Misty rain fell as they made their way into Mossriver forest, a half day’s walk from the walls of Addens. The surrounding land was vast and flat, almost entirely fields or farms, quaint and silent in a way that made one want to settle down and live their life there. Still, there was nary a tree in sight beyond Mossriver forest, which was the closest forest to Addens and where the town received most of its lumber. Of late, however, the Guild had received word of disappearing workers and sightings of a large beast. A Myrmecoleon, Berns had told him.

The outskirts of the forest were a sorry sight due to the lumbering. Hundreds of short flat stumps resided where once had been woodland, with not so much as a squirrel in sight. And there were squirrels in this world; Alden had seen perhaps a dozen on the journey to Mossriver, as well as dogs and cats and birds, most familiar but some strange, such as one farmer’s dog that had blue and purple fur. So strange this new world was, and yet looking around at the somber stumps Alden was reminded that the people who lived in this world were indeed people, with all the good and ill people brought.

They tread through the woods at a comfortable pace, a light sweat making itself known on the back of Alden’s neck. The trees provided cool shade, almost cold with the rain. Like hiking, in a way, if hiking ended in fighting some mysterious monster known for killing men.

No, Alden thought, this was no hike. This was hunting, and every creaking tree or snapping twig set his nerves on edge. And, looking to his three companions, he was not alone. That only made him feel worse.

Their search was short; they found claw marks on the trees deeper in, less than a thirty minute walk from the forest perimeter. Numerous, the beast’s claws had torn through the bark and wood like it was nothing, as if the beast had intended to claw them down. And with the marks was a high putrid smell that emanated from near the trees. Urine, Berns said, used to mark the beast’s territory.

“Could there be more than one of these things?” Alden had asked when he could no longer mind the silence. Berns had only given him a cold look, face pale.

“I hope not,” he said. Alden had quieted at that.

The four of them were ill-equipped, even Alden could see that much. Berns was well armored, befitting a frontliner. John, the tall and dark haired one who used blades, was less so, with only leather armor protecting him. The last of their group, Thomas, was even more lightly armored, wearing only leather pauldrons overtop his robes, a simple knife at his side and a staff in his hands, though he had only used it as a walking stick so far.

Alden had been the least equipped of the bunch. He had no armor to speak of, not having the coin to afford it, and had only been able to purchase a simple iron sword. Functional, if the need arose, though he hoped it wouldn’t. Berns had helped sign him up with the guild, paying the customary fee on his behalf, and taught him the basics of using a sword, little as it was; a single sparring match had been all he could give, and then they had set out. Alden was here to heal, not fight, they told him.

He had exchanged small talk with each of them on the journey over but, curiosity getting the better of him, Alden had walked with Thomas and waited until Berns was out of earshot.

“What’s wrong with Berns?” Alden asked. “He seems… tense.” Though he had only met him twice, Berns had seemed a boisterous man, alternating between thoughtful and jovial. Now, however, he was reserved, almost panicked at times.

“Wasn’t a good mission to pick,” Thomas said.

“What do you mean?”

Thomas paused, judging the distance between Berns and themselves. Content with the distance, he said “Berns is in trouble, I think.”

“With who?”

“I don’t know. He’s never been one to talk about his personal life. I know he doesn’t seem it, but Berns is a listener. He’ll pull a whole life story out of you and you won’t even know where he’s from. He’s cautious. Normally that means we would never do anything like this, but he came to us a week ago saying we had to take this mission. I think he’s scared, if I’m honest. I am, too, for that matter.”

“I take it that’s why I’m here? In case things go bad.”

Thomas chuckled, flashing Alden a rueful grin. “You’re here if things go well. If they go bad there’s no healer alive or dead that could help us, not even Saint Lithika.”

A time later Berns stopped them at the top of a hill and, crouching, urged them forward. Below was a clearing filled with odd colors; reddish-brown, for the most part, with small sections of brown and green leaves and shiny specks here and there, glimmering in what little light broke through the forest canopy. It was not until the smell touched his nose that Alden understood the sight before him.

It was the beast’s lair, or else its feeding grounds. The ground was covered in dried blood, the smell of it strong enough to singe his nostrils. Looking closer Alden saw that the shiny specks were in fact steel and bronze, weapons and armor half-buried in the dirt, their former owners nowhere to be seen.

