Me and Gisele were heading to the western gate of the city. The way people were living here was so much different than in capital. Somehow everything was much more… cheerful? People did have their own business here too, yes, but instead of running from one corner of the city to another, they took it all much easier. Merchant district in capital was crowded and noisy, seller of one good was trying to outshout the other. Here, they simply stood close to each another stall by stall, talking happily and joking, waiting for costumer to come closer and then started the very process of selling.

Kids were running pretending to be heroes or knights, women were standing by wells filling buckets… My first impression was that Agrah is small paradise on Earth… on whatever is this planet called.

“Nice place to live, huh?” “Oh, you would be surprised.” Gisele said with grief “This city is located between two climate zones, so either they get drought or few days of devastating rain and wind. There are times when no crops grow here and they struggle to survive yet another day.” “So why build cities in such places?” “Hm. Um. Sorry, I am not good in this stuff, Jericho would probably tell you more, or local guild master. thehe…” She said while putting one of her hands behind her head “I think it had to do something with protecting caravans further to south. They were having their night stop here, and slowly more people kept staying here, adding camp zones, then putting more merchant stalls… slowly more people kept staying, adding fence over village, then changing into wall… and bah! - a city…” “A-ha, I see, they probably started looking for other forms of income and this is how slavery and renting merchants start spreading.” “If you say so…” “Anyway, what quest did you take?” “AH! I forgot to tell you! Where I have my brain?!”

… I resisted urge to answer this question. If I wouldn’t, I am more than sure that she would reward me with few more punches.

“Sand dwellers have swarmed bit to the south-west, dangerously close to the city, they may start attacking people that would have left the town.” “… you are free to tell me something about them. Just in case you would feel like sharing your knowledge…” “Pig bugs. Creeps under sand. Hard shells on back, weak on belly…” “How do you fight them? Some more weaknesses? Pattern of moves? They fight alone or in groups?” “Zari… Those are bugs. You hit them as fast as you can putting as much strength as you can till they die… that’s it! Oh, they are bit venomous. Nothing serious, just hurts like hell.” “One day you will die because you wouldn’t prepare yourself for battle.” “I won’t because you would be there to save my ass, would you?” “Hmph!” “Zaa-aari? Would you?” “Dunno. Maybe.” “Heee? Crap. In that case I would have to ask Christopher to cover my back, I think he would be happy to…” “I would.” I mumbled “You said something?” “I said that I would be there!” “That’s sweet of you!” “Just to pay my debt. You helped me quite few times, despite not asking you for it. I would help you once or twice, and that’s it!” “Whatever you say! So, if I would pick some really stupid quest, almost suicidal, you would come with me?” “… that would be my first help, would it?” “Great! I will be sure to pick one as soon as we would get back home!”

… wait, you planed this all along! You really wanted me to agree to tag along on some really pointless, underpaid, extremely dangerous mission! Just so you could add it to your records and rank up faster! No, wait! What should shock me more is that…

“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! YOU PLANNED! A THING! YOU REALLY DID! YOU REALLY TOOK EFFORT TO THINK!” “OF COURSE I DID! And who is Jesus?! And what ya mean by thinking?! I think all the time!” “Thinking about dinner does not count!”

In that moment Gisele let out shocked scream of desperation and suffering. Everyone standing around us looked at dragoness as on madman

“WHAT YOU MEAN SAYIN’ THAT IT DOESN’T!? Than what about…” “Napping? No. And about vodka either.”

She fell on her knees

“My whole life… was… a lie?!” “Ok, get up. We have some killing to be done.” “Killing things won’t fix anything!” “Then what about cake afterwards?” “… I don’t like sweets…”

… say wot?!

“… You are disgusting.” “Hey! I just prefer meat, ok!?” “Not ok! Yes, meat is important, meat keeps us alive, but sweets! This is a reason we stay alive for! By rejecting sweets you reject the only thing that differ us from animals!....” You grabbed her face between my hands “…You are not even living! You are just… surviving! Existing! Without a reason! Without a purpose! Very well. I shall take this take of showing you the right path. I will make you some cake… Better appreciate it. Cooking for someone is one thing, BUT BAKING! Not even my most precious friends even ate a pie I made!” “… you can bake?”

