Task: Rescue my Daughter!

Requester: Blanc, Desperate Mother

Quest Rank: C-rank

Rewards: 96 Large Copper Coins

Descriptions: My daughter, Jibs, fell into the Great Maelstrom! I told her that just because she was an excellent swimmer, she shouldn't try her luck at the rivers near the Maelstrom! Yet she did it anyways!

She might still be alive, but diving into the Maelstrom to save her would be... I can't do it.

Please... Save her... Somehow...

* The guild reminds adventurers that the Maelstrom probably leads into the Water Elemental Plane, caution is advised when taking this.

** Jibs is a Merfolk. Grendel's POV

After Grendel accepted the quest along with the other adventurers, he parted ways with them and hurriedly returned to his camp to start packing up. This quest will be a long one, and he wanted to be as prepared as possible. Lethe's POV

Lethe wasn’t exactly sure why he had accepted this quest as he had always been a subpar swimmer. Nevertheless, there he was– in his sleeping bag, lazing about, right in front of the tavern. They had agreed to meet there the day before, so Lethe had just spent the night there to get in as much sleep as rabbitly possible. Nero's POV

The sun was about to rise as Nero made his way to the tavern. He had expected to be the first to arrive but was given a shock when he found Lethe at the meeting point, soundly asleep in his sleeping bag.

"This can't be. He must have been camping here since yesterday. Yeah, that must be it", Nero rationalized the unexpected event in his mind as he moved slowly and sat next to Lethe. Deciding that it would be fine to let Lethe sleep during the journey, he shook the rabbitkin awake. Grendel's POV

Arriving at the tavern in the next morning, Grendel spotted two of the three adventurers he decided to party up with yesterday, a large four-armed man and a small white rabbitkin.He greeted them as he approached, "Good morning! I see the two of you are an early riser as well!" Zinc's POV

Zinc showed up last as he observed his party. There were two warriors and one summoner. Not really a good lineup especially against water elementals but they had to make do. The night before, Zinc had quickly concocted a few drinkable medicines to combat any sinus problems that may arise from swimming or diving underwater. While underwater, the body will be constantly bashed with coldness. To help with that, Zinc concocted some medicine using 'warm herbs' such as peppermint, finely ground cockleburs, extract of magnolia flowers, and extract from wild celery roots.

As Zinc arrived at his party's meeting place, the doctor handed each of his party a small rotect jar of the liquid. "Make sure to take this half an hour before we enter the sea for maximum benefits." Grendel's POV

Receiving the small jar from the newly arrived adventurer, Grendel eyed the liquid for a moment before storing it in his pouch.

"Thanks for the potion. By the way, I don't think I've introduced myself properly yesterday. So, once again, I'm Grendel, a pleasure to meet you. I hope I can be of help to you in this quest." Lethe's POV

Lethe rubbed his eyes and yawned trying to wake up enough to function at, at least a basic level. Even though he was still rather out of it, Lethe successfully held onto the rotect jar Zinc had handed to him and simultaneously looked at this Grendel person with a doubtful look in his eyes. Seemed like he was one of those crazy "morning people."

"Mornin'," Lethe then managed to mumble out whilst struggling to keep his eyelids at least partially open. After a brief pause to gather enough energy to continue speaking, Lethe turned to Zinc and added: "Thanks." Nero's POV

Nero accepted the jar of liquid gratefully and turned to Grendel, "Nice to meet you too. I'm Nero, just in case you forgot my name." It was not often that Nero had the opportunity to interact with someone of a similar stature and felt a sense of comradery form towards Grendel.

Now that all of them had assembled, it made sense to get going. Nero led the way towards the southern end of the town. The plan was to board a boat from the nearest river tributary and traverse the waters to get to the Great Maelstrom. Grendel's POV

After paying the fee of 5 large copper each, the party boarded the ferry which headed for Nyllia. Two days later, they arrived in a small village near the maelstrom to look for the requester merfolk, Blanc. Lethe's POV

It didn’t take much to find her as she had been anxiously awaiting the adventurer’s arrival.

“Ah, um, excuse me! Are you, are you all the adventurers sent to help find my daughter, Jibs?”

Lethe gave a nod and the worried mother breathed a visible sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank goodness! I’m Blanc! I’ve been so worried and been feeling so awful about just sitting around. Here, follow me. I found you all a guide to help navigate your way through the Maelstrom. Hopefully it will help you all find my baby faster...” Nero's POV

Blanc asked the group to wait for a few minutes as she dived underwater and disappeared. After waiting for approximately five minutes, she resurfaced along with another merfolk.

"Rubin is really familiar with the waters leading up to the maelstrom", Blanc introduced the merman to the adventurers.

