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Realm of Arcana

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Gus Windweaver

Aspiring Arcanist

My Life

My name is Gus Windweaver, and for the first 15 years of my life I thought my last name was nothing but a name. That is until one day when I was helping my father fix some holes in the roof when I took a wrong step, and found myself falling 20 feet towards a patch of thorny rose bushes. I somehow called the wind to my aid, and willed it to slow me down. I fell beside the bushes instead, nearly un-injured, save for a bruised tail. Ever since then, the wind will come whenever I call it. I can create gusts, make objects move with a slight breeze, and even knock someone over with a burst of air. I still have some trouble controlling my abilities, which is why I'm headed to Cetrusia.Apparently I'm not the only one in my family who developed these abilities. My great Uncle also possessed these talents, along with a few other relatives. My father never did, nor my mother or any close relatives. Apparently its not very common. When my great uncle was old enough he made his way to the great city of locked archives, Cetrusia. We don't know what ever became of him, though I intend to follow in his footsteps. I hope to learn more of him once I reach the city, along with anything I can about my abilities.I do not know the way, and am bound to get lost on my way. I will let the wind guide me. It hasn't steered me wrong yet!

Current Inventory

Money: 24 Platinum, 1,564 Gold, 2,224 Silver PiecesBag of Holding, 25 feet of rope, a small tarp, 1 potion of animal friendship, travelling dagger, 2 rusted daggers, traveling clothes, cold weather clothes, extra blankets, tent, pillow, 30 days of rations, bedroll, journal, wooden toy ship, tinkerers tools, backpack, Magic Pendant (fathers necklace), Coded Blue Journal, Potion belt with 20 some mystery potions on it!
New: Twenty dried logs for firewood, seventy-five pieces of charcoal, a total of nine different skulls of various creatures, three curved longswords, a suit of plate armor, a bag containing various gems and precious stones, four different coils of rope, some old, rotted meat, and a matte black magical cloak.

Current Abilities

• Read The Journey So Far →

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The Journey So Far

Day 1 - Help Gus figure out which way to go!

Today is the day I am setting out! Before me I have two pathways to choose from. I can go west and follow the field path along the edge of the woods, or I can go south and follow the forest path. I have no idea which way Cetrusia is, so I should probably ask someone for directions at some point! I am so excited, I can feel the winds are with me!

Day 2 - Wrangle the wind or search for shiny stuff?

I felt a nice breeze coming from the forest path so I've decided to go south for my first day. In a stroke of good luck, I've also found a few gold coins dropped by a traveler, so I've added that to an empty pouch I had. So far, not much else has happened. The forest is quiet, not many sounds apart from the wild animals and birds that make this place their home. I made my camp in a small clearing and slept well enough last night, woke up to a squirrel trying to get into my rations haha.Now I just need to decide what to do as I travel further south today. Should I practice my wind magic or should I keep an eye out for more coins?

Day 3 - Concealed Magic?

It's time I get serious about learning my abilities. I don't know that much about magic but I do know it mainly consists of 3 types, well 3 sources really. The first is the one I have, which is innate ability. Power that I was born with and didn't have to do anything to achieve. All it took for me to unlock it was a sense of urgency, and there it was, waiting for me.
The next type is learned magic. Spending hours and hours studying old books and dusty scrolls doesn't sound very fun to me, though maybe once I gain entry to the locked archives I'll look into expanding my magical knowledge. Merging my innate spellcasting ability with knowledge and spells is sure to be a powerful combination.
The final type is divine magic, magic given to you and used by the gods. I don't know much about the gods, besides the name of a few, and I've never actually met a cleric. I have heard stories of them and their powerful healing. Supposedly they can banish the undead and even bring people back to life!
Anyway I spent all day as I walked using my power to push and pull the leaves as they fell, make branches shake, and I even managed to calm the wind for a bit when I was setting up my campfire and couldn't get a flame going. I've also gained a new ability! I can use the wind to help throw my dagger faster, with more power, and with more accuracy as I use the wind to adjust the angle as it flies! I'm sure that will come in handy at some point!
I think I see a small town up ahead. I should probably go ask for directions. Should I keep practicing my abilities? Or should I call it good for now stop? It might be good to keep my power a secret for now. Some people don't trust magic...

Day 4 - Track a thief or hunt some vermin?

I've decided to keep my abilities a secret for now. Better safe than sorry. It took me another hour or so before I was able to reach the village. I soon learned upon visiting the market that the village was called Owlit Village. It's known for its wide variety of pumpkins that it grows year round. There are even some types that only grow in the winter months. I heard someone say something about those seeds being created by a witch who loved pumpkin pie so much she wanted it year round.. how strange.
Anyway I picked up some additional items from the market that might come in handy on my journey. I got 50 feet of rope, a small tarp in case it rains, and restocked my rations, all for 2 gold. I spent my last gold on a room at a place called Fi's Fireside Inn. They have the most wonderful drink called Root Cider that is absolutely delightful! It's sweet and bubbly, with an almost fruity aftertaste.
I talked with the inn keeper Fi, to get some information and it turns out Cetrusia is quite far east of here. If I'm going to get anywhere near Cetrusia, I'm going to need some more money.
I asked around about making some quick coin and everyone pointed me towards a job board in the middle of town. Right now there are only two postings though. There's a thief who stole a jewelry box from the local Lord. Lord Merecot is offering 50 gold for the return of the jewelry box and its contents.
There's also a merchant offering 20 gold to get rid of a creature that made it's home in his basement, some sort of large rat or something. The thief pays more, but might take longer to track down. I could probably use my magic to get rid of the creature, and it would only take a day. Whatever I choose, I've got at least another day here in Owlit Village, maybe longer.

Day 5 - In thieves we trust…

After getting some much needed rest in a real bed, I woke up deciding to pursue the thief. It's a small town, how hard could it be to find a jewelry box? I went about during the morning asking around the market to any vendor I thought might be interested in buying it. They all said the same thing. No one has seen it.
Following a quick lunch of bread and some dried meat, I tried seeking out some shopkeepers outside the markets. Because Owlit is such a small town, there was only a few shops for me to ask around in. They all said the same thing, and apparently I wasn't the only one looking for this box.
On my way back to Fi's Fireside I saw a game of chance going on in an alleyway, a few people crowded around some crates and barrels. It was a game called Thimblerig. I stepped over to watch for a bit and noticed a strange pattern. The people playing would win for a bit, two or three times, then they would try a bigger bet and would lose every time. Seeing this as an opportunity, I stepped forward and wagered my own potion of animal friendship. The man in charge of the game stepped forward and asked to see the potion. After briefly inspecting it he told me he'd offer me 10 gold if I won, and if I guessed wrong, the potion was his. I knew that the potion itself was probably worth at least 50, but I agreed.
After watching him move the cups about I easily guessed where the stone was. I made sure to make a big deal of winning, cheering with the crowd of onlookers that had gathered. The man smiled, congratulated me, and placed 10 gold on the table. He asked me if I wanted to play again, but I quickly took the 10 gold, and said I had to go. The crowd collectively groaned, but another man was quick to take my place. I quickly made my way down a side street. Right after I rounded a corner however I was pulled behind a crate and into the shadows. A masked man with a hood held a dagger to my throat, and held a finger up to where his lips were. Moments later, two men passed by and I heard them say, "Where'd he go? He must've seen us trailing him and taken off. Come on, lets go find him".
He waited until they ran off down another alleyway and then released me from his grip. The man told me he was impressed I was able to scam that man at his own game. He apparently had been watching for a while and had been planning on stealing the very gold I had won before he spotted those two men.
He also told me I had been asking around about a box, and for the right price, he would tell me where it was. I asked him how he knew where it was and he told me he was the one who had stolen it!
I asked him to name his price and he gave me two options: I could either give him the necklace I wore, or I could do a job for him.
I asked for the night to think about it and he told me he would meet me at the market fountain at dawn to discuss our agreement. I hurried back to the inn and paid for another nights stay for a gold piece. Should I agree to do a job for a thief? Or should I give away the necklace my father had given me before I left? This might keep me up all night trying to decide...

Day 6 - Bandits Night Out

I've decided my father’s necklace is just too precious to give up. Following another evening of comfortable sleep, I made my way to the market fountain at dawn. There, the thief sat waiting. As I sat down next to him, he asked me if I had made my decision. I told him yes, and that I would be willing to do the job for him in return for the information. He chuckled slightly at that as I touched my father's necklace protectively. He told me that tonight I was to sneak into a bandits hideout, about 2 miles from town. He told me to go south from Owlit village, then once I hit the river follow its flow until I hit a bridge. From there I would be able to see a small fort built into the side of the mountain. The thief assured me that the bandits were busy tonight with a raid of their own, and that I wouldn't have any company until late into the night. He also told me he would be doing this job himself, if another job hadn't come up. I simply nodded, not wanting any more details than I needed. He told me I would be able to enter the hideout through a sewer grate that would lead directly underneath the hideout. I grimaced at the idea of wading through waste to get into the hideout but the thief assured me it was a natural waterway that was mostly clean. He told me the item I was looking for was an old dark purple cloak. It has silver embroidery on the hem, as well as an emblem on the left side of the chest, VE written in calligraphy.
He also said anything else found within that same chest was mine to take if I wanted, but don't touch anything else in the hideout. He then gave me a brief note, claiming the thievery was done by the silver sparrow. Apparently it was an old bandit mate of theirs.
I nodded to all this information and the thief promptly left, disappearing into the morning crowd. I hurried to the river, followed it to the bridge, and found a nice spot overlooking the small fort that he had spoken of. Around nightfall, I watched fifteen to twenty men all leave the fort, heading away to the south. I found the sewer grate, but it was locked. I shook it in frustration and made my way to the front gate to find it locked as well. There were sharpened spikes on the walls, meant to deter anyone from climbing it.
I leaned against the wall and considered my options. After a moment I felt the breeze pick up, fluttering my clothing and going past me and up over the wall. I concentrated and willed the wind to become stronger, then I jumped. I soared up, over the top of the gate, and pushed myself carefully over the sharpened wooden spikes. With a bit of concentration, I managed to will the wind to aid me in my landing. I smirked and took off into the fort, knowing the quicker I was in and out the better.
I found the captain's room easily enough and shoved the door open. A crossbow bolt slammed into the door above me, and pinned my hat to the door. I pulled the bolt free and grumbled about the hole I would have to patch now. I was glad however that foxfolk were shorter than most humans. I made my way over to a small chest against one of the walls and cautiously opened it after inspecting it for traps. A subtle glow emanated from the chest, illuminating a beautiful dark purple cloak, several piles of gold coins, an old leather bag, and a beautifully engraved dagger with an emerald on its pommel.
It was at this moment I heard a door slam from deep within the fort, along with several men whooping and laughing. I don't have long, so I need to decide what I'm grabbing.

Day 7 - Alone in the dark

I made my decision quickly, and decided that grabbing a few things and getting away was more important than grabbing everything and getting caught.
I grabbed the dark purple robe first, then stared at the rest of the items for a moment. For some reason the old leather bag grabbed my attention, so I quickly picked it up. I put the note next to the gold and the dagger and shut the chest carefully. At this point I could hear men coming closer so I backed up and hit the wall where a big red sheet hung as decoration. I didn't feel a solid wall however, and I fell backwards into a secret chamber that was carved into the stone! It seemed to be a tunnel leading further into the mountainside. I felt I would probably have better luck there than with the bandits. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and hurried down the dark passage.
I felt my dark vision kick in as the light from the previous chamber faded. The passage continued, and it soon began to decline slightly. I followed it for what felt like an hour before stopping, certain that my keen ears would hear anyone coming. I pulled my pack off my back and stored the cloak inside. I shook my head as I realized I probably should have brought some sort of torch with me. In any other scenario I would've just grabbed a stick and created a makeshift torch, but down here in the cave, there were no sticks to be found. I did my best to inspect the leather bag in the dark, my dark vision limiting my ability to see colors. I looked it over and saw another set of letters embroidered into the leather. VE again was sewn into it, just like with the cloak. It was done with a silver thread that almost felt cold and metallic to the touch. I could see a slight glow coming from the two letters, almost imperceptible even in the complete darkness.
I carefully opened the top of the bag, wishing I had a torch to see down here. The moment I put my hand inside the bag, I felt a wooden handle. I grasped the handle and pulled it out of the bag to reveal a large torch. What was strange was that this bag was too small to hold a 3 foot long torch. I smelled it with my nose and confirmed some sort of pine tar or other sticky flammable liquid. I looked down at the bag in my other hand and smiled, setting it down while I lit the torch.
After I was able to get the torch lit, I wedged it between two rocks while I examined the bag further. Upon looking inside the bag I confirmed I could see only darkness. I put my arm into it and tried to touch the bottom. Instead, the bag consumed my entire arm before I stopped and pulled it back out. I had heard rumors of adventurers saving up hundreds of gold coins for a magical bag such as this. It's known as a bag of holding!
Out of curiosity I put my hand in and imagined a handful of gold coins. Sure enough, I felt a weight drop into my hand and I pulled out close to twenty gold coins piled high into my hand. I dropped them back in after a moment, and they were sucked back inside with a whoosh. This was an invaluable addition to my inventory, and was my first magical item!
I had no idea what else was inside the bag, and I had no idea how to find out. I could spend all day thinking up items and trying to pull them out and I'm sure I would never know if I got everything. This was a problem for another time. I had no idea how it worked, but now wasn’t the time to experiment.
I took off my old backpack and stored everything else inside my new bag of holding. I shouldered the new satchel and found it still weighed the same as when I had first found it, around 15 pounds.
Excited by my find, I picked up the torch and continued on. I soon came to a branching path, one tunnel led upwards, and the other went downwards. I took a moment and weighed my options. I could see a very faint light around a bend of the downward tunnel, but if I listened closely, I could hear some sort of sound coming from the tunnel continuing upwards.
There was no way I would be going back to the bandits hideout, so I've got a choice to make here. Up towards the sounds, or down towards the light…

Day 8 - To speak or to Skirmish

I chose to follow the light, and upon descending further, I found a large chasm. The light turned out to be a beam of sunlight filtering down through the gap, hundreds of feet above. From the natural opening I could see the chasm continued for quite awhile before it turned a corner. I looked up and saw the walls were maybe two hundred feet tall, and despite being a great climber, I was used to climbing trees, not solid stone. I didn't think I could summon enough wind to boost me up that much either. Maybe someday.
I continued on, getting very tired as I hadn't slept all night, and as I reached the bend in the chasm, I saw it started to turn upward. In fact it looked like someone had even carved a set of steps up out of the cavern. I thanked the winds and took the stairs two at a time, doing my best to distance myself from the mountain. Upon reaching the top, I found myself surrounded by a forest, with no idea what way to go. The sun may set in the west, but when it's near midday that doesn't help much.
I wanted to distance myself from the cave further, so I continued to walk, taking care to watch my step in case there were any further chasms waiting to drop me into them. I may be able to slow my fall using magic, but that was not something I wanted to do if I could avoid it.
After a while I came to a large oak tree with thick branches. I slowly climbed my way up, my muscles protesting, my eyelids heavy. I was exhausted. Finally, I settled on a nice large branch and used my rope to tie myself to the tree so I wouldn't fall. After a few hours I awoke to the sound of voices arguing beneath me. I slowly undid the knots keeping me in place and stood.
Two goblins stood below me, and they each had a knife. They spoke some strange language I had never heard before. Somehow they had managed to track me here. I could either try to persuade them to let me go here, or I could try and fight them. I knew goblins love gold, and that was one thing I had in my bag right now. On the other hand I was itching to use my magic in real combat! Summoning my courage along with the wind, I cushioned my landing between them as I jumped down.

Day 9 - Fortune Found

With an exhale of breath I summoned the strength of the wind, and blasted it outward. A shockwave exploded around me and the two goblins were knocked over, stunned. I knew I didn't have long, so I took out my dagger and flung it toward the nearest goblin. It spun end over end, and I thrust a burst of wind after it, which accelerated its speed. It struck true, right into the goblins forehead. It struck the goblin pommel first, and knocked him out cold instantly. I smiled and turned on the other goblin who was just starting to stand. He saw his pal on the ground and rushed me with unnatural speed. I spun as he reached me and gathered the wind. I released it into his back, which gave him a burst of speed. The goblin tripped and slammed face first into the tree I had just jumped out of. I had tried my best to dodge the goblins blade, but he had grazed my side as he stepped past. A sharp burn sensation emitted from my ribcage as the wound began to bleed through my shirt. I checked to make sure the two goblins were both unconscious before I downed my health potion.
I immediately felt the wound on my side knit together, stopping the flow of blood and already I felt stronger. I checked the wound, which revealed a small scar, roughly 4 inches across. My coat wouldn't grow back there, but it felt only right that I had a reminder of my first fight. Next time I wouldn't let them get that close. I took out my rope and tied them up to the tree. I made sure the knots were nice and tight before I checked their pockets and pouches. They each had a few gold coins which I took, along with several gold teeth in the pouches at their waist. Hey, gold is gold. I also gathered my dagger along with the two they had used. Both were rusted and old, though serviceable in a pinch.
Just as they started to come back to consciousness I looked and saw the sun set in the west. I went what way I assumed was northeast, towards where I thought Owlit village would be. Eventually I did come to a road that led to a small sign with an owl crudely drawn and an arrow. About an hour later I saw Owlit village, fires flickered in the distance.
The guards questioned me on my entry into the village, but I simply told them I had returned from a scouting mission. They gave me a strange look as I told them of the chasm that held a cave full of goblins. I gave them each one of the goblin teeth which they took reluctantly. I told them it would bring them good fortune and stepped past them.
I made my way back towards Fi's Fireside and I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and found the thief was there. He nodded towards an alley and I followed him. He quietly unlocked a small cellar there, leading me under the tiny hovel. After I told him what happened at the fort, I produced the cloak out of the bag of holding. He thanked me, and said I had done him a great service. He put the cloak on and I saw a shimmer. The cloak turned a deep black color though it still retained silver on the hem.
He told me I would find the jewelry box buried underneath a tree to the north, 50 paces east of the sign for Owlit Village. It was marked with a heart carved into a large oak tree where two people had carved their initials. I almost asked him about the bag of holding, but thought better of it, so I turned to leave. I felt his eyes watch me as I fled the cellar.
I paid for another night's stay and quickly collapsed onto the bed. I was truly exhausted, but I had business to do before I could let sleep take me. I dug an old roll out of the bag and ate it quickly, along with a piece of cheese that somehow wasn't moldy yet. I guess there's no air inside a bag of holding…
I looked at the bag again as I ate, eager to learn what contents it held. I knew there must be some magical way to find out what was inside, but I had no idea how to cast any such magic. Not yet anyway. I knew there was money inside, so I pulled out handful after handful of coins, piling them on the bed. Eventually I had pulled out every silver, copper, and surprisingly even a few platinum pieces. I now had over 254 gold, 64 silver, 15 copper, and 10 platinum rectangles piled onto the small bed of my room. In case you were wondering, 1 platinum is worth 10 gold, 1 gold is worth 10 silver, and finally 1 silver is worth 10 copper. Despite now having more money than I knew what to do with, I still felt obligated to fetch the jewelry box, as that was the entire reason I had found this bag of holding in the first place. I quickly put the money back into the bag as quietly as I could. That night I dreamt of spending a fortune at various shops and boutiques.
The next day I hurried out to the marker the thief had told me about. I found the tree marked with an S + N carved into a heart on an old oak tree. I finally found the small box wrapped in leather cloth. I took one look at it and I could tell it must’ve been worth a fortune. Definitely way more than the 50 gold pieces they had offered for its return. Now I had a real choice to make. Should I return the box because it’s the right thing to do? Or should I hold onto it for a while, and maybe sell it to someone in the future?

