Beneath Suvron's Pass.
27th Mazem, 1092.
Kashi got to his feet as the last of ripples in the lake slowly died out. He stared at his palms, eyes solemn. He stayed that way a few moments, then drew a deep breath and clenched his fists. "Though I do not regret killing you, you have my respect," he said and turned away from the lake.
Kashi went around the room and picked up numerous loot Krakul had dropped. They were mostly rare drops like its skin, teeth, and poison, which could be used for crafting. It also dropped a cloak, which he found particularly interesting. It was a dark, Level 85 coat that increased poison resistance. With his current boost in poison resistances, adding the coat's stats made him all but invulnerable to poison.
Till that moment, Kashi had always been dressed in a sleeveless shirt and arm bracers, only changing the materials used to craft the next one. Wearing a coat wasn't really Kashi's style -it was more Razznik's- so he hesitated on whether to wear it or not. The stats were tempting, but he decided against it. Later he would try to modify the coat into something more his speed. He placed the jacket in his inventory then looked to his teammates at the very top.
Kashi grimaced.
Well now, Kashi had not thought this far ahead. Getting back to the top would be burdensome. He readied his arrow and aimed at the closest floor, but his aim was interrupted by streams of light that gushed from the earth and enveloping him. He set down his weapon and waited patiently as he was transported to his party at the top.
Kira and Hektor both regarded the daeben with blank stares. It was like their brains could not decide between respect, fear, amazement, or anger and just reverted to default settings.
Kashi fully understood. The entire plan was a ludicrous idea he had formed in the middle of the battle. There were too many factors he had to gamble on to succeed. Most importantly, he had to ensure Krakul did not catch on.
Every attack Kashi made, from destroying its brains to injuring the inside of its mouth, was to test the beast's vulnerability. Then there was the fact that if he had overused his mana, he would not have enough left for [Gilgamesh]. That was the primary reason he mostly dodged and refrained from using any mana attacks even if it put him at higher risk.
Above all, though, was the gamble of shooting from the right spot when inside the snake. The only reason he managed to get that particular timing right was that Razznik had once done the same against an Elder Dragon. Drawing from that experience, Kashi could surmise where Krakul's gullet ended, and his location in proximity to its heart.
It was a bold and daring plan in which even a moment's hesitation would have cost Kashi his life. But the daeben only truly felt alive in those hairy moments, and he enjoyed them like no other.
Suvron's warm smile helped calmed some of the adrenaline still coursing through the daeben's blood. "I am most impressed by your courage, but even more so by your kindness. Tell me, daeben, why did you give the snake a name?"
'Kashi took to a knee and bowed his head in solemn 'worship.' "Through my travels, I have come to learn a great deal of true beauty hidden even in the darkest reaches of the world. Alas, I believe there is no being without beauty, and I see it as my duty to reveal that beauty."
"Then why did you slay the creature?"
Kashi hesitated. He already knew the gods could detect lies. So he has to choose his answer carefully. "I will not lie. Perhaps a wiser man may have found a way to resolve this situation without bloodshed, but I am not wise. I can only destroy. It is all my hands know how to do. However, I have been given a chance to restore beauty to the world, and I will fulfill that duty even if I must first destroy to create anew."
"Do you know you say the same as the daebens decades ago. They, too, wished to reshape the world in their own image, but then only destruction followed."
Kashi let out a wry chuckle. "It is only so as I myself am a daeben. However, unlike my brethren, I have slept in a human cell for ten years, conferred with different races, and formed alliances with enemies. What they sought was domination; hence they forced all to bend to them and like broomsticks, broke all they bent. What I seek is unification, like a broom with all its sticks bound together by bonds of trust. To stand side by side as opposed to above each other. This is what I seek."
Suvron's gaze locked onto the man's searching his heart as she questioned, "And if you must harm innocents to achieve this dream of yours?"
Kashi raised his eyes to meet hers, cold determination in his stony gaze. "Then, so be it." Hektor backed away, taken aback by the daeben's words. He could tell from Kashi's tone that he meant every word. Kira watched her partner, many thoughts circulating behind her steely gaze.
Kashi continued. "I am not arrogant enough to say no innocents will be harmed either directly or indirectly by my actions, but I can promise that such a thing will never be done intentionally."
Suvron's lips fell into a sad smile. "You speak as my father once did. As with my father, I do not agree with your methods. Unfortunately, just as it was with my father, I am hard-pressed to deny your results. Rosendun, once known as the backwater state, only good for a few crops is flourishing and growing at an alarming rate. You even managed to not only slay but tame a beast the gods had abandoned. For these actions, I am not ashamed to say I will concede to your judgment in this matter."
"I am humbled by your benevolence," Kashi replied.
"Like I stated previously, I am no warrior and I detest bloodshed, so I cannot help you in matters of war, but instead, I will assist you in beautifying where you have wrought destruction."
Kashi raised a brow in question. "I will be most honored to receive aid."
