalized babysitting turning everyone into good corporate drones a place filled with life sucking destroyers of dreams. Be normal or else. His pencil snapped under the pressure of his anger. Looking around Alan wiped a tear from his face. Could the day get any worse?

“You look like crap.”

Alan looked up to find his friend Debs standing over him dressed in her usual monochromatic color scheme meaning all black. Childhood friends or at least someone he had known for most of his life Debs actually seemed to care about him personally. He knew it wasn’t romantic she told him long ago she didn’t swing that way. Maybe it was because he didn’t care about her sexuality that made her at least tolerate spending a part of day with him. On the other hand, maybe misery loved company. When she came out her parents practically disowned her and a number of her so-called friends shut her out of their lives.

“So you want to talk about it or are you just going to spend the rest of the day wallowing in your usual misery?”

Alan smiled she had a way of making him feel better about himself. “The usual, Mrs. Phillips informed me that she does not approve of my artistic style. Nor did she approve of my subject matter. In fact I am pretty sure that she doesn’t approve of me.”

Mrs. Phillips the head of the art department lorded over her students. She believed in artistic freedom only if she approved it. Since the first day of college, it had been a contest of wills but Mrs. Phillips stacked the deck as she was in charge of the classroom.

“Alan, I know that you don’t want to hear this but maybe should expand your horizons. Touch upon a new subject matter.”

On his desk sat a sketchbook filled with images of an imaginary world. Castles, forests, fantasy creatures and its people filled the pages. One subject above all others took up most of the dozens of sketchbooks he had sitting at home, Lady Matilda Angroin, daughter to the Duke of Emir.

Not limited to just drawings he wrote pages and pages of stories, poems and even a poor attempt at a song. Alan knew her world better than he knew his own. It’s not that he was in love with Lady Angroin he wished in his heart that he was actually Lady Angroin.

“Do you have dreams Debs?” Alan looked down at his sketchbook a bit despondent.

“Of course I have dreams Alan.” She sighed and reached down to pull him out of his chair. “Come on Alan lets skip class today, I’ll treat you to a coffee and something sweet.”

As they crossed the commons, Debs looked around and whispered. “I met someone.”

“Really?”

Alan could feel a bubble of joy emanating from his friend. Debs began to explain that she met a girl named Beth in History class. They hit it off pretty well and for the last week have been meeting for breakfast everyday. This morning full of nerves, she asked Beth if she wanted to see a movie. Beth joked was it a date. Debs of course joked that of course it was a date. Her friend then said it would be OK if it was a date.

Alan watched Debs give a little happy dance as they crossed the street to the Student Center. He had never seen her so happy in his entire life. So caught up in her own happiness she didn’t see the car that flew through the stop sign. With no thoughts of his own life, Alan pushed her out of the way.

Moments later Alan found himself standing on top of the Student Center looking down. A group of students had already formed around the accident. His friend Debs thankfully was safe and he thought it nice that she cradled his lifeless body in her arms.

“That was a pretty brave thing you did Kiddo, stupid but brave.”

Alan turned to find what appeared to be a young girl standing next to him. He had problems guessing girls ages but he couldn’t imagine her being more than fifteen. She was dressed in a dark blue and gold dress that was more in fashion during the Victorian Period. He knew he was dead, so of course she must be an angel.

“No I am not an angel, nor a Valkyrie or whatever else you might imagine.” She replied reading his thoughts. “I am a Spiritual Detective but that’s not really important. I am here to give you a reward.”

“A second chance, I mean I look pretty dead.”

“Oh no not here, you are truly dead on this plane. Messily dead, I might add. Anyway, I couldn’t raise you from the dead even if I wanted to. The powers that be in this reality would have a conniption fit.”

“My reward?”

“Oh yes but before that Alan, why did you do it anyway? You could have grabbed Debs and pulled yourself out of the mess in time.”

Alan didn’t think of that. All he wanted to do was to make sure that his friend kept that date. It meant more to him then his own life. Had he really wanted to die? No, that was not right. The true issue was that he never thought he actually belonged here.

“That’s what I thought, so my trip wasn't a waste.” The young girl smiled. “You my friend are a rare being who lives on two different planes of existence. Well one less so now but you still exist in spirit if nothing else. “

“I don’t understand, what do you mean by planes of existence?

“Let me put it simply Alan, Lady Matilda Angroin.”

He was confused, how did she know about his obsession.

“Alan it’s because you are her, and she is you. She is not as artistically driven but you are in her thoughts every day. You are her obsession. A great spiritual thread connects the pair of you and that is how I discovered you today. It would be nice to bring you two together, you are causing all sorts of ripples in space-time.”

‘What about Debs?” He wanted her to be happy, not traumatized from the accident.

“You’re a good person Alan, you do deserve this reward. Your friend will live a long happy life. She will not waste the gift you have given her. So Alan, would you like to be Lady Matilda Angroin?”

Alan’s first genuine smile was enough of an answer.

Lady Matilda Angroin awoke from a night of fitful sleep. Since she was little, dreams of another place filled her thoughts. The world of her dreams seemed so strange. At times terrible. At a young age, Matilda also learned to keep those thoughts to herself. Her family would think her mad something she herself wasn’t so sure of.

Donning her robe, Lady Angroin opened the curtains to watch the sunrise over the Whitescar Mountains. When the sun hit her face, all of those worries went away. Lady Matilda Angroin for the first time in her life felt complete. Memories of both Alan and Matilda merged. They were never two people, always one with a sprit torn apart.

“Lady Angroin are you ready to start your day?” A housemaid had entered her bedroom, asking the same question that she asked every day.

Matilda's first genuine smile was enough of an answer.

----------=BigCloset Retro Classic!=----------

---

 
Admin Note: Originally published on BigCloset TopShelf on Saturday 09-01-2012 at 08:10:07 pm, and again on Sunday 10-07-2016 at 14:53:08 pm, this retro classic was pulled out of the closet, and re-presented for our newer readers. ~Sephrena
 

Chapter 1

Philip knelt on the floor of his bedroom rummaging through a tall stack of papers. If asked his mother would have explained that the state of his bedroom was a clear reflection of her son’s life. Finally finding what he needed, he placed the loose sheets of paper into a rather large binder. Across the top of the binder, hand written in beautiful calligraphy was the word Mercia. Unlike many young men his age, Philip was not looking forward to the weekends to spend time trying to pick up girls, no his weekends were for gaming.

The Role-Playing campaign Mercia had been an active part of his life since his first year in High School. Based on the Archon Role-Playing system, it had continued for the last six years with his group playing religiously almost every weekend. It started innocently enough. Philip ran across a used copy of the core rules at a bookstore. Drawn to the art on the cover but not sure what was inside, he brought the book home anyway. Opening the book dragged Philip into another world. Many times since that fateful day, he wished real life were as simple, with charts and tables to tell you how well you were doing. His first time at the gaming table, in a pick up group at a Fantasy convention, was memorable. After the enjoyable experience, he decided that what he really wanted to do was to create these wonderful stories. A new Game Master was born.

For a month, Philip spent every evening writing adventures, and running them alone in his room. The excitement didn’t last very long; it was all in good to play but what he needed was someone to play with. That was easier said than done, as he never made any real friends in school. It’s not that Philip was antisocial; rather he lacked any real social skills. Often missing normal social cues, the young boy quickly alienated himself from most of his peers at school. He never understood why people didn’t want to listen for hours on end to topics that he found extremely interesting. What was worse, it was almost painful if he didn’t talk about them. The doctors, of course, had all sorts of explanations for his behavior; however, it didn’t stop him from being lonely.

