Chapter 93

“I thought this would be more difficult.” Astrid stated, staring down at the Mosswillow in her hand. The plant was a vibrant green, with broad, serrated leaves and dark red veins. Holding it, Astrid could feel the mana within the leaves and a faint shimmer of energy surrounded it.

“It would be, if we were lower ranked. Most of the beasts and monster in this forest can sense our presence. If we were Rank 1 or 2, we would have been attacked long before making it this deep.” Wil commented, kneeling at the edge of a creek, cutting more stalks of Mosswillow.

They were in a small clearing, with a small stream of crystal-clear water flowing through it. Astrid could hear birds chirping overhead, and the bright sunlight of Primaris could be seen in shafts of light through the trees.

Aside from each other, they hadn’t seen a single creature or person since they had landed on the forest’s outskirts, dismounting and trekking through the wilderness.

Standing upright and stretching the tightness in his back from sustaining his awkward position, Wil tucked another handful of Mosswillow into his bag, to join the bundle they had already gathered. Next to him, the Earth Elemental loomed above them, its head nearly as high as the surrounding trees.

Its menacing presence and strong mana were likely the reason they were left unmolested by the wildlife. Even Astrid felt slightly intimated by the elemental, despite her familiarity with it and Wil’s control.

Wil had summoned it as soon as they entered Ringlan forest, the elemental leading them unerringly to the first cluster of Mosswillow within only a few short minutes. From there, they had followed the stream for another mile or so, reaching another gathering spot.

“That should be enough Mosswillow for now.” Wil stated, before casting a quick cleaning charm on the knee of his leather armor, scrubbing the dirt from his leg. He scowled as he checked his boots, repeating the charm again until they were spotless.

Next to him, Astrid giggled at his fussiness. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out his aversion to dust and dirt.

“Not a fan of the forest, I take it?” Astrid said, her eyes sparking in amusement at Wil.

“I don’t mind the forest, it’s all the dirt and mud that I hate. Why can’t quests take us to a nice tavern, or a clean street?” Wi grumbled, and Astrid finally couldn’t suppress her laugher anymore.

“Har Har, laugh it up. You’re picking up the next batch, we’ll see how you like kneeling in the dirt for a while.” Wil threatened.

“What’s next?” He asked, looking at the notices that Astrid pulled out from her travel bag.

“Mosswillow is done, next would be…Indigo Spirit Grass.” She said flipping to the next notice. Holding it up, she showed it to Wil.

Contract: Collect Indigo Spirit Grass from Ringlan Forest

Suggested Rank: 2, Party of four recommended

Duration: N/A

Reward: 10 Gold Coins per 100 grams.

“Do you remember what it looks like?” Wil asked the elemental. Pausing in thought, it slowly nodded its large head before responding.

“Purple.” It rumbled, before turning and walking away from the pair. Wil could feel its heavy footsteps through the soles of his boots as the clearing shook slightly.

“Good enough.” Wil said with a shrug, following along behind the massive elemental. Pushing its way pass the trees, it created an easy to follow path through the forest.

The trio walked for an hour or more through Ringlan forest, the elemental not veering away from obstacles, and several times Wil had to teleport the pair of them up a cliff or over a gap that the Elemental simply melted into, only to reappear on top or on the far end.

Once, rather than cross a wide river, it sank beneath the ground, its large body disappearing, only to pop out of the ground on the other side. Too far for Wil to carry them, he had been forced to summon the Clockwork Owl, Astrid having left Marali outside the forest.

Finally, as they hurried to catch up to their guide, the elemental stopped next to a giant tree, its leafy boughs covering the sky above, sinking the forest floor in gloom.

Cowering at the elemental feet was a large snake, its body over a dozen feet long, curled in on itself. A deep green color, it had a streak of bright orange from the crown of its head to its tail. It had frozen still in fear, staring at the elemental warily, its togue flicking out of its mouth, tasting the air.

Wil had pumped the Elemental with enough mana that, to the snake, it must feel like it was staring down a Rank 10 monster, something that it could never contend with.

“What kind of snake is it?” Astrid asked, curious. Standing behind the elemental, they were safe, while close enough to see everything in front of it.

“Not sure, I’m not good with beasts. But that’s the Indigo Spirit Grass.” Wil pointed to a group of purple plants behind the snake. Over a dozen stalks blew lazily in the wind, and Wil could see that several eggs were tucked in amongst them.

“It’s using the grass as a nest. Smart. The mana inside will make its offspring grow faster and stronger.” Wil whispered.

“Do we need to kill it?” Astrid asked, frowning at the thought of harming the creature and pillaging its nest. It made her feel like a villain or a bandit.

“No, we’ll just take a few stalks of grass and leave it with the rest.” Wil said, walking slowly next to the elemental.

“Purple.” It rumbled, pointing at the grass. The snake, thinking that it was attacking, flattened itself against the ground.

“Good work.” Wil praised, before his body erupted with golden mana. The snake, wary of the elemental, was caught off guard as Wil’s mana pressed against it, preventing it from moving an inch. The snake was around Rank 2 on the edge of Rank 3. Against Rank 10 mana, it was as helpless as a newborn, and it could only watch powerlessly as Wil approached its nest.

Walking pass the giant snake, Wil knelt next to the Indigo Spirit Grass and conjuring a small, sharp knife into his outstretched hand. Avoiding the Snake’s eggs, he cut several stalks at their base, before putting them into his bag of holding. Leaving the majority, he swiftly stood, letting the conjured blade fade away before walking away from the snake.

With a nod to Astrid, he led the trio further from the terrified beast, allowing his mana to fade back into his body.

“I’m impressed with the Guild’s assessment. That snake would have required a group of Rank 2 adventurers working together to defeat it. I wonder if they knew it was here from experience, or did their divinations reveal it?” Wil mused.

“Maybe they know something we don’t about that snake. Perhaps it’s drawn to Indigo Spirit Grass?” Astrid questioned, looking behind her at the large tree. They were far enough away from the snake that she could no longer see it.

“It’s possible. It’s too bad I don’t know a thing about them.” Wil said, regret tinging his voice. “What are we hunting for now?” He asked, turning to Astrid. Pulling out the wad of notices, she flipped to the next one.

“A piece of Ringlan Forest Amber. Someone spotted it in a cave, but it was guarded, and they couldn’t reach it at the time.” Astrid read, before showing Wil the notice.

Contract: Retrieve a piece of Ringlan Forest Amber

Suggested Rank: 3, Party of Four with a Cleric recommended.

Duration: 1 Week

Reward: 100 Gold Coins

“Interesting, I wonder why they recommend bringing a cleric?” Wil asked, reading through the notice before handing it back.

“Could it be cursed? Or maybe it’s guarded by the undead?” Astrid asked. She was excited, despite the perils. This had always been her dream, to go on an adventure, to quest through danger, just like her mother had done. Now, her dream was coming true, and she had Wil to thank for accompanying her.

“I’m not sure, but you could be right. Let’s go!” He shouted. Astrid’s excitement was infectious, and he shared her enthusiasm.

“Do you know where this ‘Ringlan Forest Amber’ is?” Wil asked the elemental, who paused its steps, looking to the right, and setting off once more.

Grinning, Astrid chased after Wil, the call of adventure ringing in her ears.