"If you're going to be near Sonja's camp today, could you have her fill our waterskins? We're almost out again." Teija handed me our empty waterskins, and I loaded them into my inventory, surprised as ever that Teija didn't bat an eye at the way they disappeared.
"Oh! And if she's found any alchemical reagents I would be happy to trade some rice for them. I don't think she gets out much, since she has to watch Philip, so I imagine they would appreciate having some rice."
"I suppose I can handle that."
I hadn't been intending to go that way, but I may as well. I'd explored every side passage this side of the eastern passage, leaving nowhere to go but goblin territory. It was about time I started poking my nose around. I'd been hesitant to do so since the attack on our camp, but the patrols had been light. Maybe it was time.
"Thanks, Ciaphas! And thanks for listening last night. It felt good to get all that out." Her cheeks were pink as she said it, and she scrubbed the rice pot hard, studiously avoiding my eye.
"I'm happy to listen. Thanks for staying with me. I really appreciate your help." She practically beamed, and her cheeks colored a deeper pink. I thought I heard her humming softly as I left our camp for Sonja's.
Good to see she's feeling better.
"Found boy here. Camp close."
I froze in place and canceled the flow of magic to the [Light] spell, cloaking the hallway in darkness. The voice had clearly belonged to a goblin, and it'd come from the room I had first met Philip. I crept to the archway leading into it and hid behind a pillar, straining my eyes to see into the darkness.
A small patrol, two goblins and a hulking hobgoblin, had stopped to sniff around the area, hunting for something.
"You're certain?" The taller creature's voice was much deeper, and much better spoken than the others. Like Wulthark's had been.
"Yes. We ran. They go this way."
"Show me."
The two smaller goblins, I recognized them from the other day, led the taller one towards Sonja's camp and I followed carefully.
[Stealthy Skill unlocked: Avoided detection.]
The group stopped by the pile of debris and I held my breath as they started poking around it, shifting and tugging on certain points. My magic pulsed with my heartbeat, ready to act if they discovered the secret entrance. I hoped it wouldn't come to that.
They did.
One of the goblins squawked with excitement as it pulled open Philip's secret door, and I used the opportunity to launch a [Magic Missile] at it. I didn't know how tough the hobgoblin would be in a fight, but I couldn't afford to let one of the smaller ones get inside while I was distracted. My magic's potency had increased since my first day in the dungeon, and my arrow took the creature in the throat, killing it easily.
[Critical Hit. Sneak Attack.]
[Goblin Scout killed. Exp Gained.]
The others spun to face me as I launched another missile, but the remaining goblin darted behind the hob, avoiding it.
"You!" The hobgoblin pointed his club, larger than its companion, at me. "Chief Wulthark will be pleased when I bring you to him."
They want me alive now, huh? I guess I should be honored.
"Why not kill me yourself?" I asked, buying time to cast [Mage Armor] and [Shield] in preparation for the fight. The hobgoblin shrugged and stomped towards me.
"Didn't ask. He said capture you, so I will. He didn't say anything about you being in one piece."
It broke into a sprint and I rolled under its wild swing, not trusting my poor staff to survive blocking the blow. I hesitated for a moment as the goblin made a break for the eastern passage. It would tell Wulthark about Sonja's hidden camp if it escaped. I had to kill it before it got away. My hesitation cost me, and the club battered my defenses, sending me skidding away.
Note to self. Don't get hit without my spells up. One blow would cave my head in if it connected.
I sent a flurry of [Magic Missiles] after the fleeing goblin, and was rewarded by a pained shout, followed by a thump of its body hitting the ground. Two wet thuds followed as the last missiles hit dead flesh.
[Goblin Scout killed. Exp Gained.]
The hobgoblin seemed unconcerned by the deaths of its patrol members, and attacked in a wide flurry of blows. I avoided them as best I could, having a few close calls in the meantime, and winced as the club collided with a corner, showering me with chips of broken stone. Now that I could focus on the creature, taking it down was a simple enough matter of maintaining distance and pelting it with [Firebolts] until it stopped screaming.
