noveltune [1100.4] – Y05.100.4 – The Realms Beyond IV
[1100.4] – Y05.100.4 – The Realms Beyond IV
[1100.4] – Y05.100.4 – The Realms Beyond IV
“Ah,” Adam said, realising how people could travel out so easily to and from the dungeons town floors. ‘Teleportation circles...’ For some reason, Adam thought there was something he was forgetting.
The Guildmaster checked their levels, full of shock, since they were each certainly A Rank now. There was no way they could have bought their way in, especially since Sir Radun was the current Guildmaster watching over that floor. ‘How did they... in a matter of months?’
It wasn’t long before Adam and his companions were called upon by a knight in heavy armour, wearing a cloak as bright as the sun. She wielded a magical blade at her side, one that suited her station.
“The Count has called for you,” the knight said.
“Okay.” Adam rubbed the side of his neck. ‘I should at least hear them out.’
The manor was larger than the Baroness’, and certainly to others, far more impressive. Adam, on the other hand, admired the food, that he picked at slowly, while the Count and Countess spoke with Kitool.
“I have heard your abilities are impressive,” the Count said. “Your rapid ascension to A Rank has sparked quite the interested.”
“We wished to gain the position earlier, but the Guild would not grant us the rank before we proved ourselves,” Kitool said.
“Where are you from that you grew so powerful at such a young age?”
“We are from far away.”
“A convenient excuse,” the Countess accused.
“Yes,” Kitool replied simply.
“However, you have proved yourselves capable. My husband and I will soon form a team for the Expeditions to the New World. We would like for you to represent our interests there, along with a few other adventurers. After dealing with the local wildlife, and the savages, you will be-,”
“No,” a voice interrupted. “We won’t do it.”
Jurot slowly nodded his head. He had expected as much, considering what this sounded like. Adam had already ranted enough about his first life for him to take on such a mission.
“The wealth in this new continent is unimaginable, the dungeons there, unclaimed yet by any family. If you-,”
“No.” Adam’s eyes darted towards his companions. “We’re not doing that.”
“Okay,” Jurot replied simply.
The Countess fell silent, her cheeks flushing slightly, though the white of her make up hid her anger. “You may even gain status as a noble.”
“If I wanted to be a noble, I’d become a noble. I’m sick of that life, and I don’t intend to return to it any time soon. We refuse this particular task.”
“Do you think it’s wise to show us such disrespect?”
“I’m sure there are plenty of nobles who want A Rank adventurers on their payroll. Barons, Counts, Dukes, I'm sure even a King would look out for such. We're resting at the moment, but I'm sure we can complete a few requests in the next year to bring us to S Rank. If nothing else, we can just go to the fiftieth floor.”
“Is it so easy?”
“The amount of times I have been asked that question would surprise you. Usually it's about me defeating someone. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the A Rank fellow said it too before I beat him. I healed him and when he stabbed me in the back, I beat him again.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Look, Countess. I’m sure you’re a somebody in this land. I’m sure you and your husband hold a lot of power, have a lot of respect from all kinds of people, but from where I’m from, you’d barely be considered a Village Chief. You aren’t the first noble who has thought to try to oppress us, and your castle probably won’t be the last one we have to burn down to teach you nobles a lesson.”
Jaygak smiled, letting out a soft sigh. ‘Is it that bad, Adam?’
“Allow me to do the talking,” Kitool said.
Adam exhaled. “Don’t worry. I’ve got no plans to kill any nobles. This time.”
“Killing nobles is an offence punishable by death.”
“They weren’t nobles of this land, and it’s fine, since I was a higher rank than them anyway.” Adam dismissed the words with a wave of his hand.
“You were a noble?”
“A... royal?” Adam glanced aside to Jurot. “I was a Duke, if it’s so important.”
“You... were?”
“I killed too many Kings not to be at least a Duke,” Adam said. “I decided against taking the title of King after the conquests, and put someone else on the throne before I left.”
“...”
“What?” Adam asked once they were back at the Guild. “It’s not like they’d believe me.”
“It is not impossible,” Jurot said.
“Since it is plausible, they may think twice. They may still send the guards to kill us.”
