Kryos
The hooded figure sounded amused. He said, “You three did well.”
Kryos crossed his arms and stood as tall as he could. “Did you make this Rift for us?”
“We did,” another figure with a female voice replied. “Rifts must be opened, but we have some modicum of control as to where and to what echo of reality is glimpsed.”
Vaelin said, “This was all a test, wasn’t it? Every chamber was made as a test for one of us.”
“All of you,” the central figure replied. “Since you started up your idea, we have kept an eye on you.”
“How?” Leona blurted.
Another figure chuckled, and a deeper, older male voice replied, “Secret.”
The central figure continued, “The idea of a mobile Guild Hall has not been seriously tried before, and it piqued our curiosity. The fact that a half-dragon of your type is the one to start it . . . well, only a few of your kin have been adventurers, and they are not often the cooperative type. We figured it would be best to truly test what this would become.” Their hooded form turned to the other seated all around. “And, I think, you all have passed the challenges we had anticipated.”
Vaelin, voice small, asked, “Did you make all the chambers?”
“We nudged them,” the deep-tone one replied. “Rifts are unpredictable, but with enough mana they can be nudged, shaped, and guided. In this case, we tuned it to you three, to challenge your strengths and weaknesses: to really test you and your character at its core.”
“Why me?” Vaelin asked.
The female voice replied, “We cannot say.”
Leona said, “What’s this Boon we get from you all?”
“You will find out when you see your wagon again,” the central figure answered. They stood up, and their voice took on a more cautionary tone as they said, “Your idea is sound, and we have tested you . . . but you came close to some temptations along the road. For now, we are satisfied that you, Guildmaster, will not become what we feared—some tyrannical leader who gives the Quest Conclave and other Adventuring Guilds a bad name by going about tasks with reckless abandon or heartless cruelty.”
“I understand,” Kryos said, realizing why he and Leona had been subjected to the Rift and its trials. “Because we aren’t in a single, set location, you can’t easily monitor how people we interact with see us. It’s not like Irontrail, where everyone knows their reputation.”
“Not quite,” the female hooded figure replied. “We are confident that this idea will benefit our good name, and so we give you our blessing once more. Dragontrail is still in good standing, and as long as your reputation remains positive, it will continue to be so.”
Kryos frowned. “What about those who just react to me in fear? If you can somehow see what we are doing near our Quest Board, you know that I am not opposed to using my Species’ reputation if necessary to accomplish a goal.”
The central figure waved their hand dismissively, and Kryos saw a shimmer of silver along their palm that might have been some type of tattoo. “We cannot control how the masses act. What we care about is how your Guild goes about its duties.”
The female voice added, “Pursue your goals and dreams, Dragontrail. Whether it is Leona’s desire to franchise, add more wagons, and get more Parties of three to sign up, or just making your own operation grander—we are going to keep watching you.”
With that, the world vanished, becoming white once more, and then it flickered, warbled, and warped. Kryos was standing in the forest clearing once more, with their covered wagon to his right, and the sounds and smells of the environment hitting him like a wave after the stale, dry scents of the Rift.
Vaelin let out a sigh of relief. “Well . . . that was something.”
Leona clicked her tongue and walked over to the wagon. “At least they aren’t saying our idea is shit. But, they didn’t sound very enthused.” Kryos walked over with her and began moving the covered tarp. Once the whole wagon was uncovered, and he had rolled up the covering, Leona clambered onto the top. “Holy stars above,” she whispered.
“What is it?” Kryos asked as he looked up at her.
“The controls,” she said. “Just like in the Rift.” She moved her foot, and Kryos backed away as the wheels, seemingly on their own, slid down and pushed the wagon up to its ready-to-drive mode. Then, she touched something up top, and it rolled forward on its own. “We don’t need you to haul it anymore,” Leona said with amazed satisfaction. She then pushed something else, and the wagon dropped down again.
“I wonder what else has changed,” Kryos said as he went to the back and opened up the door with his key. What he saw inside shocked him, as the whole interior seemed far larger—not just ten-feet-long and six-feet-wide, but instead triple that. He backed away, and looked at the outside, then inside once more. “Uhm . . . Leona? Come look at this.”
Vaelin walked over and she let out a gasp. “Extradimensional space,” she whispered. “Powerful magic.”
Leona came over and let out an impressed whistle, then got inside. “So much room,” she muttered. “We could put in partitions for our own rooms, have a dedicated storage space sorted by type,” she looked back at Kryos and a grin was plastered on her face. “Keeping all of those objectives intact for the Rift was totally worth it.”
Kryos got in and went right to the covered vault. Opening it, he saw that it had not increased in size. “Doesn’t look like the extradimensional effect reaches the vault itself,” he said. He put the chain into the vault.
[You have successfully attuned to an Artifact!]
[It has now been placed into your hoard.]
[While it is in your hoard, you may use its Skill or Trait as if you had it on your person.]
[If it is removed from your hoard, you lose access to the Skill or Trait until you recover it.]
[If you use the Artifact, it functions how it would for any other person on Vorunor.]