… ok, I got lost in a moment. I used to bake with my sister in previous life, yet she was the one doing most of the job… and we did that twice a year, for holidays. That may be bit hard, bah! It may turn more toxic than my poisons!

“Ha! I am pro!”

… this will be a disaster. Well, 13 hours till hydra became a part of me, then I would got my eyes and will start studding some baking receipts. I mean, come on! I am a bloody alchemist! I am preparing cures and poisons! How hard making a cake can be?!

We left the city and begun marching toward mentioned feeding ground of carnivorous bugs, we were supposed to reach it in three-four hours by foot.

“Just to tell ya, those bastard are hunting by feeling the movement of the ground above them. When they would sense prey near their hideout, they would jump from it trying to pin you to the ground. And as movement of one in quite violent, three of four around it would react and jump from pits too…” “And then three or four around each of them would jump too, making some kind of sick wave?” “Yup! That’s why hunting them is easy! They are rushing at you without thinking! All you had to do is to spin sword around!... if you can spin it fast enough, that’s it…” “How many of them should we encounter?” “Usually 30-40, but as swarm was told to be big, maybe 50 or 60.”

… that’s quite the number.

“Isn’t that bit overwhelming? I know that we should be ok, but having few additional supporters could be useful, just in case…” “In the end it’s A+ party quest.” “Pardon me?!” “You were the one who told me to take very hard quest with huge reward! The city major is sponsoring it, as he didn’t want causalities in city guards…”

Aha. Great.

Same Time, Adventure guild of Agrah.

Certain fairy, in new guild decided to make new friends. And what’s the best way to make new friends among adventurers? Yes, indeed, she started drinking with them. And this very certain fairy after having one or two many beers that she was supposed to drink, unsteady on her feet approached yet another certain panther-girl

“Ey! A..Akra..h… wanna… play a trick… on Gis and Zari… ” she giggled

Adventurer turned her eyes that shined with mockery on drunk fairy

“I am all ears!” “Kay’… just lemme… put myself back together…” she lightly slapped herself twice “See, plan is that…”

Young noble that recently started his carrier as adventurer was yelling at healer

“Why does it take… ugh… so long?! It’s not what I paid you for! I want effects, and I want them now! Tsh! This disgusting peasants in inn section must have served me something not fresh or contaminated with diseases from their dirty hands!” “I am afraid the reason may be far more complex. Sir, I have to ask you… did you touch some cursed items?” “Ha? No! Where would I even found one!?” “Did you defile some grave or temple?” “Are you nuts?!” “Offend some magicians?” “Offend?! I am never offending anyone! All I could do, was to show the difference in position between me and some peasant, that’s all! What’s the point of those questions!?” “Sir, I am pretty much sure, that you were cursed. And it’s not just one curse, but few of them at once, that makes the whole process even more difficult. You see, user of curses are being called weavers for a reason. Curse is a series of words, wishes and powers, that form specific… let’s kind it, a rope. That very rope is a curse itself. Dealing with one is pretty easy, but curses usually grow stronger in time. As there were few curses casted upon you, those [ropes] started to tangle with each another, forming knots here and there. You are lucky that you have send for me so quickly. The curses are relatively weak and were casted not so long ago. If you waited couple of days… these curses could [mutate], generated other curses or/and became far more dangerous themselves.” “What?! Who would dare to…” “I have no idea, sir, now pardon me, I have to focus. Curse is a complex spell, but it makes it has weaknesses too. First, let’s find if there is specified target… Yess. There is. It’s you. Whoever casted it, he wanted to cast it on your very person.” “Does it really matter?!” “Yes, it does. If you would touch a cursed object, it wouldn’t have specified target, for the main purpose of this item is to cast a spell on EVERYONE it touch. So whatever it is, it is personal… Now, rules…” “Rules? Why the heck would spell have a rules?!” “Those are empowering measures. Making curse even more dangerous, but leaving possibility of taking it by playing according to rules. For example, if someone would want to use the curse as lesson. Let’s say that you would find a very evil man and want him to stop doing his deeds. You could cast a curse that would make him weaker each time he would steal, murder, rape… it means that the power level of spell wouldn’t change as long as he wouldn’t commit evil deeds, and more – by doing good the spell would be getting weaker and weaker until it would completely perish… no, there is only one [word] put here to be seen by everyone who would be checking your condition… it serve no other purpose but mockery…” “What is this word?” “…” “Just spit it already!” “Asshole, sir.” “W..WHAT!? Who would dare to offend son of Mortworh family!?” “I may have a clue, sir. The spell was designed to take an effect almost immediately. So the person or item that casted it must have been in your nearest vicinity as you felt sick.” “So, after I encountered this fair lady… that little white haired peasant! I will have his head on plate!” “Very well sir, but the plate will have to wait. For now, please don’t move. I will have to forcibly pull the spell out of you. It may not be a pleasant feeling…” “What do you mean by that?” “Sir, may I speak freely?” “Very well, speak.” “I am about to tear a spell that has rooted in your body. It may hurt like a bitch.

