Author's Note: Yes, spoilers alert. And a few explanations too, for future events in Prologue.
Enjoy.
"Golem Rubble. Check." David Falcon took out a piece of paper, a list written on it. He was just at the fifth item.
Another two more. Just two more.
"Of course, I'll need more than this amount, how forgetful of me…" The Archer walked back to the shopkeeper he had bought the stones from, saying, "Could I please have, about, ten more of the Golem Rubble?" David pleaded, his usually emotionless eyes hopeful.
"Sorry, that's all that's left. Be glad you bought off the last few." The burly shopkeeper looked bored. "Now, get out, youngster. My stall's closing."
David ran out of the Free Market, disappointed.
"Oh, how am I going to find it now…" For once, David looked downcast.
To add to his troubles, a fighter, apparent by his Zard and warrior gear, burst through the crowds and knocked into David, causing the collected items to drop, and be picked up by some beggars on the streets.
"Oh God, save me…" The Archer checked his backpack and pockets for any remainder of his items.
There was the checklist.
Determination surged up from within him. There's still hope. It's a whole week before the day.
He looked at the first item. Mushroom spores. He thought to himself. Child's play. And the fields Shrooms are at are just nearby…
At the fields, David was almost like some of the very monsters he had encountered during his travels around Victoria Island. "Double Shot! Double Shot!" Shroom after Shroom fell, their spores taken from within their gills a second later. "Spores. Check."
Next up was Jr. Necki's Skin.
David had bought the dropped skins from a Rogue in Kerning City, and he wasn't going to have any refunding.
But then, he only needed four.
Just four.
Just then, he spotted his friend of one year, Kane Anderson. With a shout; "Hi Kane!" David ran towards the Rogue-going-Bandit.
"Hey, David. Seldom seen you as excited as you are today." Kane smiled. "What's up?"
"Tell you later. I just need Jr. Necki skins now."
The smile was erased from Kane's face, immediately. "Jr. Necki?! What do you think you are doing?"
"Listen to me. With your accuracy, it's almost child's play. Add in a Sniper Potion, and you'll be fine…"
"Oh, damn sure I'll be alright. What do you think these snakes are? Even some with a Second Advancement are struggling against it…"
"We just need four. It might take a long time, but it's worth it. Please. It's to complete this list. I lost it when some beggars took it."
Kane read the checklist handed to him. He sighed. "Alright then. But don't tell me it's for Amy…"
"No. Something more important." David cut in. He then whispered to Kane.
"Ok…fine." Kane nodded.
The rest of the day went about the same, the two hunting down creatures, or bargaining with some sellers. One by one, the checkboxes were ticked again.
"Alright. Spores, skins, twigs, leather, red ribbons, toy sword…Golem's Rubble left." David smiled.
"Stop giving me that smile. It's creepy."
"Hm…" David looked around him. Funnily enough, the marketplace was empty, for once. The fact that it was past midnight probably explained the extraordinary happening.
"No one around. Guess we have to hunt it. Off to the dungeon entrance…"
"Wait!" Kane shouted at the Archer, raising his dagger. "That's worse than the Necki idea. Are the items so important to you?"
"It might probably be the last time I'll be able to use it." David went back to his emotionless expression, or a blank face, and strode off towards the direction of Sleepywood.
"Is the dude nuts?!" The 13-year-old Rogue ran off after his friend.
Soon, they were at the Golem Temple.
"Eh…David, this is creepy…at midnight too…"
"Shut up. It won't be if you'd stop thinking a Blue Mushroom is going to pounce on you."
"You know I have a fear of fast things more than strong things…and a Mushroom can appear anytime…Argh!!"
Indeed, a Blue Mushroom had pounced on the group of two, eyes gleaming evilly.
"Gods, I have a paranoid teammate today, of all days." David raised his Balanche and whispered, "Double Shot."
Two blue arrows flew towards the Mushroom and lodged in its head.
"Told you it won't kill." David smirked.
"Oh, shut up."
"You're finally using my phrase."
"Gods, I have a sharp-tongued teammate today, of all days." Kane sighed.
"Whatever. The Golem is here."
This sudden statement made Kane whirl around to see, in front of David, a giant of stone. There were some strange engravings on it, but he could study that later. Better solve the problem at hand first.
"Hi, buddy…" David stammered off.
"Just drink your Sniper Pots and shoot." Kane hissed back.