“Should we head to the capital?” Jaygak asked.
“I thought this was the capital.”
“This is the duchy’s capital.”
“Oh.”
It didn’t take long for the group to decide to head out. They journeyed for almost ten days towards the capital of the kingdom, which was larger than Pitcastle by quite a large amount, though the population was only slightly larger. Though the city was home to a grand citadel made of glass, a large tower that appeared to be almost a giant spear that had fallen into the earth, a giant bronze statue, a stone dragon, and so many more mysterious and unique landmarks, Adam cared little for them.
Once within The Silver Fool, an inn that held certain luxuries, but did not hold the riff raff of the higher class, the group checked out their items, noting all the dragon scales, bones, and all the other magical items they possessed. They had changed most of their silver to gold, in order to keep their rings light, and even bought various gems. Jaygak had also noted some gems were worth slightly less in this world, so if they bought them here, they could make a greater profit within their own world. Adam took the opportunity to buy massive amounts of such gems, with little intention to sell them.
Adam, upon Kitool’s advice, decided to go for the alchemy exam with Jurot, but upon seeing their attitude, he decided against it.
“A goblin enchanter?” Adam asked, having passed by a group of adventurers to his room.
“Mind your own business,” the adventurer replied, before noting Adam’s rank.
Adam placed down a handful of gold. “Drinks on me. Now, about this goblin enchanter, please.” His genuine smile disarmed the adventurers, who informed him about the enchanter.
“Unfortunately, it’s hard to meet them, not unless you have a lot of renown, and your purse is heavy with gold, maybe more.”
“I’m not sure about renown, but...” Adam’s eyes darted to Jurot, who nodded, and the pair stepped back out.
Gord’s Enchantery.
The sign was large, the wood carved and painted with a deft hand, well placed within the rich part of the city, Adam noting the guards following the pair as they approached the enchantery. It was a rather large estate, more like a castle of wood, with walls that were easily two stories tall, with runes carved throughout. Standing outside was a particularly large warrior adorned in full plate, and as they undid their visor, Adam noted they were a beastkin, a lion.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Oh. No.”
“Why have you come?”
“I wanted to chat with the enchanter.”
“If you have no business with the enchanter, you should leave.”
“Well, we’d like to chat, but we’re not opposed to ordering a magical item or two. Please give the enchanter my greetings.” Adam reached into his cloak, pulling out a gem worth fifty gold, and another worth a hundred. “One for you, one for the enchanter. Please inform them that our party, the Platinum Fate Troop, wishes to chat.”
As the days passed, they heard of the two S Rank parties which made their home within the capital, the Golden Dragons and the Black Tigers.
“The Black Tigers were formed from members who were kicked out of the Golden Dragon for being... not quite their image,” a slightly tipsy adventurer explained upon his fourth drink. “They’re both vying for the top spot.”
“Oh...” Adam feigned interest in the politics of the city. ‘I guess we could speak with both, potentially?’
As the days passed, Adam realised something.
“We... get to take the items back with us, right? All of them?”
“All of them,” Jurot promised.
“Then I should buy a few gifts while I’m here.”
Jurot could feel the joy radiating out of his brother as he bought gift after gift for the children, threatening to fill up a whole ring. He bought small trinkets, weapons, shields, and so much more. When it came to buying gifts, surely the half elf was S Rank.
Adam reached down to rub the bracelet at his wrist, staring down at it. It was the first bracelet Elsie had given to him, the one she had made with all her siblings. ‘I should have at least brought something from my own children...’
It wasn’t long until they heard word back.
Gord’s Enchantery may have been a large castle on the outside, but within, it was almost a garden, with greenery all abound. One might have thought the enchanter was an alchemist. Sitting at a gazebo, with another guard, was the goblin enchanter, green of skin, green of eyes, wrinkled by time. She was adorned in simple attire, but wearing all manner of jewellery, and bits and pieces of armour.
“Good morning, Master Gord,” Adam said, bowing lightly.
“Just Gord,” she replied, her voice low, almost toad like. “Not no miss. Not no lady. Just Gord.”
“I’m Adam, an A Rank adventurer, and this here is my brother, Jurot.”