Back to main sotry-line

We were in half of the way to the hunting ground. I kept my echo of nature turned off to prevent wasting mana. It was a mistake. Swarm moved far closer to the city. When I put my feet on bit bigger dune, the earth mixed with sand bellow me rumbled and in the very next moment something jumped from the ground.

“Look out!”

Dragoness dashed in piercing creature stomach, pulling it back, reversing her blade and slashing near its head-area.

“Hammer, D’iabel!” “Order received.

[D'iabel] - [Hammer]Multifunctional tool Grade: [Legenday/Divine]Mana regeneration speed upStored coins: 8gold 04 silver 70 copperDamage type: [Smashing]Critial rate: 4%Damage: [12-183]

My ring turned into two handed. But that’s not the end!

Shifting in processAvatar chosen: Lord of BogBonuses will be added SkillScale armor [Passive] [Level 5]

Tail whip [Active] [Level 5]Strength+ 21Vitality+ 2Endurance+ 9Dexterity- 11Reflex- 7All nature based spells dramatically improved

Avatar I made in my spare time. I mostly focused on minotaur body frame, boosting it some more with iron boar, deer and lizard part Boar gave my whole body more fat, adding even more power to my blows, deer changed gave more powerful lower limbs- legs, changed my horned into same that leshy has, and once again, for reasons unknown to me, it boosted my nature magic and mana regeneration. Lizard covered my body in scales and gave me pretty tail.

Let’s see how good can I be in direct combat!

Gisele was piercing her third enemy, making no unnecessary moves she danced in sand as if it was solid ground. I cut bet that she looked both beautiful and frightening as her death waltz continued. Yet I wasn’t letting her have all fun by herself, was I?

With spin she dodged another attack, rotated her body and kneeled evading yet another monster and was about to stab it while performing lunge… But war hammer crashed her target in front of her nose

“Hey! It wasn’t nice! Find your own tar… Oh! Damn! Boy! You are sooo ugly!” “Gis, how about lil’ challenge? Wanna check who can squash more?”

I knew that her eyes started burning with passion. I didn’t need my eyes to know that.

“Ha! And you are going to fight in close combat? You, sir, are going to fail miserably!”

You are under effect of [Haste]RFX+ 30DEX+ 30INT- 10WIS- 10Status effectsEnraged [Possible]

Hot Blooded [Possible]Time Remaining00h29m55s

“I am not going to make it easy for you, sunshine” I smiled licking my lips in anticipation

You have challenged [Gisele Redwing]Enemies killed: Gisele Redwing0Zariel White Raven0Ready?Steady?GO!!!