A week before he turned fifteen all of that changed. While standing at the bus stop reading a book, and trying to keep away from the others, a new student walked up to the bus stop. At first glance, Philip was positive that the person was a girl but then upon further examination, he wasn’t totally sure. The other teens standing at the bus stop were also were thinking along the same lines. Pixie like in appearance, with bright almost white hair, tied up into a ponytail and dressed in well-tailored but very androgynous clothing, the new student screamed girl. Besides, she was too pretty to be a boy. However, that belief soon changed.

“Christian.” The boy explained to a group of girls who came up to ask him his name. That little revelation caused a ripple effect throughout the crowed. From outright disgust to interest passed through most of the other students faces. What amazed Philip was that none of it seemed to faze Christian at all.

“You must be some sort of fag.” Mark Johnson, one of Philip’s long time tormentors, called out.

Christian just smiled. “No I’m not but why are you asking? Are you trying to ask me out on a date?”

Except for Mark and his cronies, that brought a wave of smiles to the group. When he explained that he just moved from Southern California, the other students for the most part left him alone. I mean everyone knows that people from Southern California are weird in the first place. Afterwards he would have to pound a few faces for the more hard headed to leave him alone. Christian might have been short but he was more than happy to stand up for himself. With the little excitement of a new student at the bus stop over, Philip thought he would go back to his normal days but he was wrong.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Looking up from his book, Philip just nodded. No one had ever asked to sit by him. The bus was never crowded enough so he always at alone. Christian took a seat and looked over as Philip went back to his book. “I’m Christian.”

“Ahh, Philip.”

“Cool, I saw you reading the new ‘Dragon Sword’ series. What did you think about where the author left off? I was a little disappointed that she didn’t go deeper into Tempest’s reason for turning against his brother.”

It was if a light went off in Philip’s head. There was actually a person sitting next to him who was interested in the same things. Quickly agreeing the two discussed the ins and outs of several popular fantasy series on the way to school. Philip was disappointed when the bus ride came to an end. Most likely, it was also the end of any more conversations. It was at this point most people ran away.

“How about we pick it up during lunch?” Christian said as he walked towards the office.

“Sure.”

As the weeks went by Philip was amazed how much Christian understood the art of world crafting and writing. When asked, he admitted that he had been writing short stories for a number of years, all of it based off the Archon RPG system. It was at that point that Philip had his first player. That Friday night he ran Christian through the adventure he had written. It wasn’t very long, rescuing a Miller’s daughter from a handful of Urks, part troll, part goblin; they were Archon’s equivalent to Orcs. Afterwards, they discussed the adventure. When Christian asked why this was all happening, why did the Miller’s daughter get captured, Philip didn’t know. So engrossed in writing an adventure, he couldn’t really fathom the world behind; it didn’t matter. Christian soon began to weave a tale of a desperate woman trying to run away from an arranged marriage. Philip was amazed how his simple module became a backdrop to a large adventure. Philip still wasn’t sure, he liked writing adventures, but the world stuff was inconsequential. Christian explained that he would be happy to build the world, if Philip wrote the adventures. That began a six-year collaborative effort. A friendship that Philip desperately needed, for it was also Christian who brought the other gaming members into the group.

Looking up for the fifth time Philip checked the time. His gaming group would be arriving any minute now for what he hoped would be an all-night session. It was the first time in over a month that he and his friends were going to sit down and play. To Philip it was an obsession, so as the years went by, he became somewhat disappointed that members of his gaming group began to have other interests. Even Christian, who he thought was a hard core a gamer like himself, acquired a girlfriend in his junior year of High School. Philip of course forgave his friend when Christian managed to convince Sandy, his then girlfriend, to start playing with them.

“Dude, your room is worse than mine.”

Philip grinned. Corey shook his head as he walked by to take a seat in front of Philip’s computer. As the newest member of the gaming group, tall, blonde with a chiseled chin and with eyes that make girls go wild, Corey was not your typical gaming nerd. He had been a top defensive lineman in High School and was scouted by a number of well-known Universities. However, on the second to the last game of his final High School football season, he threw out his knee, effectively ending his football career. Corey didn’t mind. He explained that he only played football to make his father happy, what he really wanted was to be a doctor and not play in the NFL. Therefore, instead of entering college on a football scholarship the straight A student received an academic scholarship instead.

“You’re still tweaking your character?” Philip asked rising from the ground.

Corey tended to look for every powerful combination when making a character. It was all in the rules but at times Philip was annoyed by how powerful some of Corey’s combinations had become. Today was no different; although he was shelving his usual Arch mage for a Temple Healer, the character was just as mini-maxed. What was different about tonight game was that Corey had finally talked his girlfriend into try the game. With new players added, the group decided to play new lower level characters for the next adventure. Philip didn’t mind, the best thing that would happen was that he would get to run a high level and a low-level campaign at the same time. Most likely, though, this would only be a one shot adventure as no one expected Corey’s girlfriend to continue to play. Even with the threat of it only being a one shot adventure, Corey made sure his character and his girlfriend’s would be perfect.

“Of course, I read a couple of new ideas on the forum. I thought I might try them out since the game hasn’t officially started.”

“So where is Kathy?” Philip asked having mixed feelings about her arrival. The stories he had been told about her sometimes vocal opinion on things didn’t bode well for another adventure beyond tonight.

“At the mall.” The former defensive lineman made a face. “She should be here in a few minutes, unless she plans on bailing on us.”

“You think she will?”

Corey shrugged. Kathy was fun to be around but she really didn’t get gaming. Actually, he didn’t either until he met Christian in the student center. It’s not something he was willing to bring up, as Corey was actually going to ask the good-looking girl on a date. Corey had played plenty of computer games but the whole RPG thing was a little beyond the pale. Somehow, after finding themselves in the same History class, Christian convinced him to try Archon, which was a pen and paper game. After his first adventure, Corey was pretty much hooked.

“You still plan on playing a female character, especially with Sylia as her goddess?” Philip looked over the character sheet. Off to the right of the computer screen was a spreadsheet opened with all sorts of calculations to get the best build.

“They make the best healers.” Corey commented as his character finally began to print out on the printer.

“I’m impressed.” Philip noted that Corey managed to pull all of the stops with this character. He picked the right combinations of advantages and disadvantages to make it work. “You’re planning to role-play some of those disadvantage right?”

Unlike some of the others in the group, the ex-high school football player didn’t get much into the role-playing part of the game. It was the adventure and as he put it, the chance to bust some heads that made him excited. “We’ll see, not sure how to role-play a petite girl who has a problem with men but I’ll give it a try.” The six foot three, former defensive lineman said with a grin. “As a healer, that will be easier since it’s something I plan on doing for a living. At least when we talk about injures I won’t have to fake not knowing what they mean.”

Two more members of the gaming group emerged from the garage door; Brett and his brother Stephen. Brett, was pre-law and after passing the bar would enter the families Law firm. He was also the de facto leader of the party and longtime member of the group, joining in the eleventh grade. Today he brought his sixteen-year-old brother along. “How’s it going, Doctor Anders?” Brett asked as he reached over to look at Corey’s character. “Geeze man, your attention to detail even scares me.”

Laughing Corey leaned over and nodded to Stephen. “What’s up, I heard you’re going to play an Incantist.”

