Infinite Lives

Bryan was sitting by the campfire, stoking the embers with a stick.

We dealt with some bandits on the road and hunted a few monsters…

We have done a fair few requests, but this last week or so has not produced a reaction.

Bryan blew on the fire, and the flames ignited the kindling.

Hopefully we find something that involves saving people since that seemed to be the right track.

Erran and Len were talking in front of him while on logs.

“This has been great. I dreamed I’d one day be able to help people like this,” Erran said happily.

Len laughed and responded, “Yes, but be honest, it’s mostly Bryan and me helping.”

Bryan added various vegetables to the pot over the fire.

Erran sighed before speaking, “I know, I am not as strong as you guys… I will get there eventually.”

Len smiled and spoke, “At least you are good at calming people down, unlike Bryan and his literal but intimidating demeanour.”

Erran is good at calming them… don’t understand why they need it though.

Bryan was stirring the stew with a wooden ladle.

“So you are a Silver Rank, right? What Rank would Bryan be, you think…Gold?” Erran asked.

Len pondered for a moment before replying, “See, thing is, I don’t really know. I have worked with Gold Ranks; he is definitely stronger than they were.”

Erran scratched his head and then spoke, “That makes sense, and since he won’t register because it’s ‘inefficient and a waste of time’, we won’t find out.”

Well, yes. How would having a rank help what I am doing?

After a short while, Bryan served up the stew into bowls and handed one to Len and Erran while he sat opposite them with his own.

Erran ate several spoonfuls before stopping and watching Len take his first bite.

Len coughed and spluttered the food out; once he had composed himself, he spoke,

“What the fuck, so much garlic,” said Len before coughing again.

Food is well seasoned… he will learn to like it.

Len scowled at Erran, who was laughing.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” Len said.

Erran, while still laughing, responded, “You seem to like jokes, and this was worth it.”

Len sighed before turning to Bryan and speaking, “How much garlic did you put in?”

With how Erran reacted the first time… less than normal.

“Just one,” Bryan replied.

Len scowled at him before responding, “That was not one clove of garlic.”

Bryan tilted his head at Len before he spoke, “No, one bulb … I’d normally use more.”

Len’s eyes widened before he spoke, “Well, it is settled. To make Erran stronger, his new weapon can be Bryan’s stew, his enemies will beg for mercy”

Erran laughed with Len for a moment before Len spoke, “This is why you cooked until now, isn’t it Erran?”

Erran nodded while eating. Len laughed for a while before putting on a steely expression and attempting to shovel the food down his throat.

He is odd compared to other people.

Once they had eaten and calmed down, they settled down to rest with one staying on guard for part of the night.

In the morning, all were awake and packed away the camp.

They made their way to a nearby village guided by Erran. They approached, and Erran announced them.

One of the villagers approached and spoke, “If you insist on helping, one of our hunters should have returned by now, but they have not. If you could find them and return them, we would be very grateful.”

Saving a person potentially… this could work.

Bryan nodded and spoke, “Yes, we will help. Which direction should they be?”

The villager replied, “To the east, about an hour’s walk past the dungeon.”

Turning around, Bryan walked back through the gate with Len and Erran joining him.

They walked to the east for twenty minutes until they reached a small clearing with the mouth of the cave, like a rock poking out of the ground.

Hmm, the dungeon entrance is unusually wide.

They continued past and, for another thirty minutes, continued walking.

Len spoke up, “Well, I can see some faint footprints. So we are on the right track.”

Erran nodded and spoke, “Yeah, I think Bryan can track too, though I am not sure how.”

Enhance Senses.

Yes, Len is correct…the footprints lead ahead.

Dispel.

Len sighed before speaking again, “It is like travelling alone; don’t you two chat while you travel?”

Bryan shook his head and responded, “Unless there is something worth discussing, why would you create unnecessary noise?”

Len raised an eyebrow and responded, “To fight our most eternal and persistent foe, boredom.”

Erran chuckled before replying, “Well, I wouldn’t mind it. Bryan is too focused, I think; he always seems in deep thought.”

I will remain on task; we could run into anything… better to be prepared.