[Hobgoblin Scout Leader killed. Exp Gained.]
I watched the smoldering corpse until the kill message faded away, the breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the now chipped wall. Soft, polite applause brought my attention around, and I saw Sonja had come out of the entrance, presumably ready to come to my aid. A hefty war hammer rested on the ground, leaning against her thigh, and she clapped with her right hand against her left forearm. Her left hand was tucked into the pocket of her tunic pants.
"Well done. Though I admit, I would rather you didn't hunt them quite so close to our camp."
"Wasn't my choice." I said, and cancelled my defensive spells. "They were poking around. I got here just as they had found the entrance. If I hadn't killed them, you probably would have been swarming with them within the hour."
"I see." Sonja frowned and tapped her smaller, blacksmith's hammer on her belt. "Then I owe you for helping us once again. They are getting bolder, and I suspect it is only a matter of time until they find us again."
"Uncle Kai!" The shout was muffled by the barricade and, a moment later, Philip crawled through the hidden entrance. He hesitated at seeing the dead goblins, but grinned at me and collided with my legs, hugging me tightly. He pressed his face against my leg and didn't look at the bodies.
"Hey there, Philip. Keeping out of trouble?"
"Yep! Sonja has something to tell you! Tell him, Sonja, tell him!" The woman cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable with being put on the spot.
"Yes, well, the Sunfather saw fit to remind me of my oaths to aid and protect the righteous and innocent after you and Teija left yesterday."
She removed her hand from her pocket, and I saw it was wrapped in crude bandages.
"She hit her hand at the forge and said a lot of bad words!" Philip laughed, and Sonja closed her eyes wearily.
"He's… not wrong. It made me reconsider the way I have treated you. I ask your forgiveness. I have become far too distrustful of people as of late, and you have done nothing to deserve such treatment. And that was before you helped us with this latest concern." She eyed the bodies with distaste. I would be a fool to turn you away after what you've done for Teija and Philip. And myself. We would be fortunate to have you join our camp. Will you join us?"
That came as a surprise. I hadn't expected her to change her mind so quickly. Still, I wasn't about to turn down the opportunity. Sonja's camp was on the border of the territory I had already explored, and the access to fresh water and others to watch over Teija would be an immense help.
"We'd be glad to, thank you." Philip cheered, and Sonja's expression softened. "Let me go tell Teija, and we will bring our belongings."
[New camp location secured.]
Teija was overjoyed when I shared the good news, and together we had the camp packed up and ready to go in short order. The journey to the camp was uneventful, though I was still jumpy after my recent fight. Sonja was waiting for us outside, and Teija grinned at her.
"I knew you'd come around. And what happened to your hand? Its injured. Here, take this."
Teija dug a healing potion out from her belongings, and Sonja took it gratefully. The injury must have pained her greatly, but she hadn't let it show. The woman may have well been carved from stone.
"Thank you, Teija. Come," Sonja said, waving for us to follow. "Let me show you around."
She approached the dead end, the one I'd seen Philip disappear through the day before, and twisted a particular piece of wood. The pile of trash shuddered, and she pulled. A section of the wall swung outward. Apparently Sonja had concealed a door behind all the trash, with a shortcut that only Philip could fit through. Clever.
Their camp was a small collection of rooms, connected by a series of winding hallways, all sharing the one entry point they'd come through. Sonja had done the best with what she had, that much was clear. She'd set a room aside for storage and had somehow set up a small anvil and forge. A ring of candles, barely more than stubs, lay around the forge like a shrine and she had affixed a crude approximation of a sunburst to the wall above it, out of scrap metal. The forge glowed, not just orange from the heat, but with a separate soft aura to my [Arcane Sight]. There was magic in that little shrine.
True to Teija's memory, one hallway dead-ended in a fountain running with clear water, drawn from directly underneath by some inscrutable method. The water was pure and cool, and Sonja brushed her hammer when she pointed it out to them.
[You have found a source of fresh water.]
"The Sunfather drew me in this direction when I first awoke, and it was here that I met Philip and Teija. I don't know where the fountain draws its water, but it has yet to run dry or been polluted by any means. You are free to use as much as you like."