"I'd forgotten that Golems are usually around the experience level of fifty…"
"Well, now you remember. It's albeit too late though." Kane drunk his Sniper Potion and stabbed at the Golem's stone feet.
His Stinger almost broke.
"Dark Sight!" The dagger Rogue disappeared just and the Golem stomped, saving his skin by a millisecond.
"By Aquila, Kane…Double Shot!" David fired two bolts out of his Balanche, deflecting off the Golem.
Kane reappeared. "And we haven't even scratched the big blockhead yet…"
"Shut up." David fired off another two bolts, which affected the Golem in much the same way.
"Who's the serious one now, huh?" Kane ran and, shouting a "Double Stab!" stabbed at the Golem's feet and bounced off by jumping against the Golem.
Obviously, the Rogue technique had no effect on the stone giant, save for a shallow nark on the engravings, which was an achievement in itself for a Rogue of experience level 23.
"Inferno!" A sudden rain of fire came down upon the Golem, distracting its attention.
All three, including the Golem, stared at the newcomer.
He was wearing what David recognized as a Blue Arzuna, a piece of clothing for Bowmen that required an experience level of 100 to wear.
Level of 100? What's a Ranger doing here? David gasped in surprise.
Of course, the Golem had a surprise too. An unpleasant one.
"Strafe."
Four arrows, glowing with a yellowish-white light, struck the Golem.
It fell immediately.
"Don't play around here, boys. It's dangerous." The Ranger walked towards what remained of the Golem and took the stones. "In case you need it." He tossed the stones to Kane.
"See this, David? We have the last item!"
"Yes, yes…" David stared at the stranger. What it must be like to have such power…
Back at home, in his standardized mushroom house in Henesys, David was hard at work.
He took a piece of Golem rubble and placed it over the two twigs covered with a green skin, carefully gluing them together.
"This is going to be good…"
A week passed. David was dressed in his best attire, a tuxedo with a ribbon on its left breast pocket.
Visiting his mum sure took a lot of trouble.
But then it wasn't a normal visit to the Niora Hospital.
At the hospital, ward 101, Shelia Falcon ruffled her son's hair.
"You've grown, David." The former Crusader smiled.
A tear almost fell down the Archer's face. Almost. But then David was good at hiding it. "Yes, of course. I can join you on your adventures again. A mother and son team. We could visit the wonders of Ossyria again. I hear the Orbis Tower has a basement floor now. It apparently leads to this underwater world…"
"Ah. My dear son." Shelia had the regretful smile again. "Always fond of traveling. Just like your mother. Your dad, too."
"Father? That bastard? He caused your current state! If he'd not wasted his mana just to kill another Balrog you might not have been struck…" David's tears finally fell. A single drop.
"Don't blame your dad. I was the one who had not seen that necromancer…"
David was speechless. For a moment. "Until now. Until now you still protect him…Why?"
Shelia suddenly convulsed, grabbing onto the hospital bed to steady herself.
"Mum!" David was about to run out.
"Don't bother the doctor. I know my own body well. I'm going soon."
"No!" David almost shouted at his mother. "Don't say that!"
"It's too late, anyway." The ex-Crusader said. "Here's a parting gift." Shelia held out a silver ring, an emerald encrusted in it.
"The Ring of Wind. It increases the speed of its wearer. It has helped me, it surely will help you."
Tears were flowing freely down David's face. "I also have a gift, mum." He handed Shelia a stone figure, with legs and arms of green skins over twigs, and a face made with leather, sticky spores making up its slight short hair, a ribbon in its hair.
It was holding a sword.
And there was a smile drawn on its face.
"Remember, when I said I wanted to give you something on your birthday, and you said that a doll, made after you, would be fine? You also wanted it to be happy. This is it. Happy Mother's Day, mum."
Shelia held the doll in her hand, taking David's hand with her other. "Thank you, David. My son."
Her hand, the one holding the doll, fell. However, there was still a smile on Shelia's face.
"Mum! Mum! No! No!" David cried out in denial. He held his ring, the emerald shining in the hospital's florescent lights.
"Mum…don't worry. I won't take revenge on Dad. It's a promise." David sobbed.
Remembering the ring, David slipped it on. He immediately felt lighter, more agile.
Thanks, mum.
The Archer stood up.
Happy Mother's Day. I'll find you later, mum.
I promise.
Author's Note: So, yeah, as David said, happy Mother's Day. Treasure your family. When they're gone, you'll miss them. Guaranteed.
But for now, just enjoy the celebrations. D