Erran and Len chatted for another ten minutes while they travelled.

Len suddenly stopped and raised his hand before speaking,

“Wait, the footprints get messy here… he went this way and then started to come back but ran into something with large feet and ran off to the right.”

Hmm, the larger prints are deep and mildly hoof-like… Orc, Boar, Minotaur or something like it.

“They ran into some kind of hoofed creature; we will need to pick up the pace,” Bryan stated.

They turned and walked faster towards the right.

After a while of walking, a loud stamping could be heard in the distance.

I could use my Enhance Senses or Threat Detection… but I’d rather save the Mana.

“Len, go ahead and scout the situation for us while we wait here,” Bryan stated while looking at Len.

Len nodded and ran off silently.

Erran unsheathed his sword before looking around nervously.

“I never seem to get over this feeling of dread knowing a fight is coming,” Erran said.

Bryan frowned and looked at Erran before speaking, “You shouldn’t need to fight; I will likely be able to handle it”

Erran sighed before replying, “Yes, but doesn’t battle sometimes make you afraid you might die.”

No… why would you fear it?

Bryan shrugged and responded, “No.”

Erran frowned at him and thought a moment before he spoke,

“I guess you are too strong to fear it, that or just very confident in yourself.”

Erran lightly chuckled; they continued to wait a few minutes until Len returned.

“It shouldn’t be hard for you, Bryan, but you may need to hurry. It’s an Orc, and the guy is hiding in a tree,” said Len.

Physical Enhancement Rank four.

With a quick nod, Bryan unsheathed his sword and dashed off.

The Orc, a large humanoid-pig creature, hit the base of a very large tree repeatedly with its club. Each of its hits shook the tree and surrounding ground.

Bryan dashed behind it, slicing the back of its legs with his sword. The Orc fell to its knees howling, but before it could react Bryan was stood behind it and with a fluid motion cut the head off, which fell to the ground.

He shouted back to the others, “It is dead.”

The man in the tree shouted down, “Feast and be gone demon!”

Why is he shouting that?

Bryan shrugged and, using his sword, began butchering the Orc and laying meat onto rocks nearby.

Len and Erran walked over and stood a distance away watching Bryan.

The man in the tree shouted again, “Adventurers, quick, attack this demon while it’s distracted!”

Len laughed for a while before replying, “Two problems. One is, I am good, but he would win, and two, he is an adventurer travelling with us.”

Walking over and patting Bryan on the back, Len yelled, “Oh no, this dangerous demon will get us all.” Len then sat down laughing.

I do not see how this helps us.

Erran sighed and walked up to the tree before speaking, “You can come down; the village sent us to bring you back.”

After a few moments, the man climbed down and spoke, “Wait… if he isn’t a demon, why is he cutting up the Orc?”

Bryan turned and looked at the man before speaking, “Its meat is good… why else?”

The man visibly shuddered before replying, “Adventurers will eat anything, I suppose.”

Len chimed in, “Hey, don’t lump us in with that weird guy.”

Once Bryan was finished, he collected all the meat and put it in his bag.

“We will escort you back now,” Bryan stated.

Len laughed again before he spoke, “Yes, escorted by a demon, a shrimp and a handsome elf… aren’t you lucky.”

He definitely laughs a lot.

Erran just shook his head at Len.

They began walking back the way they came.

Walking back, Len made the occasional demon joke about Bryan until they got to the dungeon.

They walked past the dungeon and travelled for another ten minutes before Len stopped and inspected the floor.

Bryan looked around, crouched and examined the floor also.

“Scorch marks, this is odd. The shape suggests a lot of dog-like creatures came through here recently,” Len said, rubbing his hand over footprints.

And this red scale is not something I would expect here.

“Whatever they are, they have red scales,” Bryan stated.

Len walked over and looked at the scale and said, “Hmm, looks like a Flame Wolf scale. But they shouldn’t be in this region.”

“Curious, we will keep an eye out,” Bryan responded.

The group walked back another five minutes.

The scorched tracks are still heading the same way we are.

A clearing in the trees allowed them to see the sky and a large black plume of smoke ahead of them.