"Let me up", were Rubin's first words to the group as Nero dropped a life buoy overboard and pulled him up. The bearded mermans upper half was of a similar build as a regular human and and had a long, grey tail for a lower half. He reached into his knapsack and took out a detailed map of the river currents and spread it on the floor before launching into a monologue about the various currents that are in play due to the maelstrom. With that, he detailed certain areas to be careful during the journey and the ways to navigate around the currents. "There is a portal to an elemental plane if we follow this particular current. I think Jibs must have been dragged inside. For now, all you have to do is follow me. I'll go back once we reach the maelstrom", Rubin concluded as he jumped out of the boat and indicated the adventurers to follow his lead. Grendel's POV

After reassuring Blanc that they will try their best to save Jibs, the party started following Rubin with the boat provided by Blanc. It was not exactly a big or strong boat, but it should be enough to last the travel. As for the journey towards the maelstrom, it was not exactly easy either, as the four of them need to sail the boat themselves, something clearly none of them has any experience of. Nevertheless, the managed to reach the maelstrom in a few hours

"Wow!" Grendel voiced his amazement at the spectacular sight in front of him. As its name suggests, the great maelstrom is one giant whirlpool which spans the whole lake. On a glance, the water seemed to revolve gently, but the occasional floating branches and driftwoods proved otherwise. In the center of the maelstrom, the water converged into a giant vortex, creating a hole that goes darker the deeper it went.

While he was admiring the sight, Rubin surfaced next to the boat. "If Jibs fell to the maelstrom, I'd wager she's inside the vortex, dragged by the water current. If you wish to save her, you will need to follow her track there. I myself cannot go any further, so I bid you guys luck, and hopefully, you can save Jibs." Zinc's POV

"Everyone, take your potions." Zinc replied as he unscrewed the medicine he prepared earlier today and downed the minty liquid.

Immediately, his body began to feel warm. With a leap, Zinc dove into the cold waters. With the effects of the potion, Zinc felt like he was swimming in a hot spring. "Come on guys, let's go!" Nero's POV

Nero downed his share of the potion in a single gulp and dived into the waters as well. As soon as he went under the surface, he saw a massive current flow beneath him. He decided to dive into the flow which was a few meters below in order to follow the likely path taken by Jibs but as soon as he went in, he lost all ability to control his body. The force of the current was so incredibly strong that he was dragged by the flow without being given any chance to resist. Within moments, he was dragged several hundred feet away from the boat and thrust straight into a massive grayish portal which swallowed him easily. Grendel's POV

Following Zinc's advice, Grendel opened the rotect jar and drinks the medicine while glancing at the small rabbitkin beside him who is still dozing off, but then decides he should be okay before taking a deep breath and dived following Zinc and Nero. Upon entering the water, he spotted Nero being dragged by the current and vanished as he entered some sort of portal. Deciding that's the destination they're looking for, Grendel swam towards the portal and entered it too. Lethe's POV

Looking dubiously at the Maelstrom, Lethe gave a sigh: once again questioning why he had taken this quest when his swimming skills were what many would call subpar. He was snapped out of his half conscious contemplations by the sound of three successive splashes. Realizing he was going to left behind if he didn’t act quickly, Lethe threw back the potion and swiftly tried to mentally prepare himself for the semi-drowning he knew was to come. Knowing he had no more time to waste, Lethe stepped of the craft and shot straight down. Thankfully, due to his light weight, Lethe didn’t have to do much swimming and was quickly dragged into the depth of the Maelstrom by the current. Unfortunately, he wasn’t entirely prepared for the current’s immense strength and ended up swallowing a few mouthfuls of water in shock before making it through the portal. Nero's POV

The surrounding water turned red as Nero was ejected out of the portal with immense force. He turned around to take a look at his surroundings and was a bit relieved to see the other three had followed him into the other world. The current was still too strong for him to fight against and so, he just gave up on fighting against it. After being carried for a few hundred meters, the flow finally weakened enough that he was able to swim towards the surface which was illuminated by the sun.

The first thing he did upon surfacing was take a few deep breaths and spit out the water that had entered his mouth. As he waited for his companions to surface, he looked around the red water to get a grasp of his surroundings. Zinc's POV

Zinc resurfaced after what seemed forever in the swirling currents of the Maelstrom. As he looked about, he found that the surrounding water glowed a hue of crimson. This was clearly not the body of water he had originally jumped into. As the doctor rubbed his eyes hoping that all was just a side effect of his dizziness, he recalled seeing what seem to be a portal during one of the many revolutions he had undergone.Did he entered through it? Could this be another world? Another plane of existence? Lethe's POV

Tumbling out of the portal, Lethe barely managed to paddle his way to the shore before he collapsed in a heap choking out the water he had swallowed. When he had finally freed his lungs, Lethe just lied there staring blankly at the crimson tinted world he and his companions found themselves in. Lethe had been randomly teleported to much odder places, so he wasn’t too concerned about the whole thing.