“I guess.” Stephen shrugged, not really understanding what that meant.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on him; the Imperium always wants to get their hands into everything.” Brett laughed. Members of the Incantist class were powerful spell casters who often worked for the Imperium. Normally explorers, on occasion they would also be used as Witch Hunters, purging those who threatened the Imperium. The group decided that a little imperial backing might make the adventure a little more interesting and hopefully more profitable.

The sound of an altercation inside the garage caught everyone’s attention. Corey cringed, it sounded like Kathy was at it again, which meant she must have run into Christian and Sandy. His girlfriend and Christian’s ex-girlfriend were friendly enough; on the other hand, Christian and Kathy were like oil and water.

“Could you dress any more like a girl?” Kathy said, a little too loudly. “I’m not sure I like my boyfriend hanging out with a drag queen.”

Corey rolled his eyes as he opened the door. Normally she was the sweetest person in the world but Kathy’s evangelical upbringing reared its ugly head way too often lately. They had already broken up once over this and if push came to shove, if the choice was Christian or Kathy, his girlfriend would lose.

“Kathy”

Sandy turned her head, revealing a beautiful smile. “Sweetie, see I told you that I would make it.” She quickly crossed the distance and gave Corey a lusty kiss.

“Nice kiss, but please apologize to Christian.”

Sandy frowned then shrugged. “I’m sorry, my boyfriend is right, my parents brought me up better, please forgive me.” She said with little conviction in her voice. Corey knew that her parents were actually the problem. Looking at his friend, he didn’t really see a problem. Christian was dressed the same but he did look very feminine. Actually, he thought the real problem might be that Christian was actually prettier than Kathy was.

Christian just nodded. Sandy on the other hand looked like she was about to start spitting nails. Before she could say anything, Christian leaned over and spoke in her ear. Whatever he said seemed to mollify her a little.

“Guys.” Philip said coming into the garage. He would have liked nothing better to tell Kathy to get the hell out of his parents’ house, but he was a little afraid of her. Philip wasn’t really capable of dealing with girls, much less pretty girls. Sandy was cute but she was more like a sister and Christian was a guy.

“You must be Philip. I have heard so much about you.” Kathy walked forward to shake his hand. “I really don’t understand what all of you do every weekend but I’m willing to give it a try.” Looking around Philip’s home, giving the place a once over, she turned back to her host. “You have a place I can freshen up a bit?”

Philip looked confused.

“She’s looking for the bathroom.” Sandy sighed.

Philip nodded. “Please use the guest bathroom upstairs. It’s on the right as soon as you get to the top of the stairs.” At least he remembered that. The downstairs bathroom became his domain when he moved into the basement. It was also a bathroom that Sandy refused to enter.

When Kathy disappeared upstairs, Corey turned to his friends. “Sorry guys, normally she’s a sweetheart.”

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it.” Christian said somewhat fatalistically.

“But you shouldn’t have to be.” Sandy fumed.

“Hi guys.” Brett appeared; trying to change the mood, quickly re-introducing his brother to his friends.

Stephen gave one look at Christian and blushed. Leaning over he whispered to his brother. “You’re sure he’s not a girl?”

Brett nodded, although like the others he wasn’t sure when he first met him. Christian was an oddity. It wasn’t that he acted like a female, he also didn’t act like a stereotypical male. Didn’t matter really, he was a good friend.

“So what did the doctor say?” Brett asked then frowned, realizing the conversation wasn’t something that his brother needed to know.

Christian shrugged. “They still have no idea.”

Corey eyes opened wide. “You’re shitting me, really.”

Stephen was about to say something but Brett shook his head. “How about we talk about this later?”

Christian nodded, somewhat relieved. He really didn’t need the world to know that there was a real possibility that he was totally screwed up genetically speaking. Still, at only five foot three, he was often mistaken for a young teenage girl. For someone who just turned nineteen to not go through puberty, either as a girl or a boy was a real mystery. Since he was a child, he had lived an in-between life being neither totally girl nor boy. Genetically he was a boy for the most part, at least chromosomally, however there were other genetic markings that were confusing the hell out of the doctors.

The doctors had at one point thought about hormone therapy but had backed off recently after receiving the latest test results. If it did come to that, it wasn’t going to be testosterone that was for sure. Christian might look male between his legs but the organ between his ears said otherwise. It was slow, but he was moving in one particular direction. Especially in the last year, Christian had moved more towards the feminine. Only Sandy knew that he started to dress as a girl full time at home. Soon he would have to tell everyone, but he wasn’t overly concerned with his true friends reactions. What he was really looking forward to was Winter Break, where he would be taking Sandy on vacation to the Caribbean. However, it wasn’t Christian who would be travelling but Kristy.

“You OK?” Sandy leaned over and whispered in Christian’s ear.

“Yep.” Reaching over he gave his sometime girlfriend’s hand a squeeze. They were now more like sisters than lovers. Christian had dated a number of other girls, and he wouldn’t mind it doing it again but the thought of dating a boy excited him as well. At one time, the thought had terrified him but now it didn’t seem all that bad an idea.

“I don’t know why we don’t play at your home, Christian; you have tons more room.” Brett began to pick up his book bag filled with the core set of rules, along with dice, pens, and his character sheets. “I mean it’s your house right, not your grandfather’s.”

Christian nodded; he had inherited the house along with his parent’s considerable wealth when he came of age. They had died in a plane crash when he was a baby so the only family he had ever known was his grandfather. He waited for about three seconds before answering, waiting for the one person he knew would complain.

“What’s wrong with my parent’s house?” Philip asked, it almost coming out as a whine.

Sandy grinned and patted his hand. “Nothing's wrong sweetie, ignore them. Your house has always been a home away from home.” Reaching for Christian’s hand, she led him downstairs into the room they affectingly called the Dungeon.

With the tensions somewhat lessened, the entire group sat around the large poker table. Not that he had ever played poker on it. In fact, with Corey and Brett’s help, he had converted it into a first class gaming table. There were plenty of cup holders, so no chance of drinks messing up the map or miniatures. The cabinet of miniatures that stood against the wall was all thanks to Christian. He didn’t make the cabinet, but actually had hand painted the hundred or so small plastic and lead figures that would adorn the board during their adventures. The gaming room was Philip’s pride and joy.

Reaching into his backpack, Christian pulled out six small and one larger box. “These are all for you.” To each of the players, he gave them a small box while the large one went to Philip. Opening them, revealed beautifully painted miniatures of the characters they were all going to play tonight. “Wow Christian, you outdid yourself this time.” Cory said, admiring the white robed healer. With inks and washes expertly applied, it made the figure appear to be almost lifelike. Even Kathy grudgingly admitted that they were beautiful. Her character was that of a tall brutish male, wielding a particularly menacing two-handed ax. Corey was surprised when she suggested that she play a male character, reasoning that if he was female then a little gender role reversal could be fun.

“You should see his paintings.” Sandy said while admiring her Sylph, Archon’s version of an Elf. “A number of national gaming magazines have used his work.”

Even Kathy was impressed with that bit of news.

“Look, my guy even has writings on his scroll.” Stephen pointed excitedly to the scroll that was in the hands of his character.

As Brett admired his Knight figure, he turned to Philip. “So what’s in your box?”

Philip gave a half smile and then whooped with joy. “Christian, you’re amazing.”

