Neophyte World Builder

Chapter 135: Ward

PLUME (SHINETAIL)

The world had changed.

Three days ago, Plume had thought of himself only as Shinetail, the eager young rooken who was attempting to prove himself worthy of joining the Exploration Corps. A dream from the inexperienced youth that he’d held for most of his adolescence, to see the wider world beyond the Soot Valley. It wasn’t a bad dream to have, especially with the rumors of the dungeons returning after generations of decline.

Awakening one morning with the memories of one of the most famous rooken in history had not been expected.

Metal was everywhere now, and even scouts and couriers often wore lightweight ‘moonsteel’ if they ventured into dangerous areas. The Scourge, the enemy he’d seen bring his people and their elven allies into war, were still a threat… but quiet in this region, holding an uneasy peace with his valley and the neighboring nations. The dungeons he’d discovered before he even understood numbers and counting had become well-known, but more and more rare.

Until these past few years.

Plume shook out his feathers with a grumpy caw, dusting off the shower of needles from the trees around him. This spot was quiet, he’d remembered from being Shinetail – was still Shinetail, in a way – and it had a great view of the ever-burning valley below, but this time of year the wind really made it inconvenient. If he hadn’t needed the privacy to think, he’d have already left.

He knew it was octuries in the future. All his friends were long dead, even the few Aravel elves he’d met. Perhaps Messenger was still alive, but his current home was far from the Elven Homelands, and he did not know the way back. He could ask for guidance, but what would be there? How had it changed?

“You must be very confused.”

Plume turned about with a jerk, clumsily reaching for his slingshot… fighting with Shinetail’s instincts to go with his knife instead. He lowered his foot when he saw the Calen elf nearby, tail swaying, sitting on the grass just a few hops away. Another of the new additions to the world reminded him of its presence.

The notification provided no bonus, but the relatively high rank told him – via Shinetail’s young but still adult memories – that this was an elf who met few people. More interesting still, they must be someone important to trigger an Achievement at all. The lack of an effect for such a high-ranking Achievement was a little strange, though.

“Who are you?” Plume’s question was more to give himself some time to settle than demanding a real answer. He knew her name, but he also knew that no elves lived in the valley or surroundings. It would have taken several hours to reach the nearest elven settlement, and Calen were rare there anyway. And that time would be for a rooken. An elf, moving on foot, would be looking at over a day’s journey.

Wryna waved her tail and kept her ears perked, putting on all the signs of being friendly. “That isn’t important. All you need to know is I’m responsible for bringing your past life’s memories to the surface. We never met, even when you were alive before, but you met someone else important to me. This was meant to be a reward for all you did for your people, but I have a favor to ask.”

Plume cocked his head to the side. “Why should I do you a favor?”

The elf laughed and swished her tail. “Were you always this cheeky? I just told you I could manipulate your soul and memory and you’re trying to negotiate?” She didn’t seem offended, simply amused, and tapped a finger to her jaw. “I was planning to offer you something anyway for the trouble. I don’t even like to talk about how this works, but to put it in simple terms, I was going to arrange to get you a post-death reward. Again. If it’s within my power, anyway. You refused godhood last time, you wanted this instead. To see the world of the future.”

He didn’t remember asking for that, but Plume had to admit that did sound like something he’d ask for. “Could I request to see something no other rooken has seen?”

Wryna tilted an ear up. “That shouldn’t surprise me, considering your attitude. I… can do that, but no guarantees you’d be a rooken when that opportunity presents itself. You could end up an elf, or a dwarf, or something even weirder. I’ll try my best to make it something you can adjust to, but I don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep. Would that work for you?”

Plume hadn’t expected an offer like that, but he lowered his head slightly in wariness. “Who are you and why are you asking me to do something? What is the task? I should know that before I agree.”

“So demanding!” Wryna spread her hands and laughed. “I can’t tell you some of that. Like I said, it isn’t important who I am. I can tell you that I’m doing this as a favor for my daughter. I want you to protect another rooken that she cares about very deeply. The rooken is unaware of this, because his memories are sealed like yours once were.”

