When the Horns of Hammerad left the city of Remendia, it was, predictably, to a huge fanfare and celebration by the crowds lining the street. At this point, the four adventurers so highly lauded were well and truly sick of the entire affair.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not even as if there\u2019s anything to cheer about. We\u2019re leaving.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon and Pisces nodded in dour agreement as they strode down the streets towards the gates. Ksmvr didn\u2019t reply\u2014he was busy waving. He seemed to enjoy it.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s the wagon. Let\u2019s get on.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria pointed, and the Horns of Hammerad piled onto the wagon outside of the city. The cheering faded a bit as the crowds realized that the illustrious adventurers, the heroes who\u2019d conquered Albez, weren\u2019t leaving on white stallions or riding away in a carriage.<\/p>\n They were taking a wagon, for good and practical reasons. But it was definitely less fancy and so the adventurers left the city with their eardrums mostly intact.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks for waiting. Are you headed directly to Celum?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria addressed the wagon driver, a woman who grinned at her as she flicked her reins to make the two horses begin plodding down the road.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. I\u2019ve got a bulk delivery of goods\u2014crops, meat, and so on\u2014that needs to get down there tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh? Are you part of the Runner\u2019s Guild?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman clearly was no Runner, but the Guild sometimes hired slower modes of transport to deliver goods the old-fashioned way when there weren\u2019t enough Runners or there was too much to carry. The wagon driver snorted gently.<\/p>\n \u201cNo\u2014Merchant\u2019s Guild. We handle all the mundane traffic. You\u2019ll never see a Runner stoop to carrying this stuff. Of course, up north the damn Runner\u2019s Guilds have bags of holding and so their Runners can still beat our prices. But this close to the south us [Merchants] and [Traders] have the monopoly on transport.\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf nodded. It wasn\u2019t like she\u2019d asked for an explanation, but guild rivalries were a touchy thing. And the Runner\u2019s Guild wasn\u2019t exactly popular\u2014adventurers had their issues with them, as did [Merchants] and other groups like the Mage\u2019s Guild and so on.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, so long as we get to Celum before dark, we\u2019ll be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo fear of that. Truth be told, I wouldn\u2019t be doing this run at all if you lot hadn\u2019t decided to hitch a ride. All these Goblin attacks make it far too dangerous\u2014but the Horns of Hammerad shouldn\u2019t have any problems, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria could only smile crookedly at that.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully we don\u2019t see an army.\u201d<\/p>\n So saying, she retreated back to the mostly-filled wagon. Pisces was sitting atop a bag of what was probably potatoes, Yvlon had made herself comfortable on some boxes that she wouldn\u2019t squish, and Ksmvr was sitting with his legs dangling off the back of the wagon. Ceria joined Yvlon on the boxes.<\/p>\n For a while there was silence. The Horns of Hammerad were tired, if not physically so early in the day, then mentally. After a while though, Pisces felt compelled to break the silence. As always.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I fail to understand is why those fo\u2014those confused denizens of Remendia\u2014felt the need to cheer our departure. To what end? We are leaving, not arriving in splendor and triumph.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sighed. But it was Yvlon who replied. She frowned vaguely at Pisces, but had no real rancor in her tone. She and Pisces might be fairly incompatible, but they were teammates now.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re heroes to them, Pisces. Don\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve never dreamed of seeing a team of adventurers as a child? They wanted to give us a sendoff worthy of the heroes they thought we were. I\u2019m almost ashamed that we disappointed their expectations.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces sniffed, but made no comment. Ceria just shrugged as she made herself more comfortable on her seat. She drew the wool cloak around her body closer to herself, shivering at the cold winter winds.<\/p>\n \u201cAt some point they\u2019ve got to realize that even heroes are practical. Besides, it\u2019s not as if we could afford a carriage or mounts. Not that Ksmvr would be able to ride a horse.\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr looked up from his study of the landscape and nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is correct. Thank you for noticing, Captain Ceria.