“What’s in it?” Kathy asked as she leaned over for a better look. “Oh it’s a Dragon.”

“Not just any dragon.” Reaching into the box, Philip placed the beautifully painted shadowy colored dragon on the table.

Corey and Brett moaned at the same time. Sandy gave Christian the eye. “You had to buy it for him.” The group had a rule, if there wasn’t a figure for it, it wouldn’t appear in the adventure. For the longest time Philip had been waiting for this miniature’s release.

“What is it?” Stephen asked, wondering why everyone was making faces.

“A Shadow Dragon.” Christian smiled. He had absolutely loved putting the large plastic miniature together and over the last month had painted it to the highest detail.

“Are they tough?”

“Yes.” Half the room replied. Christian only smiled as Philip hovered over the piece as if he was a new father.

“You have an unexpected talent there Christian, a real gift.” Kathy said admiring the piece. “It’s truly beautiful.” They looked at one another for a second and he realized that she was offering an olive branch. He thanked her for the compliment. He hoped that they would all move forward.

“We’re not going to see one of those tonight?” Stephen asked nervously, looking down at his small character and then comparing it to the huge Dragon figure.

Brett slapped his brother on the back. “No, this is a little gift for our other party.”

Reluctantly Philip lovingly placed the Dragon back into the box. With a look over his shoulder, he knew that it wouldn’t fit in the glass cabinet. “I’m going to put this in my room. I’ll be back in a second.”

With Philip out of earshot, Corey turned to his friend. “Dude, you suck. What made you paint that horrible thing?”

Sandy giggled.

Brett smiled. “Just because it eats magic for breakfast makes it a tad bit difficult opponent to face, eh Archmage.”

The ex-linemen just scowled earning a smile from Kathy.

“Hey, look there are even words on the scroll.” Stephen examined his figure further. “Arunal magtha ispin ul.”

“What does that mean?” Brett asked.

Christian laughed. “Nothing, I just made up words and put them on the scroll. I short of cheated, it’s actually a really small decal I printed out on my computer.”

“Iral magar li bin onus.”

Corey frowned. “Ok, enough of the gibberish, who wants some cheese crisps?”

“Oskur zimba ia jazio” Stephen continued to speak, almost chanting.

Most of the others were becoming annoyed.

“Hajan vanar reli jo.”

“Ok, enough fun, save it for the game.” Brett reached over to take a miniature out of his brother’s hand. It was great that he was getting into the spirit of the game but this was a bit much.

“Kilba backu manu RA!” Before Brett could grab the figure, Stephen shouted the last word.

For everyone sitting at the gaming table, the world suddenly went black.

Authors Notes: A special thanks to djkauf for a little elvish editing. If you like the story please leave a Kudos, if you have the time I would love to hear from you. Thanks to all for reading! - Elsbeth

Chapter 2

Plunged into darkness, Christian felt greatly out of sorts when suddenly the warmth of the sun played across his face and arms. It was a gentle touch, quite unexpected as moments before he been sitting in the basement of Philip’s parent’s home. However, a blood curdling scream shattered those pleasant but somewhat muddled thoughts.

“Oh my God! What happened to me?” An obviously female voice screamed once more, followed by loud sobbing.

In his wildest imagination what Christian expected to see next was not what was presented before him. Sitting up, he found his friends, or what he assumed were his friends scattered about a stone floor. One part of him acknowledged that they were the same people who moments before had been sitting with him at the gaming table; another part was in total disbelief.

Looking a few years older than his normal sixteen years, Stephen lay on the ground next to him. Wearing the black and silver robes of an Imperial Incantist, the High School student looked up at his brother in disbelief.

Brett knelt down next to his brother, his face full of worry. Encased in partial Dragoon plate armor, the pre-law student bore a strong resemblance to an English Civil War officer of cavalry. Like his brother, he too looked older by at least a decade. Christian’s friend had obviously taken an age disadvantage allowing him to obtain better starting equipment. Although both Brett and his brother appeared to be older, they looked essentially the same, unlike the remaining party members.

Kathy, or what Christian assumed to be Kathy, lay spread eagle on the floor across from Christian. However, the stylish young woman who had accosted him in Phillip’s garage was gone, replaced by a giant of a man. All about the warrior lay the instruments of his trade, small throwing axes and a couple of javelins; but it was a massive battle-ax that stood out. Dressed in the double mail hauberk of a northern ice barbarian, the former woman now sported a face full of whiskers. The new Huscarl did not stir and from the sound of the loud snoring was obviously fast asleep.

Like his girlfriend, Corey too went through a radical change, his gender now matching his Archon character sheet. Unlike her normal six foot three self, the new Corey could easily be mistaken for her younger sister’s twin. With her dirty blond hair cropped short, the new priestess was dressed in the white and gold trimmed robes of a maiden of Sylia. Although she might look it, the priestess was not totally helpless, being well armed and armored. Like most of her adventuring sisters, she wore a reinforced leather cuirasse and wielded a small deadly looking spear. Realizing that it was Corey who was sobbing, Christian sprung to his feet.

Pointing to the sleeping Huscarl , Christian stepped towards the sobbing priestess. “Sandy, can you check on Kathy while I see to Corey?” Christian found Sandy’s new appearance not surprising in the least. Although she still looked like his longtime friend, with small pointy ears and almond shaped eyes, she was obviously no longer human. Eyes full of panic, Sandy grabbed Christian’s command like it was a lifeline.

Relief filled Christian’s face as Sandy moved to Kathy’s side. Now much less worried about the young Sylph, Christian knelt down right in front the sobbing priestess. “Corey?”

“What’s happening to me?” Corey continued to rock back and forth sobbing. As it didn’t appear she was going to stop crying, Christian did something that in a million years would never thought about doing. Reaching over, he wrapped his arms around his friend and held her close. Immediately, Corey began to struggle then settled down realizing who was holding her.

“Christian?”

“That’s me.”

“What just happened to us?”

“No clue?”

“Really?” Corey body shuddered. “Crap. It’s like a story out of one of our gaming magazines."

Christian gave a small laugh, then said the first thing that came to his mind. It might not have been the most appropriate question but Christian couldn’t help but blurt it out. “What’s it like?”

The priestess sat back; looking up; she wiped her eyes with her sleeves. “What do you mean what’s it like?”

Christian flushed with embarrassment; obviously this was not the time to ask. “Sorry, nothing.”

Frowning, Corey shook her head. “You know you’re an idiot.”

“What?”

Reaching over to poke Christian in the left obviously very female breast, the priestess of Sylia gave a small smile. “You’re a girl too.”

Brett paced back and forth in front of his gaming group. Thankfully, for the most part they had settled down but for some unknown reason were now looking to him for leadership. Why they did, he had no clue. Sure, at the gaming table he made decisions but that was in the safety of Philip’s parent’s basement. Any decisions today were more than likely going to impact their actual survival. If they worked together, hopefully they would make it out alive but even that seemed unlikely.

“So you’re telling me this isn’t some weird virtual reality game? This shit is for real?”

Brett cringed as she continued. The loudest member of the part was obviously Kathy, whose appearance and mannerism no longer matched the name. Already in a terrible mood because of the gender change, the Huscarl was totally crushed when Corey screamed as he tried to comfort her. The pain and anger were still obviously written across his face. Who knew the ramifications of having a fury based warrior in the party. At the gaming table it didn’t seem to matter. Hopefully, Kathy would be able to hold his anger in check and turn it towards something more constructive.