On the surface, that seemed reasonable. Yet Plume couldn’t help but notice an inconsistency that had his feathers ruffle upward.

“If this is so important to you, why can’t you do it yourself?” He hopped forward, lifting his head up in that questioning manner of his kind. “Protecting your young I understand, but why me?”

Wryna flicked her ears down briefly, but her annoyance didn’t show in her voice. “I will be busy helping her in whatever way I can. Some people are attempting to hurt her, and I want to handle that personally.”

Plume lowered his head and peered at the odd Calen. “Why not ask a dragon to make a quest? Or find a Dragon Regent? Why ask me? What if I say no?”

“I’m going to try not to be annoyed by all these questions, because I’m sure I’d ask the same in your position.” Wryna let out a sigh and leaned back, looking into the sky. “I don’t want it to be a Quest. I want someone I know can do the job, and as I was going to explain, preferably without the one you’re protecting knowing they are protected by a Quest. Also, the one you are to protect was, in a past life, a Dragon Regent. I’d rather not involve another if I can help it. I’m not sure there is one this generation anyway. I didn’t bother to look.”

The elf mumbled something that even Plume’s sharp hearing couldn’t catch, and didn’t sound like any language he knew. A moment later, her tail waved as if trying to shoo something away.

“And you are free to refuse,” Wryna finally answered the last question. “You earned this second life without the need to do me any favors. If you say no, I will just walk away and find some other way to protect him. I only thought of you because you were nearby and I know you’re a competent and discreet person. You made a very good impression on Reyth.”

That was a name Plume remembered well. He’d been older when meeting the elf, but didn’t remember making an impression. “She barely looked at me,” he chirped quietly. “That was a long, long time ago. You are not a Calen.”

Wryna’s ears flicked up in amusement, and she spread her hands wide. “You’re very right about that. But I can give you good equipment, a location, and the name of the one you’re to protect. Does it matter that I’m not what I appear to be? Isn’t what I want and the reasons I want it what’s important?”

Plume let out his own sigh. The rooken had made his decision much earlier. If this strange being had asked him to kill someone, it would be a different matter… but protecting some random rooken? He had no reason to suspect malice here, and the elf’s own ability to silently arrive told him that she was competent as well.

The rooken turned about once more. “I am weaker than before. I remember many things, but this body is young, and the level is low. Will I be able to do what you ask?”

Spreading her hands, Wryna’s ears lifted again in a gentler show of reassurance. “I only ask that you try. You’re the first hero the rooken people had, I’m sure you can figure it out. If you draw upon your old memories, your Skills should increase much faster than normal, and your level will also increase swiftly. Normally I’d try to give you more power, but I’m trying to conserve my energy. Even appearing before you is more than I’d like to spare.”

Plume bobbed his head. “If I wish to stop later, would that be allowed?”

“Yes,” Wryna confirmed, relaxing again. “The only thing that I ask is that you send a prayer to Solen, asking for your ward’s safety. Eventually she will let me know that you have moved on from this and I can find someone else. I’m afraid I’m not a god, so I can’t take your prayers directly.”

A stretch of his wings tested his muscles, and Plume considered that. “I will do it. Is there anything else that I can do to help?”

Wryna clapped her hands together and hopped to her feet. “Thank you! I’m grateful for your help. You don’t need to do anything else, but if you’d like to make the world a better place – and make my life easier – just encourage people to resolve all these new dungeons quickly.”

His feathers fluffed, and Plume cocked his head curiously at the stranger. “I have heard many more are appearing. Is this true? Is it a problem?”

“Not a problem anyone can solve alone, but dungeons guard against problems in the System.” Wryna flicked her tail as she stretched out, arms above her head. “So if people like the System, then dungeons should be handled quickly. It says as much when you enter one, doesn’t it?”

She turned and lifted her ears to him. “Thank you for this. I owe you something nice later. Let me show you how to get where you need to go.”

Plume settled in with a light chirp. “If I see more of the world, I am happy to help.”