Day 10 - Preparation is key

I decided I'd be better off turning in the jewelry box. I knew it was worth far more than the 50 gold they were offering, but returning it was the right thing to do. I approached the manor of Lord Merecot and the guards let me in once I showed them the box. I was greeted by Captain Pricklefoot- a rabbit folk man in his early 50's. He led me to an office type room in the manor near the back and offered his apologies that Lord Merecot was not here to accept personally. He assured me he would be very grateful however, and asked me if I wanted 50 gold or 5 platinum. I accepted the platinum as I didn't know if my bag of holding had a weight limit. He handed it over from a drawer within the desk and I was thanked again before being shown the door.
I tossed the 5 platinum into my bag and made my way back to the market. I had a few supplies I wanted to get before heading out. I wasn't sure how soon I'd find another town so I decided to pick up some extra rations, a tent, a pillow, extra blankets, some warmer clothes, and finally a little wooden toy ship that looked extremely well crafted. It was engraved on the bottom with a C as the only indication of its maker. I stored it all away into my bag of holding, amazed that I could hold so much and barely feel the weight.
I knew I had to figure out what else the bag held so I asked around about the nearest bigger city and everyone told me that the city of Cintas was closest. Even better was that it was on the way to Cetrusia. There I would probably be able to find someone who knew a bit more about magical items and magic in general. They would be able to tell me how to find out what else was inside. I gathered myself and started out. The people told me that it was roughly a 4 or 5 day walk to Cintas, and that I would be able to find much more information about Cetrusia there. The possibility of collecting more magical items in Cintas occupied my thoughts for much of my journey the rest of the day.
Soon it grew dark, and the terrain became rocky and mountainous. I put on my warmer clothes as the air grew colder. I eventually found myself in a series of mountainous ruins. I spotted an old campsite used by travelers and decided to call it a night. I settled down and decided what to do for the evening. I could either continue to practice my magic, or I could try to discover what else my new magical bag held..

Day 11 - Books and Caves

I decided it might help to try and figure out what else was inside the bag of holding. As I got comfy inside my tent, my new blankets and pillows improved my comfort immensely. I propped myself up and looked at the leather bag again, trying to imagine what else someone would put inside. I had little luck as I imagined swords, shields, arrows, clothes, and even moldy food. I was unable to retrieve anything besides the items I had put in myself. I shook my head, frustrated I couldn't figure this out.
Magic had always come so easy to me, I thought everything about it would be intuitive. I threw the bag down across from me, wishing I had brought a book with me from home to read so I could at least have something to do as the evening set in. A flash of blue caught my eye from the corner of the bag as it landed. The corner of a book stuck out of the bag a few inches. I grabbed it quickly, not believing my eyes. I set the book down on a nearby rock and grabbed the bag again, imagining me grabbing a book from the bag. Nothing happened. I put the bag down again, frowning. I guess they only had one book inside this thing. The book was solid blue, with a strange emblem embedded on the front cover. It seemed to be a journal of some kind, and I couldn't understand the language it was written in. The letters or words used were some kind of runes I wasn’t familiar with. I studied the book for a little while longer before settling down. I had hoped for something useful to appear, instead I got something the opposite. I slept for the evening after making the flames dance with my wind magic, the embers appreciated the fresh flow of oxygen.
The next morning I set off at a jog, eager to get to Cintas, and find out everything I could about this bag, my new book, and magic in general. I knew that Cintas would be a whole new world compared to the farming community of fox folk that I grew up with.
I soon came to a small cave set into the side of a mountain, it seemed to be quite large, and I was certain I felt the wind pulling me into it, it wanted me to go inside. I still had plenty of daylight left. Should I continue on or should I listen to my gut and head into the cave?

Day 12 - Wind's Chill

I made the decision quickly. If there was a reason the wind wanted me to head inside the cave, then who was I to ignore it?
I strolled in, taking a torch out of my bag to illuminate the inside. As I took a few steps I noticed a small circle of stones someone had used as a fire ring near the entrance. I stopped after a good twenty or so feet, just where the dim light started to fade. There I set down my things to light the torch. As I reached into my bag and took out my flint, I began to hear a sound coming from outside. I gathered my things and headed towards the wall. It sounded like a large bird, flapping its wings. I held my breath and suddenly the sound stopped as the large bird flew away.
I had no idea what that was about, so I lit the torch and headed deeper into the cave. I followed it for about twenty feet before the tunnel turned and became a dead end. The dirt floor turned to stone in the last ten feet here and I could tell someone had stayed in here once before. There were some old blankets, wood piled up against the back wall, and even a stone bench carved out of the wall. I could feel the winds starting to pick up and decided this would be a decent place as any to settle in for the night. I gathered some of the wood and built up a small fire, and I made sure the smoke flowed outside the cave instead of gathering in the back. Soon, I could see snow begin to fall outside and collect on the rocky terrain outside the cave. I knew there was a reason the wind wanted me to stop here for the night. As the wind continued to pick up outside, I felt uneasy. These were unfamiliar lands, and I had no idea if these conditions were normal. I knew mountains were usually cold and snowy, but where I lived we barely got snow at all.
Without much else to do, I took out the book again, taking some time to look through it. It was roughly 100 pages, though only about 85 of them were filled with runes. I flipped to the final page and found that one of the pages was actually sealed to the back cover with wax. I carefully pulled on the page, releasing it from its seal. There were a few lines written in the runic language, and underneath each line was a few words written in Common. It stated the following:
"Decode my story, and all will be revealed.” I quickly began working to decode the story using the passphrase. Not all the letters were provided, but enough were that I would be able to guess at the rest of them.
After about two hours of decoding I was about halfway through and I had to stop. Barely able to hold myself together, I fell asleep soon after. The decoding process felt draining, like how I felt after practicing with my magic for an extended period of time. When I awoke, I found myself well rested. The fire had gone out at some point and daylight flooded into the cave. I could see there were now several inches of snow outside. I packed up all my things and decided to head out. The sooner I get to Cintas, the better.
Outside, I could see two options to continue forward. I could see a tall tower towards the northeast, and I could see a few wagons coming up from the southeast. Either one gets me closer to Cintas. Do I want to try to trade? Or should I go explore?

Day 13 - Fear Approaches

I decided to go explore the tower. Those people might not be friendly, and I tend to do better off on my own anyway. I trekked my way towards the tower as quickly as I could. Normally when I travelled, I’d be weighed down with gear, which would cause me to sink into the snow with each step. But with the magical bag, it allowed me to walk across the top layer of snow as if I carried practically nothing. I moved fast and luckily there wasn't too much snow coming down. I was sure once it turned to night, that would be a different story.
In the distance I could see where storm clouds gathered, and I didn’t want to spend the night without shelter. A tent may keep out the worst of it, but stone would be ideal. I continued on and after another hour, I had to stop and catch my breath. It seemed like the tower hadn't gotten much closer. I took a break to melt down some of the fresh snow and refill my water skins. All the while, the tower taunted me in the distance. It seemed close now, but I knew the snow made distance hard to judge. I shook my head in frustration and continued on. After another two hours, I finally began to make some headway. By now the sun was starting to set, and I saw the storm clouds approaching, a thick curtain of ice, sleet and snow whipping around in the tempest. I could now see this tower really was actually a ruin. It’s top seemed to be gone, but I would take four solid walls regardless to help keep out the wind.
Finally just as the wall of ice hit, I made it to the tower. As I stepped into the base of it, I could see it had been used for shelter before. I didn't envy those folks out on the road right about now. Inside, I saw a broken stone staircase that had led upward at one point, now crumbled and useless. I could even see the sky from where I was, and I wished I had a roof. There was also a trap door in one corner, currently locked with a padlock that led below the tower. Right now all I wanted to do was get warm. I quickly put up the tent and moved a heavy wooden cabinet into the doorway to help keep out the wind and weather. With a bit of skill I managed to get a small fire started with an old wooden chair I had found, along with the door of the cabinet that I had ripped off for firewood. I also used my magic to help keep the wind out of the roof of the tower, which was roughly 100 feet above. It took some energy but it was worth it to sit by a fire without feeling a constant pour of ice. I set up the tarp above me, and connected it to my tent, which allowed me to relax a bit more.
I felt incredibly taxed from the journey so far, and knew that I didn't have much energy for decoding the journal tonight. Despite that, I still wanted to get some work done on it. The quicker I could fully decode this thing, the better. I got out the book and began my work. My eyelids drooped almost immediately. Soon, I was drifting off. I dreamt of reading spell books, exploring abandoned castles, and I even found a room full of treasure. At the center of it all, a large sword floated above a pedestal. Its name echoed in my mind for a split second. Flame Seeker.
I woke immediately, feeling a sense of dread come over me. My breath quickened, and I felt my heart rate increase. Something was wrong. Normally you would awaken from a nightmare and calm down. Instead, I awoke from a pleasant dream and couldn’t seem to calm myself. Panic had set in and the wind started to pick up around me. I couldn't control the gales as they whipped the tent and tarp around me. Suddenly everything stopped, and I felt my stomach drop as the dread enveloped me. Even the winds died down as everything seemed to go silent. Then, out of nowhere, an ear splitting screech filled my entire being and I grabbed the sides of my head. There was something evil about this place. I could feel my chest burning and I screamed in pain. I grabbed at my chest and felt my father's necklace hot to the touch. Upon holding it I felt the pain inside my head begin to fade slowly. The sense of panic began to pass and the screeching stopped as well. Whatever had made that noise knew that I was here. And I could sense it as it searched for me.I gathered myself and took out my dagger, wishing I had a bigger blade. I wasn’t trained to use a sword, but it sure would’ve made me feel better to have a weapon with a longer reach. I closed my eyes and breathed. Using my father’s necklace as a grounding point, I felt a calm settle over me and I felt resolve enter my bloodstream. I exited the tent and could sense the creature, whatever it was, below me. I moved across to the side wall, where the locked trapdoor sat. I could see a thick layer of ice had formed across it. I summoned a blast of wind and threw my dagger as hard as I could at the lock. The trap door burst open and wind sucked into it, like it hadn’t tasted fresh air in centuries. My dagger flew upward but I managed to catch it in the air with a gust of wind, and summoned it back to me. I grabbed it out of the air and held it in a defensive position. There was silence now as I approached the trap door and could see stone steps that descended into darkness. The silence almost seemed worse.
My choice was simple. I could move forward, or run away. This was no time for weakness. I felt a pulse of strength from the necklace, and as I descended, a faint glow began to emit from the pendant. I probably should’ve described the necklace at some point before this, but it's a small, triangular stone. It has a symbol that sort of looks like a V with an O nestled in the middle of it, where the two points meet. I’ve never known what it was and always just thought it was a good luck charm that my father had found. He didn’t tell me much when he gave it to me, only to never lose it.
As I descended the steps, I felt the glow intensify and it lit up about ten feet in front of me. I could tell this was some type of cellar, where they had kept supplies for the tower. Old crates and barrels filled the space down here, as well as random small chests. Almost everything looked like it had been opened at one point. My nose quickly told me rats or some other vermin also had lived here. It smelled horrible, a mix of decayed wood and death. I stepped forward into the room and held the pendant up, which allowed it to fill the room. I could feel the creature's presence somewhere here, but its physical form was nowhere to be seen.
I felt the fur on the back of my neck stand up and I rolled forward instinctively as a burst of wind hit my back. I turned, bared my fangs and held my dagger along with my pendant outward. Where I had stood seconds before was a creature, slumped forward as it had rushed to the spot. Decayed flesh and leather armor looked like they had fused together, and a skull with rotted flesh hung on its head as it looked down at the spot I had just been. Its hands looked like they were made of pure ice, the claws razor sharp
“What are you?” I asked aloud. I knew I was in danger, but the light from the pendant seemed to be keeping it at bay.
It simply raised its head and a blue flame flickered in its eyes.It’s a wraith. Whatever you do, don’t let its claws touch you. I am keeping it at bay for now, but you need to do exactly what I say if you want to survive this.I felt a shock at the voice, which spoke in my mind. As it did, I felt the pendant vibrate. If it was being truthful, I had no choice but to listen.Slowly take the necklace off, wrap me around the dagger, and I will imbue it with the power we need to slay this monster. Be careful, any sudden moves might provoke it.I did as the voice commanded, I raised the arm which held the pendant and began to slip it off my head. As my hand moved in front of my left eye, the wraith made its move. It shrieked, lunging towards me, and I willed the wind to push me. I slammed into the stone wall beside me, knocking the wind out of me for a second. The wraith slammed into an old barrel that had been behind me and I heard the wood explode and shatter. Ice cold splinters flew toward me, though most got stuck in my fur, I felt a few pierce the skin. Cold radiated through my right arm and leg. A cloud of frost surrounded the creature as it prepared to shriek again. I knew I had only a moment before it was on me again. I wrapped the necklace around the dagger and threw it towards the creature with as much strength and power behind it as I could muster. I sent a current of air with it, super charging it. The dagger flew like lightning, and I saw a burst of light as sparks crackled around the dagger blade as it soared through the air towards the wraith's head. The wraith had knelt when it had landed and without a look, raised its hand behind it. It had caught the dagger.
The dagger may have stopped at the creature's hand, but the lightning traveled forward, propelling up its arm and into the back of the wraith's head. The room filled with light as the energy exploded, which shattered multiple crates and barrels nearby. I was forced to shield my eyes. When I opened them again I could see the room had filled with darkness once more. My dark vision kicked in after a moment, and I could see the faintest glow that emanated from the far wall. All I could focus on was my dagger, embedded into a hand that hung halfway up the wall. The rest of the wraith had exploded into dust and debris along with whatever else had been in its path. I retrieved the dagger and slipped the necklace back on. I could still feel a bit of warmth from the necklace and it took me a solid five minutes to get the knife out of the stone wall. The hand of the wraith fell to the floor and I looked down at it with interest. After a moment it twitched, and I backed away. I had no idea the rules this thing followed, so I did what any aspiring arcanist would do. I threw it into a pouch, then put the pouch straight into the bag of holding. I didn't plan on keeping it, at least not before getting some answers out of my new friend. I held up the pendant, inspecting it closely.
“What. . .or who are you?” I asked.

Day 14 - The Divine Speaks

I tried my best to communicate with the pendant for ten or so minutes before giving up. The pendant’s symbol continued to glow very faintly, and seemed to retain a touch of heat despite the chill in the air. I searched the basement for anything useful. I was wide awake now, despite feeling exhausted from the fight. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep after that encounter.
Almost everything down there was chewed on, rotten, or smashed to bits. I didn’t like lingering in the stench, but now that the wraith was gone, I no longer sensed any sort of evil. After what seemed like ages of rummaging through an endless sea of old crates and barrels, something caught my attention. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the wall that I had hit when jumping out of the way from the wraith. The stones there had shifted quite a bit, and I saw a gap there. With a bit of effort, I removed the stone blocking the entry and saw a hidden cache of items there.+1 Potion of Healing
+25 Gold Pieces
+50 Arrows in a Quiver
+1 Gray and Silver Wooden BowRight away I could tell the bow had been enchanted. The string hummed when I held it between my fingers, and there were several runes carved into the wood of the bow. I recognized a few of them, and noticed they matched a few from the book I had been decoding. There were the runes for fire, strength, and one more set I couldn’t identify. I put all the items into my bag. I really hoped it didn't have a limit, or if it did, that I wouldn’t reach it too soon.
I made my way back up to my campsite. By now, the storm was gone and I could see the sun had begun to rise. I laid down back in my tent and slept for a few hours, just to gain back a bit of energy. I awoke to a sharp pain from my right arm and leg. I had forgotten about the splinters lodged there. I inspected the wounds and used a set of tweezers from my tinkerers tools to remove most of them. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have enough medicine knowledge to do more than that. It still hurt like crazy, and I was forced to drink the potion of healing I had found. It tasted a bit stale, but after a few moments my pain faded. I had no idea if potions like that had expiration dates, but I hoped not.
I packed up my camp and began to head out. When I moved the cabinet out of the doorway, I noticed that the snow outside was already starting to melt. I wasn’t sure how, but I had a feeling the wraith was somehow connected to the strange weather I had been experiencing.
I continued eastward for a few hours, hoping there wasn’t too much more excitement for me the rest of the day. As the sun set, I felt a pulse from the pendant. I looked down and found the symbol glowing more brightly.
I have regained enough energy to speak. I know you probably have a lot of questions, but allow me to get all this out first. Talking like this uses a lot of power, and if you want my protection, we need to save as much of my energy as possible. When you reach a place of safety, we can speak more freely.
I can tell you that my name is Votar. I was made to protect travelers from the undead. The artificer that made me took the dying spirit of his friend, a paladin of Sol, and infused what was left of him with a piece of Skystone that had fallen from the heavens. He used an elemental crystal he had found somewhere within a dark fortress to power the infusion. I am part divine energy, part elemental. I once had much more power than I do now, and with your help, we can restore my energy and unlock my potential.
For now, continue to wear me and I will do my best to protect you. I will let you know if I can sense any undead, and if needed, I can also heal you. My final power is what you witnessed last night. I can imbue an object with my power temporarily, but doing so uses nearly all of my energy. We can talk more later, I feel myself running low. If you find any sources of power, consult me and we may be able to transfer it to me. Anytime we defeat an undead together, I also siphon off a bit of its power to increase my own limits. I am here to help you, as your father once helped me.
I blinked. I was so confused. A million questions rang through me, but as I asked, no response came from the pendant. Only a small glow emanated from it now. I tucked the pendant back into my shirt.
After another hour of traveling, the light had almost completely faded. I could see torches, some sort of building, and what looked like a stable in the distance. I could stay there for the evening, or I could conserve my gold and camp outside. It wasn’t terribly cold, the snow was even continuing to melt despite it being night. Either one seemed viable.