With an androphobic priestess and a barbarian with anger issues in the party, Brett decided he really didn’t want the responsibility of leadership. “Kathy…”

“Call me Eric; I sure as hell don’t look like a Kathy anymore. I named the character after my cousin who also has a temper so it’s as good a name as any. ” The warrior gave a humorless smile.

“Ok, Eric.”

The Huscarl nodded. “OK, for now let’s skip how this happened. Why here? Why didn’t we appear in a city or town? Why are we in the middle of freaking nowhere?”

For some unknown reason, instead of being gated to one of the Imperium’s major cities, the party found themselves sitting in the crumbling ruins of a forgotten temple on a windswept hill. Ruins like these were common beyond the borders of the Empire, the remains of an ancient civilization that flourished long ago.

Brett noticed that while Eric talked, he did not take his eyes off of Christian. From the way the Huscarl was staring, there was little doubt in the large warrior’s mind where the fault of their current situation lay. On the other hand, his brother was staring at Christian for a totally different reason. Somehow upon being turned into a girl, his longtime friend was now even more beautiful. With long silver hair, standing taller than most of the men, she definitely had a regal air about her.

“We know as much as you do.” Sandy sighed. “Unless someone found a map in their backpack, we are as lost as you are.”

“OK, then explain why this happened.”

“As we have already said before...Eric, none of us here knows why this happened.” Christian shook her head in frustration.

“But you wrote the words on the scroll.” The mailed warrior said accusingly, not for the first time.

“Nothing more than made up words.”

“Then it’s his fault.” Leaping up from the ground, the mailed warrior strode forward, planning to grab Stephen by the scruff of his neck and shake the answers out of him.

Before he could come to his brother’s defense, to Brett’s amazement, Christian intervened. Jumping to her feet, she stepped right in front of the charging Huscarl . “Stephen did nothing, Eric, now please sit down.” Everyone was amazed including the almost raging warrior that the command actually worked.

Suddenly feeling very stupid, Eric turned to Stephen. “Sorry, you’re new to the game as well.”

“I don’t understand any of this either.” No longer facing an enraged warrior, relief filled the young man’s face.

With Christian standing in the center of the party, Brett realized he had seen her in a similar outfit before. With a heavy rapier at her side, dressed in black scale leather armor, she was the spitting image of a woman in a painting that stood in Christian’s study at home. Long before the current group formed, Christian and Phillip gamed with another group. Unfortunately for the party, one adventure turned rather ugly.

“Christian, why do you look like Lorelei?”

Deep inside the ruins of a forgotten temple, the group had fought through numerous difficult encounters. After a magical trap teleported the party, they found themselves lost, low on spells, out of healing supplies and dragging two dead party members around. Making another wrong turn, the party ran head long into the boss of the dungeon. The high level necromancer and his entourage of undead knights made quick work of the already tired party, resulting in a Total Party Wipeout. (TPW) Christian was the spitting image of the woman in the painting named “Lorelei’s Last Stand”.

It was Christians turn to look embarrassed. “Because, I’m her daughter...well my character is anyway.”

“That’s not fair.” Corey, who hadn’t spoken a single word all afternoon, whined.

The rest of the group, including Eric broke out in smiles.

“Why isn’t that fair?” Stephen asked.

“Because Christian’s new PC now has all of her old character’s belongings. Philip never allowed me to do that.”

Brett smiled. “Christian, how many pages of background did you write for this character?”

The silver haired beauty made a face. “I think it’s about ten thousand words, give or take. Also I didn’t exactly get all of her belongings, Corey, remember she died along with her party. Mostly I got her debt.”

“Debt? Now that doesn’t seem fair either.” Corey made a pouting face.

“With Imperial taxes pretty high, it’s an incentive to adventure, as I do own her estate and lands.”

Brett nodded; he remembered that Lorelei was a Baroness or some other type of nobility. As Philip, their Game Master was not about to drop high level items into a low level campaign, Christian would have made sure that there would be some advantages and probably not without some resources. “So you’re some type of noble?”

“Baroness Isabelle, illegitimate daughter of Baroness Lorelei of Northridge currently out of favor with the Court for speaking out against certain unpopular Imperial decrees.” Stephen spoke slowly, now giving Christian a totally different look. “Oh sorry, that was weird,” Stephen sat back, his eyes opened wide in surprise.

“Are you ok?”

Stephen looked up at his brother. “How did I know that?”

“You’re an Incantist, that’s how.” Sandy didn’t look particular happy.

Brett frowned. Her reaction to his brother was unfortunate. With Sandy dressed more like a pirate than a wood-elf, he acknowledged that it made sense, as unlike most fantasy worlds, Sylphs were ocean going people. In small fast war ships, the massive Royal Fleet of Queen Celebil appeared off Imperial shores two hundred years ago. After several long decades of vicious warfare, the Imperium reluctantly allowed the Sylph race to settle among several inhabited island chains. Even today, the Imperium and the Royal Sylph Court did not exactly get along.

Reaching for her friend’s hand, Sandy said. “Isabelle, I think that’s a beautiful name.”

Christian smiled. “I thought so, too.”

With the group breaking up a number of hours earlier with little accomplished, Sandy sat on a particularly large outcropping of rock overlooking the party. Convinced that their current situation was the Incantist’s fault, the Sylph absentmindedly fingered one of her throwing knives while looking down at the sleeping form of Stephen. Although she didn’t know why he would do such a thing and for what purpose, a part of her refused to trust him.

The Sylph perceived only one person trying to do something constructive. While the others lay on their bed rolls, Isabelle stood on the other side of the ruins facing a chain of snow covered mountains. Quickly crossing the ruins, Sandy could feel her cast another spell. Everyone was surprised when they discovered that Isabelle was a Pathfinder. What a strange class, a jack of all trades they took a little bit of every profession. It was considered the ultimate dungeoneer class; however it was difficult to play correctly. Putting her High Priestess aside, Isabelle said she wanted to try something different for the low level game as she had never played the class before. She also realized it was easier to call Christian by her character’s name. For some reason she found it difficult to call her Christian anymore.

Leaping from stone to stone, Sandy landed softy right behind her friend.

“Couldn’t sit still, huh?” Isabelle said without looking back.

Sandy grinned, not surprised that a Pathfinder was able to hear her soft footfalls. “Not really…too restless. So how are you?”

“I was going to ask you the same question.”

Sandy smiled. “You first.”

“Complete.” Turning around, Isabelle laughed, her face lighting up in a smile; then it turned sad. “I shouldn’t feel that way considering our current circumstances.”

“I know but I’m still happy for you.” Reaching up, Sandy hugged the silver haired beauty. She had to keep herself from giggling; in the other world she was a little taller.

“Still, I am worried about some of our companions, especially Kathy and Corey.”

Sandy nodded; Corey appeared to be having an especially hard time. It was difficult to tell with the Huscarl other than perhaps he was even angrier. “Hard enough for Corey being a girl, to add to the problem, she is also terrified of men.” Sandy shook her head, what a ridiculous disadvantage. “Won’t this be an issue if she needs to heal one of the men?”

Isabelle stepped back but still held the Sylphs hand. “I don’t know. We need to speak to Brett about our concerns as well.”

“Why bother he is only interested in Stephen.”

“Sandy, you know that’s not true.”

The Sylph corsair only shrugged. “So Baroness, did you find anything interesting?”

“This place is warded. That’s why we haven’t been interrupted by any wandering monsters.”