They had set aside the last room as a living quarter. A cooking pot hung over a campfire, circled by rocks to stop Philip from falling into it. Two pallets, little more than scraps of hide and cloth as their own had been, lay close to the fire to take in the heat as they slept. Philip was sitting on a rock, facing away from the fire, and playing with his little toy horse. His face lit up as Sonja showed us in, and he ran toward us, wrapping himself around Teija's waist in an enormous hug.
"Auntie Teija, you're back!" Teija lifted him up and hugged him tightly, leaving his short legs dangling in the air.
"Philip! It's been so long. You've grown so much! Last time I saw you, you were barely as tall as my knees." Philip laughed.
"That's not true. I saw you just a few days ago. I'm the same size!"
Sonja and I shared a look as the two chatted briefly, and the woman smiled gently.
"There is plenty of room for both of you, so make yourselves at home. We have a week's worth of food, though no meat or luxuries. I will never be so desperate as to eat the flesh of those creatures out there."
Teija looked around, beaming.
"It's wonderful. I see you doubled back after Torrel and I moved on. The fountain was just too good of a find to move on, huh? I don't blame you at all. I regretted leaving it behind for ages, but that arrogant prick was certain he had seen a staircase somewhere in this place."
"Staircase?" I asked. "Did it lead out?"
"He said it did, but knowing him, it may have been a dream on his part. I'm not even sure I believe he found one to begin with, but you never know. If there's a way in, there has to be a way out, though, right?"
I noticed Sonja bite her lip and brush her hammer at that. Worrying. Still, I had to try. We would never be free of this place if we sat huddled in the dark like rats.
"If it exists, I'll find it. If nothing else, it is something to look for."
[Investigate rumors of a staircase.]
"And while you're doing that, I'll keep us all stocked with food and alchemic supplies!"
"Not in here you won't." Sonja said sharply. "You'll keep your craft by the forge. I don't want Philip breathing in any of those fumes."
"Right, of course not. I wouldn't dream of it." Teija's flush suggested otherwise.
"I didn't expect to be moving, and so I left my supplies at the old camp. I'll head back and bring the rest while you get settled in."
"I'll show you how to hide the entrance on your way out." Sonja said and followed me, leaving Teija and Philip to chatter happily behind us.
I paid close attention as Sonja closed the passage behind us, showing me how to secure it whenever I left on my expeditions. It wouldn't do to be stuck outside.
"So?" I asked, keeping my tone casual. "What made you change your mind?"
Sonja studied me for a moment, tapping a finger against her hammer. It was a habit of hers, apparently. She would touch the hammer when she stressed, ruminated, or something reminded her of her patron deity. She came to a decision and took a deep breath.
"There is a darkness about you, Ciaphas. A remnant of some foul magic. I don't know what it is, and so long as you don't hurt anyone under my protection, I don't want to know. You use it to protect, and that's the important thing. The Sunfather is the patron of the light, communities, and smiths. Every member of his flock knows that you cannot have light without shadow, and that in the right circumstances, even the shadows can serve the Sunfather. I was unsure which your powers were. Darkness or shadow."
"Is there such a big difference between the two?" Sonja nodded seriously, but didn't answer.
"Last night, as I slept, the Sunfather sent me a vision. That vision, along with your treatment of Teija and Philip, was enough to convince me of your good intentions and character. Again, I ask for your forgiveness for my trepidation. I dislike this power of yours, and I will pray the Sunfather keeps your soul clean of its corruption, but I will trust and protect you just as I do the others. So long as you do not give me reason otherwise."
Her hand lay still on her hammer as she said that, and I understood her implication. If I were to do so, she would correct the mistake immediately.
"I appreciate it. Will you tell me the details of your dream? I'll admit, I'm curious." Sonja just smiled at me faintly.
"That is between the Sunfather and myself. If you are meant to know, he will tell you."
Right. Should have guessed.
"Fair enough. I'll head to the old camp and gather the supplies. I took scrap metal and leather from the goblins I have killed while I've been here. Do you think you can do anything with it?"