Day 15 - Spice Fang Inn

After a moment of deliberation, I decided it was probably best to check out what the building was before deciding whether to camp or not. As I got closer to the building, I saw horses tied up outside the structure. I was right in thinking the other building was a stable, and it looked like the stalls within it were full.
When I was about fifty feet away I started to hear the crowd within. A sign read Spice Fang Inn. I made my way inside and found it was incredibly warm and welcoming. It smelled strongly of spiced ale and freshly baked bread. A small band that called themselves Flute, Lute, and The Boot played a lilting melody from the corner of the room. I could see a female elf playing a flute, a male gnome playing a lute, and finally an older dwarven fellow - who I assumed was “The Boot” - playing a set of drums.
Many people joked and laughed, and I caught whispers of how odd it was that the weather was changing so fast. I made my way to the bar and tried to get the bartender's attention. After a few unsuccessful calls, I took out a gold piece and slapped it onto the bar in front of me. Immediately the barkeep came over, eager to collect the coin. Before she could scoop it up however, I placed two fingers on top of it.
“I’m looking for a room,” I said, hand firmly holding the gold, “and I’m willing to pay however much it costs to get one.”
“We’re booked up for the night.” She eyed me suspiciously. “The only way to get one now would be to convince someone to give you theirs.” She idled for a moment, her hands busy drying a clean mug. “We only have ten rooms here so I’m sure you can imagine we’re usually full. We’re the only inn around for 20 miles, unless you wanna chance it at The Dirty Raccoon..” Her eyes wandered across the room, lingering on the band in the corner.
“You know, I’ve heard about people here betting their rooms gambling before. If I were you I might try that.” She nodded to the group in the corner and left me to it.
Sounds like the only way I’d be sleeping in a bed tonight was if I won it. That sounded like a worthy challenge. I had faced a wraith and come out mostly unharmed, how hard was it to win a game of chance?
Turns out it was pretty hard. I played cards, tossed some dice, and I even tried betting on two men drinking pints of ale in a race. I lost all three bets, along with sixty gold in total.
After my losses were paid out, my stomach growled painfully. I had been so focused on winning a room, I had forgotten to eat! I paid for a meal, which consisted of some fresh bread, spiced ale, and some sort of house stew. I found an empty table that looked like people had been using it as a dumping ground for empty drinks and bottles.
The barkeep finally arrived with the food, setting down each item in front of me.
“I hope it’s okay I sat here?” I asked, making sure I piled up the empty bottles in a neat stack.
“Honestly I’m surprised you found a seat at all, we’re usually packed until three in the morning. By then most everyone’s stumbled out.” She laughed and started stacking the empty glasses in her arms, clearing them away. She brought me my mug of spiced ale, along with a bottle of it to take, free of charge.
“You know, I knew some foxfolk once. They were always incredibly kind and helpful to me, and you seem no different.” She smiled at me and I thanked her for her kindness. I was sure she felt bad that I had already lost so much gold trying to get a room. I made sure to add a solid tip to the bill.
I was about to say a pleasant goodbye, when she suddenly leaned down and whispered in my ear.
“If you want to try again at winning a room, I’d try The Boot in a game of storytelling. He plays it sometimes with travellers. He’s a musician as you can see, but he is well known around here as a story collector.” I eyed him in the corner, considering the option. “Everywhere they travel he collects tales and tells em to people for their enjoyment, or for coin.” she continued.
I didn’t know many stories besides the ones my parents told me as a kid. I considered telling what I'd decoded so far from the journal as a story, but I wasn't quite finished with that yet so I didn't know how it ended. I told the woman to go over and ask him if he’d be willing to bet his room in a contest of tales.
She went over in between songs and spoke quietly to the old dwarf. He met my eyes as he listened and gave a nod. The group continued to play a few more songs and I focused on my meal. The food was amazing, and I was so happy to eat something hot again. The spiced ale was also very good, and I ended up ordering another one, along with a spiced cinnamon roll for dessert. The cinnamon roll and ale went together amazingly, and I could tell that's what they were known for. I licked my plate clean when I had finished, which was common for foxfolk if you enjoyed your meal. It told your host you had truly enjoyed their food.
After a few more songs, the dwarf stood up on a crate and addressed the crowd.
“Well ladies and gentlemen, it seems you’ll be getting another tale out of me tonight. I hadn't planned on sharing this one quite yet with you, as I just heard it last week as we were traveling here, but there's a young lad here who thinks he can outdo me! Shall we hear him out?”
The crowd roared with applause, clearly happy to hear the news that they wouldn't get just one more story tonight, but two! The old dwarf hobbled over and I could smell the spiced ale on his breath. He seemed to have his wits about him, however. I watched as he pulled out a golden coin and showed me both sides.
“Alright lad, you call it, heads or tails? Winner chooses who goes first!”

Day 16 - The Duel of Desmond Quickfeather

I called it in the air as The Boot flipped it.
“Heads” I said, as the coin flipped end over end in the air. I breathed outward, exhaling air as the coin landed and managed to slow its spin. The Boot caught it in his hand, revealing the coin.
“Sorry lad, looks like its tails!” he said with a laugh. The crowd laughed as well, my face turned red. I had no idea what story I was going to tell. My mind was completely blank.“Don’t worry, I’ll go first and show ya how it's done!” he said with a knowing wink."My story begins in a land to the west of us. Far over the Fangtops, we come to the firestone peaks. The peaks reside on the border of Frolta and the Emerald Midlands. There, a ranger watches over the border, keeping the peace and tending the forest and its inhabitants. The ranger's name is Desmond Quickfeather, an owl folk known for his gentle but firm nature. He would often train with his longsword named Dyad, which was incredibly special. It’s your typical enchanted longsword, meant to hit harder, swing faster, and be darn near indestructible. All that regular stuff of an enchanted blade, but before he had it enchanted, it was forged by some elf fellow. No sword is like it, its blade hollow, holes placed intricately around its blade so that when he swings it this way and that, it plays different notes. Always two notes at once, hence its namesake.Anyway you can hear his songs when he trains atop his cloudcliff tower. They say it can be either the most beautiful song you’ve ever heard, or a haunting melody, it’ll shake you to your core. The type of song that causes you to fill with dread and self doubt. His music is a magic unlike anyone’s ever heard.
One day, Quickfeather was watching from his balcony atop the tower when he saw something he almost couldn't believe. An army approached from the east, heading west towards Frolta. He flew down the tower, using his winglike arms to glide down to the mountainside. He did his best to hide from the scouts he was sure were out ahead of the army. It was around sundown, so he lurked from shadow to shadow. By now the army was setting up camp right in his forest at the bottom of the mountain. The fools thought they were smart, using the mountain to block the wind and elements. They had no idea they had wandered into the wrong territory.
Quickfeather watched from the treetops as they set up camp, noting the two large flagpoles setup outside a large tent, two guards posted on each end. He waited patiently, until one of the guards fell asleep. He threw a dart that he had poisoned with a strong paralyzation draught. The forest always provides for those who respect it, and nobody had more respect for the forest than Desmond Quickfeather. The soldier dropped seconds later, and the ranger approached the tent stealthily. He listened for a moment and could hear a deep snoring coming from inside. He cut a hole in the tent with his belt dagger, a sort of half sword that he had forged himself in his tower. He was no master smith but he knew his way around a forge.
Quickfeather ducked down into the tent and saw a large bed chamber, rugs, blankets, tables covered with food and drink. There was also a large map covering a table, various towns and settlements with troops positioned around it. They were planning an invasion. The man was asleep on the bed, yes a bed, not a cot, was large and clearly had not seen combat since his younger years. Desmond knew that this man was the commander because he had heard him ordering people about during the day, people often referring to him as Commander Filper. He drew his sword, two short notes played softly as he did so. The sword rested under his chin and Quickfeather kicked the bed, hard. The man awoke as he felt the blade press against his neck.
“You and your men are disturbing the land, keeping farmers of the midlands as slaves, and as I can see from your map of Frolta you plan to pillage your way to the capital. Well Commander, plans can change as I’m sure you’re aware. I challenge you to single combat. If you win, my life is forfeit and your men are free to pilfer and raid as you please. Invade the entire country if you wish. If I win, I demand you leave, free the prisoners you have wrongly taken and never return to Frolta or the emerald midlands.
The commander had a sly smile on his face as he sat up in bed. ‘Very well chap, I’ll accept your challenge, but I claim my right of a champion. My best man shall face you in single combat. Swords draw at dawn. I’ll even free the slaves we have taken as a sign of good faith, how's that?’ he said, smiling even more now. He was hiding something, Quickfeather was sure, but he was positive he could beat any of his brutes in single combat. He had watched them all day, blundering about, coats dirty and unbuttoned, none of them carried themselves with grace or fluidity at all.
The news of the duel spread fast, and by the time dawn came, many had stumbled out of bed and gathered in a large circle, creating an arena of sorts. Commander Filper indeed did free the slaves, but Quickfeather noted they were told to stay nearby. He knew that they had no intention of losing this duel. The rocky terrain felt familiar to Quickfeather as he knelt down in the circle of men, awaiting the champion to arrive. He heard something swoop down from the sky. A man with wings had landed in front of him. He wore no armor or clothes save for a set of pants and boots. He held a long, wickedly curved blade that looked slick with oil, and his eyes pulsed with a darkened light. This man had grayish skin and looked like a celestial, a fallen celestial. A man once full of grace and divine energy, but now bound to serve a master. He nodded to Quickfeather, and the duel began. At first they circled each other, Quickfeather swinging his sword back and forth and he began his song. This seemed to enrage the Celestial, and he lunged forward. He moved so fast it looked like he was levitating. His form barely touched the ground as they exchanged blows. The wicked blade knocked against Dyad again and again, adding a percussion aspect to the song, the duel becoming a duet. They clashed again and again, neither finding purchase or meeting their target. Every strike was blocked, and a counter attack launched in retaliation. They moved with a speed that was unmatched. Men could never achieve the speed, ferocity, or accuracy these two battled with. Finally, the celestial retreated for a moment, rethinking his strategy. As they circled again, Quickfeather knelt and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the wind and willed it to become stronger. The soldiers began to get nervous as the wind picked up around them. The celestial just watched, curious. Then Quickfeather jumped forward once more, but he threw the blade upward, and willed the wind to take it. The celestial now found himself fighting on two sides. He blocked the blade as it parried and counterattacked on its own, an invisible force controlling it.
Quickfeather knew he had to end this soon, or it would go on forever. He seized the wicked blade’s hilt, and the celestial tried to shove him back. He was surprised by the sudden lack of poise and strategy. What he had failed to realize was that the blade he had been fighting had flown around and was now arching straight towards his heart. The wind played a frantic melody on dyad as it pierced his heart. The celestial was shocked as he saw the hollow blade sprout from his chest and looked at Quickfeather in rage. As he bled out, he struck out wildly, managing to graze Quickfeather's wrist. It burned as the metal scratched him and he knew the blade cut deeper than it should have. Be it magic or poison, he soon lost all feeling in his hand and wrist. The celestial dropped to the ground, dead. Quickfeather retrieved his sword with his left hand. His injured one wouldn't grasp or respond to his commands. It was useless.
The army retreated, disheartened to have lost their greatest soldier. They began their long trek back to wherever they called home. They also left the slaves, who thanked Quickfeather. He fled back to his tower and examined his hand. He never regained the use of that hand, so he ended up learning to wield his sword in his left hand, and ended up strapping an enchanted shield to his right arm. Some say you can still hear him training during the night, always vigilant, always watching.”The crowd cheered as The Boot finished his tale, and he approached me as they all clapped, some offering to buy him a round, which he gladly accepted.
“Lets see what you’ve got lad” he said with a knowing smile. He knew he had me beat.“Don’t worry, we’ve got this. I’ve got a story that can beat that” I heard the voice say inside my head as the pendant buzzed.
“The old man’s story was good, but mine is better”
I swallowed the last of my pint as I stepped up, the crowd waiting in anticipation.

Day 17 - Trouble in the Inn

I took a deep breath, stepping up to the mantle of the fireplace and looked around at the crowd. They looked back with anticipation. Someone burped, breaking the silence and I began my tale.“Uh well, this tale is a little new to me and I’m not exactly used to public speaking, especially in front of so many people, so forgive me if it takes me a minute to adjust here” I said with a laugh. No one laughed, someone coughed and I heard the pendant begin to speak in my head.Don’t listen to them, just repeat everything I say and we’ll have earned a room by the end of the night.
I nodded and began to repeat after the pendant.
This tale I’m about to tell you is as true as the moon in the sky, the rivers that flow in the forests, and the drinks that we have drunk this very night. We begin underground. A dwarven mining crew had just opened up a new mine underneath Bear’s Reach, a large forested area far to the south of here. They had found gold, silver, and even emeralds in a shallow underground cave there. The samples were small, but promising enough that they decided to make a mine out of that shallow cave. For months they delved deep, blasting further and further into the rock. The Dwarves were happy with the output of the mine, but they wanted more. They went farther and farther down.One day after blasting a particularly large section out of the ground, they discovered a pool of water they couldn't mine beneath or go around. It seemed to be impossibly deep, and go on forever no matter which direction they tried to go. One dwarf braved the water, swimming to see if there was anything beneath. He never came up. They sent their next strongest swimmer, and he too did not return. They waited for hours, watching the pool, hoping their friends would somehow return. Then something did finally surface. A creature made of muck, slime and filth emerged. An ooze that wasn't just large, it moved quickly. Somehow this naturally slow monster was incredibly fast. The dwarves didn't stand a chance, each one was swallowed whole by the ooze where they suffocated and were quickly dissolved. Only one was spared as he was the farthest away from the ooze as it attacked. He made it out of the cave and it turned back once he got out into the daylight. He spread the news of the attack, and how the only warning before the ooze had surfaced had been the smell. The smell of death.A traveling paladin who was making her way through that very town heard of what had happened to the dwarf. She had vowed to kill any undead that she came across. You see her family had been killed, and then turned into undead. She was saved by an old fellow, a true paladin of Sol-Someone grunted, it almost sounded like a growl. I continued on, not wanting to stop now or draw attention to the patron.who had taken her on as an apprentice after saving her. She was grateful, she had no one left after all. She devoted her life to slaying the abominations we call undead.
This woman's name was Claireth, and she talked with the dwarf, demanding to know all the details. The dwarf saw that she was indeed a paladin of SolAnother growl, this one longer and louder. I paused for a half a second, some people giving scowls to the person who had interrupted me. I saw a humanoid near the back, hood up. I could tell now that he was Wolfkin, his teeth barred and staring daggers at me. Wolfkin are natural enemies of us foxfolk, but we can usually tolerate each other in public. His arms were crossed and he was clearly upset. I continued on, despite the warning.The dwarf told her everything he could, and she set out at once to find the tomb. Once there, it didn’t take her long to find the pool at the bottom of the mine. She immediately sensed the undead lurking there in the water. She took out her giant two handed greatsword, knelt on the ground, and said a prayer to Sol-The Wolfkin snarled, and started to push past patrons, making his way up to me. I saw him coming and I froze, eyes wide. This was a predator, a hunter of foxfolk, and one that clearly did not have favor with Sol. As he approached, he drew a long spiked katana from his back with one hand, then launched a spinning star straight at my head. I was forced to cast a whip of wind at it, and it shot upward into the tavern’s ceiling. Several patrons screamed in panic as the fight began, some running for the door. The barkeep shouted at all of them to quiet down, but quickly ducked behind the counter as the wolfkin shot her a glance.
Not everyone screamed in panic however. The Flute, The Lute, and The boot all brandished their own weapons and stepped up beside me to face this enemy. The Flute pressed a key on her instrument and it split into two long knives that whistled as she twirled them into position. Something seemed familiar about the way they sounded. The Lute brandished an arrow from an unseen quiver on his back, his instrument also morphing into a bow as he nocked the arrow. The Boot had already removed his boot and from it withdrew a large quarterstaff from inside. It was made of metal and it seemed to click into place so that his boot was attached to one side of the quarterstaff. It now resembled a long warhammer. He let it hit the wooden floor in front of him with a loud thud. The wood dented inward slightly, as if the boot weighed a ton. The wolfman looked at the three new combatants and raised his katana before him. He focused his attention on me and bolted forward. His eyes red, pointed teeth bared in a snarl as he charged. I only had moments to decide what I would do next.

Day 18 - Wolfkin

I summoned the wind to my fingertips and prepared for the incoming attack, my dagger in my right hand. The Lute released his arrow, shooting straight for the Wolfkin’s sword arm. The Wolfkin knocked the arrow aside with a clash of his sword. The Flute raised her two long knives and lunged forward, the elf met the Wolfkin in a metallic whirlwind as they traded blows. The short staccato hits sounded like a wind chime in a storm, an unending torrent of blows. After a few hits, the Wolfkin looked as though he was falling behind each attack. He snarled, striking back in a counterattack that was much more powerful than she had expected. As she blocked, her two knives flew across the room from the force. She backed off and the Wolfkin refocused his attention on The Boot, who had stepped directly in front of me. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I think I can handle him,” I said in a low voice. The old dwarf turned his head slightly, eyes not leaving the Wolfkin.
“Are you sure, lad? We’ve got plenty of experience fighting. I understand if you want to handle this personally. Just know we’ve got your back if you need us,” he said, and he stepped to the side to let me forward. The Wolfkin smiled as he approached, now only five feet away. He raised his spiked katana with two hands and showed his teeth in a grin.
“I’m going to enjoy sending you to your god,” he snarled, striking straight for my exposed neck. I willed the wind to send the sword spinning away upward, and the long sword plunged into the ceiling. The Wolfkin immediately tried to pull it out, but it was lodged deep into the wood. I quickly threw my dagger at the occupied Wolfkin, sending it on a current of wind. His ears pricked up at the sound and he ducked down, forgetting the sword.
He whipped around and swept my feet out from under me with a kick and grabbed my throat with his huge paw-like hand. He slammed my head down into the planks of the tavern. My vision swam and black spots started to appear. Without a thought, I thrust both hands outward toward him and a giant force of wind hit the Wolfkin straight in the chest. He was launched into the ceiling, then collapsed to the ground, winded.
“You know, the funny thing is,” I said as I stood up, “Sol isn't even my god.” I took the pendant off and wrapped the cord around my knuckles. “Maybe you can say hello to him for me anyway.” I punched him as hard as I could. I put everything I had into the punch - wind, magic, and as well as Votar’s power. As the energy surged from the pendant, I felt my hand break as it connected with his head. Pain filled my fist, but vanished quickly as my flesh knit, and my bones were fused together. The pendant's warmth faded. I wasn't used to punching, nevermind punching with the power of a god and my own wind behind my fist. He fell to the ground. I took a few steps back and looked at the others.
“Thanks guys, I knew I had him.” I said, looking at the band, then down at my pendant. I took a second to take in the room around me. Most people had fled, but a few had stuck around to see the fight. One man cheered from below a table and raised his mug to me. The few left in the tavern began to cheer as well. I smiled and turned to bow for my performance. At that moment, however, I felt a searing pain enter my left leg. I tried to pull away but the Wolfkin’s grip was as strong as steel. I could feel a coldness making its way into my leg, and I saw that he wore a strange obsidian ring on his right hand. It had to be enchanted in some way. I felt my strength begin to leave my body, my vision blurred. I slumped to one knee and the Wolfkin arose once more.
“That’s better. Now, then…” he said, turning back to Flute, Lute, and The Boot, who had all taken up defensive positions again. The Wolfkin ran after a moment of deliberation and burst through the front door, he fled into the night. The Boot knelt and grabbed my shoulder.
“Are you alright, lad?” he asked, concerned. I shook my head, clearing my vision. Whatever that ring was, it had taken the strength from my body and gave it to the Wolfkin. I looked down at my leg and I could see a symbol burned into my flesh there - a skull with two X’s for the eyes in a circle. It still burned, but I was able to stand with help.
“I think I’ll be fine, you guys don't have any potions of healing, do you?” I winced as I put weight on my leg.
“We should have one or two upstairs. I’ll tell you what, given how you performed tonight, I think you’ve earned a spot with me and Lute here in our room. You can even take the bed. Lute and I will take a cot near the door,” he said, letting Lute take my other arm and helped me up the stairs to the rooms.
“I’ll keep an ear out as I’m meditating tonight in case he decides to come back,” said the Flute. “Also, my name is Eerla. You did well tonight, little fox boy,” she said, smiling at me.
“Thanks, I’m Gus by the way,” I said blushing. “You guys are amazing fighters. I’m glad you had my back - not sure I’d be alive right now without you.”
“Well let’s just hope we don't see that Wolfkin again. Anyway, get some sleep. I expect Boot will be getting us up early,” Eerla said as she watched Lute help me inside.
“Thanks,” I said to Lute as I sat down on the bed. Lute nodded, not saying a word. Now that I thought about it, the gnome hadn't said a word since I first saw him. I had seen The Boot and Eerla chatting between songs, but Lute stayed silent, communicating with nods and shakes of the head only.
The Lute handed me a shiny, red potion tube from a bag that hung from one of the hooks on the wall. I downed it quickly, feeling the pain in my leg subside to a dull throb. The skin around the injury still looked blackened and burnt, like a brand. I tried reaching out to Votar, but he must’ve used up all his energy speaking to me and giving me aid earlier. Perhaps in the morning I’d be able to ask about the mark. With that, I let the exhaustion take over, sleep following shortly. Moments before I passed out, thoughts of what tomorrow might hold flooded my mind.