“Warded why?”

Isabelle smiled warmly, laying the other hand on one of the fallen stones. “I think it was a holy place. It still holds some power.”

“Is this really Mercia?” Sandy reached over to touch the same stone, feeling something deep within the rocks as well.

“Yes, I think it is but how I know this I’m not sure.” Isabelle wasn’t the only one with new knowledge running around inside her head. If asked Sandy could explain the difference between a brigantine and a barque, as well as where to look in a merchant ships hold for hidden treasure. She could also open any locked chest that might hold that treasure.

“Do you know where we are now?”

Not answering the question, the silver haired Baroness asked one instead. “What do you remember about your first adventure?”

Sandy smiled. “I remembered how excited you were that I agreed to play.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. What do you remember about the actual adventure?”

“Nothing really.” Stepping back, she looked towards the mountains. “What are you saying? You do know where we are don’t you?”

The Pathfinder nodded.

With a stick in hand, Isabelle drew a rough map of their location. “Ultimately, Pathfinder magic is about discovery. There is a reason why Incantists always have one by their side and why legions never leave the capitol without them.” The rest of the party stood quietly as she continued on with her explanation. “We are at the start of the Black Water Valley, which runs northeast to southwest along the Skollis Mountain range,”

“So how does that help us?” Eric grumbled.

“Well unless I am wrong, Isabelle was just about to explain that.” Brett, now Owein, commented as he knelt down drawing a line in the dirt. It was not lost on anyone that everyone was now calling each other by their character’s name. “You think that the tower might still be there?”

Isabelle smiled. “You remember the adventure?”

The Captain of Dragoons chuckled. “I never forget an adventure. However, how do you plan on activating the gate?”

“It should still be active; if not then that’s why we have an Incantist.”

Everyone looked at Sayer, once Stephen, who only shrugged. “How?”

“I’m hoping, Sayer, that once we get to the tower you will remember.” The Pathfinder said with a smile. Isabelle was somewhat sure that if pushed she might be able to figure it out, but the Incantist definitely needed to feel useful. She could tell he was having problems holding it together, even with his brother at his side.

Elisa bit her lip. Like the others, Corey felt compelled to use her character’s name. “We did this before right?”

Dacie once Sandy nodded. “The Archivist the party does a lot of dealings with, he gave us some sort of wand to active it last time right.” The ancient gates, are dangerous to use, but if the proper incantations are known could literally take you across the world.

“Correct, but now we have an Incantist, so he should be able to at least get us closer to a major city.” The consensus of the party was to speak to find and speak to an Arch-mage or a High Priestess about their predicament.

“Let's say against all hope we manage to find this gate, where will it take us?” Eric turned to Sayer who stepped back

”We should appear in the summoning room of one of the Incantist’s Black and Silver Chapter Houses.”

“Just great.” Dacie shook her head in disgust.

“Fine, so…Baroness if we are unable to find this tower of yours then what?” Eric scratched his beard. The thing was beginning to bother him. How in anyone’s imagination did one deal with the thing?

“We walk back to the Empire.”

Owein almost choked. “That’s a long way home, Isabelle.”

She nodded. “A hundred leagues at least.”

“How far is a league?” Sayer was afraid to ask.

“Three miles.” Elisa laughed.

Looking totally disgusted, Eric commented. “That’s one hell of a walk.”

“So what do we do now?” The Incantist looked around, worried. “It’s going to be dark soon.”

“You and Isabelle should strengthen the wards.” The Captain of Dragoons ordered, without looking up from the map.

“Why? Aren’t we already safe with the wards the Baroness spoke about?” Eric looked down towards the forest below.

Isabelle rolled her eyes; was there a reason Eric continued to insist on calling her by her character’s title?

“Because there are creatures that hunt in the night that we are ill equipped to handle.” The priestess of Sylia explained. “Isabelle, I will join you after I am done with my prayers. There is an ill wind blowing tonight.”

Players:
Christian/Isabelle Pathfinder
Brett/Owein Paragon
Sandy/Dacie Corsair ; Sylph
Kathy/Eric Huscarl
Stephen/Sayer Incantist
Corey/Elisa Priestess

Authors Notes: A special thanks to djkauf for a little elvish editing. If you like the story please leave a Kudos, if you have the time I would love to hear from you. Thanks to all for reading! - Elsbeth

Chapter 3

Players:
Christian (M) /Isabelle (F) Pathfinder
Brett (M) /Owein (M) Paragon
Sandy (F) /Dacie (F) Corsair ; Sylph
Kathy (F) /Eric (M) Huscarl
Stephen (M) /Sayer (M) Incantist
Corey (M) /Elisa (F) Priestess

As the sun began to slowly dip towards the horizon, the party finished a quick meal before putting out the cooking fire. There were a couple of complaints, but it was calmly pointed out that fires in the wilderness tended to attract too many unwanted visitors.

“You’re upset.” With her back to a broken pillar, Dacie nibbled on the remains of a piece of flat bread.

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are, Isabelle; you’re making that face again.” Elisa gave a half smile as she put needle and thread to a tunic larger than herself. Normally this wouldn’t be a skill that she would have chosen for her character but it was part of the whole priest package. Actually the young woman was amazed at her new skills. She wished that Corey was this productive, novice training if nothing else made Priestesses of Sylia well-rounded individuals.

“Elisa you don’t have to do that.” Eric said with humor in his voice. If Elisa’s mother could see her now, she would be surprised in more ways than one.

“I know but I want to.” The young priestess blushed as she deftly mended the hole under the right arm. Repairing the tunic was an easy way to cope with the changes in her life. The whole situation was more than a little embarrassing and rather terrifying. Her world view was totally different from when she was Corey, the huge defensive lineman. At this moment she felt more than a little vulnerable. Thankfully, with the other more personal changes, she could go to Dacie and as strange as it might seem, to Isabelle for advice on the whole girl thing. Goddesses help her; if the situation became permanent, the priestess didn’t know what she was going to do.

Isabelle looked up as the Huscarl finally went back to mending his armor. The two lovers sat across from one another, close but not together. No matter how much she found Kathy irritating, the situation between the Huscarl and the priestess was just too difficult to watch. Elisa was obviously in pain over the situation, which caused Eric to try and comfort him. That in turn, made her cringe in fear, causing the Huscarl pain. It was a vicious cycle.

“You didn’t answer my question.” The Sylph threw a piece of flat bread at her friend.

The Baroness shrugged. “It’s nothing, just a slight disagreement about tomorrow.”

“OH?”

“I offered my services to the Captain to scout ahead of the party. I’m not a Forester but I do have similar skills. Anyway, he disagreed. He is in the opinion that we should all stick together.”

“Why do you keep calling Owein a Captain?” Eric asked.

“Because he is one, notice the red sash around his breastplate?” Dacie pointed the party leader, who along with his brother stood on the other side of the ruins. “He is a Captain of Dragoons, right? The badge on his shoulder, I think is from one of the Imperial Cavalry regiments or something like that. Anyway, you should be able to scout ahead, Isabelle, it’s how we usually do things.” What was surprising, Owein’s high level character was a Forester so why wasn’t he allowing Isabelle to try and fill that same role.

“I agree.” Pulling the tunic towards her face, the priestess broke the thread with her teeth.

“Thanks.” The Huscarl smiled as he reached over for the repaired tunic. “Actually Baroness, that’s not a bad idea but it would please me more if you remained in sight.”