We will need to pick up the pace.

Looking over, Len had a serious expression, and he spoke, “We should get there fast.”

Bryan nodded, and they unsheathed their weapons before they began jogging.

Once the walls of the village came into view, orange flame could be seen above the walls and screams mixed with metal clashing could be heard.

“Me and Len will go in and clear the monsters, Erran you protect this guy until it’s safe to come help us” Bryan stated.

They all nodded at each other before Bryan and Len darted for the gate.

In the square of the village, several buildings were damaged and on fire; some wolves were trying to dig into houses, others were fighting with villagers or munching on villagers on the floor.

Len darted to the left and started firing arrows at the wolves, while Bryan lifted a hand towards a wolf running at one of the fighting villagers.

Rock Shot.

The compressed rock cone shot through the side of the wolf’s neck and into the ground.

Physical Enhancement Rank Six.

Bryan dashed towards the struggling villager and, with an upward swing, sliced the head off a wolf.

He sliced another two that jumped towards him, but as he turned around, paws hit his chest and pushed him to the ground. The creature’s paws began heating the metal of his armour.

Tilting his free hand upward, Bryan concentrated.

Air Bolt.

A blast of air shot the wolf into the air above him. Bryan quickly got to his feet and aimed a hand up at it and fired three Rock Shots through it.

Another wolf tried to dive at him, but its head was impaled by an arrow and it slammed into the ground.

Taking a deep breath before dashing again, Bryan sliced through three more wolves.

He quickly looked around.

Threat Detection.

That was the last of them.

Dispel.

He shouted, “The wolves are dead!”

Bryan checked the people on the ground; three were dead and burned.

I need to put out the fires… but since the people hide in Hiding holes under the houses. A large Water Bolt may drown them.

Smaller skills will be needed.

Bryan held his hands up to the nearest house, and he concentrated.

Water Bolt.

A jet of water shot from his hands and began dousing the house; he gradually put out the fire.

Erran had come through the gate and with some of the villagers who were fighting they grabbed buckets and were throwing water on fires.

Bryan walked between houses using Water Bolt on them to put out the fires.

Once the fires were out Bryan rushed over to the villagers who fought and checked them over handing healing potions to the ones with burns, scratches and other injuries.

This should work; we are saving many.

Bryan pushed his way into one of the houses. The side wall was missing as it had been crushed inward, a man lay on the ground near the collapsed wall.

He rushed over to him to examine him.

Still alive, but missing his lower leg, an arm and a piece of debris is lodged in his stomach.

My only option is to try a potion.

Bryan rummaged through his bag and took out a potion, knelt down and began pouring it in the man’s mouth.

Waiting thirty seconds, Bryan watched, but nothing happened.

Bryan checked through his skills again.

Why don’t I have any healing skills…

Looking down, Bryan noticed the man’s eyes had glazed over as he had died.

“Fuck!” Bryan shouted as he threw his sword into the ground below him.

Taking a deep inhale, Bryan looked around.

That was not logical… There are other people to try to save.

He picked up his sword and left this house to check another.

Walking inside, he spoke, “The danger has gone; you can come out now.”

The floor in the centre of the room lifted, and two people crawled out of it, and one of them spoke, “Thank you,” Before bowing and rushing outside.

After everyone had been healed and rounded up, Bryan, Len and Erran stood with the remaining villagers.

That was not good enough; we failed because we got there too late.

“Do any of you know why Fire Wolves attacked you? They shouldn’t be in this area.” Bryan stated.

One villager stepped forward and spoke, “They shouldn’t be here. The only ones we know of around here live in the dungeon.”

Another spoke up, “Yeah, we have never seen them, only heard adventurers mention it about the dungeon.”

Curious.

Bryan nodded and bowed before walking to the gate, hearing Erran as he left.

“Keep any reward you may have; we know you will need it to fix the village,” Erran said before he and Len followed Bryan.

They walked into the forest to the east and set up camp a distance from the village.

While Erran cooked and Len was teasing him, Bryan sat thinking.

That didn’t produce the feeling… because we failed…

I need to deal with that dungeon and find some way to get there faster when something like this happens.