The group reached the front of the mine, and Dorna looked back at Kryos and Leona as Merrik headed outside. She watched the spindly man pass, then glared hard at the two Adventurers. “There’ll probably be a lot of Quests posted to clear out monsters. You two did good in there at keeping us safe.” Her neutral expression hardened, and carried an undercurrent of harshness as she added, “Just watch who you are hitching your mine cart to. Suncrest is a small town, all things considered . . . half-dragons and” —she squinted at Leona— “Thieves don’t do well with a bad reputation.” She turned and walked off.
Kryos headed toward the mine entrance, making eye contact with Leona, and muttered, “Well, that’s a threat if I’ve ever heard one.”
She snickered, then shrugged. “Good thing we don’t plan on being here forever.”
Kryos cracked a smile at that. “Yeah, but like you said, don’t get involved.”
Leona went quiet and tapped his forearm, and Kryos looked forward to see Merrik standing at the top of the dirt ramp leading down to the rail system and pulleys that led to the refinery and Suncrest proper.
The man smiled, and in a smooth voice said, “You two look a bit battered. Heading into town?”
“To the hospital,” Kryos replied. “Free healing, right? Who wouldn’t go for that?” He made sure to let the sunlight hit his wound. “Tell me, this look bad?”
Merrik winced, and grimaced. “Yikes. Yeah, that thing got you good. Also, you bleed purple?”
“Yeah,” Kryos replied as he began walking down the dirt ramp. Leona was just a step behind him and to his side, and Merrik quickly got apace with the two.
“You both performed exceptionally well,” Merrik said. “I’ll make sure to commend your services in completing the Quest—well, once you touch the Quest Board and complete it—to the Highpeak Mining Company.” He flicked his eyes across to meet Kryos’. “You know, the company is always looking for contractors, if you’re interested in steady pay.”
Kryos kept walking, and Leona said, “Sorry, but we’re Adventurer’s first and foremost. We’ve got our own plans.”
“Ah, but think of it!” Merrik said as he got in front of the two and walked backwards down the ramp. “Suncrest has so much to offer, and it could use fearsome fighters like you two!” His gaze shifted to Kryos. “The company offers shares for employees as well. And, exclusive contracts that could take you away from a . . . rural place like this and to somewhere nicer.”
“Right now I’m interested in getting healed up,” Kryos said. “But we’ll think about it.” He made sure to look past the man at Leona and give her the subtlest of nods he could. She responded with a thumbs-up that was behind her back—visible to him but not Merrik.
The trio reached the bottom of the ramp, and Merrik dipped his head as he headed off toward the refinery, and another one that had been hidden from view, but was attached to the larger structure that billowed smoke. “If you’ll pardon me, I must take my leave and report back the results. Expect some Quest slips to show up for clearing out those monsters!” He then departed.
Kryos and Leona kept walking through town, and though he felt his treasure sense continue to go off, he kept it in check. The pulsating pain in his chest made the task a lot easier. People still whispered and muttered at his passing, but there was less overt reaction from the townspeople.
Leona walked a little closer to him, and in a low voice said, “I think you handled that well. We’re still straddling the line between miner’s union and mining company, without choosing a side. You’re following the plan just as I instructed.”
“Happy to meet your expectations,” Kryos replied. He let out a hiss of pain as his chest thumped with pain. “That thing got me good.”
“We may want to invest in some healing potions until we find a Mender to add to our little scheme.” Leona’s voice was laced with genuine concern.
The idea of spending more money almost disgusted Kryos, but, Leona had a point: without a dedicated Mender along with them, having a means of healing would be valuable. “How expensive are we talking?”
“Depends on how potent. Ten HP? We’re talking twenty silver.”
Kryos stopped in place at that. “Drakemount above, no,” he vehemently replied.
“Where?” Leona asked, turning in place in the street to face him.
“Where I grew up,” Kryos replied as he kept walking. “I’m not spending twenty silver on a ten HP potion. My father showed me how to brew thirty HP ones. We just need the right mushrooms.”
“Oh? And where do you propose we find these mushrooms?”
Kryos scratched his chin with a finger. “Dreamgill? I don’t know. But it needs to be in its early stages.”
“Never heard of it,” Leona replied.
“We can ask Marcella.”
The duo arrived at the hospital soon enough, and when Kryos entered, he was a little surprised to see other people in there, as every other time thus far it had been empty. Two townspeople were in there with minor injuries: one with a cut to the palm from what might have been a knife, and another with a nail driven through their forearm.
Marcella was tending to the nail-wound one, and glanced back as Kryos held the door for Leona, then entered behind her. “Ah, my favorite new patient, and miss Bitterbrine. I’ll be with you both—actually, Kryos, you’re strong. Mind washing your hands in that basin over there? You can probably work these pliers well. Another firm set of hands will help.”
