The Guide
"If you guys like," Ihrie stated, "I can use my Warp spell to take you as far as Surinigal. That will save us much time, and maybe we can make the forest by nightfall."
"Why don't you just take us all the way to Elfrea with that spell?" inquired Migel.
Ihrie replied, "Because, a Warp spell or item can only travel to places that one of the people in its range have seen before. None of us have gone to Elfrea, so I can't take you there. It'd be better to teleport, as I will connect with your minds, and then can travel to all of the places you have gone even when you are not in the range of my magic. Do you get it now?"
Migel nodded. At that moment, Rasha walked up to her. "Can we walk instead? I really don't want to see you turn into a mouse again. Maybe, you can take Migel, and I'll go with Lyle on foot."
"Don't worry Rasha," Ihrie assured her, "Just hide your eyes for a second. Migel or Lyle can bring me into a room at the inn to take my pills, and then leave right after it. Usually, Fam does all of the magic when we're together, but I don't suppose you know how to Warp."
"I'm primarily a fighter mage, I only know some lighter healing spells," Rasha mumbled.
In the end, she agreed with Ihrie's plan. When the group arrived at Surinigal, Migel took her into the other room, and gave her a pill. Then he walked out, noticing her basilisk glare. In the meantime, Lyle and Rasha shopped for supplies to help them on their journey. Soon, Ihrie was clothed again, and they headed towards the checkpoint for the south forest.
* * *
There, they found an old man who ran the guide services. When Lyle questioned him about hiring someone, he said, "All of my regulars are off today, but a volunteer is on hand. I never saw her before, but she's the only squirrel here. Do you still want to go?"
Lyle nodded. "We have to go to Elfrea. If only one guide is here, well, 'beggars can't be choosers' as my guardian always says. We'll take her."
"Ok," the man called, "You can come out now miss." And out of the back room, came Fam. She had an Elf Bow in one hand, and a quiver of arrows was strapped over her shoulders.
"Fam, I told you to stay home! This isn't a picnic!" scolded Ihrie.
Fam whined, "But Ihrie, I want to help Lyle out in return for saving my life. Can't I come along? You guys are going to be stuck here if I don't, there's no other squirrels working today."
Migel sighed. "Now the tomboy's whiny friend is coming along as well. Jeez how can our luck get any worse? Rasha grows fangs and turns into a vampire who sucks out all of our blood?"
"That's incredibly rude Migel!" yelled Rasha, stomping on his foot, "And as for you, fang girl. I've had dibs on Lyle for some time now. Little kitties better not interfere with me."
"Maybe he doesn't want you 'cuz you're so grouchy and mean. What if he's still looking, then I have a chance with him too," Fam reminded her.
Rasha got mad and stomped out towards the forest. Lyle knew there was no point in arguing with her when she got in this state of mind. Especially since she saw Fam as serious competition, and not just a hindrance like the town girls. He foresaw having to break up a ton of fights on the way.
* * *
They decided to make camp near the forest, and start out again in the morning. Lyle, ever the gentleman, took the first watch, and Rasha had agreed to the second, hoping to look good in front of Lyle. Third would be Ihrie, followed by Fam and Migel.
But Ihrie was unable to sleep that night. So she just sat up with Lyle for a little while. Then she asked him, "What's Rasha's problem? Is she always this angry about another girl getting close to you?"
Lyle threw a log on the fire. "For about a year now. She wasn't always this way. You see, I was engaged to another girl at that time, and Rasha cared enough about us to let us be happy together. She even kept other people from trying to break us apart. All three of us had grown up together, and were the best of friends. None of the girls liked Meria, because they all wanted to marry me, and none of the guys liked me, because all of the girls paid more attention to me than to them. Rasha was a girl of unknown birth, having lost her parents as an infant, and was treated with suspicion wherever she went. So we three were kind of like a posse. But a year ago, that all changed."
~ ~ ~ ~
The demon was looming over Lyle and Rasha. The beast was incredibly strong, and both the young man's blade and the girl's magic were doing minimal damage at best. But neither was injured, and they had much strength to spare in order to keep fighting.
"Lyle!" a voice called out, "I've come to save you." When the young man looked past his adversary, he saw his beloved Meria in her favorite white dress and wielding a short knife.
The monster saw her as an easy target. He charged, and knocked her down. Then he tried to gouge her with his horns. Meria screamed out and reeled from the pain.
"Meria!" screamed Lyle. He ran at the beast with rage in his heart, and struck it with his sword. Rasha felt her rage grew, and her spells were super powered. Soon, the beast had died.
Rasha told Lyle, "I'll give her a healing spell." So she cast strong on her childhood friend. But Meria was too far-gone to be saved. She died in Lyle's arms a short while later.
~ ~ ~ ~
"After that, all of the town girls saw the opportunity to win my heart. They came to see me, not to comfort but to win me over. But Rasha wouldn't let them dishonor Meria's memory, she began to protect me like a sister takes care of her brother. I could tell she felt something more, but was wary about making me upset over our friend's death once more. Now that she sees a 'serious threat', she'll go all out."
"Don't worry Lyle," Ihrie stated, "I'll help you dissolve any fights that may occur. It's for you to decide, not me or anyone else. Something tells me though that this'll be a long trip."
- - - -
The gang's all here now. What will happen next time? And I finally tell Meria's depressing story. Even more tragic than in Ruin Explorers itself.