She nodded her head to Jurot, before noting his tattoos, feeling a sense of familiarity with the tattoos. ‘Is he one of the tattooed ones that love to kill?’ “Why did you wish to speak with me?” She snapped her fingers, and cups floated over, and she poured them a broth of soup, rather than a cup of tea.
“I wished to talk about enchanting with you, if you don’t mind.”
“Obviously.”
“I meant how you enchant.”
“You want to see me enchant?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I just... wanted to ask. I have a friend who knows how to enchant, and he invited me to see him enchant, but it’ll be a while before we see each other again.”
“You know an enchanter?”
“Yes.”
“Halt!” The Commander glanced up towards Jurot, who continued to circle around the air. “What are you doing?”
“It is difficult to stop,” Jurot admitted.
“I’ll drop down,” Adam said, his brother letting go of him, allowing the half elf to plunge into the water. There, Adam noted more seafolk, as well as the missing people, who were within large bubbles, each dishevelled. He resurfaced, panting for air.
“What happened?” the Commander asked, his eyes towards the Captain of the ship.
“A skirmish. We didn’t hear the war restarted.”
“Terrible luck.” The Commander eyed up the rest of the group. “Is this all?”
“It is.”
“Do you have the paperwork?”
“On the ship.”
“In the black chest?” the Commander asked.
“In the gold chest.”
“Ah. From the South?”
“Yes.”
With that, the seafolk assisted the overlanders, their seacarriages taking them to their underwater kingdom. The buildings of coral, wood, and stone were taller than most cities Adam had seen, easily reaching twenty stories tall, many at least five to six stories. The group were eventually brought to a dry section of the land, though the gentle mist of water sprayed through the air, only stopping outside the walls of the various stone buildings which made up the castle.
“Terrible luck,” Jaygak said, rubbing her thumb along the bandages around her knee.
“Sorry, Jaygak. I didn’t notice,” Adam apologised, flushing slightly, seeing the way the woman looked at her knee. Her eyes were filled with annoyance.
“There was little we could do,” Jaygak said. “It was Fate. At least we can finally return home soon.”
“Soon?”
Jaygak glanced around, before smiling. “Once we’re on land, we can head home.”
“Sure.”
The soldiers kept them in for a few days, checking on each of the passengers, keeping them imprisoned within the castle, before finally escorting them up to a nearby island where they could charter a ship.
“Thank you again, Commander,” the Captain said, shaking the Commander’s forearm.
“The currents guide you,” the Commander replied, before the seafolk soldiers returned back to the sea.
‘I had no idea the people were so...’ Adam wasn’t sure what to think of this land. It was so full of people he despised, but then also people so eager to help one another. The seafolk may have kept them imprisoned, but they had, seemingly without cost, put them up for days, and had even brought them to land, without taking even a copper.
Thankfully, Adam and his companions had kept their belongings within their rings, and the soldiers had even assisted in finding their armour for them, which hadn’t taken them long. Adam eyed up his chain mail, glad he had taken it and not his puthral. ‘I should really enchant my armour. It needs to be Greater, at least. Should I enchant it with a Legendary enchantment? Will the Iyr allow it?’
They travelled upon the seas towards a nearby continent, going from port to port.
Jaygak stared at the ceiling of her tiny room, that which she shared with Kitool, who was stretching her legs upon the deck. ‘At least it was my leg and not theirs.’ Jaygak reached up to her eyes, covering them. Though she was glad her leg had been crippled, since she had already decided to retire, but she couldn’t help but feel that, even in this world, the Gak family was not allowed to rise.
‘Jaygak,’ Kitool had called, offering the girl her pepper.
‘It is your pepper, Kitool,’ Jaygak had replied, before her eyes fell to her father to see if he was looking, the girl quickly eating the pepper from Kitool’s hand.
‘Jaygak! How can you eat Kitool’s pepper?’
‘No!’ The girl gasped, shaking her head. ‘I did not! Kitool said I can have it!’
‘Kitool, did you say Jaygak could have it?’ Jogak asked, raising his brow.
Kitool looked at Jaygak, who pouted towards her. Kitool’s lips quivered, before she began to cry, only for Citool to place her hand upon Kitool’s bob.
