Chapter 30: Into the Forest

Soon, Ricky was astride the more placid dragon, working at its saddle with the mysterious golden tool. It fit neatly onto the various moving parts that held the harness together. Obviously it was designed for the job, and Ricky found it becoming easier to adjust the mechanism the more he worked at it.

*Achievement: Mechanical whizz. You mastered an unfamiliar mechanism. +10XP

It had only taken minutes, and Ricky felt fairly certain that his real-world mechanical skill had played a role in this upgrade, just as Julie had predicted.

More importantly, he was astride a placid and compliant dragon with its loose harness repaired. And he was now looking at the collar where its chain was attached. Ricky felt certain that he could find a way of detaching the collar, even if it required a fair amount of brute force to do so. And then, perhaps, he and Channia could ride away to the forest on the beasts. Perhaps even use them against the Rokerians in time. But for now at least, they could get to safety, regroup – and warn Imperialis about what the Rokerian army were planning.

As he thought about this, three further notifications appeared:

*Quest 045 (level 1): Free the dragon.

*Quest 046 (level 2): Make it safely to the forest.

*Quest 047 (level 3): Alert allies of the Rokerians’ battle plans.

He looked around. Channia stood nearby, watching him intently, one hand gently holding her bow. Unfortunately, the other dragon had moved closer to the wagon now, and to the group of green-cloaked soldiers. Amora-Kush and Zurx were starting to rise, and Ricky got the overall impression that the lunch party was over; this force would soon be moving on.

Muttering what he hoped were reassuring words to the great gold beast, he shimmied forward from the saddle and onto the neck itself. Its skin, he noticed, was like snake skin, and didn’t closely resemble the tough, raised armor patches he had seen on the half-dragon warrior. It was smooth and cool to the touch, though not cold. He crooned a few more words, mumbling a rhyme that he remembered as a child. The dragon growled softly, and then took another bite of leaves from a nearby bush.

Now Ricky had reached the collar. The chain was attached in two places to the collar, both being welded on tightly, and he quickly discerned that the best place to remove it would be where the collar itself slotted into itself and locked. There was a mechanism; not a lock, but a shape of sorts, that presumably fit together with some sort of key. It was roughly triangular.

He looked at the tool, but none of its attachments appeared quite right. Then he began to feel around his person for another option. His knife blade was too pointed, and its hilt was not the right shape. Then he reached into his satchel. Not the orb, obviously, but...

His hand grasped the metal trinkets that he had retrieved from the floor of the tower in Doomstar, and almost without needing to look, he knew that the small metal object that could be twisted to form different angles was exactly what he needed.

Now, however, Terrance was coming closer. “Time to get these brutes back on the wagon,” he said. “Are you going to guide them, or shall I?”

*Quest 048 (level 1): Keep Terrance talking until you can make an escape.

“I can help with that,” called back Ricky. “Come, Channia. It’s time to move.” As he spoke, he twisted the metal trinket in his hands without looking at it, and pressed it against the indentation on the dragon’s collar. “Why don’t you tell Terrance where we have travelled from?”

As Channia began to talk to the dragon handler, Ricky wiggled the trinket until it moved into the space. He was right to think that it would be a good fit. However, it was stiff and hard to turn. He needed more leverage.

Now he lifted the tool, using its long handle as a lever. Slotting it into the trinket, he was able to twist it like a key in a lock. There was a click, and the dragon’s collar came away and fell to the ground with a clunk, the trinket falling down too. But there was no time to retrieve it now.

“Jump up, Chan!” he called, simultaneously shimmying back down the neck of the beast and onto the saddle and stowing the golden tool in his satchel. He reached down to help his companion up as she mounted the creature’s back just ahead of him, and then threw the remaining dried meat treat that he had secreted in his pocket as far ahead as he could. The beast looked up, and then began to lumber forward.

*Quest 045 complete: Free the dragon. +10XP

*Quest 048 complete: Keep Terrance talking until you can make an escape. +10XP

Ricky looked around just once, to see Terrance looking aghast, Amora-Kush frowning and raising one hand to her eyes, and several of the green-cloaks reaching for their weapons. And as he looked back, Ricky realized that if he was to avoid capture and death at the hands of Julie and her companions in the camp, there was one more thing that he needed: a scapegoat.

“Quick, Channia – put your dagger to my neck!”

After the beast had started to lumber away, it slowly picked up speed before breaking into a full gallop across the ground. Ricky clung on.

Channia, dagger in hand, now began to speak to it in her own language, and though at first it appeared to make very little difference, soon Ricky could sense the great golden creature respond. He looked ahead at its neck to see a red, raw area where its scales had rubbed off underneath the collar, and there were marks on its haunches too – signs of being whipped or spurred on.

This beast deserved to be free.