That was the strangest part of it all. There were no carcasses, no bones. Did the beast eat them in their entirety? It must have, and the thought sent a frightful shiver through him.

With it was a sickening feeling in his stomach, his breakfast threatening to come up. He forced it down and, wary, examined the clearing and the forest around them.

“It’s not here,” Berns said.

“What do we do?” Thomas asked.

“We wait and keep watch.”

It was another hour or two before the beast made itself known, letting loose low growls as it dragged its dinner back to its den. A huge beast, the Myrmecoleon was a monster unlike anything Alden had ever imagined. Though at first it looked no more than a lion with six legs, upon further inspection the beast was easily twice the size of any lion or tiger that ever lived on Earth, and in its jaws was the carcass of a brown furred bear that by itself would have looked like a monster to Alden. Even from a distance he could see blood stains on the creature’s bushy mane.

Slowly, the Myrmecoleon dragged its meal into its den then, satisfied with where it lay, reared up on its back two legs. Appearing like a beastial centaur, the Myrmecoleon used its front two paws to claw away at the bear’s fur, exposing the bloody meat inside. It ate carefully, tearing small chunks from the bear’s flesh, making certain no fur got into its mouth.

Skill Up

Learned Observation Rank F

Reward: 50xp

Suddenly a new screen appeared before him. He ignored it, his body trembling at the mere sight of the beast. Then, seeing its details out of the corner of his eye, he looked back to it and stared, dumbfounded.

Myrmecoleon

Age: 17

Health: 750/750

Mana: 20/20

Level: 68

Stats

Strength: 286

Intelligence: 9

Dexterity: 30

Agility: 80

Endurance: 200

Luck: 7

Alden looked over the beast’s stats, then again. His trembling doubled as he felt fear rise up in him. Glancing to Berns and the others, he saw that they as frightened. He would have run, then, if the fear hadn’t paralyzed him, too afraid to even breathe lest the beast take notice of him.

How were they supposed to fight that thing? Looking at his companions, Alden did not even feel confident that they could kill the bear that lay dead below them, not without some plan. But they had nothing. He cursed Berns silently, then pushed the anger from his mind. It would do nothing for them.

“Do we retreat?” he asked, voice low and eyes watching the beast for any movement. Neither Berns nor the others responded.

When it became clear that they would not, or could not, move, Alden stood. Careful, he made certain the motion produced as little sound as possible. Putting his hands together in the shape of a spade he focused his magic. It was based on intent and knowledge, according to Mina’s book. He could work with that, maybe, and if not he would run.

He poured magic into his hands, his forearms and fingers burning. He imagined a raging fireball and heat in the abstract, a byproduct of molecules and atoms moving about due to high energy.

Magic swelled into his hands in a bright red light and, willing it forward, the ball of energy shot out with blinding speed. It struck the Myrmecoleon in the side and burst, a torrent of hot air blasting past them as fire began to rage upon the beast’s fur.

Skill Up

Learned Elemental Magic Rank F

Reward: 50xp

Skill Up

Learned Magic Control Rank F

Reward: 50xp

Bellowing in pain, the beast rolled in the dirt, its claws digging into the soil and tossing it into the air, clumps of the loose bloody soil falling onto its body. It was putting out the flames, he realized.

“Quick! Kill it!”

They listened, and in an instant Berns and John had descended into the den, blades drawn. They stabbed and slashed at the beast cautiously, wary of its flailing claws, each strike only producing shallow wounds.

Beside Alden, Thomas sat still and silent, his staff raised high and energy gleaming from its tip.

“Move!” he yelled. He shoved the staff forward, producing a wave of violent wind that buffetted Alden to the ground. Down below, Berns and John dove out of the way as the blast struck the Myrmecoleon, blades of air slicing at its flesh.

Rolling, the beast stood and moved out of the way of the wind magic, bleeding, a single foot severed. The flames had been extinguished, its fur matted with dirt and blood. Wounds deep and small littered its body. It looked between each of them with rage, as if deciding who to kill first. It decided on Berns.