As he lie there greedily inhaling the air, he realize it tasted very familiar– it was just like the taste of the portal that he and Nero had found that led to the Water Elemental Plane. Lethe had just turned to tell his companions of his conclusion on their current location when a not so friendly looking water elemental came shooting over. Not that it made Lethe feel any better, but its presence certainly confirmed his suspicions: they had somehow tumbled into the water elementals’ home turf... Grendel's POV

Just as Grendel landed on shore after being thrown to the red sea, he surveyed his surrounding while gasping for breath. It seems the four of them entered the portal underwater the maelstrom and reached this strange island. The reddish sea and sky, coupled with the humid yet cool air indicated that they are at least in a different place, if not in a different plane altogether. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he saw something in the corner of his vision: a water elemental rushing their way. Nero's POV

Nero noticed the water elemental and slowly lumbered back on his feet. He really didn't want to get into a fight as soon as they had arrived at an unknown location. He grabbed his sword and proceeded to walk towards the elemental. However another elemental suddenly showed up from behind him and the two of them started to fight. A third elemental appeared from the opposite side and gestured the adventurers to follow it. Not expecting such a reception, the adventurers looked at each other before wearily deciding to follow it.

The group walked along the shore of the island and eventually reached a seaside cave which was being guarded by a smaller elemental. Nero peered into the cave to find a little mermaid girl sleeping on a clear pool of blue water. Grendel's POV

While Grendel was initially highly wary of the elemental, it soon proved its trustworthiness as it led them to the cave where the small mermaid is. After Nero confirmed Jibs' presence inside, Grendel sighed in relief and asked his party, "So, considering there are also hostile elementals here, I think we should have some of us standing guard here. What do you guys think?" Zinc's POV

"I think it's a good idea. I'll provide support and attack from the rear." Zinc replied. "And if possible, I can check on the mermaid's condition and try to concoct something to wake her up." Nero's POV

"Yeah, the two of us can act as guards while Zinc treats the mermaid. We need to know if she is the one we are looking for", Nero agreed with Grendel and Zinc. The sound of combat was getting louder and louder and it looked like the fighting would reach them pretty soon. Lethe's POV

Lethe had initially followed Zinc over to look at the unconscious mermaid girl, but soon recognized one of the elementals in the cave. He was the one that he and Nero had encountered near Lakeside Village! Wandering up to the elemtal, Lethe asked: “Portal Pals?”

The elemental gave a nod in response, but was rather confused as to why the small fellow seemed rather familiar.

Noticing the elemetal’s confusion, Lethe realized that it only knew his past 3” tall female self. Whoops. The only thing that he could think to show his identity would be to summon Martin– if that was possible... Taking a look at his pillow to assess the situation, Lethe realized that– unbeknownst to him– it had leveled up. It seemed his previous battle experience in combination with the energies of the plane had worked in harmony to upgrade it (hallelujah). The best part about it was that Martin was back in action!

Wasting no time, Lethe called Martin up. Unable to forget the sentient orange blob that had once been pelted at it, the elemental immediately realized the tiny being’s identity and seemed to give a sigh. Zinc's POV

Before Zinc went to check on the mermaid, he decided to buff his allies. With a deep howl, the doctor used Boost Howl, increasing his party's strength and speed by 50%. After howling, Zinc rushed towards the unconscious mermaid and checked her pulse. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the young mermaid - no broken bones and only a few bruises. Zinc pressed some acupressure points on the mermaid's face, bringing her out of her coma.

The mermaid looked about with a confused expression. When she saw Zinc, she couldn't help but cower a bit in fear. Zinc held up her palms to indicate that he meant her no harm.

"Are you Jibs?"

"Y-Yes? Who are you? How do you know my name?" The mermaid nodded timidly.

"Your mother sent us to find you. Can you get up?" Zinc explained.

"Ehm." Jibs nodded as she rose up shakily. Nero's POV

While everyone else was busy inside the cave, the sound of fighting had stopped. After a few minutes of silence, a couple of aggressive elementals turned up and headed straight for the cave. Nero picked up his weapons but before he could act, the elemental right next to him went ahead and started to brawl with the others. Nero decided to help the guard and went after one of the enemies as well. With the second elemental left for Grendel to take care of, Nero used his new sword to distract the opponent as well as chip away at its health. While he did take a few blows in the process, the elemental was overwhelmed in a two on one battle and decided to retreat. Lethe's POV

Meanwhile, in order to get past the obvious communication barrier, Martin quickly brought out his trusty bell and gave it a ring. Not a moment later, the sound of tumbling rocks and someone cursing under their breath could faintly be heard from the back of the cave. This gave everyone, especially the elemtals who were sure the rest of the cave was empty, a shock. Everyone but Martin and Lethe looked warily in that direction and prepared themselves for battle. Against their expectations, a bedraggled looking translator soon stumbled into sight.