“Eric?”

“No...No it’s nothing like that.” The Huscarl put his hands out trying to explain.

“Then why?” The priestess made an unhappy face.

“I don’t know.”

Isabelle gave the priestess of Sylia a look. “Don’t tell me you actually might have written some background history for your characters? Is there something you know that we don’t?” That would have been a surprise, Corey rarely got around to write sufficient history.

“Well no.” Elisa look confused for a moment. “We did discuss how the Red Huscarls were similar to the Varangian Guard back home. You know the Vikings who protected the Eastern Roman Emperor. I wonder if this is why you keep calling her Baroness and not Isabelle.” The young priestess gave the Huscarl the eye.

Eric looked down, embarrassed.

Before anyone could say anything else, angry shouts could be heard from the other side of the ruins. “You’re married?”

“Well it appears, my dear Isabelle, that you’re not the only one upset at our good Captain. “The Sylph giggled. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get an invitation.”

The silver haired Baroness let out a long sigh. “You’re having a good time aren’t you?”

Dacie nodded, tears beginning to form in her eyes, “Oh yes, a very good time.”

“And you have children, too?” Another scream echoed throughout the ruins.

Covering her eyes, as the Sylph fell on her side laughing hysterically, Isabelle noted, not for the first time, that she didn’t envy Owein’s role as party leader at all.

Ever since the first time Christian gamed with Phillip, when the party camped at night they would set up a watch. No one saw the need to change it. Owein quickly paired everyone off breaking the night into three different watches. The middle watch as usual fell to a Sylph whose night vision was superior to that of normal humans. Knowing that his brother was still a little angry with him, the Captain of Dragoons assigned him to the middle watch along with Dacie. Logistically it sounded like a good plan, personality wise probably not.

“I wonder how cold it gets around here.” Sayer pulled his cloak tighter around his body. The Incantist was impressed that the smaller Sylph didn’t seem particularly bothered by the wind. “So are you and my brother in any of the same classes?”

Dacie who had been trying to ignore the Incantist moved a little further away. “Sayer, pay attention to the forest, we can take a little trip down memory lane another time.”

Sayer frowned, why she was being so unfriendly. According to Owein, she was one of the nicest people he knew. “Did I do something wrong?”

“You tell me.”

“What does that mean?” The two stared at one another for a couple of seconds, then the Incantist’s eyes opened in shock. “You’re blaming me for us being here, aren’t you?”

“If the shoe fits.” The Sylph laughed.

“All I did was read the scroll.”

“And now we are here.” Dacie pointed out the obvious.

Resting his hand on his small sword, Sayer’s demeanor changed. “You Sylphs think you know everything. The Baroness of Northridge is much more of a suspect than a true servant of the Empire. How much can you trust a noble who would willingly associate herself with a known pirate?”

“I’m not a pirate.”

“All Sylphs are pirates as far as the Emperor is concerned. Especially your Queen, she is the worst of them all.” The Incantist shouted.

Dacie response was to reach for her cutlass.

“Enough.” Isabelle stormed in between the two. Both were about to say something to the silver haired Baroness but the look in her eyes stopped them,

“You two are loud enough to wake the dead.” A sleepy Elisa grumbled as she joined the group.

Dacie jumped back, sufficiently chastised. That was not a comment you wanted to hear in this realm.

“Isabelle, you felt it as well.”

“I didn’t feel anything.” Sayer frowned.

“So the creature or whatever it is didn’t set off the Arcanum Wards.” Turning to study the forest in the moonlight, Isabelle half drew her tall white yew bow.

Dacie looked very guilty. “Isabelle, I’m sorry…”

The Baroness nodded. “We’ll talk about it later.”

The Sylph felt like a fool. This could have been very bad; something strong enough to pass over the wards without setting them off would be extremely powerful. Obviously, whatever divine alarms the two set were sufficient enough to warn them, however that didn’t change the fact that her argument with Sayer could have jeopardized the entire party’s safety. Looking towards the forest, unable to see anything, the Sylph wondered what was hiding down here.

“I hate the dark.” Raising her hands the priestess lifted her voice up in prayer. In a flash of warm bluish light, the entire hill glowed. ”Oh my, that was unexpected.”

Isabelle looked around. “Elisa, this isn’t totally you is, it?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“What’s going on?” Owein marched up to the group; in one hand was a cavalry sabre; in the other what appeared to be some sort of odd looking brass pistol.

“Who turned on the light?” Eric growled from behind the group.

“Look.” Dacie pointed down the hill towards a pack of large wolf like creatures. They had an unworldly look about them as they faded in and out of the shadows.

“They’re beautiful.” Elisa sighed.

“I thought that they were myths.” Owein lowered his weapons in awe.

“Celestial Hounds, no wonder we have felt so safe.” The Baroness smiled, at least a dozen of the large wolf like creatures played among the ruins. There were a number of confused looks in the party so she continued. “According to legends they protect the holy sites of the goddess that used to inhabit these lands.”

“So does this mean I can go back to bed?” Eric asked.

“Yes, nothing should bother us tonight.” Elisa smiled contentedly as she turned around. At the sight of Eric standing behind her with his battle-axe in hand, but nothing on his body the small priestess let out a very girly squeak. Covering her eyes with her hands she shouted. “Eric, go put some clothes on!”

“What, good idea. It’s getting a little cold.” Seemingly without a worry in the world, the Huscarl made his way back to his bedroll.

“Way too much excitement…good night all.” Owein took one last look at the hounds then went to find his own bed roll.

Dacie and Isabelle on the other hand found themselves staring at the retreating barbarian. From years of sword and ax work, muscles rippled all over his body giving him the appearance of an Olympic athlete.

“Yummy.” Dacie grinned and nudged her friend.

Isabelle could only nod. After coming to the realization earlier in the year that Christian was somewhat attracted to men, the Baroness couldn’t help but admire Eric’s well-built form. All sorts of unfamiliar feelings danced over her, none of them unpleasant.

“Stay away from him, he’s mine.” The priestess stepped in front of the two girls with her arms opened wide.

Dacie looked up at Isabelle, then back to the priestess. With a squeal, the corsair leaped forward and spun her friend around into a hug. “Oh my goddess, you’re so cute!”

“Dacie stop, I mean it.” Elisa struggled trying to get out of the hug.

“Stay away from him, he’s mine.” Isabelle commented with an amused smile on her lips.

Flushed with embarrassment, Elisa covered her face with her hands. “Shut up, Isabelle.”

“Sayer.” The Baroness looked over to the confused Incantist.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Go to sleep, I’ll stay up with Dacie until the next watch.”

The Incantist grimaced; there were tears forming in his eyes. “I want to go home.”

Letting out a sigh, Isabella reached over and wrapped the young man in a hug, “I know…Stephen, we’re working on it.”

At the first hint of dawn, the party broke camp. All of them knew the sooner the tower was discovered, the sooner they would find someone that could help them return home.

“How far?” Eric asked as Owen helped with his armor.

“Four days at the most, though we should be seeing more ruins before then.” The valley had at one time been a major population center for a forgotten civilization. “If I remember correctly there is some sort of road running half way through the valley.”

“It’s still around?” Sayer asked.

“The road was magically constructed, seems that for the most part it not been overgrown.”

“We’re going to change, so don’t come around the corner.” Dacie called out.

Owein waved his hand. “Fine…fine well stay on this side of the wall.”