Day 19 - Rune Of Fire

I awoke as the sunlight filtered in through the open blinds, its bright light hitting me at just the right angle to blind me. I blinked multiple times and winced as I moved my left leg - it still hurt, despite a full night's rest. I looked over near the door, and both cots were empty. There was a note on the table beside me.
“Lad, we went down to get some breakfast and decided it was best you got your rest. Come and join us when you wake,” the letter read.
I got up and stretched, my body thankful for a full night's rest after the previous night's encounter. I hurried down the stairs with my hat and satchel after a quick change of clothes. I found the three band members of the FLB at the bar, where they sat and ate their breakfast. There were seven or so other patrons around the tavern, some sat eating their breakfast and chatting with each other. I could see one fellow, a dragonborn, sitting in the corner where he was already a few mugs deep. I didn't recognize him from the night before. The folk there had been mostly humans, with a few gnomes and halflings mixed in. As I walked over, I sat down beside my new friends and ordered a plate for myself.
“How ya feelin', lad, any better?” The Boot asked.
“A bit,” I said, biting into a biscuit with some sort of hardened jam on top. It tasted slightly sour with a sweet note ending it as I swallowed. I recognized the taste as Greeberry jam. It was an acquired taste, though if you liked it, you preferred it to any other jam around. As I ate, we sat and talked for a while, but I mostly listened to the band discussing their plans for the day.
“We’re set to move out today, onward towards Cintas. You’re welcome to join us if you want, Gus,” said Eerla.
“I’m actually headed to Cintas myself. I usually travel by myself, but I’d be honored to join you guys. You saved my hide last night,” I said, moving to get out some gold to pay them. When The Boot saw what I was trying to do, he held up a hand.
“Oh no, lad, no need. We did what we did last night because it was the right thing to do. We don't need your coin and we won't accept it. I will, however, request you tell the rest of your story tonight when we camp for the evening,” The Boot said. I smiled, nodding.
“Of course. I’d be honored to finish my tale.” I finished my breakfast and we all gathered our things. I noticed they all traveled by foot like I did. When I asked Eerla why they didnt use horses, she mumbled something about The Boot having a bad experience with one. I decided not to pursue it. I did ask them another question though.
“Hey, do you guys know anything about this mark the Wolfkin burned into me? I was hoping it would start to fade by now, but it seems as dark as ever.” I took a moment to inspect it.
“I know it's not a good symbol to have etched into your skin. It could be a curse mark of some kind, though I don’t recognize it. Might have to do some research in Cintas,” The Boot answered. I nodded, adding it to my long list of things to look into once we reached the big city.
“Have you guys ever been to Cetrusia? I aim to head there after spending a bit of time in Cintas,” I said, hopeful.
“Cetrusia? Why would you go there? And no, we haven't traveled there before. I don't think they really let anyone in unless they have an invitation to study or work in the archives there. From what I know, it's rare anyone ever goes in,” Eerla said, The Boot nodding his agreement.
“I see…” I said, dropping the subject.
By the time the sun started to set, we had traveled quite far. At one point my leg started to ache, but Eerla was able to make a salve from a plant she found in the forest near the road. It must’ve been able to numb it.
I made sure to do a quick sketch of it. Eerla told me it was a Whiteroot plant, which is pretty common, but hard to harvest. You have to make sure to pull it out by the root, not the stem. The liquid inside is what will numb you. If you get it on your hand when you pull it out, your hand will become numb, and you won't be able to feel it for hours. Some people make a living from harvesting them and selling the plants to apothecaries. I made sure to write down the qualities of the plant, as well as Eerla’s instructions for the salve.
Eventually, we came to a nice campsite near the road and we settled down. I volunteered to get the fire started and Eerla gathered something to eat. Lute set up the tents, meanwhile The Boot just kind of stood on top of the nearby hill looking east. I quickly gathered some wood, using my wind abilities to jump and grab dead tree branches that had not fallen to the forest floor yet. This must’ve been a pretty frequent campsite for travelers because there was hardly any wood on the ground to use. I set up the branches inside a ring of stones that were scorched from countless fires before.
I tried to retrieve my flint and steel from my bag, but when I called for them, they didn't appear. I frowned. Then, I smacked my head as I remembered I had left them in the tower where I had set up my last campsite. I felt stupid for forgetting something so essential. I took a moment to remind myself that though I may be eager to be out here on this adventure, I was still new to this. There was so much for me to learn, and that apparently included double checking my campsites before leaving them. I approached The Boot on the hill and I gathered my courage.
“Uh, hey… Boot? You guys don't have any flint, do you? I forgot to grab mine at my last campsite…” I said, trailing off. The Boot started, turning and looking at me, puzzled.
“Flint? What do you need that for?” he said, bewildered.
“Starting the campfire…?” I said with a bit of a laugh.
“Why don’t ya just use yer magic? I seen ya with that wind last night. You’ve got a way with the elements boy, I can nearly smell it on ya,” he said, turning back to look on the horizon.
“I don't know how to summon fire, I can only summon the wind…” I said awkwardly. The Boot looked down, frowning, then turned to me.
“I see. Follow me, I can teach you a pretty easy way to get it started.” He moved quickly to the small bundle of branches I had made. I followed, intrigued and eager to learn. The Boot reached down and grabbed one of the sticks I had scavenged. He took out a small whittling knife from his belt, and in a few seconds had carved a small rune on one side of the stick.
“Do you recognize this at all?” he said, looking at me.
“Uh yeah, that's the rune for fire, right?” I looked from the symbol to the old dwarf.
“Right, now watch. All I’m going to do is transfer a bit of my energy into the rune. It's easiest to do while touching the rune, but with fire you gotta be careful not to burn yourself. You can do it without touching the rune, but it will take more energy. We can do this, however, to make it a bit easier,” He carved a small line about three or four inches away from the rune down the length of the stick.
“This is what we call a channel. We use it to guide the flow of energy into the rune. Think of it like a magical fuse. When you ignite a stick of dynamite, you don't stick a match into the explosive bit - you light the fuse, then you run like hell,” he chuckled.
The dwarf closed his eyes and concentrated. Soon, a line of white energy pooled into the small, carved-out channel and flowed out toward the rune. As soon as it reached the rune, the end of the stick burst into flame.
“Pretty useful, huh? No need for matches or flint, really. I usually keep a few of these sticks with me in case I need a fire source quickly. You should try,” he said, handing me the knife. I picked up a small stick and tried to mimic the rune he had cut, along with a short channel to guide the energy flow. It took me a little over two minutes to get it to look perfect. I held it out to The Boot for inspection.
“Not bad, speed will come with practice. Now comes the hard part. Concentrate on the energy within you and direct it to flow into the channel and then into the rune. You’ve already done this before when you call the wind. Windcallers are usually pretty good at this, as it uses a lot of energy to direct and summon wind. Be careful to only use a bit of energy,” he said, waving his hand toward the sky.
“Windcallers? Who are they?” I asked, frowning.
“That's what you are, my boy, someone who calls the wind, and it listens. I’ve never actually met one in person before, but there are some pretty wild stories out there about them. Maybe I’ll tell you some other night,” The Boot said.
“Ok, that sounds good. I'm kind of new to this whole thing, so I’m always looking to learn…” I said, hopeful.
“I can tell, lad, don't worry. We all have to start somewhere,” he said with a wink. I closed my eyes and exhaled. I focused on the source of energy I could feel within me. It felt like a swirling storm in my chest, and I imagined a small funnel cloud sucking a bit of that energy and directing it up through my arm, down into my hand, and into the channel I had carved. The end of the stick exploded with a burst of flame, and I threw the stick in panic.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, don’t let the energy continuously stream out of you or you’ll get much more magic than you intended. Once it hits the rune, the rune will start to suck as much power into it as it can hold, and it goes fast. Maybe try again and only try directing a small pebbles-worth of energy into the channel,” The Boot said as he examined his beard for any singed hairs.
After another attempt, I managed to light a flame without any trouble. The Boot clapped me on the shoulder and walked back to his small hill.
I looked out after him, wondering what it was that he was doing here, what they all were doing here together. They seemed the sort to be hunting down great treasures, not playing music in taverns for a fraction of what they could be making. As the sun began to set, I reached out to speak to Votar - maybe he would have some answers for me now

Day 20 - The Scourge of Bear's Reach

I tapped the pendant, its glow now slightly stronger. I sat on one of the logs we had pulled over to use as seats. The fire crackled to life, it grew to the other branches from my stick.
“Hey, are you there Votar?” I asked hesitantly. I wasn’t sure how long we’d have to talk, the others were still occupied for now.
“Yes, I have regained enough energy for a short conversation for now. I’ll reserve some energy just in case of an ambush” Votar said as the pendant vibrated.
“You think we might get ambushed? I really hope not…” I said, looking around nervously.
“Probably not, but it's better to be prepared, just in case. Now, you have questions I assume?” the pendant buzzed.
“Yeah, do you know anything about this mark that Wolfkin left on my leg? It hasn't healed yet and I’m a little worried about it,” I said hesitantly, inspecting the burn again.
“It looks like a curse brand. It won’t fully heal unless you have it dispelled or removed.” Votar said.
“Dispel? So there is some sort of magic still in it. Any idea what it does?” I asked, curious.
“I believe it’s meant to weaken the target, as well as provide a means of tracking,” Votar said.
“Oh… well that's not good. I should probably tell the others.” I said, standing.
“Maybe wait for now. If you tell them they'll want to know where you got the information. I think it might be in our best interest to keep me a secret for now. They know I'm a magical pendant, best not to let them know I’m sentient. Hearing voices typically isn't a good thing. They might assume I mean you harm.” Votar said,
“Right. Okay, I trust you. I won't tell them for now, but I’ll make sure we keep a watch tonight.” I said, turning to see Eerla coming over with a bundle of plants she had scavenged. She cooked them and threw a few pieces of dried meat into the pot as well, for a stew. Lute came over after a little while, I think he had been reading a book in his tent. He must’ve smelled the meat.
The Boot finally waddled over, a pipe in his mouth. He was puffing some sort of tobacco with a purple smoke. It smelled strongly of Greeberry and pine.
“Well lad, any chance you’d be willing to finish that story of yours? I’ve been mighty curious how it ends,” The Boot said.
“Yeah I could do that, I think I’m nearly finished with it” I said, holding the pendant."Sure, let's continue where we left off. So Claireth had just entered the mine. She made her way down to the pool where the dwarves witnessed the ooze come out of the water and began consuming everyone. She knelt down and prayed to her god, Sol-"
I paused to look around making sure that there were no Wolfkin around us that were going to interrupt. This got a chuckle from everyone, and then I continued on."Her god did not reply, however. That wasn't completely unheard of for Sol, he’s a busy guy after all. Claireth held her amulet as she prayed for protection against the undead. She willed a beacon of light to surround her. Immediately the surrounding chamber filled with light. There was a bubbling from the water, and the water began to drain from the pool. It happened slowly at first, but after a few moments a whirlpool formed, which drained all the water. It revealed a massive cavern. It was hundreds and hundreds of feet wide, and even deeper. Claireth leaned down, clicking a button on her metal boots. A metallic whirring and clicking started, then a pair of metallic wings sprouted from each of her boots. She dove off the new cliffside, and the wings helped her glide hundreds of feet to the bottom where she landed gently. She could see at the bottom it seemed to resemble a sort of desecrated church sanctuary. Lines of stone pews littered the bottom of the surface. A throne sat in the middle of the chamber, facing the dozens of pews. There, sitting on the throne was a hunched over body. It looked like a long dead king. He sat unmoving. Claireth approached, holding her amulet. She felt the presence of the undead, and prepared herself. She took her amulet off her neck and clicked it into place on her great sword, then turned it and it locked into place. Her sword absorbed the power of the amulet, the power of sol, and she strode forward, great sword in one hand, a massive shield in the other.
The body that sat in the throne began to shift, looking up at her. When she got about fifty feet away, it began to convulse, then it opened its mouth and it began to laugh hysterically. Claireth stopped, thirty feet away.
“Your end has come, despicable creature. No matter the cost I shall slay you this day” Claireth said, striding forward with intent. The creature began to speak, but Claireth would not hear its vile words. She shut her helm, and she ran forward. The entity on the throne stopped speaking in whatever strange tongue it had spoken, and it began to morph into the giant slime creature. Claireth was there a moment later and she struck at it with her great sword. Three times she sliced it, and the head rolled off the body, the body separated from the legs. All three sections, now bloated and half transformed, fell to the floor. She took a deep breath, looking down at the sad form beneath her. The three pieces began to liquify, and then they began to form up. Soon three forms were in front of her. Three smaller oozes, each one just large enough to swallow her whole. They rushed at her with their intense speed, and Claireth shot to the side, bashing one with her shield.
The ooze seized the shield, its material began to chew away at the metal. Claireth broke away from the group of oozes, pulling her shield with great effort. She took a look at the shield and saw half of it was melted away. She knew she should’ve splurged for the enchanted model, or at least gotten the warranty like the salesmen told her. She tossed the shield aside, and swung her greatsword two handed, moving quickly to chop the small ooze closest into pieces. Finally, she reached down into her own source of power and drove a lightning bolt through the pieces which had started to reform. The creature exploded, momentarily blinding her. Claireth looked around, and saw that the other two had vanished. She strode to the throne, looking behind it and all around. A black crown lay in front of it, a thin black smoke streaming off it. The creatures had vanished, nowhere to be found. She closed her eyes trying to sense them. Her amulet pulsed and told her they had reformed into one bigger form, and were hiding in a set of shadows far to the right. Claireth approached and began to summon the energy from her amulet. She pointed her sword straight at the pool of darkness where she knew the ooze lay in hiding.
“There’s no use hiding, foul being. I could smell you from miles away. You disgust me.” she said, releasing the building pressure of energy. It was like a miniature sun shot out from the tip of her sword. The ooze melted away as the beam stuck, and she destroyed its very essence. There was no coming back from the smite of a paladin, particularly if you were undead. Claireth wound her way back to where the crown lay, noting a black sludge coming off the rim of it now.
“I suppose you're the source of the undead energy, huh” she said aloud. Claireth took the helm and brought it back to her temple, where it was swiftly examined, then destroyed. Thus ends the tale of The Scourge of Bear’s Reach. Some say she missed something that day, a hidden compartment inside the throne which is said to hold a scepter even more vile and corrupt than the crown that she claimed.The three band members clapped and cheered.
“Well done lad, I have no doubt you would have won the crowd over. I must say however, the ending is much more effective out here over a campfire than a warm Inn. Either way, nice story!” The Boot said smiling. We joked around a bit more before deciding to call it a night. We drew stones to take watch and I ended up with the first shift. I tended to the fire during my watch, careful to keep my keen ears out for anything strange.
After about 2 hours I did hear something faint. Probably quite far as well. It sounded like a branch snapping. I’m not sure what it was but I’m worried it might be the Wolfkin, back to take his revenge. Then again, it might have been nothing, and waking my friends would do nothing but put everyone in a bad mood. The choice remains.

Day 21 - Taken

I decided I should probably go check it out alone first. I gathered my things, taking out my dagger and willing Votar to grow brighter. We set out into the woods, towards the direction of the noise. At first we didn't find anything, but then I heard a noise. There was some sort of movement coming from straight ahead. I slowed myself and held the light further out. After a few more steps I saw there was a rabbit trapped there in a snare, its leg caught. I approached it curiously. I picked up the rabbit and freed it from the trap. Eerla hadn’t said anything about setting any sort of traps, but then again who was I to turn down some free meat. I turned around to head back to the campfire with the rabbit when I noticed something. I could no longer see the campfire. Something was blocking the light.
Not something, someone. Four Wolfkin approached me, each wielding deadly weapons. There at the front stood the one I recognized, holding his spiked katana. Another next to him pointed a hand crossbow at me. The other two both had wicked long knives pointed right at me. The lead Wolfkin still wore the same outfit as the night before. I barely had time to react. I shouted out, willing Votar to grow incredibly bright. I threw my dagger with intense speed on a current of wind. At the same time that I shouted I felt something hit my shoulder. I cried out in pain and I could feel my shoulder grow cold immediately. I heard the lead Wolfkin roar in pain. I had hit something I guess. I gasped and tried to tell Votar to heal me. I felt a bit of warmth crawl back into my shoulder, but then another crossbow bolt hit me in the left thigh. I slumped to my knees as I felt the cold darkness envelope me.