"If you guys like," Ihrie stated, "I can use my Warp spell to take you as far as Surinigal. That will save us much time, and maybe we can make the forest by nightfall."
"Why don't you just take us all the way to Elfrea with that spell?" inquired Migel.
Ihrie replied, "Because, a Warp spell or item can only travel to places that one of the people in its range have seen before. None of us have gone to Elfrea, so I can't take you there. It'd be better to teleport, as I will connect with your minds, and then can travel to all of the places you have gone even when you are not in the range of my magic. Do you get it now?"
Migel nodded. At that moment, Rasha walked up to her. "Can we walk instead? I really don't want to see you turn into a mouse again. Maybe, you can take Migel, and I'll go with Lyle on foot."
"Don't worry Rasha," Ihrie assured her, "Just hide your eyes for a second. Migel or Lyle can bring me into a room at the inn to take my pills, and then leave right after it. Usually, Fam does all of the magic when we're together, but I don't suppose you know how to Warp."
"I'm primarily a fighter mage, I only know some lighter healing spells," Rasha mumbled.
In the end, she agreed with Ihrie's plan. When the group arrived at Surinigal, Migel took her into the other room, and gave her a pill. Then he walked out, noticing her basilisk glare. In the meantime, Lyle and Rasha shopped for supplies to help them on their journey. Soon, Ihrie was clothed again, and they headed towards the checkpoint for the south forest.
* * *
There, they found an old man who ran the guide services. When Lyle questioned him about hiring someone, he said, "All of my regulars are off today, but a volunteer is on hand. I never saw her before, but she's the only squirrel here. Do you still want to go?"
Lyle nodded. "We have to go to Elfrea. If only one guide is here, well, 'beggars can't be choosers' as my guardian always says. We'll take her."
"Ok," the man called, "You can come out now miss." And out of the back room, came Fam. She had an Elf Bow in one hand, and a quiver of arrows was strapped over her shoulders.
"Fam, I told you to stay home! This isn't a picnic!" scolded Ihrie.
Fam whined, "But Ihrie, I want to help Lyle out in return for saving my life. Can't I come along? You guys are going to be stuck here if I don't, there's no other squirrels working today."
Migel sighed. "Now the tomboy's whiny friend is coming along as well. Jeez how can our luck get any worse? Rasha grows fangs and turns into a vampire who sucks out all of our blood?"
"That's incredibly rude Migel!" yelled Rasha, stomping on his foot, "And as for you, fang girl. I've had dibs on Lyle for some time now. Little kitties better not interfere with me."
"Maybe he doesn't want you 'cuz you're so grouchy and mean. What if he's still looking, then I have a chance with him too," Fam reminded her.
Rasha got mad and stomped out towards the forest. Lyle knew there was no point in arguing with her when she got in this state of mind. Especially since she saw Fam as serious competition, and not just a hindrance like the town girls. He foresaw having to break up a ton of fights on the way.
* * *
They decided to make camp near the forest, and start out again in the morning. Lyle, ever the gentleman, took the first watch, and Rasha had agreed to the second, hoping to look good in front of Lyle. Third would be Ihrie, followed by Fam and Migel.
But Ihrie was unable to sleep that night. So she just sat up with Lyle for a little while. Then she asked him, "What's Rasha's problem? Is she always this angry about another girl getting close to you?"
Lyle threw a log on the fire. "For about a year now. She wasn't always this way. You see, I was engaged to another girl at that time, and Rasha cared enough about us to let us be happy together. She even kept other people from trying to break us apart. All three of us had grown up together, and were the best of friends. None of the girls liked Meria, because they all wanted to marry me, and none of the guys liked me, because all of the girls paid more attention to me than to them. Rasha was a girl of unknown birth, having lost her parents as an infant, and was treated with suspicion wherever she went. So we three were kind of like a posse. But a year ago, that all changed."
~ ~ ~ ~
The demon was looming over Lyle and Rasha. The beast was incredibly strong, and both the young man's blade and the girl's magic were doing minimal damage at best. But neither was injured, and they had much strength to spare in order to keep fighting.
"Lyle!" a voice called out, "I've come to save you." When the young man looked past his adversary, he saw his beloved Meria in her favorite white dress and wielding a short knife.
The monster saw her as an easy target. He charged, and knocked her down. Then he tried to gouge her with his horns. Meria screamed out and reeled from the pain.
"Meria!" screamed Lyle. He ran at the beast with rage in his heart, and struck it with his sword. Rasha felt her rage grew, and her spells were super powered. Soon, the beast had died.
Rasha told Lyle, "I'll give her a healing spell." So she cast strong on her childhood friend. But Meria was too far-gone to be saved. She died in Lyle's arms a short while later.
~ ~ ~ ~
"After that, all of the town girls saw the opportunity to win my heart. They came to see me, not to comfort but to win me over. But Rasha wouldn't let them dishonor Meria's memory, she began to protect me like a sister takes care of her brother. I could tell she felt something more, but was wary about making me upset over our friend's death once more. Now that she sees a 'serious threat', she'll go all out."
"Don't worry Lyle," Ihrie stated, "I'll help you dissolve any fights that may occur. It's for you to decide, not me or anyone else. Something tells me though that this'll be a long trip."
- - - -
The gang's all here now. What will happen next time? And I finally tell Meria's depressing story. Even more tragic than in Ruin Explorers itself.