[If you use the Artifact, it no longer counts toward hoard value.]
[Do you wish to calculate this object into your hoard value?]
Yes, Kryos thought.
[Confirmed.]
[Your Hoard has reached the EHV (effective hoard value) to qualify for a level up!]
[You have gained 1 level! Level 30!]
[Choose 1 Stat Point to Allocate!]
Put it into Essence.
[Confirmed!]
[You have reached a level increment of 5!]
[You have gained a Skill point!]
[Unlock a new Skill, or Enhance an existing Skill?]
Upgrade Mass Driver.
[Confirmed!]
[Confirmed!]
[Mass Driver II.]
[The distance of an unattended object in reach increases to five feet from you. The size of the object increases to an object no larger than your torso. Projectile speed decreases the larger the object is.]
Kryos shut the vault and locked it, then looked back at Vaelin. “Well, feel free to put your gear in here. Then, we’ll get you registered.”
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“In a moment,” Leona interrupted as Vaelin got into the now-spacious wagon interior. “First off, rules. Ten percent of all Quest rewards go into Dragontrail’s vault.”
Vaelin took off her pack and set it to the side of the door. “I accept that term. What else?” she asked, her voice filling with enthusiasm.
Leona looked at Kryos. “The money was the biggest part.”
Kryos looked at Vaelin. “You’re in our Party, and won’t be assigned to another Party. If we do get more wagons up and running like this . . . franchise as they called it . . . then you stick with us.”
Vaelin smiled softly at that. “Of course. I’d be happy to remain. We worked well together.”
Kryos looked back at Leona. “Anything else?”
Leona shook her head. “Nope. Just the usual: don’t steal from the guild vault, if you need a loan, you repay it, the Guild will supply basic needs like food and lodging, but outside of that, you’re on your own.”
Vaelin exited the wagon. “I’m ready.”
Kryos got out and walked around the front with her, to the white Quest Board. “Do you know how to do it?”
Vaelin nodded. “May I request a role?”
“Are there more than Guildmaster and Treasurer?” Kryos asked.
Leona, who had come up behind them, said, “Yes. Secretary.”
The information filled Kryos’ mind, as if the role of Guildmaster just instantly informed him. “Okay, go ahead.”
Vaelin held her arm up to the Quest Board. “I am Vaelin Rescarn, of the Sionna Clan Estenartaya. I request the role of Secretary, and membership in Dragontrail.”
Kryos heard the voice of the Quest Conclave in his mind. It was the older male voice, and he sounded excited. “You have a new applicant: Vaelin Rescarn. Current affiliations: none. Class: Bond-Bearer (29) [III]. Do you wish to accept her to the Guild?”
“Yes,” Kryos replied.
“She has applied to the role of Secretary. This will allow her to always know the location of any member of Dragontrail, and be able to enroll new members with the permission of the Guildmaster—which may be obtained remotely via Quest Conclave notification. Do you wish to assign this role?”
“Absolutely,” Kryos said.
Vaelin didn’t move at all as the fur on her wrist was burned and there was a strong scent of that charred smell in the air. “Thank you,” she said. “I promise, you won’t regret this. Oh,” she put her hand back up. “I also want to be in their Party.”
Kryos felt a little flare of pain on his wrist, and when he looked at the triangular shape, he saw Vaelin’s name in the missing section. All their roles were filled.
Leona said with a smirk, “Now, where to?”
“We came out here for Rifts to get money,” Kryos said. “And we have a lot. Seems like getting towards a larger town, setting up shop for a bit, and building our reputation might be the next item of order. Expanding the Guild Hall by commissioning another wagon, and getting another Party to join up might be our best way to make money passively.” He looked at Vaelin. “Thoughts?”
Leona
Vaelin replied, “Yes, seems smart.” Her ears flattened along the top of her head and the enthusiasm from before vanished. “Reachwood might be a good starting point . . . but that’s where I came from.”
Leona saw the flicker of rage across Kryos’ visage. “The people who treated you like something to be used?” Kryos asked.
Vaelin nodded, and Leona said, “Well, maybe we should go somewhere else. There’s plenty of monsters here in the Oakenlands we can work on clearing out, and they tend to have components we can harvest and then sell.”
“That doesn’t build our reputation,” Kryos replied.
Leona shook her head. “Not immediately, but think about it—we stay up here, we kill off a ton of monsters, then show up to town with bunches of parts for sale. Suddenly, we’re this mobile Guild that showed up, demonstrated immense combat prowess, and we’ve got an ‘in’ for combat-aligned Quests.”
Kryos nodded at that. “I like that plan. Shock and awe by showing up with a ton of loot? Seems smart.”
“Well, I am the brains of the operation,” Leona replied. “Now, let’s get going. Everyone on board.” She climbed up top and waited until her allies were on top. Then, she put her feet into the new grooves, grabbed the steering and brake column, and pulled a lever. The wagon popped up onto its wheels, and she drove it out toward the road they had left behind.
Vaelin winced and let out a few hisses of pain. “This is bumpy,” she growled between little yelps from the jostling.