Suvron knelt in front of the daeben, then cupped his head, bent over, and kissed his forehead. The wolf insignia on the daeben's forehead lit up and shone brightly. Tendrils of light sprung from the tattoo, like branches from a never-ending vine tree. They spread along his body, winding down his arms and legs. They pulsed at his fingertips then died out, leaving a faint outline on his skin.
Kashiwinced. His skin burned where the newly formed tattoo lay.
Kashi glanced at the prompts before waving them off. He bit down on his lips as the searing heat along his body slowly ebbed, and then inspected his arm. The branches took up most of his forearm, but something about them seemed familiar like he had seen them somewhere before.
"Branches of Yggdrasil, tree of life," Suvron informed him.
"Oh," Kashi whispered. He remembered the tree from both Riven's royal palace and Nekark's dungeon.
Suvron rose to her feet and took a step back. A book appeared in her right hand, which she offered the kneeling daeben. Kashi accepted the book with a nod.
"This will serve you well in Merriheim. You will soon find that art is more powerful than the sword in these lands," Suvron said. She closed her eyes in thought. "As is the way of our world, this building now belongs to you and your guild. Is there anything, in particular, you would like to use it as?"
Kashi thought hard and long before he made up his mind. He told her what he wanted, and she nodded.
Suvron spread her arms, and the trio was wrapped in a cocoon of light.
Terrible vibrations reverberated throughout the building, as the walls shook with the angry rumblings of a titan woken rudely from centuries of sleep. The platforms receded into the walls, leaving Kashi's party suspended in midair. Stone rose from beneath the lake and begun to stick to the walls. They spread from wall to wall, forming floors and demarcations.
As the building reshaped itself, it groaned as the entire structure began its ascent. Kashi could hear the earth give way above them. He listened until he could no longer hear the ground above him. At that moment, sections of the wall fell off, forming natural windows.
The cocoons opened, and they landed on the newly made floor. The floor was empty save for the windows and a spiral staircase that led to the roof.
Kashi climbed the stairs. He smiled inwards as he stepped onto the roof and was awash with the cool morning breeze. "Mmm. Finally, some fresh air."
He then took out a flag from his inventory and stabbed it into the floor. The howling wolf emblem fluttered gaily in the wind as it claimed its prize.
Kashi sheepishly grinned, unable to contain his joy. Despite Hopeful Maggots' guild's achievements, they had always remained firmly behind the royal family in terms of influence. That was because Rosens were so elated to have the king back that they listened to his word first off. Also, since Kashi refused to broadcast his involvement, only the soldiers and a few high ranking officers had known the truth of that night.
Since then, Leila had worked tirelessly to gain influence by making sure members of the guild completed missions around Rosendun and also renovating many of the destroyed garrisons and forts.
Now, with such a strategic location firmly belonging to the Hopeful Maggots, their influence had finally pushed close to the Royal family's, separated by a meager 3%.
"You seem pleased," Suvron called as she appeared before them.
Kashi nodded. "Yes, I am. Thank you for your assistance."
"I did not do much," she refuted. "This building was set to resurface after Krakul was defeated."
"Nevertheless, for the book of Divine Instruments, I offer my gratitude."
Suvron smiled warmly. "I appreciate your gratitude." Her body gradually turned transparent much to Kashi's surprise. "No need for concern. I merely require a few hours rest after having my vitality continually drained for millennia. Be careful in Merriheim: There will be many foes you cannot defeat with the sword. If you find the dwarves, seek out Zeing Ashqoj. He is vital to your destiny." With those words, she vanished into the red sky as the sun awoke from its slumber.
"Whoa!" Hektor yelled as he fell on his backside. He heaved a huge sigh of relief as he stared at Kashi in disbelief. "That was a god! You were chatting with a god like it was Sunday dinner!"
Kashi matched his stare with an incredulous one. "You already spoke to a god, didn't you. In fact, you were quite rude if I remember."
"Well, yeah, but I was wasn't thinking straight. Also, no matter how you look at it, Suvron looks way more like a god than that amazonian- Ow!" Hektor winced as Sram's mark flared up.
"Not sure you should be insulting the god of war when she has a mark on you," Kashi advised as he took out a Rink. The spherical balls were the standard for long-range communication.
Kira lay down beside him and closed her eyes to sleep as he connected to his second-in-command.
GuildMaster's Office,
Hopeful Maggots' Guild House,
Riven, Rosendun.
The rising sun sneaked into the cold, dark room, teasing the bookshelves with promises of the morning. The light spread across the floor, buried under heaps of scattered books and sheaves of paper. It spread to the walls where a painting of a magnificent archer hung proudly beside other smaller pictures. As if afraid, the sunlight inched slowly up a desk at the end of the room. Atop it, several piles of paper towered high, blocking the sun from the girl who slept in their midst.
An obstinate gust of wind brushed the papers aside. It's obstacles gone, the morning light lit up dark glossy hair, sprawled across the face of a beautiful young lady. Peaceful in sleep, her hair was uncharacteristically undone, hiding her face from the encroaching sun.
Brrr!