Day 22 - Prisoner

I awoke slowly, my eyes blinking several times. I found my hands were bound in front of me, my bag gone from my side. My hat rested in front of me and I slowly sat up and put it on, taking in my surroundings. It was pitch black, though with my darkvision I could make out a set of bars in front of me. The floor was made of dirt, and I could hear a faint sound. It sounded like…cheering?
“Hey, you’re finally awake. That’s not good. They’ll be coming for you soon then,” someone said to me from the right. I looked over and saw a human man sitting in a similar cell to mine, about ten feet away. He sat against the stone wall, eyes straight ahead as he spoke. I could tell from here that he had cuts all along his arms and legs that had been poorly bandaged.
“My name's Jerick, what’s yours?” Jerick said.
“I’m Gus. Where the heck are we? The last thing I remember…” I said slowly, trying to piece it together.
“Ah, yes, the Riverstone poison. Don’t worry, it should be nearly out of your system. If you survive the next day or so you should feel back to normal. Welcome to The Bone Cage. Your first match won’t be for a few hours, probably. They always show the newcomers a match or two before throwing them into the arena.” Jerick said, rubbing his left shoulder as he spoke.
“Riverstone… Match? Arena? What is this place? Who brought me here?” I asked, standing up slowly and trying to figure out where the door was. I felt my pendant still at my neck, but they had taken all my gear. I tried to swallow but my mouth was dry.
“That’ll be the Wolfkin, they're in charge of this place. The Bone Cage, from what I’ve put together so far, is a place for thieves, criminals, and bandits to all come together and…congregate,” said Jerick. “They pick up travelers like us from the road and put them up against undead creatures in the arena. They caught me just outside of Cintas, I was guarding a caravan that they ransacked. I was the only survivor. I’ve been here for about three days. They tell us we can win our freedom if we survive five matches, but I’ve never seen anyone get past four. Right now, me, you, and Rob are the only prisoners they’ve got at the moment. That’s Rob fighting up there now. I expect you’ll be watching me fight in a while after him.”
“That's horrible. Is there no escape? Maybe I can get us out of here. I have access to magic…” I said, reaching for the power that I knew was inside. I tried to reach for it, but found it slipped from my grasp each time. It felt like trying to hold sand - the tighter I held on, the more it slipped away. I shook my head in frustration.
“Unfortunately, the poison I mentioned earlier makes it incredibly hard to use magic. You might be able to soon, maybe during your first match, but be careful. If they think you’re too powerful they’ll just kill you right away. You need to make the matches interesting to watch. They make bets on the matches,” Jerick said.
“Right. So what happens if -” I was interrupted as a door opened a few feet away and light filled the small dungeon. The cheering had stopped.
“Get up ya filth, it's time for some fightin’,” said a gruff looking Wolfkin. I recognized him as the one who had fired the crossbow. “And you too, Fox,” he said, spitting at me. I got up and stood against the wall. He unlocked Jericks cell, then led him out of the doorway. I watched him go, and saw him nod to me as he looked at me for the first time. His face was covered in dried blood.
After a few minutes the Wolfkin returned, a large crowbar in his hand. He unlocked my cell and motioned for me to get out. I slowly followed his order and he shoved me hard as soon I left the cell. I fell forward, using my hands to catch myself. The Wolfkin kicked my hands out from under me and I fell face first into the dirt. Ouch.
After getting up, he walked me up the stairs. Upon reaching the next room, I saw a single cell with bars on both sides, looking out into a larger chamber. The room also contained a table with chairs and a door leading out to another area. Some playing cards lay discarded on the table from a forgotten game.
As I was pushed into the cell, I saw that it looked out into a large arena in an underground chamber. It was maybe twenty by twenty feet with a dirt floor. The arena was recessed into the ground twenty feet below the cell I was in. Around the edge of the pit I could see men gathered around. There were tables and chairs, and a bar at one end that served drinks. I counted close to sixty people, all different builds. There were humans, Wolfkin, Bugbears, even a Goblin or two. There was some sort of half man, half tiger guy, and a few Rabbitfolk milling about as well. I heard the door shut as the Wolfkin left me after he locked me up.
The men shouted insults, and I noticed Jerick had now entered the arena. He stood at one end and held a shortsword in his right hand. He looked around seeing if there was anything left from the previous fight. He ran to where a half splintered shield lay, an arm still attached. He picked it up and angled himself defensively towards the opposite side of the arena where a large iron door was. Slowly, the iron door raised and I saw a large skeletal form enter the arena. It looked like a half man, half bull creature, but was mostly bone. I recognized it as an undead Minotaur. He wielded a large battle axe. I felt my pendant vibrate faintly.
“Gus, you alright?” I heard Votar say faintly. “I’m not very strong right now but it's vital I speak to you. I’m sorry I was unable to help you much before the Wolfkin kidnapped us. It took all of my strength to stay with you. They tried incredibly hard to remove me. There are no fans of Sol here. Listen, I can sense a large force of undead nearby. They must have dozens of them here. I will do all I can to help you but I’m afraid I won't be able to lend you any of my magic. I am too weak. The most I can offer is my council,” Votar said inside my head.
“I’ll take whatever I can get, I guess. What of the band? Did we warn them in time?” I asked quickly.
“I believe we did. The Wolfkin were only after you. They should be able to track us, but the odds are not good. Three fighters against sixty-some bandits and thieves is not a favorable bet. The best thing we can do is break ourselves out, or earn enough time that our friends can sneak us out,” Votar said.
The Minotaur charged straight at Jerick, who leaped aside as Votar continued to speak in my head.
“I’ve fought many undead in the years I’ve existed. Most have a weakness you can exploit. Severing the head is probably your best bet on most creatures, but undead sometimes have a fortitude that can't be matched…” Votar said, trailing off. There was nothing else I could do as I watched Jerick dodge the creature's charges again and again. He was getting a few hits in here and there, but a short sword against bone and rotten flesh was not very effective.
Jerick dodged out of the way again, this time aiming for one of the creature's heels. He sliced through the heel and it dropped to one knee. It let out an unbearable sound, like metal scraping together. I felt it deep in my chest. I cringed away, unable to cover both my ears with my hands bound. Jerick took the opportunity to hack away at the neck of the creature. He sliced it several times but it seemed to do very little.
“He’s got the right idea,” Votar said, commenting on the bout. “He needs to disable both legs as well as the arms if he can, then he can focus on removing the head. The Minotaur is a mighty creature though, not easily slain. The undead form can sometimes be even harder to kill than the living.”
The Minotaur spun, lunging out with his battle axe. Jerick dodged again, but the axe caught one of his arms. Jerick cried out and ran off towards the edge of the arena. The crowd cheered and some threw food or rubbish into the arena at Jerick. Jerick’s shield arm hung limp at his side, and even from here I could see it dripping blood onto the dirt.
The Minotaur stood and began slowly limping toward Jerick. Jerick knelt and stabbed his sword into the ground and began fumbling with a pouch that was around his neck. He furiously worked at the pouch as the creature got closer and closer. Jerick rolled out of the way and ran to the other side of the arena. Finally, he opened the pouch and downed the potion inside. I saw no noticeable difference from here, but I could guess that it was a potion of healing.
The undead Minotaur roared at him, grabbed the sword from where he had left it, and threw it at him in frustration. The sword narrowly missed and Jerick picked it up quickly. He raised his ruined shield once more and approached the Minotaur where it stood. There was only going to be one combatant leaving this arena.
Jerick dodged another wild swing of the axe as he got close, and slammed the shortsword into the Minotaur’s axe-wielding arm in a counter attack. The Minotaur screamed again, slumping down. Jerick grabbed onto one of its horns and hacked at the neck two times before the head detached suddenly, and the body fell limp.
Several of the humans in the crowd cheered and raised their mugs. They even cheered Jerick’s name several times as one man went around and paid out the winning bets. Jerick held the Minotaur’s skull up in victory. One of the wolfkin that was watching threw down a pouch to Jerick, like the one he had worn earlier. He quickly picked it up and made his way back to the small wooden door he had entered from.
“You’re next, Fox,” said a voice from behind. The Wolfkin who had first attacked me stood directly behind me next to the bars. He showed his teeth in a snarl, and banged the bars of the cell with his katana. I flinched back, falling to the ground. The Wolfkin laughed.
“You’ve got an hour till your match. Good luck, little fox, you’re going to need it,” he growled, then slammed the door.

Day 23 - Droom

I didn’t want to do this. I didn’t want to fight against my will. I didn’t want to fight for my life. I didn’t want to fight for the entertainment of these scum. I wished I was back home in my warm bed, eating my favorite home cooked meals with my family, gardening in the backyard. Instead I sat in a dirt cell and awaited my match with an undead creature. I tried again to grab hold of my magic. I was closer to holding on to it, but I still couldn’t quite grasp it. I kicked the dirt in front of me out of frustration, spinning up a small cloud. This was horrible. At the very least I didn’t have to watch someone die. Jerick was lucky. Rob on the other hand was not. I’m glad I didn’t have to witness that match.I stood up as a new Wolfkin entered the room. He looked different, a bit smaller than the rest. This one marched me outside the room out into the large arena of people. He paraded me around the room, letting all the scoundrels get a good look at me to decide if they wanted to risk their money on me. He then walked me down a set of stairs to a new room. Here I was chained to a table. There were all sorts of weapons on the table. Swords of various sizes, daggers, crossbows, a mace, spears, even a butcher knife. I looked down at one of the daggers in front of me. For some reason this one stuck out to me. Its blade didn’t look too dull, though it did have a chip on one side of it. It had a leather wrapped hilt, and a dark green stone embedded into the pommel. As I contemplated all the weapons in front of me I knew almost immediately I would choose the dagger with the green stone. I didn’t have any training with any of the other weapons, and I wanted something familiar. Something I could throw with the wind, if I got my magic back. I sat down on a chair they had provided, and waited while the twisted criminals all placed bets and chatted upstairs.Finally the small Wolfkin returned, stepping up next to the table.“Right then little one, time to go over the rules here. You are gonna fight whateva we bring out, and you’re gonna do your best not to get killed. If you attack any of us in the crowd, we execute you. If you attempt to keep any of the weapons after your match, we execute you. If you try and escape, we-“You execute me? I get it.” I said, rolling my eyes.“Right. You win five matches, we’ll let ya go free. Now time to choose your weapon. What are you going with?” asked the small Wolfkin. He looked like he might’ve been a cross breed between a wolf and a hyena maybe.“Give me that dagger right in front, green stone on its handle,” I said after a moment.“Alright then, man knows what he wants. Your funeral though. Well, really we’ll just dump your body in the woods, but you get the idea,” the Wolfkin said.He grabbed the dagger from the table, then led me over to another door, which he shoved me out of. I barely caught myself with my hands as I fell forward. A key fell down right in front of me, followed by a dagger that missed my right hand by a few inches. I quickly unlocked my shackles and grabbed my dagger. I got up and made for the door behind me. The Wolfkin had already shut and was locking the wooden door. I banged on it hard.“Hey, do I get one of those pouches with a potion or anything?” I asked loudly. “If you win your first match and win the boss enough money then yea” said a muffled voice through the door. By this point the crowd had started calling out insults to me and booing. I looked around and took in my surroundings. There were more bones down here than I thought. Nearly every step I took resulted in a crunch of dirt and bone. I walked towards the middle of the arena, checking the floor for anything useful. I did happen across a severed hand with a ring still attached curiously. I knelt down and removed the ring from the hand and pocketed it swiftly. I felt my pendant buzz softly.“Don’t worry, we are going to get out of this. I’m going to help you as much as I can, but you have to listen to me and do exactly as I say. Got it?” Said Votar.“Got it. Let’s hope that-”My sentence was cut off as the giant iron door started to lift, revealing my opponent. A large undead troll stepped out of the doorway. He was ducking down in the hallway to fit, and must’ve been 12 feet tall once he stepped into the arena. The voices in the arena started going wild. They all cheered and started shouting a name repeatedly.“DROOM, DROOM, DROOM,” went the chant, on and on. I swallowed, voice caught in my throat for a moment. I had a feeling not many people were betting on me now.“Any advice V?” I asked Votar.“Uh…Don’t die?” Offered Votar.I was in serious trouble.

Day 24 - The Wind Within

I looked across the arena at the large undead troll in front of me. I was supposed to fight this thing? It eyed me from across the arena and began to walk towards me. The club dragged in the dirt behind it. I looked up towards a group of Wolfkin watching me from the barrier above.
“Hey! What gives? This is my first fight, why can’t I fight something that’s weaker?” I shouted towards them. The only response I got was several boos from the audience. I looked around the arena, hoping to spot “The Boss” that the small Wolfkin had spoken of. There, high above the rest of the patrons he sat, with a clear view of the arena. A silver Wolfkin, watching me intently. They must know I have magic, otherwise they would’ve sent something much smaller and less powerful.
I tried to reach for the power within, and this time I was able to grasp it. The amount there was small, but at least I had access now. I circled the large creature as it attempted to get closer. With each large step it took I dodged to the side and tried to keep my distance. The booing continued and I struggled to keep going. I hadn’t had a meal in at least a day and I felt the lack of energy starting to take its toll. If I was fresh, and had a way to distract this thing, then maybe I would stand a chance.
“V, you got any suggestions?” I asked Votar as I ran around Droom. He swung the large club, and a loud explosion of dirt and debris shook the arena. I had to dive to avoid the swing and I hurriedly picked myself up. I ran to the opposite end of the arena in search of safety.
“We need to find the source of his power, or try to disable him. Remember the fight Jerick had? By cutting the tendons in the minotaur's legs he was able to buy enough time to cut off the head. We can take it one step further. Theoretically, if we can wedge the dagger into his spinal cord right at the base of his head, we can sever the connection from the brain,” he said.
“Theoretically?” I asked frantically, rolling to the side as Droom made a grab for me. I ran between his legs, slashing at his thigh as I ran by.
“Yes, theoretically. I’ve heard of people slaying trolls by doing that. The only problem, however, is that he is undead. Severing the spinal cord may not actually do anything,” he said, annoyed.
“Honestly, at this point, I’ll try anything. We need to win this or you may end up in that thing's stomach along with my head,” I said as I inspected the blade of the dagger for a moment. The blood on it was black.
I got ready as the troll approached. This time, I moved fast, charging straight for it. I pretended to go around it and slash at its side, but I pivoted at the last second and ran between his legs again. As I came out from under him, I turned and aimed my dagger at the base of his neck, a solid nine feet off the ground. I summoned as much power as I could and willed the dagger to ride a current of air as I threw it. The dagger soared up, but he twisted at the last second. The dagger embedded deep into his shoulder. I ran to the edge of the arena, unsure of what to do.
“Uhhhh V? Now I don't have a weapon. What do I do now?” I asked frantically, looking around for options. No response came.
I panicked as Droom roared at me. He bent down and grabbed a large rock in his hand. When I say large rock, I mean it was large to me. To him, it must've looked like a pebble. He threw it, and I reached for the power inside of me. I felt it there, along with something else. There was an instinct I didn't recognize, an idea. I concentrated as the rock hurtled closer. My eyes closed and I reached out with my mind, feeling the world around me. Everything slowed down to a crawl. The rock still hurtled toward me, but I was able to step out of the way. I grabbed it out of the air and willed the wind to grab it as well. Together we spun, doing a 360° rotation. I opened my eyes as I aimed the rock carefully, and released it. I sent another current of wind with it to enhance its speed. Everything around me sped up as the rock left my space. An explosion of stone, rubble, and black sludge erupted from Droom’s head and he dropped.
“Run. Get the blade. Stab it into the base of his skull. This is our chance,” Votar said. I ran as fast as I could and grabbed onto the hilt of the blade. The troll began to rise back up, and my feet left the ground as he did so. I yanked at the dagger and fell to the ground, but landed nimbly. I ran as quickly as I could back to a safe distance.
“Okay, that almost worked, we just weren't fast enough,” I said, trying to think of another solution.
“You can jump right? You jumped the gate at the bandits hideout. I think if you can get onto his back we can surprise him and get the dagger in place,” Votar said.
“Worth a shot, I suppose,” I said, running forward. I launched myself into the air and flipped. He swung at me with his club, but thankfully missed. I felt the air swish by as it cleared me by a few inches. I landed, my legs resting on his shoulders. I was now getting a piggyback ride from an undead troll.
I saw him begin to reach for me and acted as fast as I could. I plunged the dagger into the base of his skull, then flipped off the troll. He dropped to the floor in a heap, and his glowing eyes faded. The crowd was going wild, cheering and booing coming from various people as they argued over bets placed. I saw the silver Wolfkin nodding his head as he watched me. He lent down and whispered to the smaller Wolfkin that stood next to him. He handed something to him and the small Wolfkin sped off. I saw the stone inside the dagger flare up with a green energy.
“Grab the dagger, we need that magic inside the stone. Quickly before it explodes. The troll has more necrotic energy than the skystone can hold,” Votar said quickly inside my head. I ran up and grabbed the dagger, pulling on it with as much strength as I could. The dagger shook and pulsed with energy as it continued to flow into the now brightly glowing stone. I willed the wind to shove me back at the same time that it shoved the troll away from me. I exploded backwards, blade clutched in my hand as I flew back.
My skull met steel as I smacked into the solid metal door that the troll had emerged from. I felt blood trickle down the back of my head. Shouts erupted from the crowd, but I was distracted as something landed in front of me. A small leather pouch that looked triple knotted with a cord around it. I picked it up and looked up just in time to see a huge club spinning straight at me. I scrambled out of the way and would’ve been hit if I hadn't used my wind ability to shove myself out of the way. The steel door exploded inward, leaving a cloud of dust and debris. I looked back to see the troll was now bolting straight for me. I got up and made straight for the hallway. If I was going to escape, there was no better time.
I passed cell after cell, filled with undead. Various skeletons, zombies, even a few wraiths were chained up inside. The stench of death and decay filled my snout. As I passed the cells I felt my pendant vibrate.
“These abominations make me sick. We need to find whoever made these things and put an end to this. To them,” Votar said, his voice full of hatred.
“Let’s focus on getting out of here first,” I said, turning a corner and seeing another, even longer hallway filled with more cells. These ones contained larger creatures, though some of them seemed to be asleep or possibly not brought to life yet.
I ran as quickly as I could, my brain on autopilot. I had no idea where I was going, or what to do. I had none of my equipment, my magic bag was gone, and I had no idea where my friends were. I focused on my speed, willing the wind to carry me faster. I sped to an intersection, one pathway steeped downward, another had a stone ramp leading up. I stopped for a half second to consider my options.

Day 25 - The Vault of Count Vince

I decided up towards the surface was better. I bolted up the ramp towards what I hoped was the surface. My head pounded as I ran. I touched the back of my head, wincing as I pulled my hand back. It was covered in blood. I’d always heard that head wounds looked worse than they were. Hopefully that was the case here.
Finally, I reached a wood door that was reinforced with metal. I tried the handle but it was locked.
“Votar, any ideas here?” I asked quickly, watching behind me. I began to fiddle with the pouch I wore around my neck, undoing the knots. They seemed suspiciously loose. Jerick’s pouch had taken him nearly a minute to untie, but I did mine in a matter of seconds. I downed the crimson liquid, feeling it burn as it went down. I felt almost all the pain leave my head and felt more energized.
“I’ve got no idea. Anytime I’ve faced a locked door I needed to get into, we’ve either smashed it or picked it with tools or magic,” said Votar inside my head.
“You can use magic to open a door?” I scoffed. “Of course you can. That would be a really useful spell. You can’t teach it to me can you?” I asked hurriedly, beginning to hear sounds coming far in the distance. They were searching the cells of the undead.
“Well, I could try but we don't have enough time. If only we had some dynamite or a bomb,” Votar paused. I looked down at the dagger in my hand, and an idea formed.
“Remember the stick and the fire rune?” I said, beginning to hastily carve into the wood of the door next to where the lock was. “The Boot told me never to leave the channel open to my magic or it would overwhelm the rune and destroy the object it was carved into. Let’s just hope the explosion isn't too big,” I said, finishing off the rune and carving a channel all the way down towards the base of the door.
The sounds of metal scraping against metal were getting closer. I laid down and pressed my hand up against the small channel I had carved. I closed my eyes and focused on the magic I had stored inside. I directed a small flow up through my chest and out through my arm.
I opened my eyes to see a blue stream of energy stream up the channel and begin to fill the small rune I carved into the door. The wood around the lock suddenly blazed with flame that shot outward from the door. I had to pat out a small fire that had started on the tip of my hat, but saw that my plan had worked. The wooden area around the lock had turned to charcoal, and I easily knocked the entire lock out of the wood with the end of the dagger.
I pushed open the door to reveal a large room filled with crates and barrels. This seemed to be a warehouse of some kind. I saw a set of steps at the far side leading upward. I bolted for it but dove behind a set of barrels when I saw movement coming down the stairs.
“Hello? Fox - you there? I promise I don't mean you any harm - I’m unarmed. I’m here to help. I know you probably think I’m lying, but believe me, please. I want to help you,” I heard the voice say out loud. I peeked out above the barrel. I recognized the small Wolfkin who had tossed me the health potion. He had also shoved me out into the arena, and almost impaled my hand with my new dagger.
I swore and took a moment. There was no use trying to double back. I was caught here either way. Even if I could sneak past, or disable the little Wolfkin, I had no idea where anything was. I really wanted my bag back. All my stuff was in there. I stood up after a few seconds.
“Why should I believe you?” I asked, holding the dagger up defensively. The Wolfkin had his hands raised and turned to look at me.
“My name’s Umproutleon the Third, but everyone just calls me Ump. Your potion pouch - I loosened it before I threw it to you. Normally, we tighten the straps. From the moment I saw you arrive here, I knew that I had to help you escape. I was saved by some foxfolk a long time ago when my village burned down. They took me in, fed me when I was just a boy. Eventually, they were killed by these bandits and who ‘rescued’ me. I had no choice but to go with them,” Ump said, looking towards the door I had come through. He turned away and shot up the stairs on all fours, going back the way he had come.
“Come on, we don't have much time. I stole Kellar’s curse branding ring and replaced it with my own, so they won't be able to track you,” he said as he tossed me something. I caught it with the wind and used a stream of air to levitate it above my hand, not wanting to touch the horrible object. The black obsidian ring slowly rotated in the air, a faint outline of a skull with two X’s for the eyes carved into it. He went through the door, calling me to follow. I shook my head and directed the ring into the now empty pouch around my neck.
I followed Ump through countless hallways, rooms, and even through a few secret passageways. This place was a maze, and I knew after a few minutes that I never would have gotten out of here without his help. Finally, we came to a black steel door that looked heavily reinforced.
“Your bag is in here. I stole the key from Count Vince, the silver wolfkin you saw on the throne back in the arena. He sucks. I need to go grab my own bag from the barracks. I’ll be back in a few minutes. It shouldn't take you long to find the bag. I set it on top. Whatever you do, don’t take anything else, okay?” he asked quickly, handing me a large, black, iron key that shimmered slightly.
“Yeah, sure, got it.” I looked into his eyes, trying to sense any deception. He seemed honest enough. He gave me a nod and took off down the hall. He was fast as he scampered away on all fours.
I turned to the door and tried the key on the first lock. It worked and I went down to the next one. The key in my hand shifted and morphed into a different shape as I put it into the lock. I turned it and unlocked the next one, the key morphing into yet another shape. On the final lock, I turned the key and felt the door shift and crack open inward. The key crumbled into dark sand, which fell through my fingers. I shrugged and pushed the door open. Magic sure was weird sometimes.
A golden and bright white light shined on me as I took in the enormous fortune inside the room. There was a huge pile of gold, platinum, and silver coins piled up in here. There were three sections of the large pile, and it looked like they had been sorted and stacked neatly into small towers. Someone had spent a long time organizing and sorting here. There were also crates of other items stacked on shelves against the walls. Weapons, silks, fabrics and other stolen, expensive goods filled them. I whistled, looking around. I spotted my leather bag sitting on top of the large pile of platinum pieces.
“Oh okay, yeah, we are totally taking all of this.” I grabbed my bag and began to fill it, shoveling handfuls of gold into my bag. I felt my pendant buzz as Votar’s voice filled my head.
“Ump told us to only grab the bag, what are you doing?” he exclaimed.
“I mean, if you want me to leave all this money here, with, you know, these people who obviously have been creating undead monstrosities and profiting from it - that’s fine with me.” I pulled my bag’s strap over my head and turned towards the door.
“Good point. Try summoning the wind to pull the pile into your bag that way,” Votar offered.
I smiled and willed the winds to lift the gold, silver, and platinum coins into the air. A shining wave rose into the air and I willed it to stream into my bag. In a matter of moments, the enormous pile was gone. There wasn’t even a single coin left on the ground.
“That’s why you don't leave money just laying around, Count Vince. Have fun counting your fortune now,” I said, laughing at my stupid joke. I wanted to take a look at the weapons and other objects, but I knew there was no time. However, something caught my eye as I began to step out - a small belt filled with various potion bottles and vials of all sizes and colors. I scooped it up off the shelf near the door, and put it into the bag. I stepped out and closed the door swiftly behind me just as I saw Ump rounding the corner.
“All set?” he asked, catching his breath. He wore a new set of traveling clothes, a strange necklace, and a backpack.
“Yup, all good here,” I said, smiling and patting my bag. I couldn’t stop giggling as we ran down the hall.