Slowly, the beast circled him, each step plodding heavily into the dirt. Shield raised and sword in hand, Berns looked every bit the majestic hero facing the vile beast. Then the beast lurched forward, claws slashing and tearing at his shield, carving through the wood with ease and leaving it in ruins. Berns tossed it aside and gripped his sword with both hands.

He wouldn’t live, Alden thought. The beast would kill Berns unless Alden did something, anything, but he was frozen in place by fear. Two spells and over a dozen hits with a sword and the thing had been barely slowed. He took a deep breath, putrid blood-scented air rushing into his nostrils, and moved.

Running down the slope, Alden yelled at the top of his lungs like a fool. The beast turned and roared, a monstrous sound that shook Alden to his core, but he kept running. He saw as Berns brandished his blade and, with a quick movement, stabbed it into the belly of the distracted beast. It roared in pain once more, a middle leg lashing out against Berns’s chest, and as he fell John lept on the monster’s back from the other side, jabbing his blades into the creature’s back.

The Myrmecoleon stumbled forward weakly, then all at once fell to the ground in a hard thump. By then Alden was standing in front of the monster, staring down at it. He watched as the beast’s breathing slowed, fountains of blood pouring from the wounds John had made. John must have struck its organs, Alden thought, its lungs or its heart or both.

Myrmecoleon

Age: 17

Health: 3/750

Mana: 20/20

Level: 68

It was still alive, if only just. Staring at the monstrous being, Alden felt a cold, fearful chill run through him. He cursed his weakness first, then his foolishness for having listened to Berns. He would have been dead if not for luck. Taking his sword, Alden pierced the beast once more, watching as its health dropped to zero.

Victory

Through a mixture of bravery, quick thinking, teamwork, and luck, you have achieved victory!

Reward: 1150xp, 5 bonus points to Intelligence, 10 bonus points to Charisma, 5 bonus points to Luck

Level Up

Reward: 5 Stat Points.

Level Up

Reward: 5 Stat Points.

Skill Up

Through newfound bravery you have learned to embolden your allies in battle and achieve victory, resulting in the creation of a new Special Ability.

Reward: The Special Ability Leadership has been created.

Leadership Lv 1

Those who follow you receive a bonus to their abilities equal to 5% of your Charisma stat. This ability can be upgraded once the requisites have been met.

Requisites for upgrade: Lead 10 people into battle.

Alden dismissed the screens and approached Berns. The Myrmecoleon’s claws had cut deeply, having torn through his iron chestplate and leather under armor. Alden removed them both, having to cut away the leather with a knife, and inspected the wounds.

It was even worse than he had imagined. The beast’s claws had torn clear through the man’s rib cage. There may have been organ damage as well, but Alden couldn’t tell.

He cast Diagnosis Magic, trying to discern the damage. As best he could tell the claws had gone no further than the rib cage, and so began to cast Healing Magic. The bones were healing, it seemed, but the process was slow, and by the time they had fully healed Alden had gone through the last of the dozen mana potions they had brought.

“You’ll live,” he said as he spent the last of his mana. He sat back, dizzy and exhausted. Berns grinned at him weakly, a faint glint in his eyes. Soon tears were streaming down his face unbidden.

“Aye, I’ll live,” Berns said. “Thank you.”

The other two siddled up beside them. John gave him a pat on the back, grinning from ear to ear. Thomas merely smiled.

Kneeling beside the beast, Thomas looked it over inquisitively then began to skin it, cleaving away the damaged fur.

For all his curiosity, Alden said nothing and instead closed his eyes, falling into deep sleep.

He woke to a gentle shove from a dirty boot and looked up to see Berns standing over him, looking aged and tired.

“Enough beauty sleep. Come look at this,” he said.

While Alden had rested they had dug around the Myrmecoleon’s den, upending the blood stained dirt to reveal the bits of armor and weapons that lay beneath. Simple items, most in poor condition, covered in scratch marks and filth in equal measure. One hole, however, was larger than the rest, and Thomas and John hovered over it, peering down inside.

At the bottom of the hole was curved wood that Alden couldn’t quite make out in the darkness. As his eyes adjusted he began to notice the metal that lined the wood, and the vaguely box-like shape of it. A chest.

With effort the four of them pulled the chest from the hole. Heavy, it took the four of them to remove it from its resting place, and Alden prayed that whatever was inside had been worth the effort.