“Man, I am so taking that bell back, I swear. First the sticks, now here, jeez. I am so charging 5 times my usual rate for this one!”

After giving Martin an earful, Jebb turned, acting as if none of that had just happened, and asked the others with a smile: “How may I be of service today?” Grendel's POV

Being left to take care of one of the elementals, Grendel faced it off while keeping his distance. Deciding physical attack might not work well on an elemental, Grendel covered his poleaxe with lightning and closed in to deliver a series of attacks. His decision to use his lightning magic proved to be correct, as the elemental's movement is getting more sluggish with each blow that connects. After a few rounds, the elemental decided to retreat, following his brethren. Nero's POV

After the short fight, Nero made his way into the cave. And that's when found a ray of hope in this foreign land.

"Hey, Jebb! We need to find a portal back to our world. Do the elementals know of one?"

Jebb gave Nero a nod of acknowledgement and directed the question back to the elemental. After a few minutes of intense conversation between the two, the elemental seemed to slump down and started walking out of the cave.

"It knows of a portal, and it has agreed to lead us to it", Jebb announced to everyone.

Nero turned his attention to Zinc and the mermaid and asked, "Is she the one?"

"Hello, I'm Jibs", the mermaid replied with a small voice.

"Ok Jibs, I'm Nero and we need to move immediately. I'll carry you to the portal when we are out of water", Nero spoke urgently. When Jibs responded with a nod, Nero picked her up and spoke to his teammates, "Let's get going." Zinc's POV

Zinc handed the mermaid to Nero so that he could concoct another patch of cold-resistant medicine. After finishing the last touches, the doctor handed each of his party another small rotect jar of medicine each.

"Once we reach the portal, we need to take this medicine. The effects are like the previous potions. They'll protect you from the cold water." Zinc nodded as he passed the medicine around. "When we arrive on land, don't go anywhere. I need to apply some acupuncture to boost our immune systems in case one or more of us had contracted some sort of illness or bacteria." Lethe's POV

Somewhere in that brief period of time, Jebb seemed to have returned in the same manner he had appeared with none the wiser.

The party of adventures (with the addition of one small mermaid) exited the cave after properly receiving and storing the rotect jars. Waiting outside was the elemental who, after seeing that they were all there, signaled for them to keep close before swiftly turning and launching off towards the sounds of the battlefield. Nero's POV

Nero used his meager mana reserves to summon his familiar, Parcae, when they started to move. The tiny winged devil could fly high above the battlefield and scout ahead for danger. By giving regular reports to Nero, the group was able to avoid coming into contact with most of the elementals as they snuck their way around the battlefield. Even when they did come across trouble, the elementals were too busy fighting against each other to react to the suspicious group of aliens disappearing from view.

After a couple of hours of moving around in a tense environment, the group entered a forest and made their way towards an abandoned structure. The water elemental which had led them till now refused to move further and simply pointed to the building.

"I can see a grey portal on the roof", Parcae informed his master telepathically. Nero nodded in confirmation and told everyone of this information. With a way to return home being found, Nero felt that he owed his elemental friend a reward. As they decided to move their own separate ways, Nero handed one of his priced spears to their guide and waved him goodbye. Lethe's POV

Lethe quickly summoned Lesovy and had him use his vines to provide an easier way for them to get to the portal on the roof. After everyone had made it to the roof in one piece, they took drank the potion Zinc had provided and entered the portal.

After another nauseating trip through a portal, Lethe and the rest were spit out at the edge of the Maelstrom. They appeared to be in the same general area as where they had first entered the Maelsrtom so did not have a hard time finding their way back to the village. Without a boat at hand, however, the return trip took much longer than their first journey.

When they were within sight of the village, they saw a figure speeding in their direction. As the figure got closer and closer, it was clear that it was Blanc, the little mermaids worried mother. Unable to stand waiting for the adventures to fully reach the village to see her child, Blanc had headed in their direction at top speed. Grendel's POV

After having a heartfelt reunion with her daughter, Blanc offered an invitation to the party to stay the night in her house, but were turned down.

"Thank you for the invitation, but we wouldn't want to impose on you. I believe you should spend the time to be with your daughter, instead"

Hearing their refusal, Blanc can only nod while continuing to thank them. After getting their quest completion proof, the party made their way back to Nagrand.