Day 26 - The Road To Cintas

We sprang around the corner, bandits right on our heels.
“Quick, drink this and follow me,” said Ump, handing me something in a vial. It seemed to be a bluish liquid, with a shimmering substance inside that seemed to float on top. He took out a similar one and downed it. I watched his speed double and he shot further down the passageway. I followed suit, swallowing the thick liquid as fast as I could. It tasted slightly sweet with a burning minty aftertaste. Everything around me seemed to slow slightly, and I felt myself speed up. It was amazing. I even used my wind abilities to shoot myself further down the corridor, easily catching up to Ump. We out paced the bandits and shot up a staircase.
“Okay, it's just out these double doors and out through the courtyard. They're going to have the place locked down, so we’re going to have to dodge some people and probably a few arrows as well. With the potions of haste we should be able to avoid everything. Follow me up the staircase on the left side of the courtyard, and then we jump the wall. There’s a drop off that way, but we should survive the fall into the water down below. The men dare each other to jump it whenever they get bored. We’ve only had a few people die trying it,” He said, taking the steps 3 at a time on all fours.
“How many people have ever made the jump?” I asked quickly.
“About the same amount that died,” he said, bursting through the wooden door at the top of the staircase. We zoomed out into the courtyard and a moment later several arrows embedded themselves into the door we had just come out of. They had been waiting for us. There seemed to be around 40 men in the courtyard, half of them guarding the portcullis, the others spread out. Many had bows and were now trying their best to skewer us. We sped past many of them, dodging swings of their swords, jumping over kicks and sliding under the thrusts of spears. I used the wind to augment my speed, as well as jump over the men. We had almost made it to the staircase next to the wall when I saw an arrow headed straight for Ump. I shot a current of wind at it and it tumbled out of the air, falling to the ground.
At the top of the stairs awaited two men each wielding curved swords, they stood with them raised to strike. I summoned as much of my power as I could and shoved the wind forward with all my might. The wind shoved them off their feet and they shot backward, twenty feet into the air. They dropped like rocks. I checked my magical reserves and could feel that I was running out of power.
We flew over the wall, one after the other. We watched as the two men below screamed and plummeted. They landed far to the right, smashing to the coast. I could now see the water below was much too shallow. The tide must have gone out, and we had timed our escape poorly. This is why you always look before you leap I thought. Ump saw the rocks as well and began to scream.
I closed my eyes and imagined the wind grabbing us out of the air. Giant cloud hands formed in my mind, which grabbed us and slowed our fall. They directed us away from the rocks, where it was safer. We landed moments later in water that was barely deep enough to break our fall. My right foot hit the sand first and I felt a crack, pain shot up my leg. I screamed and immediately sucked in water as my butt hit the sand under the water next. I kicked up with my left foot and tried my best to tread water as I surfaced. I coughed up water and looked around for Ump. I saw he had belly flopped into the water and he was face down, unmoving. I grabbed him in my right hand and shot as much wind from my left as I could. I felt the last of my magical wells dry up as we hit the sand of the beach. I quickly pulled out the belt of potions I snagged earlier. I grabbed the first crimson one I could see, double checking it looked like a potion of healing. It had a slight swirl of gold inside the crimson, which was abnormal. I took a gamble, uncorked it and drained it into Ump’s mouth. Just as I did, I heard Votar’s voice enter my head.
“Wait! I think that might be a potion of-” Votar stopped as Ump gasped and shot a mouthful of water out. “Health augmentation” Votar finished.
“That's good though right? I said out loud. “It worked,” I said, slapping Ump on the back. He coughed up water, nodding.
“It worked alright. I can feel my ribs cracking back into place,” he said wincing. I sat on the beach and let him get his breath back. I put my hand into my bag and thought of a potion of healing for myself. One failed to appear and I swore.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” Votar said, and I felt a warmth seep out of the necklace, and flow down to my ankle. My twisted ankle snapped back into place and I felt the bones realign. It hurt like the hells for a second but immediately felt better after. “That potion of health augmentation was worth a fortune. Ump won’t just heal, he will feel his strength and constitution continue to rise over the next few days. You basically gave him an upgrade to his entire physical being.” Votar said.
“It's fine,” I whispered, turning away as I stood.
“What was that?” asked ump, turning to look at me. I ignored his question and looked away from the beach. There was a tree line not too far off.
“Come on, we should get out of here. They’ll probably be after us soon. Can you lead us to Cintas?” I asked Ump as he stood up and wiped sand off his pants.
“Yeah, no problem. I can get us there. I know what areas to avoid. The gang will be after us. They’re going to be very mad that we both got away.” he said, walking with me towards the woods.
I tried to summon a wind to dry us off, but all I could manage was a faint breeze.
“Damn it. I’m all tapped out for now. Let's hope we don’t see any more company before my magic can return” I said, looking around for any signs of danger.
“If we stick to the eastern road, we should hit an outpost soon. There’s one about 10 miles from here that the gang tends to stay away from.” said Ump.
“The gang? Why do you keep calling them that? I asked as we walked.
“The bandits who run The Bone Cage have a name- The Gold Tooth Gang. We all have one,” he said, smiling at me. His right canine glinted in the light of the setting sun.
“Ouch that's gotta hurt” I said.
“Yeah, They punched me to knock out the tooth. Kellar was the one to do it as well. That guy is a complete jerk. I’m glad I stole his curse ring. It’s got a lot of sentimental value to him,” he said, nodding towards the pouch I wore.
“Right so about that, how are we going to get rid of the curse mark I got from it. If we destroy the ring, does the mark fade?” I asked, curious.
“It might, but we really just need to see a cleric in Cintas and they should be able to remove it. Of course they won't do it for free and it's going to be expensive” said Ump.
It wasn't a question, but I answered like it was regardless.
“I’ve got some money, don't worry,” I said, smiling.
“Yeah, I was supposed to go through that bag of yours and empty all of its contents into the vault. I knew there was a chance we would be leaving soon though, so I just left it on top,” said Ump.
We soon came to a road and followed it east. Once we started on the road however, Ump stopped and turned to me.
“Okay, now that we’re going to be travelling towards Cintas together, you should probably know about my necklace,” said Ump, holding it in his hand protectively.
“Oh no worries, I’ve got a magic necklace too,” I said, holding up the pendant on its black leather cord.
“So, mine is enchanted to disguise my appearance. Wolfkin like me tend to be treated poorly due to our… reputation,” he said, tapping the metal necklace twice. His form changed instantly, and he grew about 6 inches taller. He took on the appearance of a half elven traveler. His clothes looked much the same.
“Ah I see, no worries. I totally understand” I said, nodding.
“Thanks, it's just easier this way,” he said, turning to continue walking. I could tell that the voice came from lower than it should’ve, emanating from the neck of the elven fellow. “So what does your necklace do?” he asked as he turned to look at me.
“Oh you know, standard enchantment stuff. A bit of healing, light when I need it, repels undead, and sometimes speaks to me when I need help…” I trailed off.
“Is it sentient?” he asked, looking down at the pendant.
“Uh, yeah. His name is… Can I tell him your name V?” I said, looking down, embarrassed a little for not asking if it was alright to reveal his existence.
“Let's stick with V for now. I’m not sure I trust this Wolfkin. You can reply in your head by the way. I’ll sense the thoughts directed toward me,” Votar said.
“Ah right well that’s useful. Sorry, I’ll ask you first next time,” I said inside my own head.
“Yeah he says V is fine for now. I actually got the necklace from my father so I trust him. He’s helped me a lot so far,” I said, looking up.
We continued chatting for a few hours and I told him of my travels. He was excited to hear of my adventures and what I had encountered. Eventually a watchtower came into view.
“Alright so that’s the outpost,” Ump said. “Whenever I’m in this form just call me Leon, got it?” he said, whispering as we approached.
“Got it, what's the outpost for exactly?” I asked.
“Basically it exists as a point for travelers to pass through with guaranteed safety. The guards will ask us a few questions about where we are headed, our business, and make sure we aren't up to anything suspicious. Their job is to keep bandits away from Cintas. Once we pass through, Cintas is about a day’s journey east.” said Ump.
I nodded in response. The outpost looked like a stone tower with a square stone building attached to it.
As we got 30 feet away, a man in a guards uniform came out, holding a torch to see. Sometimes I forgot normal people needed light to see. Ump and I naturally could see in the dark, so we were able to travel without torches at night. Much better for concealing your location. The guard’s uniform was blue and yellow in color, and there was some sort of emblem on it.
I prepared myself as he approached. We had just come from an illegal fighting arena. One of us was a bandit, and the other had just stolen thousands from a local Count. Surely there was no reason to worry… Right?

Day 27 - Arrival at Cintas

“Hello there,” said the guard, raising a hand as he approached. He got within a few feet of us, and inspected us under the light of the torch. “What’s your business this evening?” he asked.
“We’re headed to Cintas, looking for some work. We’ve come from Ember town…” Ump said, trailing off and looking down. I saw him tear up a bit which was strange.
“Ah right, we’ve had a few refugees come up from there. You’ll find most of your people in Cobblerow. The council set up some houses for the refugees there. I’m sorry for what happened, you’ll be safe in Cintas, not to worry” he said, nodding.
“Thank you,” Ump said, striding forward. As we passed the guard he grabbed my shoulder, stopping me.
“Hold on there little foxfolk,” he said. “Your name doesn't happen to be Gus is it?” he asked.
“Uh, yeah why?” I said, my eyes growing wide.
“Oh not to worry lad, I’ve got a letter here for you. Someone who stopped by not too long ago said to hold onto this and to give it to you if you passed by,” he said smiling at me. He pulled out a slightly bent envelope with a wax seal on it. There was a boot sigil marked in the wax. I accepted it and caught up to Ump. We continued on and I began to open the letter.
“What is it?” Ump said, looking over.
“I think it's from the group I was with before I was captured by your Gold Tooth Gang,” I said laughing. The letter was short but said the following:Gus, If my sight was correct then you should be passing by this outpost around sundown or a little after. I’m sorry we weren't able to save you. I also apologize for not sensing the Wolfkin coming in the first place. I should’ve known that they would be after us after the encounter in the Inn. We’re on our way to Cintas and hope to meet you there. I can explain more about what happened when you get there. Lute especially feels bad for leaving you to find your own way here. We will wait for you at the Dancing Dire wolf in Cintas. Bring your friend!
Boot
“Huh, odd, The Boot knows about you,” I said, looking at Ump.
“That’s… strange. You trust these people right?” Ump said, as we continued to walk in the dark.
“For the most part, yes. They helped fight against Kellar when we first encountered him,” I said. I wanted to change the topic away from Woflkin so I decided to ask Ump about my favorite topic.
“Hey, can you do any magic?” I asked Ump curiously.
“I’ve tried in the past and it hasn't ever worked for me. You know how they say that the magic you have inside of you is like a container? Different people have different sized containers, and you can grow it depending on how much you study and use magic. Well, I think I was born without a container. I know it's not totally uncommon to be born without any magical ability, but there are certainly times when I wish I had been,” said Ump.
“Ah I gotcha. I first found out about my magic when I fell off the roof… ever since then magic has saved my life more times than I can count,” I said. We continued to talk about magic, potions, and magic items for the rest of the evening. By the time the sun was starting to crest over the hills we finally had reached our destination.
“There it is!” I said excitedly. Cintas loomed in the distance, its large walls and giant towering buildings filled the skyline.
“Last one there is a rotten greeberry!” shouted Ump. He took off on all fours and I followed. I had finally regained enough magical energy to be able to summon the wind once more, so I boosted myself forward. I caught up to Ump and we ran together all the way to Cintas. We slowed as we approached the gates, and we saw them open for the day. This early in the morning and people were already spilling out, eager to start their day. Merchants wheeled wagons out, and people of all sorts were already spilling out onto the street. Ump and I easily entered the city and made our way past some guards who didn't look at us twice. I suppose that's what the outposts were for.
We asked around for directions to the Dancing Dire wolf and we were directed towards the west side of the city. Wonderful smells caught our noses as we weaved our way through the enchanting streets. Bakeries, herbal shops, butchers, and flower shops were all opening their doors. Finally we came to a large building that had been painted black, with a large fountain outside. There in the center of the fountain, a stone Dire wolf stood on its hindlegs, and it twirled about, frozen in time. Ump shook his head and rolled his eyes. Together we headed inside, eager for a meal.

Day 28 - The Temple of Sol

I headed inside the Dancing Dire Wolf, eager to see my friends. Ump followed behind me, and I could sense he was a little nervous. This early in the morning, the tavern wasn’t too packed. There were maybe 10 people in total, most seated at the bar, chatting and having breakfast. Ump and I sat ourselves in an unoccupied booth and talked quietly. A server came over quickly, moving quickly despite her short legs.
“Welcome to the Dancing Dire Wolf, my name is Bundtrice. What can I do for you two?” asked Bundtrice, an older gnomish woman.
“Hello, could we possibly get two orders of whatever you guys have for breakfast, some water and also if you have any rooms available we’d like two of those” I said, speaking up. It had been a long time since my last real meal, and I was eager to get some food in my belly.
“Sure things! We do have a few rooms available, and I’ll bring your breakfast right away. We’ve got some biscuits and gravy, along with a country style omelet if that sounds good,” said Bundtrice.
“Sounds delightful,” said Ump. As the server left, we chatted amongst ourselves for a bit. When the food arrived, we savored every bite. The biscuits were fresh and flaky. We slathered them in butter and gravy, enjoying every bite. The omelet was so big, I couldn’t see the plate underneath it! We devoured the food, and quickly paid for the rooms. I had no idea if 2 gold was expensive for a room in the city, but it seemed a fair price to me. Ump made no move to haggle so I assumed it was fair. Ump paid for himself, though I did offer to pay for his room. As Bundtrice handed over our keys, I worked up the courage to ask about the band.
“Hey, have you guys seen a band come in at all, they call themselves The Flute, The Lute, and The Boot?” I asked, looking around.
“Oh you just missed them! I believe they were heading out to check out the market as it just opened for the day!” Said Bundtrice. We thanked her, and I made sure to leave another 2 gold as a tip.
We headed out and found the market easily enough. We heard the band before we saw them. They were playing in the middle of the market, near a large stone statue of a large circular object. I pointed out the band to Ump and then the rounded statue next to them.
“Hey what is that statue supposed to be?” I asked curiously.
“No idea, I’ve never actually spent much time here. I’ve only done a few jobs here. We always were in a hurry to leave,” said Ump, his head on a swivel.
“That’s a statue of Sol,” Votar said inside my head.
“Oh wow, I didn't know he was… round?” I replied in my head. I told Ump and he nodded.
The band finished their tune and a few people clapped. Other people gave them some odd looks for playing music so loud this early in the morning. The Lute was the first to spot us, and he tapped The Boot on the shoulder and pointed in our direction. We wandered over and I raised my hand in a greeting.
“Hey guys,” I said, offering smiles to everyone.
“Good to see ya lad!” said The Boot. The others offered their greetings as well.
“You guys sounded good. So what's the plan while you’re in Cintas?” I asked.
“We’ve got a gig booked for the Dancing Dire Wolf for the next week or so, then we’re headed south towards Forthwind,” said Eerla.
“Forthwind?” I asked. “I’ve never heard of that place. Is that a city?”.
“It's actually the region south of us, south of Finthal,” replied Eerla.
“Ah I see, have you guys been there before?” I asked.
“No, but we heard it's starting to become quite the trading hub. Supposedly there are several sky cities there, and we’re eager to explore a new region,” said Eerla.
“Right, that sounds awesome! I hoped you might be wanting to come with me to Cetrusia, but I know you guys gotta go your own way,” I said smiling.
“Actually, The Lute told me just this morning he was looking to take a break from the band for a bit. If you’re willing to take him with ya that is,” said The Boot.
“Yeah, that's totally fine with me,” I said. “Oh by the way. This is Leon, he helped me escape and get here. Leon this is Eerla, The Lute, and The Boot,” I said, introducing them all to each other.
“Well, we should probably get moving to the temple before it gets too busy,” said Ump.
“Ah right the curse mark! Sorry I forgot lad, yes yes off you go!” said The Boot. We said our goodbyes to Eerla and The Boot, then we headed out. The Lute led us towards the Temple of Sol. The Lute had apparently spent a lot of time here in Cintas and knew its streets well. We soon approached a large building with columns made of pure white stone. It was beautiful. There was intricate scrollwork all over the pillars and walls that created the strange circular temple. Upon ascending the steps, we saw the temple had no roof. Several people stood inside, some chatting quietly. Some people were seated on stone benches and prayed. We were approached by a tall robed man, who looked almost skeletal.
“Hello, welcome to the temple of Sol. How may I help you?” asked the man. He spoke oddly, like he was almost yawning the whole time.
“Hi, I need help removing this curse brand,” I said, lifting my leg and showing it to the man.
“Certainly, come with me,” he said. We descended down a set of steps off to the side, and through a set of doors. He led us into an inner room that I can only describe as a sanctuary. There was another statue like the one in the market, only this one was much bigger. There were also orbs of glowing light throughout the space, floating and bouncing soundless off the walls. The man in the robe led us to a small altar off to the side of the sanctuary and indicated a chest there.
“We do request a small fee for spell work and scrolls here. The fee for a curse removal is 1000 gold pieces,” he said, smiling at us. He gave us the smile pitifully, as though he assumed we would not be able to pay.
“Of course, here you are,” I said, removing a small bag I had filled earlier that morning. The pouch contained 100 Platinum pieces. The robed man took the bag suspiciously. He opened it and audibly gasped.
“Forgive me,” he said bowing. “We are used to receiving our donations in silver and gold pieces, and usually our customers pay over time. Thank you for paying in full, and with quite fine pieces,” he said, bowing again. He turned to the chest, and put his hand up to it. A circular dial made of golden energy appeared. He deftly rotated it multiple times, swiping, and drawing runes in the air with his fingers. After a few moments the chest popped open and he placed the bag inside.
He then directed me to lay down on a bench. I did as he requested and I felt him place a hand over my leg where the curse brand was. He muttered a few words and I felt the curse brand burn for a few seconds, then the feeling faded.
“There we are, all finished,” said the robed man.
“Thank you so much! By the way, we never got your name?” I asked.
“My name is Brother Vern. Please come again, anytime. We would be honored to serve you once more. Sol guide you,” Brother Vern said.
“Sol guide you,” I heard Votar say in my head.
“Sol guide you,” I said, bowing. Ump and The Lute bowed as well, and we began to head out. “Well, where to next?” I asked. The Lute took out a notepad and began scribbling on it. He turned it to me and it read:
The Enchanted Doorway - Magic Shoppe
“Sounds good to me," I said, following The Lute’s lead. This city was enormous and from the steps of the temple, I could see much of it. I knew I could spend weeks exploring all that it had to offer, which was tempting. I knew I needed to make my way to Cetrusia sooner or later. A few days in Cintas couldn't hurt though right?

