Chapter 7

Back to the trading post.

I’d had a blast returning to the Klayvale trading post with my teammates. I was bummed to have lost all my potions, including my level 2 potion bottle, but it was what it was.

My flagstaff was in rough shape. The spearhead was bent, and both Five of Gryf and Zekaidean’s Anvil were covered in gore. The wood of the staff was stained red, although the Life-steal marbling still held its sheen of dusk-ish colors.

We shared the loot amiably. I didn’t think we would quarrel over the loot, and I was pleased with what I negotiated: A gold nugget, a felt hat, 12 silver, and 4 onions. Yes—4 onions.

We’d each received a mana crystal, and after claiming the 8 mana points within, my total mana pool was now 59.

A mana pool of 59 was nowhere near enough. Especially since I was now out of potions. I’d lost 18 potions. 10 mana potions and 8 healing potions. That’s a potential 36 silver I’d lost in the blink of an eye.

The trading post was warm today. The late autumn sky was a dark grey. Though it was early afternoon, it felt like evening. A fog had curled into Klayvale and hunkered in the streets. Didn’t seem to bother anyone, and adventurers had once again packed the post to the brim.

Thankfully there wasn’t a lot of bartering going on. Meant I could spend a little more time selling off my new loot. The gold nugget sold for a single gold. The felt hat sold for 10 copper. Lastly, 4 onions sold for 4 copper. I paid for another weeks worth of stay in one of the bedrooms upstairs for 28 copper.

I was famished and the smell of onions had my stomach rumbling. For a few coppers, I was able to get myself a whole loaf of bread with a little jar of butter. For a few more coppers, I had myself a tankard of creamed ale. It was time to find a bench by a hearth to sit at, stuff my face, and people watch.

I’d have to invest in a small knife of some sort because I had nothing with which to cut the bread, or spread the butter. I tore the bread into chunks and scraped out the butter with each piece.

For comfort, I’d left my flagstaff in my room. Five of Gryf and Zekaidean’s Anvil were soaking in a basin of soapy water and vinegar. All I had on me was my shoulder bag, tunic and pants, fur lined leather boots, and fur lined tufted leather vest. Nothing that screamed: Healer.

I’d taken a particularly massive bite of bread when a column of bronze and silver light columned me from above. Someone was looking for me from the recruiter’s post. I remember having found someone the same way back at the Magic & Lance Beginner’s Guild.

Expecting company, I tried to wolf down my food. Instead, it stuck in my throat and I suffered an agonizing minute of trying to swallow or dislodge it. I squirmed in my seat, flapped my hands in panic, and finally forced the ball of dough down.

I was red in the face, and tears were streaming down my cheeks. I took a moment to brace against the table and catch my breath.

When I looked up, I was startled to find three women standing there waiting for me to collect myself. They were identically dressed in blue flowing robes. Wide bands of silver knit lace bordered every hem. Gold tiaras rested upon their crowns.

“Tosin?” Their leader said. I assumed she was their leader since the other two hung back a bit and patiently waited.

I tried to speak, but coughed instead, still affected by my choking experience. I nodded while I stifled another series of coughs. The three sat down at my table and gave me a moment to gather myself yet again.

“We’re students of Boera, the deity of mana regeneration,” said the leader with golden curls. “I’m Lorencete.”

She then gestured with a gentle hand to her companion.

“Avicia,” the woman with green eyes said.

Lorencete presented her other companion.

“Gunilda,” said the woman with straight black hair.

“Uh—how can I help you?” I said.

Lorencete leaned forward and tore off a piece of my loaf of bread. I gestured that she was welcome to share. They were all welcome to share. So we nibbled while we talked.

“As I said, we are subjects of Boera, deity of mana regeneration. Yours is a new name in the trading post. As subjects of Boera, we’re tasked with securing more subjects. Expanding Boera’s influence”

“Subjects?” I said.

“Subjects. More adventurers to pledge alignment to Boera.”

“We learned that you’re a healer,” said Gunilda. “Healers always end up aligning with Boera.”

“I’m sorry to say that I’m still new to alignments, and allegiances and stuff. I was actually told to be careful of them. I think I already have an alliance with Zekaidean the dwarf. I’m not sure I want anymore.”

The women stifled soft chuckles and they shared an entire conversation with glances. Nothing mean-spirited or anything.

“Legendary alliances are nothing compared to the alliance a deity offers,” Lorencete said. “Come to Boera’s temple on the northwestern hill of Klayvale. Two things will come of your allegiance to Boera.”

“Pray tell,” I said. “What would those two things be?”

Lorencete smiled and finished another nibble of bread. Then she lifted my tankard in a solitary salut before chugging a good quarter of it. My tankard of creamed ale was passed to her companions who each took their fill.

“Boera will gift you an item that grants mana regeneration. Secondly, our deity will have earned another subject, further strengthening her influence in the world of Felke.”

“Oh, I see,” I said. “What would it mean for me to be in this alignment? Would it hurt my reputation? Would it be harder for me to form other alliances and alignments and stuff?”

Gunilda passed the tankard back to me and I took a cooling swig. Then she said, “We cannot answer that. I have no doubt that pledging an allegiance to Boera will impact other...opportunities...but you will always have the option to break off your alignment.”

“Let’s say I no longer want to be aligned with Boera,” I said.

“Then your gift returns to Boera,” Lorencete said. “It may be harder to form an alignment with Boera again if you ever change your mind. She may be less willing to have you as a subject again—but that is unlikely.”

The rest of our conversation was mostly taken up by the women persuading me to at least pay a visit to the temple. Walking away with more information on alignments, allegiances, and alliances would be the worst thing that could happen. Seemed like a fair proposition to me.