They were now reaching the edge of the clearing. Looking back, Ricky could see the four mounted warriors that had been following along behind the dragon transport were now galloping after them. Due to the time it had taken these foes to get started, though, Ricky and Channia – riding on the dragon's back – still held a fair advantage in terms of distance.

*Quest 049 (level 2): Evade pursuit by the Rokerian riders.

Perhaps immediately concerning was that Amora or Zurx might mount the other dragon in pursuit. All the more reason that they needed to get to tree cover, and soon.

Ricky had hardly exchanged a word with Channia as she had been crooning her gentle words to the creature, but now he leaned forward and called out: “Do you know how to get to your people from here?”

She looked over her shoulder as she clung on to the charging dragon. “Yes. We will have to dismount when we get to the forest’s edge. I’ll show you the way.”

The dragon continued to canter on for some time, but as they reached the first of the trees, the ground sloped up and the going became more difficult. Soon it had slowed to a walk. There were rocks as well as small deciduous trees and bushes all around, and larger trees were not far ahead. Finally the dragon leaped a small stream and then stopped entirely, sniffing around at its new surroundings.

“Now we continue on foot,” said Channia, beginning to dismount. “Thank you.” The latter was directed at the dragon itself. Ricky likewise thanked the beast, which took several bites from the lower branches of a spindly birch tree and then began to move deeper into the forest.

“Are we just going to let it leave?” he asked, following it with his gaze for a moment, and then looking behind to check on the progress of the Rokerian riders who had been pursuing.

“It will be at peace, here,” she replied. “Its kind originate from the forested mountains in the north. It might even find its way home.”

“I hope so. Meanwhile, we should hurry before those riders reach us.”

“Don’t worry, Ricky,” said Channia, smiling and putting a hand on his shoulder. “They will never track an elf through the forest.”

*Quest 046 complete: Make it safely to the forest. +20XP

Channia led the way through the tangled bushes and saplings and past increasingly large and more tangled trees. She didn’t hesitate despite the lack of any obvious path, barely looking at the ground as she went. She did occasionally look up towards the sky, however, or off to one side, apparently listening as much as she was looking.

Before long, they came to a narrow path but obvious path paved in sparkling granite, around a yard wide. Channia pointed westward with a smile, and again took the lead as they proceeded. Ricky nodded and followed, walking a couple of yards behind her, and pulling his knife out just in case.

They then continued for another half a mile in more or less the same direction, though the path dipped and curved on occasion. Sometimes it passed around the boles of enormous trees, suggesting that the trees themselves were even older than the path, old though it looked. Though of course, Ricky reminded himself, nothing here was truly old. It was a simulation, perhaps based on locations from stories or from the real world.

There had been no further sign of the dragon, or any indication of pursuit. And soon this was confirmed by the game itself:

*Achievement: Stealthy quarry! You have evaded pursuit by trained warriors. +10XP

*Quest 049 complete: Evade pursuit by the Rokerian riders. +20XP

Moments later, a further welcome notification appeared:

*Experience update: You now have 500 unallocated XP. Please select an attribute to increase.

*Health update: Your level of hit points has risen to 80 (48 remain).

Ricky clearly recalled how he had previously chosen to focus on nimbleness rather than speed. And for all that they were riding on the dragon's back, their current escape was all the reminder he needed that speed remained a major weakness of his.

I’d like to increase my nimbleness score again.

“I’m on it, Ricky,” said the Guide cheerfully. “I will now again summarize your new scores.”

***

Endurance: 6

Mana: 0

Nimbleness: 6

Speed: 4

Strength: 8

Hit points: 80

***

Soon, Ricky also saw two more health increases as they continued on their way.

*Healing report: You have gained 2 hit points (50 remain).

*Healing report: You have gained 1 hit points (51 remain).

He might still be some distance from maximum health, but his hit points were now well over half, which was a relief. He was also, however, now feeling famished. The agonizing feeling of an empty pit within him had returned to his stomach. Worse, he found it hard to keep his eyes off the areas of Channia’s skin that were visible under her armor. He could see a pulsing vein just at the base of her neck, and could almost imagine how her blood must taste...

A wolf and a girl walk into the forest, he mused. That story never ends well, right?

To distract himself from this dark line of imagination, he hurried to her side, squeezing past another enormous and twisted oak bole. “Channia,” he said, looking around at her and trying hard not to gaze at her bare neck any further.

“Yes, Ricky?”

“Can I take the lead? The path seems straightforward here, and I’d like to, uh... look around at the trees as we go.”

“For sure.” Channia stepped back and Ricky moved ahead, ensuring that he walked a few paces clear so that he was quite unable to smell her blood or hear her pulse as he hurried on.

