DAY 56

The Krokro merchants set off at around noon, when their hangovers subsided enough. I left Abe and Shrya asleep at the cart and headed to the inn to check the board. Three rough and weary looking travelers were sitting around a table with a large map unfolded in the center. A young woman in robes, a middle aged man in chainmail armour and gambeson much fancier than my own, and another young man in supple hunting leathers. I couldn’t help but sneak a peek, I hadn’t yet seen a map for this region. Lots of thick forests to the north and east, hills and mountains in the center, some prairies to the south. Not too different from Huroa County.

“What’re you looking at?” The older man leaned back in his chair and looked over at me. He didn’t sound hostile, just maybe a bit of an asshole.

“Sorry. Haven’t seen a map of this place before. I’m Karl.”

“Clever for a Gob, aren’t you? I’m Jaskin. That’s Sando and Kim. We don’t see many lone goblins, what tribe are you from?”

“Don’t have one anymore. All but two of us died in the fighting north of here. Redleaf now.”

“You looking for work? We could use a tracker for a couple days. Pays 180 gold if we survive.”

“What the hell are you hunting to pay that much?”

“Warlock named Absalom Glennora. Got a bit too deep into demonology, killed Kim’s entire Covenant, ran west, and is hiding somewhere around here.” He tapped the map and traced a route from east to west, and then circled the hills we were in. "Lots of very angry, very rich, parents whose kids won’t be needing that inheritance any more.”

It was a very tempting offer. I did, somewhat desperately, need the coin, but this sounded like exactly the kind of thing that’d put us trapped in some moldering ruin with some summoned monstrosity. I hoped that there would be a solution to my problems soon, but I knew it was unlikely to get fixed the minute Ryan heard I was in here. I needed to have a backup plan, which meant money for travel and equipment.

“What’s your background?”

“Sixteen years with the Peregrine’s Pennant, taking bounties up and down the whole east coast, two of them in the Phaoriel Campaign. Sailed with Kim’s dad, which is why they sent me inland.”

“Good. Any special conditions?”

“Find the warlock, cut off his head, don’t die. We should be able to handle him ourselves once you track him down, but you might have to use that bow of yours.”

“Okay. Hmm. Are you a mage?” I turned my attention to the lady, who looked every bit the part of academic heiress. Her robes looked were of a very fine cut, without any of the minor stains or wear you’d accumulate spending time on the road or out camping.

“I am, but not a Demonologist! I am an Abjurer, which is the only reason I alone survived.”

“Can you restore lost limbs? Heal serious wounds?”

“I specialize in preventing serious wounds, my restoration skills are limited to minor wounds. Why do you ask, you appear intact?”

“Not me, but a friend lost a hand and foot recently. I’m trying to find someone who can heal him.”

“Ah. Well your reward money would go a long way to hiring someone who can.”

“It would. I’ll be your tracker.” I held my hand out to Jaskin and we shook to seal the deal. It popped up on my quest tracker.

“Excellent. We’re just going to resupply and then head out in a few hours. Let’s say meet back here for three.”

I went over to the job board just to double check, but didn’t see anything eye catching, just a few fetch and gather quests.

Back outside I went back to the cart, and shared the news. Abe was upset when I asked him to stay behind with the cart. His leg was still Maimed for the next few hours, and I had a feeling our group would be travelling light and fast. He was somewhat appeased by me leaving him a stack of coins, the puppy, and asking him to look around the market for supplies while we were gone. I fully expected he’d buy another giant chunk of meat with it.

I asked Shrya to come with me. She was becoming a vital part of my strategies, and we worked well together. If there was anyone who deserved being poisoned, it was a demon summoner.

I took the time to sort through my pack, double checking my supplies, Shrya brewed a few fresh batches of poison and we both put a few darts on our belts. I poisoned one of the steel arrowheads, and three of my regular ones. Each turned a subtle green colour, making it easy to locate them in my quiver. We also had enough supplies to brew two Lesser Potions of Strength and two Lesser Potions of Stamina. Shrya produced proper glass vials for them. Apparently found with the other components last time we were in town.

As it neared three we headed over to the inn, Shrya wearing her daytime cloak again. Jaskin and the group were waiting out front. Kim was sitting meditating, and even from several meters away I could feel the magnetic pull of her mana. She made my own 130 mana seem like a teacup compared to a whole keg. It did make me wonder how long it would take to get there, as my current rate of improvement didn’t seem likely to get me to the thousands any time soon. Maybe there was a perk that would double it, or just boring old hard work and dedication.

“Who’s this?” Jaskin idly tilted his head down to try to look under Shrya’s hood, without much luck since she was half his height. He had a heavy wooden shield banded with steel slung over his pack, a crossbow on the other side, and a sword on his belt.

“My partner, Shrya. She’s as capable as I am.”

“If your partner is expecting a share, it’s going to come out of yours.”

“Fine.” She hissed, and he took a cautious step back.

“Come closer, everyone.” Kim opened her eyes and held out a hand for us one at a time. When she touched our hand waves of magic washed over our bodies, rippling like scales and settling over our skin. A buff appeared, and since I was curious I checked to see if there was more information.

[Extended Lesser Warding of Scales: +75 Armour, +15% resistance to Crushing, Piercing, and Slashing damage. Duration: 07:59:00].

[Skill discovered: Abjuration!]

That was welcome indeed. It was almost an extra 30% armour. Just as exciting is that watching her do it discovered the Abjuration Magic skill line for me, but not the spell she had used. Though with a name like that I suspected there were a lot of modifiers or skill perks involved.

I took a peek at what I could see of her stats, and she shot me a scandalized glance and the screen vanished a bare instant after I started reading. She didn’t say anything though, but seemed surprised. I hadn’t considered that detecting or hiding it was a skill. Her eyes flickered down to the crude wand I had tucked in my belt, an eyebrow raising.