Day 29 - The Elusive Arcane Shop

We made our way through the winding streets of Cintas with The Lute guiding us. We passed many different types of shops and businesses. Each time we came to an alleyway, The Lute would go down and look around for a few seconds and then come back, shaking his head.
“What are you doing? Don’t you know where the shop is?” I asked. The Lute took out his notepad and wrote quickly: Always a different shop, always in a different place. Changes daily, but always sells magic items. Best shop.
I looked at Ump and he just shrugged at me. I trusted The Lute, so we continued on. Finally, after about an hour of searching through alleyways, we found one and The Lute started running. We quickly followed and we saw the magical doorway in front of us. I could see why he referred to it as “The Enchanted Doorway.” It was a doorway set into the stone and I could see the energy and magical essence surrounding the doorframe of the shop.
We followed The Lute through it, and both my jaw and Ump’s fell to the floor. Inside we could see a great open night sky, full of stars. There were multiple moons and planets, and every few seconds a shooting star would go by. It would zoom by so close I swear I could almost grab it. The room contained several glass cabinets and counters with various equipment and items, and a giant, frog-looking, humanoid man stood behind a large, wooden countertop. He nodded to us, and I could see his skin looked incredibly wet. He started drinking a liquid from a long, glass tube that he picked up from a hidden spot next to him. The tube looked close to four feet long.
The floor was stone, with what looked like gemstones embedded into it in intricate geometric patterns. As we walked, the light shifted across the floor, making it come alive. It was quite the experience. It smelled like a fresh summer night, full of clean air. We approached one glass counter and looked inside. It contained a large coiled rope, a dagger, and a large orb of some kind. The Lute shook his head, then moved on to the next countertop. I raised my hand and waved to the frogman, then pointed to the case in front of me.
“Uh, excuse me, can you tell me about this dagger here?” I asked politely. The frog hopped over in a single jump, and landed on the opposite side of the case.
“Ah yes, that will be the Dagger of Displacement. Upon striking your enemy, you will have the option of switching places with them. It works even if you throw the dagger. When you appear in their spot, the dagger will have returned to its sheath. Unless, of course, you are the one holding it - then it will remain in your hand. It will run you about 3,000 gold,” he said, smiling at us.
“Hmm, interesting. And this orb?” I asked.
“The Sphere of Glistening. It glistens in the sunlight, or glows in the dark. It will draw attention from everyone within fifty feet. They will feel compelled to look at it for a minute straight. Useful for distractions. That one is 1000 gold,” he said, nodding.
“I see, and what about the rope?” I asked.
“The rope of climbing. It will move and float according to your directions, though it's not very quick. You can use it to climb vertically, horizontally, and even down. Though, if you’re climbing down, you might as well use a regular rope. If you wanted to zip line down, this would be your rope. 2000 gold pieces,” said the frogman
“That’s very cool. These all seem pretty useful,” I said, looking around to see The Lute checking out another case. He shook his head and ran over to me. He scribbled on his notepad and showed it to me: No Lutes. I chuckled and returned my attention to the frogman.
“Say, what's your name, anyway?” I asked, looking down at the dagger again.
“I am Teserel, at your service.” He bowed, and I bowed in return and introduced my crew.
“Say, you wouldn't be in the market for buying any magical items, would you?” I asked. Teserel’s eyes got even wider than they were, which is pretty wide for a frog.
“I would love to take a look at anything you have, and I assure you I offer nothing but fair prices,” he said, licking his lips. I got out the bow and quiver I had found back in the tower. Teserel picked it up and examined it, his hands moving quickly across the bow and inspecting the runes. He held it in his sticky hands and closed his eyes. His hands glowed for a few seconds and there was a flash of green light. Then he set the bow down.
“This is a fine piece. Though ancient, its magic is strong. I’d be able to offer you 2,500 gold for it,” he said, unblinking.
“Hmm, that seems fair I suppose,” I said, nodding. “I’ll take it, though I think I’ll be taking that rope and sphere, so I owe you 500 gold,” I said, taking out fifty platinum pieces. As he counted out the pieces, I thought of an interesting question.
“I’ve got a question for you. If you answer it, I’ll buy that dagger from you as well. I picked up this magical bag of holding…second hand, let's say. Is there any way to figure out what else is in it, even if I wasn't the one to put the things inside?” I stacked another 300 platinum pieces on the counter in front of me. Teserel’s eyes got even wider as I did so.
“That’s easy, everyone knows you just turn the bag inside out,” said Teserel. He took out all three items from the case and placed them in front of me. I grabbed the sphere and rope off the table and put them in my bag.
“Thank you so much, Teserel, you have been very helpful! I hope we see you again!” I said, picking up the dagger. I was about to hand it over to Ump when Teserel suddenly grabbed my arm with his slick frog hand.
“If you wish to return, I can offer you this,” he said, using his other hand to grab something out of his pocket. He held out a small disk, with a gemstone embedded into it. “You can use this disk to find my shop again. I only give them out to select clients who meet certain…criteria. With the business you gave me today, you met those criteria, and I would love to have you return. If you are ever in need of buying or selling magical items, please think of me.” He bowed his head and released my arm. I frowned as I pulled my arm back. His grip was like iron, and my wrist hurt slightly.
“Right, we will keep you in mind, for sure,” I said, beginning to head out of the shop. As we exited, I passed the dagger to Ump.
“Thank you! How did you know I wanted it so bad?” Ump asked, unsheathing his new blade and inspecting it. Its blade was dark gray, almost black. The actual edge of the blade was filled with a purple energy that pulsed, almost like it was alive.
“Oh, come on, your eyes didn’t leave that dagger from the moment we entered the shop,” I said, laughing. “I’m glad we left that place when we did, or I fear my fortune would be spent by the time we left,” I said, looking back toward the doorway. Already, the doorway had faded and I looked down to the disk Teserel had given me. The gemstone pointed south and glowed brightly.
“So, where to next?” asked Ump, buckling on his new dagger and sheath.
“We need to find someone who knows how to access Cetrusia. If we could find someone who could get us in, that would be even better,” I said. The Lute was already scribbling away on his notepad, then he turned it to me: Lux’s Dawn. Inn, tavern, casino.
“Hope you boys are feeling lucky,” I said as we exited the alleyway.

Day 30 - Approaching Lux's Dawn

Before we headed to Lux’s Dawn, I decided it was probably a good idea to go check out my magic bag first. I needed to know how much money I had left, and I wanted to see what else my magic bag held. We headed back to the Dancing Dire Wolf after I explained what I wanted to do, and my companions agreed.
“So, you’re telling me you don't actually know how much money you have?” asked Ump.
“Uh, yeah that's right…I always just add it to my bag whenever I get more gold,” I said, shrugging.
We soon returned to the Dancing Dire Wolf and I entered my room alone. I was unsure if there was going to be anything dangerous inside the bag, so I told my friends to wait in the tavern, then come to my room in an hour or so.
“Hey, V, you think opening this bag will be loud?” I asked, looking down at the wooden planks of my room. The room was on the second story of the building, and they looked solid.
“It depends, do you think dumping thousands of gold coins onto a wood floor is loud?” asked Votar. I frowned and sat on my bed.
“Maybe this isn't a good idea after all,” I said, laying down.
“Do you want me to teach you a silencing spell?” asked Votar. I sat up immediately.
“You know a silencing spell?” I asked, amazed.
“I do, though I’m not sure if you’ll be able to cast it. Here, let me describe the rune to you and tell you the words. You might want to write them down.” He told me how to draw the rune and the words to say. I wrote them down and memorized them quickly. It wasn't a terribly long phrase, and if I did it correctly, the area of my choosing would become silent for an hour. If I needed any longer, I could recast the spell.
I reached inside for my magic, and I was suddenly overwhelmed. I could feel my magical ability had grown. I could feel my pool of magic was now much larger than it had been before.
When I asked Votar about it, he said that it was possible that the curse brand had a bigger impact than we first thought - because it was designed to absorb energy and weaken the target, my magic had compensated by growing rapidly, allowing me to summon the wind and my magic without issue. Now that the brand was removed, I was able to use the full range of my power.
I closed my eyes and focused on the room around me as I spoke the spell. I imagined the spell coating the floorboards, the walls, and a few inches beyond them all, just in case. I felt the spell complete, and a wave of power was drawn from me. I tried to say ‘wow’, but no sound came out. I smiled and I heard Votar speak in my head.
“Well done! You didn't even need the rune for the spell. Most people need to use it as a focus point when casting. That alone shows you have come far. Well done, Gus. I think you really are ready for the archives,” said Votar.
I smiled and grabbed my bag. I flipped open the top and turned it inside out. Immediately, a pile of things flowed out of the bag. Thousands of coins, wood, charcoal, a few skulls, and a number of other items that were immediately buried under the flood of coins. The pile filled the room and I was glad I had cast the silencing spell.
It took me most of the afternoon, but I was able to sort through everything in the pile. I used my wind magic to move everything around, rapidly sorting things. I put everything besides the gold back into the bag.
This is a list of everything I had inside now: Twenty dried logs for firewood, seventy-five pieces of charcoal, a total of nine different skulls of various creatures, three curved longswords, a suit of plate armor, a bag containing various gems and precious stones, four different coils of rope, some old, rotted meat, and finally, a cloak made of a matte black material. I also had all of the items I had put in myself.
The cloak immediately intrigued me and I put it on. The cloak morphed and shrunk to fit me. As I wore it, I noticed that it felt good to wear, almost like it had been made for me. I put up the hood and I felt myself melt into the shadows. It was still bright outside, but when I raised one of my hands I could see it had gone partially transparent. I put the cloak back inside the bag, and quickly started sorting the coins.
I looked up suddenly as I saw movement, and I saw Ump and The Lute standing in the doorway. They looked shocked to see so much money around me, and they stepped in quickly, shutting the door. Ump tried to say something, but no words came out. I motioned for The Lute to pass over his notebook, and I wrote out: Need help counting - please?
They laughed soundlessly and nodded. We each took a pile. I counted the gold coins, The Lute counted the platinum coins, and Ump sorted the silver coins. When we had all finished, I pulled what magic was left of the spell and sound returned to the space.
“Thanks, you guys, what numbers did you end on? I had 3,534 gold pieces,” I said, smiling. The Lute held up his notepad after a moment: 324 pieces.
“I had about 2,224 silver, give or take a piece,” said Ump, looking around. “Where did you get all of this anyway? You practically had a dragon's hoard if you add what you already spent,” said Ump, eyeing me.
“Yeah, uh, I might have liberated our friend The Count of his coins just before we fled The Bone Cage…” I said, looking down at my boots.
“You didn't…Gus, you realize he won’t stop hunting us now? This is just great…” Ump said, walking over and sitting on my bed. I walked over and willed the wind to carry me a piece of platinum.
“Maybe you’d feel better if you spent some money. Maybe it's time we go gambling with The Count’s money?” I said, holding out the platinum to Ump.
“Now you’re talking,” said Ump, taking the coin from me. I ended up giving both Ump and The Lute one hundred platinum each, and told them they were free to gamble it, or if they wanted to save it, they could.
We headed out of the inn after storing every bit of money we had counted. I donned my new matte black cloak, but kept the hood down. I felt light on my feet as we headed to the west side of the city. The sun was just starting to set and I could feel the night starting to come alive around us.
We passed the market, and noticed several flame dancers were performing in the courtyard where I had met the band earlier. We also passed a stand selling meat skewers, and I ended up purchasing several for each of us. We walked and ate our skewers, enjoying the city as we walked.
Finally, we came upon the casino. Lux’s Dawn was a large building that almost looked like a manor combined with a castle. It had countless windows and there were different colored lights floating everywhere. We could hear music and laughter coming from within. Delicious aromas filled our nostrils as we took in the amazing sight in front of us.
There were two statues placed on either side of the entrance. Votar told me they represented the Goddess Lux and her domain of wealth and prosperity. She took on two forms - one of a cloaked woman holding an orb of chance, the other of a fierce golden dragon protecting her hoard. The casino looked busy tonight, and without another thought, we headed inside. Regardless of if we found who I was looking for, this was going to be a night to remember.

Day 31 - May Lux Smile Upon You

As we stepped inside, we were immediately hit with the noise and atmosphere. Lights floated around the ceiling and a check-in desk awaited straight in front of us. There were signs everywhere, offering directions to food, drinks, rooms, card tables, dice games, and finally, another sign that intrigued me. The sign read Mage Hand Race Track and pointed towards the back of the casino. There, I could see a large crowd cheering. I nodded to my friends and we split up. I saw The Lute head over towards the card gaming tables, while Ump wandered over to grab a drink first.I made my way over to where the dice games were being held. Many of the tables were packed, but I saw one elven dealer at a table alone, waiting. I headed over and gave him a nod.“Hey, what game is this?” I asked, intrigued. The elven man was playing with three dice in his hand, shuffling them around and flipping them over one another.“This is Goblin’s Den. Minimum bet is five gold, maximum is one hundred gold. Would you like to hear the rules?” the elf asked. I nodded and he passed me three blue dice.“All you have to do is place a bet, roll these three six-sided dice, and whichever one of us has the higher number wins. Simple,” the elf smiled.“Alright, let’s give it a shot,” I said, placing five gold down on the table in the betting zone in front of me. We both shook our dice, then released them at the same time. I managed a three, four, and a six for a total of thirteen. The eleven man’s golden dice rolled a six, a five, and a one, for a total of twelve.“Looks like Lux is favoring you tonight. Care to play again?” said the elf, placing my winnings beside my bet. I took the five gold I had originally placed, and swept it into my bag. I left the winnings in the betting zone and nodded. We played a few rounds, and I chatted casually with the dealer. I ended up winning most rounds and was up by thirty gold.“So, you ever get anyone in from Cetrusia?” I tried to ask casually. The elf nodded and pointed over towards the race track.“We’ve got someone in tonight, actually. He’s been spending a lot of time and gold over at the race track. He used to race, but with his connections over at the archives, his mage hand is faster than anyone else. We had to restrict him to betting only. His name is Tirin. Human fellow. Be careful with him. He is a crafty one,” the elf said quietly. I nodded my thanks and passed him five gold as a tip, which he graciously accepted.I made my way over to the racetrack. A race had just finished and people were exchanging bets with each other. I looked up and down the track, a large circular table probably close to twenty feet long. There were currently two people at one end of the table. They waited in a zone that indicated them as the racers. One was a male dwarf, the other a female halfling standing on a chair. They both summoned spectral hands, one was green, the other pink.I watched in amazement as they both lifted different colored orbs. They lined up on a starting line and the dealer overseeing the race shot a spark out across the track. The mage hands sped off, each carrying the weighted orbs. I watched in amazement as the two sped along at nearly the same speed. The pink mage hand started to gain after the first lap, however, and by the third lap was in first by over a foot.The crowd erupted as the pink hand crossed the finish line first. The whole thing lasted maybe twenty seconds. I looked around at the crowd of people and tried to guess who might be Tirin. I spotted him pretty quickly. He wore a cap with a long leather overcoat, and I could see patches on either side of it. I shifted around to a better spot and noticed one patch bore the seal of Cetrusia. I made my way around and squeezed in beside him. He was celebrating the win and I tried to mimic his excitement.“Hey, that was great! You know that halfling by chance? I’d love to know where she learned to race like that!” I said, elbowing Tirin.“Oh, hello. Well, lucky for you, I taught her everything she knows. The name’s Tirin Blare,” he said smugly. I glanced down and could see he had already won a fair amount. All of the coins in front of him were platinum.“Wow, that is amazing. My name is Gus. This is my first time here, so seeing this and meeting you really is just a treat. I had no idea mage hand racing was even a thing until tonight. Where’d you learn to race?” I asked.“Mage hand racing is a popular pastime over at the archives. I study there. I’m spending all my time here trying to make as much money as possible before the semester begins again.” He was looking down at the dealer and signaling that he was done betting.“The archives! Wow! When do you head back? I’m hoping to make my way there myself actually,” I said.“Oh really? You know, I might be able to help you out with that. As a student there myself, I have a little bit of pull with the admittance council. Perhaps you’d like to tag along with me when I head back? I do leave tomorrow, though,” he said, beginning to walk away. I followed, making sure to stay right beside him. I tried my best to mimic his carefree but sophisticated tone.“That sounds great. Just tell me when and where to meet you, and I’ll be there,” I smiled.“Of course, it will cost you a bit. They don’t let just any old riff raff in there. Typically, it’s people like me who have family members that were part of the Arcanist Guild. If I take you, I’d be able to all but guarantee your entry for a small fee of…let’s say, 3,000 gold?” he responded. We had reached the bar and he waved at the bartender, signalling he wanted his usual drink.“How about I give you 1,000 now, 1,000 tomorrow when we leave, and 1,000 when we get there? I need some kind of assurance that you’ll get me there. A man can never be too careful with his money, as I’m sure you’ll agree,” I said, nodding to his stack of platinum coins on the bar. He looked at me and then took a swig of a sparkling, amber liquid.“You are a smart one, I’ll give you that. Maybe you really do belong among the dusty tomes with us. If you’ve got the coin, you’ve got a deal, mate,” he smiled. I reached into my bag of holding, taking out my last stack of one hundred platinum. I placed it on the table in front of me. Tirin slowly slid it over, counting quickly as he did so. He nodded and shook my hand firmly. I noticed his hands were slightly damp.“You can meet me out front tomorrow at dawn. I’ll be leaving right at first light, so you’ll want to be sure to get here early. I don’t like being kept waiting, so you know. I may decide to embark without you, should you fail to arrive,” he said as he finished his drink.“Very well, I will see you tomorrow,” I said, standing. “Good evening Tirin, and may Lux smile upon you tonight,” I said as I bowed. He bowed slightly and I retreated to find my friends.As we left Lux’s Dawn, I couldn’t stop smiling. I had secured my trip to Cetrusia, and for a mere 3,000 gold! The Lute ended the night with an additional fifty platinum after playing cards all night, and Ump had ended up losing 250 gold playing dice, as well as betting on the losing mage hand racer.As we walked through the city, my thoughts drifted to what lay hidden in the archives, waiting to be discovered. I was interrupted as Ump smacked my chest with his hand.“That doesn’t look good,” Ump said, pointing towards a column of smoke rising from somewhere in the city. As we got closer, we could tell that the smoke was coming from none other than the Dancing Dire Wolf. As soon as we saw the flames, we all broke into a run.