The man she was working on, who was weakly holding pliers to keep the nail steady in his arm, began to protest. “Marcella, I can hold it just—”
“Shh-shh-shh!” Marcella replied, putting a finger to his mouth. “Let me do my job!”
Kryos headed over to the basin and washed his clawed hands with the bar of soap, making sure to scrub up to his forearms, then walked over. “Okay, what do you need me to do?”
“Just hold those . . . there . . .”
He held onto the pliers as she got the nail out of the man’s arm, much to his relief, then set to bandaging the wound, and sent him on his way. The woman with the knife wound departed after brief conversation with Marcella, during which Kryos took off his armor and Leona slipped out of her leathers.
“Okay, you two,” Marcella said as she came over. She froze as she saw Kryos. “Stars above, what did you get attacked by this time?”
“No clue,” Kryos replied. “But it had a sharp beak and some nasty talons.”
Marcella clicked her tongue and set to patching him up. She glanced at Leona. “Small lacerations, but the one along your side gives me worry. I have to see how deep it went. You’re so skinny that it might’ve nicked an organ.”
Leona frowned. “I’m not that skinny. And some of it is muscle.”
Marcella slapped Kryos’ bicep. “Not like this specimen here.”
“Thanks?” Kryos replied.
Marcella set to checking Leona over. “So, what were you doing this time? Not another Rift I hope.”
“No,” Leona replied. “Checking out Falkrether’s Demise for the union and company.”
Marcella clicked her tongue and her voice took on a condescending tone. “Reckless mine expansion. I swear, it's always the workers who bleed first when the folks who profit the most rush to make a coin.”
“Has this happened before?” Kryos asked. “A rush for a new vein?”
“Yes,” Marcella replied. “When the mine reached its second vein, there was a dangerous section of unstable rock. The miners refused to dig through the section the surveyors wanted to go through—opting instead to dig around. It would take extra weeks, but was far safer. The surveyors refused. There was a labor strike.” She shook her head. “When those happen, Shhiv’s Spear doesn’t send its usual food shipments to Suncrest as a means to break the strike.”
That sounds incredibly unfair, Kryos thought.
Leona hissed as Marcella applied something to her wound. “Well,” Leona said, “It looks like the company wants to open that part of the mine. Might be another strike on the way if the union doesn’t get the safety measures they want in place.”
Marcella grimaced at that. “Then I guess I should start stocking up on Bakerswood mold for when times get lean.” She looked over at Kryos. “Suncrest can hold out for a good six months before giving into demands if push comes to shove. Hopefully the mayor can mediate.”
The door to the hospital slammed open, and Trork came in with a heavily injured miner. “Go there,” the man said, pointing at an empty bed. The miner had a crushed shoulder, and was crying, snot running down his face as he whimpered in pain. Trork then looked at Kryos, and his face set into a grimace. “I heard you got involved with the surveyor,” he said, the last word with laced with vitriol.
Leona answered, saying, “We took a Quest at the mayor’s request.”
Trork glanced at Leona, then walked over to Kryos. “Look, I’ll keep this simple: the company extracts all the silver ore, refines it, then the mayor negotiates. Pricing and export is all controlled by the company. Suncrest gets scraps, comparatively. Most of the silver flows downriver to Shhiv’s Spear.”
Kryos rolled his shoulder a bit on his injured side. “Okay, and why are you telling me this?”
“I’m just telling you the facts. The miners get the silver, and the union makes sure we all stay safe and that the industry that Suncrest thrives on keeps us all in a good spot financially. If the company has its way, they’ll push for profit over lives, every time. Think of that when you take your Quests.” Trork walked over to his injured miner, and began talking to them in a calm, shushing tone, trying to keep them steady.
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Marcella cleared her throat. “You two are patched up as best I can get you. As usual, a good night’s rest will let my Skills work their magic to the utmost potential.”
Kryos nodded and began gathering his gear. “Oh, that reminds me. Do you know where someone could find dreamgill?”
Marcella shook her head. “Never heard of it.”
“Ah, alright.” Kryos finished gathering up his armor and put it back on. He looked at the gorget and sighed. “Going to have to stop by Bert’s and get this hammered back into shape.”
Leona nudged him. “Come on, let’s walk and talk.” Kryos followed her out of the building, and as they were walking to the smith’s shop, she said, “Both the union and company are going to put up Quests to clear out the mines and those caves. You can bet that they’ll be keeping track of which Adventurers take whose side.”
Kryos frowned. “You didn’t want us getting involved.”
“I don’t,” Leona replied. “But, if we want to take some of those Quests, then perhaps we take one of each side: keep a balance, as it were.”
“Smart,” Kryos replied.
“I am the brains of this operation,” she replied with a smile.