The very next day I hung Five of Gryf and Zekaidean’s Anvil above the hearth in my room to dry. I made sure the cinders were smoldering. I agonized over the bent spearhead for a few minutes before purchasing a couple of hard boiled eggs and heading off through Klayvale.

I was lucky it only drizzled today. I had no cloak and hoped it wouldn’t downpour. Traversing the city of Klayvale was a true treat. The infinite architecture of logs and mud made for a confusing sprawl of the city. All the wood gained a green—almost mossy color—in the drizzle, and buildings seemed to glow emerald.

I walked up and down several small hills before finally arriving by midday at the northwestern most part of the city. A cobbled road of blue stone led up a final hill. Beyond was a gorgeous valley beneath a leaping sky of dark clouds. Interrupting the view was Beora’s temple.

Lavender bushes void of their flowers lined the path up to the beautifully yellow temple. The temple was clad in yellow marble with streaks of blue that ran like cracks throughout.

Men and women congregated beneath the arches held aloft by thick columns. Almost all wore the same blue robes my new female friends had worn yesterday.

As I approached, a suspended mix of cloud and shadow whirled together above the dome of the temple. I stopped in my tracks when the whirl began to behave in an odd way. It started to shape shift, billowing out to form long sleeves textiled with overcast threads of clouds. Shadowed hands emerged from the sleeves. A small tornado formed the face of a woman. In mere moments, her features had smoothed and color filled the form as though it were a real and giant person. Her torso stained out into the temple with wisps of cloud.

“You come, called by the subjects of Boera. I am Boera,” the giant deity said.

I was stunned; speechless. I’d never seen a deity before.

“Tosin Siege,” she said in a booming whisper. “You’ve sacrificed to save others. That is a true beginning. You are welcome here. Please enter Boera’s temple.”

I was gobsmacked. Boera’s form of colored clouds dispersed in a thousand different directions, and I couldn’t tear my eyes from the sight as I made my way through the columns.

Several of Boera’s subjects bowed to me in greeting. All wore identical rich blue robes.

“Does she always appear like that?” I said, pointing up to the heavens.

“She appeared for you?” Someone said, and everyone stopped and drew silent. A fugue of whispers chased down the row of people.

Boera spoke again then. Her voice was a powerful whisper that came from within the temple. “Enter, Tosin Siege.”

I gestured to where the voice came from, but not a single other person had heard her voice. They simply stared at me. I contemplated what to do. Not wanting to insult the deity, I entered.

The interior was also clad in yellow marble. Gargantuan lanterns hung from the high dome. Balls of golden auroras tumbled in each lantern, filling the temple with rich lighting. No crack stowed a shadow.

The temple was circular, and hallways stretched onwards between every column. Along the walls were tiers of lavender flowers in full bloom. The coming winter touched not one.

“This way,” Boera said and a breeze bade me forward through the space and along a hallway. It ended abruptly at a smaller domed area that seemed even brighter somehow. Long narrow windows offered a vista into beautifully blue and purple indoor gardens.

I stopped before a blue stone statue, speckled in gold flecks. It was carved into the likeness of Boera herself.

My strange experience at the temple only continued for everytime I blinked, the statue moved. I never saw it move, but it did. In a quarter of a moment, the statue of Boera was before me and had taken my hand. I heard a gasp behind me and glanced over my shoulder. A woman had stopped at the threshold to the room. Her face was pale and a hand was laid upon her chest. I blinked and she was gone. The room was closed off. No opening remained. Only columns and walls and tiers of lavender flowers.

I felt no fear. I felt no anxiety. I felt calm and at peace.

I turned to the statue that held my hand, except it no longer held my hand. Boera was back upon her plinth, and she looked down at me with open arms. I blinked once more and she had descended a step.

“We are alone, young Tosin.”

“Am I supposed to pledge my allegiance to you?” I said.

A charming chuckle echoed in the space, though the statue’s mouth did not move. Boera was beside me in the next blink, with a stone arm around my shoulder. We’d moved somehow, and now stood together at a window looking out at the beautiful indoor gardens.

“Align yourself with Boera,” she said, “and I will grant you the use of Boera’s Banner.”

I blinked, and in my hands was a blue banner. It was one and a half meters long, nearly the length of a table runner. It was less than a quarter meter wide. Boera’s hands were embroidered upon it. One hand was laid horizontal and its fingers touched the palm of the other which stood vertical. Above them was stitched a knit lace pattern that resembled a mana bar. It was the same rich blue of the flag and only the relief revealed the design. The top two corners had grommets with small chains. The bottom tapered down in a V. In the middle of the V was a series of runes.

I was in awe as I held it out and inspected it.

“You wield a flagstaff, do you not?” Boera said. She stood beside me now, and her blue, gold flecked statue face, wore a charming smile. I matched her smile and nodded.

“Align yourself with Boera, and you shall receive this banner. These runes you see are an enchantment. Once your mana pool has drained to zero, 250 points of your mana pool shall be replenished. This item is limited to work once a day.”

“What do you want from me in return?”

“I will ask you to complete a quest for me. Once you are more skilled, more prepared for this quest, I will call upon you.”

“What kind of quest?”

“A dungeon chain.”

“Why?”

“Because that is the cost of our alliance. In exchange for my banner, I will ask for your help in retrieving a legendary item.”

“What’s the item?”

“Boera’s Ladle.”

“So I would go through a series of dungeons and retrieve this for you—and our alliance would be done?”

“Not done, Tosin. Our alliance will be enforced. What say you?”