Covered in sweat and blood and grime, they crowded around their mysterious treasure and opened it.

It was indeed worth the effort. Inside the chest were jewels and jewelry and rows of coins, most silver, the rest gold. Berns let out a disbelieving chuckle then fell backwards onto the ground with a dumbfounded look. Thomas turned away, hiding his expression, and John only stared.

“How much is this?” Alden asked. Thomas and John looked to Berns.

“You tell us,” John said to him. Berns had a strange look to him, as if he were making a difficult choice.

“I need half of it,” Berns said. “It’s not fair, I know, but I’m not asking. I’m taking half.”

“What do you think, Tom?” John asked.

“I think if he says he gets half, he gets half.” Both looked to Alden, waiting.

Alden shrugged, unsure of what to say. “I signed up expecting less,” he said.

They divvied the contents of the chest, separating out the coins first, then the jewels and jewelry. By the end of it Alden’s share sat at 10 gold, 60 silver, and 40 copper, along with a number of other items he could only guess the value of.

They set out the next morning, having made camp just outside the beast's den, far enough away that the stench of blood had lessened. The blood on their clothes had still smelled, even after cleaning them in a nearby river, but they bore through it by thinking of merry times back in Addens.

At breakfast they ate simple cheese and bread, the others adding dried meat to their meal. Furtively, Alden observed his Status.

Alden Lyons

Age: 24

Health: 240/240

Mana: 155/155

Level: 4

EXP: 600/800

Money: 10 gold, 60 silver, 45 copper

Rank: None

Titles

None

Stats (10 points remain)

Strength: 12

Intelligence: 25

Wisdom: 15

Dexterity: 13

Agility: 10

Endurance: 12

Luck: 20

Charisma: 21

Skills

Diagnosis Magic Rank F

Healing Magic Rank D

Observation Rank F

Elemental Magic Rank F

Magic Control Rank F

Aptitudes

None

Special Abilities

All-Maker

Leadership Lv 1

Amidst the chaos of the battle Alden had not paid much attention to his newfound skills. Of particular interest to him were Leadership and Magic Control. Leadership was a powerful ability even at the lowest level, assuming he could raise his Charisma suitably high. Moreover, it could be leveled up like his Skills, a delightful development. All-Maker was an incredible boon, more powerful and more flexible than he could ever have asked for. Yet its usage was limited to once per month and its other functionalities were locked behind vague restrictions. Leadership, by comparison, was explicit, and a passive ability no less. He merely needed followers.

Magic Control, on the other hand, was the most readily useful of the three.

Magic Control Rank F

The power to understand and control magic. The higher the rank the less mana is required to achieve the same effect.

At a higher level it could have been its own cheat ability. All of them could, under the right circumstances.

After breakfast they packed their camping gear and set out for Addens, the journey back slower due to their newfound wealth and the materials gathered from the Myrmecoleon. Still, they made good time by Alden’s estimation and arrived well before dusk, passing through the town's simple gates. Ahead and behind the street was choked with people, forcing them to walk shoulder-to-shoulder as they progressed to the guild.

Ahead there was a commotion as men and women murmured to one another, along with some shouting Alden couldn’t quite hear. He also heard the sound of horse hooves clopping against the stone road, as well as the creaking of a carriage. Berns put a hand up, commanding them to stop. They stepped aside and waited.

The crowd parted, revealing an immaculate horse drawn carriage. Blue and gold, the carriage sported the sigil of a flaming shield on its doors, as well as from flags that hung above on short poles. A beautiful thing, the carriage put all the rest Alden had seen so far to shame. Even its horse was a thing of beauty, its neat brown fur almost shining in the light, its mane combed to perfection and laced with golden ribbons. On either side of the carriage were men on horses in full plate armor, gleaming; knights, each of them armed and armored and more intimidating than even Berns had seemed the first time he met him.

“What’s going on?” Alden asked.

“Baroness Sylvana, by the looks of it,” Berns replied. “She owns this territory, even got her mansion at the other end of this stone road. And word of advice, Alden: don’t cross her, or any other noble. A single knight could kill all four of us.”

Alden stood silent, marveling at the knights as they passed. More, he marveled at the carriage’s occupant, hidden from view, and felt a stirring within him. I found it, he thought. My aspiration.