“The only issue I have,” Kryos quietly replied, “is that we have this mining company who values profit over lives, and then the union which values lives over profit.”
Leona looked at him with a sidelong glance. “And what do you value more?”
“People,” he replied without question. “But, that surveyor had a point—if people go slow and take their time, they can mine without too much safety equipment.”
Leona nodded curtly. “Well, you aren’t a completely incorrigible greedy bastard. That’s good. But, once the company sees a bit of profit, they’ll push for faster mining and more dangerous practices.”
You’re probably right, Kryos thought. I hope we can just stay clear of all of it.
“Now, a little repair, we can grab some food, and then head back to Irontrail to rest up and let Marcella’s magic work.”
Bert was willing to re-heat and hammer the metal at no charge. All he said was, “Just make sure you come to me for all your needs, and I’m more than happy to do spot repairs like that.”
“Question,” Kryos said. “I’ve got an idea for a future project—long term type of thing. An armored wagon, made of metal. Like a mobile vault. Is that something that you all could make?”
Bert chuckled. “Weird request, but sure. It wouldn’t be a single solid piece like a smaller vault: it would have to be several pieces with rods holding it together, but we could melt some metal to hold those rods in place. It’ll weigh a lot, though.”
Kryos nodded. “What about just the base of a wagon? Like the bottom platform? Making it into a hollowed-out vault that was still stable enough to support a structure on top? Maybe with risers on the sides to hold wooden slats for the top part for people to sleep inside?”
“That’s a lot easier.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep in touch about that project,” Kryos said as he turned away.
Leona gave him an approving nod. “Querying a contact about our future plans to get his mind working on designs. Not a bad idea.”
“I have those sometimes,” Kryos replied.
Leona punched his thigh, which wasn’t armored since he was carrying all of it in a bundle. “Just make sure you don’t outshine my intellect.”
“Perish the thought. Now, you said food. Are you paying for it?”
“I suppose I could make it my treat, since you did such a good job dealing with those flying monsters.”
The two arrived back at the Guild Hall and the first thing that Kryos noticed upon entering was that the Quest Board was filled with Quests. There were dozens—from both the mining union and the mining company—asking for escorts, monster-clearing of the mines, and expeditions to try and clear out the caves. Adventurers were chatting amongst themselves in front of the boards, forming groups, taking Quests, and then taking more Quests.
Leona walked up and held her forearm up to the Board. Her arm flared with light, and Kryos saw his own arm flare with light, then the tattoo faded. A loud clack echoed out next to Leona, drawing his attention, and she knelt down and scooped up a bag. “There we go,” she said as she opened it and walked over. “Thirty-six silver. Now I pull four for the Guild, and then we each get sixteen.”
Right, Kryos thought, the Quest Conclave fee, and then the Guild’s cut.
Leona pulled the four coins out, headed to the ledger, wrote down the amount, then deposited them into a lockbox. She counted her coins out of the bag, then tossed it to Kryos. “Stuff in your locker, then meet upstairs.”
He moved to the locker, slid his key home, and shoved everything but his Trader’s Pouch and new sack of coins into the locker before sealing it shut. He opened the pouch and added the coins to his hoard, which was getting quite full.
[Your Hoard has reached the EHV (effective hoard value) to qualify for a level up!]
[You have gained 1 level! Level 15!]
[Choose 1 Stat Point to Allocate!]
Ah, excellent, Kryos thought. Let’s put that into Vitality.
[Confirmed!]
[You have reached a level increment of 5!]
[You have gained a Skill point!]
[Unlock a new Skill, or Enhance an existing Skill?]
Well, I maxed out my Singularity Stance, so it’s either Pressure Field, or get a new Skill. The latter has been useful in slowing enemies down, but I could use something that forces enemies to focus on me, or maybe something that lets me heal myself? I doubt that a Mass Dragon has access to something like that . . . focus over versatility. SAVE system, go with Pressure Field.
[Confirmed!]
[Pressure Field II.]
[In addition to the aura increasing effective weight, it also encourages foes with low or bestial intelligence to prioritze attacking you.]
Oh, thank you SAVE system, that’s what I was hoping for. Since we’ll be going up against monsters mostly . . . I hope . . . that’s perfect.
Kryos closed his bag and headed upstairs. He spotted a few open doors, and glancing in them, eventually found Leona’s. Her room looked like his, but she had a few decorations: a portrait in a small frame on her bedside table, which showed a sea-elf mother and human father, both standing behind her, dressed in fancy attire, and her blanket was a soft, quilted one that looked like something homespun and cherished with the way it was worn down. “Meeting in here?”
She looked up. “Yeah, close the door.” Kryos did so, and she sat cross-legged on the bed, patting it for him to sit down. As he did, she said, “So, what’s your thought?”