“Can I watch?” The Huscarl shouted back.

“As if.” The Sylph stuck her tongue out and disappeared behind the ruins.

“Oh well.” Eric grinned to the other two guys.

Isabelle was the first to appear in her dark green leather scale, she wrapped an even darker green cloak around herself. The other two girls were soon to follow.

“You look nice, Elisa.” Eric called out.

The priestess nodded as she ran forward to stand by Isabella’s side.

Owein shook his head. “That must suck.”

“Yea…she’s so damn cute.” Eric tightened his vambraces. The whole gender thing was still way too weird even to contemplate. Thinking about it too much just made him angry. “When she was helping with breakfast this morning…” Luckily disaster had been adverted by a quick thinking Dacie. At least not all of breakfast was burnt. “You think they’re still mad at me.”

“Doubtful, they understand.”

“Anyway, so I heard you’re married. That must be rough.” Eric grinned, keeping a half eye on Sayer but to his disappointment the Incantist only frowned.

“Funny that you mention that, I know that rationally they exist only on paper, but another side of me misses them very much. I close my eyes and can even see my wife and two girls. I even have snippets of memories being with them.” The Captain of Dragoons tightened the red sash around his cuirass.

“Owein?”

The Captain smiled at his brother. “I know, they aren’t real but at least in this place they do exist. So let’s get the hell out of here so I can get back to them.”

The first part of the day hadn’t gone exactly as planned. Making their way out of the ruins into the forest had been easy enough, but not much further. Twice they had to back track due to the thick underbrush, some of it appeared to be moving by itself. By lunch time the party had sorted itself out following part of the river, although Isabelle objected.

“You are aware that fresh water attracts predators?” The Baroness looked down into the slow moving water. There were also a dozen types of creatures that if presented with a tasty snack would come out of the water. The only person who seemed to agree with her was Dacie but she didn’t voice her opinion too loudly.

“You must admit, we are moving a little faster than this morning.” Elisa kept a close eye on the river as well. The priestess was also quite aware of what could be hidden under the murky depths.

Owein’s first order of the day was to set a party order, positioning the two warriors to the front. Standing behind the Captain of Dragoons and the Huscarl, were Sayer and Dacie. Finally, bringing up the rear were Elisa and Isabelle.

“No doubt about that.” The Pathfinder agreed. Still it didn’t help with her mood. She didn’t think gaining a half of a day by following the river was a good tradeoff for the party’s safety. A half an hour later a large snake like shadow moved on the other side of the river. As it pointed its lizard like head out of a line of heavy underbrush, Isabelle decided she really hated when she was right.

“Is that?” Sayer stepped back almost running into Dacie.

“Wyrm!” Elisa shouted.

With sharp horns, razor sharp claws, and poisonous fangs, the creature burst out of the underbrush. The Wyrm’s snake like body, covered in green and brown scales kept it well hidden, seen only when moving out of ambush like it was now. A lesser, much smaller relative of the dragon, it thankfully was lacking wings and a breath weapon. However, even at its ten feet in length the Wyrm was fast and agile, charging towards the party with the grace of some monstrous cat.

As it leaped across the river, two arrows appeared on its flank as Isabelle reached for two more. Owein too, took action; raising his brass pistol he pulled the trigger. Instead of a gun shot, lightning like energy burst from the barrel. The first shot blew a bloody chunk out of the beast’s right hindquarters. The second faded right before it hit, as even the smallest of dragon like creatures have some magical protection. With the Arcane pistol in need of charging, the Captain of Dragoons drew his sword. Eric too, got into the fight early, throwing two javelins at the beast as soon as it landed. Both however bounced off the scaly hide. Several more of Isabelle’s arrows did not, finding small gaps between the heavy scales.

The Forest Wyrm turned its head as it landed; its eyes looking straight towards the party, freezing half of them in their tracks. Elisa knew that such a beast gave off a magical aura, which caused fear and terror in all sentient beings. The priestess however was ready for it and began to pray, asking her goddess for a shield from fear. One moment, the terror gripped the party’s hearts, the next it was gone.

To its surprise the small creatures in front of it did not freeze like most prey but charged forward. Already wounded the creature was beginning to get angry. Moving its head down to snap at the closest creature, it reared its head back in pain as a sword slammed into its snout. Then from the black robed one a burst of flame appeared only to explode, covering its body in flames. The Wyrm decided that the ones giving it such pain were going to have to die.

“Yes, we’re all very proud of you, Sayer, for casting the spell but move the hell out of the way before it eats you.” Pushing the Incantist out of the path of snake like fangs, the corsair slammed two of her daggers into the neck of the Wyrm. The beast however made a mistake, reacting to the pain of the Fire Burst spell. Now inside its reach both Eric and Owein readied their weapons. Screaming at the top of his lungs, the Huscarl slammed his ax down burying it deep into the neck of the Wyrm. Eric pulled his weapon back again. Owein too slashed at the beast’s necks, which now moving like a mane, turned in on itself. A fraction of a second later the Huscarl came face to face with an entire mouth full of poisonous fangs.

Eric thought he could hear voices but he really didn’t want to get up. He was nice and warm in the darkness but that didn’t last very long. Pain as sharp as he had ever felt began to wrack his entire body. Opening his eyes, it faded away as quickly as it appeared.

“Eric.” A soft body collided with his chest, and then it began to sob.

“Elisa?” Sitting up he found the priestess wrapped around his chest crying. Reaching around, he began to comfort here. “Shhh it will be ok.”

“Now it will be you idiot.” She said without much heat. “You almost died on me.”

“What?”

Looking around, the Housecarl found the remains of the beast sitting a few yards away. Besides the dozen of arrows protruding from beast, between the horns on top of the Wyrm’s head Eric found his ax. “I don’t remember doing that.”

Isabelle knelt by his side with a smile on her face. “Well you sort of went berserk on us, it was actually rather impressive.”

“OK, what else happened?” Eric noticed that Elisa hadn’t moved from his lap.

“You were poisoned. From what it looked like to us, you gave each other a death stroke.”

“Don’t do that again.” The priestess, obviously no longer afraid of touching or being touched by him, pushed herself further into his chest.

“Sorry.” Eric laid his cheek on Elisa’s head.

Isabelle excused herself, allowing the two of them some privacy. Thankfully none of the others were seriously hurt, but it was a near run thing. The Housecarl going berserk when he did most definitely tipped the balance in the party’s favor.

“So you think it has a treasure horde someplace?” Exhausted, Sayer sat down near the head of the Wyrm.

“Not likely.” Dacie walked around to the creature’s side, retrieving a couple of daggers. “However we can get some solid coin off the claws and horns.”

“How’s Eric?” The Captain of Dragoons looked over Isabelle’s shoulder. Discovering that the Housecarl and the priestess were reintroducing themselves with each other his face broke out in a wide grin.

“We probably shouldn’t stick around too long?” Isabelle pointed towards the ten foot long carcass.

“What?” Owein turned around and nodded. “You’re right, this place will be crawling with scavengers soon. We should get back in party order and continue to head down river as soon as possible. Good job, Baroness.” The Captain smiled then went off to talk to his brother.

“Good job, he says.” The silver haired Baroness frowned at the retreating Captain’s back. “Stupid stubborn man.”

Authors Notes: A special thanks to djkauf for a little elvish editing. If you like the story please leave a Kudos, if you have the time I would love to hear from you. Thanks to all for reading! - Elsbeth