Chapter 34 (Early Version)

Chapter 34 - Blind Faith

The Guild in the frontier regions is nothing more than a collection of opportunistic bandits, thieves, and failed mercenaries. They deem themselves monster hunters, heroes all, and the shield of the common peasantry. Most shocking of all is that they allow women and whores in their ranks! But tell me this, what hero is he that would not render assistance unless compensated in coin?

- The Fanciful Travels by Beron de Laney 376 A.C


Here, unlike the deep dark of the forest, the sun was able to filter down through the branches of the lesser trees of the glade. The calls of songbirds and the chirping of insects filled the morning air with the rise of the sun as the things of the night made good their rest. Off towards what I presumed was the west, we could just see a plume of smoke rising just above the canopy of the trees.

The Rogue and the Hunter were having a meal of Tree-Laur haunch, discussing what to do next. Their debate was animated, with even the usually even-tempered Kidu showing a little anger.

“Morning, sleepyhead. This great big lug thinks that we should spend the rest of our lives out here in the wilderness, living off the land. I for one have had enough of the great outdoors, I want to enjoy my freedom. With your magic we are no longer slaves!” the Rogue said emphatically.

“Elwin Tucker gives a plan with great risks. We are safe here, relatively so. There is sustenance in the forest if you are strong. Just a few days ago we were slaves in this land, I would not have it be so again...” replied the wildman, clearly looking to me for direction.

I thought for a moment on both of their arguments before adding my own opinion, “Both of you make good points, though I for one find myself wary of further contact with the people of these lands. Still, one can not live in the wilderness forever. We simply lack the tools and equipment to survive a winter here. I say that we stay on our current course, and at least investigate what that smoke is. We should make a decision after that...Carefully,” I said, evenly looking them each in the eye.

They both nodded in acquiescence as they began to clear up the camp. Stamping out the fire, collecting the glowing Zajasite stones, and packing the recently smoked meat into our wicker baskets with an economy of movement that would have been impossible for me. Gripping our weapons in hand, Elwin with his knife, Kidu his spear, and I with my trusty pickaxe, we made our way through the forest toward the direction of the smoke.

Leaving the glade, the darkness of the forest once again grew deeper. The impression of things leaping overhead and looking down at us never left us. We advanced quickly, though carefully, amongst the massive trees and slight undergrowth of the forest, making sure to also scan for any threats above and below.

At some point in our journey, Kidu stopped as we waited for a herd of massive deer-like creatures perhaps twenty or so strong to cross our path as they wended their way through a trail between the giant trees. They were majestic creatures, almost three meters to the shoulder, heavily muscled with soft chocolate brown fur. Atop a long graceful neck, four long spiked horns grew from their heads. Their eyes were large, gentle, and brown with long beautiful lashes. One of the animals stopped to look in our direction before moving off once again with the herd, the gigantic pack leader calling out with an ululating cry.

Taking in the wonder of what I had just witnessed for a moment, I turned to the Hunter and asked, “What were those beasts?”

“Southern Cronir...smaller than the ones up north, with an extra pair of horns. Cronir make for good eating,” he replied in a deep hushed voice.

“To you friend, everything makes good eating,” quipped the Rogue jovially in counterpoint, as he continued onwards. This was as clear a signal as any for us to continue our march through the forest.

Finally, after what seemed like long hours, at around midday we could start to hear the voices of real, actual people. We all instinctively crouched down, hunched as we moved closer to the source of the smoke and the sound of industry. Peering in through the bushes of the undergrowth we saw a small group of people undertaking a myriad of jobs around what looked like a glade. My eye was immediately drawn to what I identified as charcoal piles, which had almost blueish smoke billowing from them. An old memory told me that this was a sign that the wood inside was undergoing effective carbonification. I softly mouthed the word “Köhllaube,” the German expression for blind faith originating from the charcoal-burner profession. Towards the west of the charcoal piles and working men stood several cabins. I remembered from a distant lecture or seminar about medieval professions and societies that charcoal burning was seen as a lonely profession. The creation of charcoal needed constant supervision to ensure the wood burnt at the correct temperature.

A few of the men carried axes and heavy staves as they chopped up fallen branches from the great trees, or poked holes into the charcoal piles to regulate the heat. It was with relief to note that only a few of their number carried sidearms such as shortswords or long fighting daggers. The men were clothed in brown, grey, or black long-sleeved robes that were tied at the waist with a wide colorful sash. The figure who appeared to be the leader of this encampment was clothed in blue, a stark contrast to the workers, as he barked orders at them before he too joined in the work. They all had the epicanthic folds of an Asiatic people which was common among the Children, and their whole ensemble made me think of the old Mongolians of Earth.

Gesturing to my companions to stop, I silently began to cast Identify on one of the nearest workers.

Arban Bayarsaikhan - Charcoal Burner (Human lvl.7)
Health: 75/77
Stamina: 18/28
Mana: 10 / 10

I did this again five more times, making sure to include the leader in blue.  These were all of the men who were in plain sight. I drew a breath of relief as I confirmed that they were all relatively low-level, with the highest among them being only level eight and the lowest being level six. A ghost of a plan was beginning to form in my mind. Almost as an afterthought, I cast Identify on my companions for practice.