Day 32 - Skystone

We raced forward, stopping short as we approached The Dancing Dire Wolf. The entire building was on fire. I could see several patrons and workers outside, some moved to fetch buckets of water. I summoned my magic and focused on a small section of the building. I tried my best to mimic an icy wind, and I thought of those cold winter mornings where the wind bites, forcing its way into your blood.As I concentrated, I felt my wind bursts grow colder, and I was able to alter the temperature of the air I was moving. I blasted each section with wind, focusing on the flames. I managed to make them die down slightly, and I went section by section. I tried to save as much of the building as I could. With my new supply of magical power, I didn’t even feel drained by the time I finished. When I was done, the crowd around me clapped and many came up to thank me. I looked around, searching for my friends. They were nowhere to be found.Suddenly, I felt The Lute grab the edge of my cloak, dragging me away from the Inn. He led me to an alleyway, where I could see Eerla sitting on the ground, holding her side and drinking a potion of healing. I saw a brutal slash on her side that had been oozing blood. It healed rapidly, though it did not heal completely. She sighed and looked up as we approached.“Oh good, you guys are all safe. That’s nice. They took The Boot. Someone hit him with some sort of crossbow bolt and he went down quickly. I tried to defend him but they got me pretty good, dumped me in the alleyway here. I only found out about the blaze at The Dancing Dire Wolf when The Lute found me. He had to pour a healing potion down my throat just to wake me. Another few minutes and I would’ve been dead,” she said as she tried to catch her breath.“Who was it? Who took The Boot and where did they go?” I asked, looking around.“Wolfkin. They left a note on me, assuming that it would find its way to you, I guess. Here,” Eerla said, handing me a piece of folded parchment. The note read:Hello, little Fox,You stole from us, so it’s only fair we stole something from you. If you want to see your friend again, meet us on the road tomorrow, a mile past the outpost to the east. Bring every last silver you took, and we might consider giving your friend back to you. Take too long and we kill him instead. Let’s hope you didn’t spend too much of my fortune yet.-Count VinceI crumpled the letter in my hand. They were going to pay. I had thought we would be safe inside the city, surely they had no idea where we could be. I turned to Ump.“How did they find us? We were careful, we didn’t see anyone following us,” I said, pacing. Ump was silent. He was slumped against the wall, arms crossed, frowning. “Votar, do you have any idea how they could’ve found us?” I asked inside my head.“I have one theory. Remember that energy that we absorbed into the dagger from the undead troll? It’s possible that whoever put that energy into the troll has a way of tracking it. All they would have to do is follow it to the Inn. I’m sure they saw us chatting together and decided to strike once we left for the casino. I’m sorry Gus. I should’ve done something. The best thing we can do now is allow me to absorb the energy from the skystone and they won’t be able to track us any more,” said Votar inside my head.I got out the dagger I had taken from The Bone Cage and stared into the green stone embedded into its pommel. I wished I had never taken the thing. I took off my pendant and pressed it against the stone. I felt a vibration as the two Skystones met. The glowing green gem’s energy began to siphon off into my pendant, and I saw the color of the energy change from green to gold. My pendant glowed and pulsed, and I felt it vibrate from within. The necklace rose in my hand, slowly at first, then it shot into the night sky. Votar soared among the stars before shooting back down, circling around my head and coming to a rest. He now floated 2 feet away from my head, at eye level with me.“I have not had this much energy in a long, long time. Thank you, Gus. We will now be able to speak whenever you wish, without fear of using too much energy. I can move on my own now as well. I also should be able to bless your weapons. After I bless a weapon, your weapon can shed light, and its strikes will be empowered with radiant damage. This will allow me to increase the damage you deal without leaving your side. This will only last a day before I need to do it again. Observe,” Votar said. His voice sounded slightly louder in my head now, much less of a whisper and more like someone standing next to me.Votar flew down to the dagger in my hands and touched the two Skystones together once more. A bit of the golden light flew into the green stone, which now glowed with golden energy. I even saw the light etch itself into the edge of the blade, and it hummed as I swung it a few times. I sheathed the blade, and turned to Ump and Eerla.“We need to find a place to rest for the night. We should also probably stock up on some healing potions,” I said.“I know a place,” said Eerla, standing up. We followed her around the corner and down a few blocks before entering a smaller tavern and inn called The Snuggery. This place looked much nicer than The Dancing Dire Wolf, but it was much more expensive.For the night, we decided to split a room, ensuring we would be able to keep watch over one another. We split the cost but it was still ten gold each. We got a decent sized room with a large bed, as well as a couch and a cot to sleep on. I crashed on the cot, declaring I would take the first watch. Eerla collapsed onto the bed and snoring followed not much later. The Lute took the couch, reclining and drawing in his notepad for a bit before turning in for the night as well.My mind raced as I thought about what had happened today. My friend was kidnapped, I had learned to control the temperature of my wind blasts, Votar could now fly around and bless my weapon, and I had found a way to Cetrusia after all. I felt stupid for spending nearly all the money I had taken, and I knew that The Count wouldn’t give up The Boot without a fight, or at least a decent trade for him. I had a lot to think over tonight.

Day 33 - The Calm

I woke to The Lute shaking my arm. I wiped the drool off my mouth and sat up slowly. I could tell it was early, the sun hadn’t yet risen, but we had an early start today. If I wanted to get some potions before we headed out with Tirin, we had to try and get them now.“Hey, I’m up. Where’s Eerla?” I said, glancing around. The Lute scribbled on his pad and turned it towards me: Buying potions. I shrugged and sagged back onto the cot, letting my eyes close. I guess if she went to buy them that was fine. Hopefully she’s able to find someone open this early, or willing to sell them at this time at all. I rested my eyes until I heard the door slam open. A glass vial fell into my lap. I glanced down and noticed it was bigger than a typical potion of healing.“What is this?” I asked, looking up as Eerla came into the room.“Greater potion of healing. The old lady wouldn’t sell me anything except that one. She made me pay double too. You owe me 100 gold by the way,” Eerla said, setting down her bag and sitting on the couch. The lute looked from her to me. Ump snored loudly through this all, no one had woken him yet.“This potion cost 100 gold?” I asked.“No, that potion cost 200 gold. I’m paying for half,” she said, standing up. “C’mon, we need to get going if we’re going to meet that guy who promised to take you to Cetrusia,” said Eerla.“Right, let’s go,” I grumbled as I hopped out of bed. It didn’t take me too long to get ready, and before I knew it we were walking the early streets of Cintas. We didn’t see too many people out, just a few guards and the occasional drunk. We did have one beggar try to get some money out of us, but The Lute scared them off pretty quickly.Finally, we arrived in front of Lux’s Dawn. I saw a covered wagon sitting outside, and a man leant against it. As we approached I saw it was actually a carriage, and a pretty nice one too. The man leaning against it I recognized from the Brown leather overcoat and his signature cap. I raised my hand in greeting just as the first rays of light began to hit the horizon.“Cutting it a bit close there Gus. I thought I might have to leave you here and depart on my own. Who are these guys with you?” said Tirin.“This is Eerla, The Lute, and Ump. They’re my traveling companions, as well as friends. I hope it’s alright if they tag along. We think we may run into some trouble on the way, best to be prepared,” I said, nodding.“Right, good thing I hired the larger carriage. One of you will have to sit up front, hope that’s alright,” he said. Without a word Eerla climbed up and sat next to the driver. The driver looked back to Tirin, who gave him a nod. We all climbed inside the carriage, Ump and I sitting on one side, The Lute and Tirin sitting on the other. The carriage started forward and we stayed silent as we bumped our way through the city. My mind was moving fast, I had so many questions I wanted to ask Tirin, and I didn't know what to ask first. I started to ask a question, but Tirin raised his hand.“I believe you owe me something first?” he said, holding out his hand. I nodded and pulled out a large sack, containing 1000 gold pieces. I was out of platinum now. Tirin took it somewhat reluctantly, but slipped into a pouch at his side. The mouth of the pouch seemed to expand to allow the sack to enter into it, then returned to a normal size.“Wow! That’s handy! My bag can’t do that,” I said, looking at his pouch.“Yeah these are pretty standard over at the archives. Most people have them. Making one is an assignment that you’ll get during your first semester. If you’re good at making them, people will pay decent money. It does take some time and talent to make, however,” he said, showing off the intricate runes scratched in around the blue leather pouch.“So, how long have you studied at Cetrusia?” I asked.“About 4 years. I’ve got plans to graduate to full time Archivist in about 3 more I think. And most people just call it The Archives by the way. Cetrusia is what the city used to be called before it was sealed from outsiders. All that knowledge used to be available for everyone, but someone had to go and mess that up. Now only a select few are allowed to join each year. Sometimes none are accepted.” Tirin said.“Really? How do they determine who gets in?” I asked, suddenly nervous I would be turned away.“Well, there’s a sort of interview to see how valuable you would be to the Archives. You’ll see when we get there. What are you friends going to do once we get there anyway? They won’t be allowed in,” said Tirin. I looked at Ump.“We hadn’t really talked about it actually,” I said quietly.“Me and The Lute have it figured out. We’ll head back to Cintas and look for work. I hear there’s decent money in selling magic items, so we might try and hunt some of those down. Otherwise there are always adventuring guilds to join, plenty of jobs to do for them,” said Ump, looking at The Lute. The Lute nodded and continued drawing in his notepad. It went on like this for a few hours, I would ask a question and Tirin would answer it partially, but would always end up saying it’s better I find out on my own. I told him of our journey and how I developed my wind abilities. He looked stunned when I told him I was a wind caller. He said he had only read about them, and he wasn’t sure if anyone else at the Archives had the same ability. I asked him about my Uncle Pinchalo, but he said he’d never heard of anyone by that name.Finally, just as the sun reached its highest point in the sky, we started to slow down. We had just passed the outpost not too long ago and I knew the count’s crew would be showing up any minute. As we came to a stop Tirin looked around.“Why are we stopping? I better have a word with the driver,” he said, starting to get up.“Uh, actually, you might want to stay in the carriage for now. I think this is the trouble I told you about. We’ll be back,” I said, climbing out. Eerla had already climbed down from beside the driver, who was now talking to Tirin through one of the windows.There was a blockage in the road, maybe 200 feet away. It was constructed from a few wagons, and from here I could see there were almost 30 bandits waiting for us. There at the front, stood Count Vince, the silver furred Wolfkin. The three of us walked forward as one, to meet our fate. Whatever it may be.

Day 34 - The Storm

As we walked forward, I gripped my pendant in my hand.“You got my back V?” I asked inside my head.“Always, Gus. Always,” said Votar. I took the lead, and as we got closer, I saw the silver Wolfkin, Vince, stride forward with two others. I recognized one as Kellar, who bared his fangs as we approached one another. The other was a human bandit I hadn’t seen before. They stopped maybe ten feet from us, thirty feet away from the rest of the bandits and wagons. Count Vince was the first to speak.“Well, you came. That’s promising. I would think after spending a night at Lux’s Dawn you would’ve spent my fortune and have nothing left. Now, hand over that bag of yours and I’ll give you back your dwarf,” said Count Vince“I did come, but I’m afraid most of your fortune is spent. I have nothing to offer you, but I’m taking my friend with me. Now, why don’t we settle this like men, you and me. A duel to first blood. If I win, you free my friend and we all leave here peacefully. If you win, you still free my friend, but I will take his place. Then I’ll fight in your ugly arena all you want. How’s that sound?” I asked. I had thought this through during the carriage ride over, and I knew that there was a good chance he would accept.“Hmm. What of my dear Ump? He is staying with you, I assume? I do miss him dearly. I made the mistake of trusting him a little too much, I’m afraid. That won’t happen again. This time he’ll stay down in the depths guarding the undead. That’s where I should have left him,” said Count Vince. I could see Ump shaking out of anger nearby. He clicked his necklace and his form changed. I saw Eerla take a step back as he did so, but she remained by our side.“Ump is free to choose what he wants to do. He belongs to no one except himself. Now what do you say to the conditions I have laid out?” I said loudly.“I say…eat steel, Foxfolk,” he said, drawing two longswords from his back. I unsheathed my dagger and gathered the winds around me. Ump readied his own blade, along with Eerla, who broke her flute into the two pipe-like daggers. The Lute’s bow materialized from his lute, and he had an arrow nocked in no time.Everything moved so fast. The three enemies approached. The Lute managed to sink an arrow into the human bandit, but he continued on like it was nothing. Eerla charged forward to meet Kellar head on, Kellar wielding his massive spiked katana. Ump stood next to me and I willed the winds to whip around us. As Count Vince approached, I willed the wind to whip his cape up around his head, momentarily blinding him. I used the opportunity to put on my hood, and I felt my body go translucent. I wasn’t totally invisible, but I was definitely harder to see and hit. My skystone dagger buzzed in my right hand as I flanked around him. Ump surged forward, wielding his dagger of displacement.The count roared in anger as he finally got his cape untangled from his head and I slashed him in the thigh with my dagger, drawing blood. The wound glowed with a golden light, and began to leak blood. I had barely nicked him, but the energy from the blessed blade dug deep. I dodged away as he swung his twin longswords out towards me. I could see his eyes having trouble focusing on me, so I remained close to the ground, and willed the wind to carry me quickly. I slid around to his other side and jumped as high as I could with the wind overtop of him. The count tried to block my strike but missed, and my blade dug into his shoulder. He growled at me again, and I could see I was only making him more mad.While I was engaged with Count Vince, I could hear Eerla’s musical knives striking against Kellar’s enormous katana. Since their last matchup, I think she had been running that encounter through her head over and over, thinking of ways to counter him. She focused on the speed of her strikes, getting in numerous small and quick strikes on Kellar’s hands and arms. Because of the enormous sword, he was having trouble blocking every blow, and she was taking advantage of his slow movements.Kellar was getting increasingly mad, and he got reckless quickly. He tried to strike her hard, putting all his strength behind an attack. Eerla dodged it easily with her nimble elf speed. She was able to lock the blade and push it out of his hands, swinging the katana out of his grasp. Kellar tackled her and they went rolling down the rocky terrain.The Lute had taken up a position behind a rock and was shooting down other archers who were trying to stay back. His aim was far superior, and he was able to take out nearly all their archers in seconds. A few got smart and started launching volleys from behind the wagons they had positioned.Ump, meanwhile, had run forward and stabbed a few men with his blade, dodging their attacks and switching places as he did so with his dagger of displacement. As he got closer, Ump could see that there was a cage in the back of one of the wagons. The Boot was locked up inside.It looked like a solid, iron cage you would see used to lock up a large bear or wolf. Ump threw his knife straight at The Boot and it lodged right into his right shoulder blade. The Boot cried out in pain, but a moment later he switched places with Ump. Ump then threw the dagger again to the nearest bandit. As soon as the bandit was hit, Ump switched places and the bandit was now locked away inside the cage.Count Vince looked around and saw his numbers dwindling. He started to back away.“No…No, this wasn’t how this was supposed to go. You people are just travelers, not warriors,” said Count Vince. He tripped on a rock and fell backward, losing his grip on his sword. I walked forward and kicked it away as he tried to reach for it.“Your reign has come to an end, Count Vince. You’ve done unspeakable evils. The dead need to stay dead,” I prepared to throw my dagger. Votar hovered up off my chest slightly, and I could tell he was savoring this moment.“I’m not out of tricks yet, little fox,” the count snarled. He grabbed a small blade that had been strapped to his back and stabbed himself in the leg. A flash of green energy surged from the blade and Count Vince began to expand and grow into a monstrous form. He grew into a giant, silver wolf with green glowing eyes. He growled at me, crouching low into an attack position, then he pounced. I forced as much wind as I could towards him, blowing myself backwards at the same time. Dirt and debris was kicked up around us, blinding everyone in the area. I barely saw the wolf fly backward. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. I squinted through the dirt still spinning around us and couldn’t find his figure anywhere - he was gone.“Did…I do that?” I let the wind die down and looked around, still cautious but utterly confused. Tirin walked up behind me, chuckling to himself.“Man, these bandit types never learn. They never stood a chance against someone from The Archives. Luckily, I studied advanced transmutation last semester,” he said, walking up to where the giant wolf had been.He plucked something up off the ground and held it up for me to see. He held a large earthworm. It wiggled back and forth, like it was trying to escape his grasp. “As long as we don’t destroy this form, he will stay like this for an hour. Shall we find a nice cliff to drop him off?” asked Tirin.“Here, I have a better idea,” I said. I took the worm from Tirin and threw it into the air. I willed the wind to take it, far, far up into the sky. The earthworm disappeared from view as he soared upward.“Well, that certainly works. I don’t think we will be seeing him again anytime soon,” smiled Tirin. We looked around and saw Eerla and The Lute finishing off a few stragglers. Ump called to me and I saw him holding The Boot in his arms.“I tried to get him somewhere that wouldn’t hurt him too badly, but he must’ve been pretty weak. Do you still have that potion?” asked Ump.I pulled out the large vial and uncorked it. The life of my friend far outweighed any sum of gold I could ever have. I dumped it into The Boot’s mouth and after a few moments I watched the dagger wound in his shoulder seal up. The bruises on his face also started to vanish and color returned to his face. The Boot coughed and sat up slowly.“Thank you, I thought for sure I was done for,” The Boot said, looking at Ump and I. We helped him to his feet and we walked him to where Eerla and The Lute sat on one of the wagons. With one last threat out of the way, it was time to get going on the final stretch towards The Archives. I gave Eerla, The Boot, The Lute and Ump each a hug.“I think it’s best that me and Tirin continue alone here, guys. You’ll be safer heading back together. Besides, I think two mages can handle any number of bandits that are thrown our way,” I said chuckling. We said our goodbyes and watched them roll one of the liberated wagons back to Cintas.“Well, let’s get moving,” Tirin said, marching back to our wagon.The Archives await.

Day 35 - Archive Arrival

It took most of the day to reach The Archives, much of which I slept through. Tirin read a book he had brought and occasionally made notes in. I wanted to ask about it but didn’t want to pry. Finally just as the sun was setting we reached it.The Archives, or Cetrusia as it used to be called, was a massive set of structures and towers containing the largest collection of knowledge known. As we approached I saw the giant spires and towers set into the side of the mountain, and I knew that I was home. I couldn’t wait to travel the labyrinthine halls and spend hours pouring over books people hadn’t read in decades. I was so excited to learn.The carriage pulled us up to the gates and Tirin stepped out first. As I stepped out after, I handed him the final sack of gold he had been promised. He took it wordlessly and slipped into his small pouch. I stared up at the gates ahead, mouth open. This place was huge. Tirin stepped up to the gate and drew a small sigil on a small brass plate set into the large iron structure. The sigil pulsed once, and lit up a bright orange color. The enormous gates shifted slowly, opening. Tirin took a step back to allow me to enter first.“Welcome to The Archives, Gus”.The End (of part 1)