“Thanks.” Nobody else seemed to notice, so I wasn’t sure what to say. Jaskin got out an old shirt from a sack and handed it to me. Under the superficial scents it had picked up recently was the smell of its owner. It was still strong enough for me to be confident I’d recognize it again.

“I’ve got it. Haven’t encountered him yet I don’t think. Where did you want to start?”

“East of here. We lost his trail just off the road, he abandoned his horse there and did something to prevent magical tracking.”

We set out along the road. Jaskin took the lead with Sando, discussing something about some campaign they had both been on.

Kim slowly drifted back a bit towards me, talking quietly.

“You have rare talents. Have you studied the arcane arts?”

“I’ve picked up a few tricks, but nothing like your skills. That Warding of Scales spell is seriously impressive.”

“You recognized it? That is more than just a trick! Who are you? Did my father send you as well? Your disguise is flawless. Is that your familiar?” Shit. What had I been told? It took a master of a skill to identify, or being a god?

“I have no idea who your father is. Let’s just say it was a lucky guess. I’m not some mystic master in disguise. You’re free to check if you want.”

“Alright then.” It was an unusual sensation as she apparently inspected me. Subtle, less invasive than the presence of the Old Ones had been. More like someone standing in the door of my mind, only noticeable by the shadow they cast. “I do want to ask though, how long have you been training?”

“I’ve always had a gift, even as a child, but my studies did not start in earnest until four years ago.”

“Is that a normal amount of time for that kind of growth?”

“I...suppose so. Few can afford to dedicate themselves the same way though. I was hardly the strongest of my peers. Though perhaps now I might be second since they all died. Most of the others specialized in evocation magic. Throwing fire and calling down lightning is terribly impressive, but does little against a demon spawned in hellfire.”

“How did you survive, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Largely by chance. Part of my training has been to keep protective spells active at all times, that was barely enough to stay alive when Absalom opened the rift and the air burned. It was only enough time to shield myself and flee. The others tried to fight, thinking their elemental resistance would be a match for a demon. It might have protected them from its flames, but it too was resistant to their own spells, and stronger as well.“

“Are we likely to face a demon like that?”

“Perhaps. I am prepared this time, and Jaskin is the finest of my father’s colleagues. Sando seems quite capable as well.” The younger man was festooned with knives. Four on his belt, and then two bandoliers of throwing blades across his chest, also with a crossbow on his pack. He wore a half-cloak and from the way he moved I expected he’d be just as nimble as the bandit leader from the other night. “Better prepared than a dorm of sleeping students.”

I caught a faint whiff of the warlock’s scent a moment before Jaskin gave a short whistle and waved us to follow him off the road. It was a few days old, but this section was lightly travelled and it hadn’t rained lately.

“I have the trail!” I called, and then moved to the front of the group. Kim stayed back, near Shrya, though I couldn’t hear if they were talking.

“Can you tell how old?”

“Three, maybe four days. He was running. Scared. Fleeing. How close were you chasing him?”

“Not that close. Several hours most likely. We had almost lost the trail when we found his horse wandering in the grass here.”

“I don’t smell anybody else with him, but there’s something awful up here. I’ve never smelled a demon before but this might be one.”

I crouched down, inspecting the trail. There was a singed section of grass, and then a ring where the plants had withered and wasted. It didn’t smell like the corruption of the Old Ones, but something equally foul. He had summoned a demon here. Or someone had. The man had been running through here, and the demon’s paw prints followed him, overtop of a few of his so I knew it had come after him.

“Kim, do you think it’s likely he could have summoned a demon while running?”

“No. It takes an immense amount of concentration to open a rift.” She came up and looked at the tainted section of ground, waving a hand over it. “This was a very small rift, perhaps an imp or other small demon. Ordinarily weak, but skilled trackers and very capable of avoiding detection.”

“I think this warlock is being hunted by more than just us. He didn’t stop, and I don’t smell anyone else. No tracks either. Look, he crashed right through that bush. I think he was being chased.”

“Be on your guard. We’re just here for the one warlock, but we might have to fight another for him.” Jaskin unslung his shield. I got my bow and nocked one of my poisoned normal arrows, using a finger to hold it in place against the bow so I could keep it ready.

We proceeded with maximum caution into the dusk. When the sun had set Shrya removed her hood.

“A tame Shade?” Sando whispered in a moment of surprise that broke through his aloof distance. Shrya gave him a toothy grin and quiet hiss, and then dropped to all fours and faded into the shadows.

“Stay close, I don’t want you caught in the crossfire. Don’t take any chances.” I said, knowing she’d hear me.

Kim made some finger movements, tracing a pattern on her forehead, and then a shimmering light illuminated her eyes. Jaskin and Sando both pulled out amulets from under their shirts, strange designs with glass eyes that looked around. It looked like a Core of some kind formed the pupil of the eye.

I was close enough to inspect them. [Lesser Amulet of Sight: +50% to visual perception]

We continued on, and I was glad that the others hadn’t needed light. Shortly we arrived at some ruins, many stone pillars of increasing height supported a many-tiered balcony that had mostly rotted away, many alcoves and doorways for things to hide in. It looked vaguely like an outdoor theatre.

The stench of demon was so strong here even the humans could smell it. They would probably describe it as sulphur, but with my keen nose I could tell the difference. It was something otherworldly, with hints of burned ozone Shrya’s ears swivelled, tracking something moving in the ruins.

“Be ready.” I said quietly. Slowly, subtly, Kim started concentrating mana between her hands, forming a light blue sphere. I could barely feel it even a few steps away. That would be a useful trick to learn.