“Sorry,” Leona replied as she glanced back for a second. “We’re almost back to the road.”
And in the meantime, she thought, I can process my SAVE system level-up.
[Your Experience has reached the Threshold to qualify for a level up!]
[You have gained 1 level! Level 30!]
[Choose 1 Stat Point to Allocate!]
Put it into Agility.
[Confirmed!]
[You have reached a level increment of 5!]
[You have gained a Skill point!]
[Unlock a new Skill, or Enhance an existing Skill?]
I want to upgrade my Shadow Step. It’s been incredibly useful so far.
[Confirmed!]
[Shadow Step II.]
[You may teleport from any shadow you can see to another shadow within line of sight. They do not need to be connected to one another.]
Leona grinned at the amazing upgrade to her Skill. It would make her into an incredibly lethal combatant, and if they were going to be staying in the Oakenlands for a bit, killing monsters, it would also make for an excellent escape tool if she was in danger.
They reached the road, which while cobblestone, had layers of leafy detritus and dirt that filled in the sections. Vaelin didn’t sound like she was in as much pain, and Leona looked back at her. “Welcome to the Guild.”
Vaelin
Vaelin replied, “Thank you.” She then looked at Kryos. “You mentioned something about your vault before, with the coin jacket things.”
Kryos looked at her with a stern gaze, then quietly said, “Dragons do not gain Experience like you. Our power grows based upon the size of our true hoard.” He patted the top of the wagon. “The vault is my hoard.”
That is intriguing, she thought. I never would have guessed, but now I understand why gathering those coin-based suits of armor was worth the risk and time.
“Thank you for sharing,” Vaelin said. “I assume you would want me to store whatever monies I make in there until I needed to withdraw them?”
Kryos nodded. “Yes. The more loot that is in there, the more powerful I become.”
“But taking it out doesn’t reduce your strength?”
Leona interrupted Kryos before he could answer. “No. It just looks at the most amount that’s ever been in the vault.”
“Good to know,” Vaelin said. She winced in pain as they hit a particularly large cobblestone. “Can we stop?”
Leona twisted a handle under her left palm and the vehicle slowed to a stop. “Sure.”
Okay, Vaelin thought. I need a more traditional heal, since I was out of MP to use Stabilizer’s Reprieve. What do you have for me, SAVE?
[Your Experience has reached the Threshold to qualify for a level up!]
[You have gained 1 level! Level 30!]
[Choose 1 Stat Point to Allocate!]
Put it 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?]
Please, give me a heal of some kind.
[Confirmed!]
[Stabilizer’s Reprieve II.]
[If used outside of a damage absorption window, at the cost of double the mana, restore twenty-five percent of the user’s maximum health.]
Vaelin immediately used the upgraded Skill, and felt a wave of relief rush through her. “Okay, we can keep going.”
Leona kept the vehicle moving, then said, “Your healing is dangerous, but really powerful.”
Kryos said, “But it kept us alive, and honestly I like having the hurt spread out over time instead of all at once. It’s a lot less of a shock.”
Vaelin smiled at the compliment. “Well, I will do my best to keep us all safe, healthy, and full-up.” She winced as they hit another big bump. “I’ll have enough MP to heal myself to full in a little while.”
Kryos
Kryos looked back at Vaelin, and watched as her fur healed over and the wounds sealed up. “That’s always really impressive to watch,” he said. “I remember when I was a hatchling, I cut my leg up pretty badly, and it took a week to heal.”
Vaelin looked at him with a little bit of shock. “A hatchling?”
“Oh, yeah. I hatched from an egg.”
That got Leona to look back as well. “What? You were born as an egg?”
Kryos chuckled. “When you have a dragon mom? That’s how it works.”
“But you were born as a humanoid,” Vaelin said.
“Yeah,” Kryos replied. He leaned back, laying down across the top of the wagon, and stared up at the canopy overhead. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, then winced as he felt the burns still on his hands. “Vaelin? Any chance you can heal us up?”
“As I heal myself,” she replied.
Leona asked, “Now the question is, how do we track these monsters?”
“We should head to the logging camps on the outskirts,” Vaelin replied. “If we head northeast toward the forest edge, we’ll reach a logging camp that I passed by a week ago. I bet they would have monster sightings, if not give us Quests to just clear out any that are harassing them.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Leona replied. “Onward we go.”
Kryos sat up and looked down the road ahead, and felt a deep sense of comfort settle through him. He had arrived on Vorunor, made a friend and close ally, and now ran his own mobile Adventuring Guild—the first in the world if what the Quest Conclave said was true. It had been less than a month, and he was already level thirty, and well on his way to making a name for himself.
My road ahead looks like a good one, Kryos thought as he looked forward. Then, he looked at Vaelin. We got a Mender to join the Guild and our Party. Lastly, he looked at Leona, and felt that flutter in his chest again. Who knows what the future holds? Well, except for wealth, that is. Dragontrail is going to make a name for itself, and in a few months or even a year’s time, we’ll be well-known.
The thoughts of the bright future ahead caused a smile to cross his face.