Chapter 3 – Encounter

thinking
talking

It was dark when she opened her eyes.
Where was she?
In a panic, she got to her feet and knocked her head on something hard.
Wincing from the pain, she rubbed her eyes and waited a few moments until her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
She was in an attic of sorts. A high loft where the night breeze blew softly beneath her feet.
Crouching down to the creaky floorboards, she listened. A faint murmur of voices in conversation buzzed below her.
Straining her ears, she listened.

'Kill him. '
'That boy? He is hardly worth your time.'
'Don't question me!'
'That boy is dangerous and we both know it.'
'…As you wish, my lord. He shall die by my hands at dawn. '
'Very well. See to it. '
'Such a great pity though. '
'Why would it concern- wait. Hush. Listen.'

Keia sucked in a quick breath.
There was silence.

'Did you hear the floorboards creak?'
'The floorboards? Impossible my lord, you must be tired. '
'Check the attic.'

'Yes, my lord.'

Keia heard footsteps and the faint creak of someone climbing a ladder. Crawling away from her spying spot, she squeezed into a narrow courner behind a large bookcase.
The footsteps grew louder, and soon, retreated.
Keia exhaled and closed her eyes, only to feel a painful yank as a strong hand pulled her from her hiding place.
She struggled and tried to scream, but her voice was gone.
Panic overtook her.
Her captor was grotesque. He had bloodshot eyes and a long silver beard. His grey hair grew in clumps. Altogether he was terrifying.
Keia felt his eyes bore into her skin as his grip on her wrist tightened.
With a snarl, he pulled out a silver dagger and thrust it into her stomach.

…

She woke up screaming.

Another dream?
Keia sat still for a moment, fingering her stomach nervously. Her nightgown was clean and she was in her room.
The white translucent curtains rustled softly in the cool morning breeze.
The first rays of sunlight peeked from behind the green hills in the distance, like a bashful child peeking through a window.
'Keia? Are you awake? There's a letter for you, ' called her grandmother,
Keia made her way to her grandmother and took the letter. Opening it, she read it.

[ ' To : Keialorka Matryole
From: Quest Office , Flaris

New Quest Available:
Hunt down the Giant Fefern boss in the Mars Mine.
Co-ordinates: _ _ _ _
Rewards: 10 000 pang
x2 Blinkwings - Saint Morning ' ]

Keia folded the letter into half and placed it on the dining table.
' It would be a good way to earn some money ' smiled her grandmother, her aged eyes twinkling.
Keia agreed and called Anya. Together, the girls raced towards the Mars Mine.
Anya stood at the entrance of the dungeon, shuffling her feet nervously, she buffed Keia and the two of them entered the forbidding cave.

…

'Keia…? Suddenly I don't think this is a very good idea.' Said Anya, looking at the mutant feferns a few meters away.
'We can't always kill bangs. ' retorted Keia, as she cast a static ball spell at the first mutant fefern.
Running deeper into the dungeon, the pair passed a few other people fighting.
'Hey! Assist! Want to train together? ' called an acrobat,
'Sorry, I'm with her, ' replied Anya, smiling at him.
Keia rolled her eyes mentally. This was the sixth? Seventh? Guy who wanted to train with her. Jealousy pricked at Keia as she led the way towards the giant fefern. Well, she is an assist after all. Why was she getting so worked up? It's not like Anya would desert her for some knight in shining armor right?
…right?

I'm over thinking this.
Get a grip, Keia!

Keia turned left into a small side cavern when she bumped into a mercenary.
'Hey! Watch where you're going albino! ' cried a familiar voice,
'you…! What are you doing here? ' growled Keia, as she got to her feet and brushed off dirt from her Jay Dress.
'none of your business ' rebutted the mercenary, ' I have a name you know. It's Zwen. '
'I don't care if you are named after some legendary hero or some chip off the block. You. Just stay out of my face. ' snarled keia.
'hey now Keia, that's pretty mean. You really shouldn't pick fights with guys... ' said Anya, looking worried.
'i bet you won't last ten seconds without your assist healing you. ' smirked Zwen,
'I wonder how many health potions you've used, thirty?' said Keia, narrowing her eyes.
The two of them stared at each other, the tension in the air was like a stretched rubber band that could snap at any moment.
'umm... Guys?' whispered Anya,
'I bet I can become stronger light years ahead of you. ' said Zwen,
'with your arrogance? I think not. The only thing you need to "become stronger" is your common sense. ' snapped Keia,
'yeah right. I can beat the living daylights out of you anytime.'
'want to try lobster? You can't even touch me.'
'oh yeah? Let's hear you say that when I slice you in half-'
Anya's scream made the two look up sharply.
The giant fefern loomed in front of them, it's long vines dragged Anya deeper into the cave where a hoard of mutant feferns awaited, their jaws snapping in delight.
'Anya!' yelled Zwen, running towards the giant fefern.
'slowpoke.' smirked Keia, as she cast a mental strike at the giant, making it release Anya from it's grasp. Anya scrambled to her feet and ran towards Keia, hiding behind her.
's-so scary...' whimpered Anya, as she calmed herself and buffed the two fighters.
'watch and learn albino.' said Zwen, as he launched a series of powerful strikes at the giant.
Keia watched absentmindedly as the mercenary fearlessly slashed at the giant fefern. His courage was admirable, she decided.
'Anya, keep me alive okay? ' smiled the magician, as she took a few steps closer to the giant where Zwen was locked in combat.
She felt static course through her skin as she cast a chain of static ball spells. It was peaceful, listening to the rhythmic cackle of electricity leave her staff. The giant fefern fell to the ground and pushed itself up, snapping it's large jaws loudly, it charged towards Keia. Running back, the magician tried to keep her distance from the monster. But it's pace outmatched hers. Suddenly, the giant stopped and turned around to face Zwen.
Keia turned around and cast another mental strike before the fefern could snap at the mercenary's head.
'you owe me one.' smirked Zwen, as he slashed at the giant once more.
'not anymore. I just saved your sorry little head from becoming plant food. ' said Keia, as she cast a few more static ball spells.
'it's dying!' cried Anya,
'okay albino, how about we kill this thing and split the bounty 50-50?'
Keia regarded him with a frown before turning her attention back to the giant.
'i charge interest .' said the magician.
The mercenary charged towards the giant fefern, dealing a series of combination attacks while Keia cast another chain of static bolts. With a final cry, the giant fefern collapsed to the ground and disintegrated, leaving behind a tarin root on the brown rocky ground.
'we did it!' beamed Anya, as she gulped down a few mana refreshers and healed the two exhausted fighters.
'you can thank me. I did most of the work.' said Zwen, grinning at the assist.
'Lies. I dealt twice as much damage as you did.' glared Keia, as she drained a few bottles of mana refresher.
'Now, now. Let's go home. It's probably night time by now. ' smiled Anya, as she pulled the two squabbling fighters out of the dungeon.

To be continued...