They proceeded this way for at least another half mile before they reached a large clearing. There, Ricky’s attention was grabbed by an enormous wooden pole in the center of the area. It was carved into the shapes of bear, lizard and dragon heads. He recalled from his childhood seeing images of totem poles, and this was very much like he had imagined them looking, though he was taken aback by its immense size – as wide as a rail truck, and taller than any of the nearby trees.

Beyond it was a pair of huge oaks with interwoven branches, and a different-looking path proceeded beyond this semi-natural archway.

“Is this some kind of entrance,” Ricky asked, turning to look at Channia.

But the elven tracker was already moving towards the edge of the clearing. And as he looked on, several new figures appeared from between the trees. In the lead was a fully-armoured warrior with an ornate bronze helmet, chain shirt, heavy leather gauntlets, and with a long, ridged battle axe slung across his shoulder. The warrior embraced Channia, and then looked around at Ricky. “You have come home with a stranger once again, my daughter,” he said gruffly.

“Yes, father. This adventurer… Well, he is Ricky, and he is special to me. We met in Barrowdale, and we have since travelled to other lands. We are betrothed, just as you have always wanted and hoped.” As she spoke, other elves had emerged and were now closing in on the small group.

The tall warrior walked closer still and began to circle Ricky, his helmet still obscuring most of his face. “I wanted you to marry an elven prince, my dear girl, or failing that, a wealthy noble from Imperialis. Not some adventurer scum.”

“Why, wait a minute,” said Ricky hotly. “I might not be a wealthy noble, but I’m no scum. I am well-connected, and I have visited Imperialis.”

Some of the assembled elves began to snicker at this.

“Very well,” said Channia’s father. “Let us be the judge of your worth. My name is Lord Tarris Berrysprout. You may come with us and seek to prove yourself. We will now march to the ancestral home of the Berrysprout Tribe. Come with us now, or face our wrath.”

“But wait,” said Ricky, looking at Channia. “What about our companions from back by the river? And the army on the march?”

Lord Tarris stepped closer and removed his helmet, putting it under one hand. This revealed a long, serious face, a short black-and-grey beard and a balding forehead. His skin was not as brown as his daughter’s, and overall he looked like he had spent too much time with the helmet on. “What army is this you speak of?”

“The Rokerians, father,” said Channia. “They march to war.”

“I see.” He frowned. “And what business is that of ours?”

“They are after not just victory, but the destruction of civilization,” said Ricky, his voice rising. “They have armies of slaves and monsters which are probably already attacking the walls of the city, and when we came to the road, one of their generals was transporting two dragons and several other war engines.”

“Destruction, you say?”

Ricky nodded. “They said so specifically. The Rokerians won’t even attack until the city’s defense has been overcome by their slaves. Then they will move in to slaughter the civilians and crush the buildings.”

*Achievement: Acute synopsis. You have informed an NPC of a developing situation with notable accuracy. +10XP

*Quest 047 complete: Alert allies of the Rokerians’ battle plans. +30XP

“Can we help, father?”

The warrior looked around, beckoning over another nearby figure, a lank woman with a spear, blue clothing and an iron chestplate. “Lady Milla – what say you?” An elven man in black robes also stepped closer to the lord.

“That is my father’s military advisor,” murmured Channia, stepping closer to Ricky and nodding towards the woman with the crossbow. “And beside her is Ajaxis, the lead druid of our tribe.”

The three elder elves spoke quietly in their own language for a moment. As they did so, Ricky looked around at the others. Most were attractive, and while their ages were hard to judge, they had a sense of ancient wisdom about them. None were as heavily armored as Lord Tarris, and some wore no armor at all. All had at least a short sword or dagger, though, and many had bows.

Then the patriarch turned back to his daughter and Ricky. “We have conferred,” he said, “and we agree that the Rokerians must be stopped. We do have some strength in battle, and this is a noble cause against our ancient enemy.”

“That’s wonderful news,” said Ricky, feeling elated at the unexpected offer of help. “Then you will come with me to Imperialis?”

But the man shook his head, folding his arms. “You misunderstand. We must return to our home, and gather the tribe. A council will be held.”

“No, we must hurry!” said Ricky. “Please! If you can help, then we should go now. The citizens of Imperialis could already be dying. My own guild members are among them.”

*Achievement: Winning ways. You have persuaded a previously neutral NPC of your personal worth, and they will now react more positively towards you. +20XP

Lord Tarris looked at his advisor, then at Channia, and then back to Ricky. “Your loyalty does you credit, young man. Certainly we are willing to help, and bring our wisdom and resources to bear. But we do not have the strength to take on the Rokerians via a direct attack, I am sorry to say. And what little we can do will take some time and preparation. Come.”

With that, the mighty elven lord began to walk away.

Accumulated XP: 2065 (unspent: 65)