"It depends on the quality, but I always have need of materials. The more you bring me, the more comfortable I will make us in this place. As well as solidify our defenses." She looked at the wall of trash and frowned. "Right now, the goblins have yet to discover the entrance, but I suspect they are close to finding it. Their patrols wander the areas more frequently, hunting for us. The wall hides us well enough, but it will fall quickly under an attack and will burn all too well if they try. More metal would allow me to shore up our defenses in case of emergency."
I nodded. That was all I needed to hear.
"Then I'll bring all I have gathered so far and be on the lookout for more. We'll turn this place into a fortress yet."
[Improve the camp's defenses before the next attack.]
Stop giving me tasks! I have enough work to do already.
I was losing my mind.
It took me two trips to bring back all I had gathered. If I didn't have access to that magical storage, it would have been closer to a dozen. I salvaged what wood I could and left the place as barren as we had found it. I considered bringing the goblins along, but quickly discarded the thought. They weren't going anywhere.
Sonja cocked an eyebrow at me when I came back empty-handed for the first time. Until I dumped out a full load of scrap metal, wood, and leather right next to her forge. She was still sorting it all out when I dropped off the second.
"You are handy to have around, aren't you?"
I had expected more of a reaction, honestly. I had just produced wagon loads worth of materials essentially out of the pockets of my rough tunic, and that was all she had to say? Did the other people in this place not experience the magic the same way I did? The intrusive thoughts, the notifications, the levels and points and equipment?
Was I alone in this madness?
"I'm going to patrol the area." I said, needing to get away. To be alone.
"I'll sort the rest of this out while you're gone. Teija is making dinner, so don't be too long. I can't promise Philip will save you any. His stomach is already bottomless."
That didn't seem too bad, honestly. I was already sick of bland rice.
I wandered the halls uneventfully, mostly using the opportunity to familiarize myself with the area and filling in my crude map. Originally, I had woken up in a room I'd since chosen to depict as south, for lack of better direction. Northwest from there was the room I'd fought the two goblins. And died for the first time. To the east of that was an offshoot from the main corridor that dead-ended and been the location of my first camp.
North from there was, in order: the room I had encountered Wulthark for the first time, the room I had first met Philip, then the secret entrance to our new camp. That split off with the crafting area to the east, and living area to the west, with the fountain just to the south of that connecting to the hallway between the two.
The only path I had yet to explore was a hallway leading east from the round room I had met Philip, where the goblins had fled after I drove them off. Now that I thought about it, that path was the only possible direction they could come from, which meant their own camp had to be past it somewhere. I considered heading there immediately, eager to explore unfamiliar territory, but my stomach rolled and complained loudly, reminding me I hadn't eaten since waking.
Tomorrow, then.
I got back to the camp to see Philip filling his bowl, grains of rice stuck to his cheeks. His second helping, then. Sonja hadn't been kidding. The two women were chatting happily, holding bowls of their own. To be more accurate, Teija was talking. Sonja was nodding politely occasionally, and her eyes had a familiar glazed expression. I had only known Teija for a few days, and I had worn it myself many times. She was delightful company, but she always had something to say.
Many things. Without taking a breath in between. Fortunately, now she had more targets to divide her attention.
I scooped a bowl of rice for myself, pleasantly surprised to see colorful bits of vegetables mixed in. Teija saw my surprise and smiled.
"Sonja and I combined our food stores. With the rice we brought, we can stretch out our supplies for another week. It'll be a bit more interesting, too, rather than just bland rice."
"And filling." Sonja said, eyeing Philip. "Vegetables alone don't go a very long way to filling an empty belly."
"Well, thank you, both of you. I'll see what I can do about finding more food supplies before we run low. There has to be something around here that we can use to sustain ourselves long term. These goblins have to be eating something."
[Find a renewable source of food.]
I guess I brought that one on myself.
"Sonja says they eat people and horses, right Sonja?" Philip asked, spraying rice on her as he turned.
"Philip! Don't speak when your mouth is full. You are wasting food. And I said they might eat people, not that they do for certain."