“Kitool.”
Kitool’s tears fell, but she did not groan or whimper, instead bowing her head slightly. “Yes.”
Jaygak’s lips quivered, almost threatening to cry at Kitool’s joke. “You see, daddy?”
“I see,” Jogak said, ruffling his daughter’s hair, before returning back to his own meal. He peeked towards his wife, before letting out a sigh. “How can I help it when my daughter is so cute?”
Lavgak shook her head lightly, letting out a soft sigh. ‘This is why she always bullies you.’
“Come, Kitool,” Citool called, taking her daughter to the extended family estate. Feeling the girl’s small hands against her own, she smiled. Sometimes, her daughter would cry to cause more trouble, but in front of her, it was futile. “If you cry, your cousin will learn to cry so much too.”
Kitool blinked. “I will not cry.”
“You may cry if you wish to cry.”
“I will not.” The girl stood a little taller and prouder. “Mama?”
“We can go to the toilet.”
Kitool narrowed her eyes towards her mother. ‘How you know?’
She was many years older when she walked upon the deck, recalling the memories of old. She stared out towards the sea, which could swallow them up at any moment, for no reason at all. She was but a girl, barely out of her clothy in her memory. She closed her eyes, feeling the cool wind of the sea, and the cool wind of that day.
Kitool clutched his shirt tight, though she had no need to, for her grandfather held her so close to her chest. He skipped through the land with ease, as though floating from cloud to cloud, then, as they came upon the river, he ran upon the surface, before leaping onto the other side. He turned, reaching down with a finger to tickle her nose.
“Did you see?”
“No.”
“Shall I walk upon the water again?”
Kitool stared up at her grandfather, pouting slightly, but she slowly nodded her head.
“If you are too afraid, you can say no, my Kit.” Zaool leaned down to nuzzle her nose. “If you soil your clothy, your mother will tell me off.”
“I do not wear clothy any more.” The girl sat up taller. “I do not need it.”
“Wow! You have grown so much, my Kit! You are... three?”
“I am four now, baba.” Kitool narrowed her eyes at her grandfather. “You are just joking.”
“Haha! You really are so big now!” Zaool chuckled.
She could still remember her grandfather then. It was one of the last times she had met him. The last time she had seen him, it had been raining. The rain was cold then, she could remember it even as a child.
“You let him leave?” Zaool shouted. “Do you know what kind of mess he’ll cause?”
“Could you stop him?” Shaool asked.
“You could!”
“It is not my place to stop him.”
“Shaool!”
“You must understand my position, Zaool.”
Zaool clenched his fists. He quickly turned and left, sprinting towards the main estate.
Kitool had remembered just how tenderly he had held her, and had wished her aunt’s pregnancy well.
“You must watch over your cousin well,” Zaool said, brushing the girl’s hair gently.
“I know,” Kitool assured.
Kitool was too young to understand the meaning behind Zaool’s soft smile, the smile of an Iyrman who was about to leave the Iyr, with the understanding it may have been the last time.
However, she was old enough then to understand. She opened her eyes to stare out at the sea. She understood why her grandfather, who was barely a Master back then, had gone to stop Jarot. She understood why he and Tangak had died during the fight with the Azure Terror.
“Did you enjoy the fresh air?” Jaygak asked as Kitool returned to their room.
“Jaygak,” Kitool called.
“...”
“I will continue to adventure.”
Jaygak smiled, unsure if she had ever seen Kitool thinking so deeply, so resolutely. “Now I can rest easier knowing those fools won’t get themselves killed so easily.”
“Your expectations are too high.”
“You can do it, since it’s you.”
Kitool’s jokes were so easily dealt with by Jaygak, the young Iyrman understanding why Adam found it difficult to deal with her. “I am sorry, Jaygak.”
Jaygak just smiled, letting out a defeated sigh. “It was Fate.”
Thus the party made their way back to the continent, and from the continent, to the West once more, to find the magical whirlpool which would send them back home. Their journeys were full of fights, but since they were all Masters, and outside of a few wyverns, they had very little to worry about.
A greater threat loomed on the horizon.
I skimmed some of this chapter and it made me sad.
Sorry, Jaygak.