“About the whole . . . mine situation?” She nodded, and he sighed. “I can’t stop thinking about the silver vein. All of that money, just there for the taking? It’s just . . . sitting there. All you’d need is a pick, and some muscle, and you could go and just get it for yourself.”
Leona’s face scrunched up into her thinking one. “Hmm . . . your treasure sense, when was that hitting you the hardest?”
“Well, when we were closest to the vein, right before that flying monster swooped in. But the weird thing is, I could feel it when we left.” Kryos closed his eyes and focused on his torso. He could feel the pulsating pain of his injury, still mending, but that heat near his right-back of his torso—the direction the mine was located—still lingered. “I can sense it now, I think, just . . . calling to me.”
“But you didn’t have that reaction with the actively being mined silver veins along the way?”
“No,” Kryos replied, feeling just as confused. “I felt a little bit of it, but the same was true in the town—I think maybe I got used to it?”
Leona shook her head. “They don’t debase currency.” She held up a silver piece. “This is pure silver. Do you sense the treasure thing from this?”
Kryos felt a little patter from it, but not the same pull from the vein off in the distance. “No.”
She shook her head. “I think there’s something more valuable than a vein down there. Maybe already harvested silver, ready to be recovered.” She uncrossed her legs and sat up straighter. “Think about it—we saw the equipment. People were mining and then they had to flee when the monster attacks happened and the area was deemed too dangerous. That whole slanted slope—there had to be some silver lost in the process.”
“And it all would’ve fallen into that chasm,” Kryos finished. He instantly understood where she was going with it. “You’re saying why not go explore it for ourselves and go recover whatever was knocked loose, right?”
She patted him on the shoulder. “Clever dragon. Exactly what I’m thinking. Everyone is going to be focused on clearing out the monsters: no one will care about another two Adventurers going into the mines to clear out more monsters . . . only we won’t be. We’ll get supplies, go down into that chasm ourselves, and get what we can.”
Kryos chuckled, and barely contained himself from a full-on laugh. “You’re crafty. And you’re right. All they care about is the vein. I doubt they’ve given thought to the chasm below it.” Kryos scratched the back of his head, right between his horns. “That old mine shaft has to be expanded, the caves have to be expanded, and yeah, all of the monsters have to be cleared out regardless of whether the company pushes for a rush job or the union pushes for a slow rollout with more safety equipment.” He frowned. “There was something big down there. We went during the day and it was moving. Could it be nocturnal?”
“Possibly,” Leona replied. “But it lives in a cave.” She frowned. “You said you came from a place called the Drakemount. That implies a mountain, and you looked very comfortable when we got into the cave section of the mines. What do you think it could be?”
Kryos shrugged. “No clue. The Drakemount was dragon-exclusive. Well, and half-dragons with dragon moms, like me, or their bound companions, like my dad. I don’t know what monster it could be.”
Leona nodded, and then leaned back so she was laying down, staring at the ceiling. “We need some gear. Ropes, a lantern—for me, burlap sacks for us to carry—”
“You mean for me to carry,” Kryos interrupted with a wry smile.
She glanced down at him. “Yes, for you to carry.” She then looked back up. “We need gear, is what I’m saying.” She sat up. “You’re more injured. You should eat, then take a nap. We’ve got a good half-day and into the night you could rest up. I can go into town and get what we need while you recover.” She pinched her fingers together and made a motion of rubbing two coins. “Okay, you greedy money-grubber, you have to contribute this time.”
Kryos felt that roiling heat in his gut again. The idea that someone would demand wealth from his hoard, worse, a lesser creature than him—
No, he thought, pushing that feeling down. Leona’s not a lesser. She’s my Party member. The roil began to simmer down. And we’re investing in a venture that is going to make me far more wealthy than these few coins will count towards. He opened up his pouch. “How much?”
“Just to be on the safe side, two gold.”
Kryos pulled out the coins and held them out. He tried to open his claw hand, but it wouldn’t open. He gritted his teeth, and managed to start moving his fingers apart, but it was like prying a child’s grip from his favorite toy.
Leona’s hands both cupped either side of his. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s an investment, Kryos. I know it’s hard . . . but it’s just a little now for a lot more later.” She ran her hand along the back of his, and Kryos was able to loosen his grip enough that her deft fingers managed to snag the coins. “And there we go. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”
“I’m sorry,” Kryos whispered as he hung his head down against his chest and closed up his bag. “I’m—”
Leona put her hand under his chin and clicked her tongue. “Hey, none of that.” She then lightly slapped his face. Not in a mean way, but in a ‘cheer up’ way. “You’ve told me how hard it is for you to part with money. If this is how we have to do it, then this is how we’ll do it.” She stood up. “Now, go to your room and rest up. I’ll go get all the supplies we need.”
Kryos nodded and stood up, headed to his room, and went to nap and let Marcella’s healing finish its work.