"See? So if we don't get eaten, they will all get hungry and go away. Then no more goblins." The boy nodded to himself proudly, and Teija laughed.
"I like that plan!"
If only it were that easy.
After the meal, I spent my new points while Teija and Philip cleaned the bowls with water from the fountain.
[Mind improved to 10.]
[Maximum Focus improved.]
[Intelligence improved.]
[Spirit improved to 7.]
[Focus recovery has improved.]
[Resilience has improved.]
[Apprentice Mage Skill unlocked: Improved Mind]
Apprentice Mage? Was that what I needed to access the stronger spells detailed in True Secrets of the Mortal Flesh?
[Apprentice Mage Skill acquired]
[New spells available to learn from Spell Book.]
I drew the tome out of my storage place, as expected it glowed blue to my sight, and barely noticed the surrounding conversation fall silent, too engrossed in flipping through the pages. More of the book made sense now. Not all of it, of course. Most of it was still unintelligible. But enough to sate my curiosity for now.
[True Secrets of the Mortal Flesh: Apprentice Spells: Animate Dead, Boneshaker, Curse Terrain, Skull Sentry.]
[Apprentice spells cannot be cast with current equipment. Requirements: Apprentice Staff.]
I grunted in annoyance. So even though I could understand them, I couldn't use them. That was… unfortunate. I would need to replace my staff in order to use the higher level spells detailed in the book. So far, Wulthark carried the only other staff I had seen.
Well. He is the one that attacked me. Maybe it is time to return the favor.
Philip's crying interrupted my thoughts. He pressed tightly against Teija's side, his face buried in her shirt, and his shoulders shook heavily from the weight of his sobs. Teija was consoling him, rubbing his back and speaking softly, but she was glaring at me. Sonja too, now that I looked. Or rather, she was glaring at the book in my hand. And tapping her hammer with nervous energy.
"What's wrong?" I asked, honestly confused. Had I done something?
"You don't feel it, do you?" Sonja asked, watching my expression carefully. "You haven't even noticed it."
"Noticed what?"
"That thing is evil, Ciaphas!" Teija accused, causing Philip to cry harder. "I can feel it from over here and I'm not even sensitive to arcane magic."
I put the book back into storage, and the effect on the others was immediate. Both women visibly relaxed, and Philip's sobs eased.
"I didn't realize it would have so strong an effect on you. I'm sorry, I'll keep it secure while I'm in the camp."
"I would feel better if you destroyed it." Sonja said, her fingers still tapping a staccato rhythm. "Now I know why I sensed the foul energies that I did when we first met. Items like that… They are powerful, yes, and they can be useful in the right circumstances. I assume the book is how you were able to defeat the group that attacked us yesterday. Am I correct?"
I nodded carefully. Where was she going with this?
"Those types of artifacts are powerful. So much so that they leave their mark on any who use them. The longer you use them, the more powerful the effect. I will not presume to tell you what to do with it. It wouldn't do any good if I did. But I will warn you, as a friend. Should the taint in you grow beyond your control, should you become a danger to this camp, I will drive you out with the power given to me by the Sunfather."
How could I respond to that? Fortunately Sonja didn't seem to expect a response at all, as she just sat right back down at the fire and took Philip onto her lap. A few questions about his toy horse and Philip was back to his normal self, other than his puffy red eyes. Even Teija seemed satisfied with the situation and left for the crafting room to work with her chemicals.
That left me on my cot, staring up at the low stone ceiling, alone with my thoughts. There was still far too much I didn't understand about the world I had found myself in. The more I learned, the more questions arose. And the more dangerous the situation grew.
Tomorrow I would explore the eastern passage. With any luck, I could take the goblin sorcerer's staff and practice the more advanced magic in the book. But after that? I didn't know.
Philip woke up in tears that night. Loudly enough to wake us all up with him. He complained of having a nightmare that dead people were coming for us, glowing with a bad green light. The woman glared at me as they soothed him, and eventually he fell back into a restless sleep.
Neither of them spoke to me the next morning, and I left the camp hungry.