The stillness was interrupted by an incessant buzzing,
The girl woke from her slumber and then brushed her hair away from her face as she took out her Rink. Leila, shocked to see the call came from Kashi, snapped wide awake. She answered his call immediately, eager to hear from his side.
"Where the hell have you been?! I couldn't get in contact with you for days!" Leila scolded.
Kashi chuckled. "Sorry, we were in an area where we could not contact anyone."
"Tell me everything."
Kashi went on to relay the events of the week to her, starting from the moment they entered Suvron's pass. She listened to his story in stunned disbelief. The story was so incredible, she found herself laughing at some of his actions, only to be shocked into silence by others. By the end of his tale, she had her hands high in surrender.
"I knew you were crazy," Leila mumbled. "But this... this is beyond the realms of crazy." She paused to recollect her thoughts. "And I suppose you won't reveal this achievement either?"
"I don't want the attention."
"You don't want the..." Leila sighed in exasperation. "That's why you asked me to take over the guild while you were out exploring."
"Why? You don't like it?" he asked, concerned.
Leila shook her head. "On the contrary, I love it, It's hectic being a guildmaster, but I like being in charge."
"Do you have time to level? I know I left a lot of work for you to deal with."
"Don't worry. I still go on raids with Stryke and the guys to level up. There are still a lot of high-level dungeons in Rosendun."
"Ah, that's good. I felt guilty dumping all the work on you after begging you to join the guild in the first place."
"If I didn't enjoy it, I would have quit a long time ago. Anyway, since you called, I can finally give you the sit-rep."
"Thanks, but before that, how's Absalon doing?"
Leila rubbed her temple as she recalled another of her leader's crazy moments. "After you let him and his lieutenants into our guild following his loss, I promoted him to general and tasked him with claiming new territories for our guild." So she said, but the actual reason was she did not trust him at the time and wanted him as far away from the capital and Kerta where the guild headquarters was located.
"He must've done a splendid job. We were keeping pace with the royal family's influence until now."
"Yes. He surprised even me. I suspected he had above average tactical acumen and strength, but the speed at which he occupied the bandits' garrisons and forts showed his true strength. I think he may have won the battle at Riven even without our intervention."
"I thought so too. That's why I recruited him. You could also tell from his lieutenants he is loyal to those he trusts, and in return, they trust him."
"He returns at first light today. Anything, in particular, you want to relay to him?"
"No, not really."
"Okay, then. Here's our current situation as of this morning. Thanks to you, we're just behind the Royal Family's influence by 3%, but I suggest we take care not to surpass their influence. We also control most of the trade routes save for the sea route. Rosenduns Residents are mostly subsistence farmers, so we don't have a lot to export or trade with other countries. It doesn't help that most of the south is swampland. Fishes are the main commodity, but they spoiled when we tried to ship them to Serisis."
Kashi was silent as he thought up a solution. "What is the player density like?"
"It's becoming unbearable. More and more players are either migrating here or creating new characters to start afresh here. Most of the inns are booked, and most of the spare land for houses have been bought by different guilds. But still, more players are showing up every day. There is a fear of inflation as the demands will soon be far higher than the supply."
Kashi once again went silent. "Do you have a map with you?"
"Yes," she replied as she took out a map from her desk drawer and placed it atop the table.
"Help me check. I remember seeing solitary islands south of Rosendun in the Forever Sea."
Leila scanned the area he mentioned, and sure enough, they were there. "Found them. There are quite a number of them, some large enough to house a city or two."
"Good. Can you have Absalon take some ships to claim those islands."
"But why-" Leila paused as realization dawned on her. Once again, she was impressed by the shrewdness of the daeben. "Once he returns, I'll give him your orders."
"Thanks. One more thing. Has anyone successfully crafted a mage staff yet?"
Leila thought hard and long about it. "None that I can think of. Mages still either buy their staff or find them in dungeons. For now, nobody can craft one."
"I think it has something to do with the enchanted stones attached to the staffs. Could you find out more about those stones? They may be the key to a lot of opportunities."
"Sure. But why? Do you know somebody who needs a mage staff?"
"No. I'm less interested in the staffs than I am the stones themselves."
"I'll get some resident researchers on it immediately."
"Thanks again. Oh, sorry," Kashi said, laughing, "One last thing truly."
Leila playfully rolled her eyes. "What is it?"
"Could you commission some residents to construct the interior of this tower? And also build a chamber that leads to the tunnels below. I think it could be a fruitful mine."
"I already planned on doing that once you told me about the tower."
"If money's a problem-"
"Contact the royal family for help. I know."
"I'm lucky to have found you. Hopeful Maggots won't be the same without you."
"Sure, but I'm still going to find a way to change our guild name."
Kashi laughed at her sincerity. "Once you do, let me know." The pitter-patter of rainfall came through the line. "Sorry, got to go. It just started raining here."
"Alright, talk later."
Leila rested her head on the table as she replayed the last couple of minutes in her mind. Lots and lots of work to do. But first, she needed some more rest.
The sun agreed with her request. It receded behind dark clouds, casting the room in cold darkness. Raindrops played a soothing lullaby on her windows as she fell into a deserved deep sleep.