Kidu Kreshin - Hunter - (Human lvl.12)
Health: 252/252
Stamina: 43/49
Mana: 5/5

Elwin Tucker - Rogue (Human lvl.13)
Health: 152/152
Stamina: 27/40
Mana: 10/10

I knew it! The spell confirmed one of my sneaking suspicions that NPCs could also gain experience and level up. Furthermore, it explained why some of my previous kills had given me varying amounts of experience; the experience had been divided up among those who had credit for the kill. I reckoned that our party, although smaller in number, was significantly stronger in terms of raw attributes and levels. It was also pleasing to note that my investments in Constitution and Strength had meant that I was getting closer to Kidu in terms of raw Health. Yet despite this, I noted that I had seen little change to my actual physique, which I found most strange. Nor did it seem there was any other change, like a growth of a beard or hair length. Shrugging these thoughts aside as extraneous, I simply attributed these quirks as part of the rules for me in this strange game-like world.

Snapping back to the present I hissed to my companions, gesturing for a retreat, and we moved out of sight and well out of earshot of the camp.

Once we were a safe distance I began to tell them my plan.

“We observe them for the rest of the day just to make sure there’s no surprises. Once we’re sure of their numbers we hit them at night, killing every single last one of them, as quietly as we can,” I spoke in a cold voice.

“Not even going to talk to them, negotiate something perhaps? Just like that, kill a group of men?” the Rogue asked, surprisingly shocked. I hadn’t expected this level of empathy from him.

“Where are we, Elwin? Think! We are slaves on the run, wearing slave garments in a land whose culture is propped up by the institution of slavery. What do you honestly think would happen if we opened a line of dialogue with these savages? Besides, we would lose the element of surprise,” I said vehemently.

He held up two hands placatingly as Kidu began to add, “I promised vengeance on the honor of my ancestors and my friends, and it is vengeance I will have. I will never again feel the crack of the slaver's whip against my back nor the iron collar about my throat. If you wish to stand in the way of that...” growled the massive wildman at Elwin.

“But they outnumber us! And those weapons are real sharp-looking...” murmured the Rogue, uncertainty, and cowardice in his eyes.

“We have magic and we are all proven fighters, much stronger than just some forest workers,” I responded confidently.

“How do you know?” he hissed.

I looked him carefully and evenly in the eye, “I know. Trust me, I just know.  The gods have told me thus.”

Kidu seemed to accept the explanation without a shadow of a doubt but I could see the concern in the Rogue’s eyes.

“We’re about to kill all of these people… for what!?” sputtered Elwin.

“And I will kill many more if that is what it takes to stay free. These are the people who enslaved us, Elwin!” I countered which drew a rumble of approval from the Hunter. “Like I said we have little choice in the matter if we want to return to civilization, it's either this or a life of banditry!”

Something in my last words must have struck deep within Elwin for he was silent then, just nodding in acceptance. It was a stab at his past, and all the more cruel for it. Slowly I explained to them the plan and there were no further arguments or excuses from Elwin Tucker the Rogue.

I had sent Elwin to scout out the rest of the encampment, and during that time I rested to regain my Mana after a light snack with Kidu of stringy dry meat. Kidu had made crude weapons from the scythe-blade arms that he ripped from the Soldier Echo-Stalker in the tunnels. The handle was made of Laur's bone, and attached to it was strong sinew to keep the blade in place. A link from one of the chains formed a simple guard just above the hilt to stop the hand from slipping from thrusts from the ever so slightly curved blade. They were vicious and crude-looking weapons measuring about forty or fifty centimeters from handle to deadly tip. He had also fashioned a simple hide sheath. I tested the natural blade with a finger, drawing blood and causing a single point of damage to my health. Overall it was impressive craftsmanship for the time given, and I wondered what this world would count these paired weapons as in terms of proficiency.

Just as I had finished examining my new weapons, replacing my trusty pickaxe, I felt a tap on my left shoulder. Knowing this to be some sort of trick I turned to my right and there was Elwin, freshly returned from his reconnoiter just as the sun was beginning to set.

There was a show of slight surprise before he gave his report, “Eight men in total, I think split between a day shift and a night shift. These are all free men, no slaves for some reason. Though come to think of it, it would be difficult to train slaves for this kind of finicky work...” the Rogue began to meander before we both looked at him, “...overall though, they all seem to be lightly armed. Axes, daggers, and shortswords notwithstanding.”

We waited then, settling in as we waited for the night’s darkness to deepen, each of us trying to ease a measure of calm into nerves fraught with tension. I gripped my twin weapons tight in my hands as my mind struggled with all sorts of variables and potential scenarios. This was to be different from all of my fights thus far, where I had simply reacted according to circumstance. It had always been fate that forced my hand. This would be premeditated and cold. I realized there would be no excuses this time, and I found the sensation both almost sickening, yet strangely liberating and exciting.