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces rolled his eyes and smirked, but Yvlon treated him to a disapproving glance and he swallowed the comment he was about to make. Instead he looked back towards the city, already growing distant as the wagon pulled itself down the road at a good pace. The driver might have had a Skill that allowed the horses to move faster, Ceria reflected.<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder, would all those cheering people believe that we are destitute?\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon looked blank.<\/p>\n \u201cDestitute?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBroke.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sighed. Pieces could have used a simpler word, but then he wouldn\u2019t be Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt it. After all that coin we received, who\u2019d believe that? But if we hadn\u2019t gotten this deal to guard the wagon in exchange for transport, we\u2019d be walking right now.\u201d<\/p>\n That made everyone go silent for a moment. Yvlon just sighed, and stared down at her arms. She wasn\u2019t wearing her plate armor\u2014it had been too badly damaged to save and they hadn\u2019t had enough coin to buy more. Instead, she was wearing leather, except along her arms which were still fused with the silvery metal.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think we gave Ryoka too much coin?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared at the snowy landscape as they passed by. In the distance, she saw a village filled with a few moving shapes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as too much gold when it comes to paying [Mages]. She\u2019ll need a lot to get accurate, speedy work done.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we should have had enough to live comfortably if it weren\u2019t for those extortionate fees.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces put that in with a scowl. Yvlon looked unhappy as well.<\/p>\n \u201cI know. We should have considered that, but neither Ceria nor I had ever heard of the Guild\u2019s taxes until this point.\u201d<\/p>\n That was true. Ceria had been just as surprised as the others when they\u2019d found out that the Adventurer\u2019s Guild demanded a ten percent cut of the spoils gained from a dungeon raid or a particularly lucrative assignment. It did seem like extortion in a way\u2014the Guild already took a chunk out of every assignment they offered and made money from referring adventurers and selling their own products.<\/p>\n But on the other hand, membership in the Adventurer\u2019s Guild was free, and they did provide other services. So the Horns of Hammerad had reluctantly paid the steep fees, choosing to pay more coin rather than report the value of the artifacts they\u2019d recovered and have that factored into the fee.<\/p>\n Still, it smarted and took a lot out of their hard-won savings of coin. And when they added the fees for hiring the [Blacksmith] and [Healer] to remove the metal from Yvlon\u2019s arm\u2014not to mention the price of staying in the inn and eating so lavishly for the few days they\u2019d been in the city\u2014well, that was how the Horns of Hammerad found themselves back to square one.<\/p>\n Which was to say, broke. They had a few silver coins left, but all of their remaining coin and the valuable artifacts they\u2019d found were with Ryoka, in the north.<\/p>\n Did Ceria regret gambling everything on her friend? A little bit, she had to admit. Still\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cRyoka will get back to us soon, and she\u2019ll contact us when she\u2019s done with Lady Magnolia. She might be appraising our artifacts as we speak.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon looked slightly doubtful.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you say so. You know her best, Ceria. I only met her once before. She seemed honorable\u2014but hotheaded. Are you sure she won\u2019t waste the coin or\u2026make a mistake with it?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces and Ksmvr turned to look at Ceria as well. She blinked, realizing that none of the other adventurers in her group knew Ryoka that well, even Pisces. True, he\u2019d healed her legs, but he didn\u2019t know her any better than the others.<\/p>\n \u201cShe is. Hotheaded, I mean. She\u2019s prickly and arrogant and she\u2019s not exactly easy to deal with all of the time. But she is brave, Yvlon. She went into the crypts to rescue me and she\u2019s certainly no coward. We can trust her. Calruz did, and you know he wouldn\u2019t trust anyone who wasn\u2019t totally honorable. Actually\u2026Ryoka\u2019s a lot like a female Calruz.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon snorted at that, but Pisces and Ksmvr just exchanged a confused glance. Ceria\u2019s heart twinged as she realized\u2026neither of them knew who Calruz was, either. Pisces probably didn\u2019t even recognize the Minotaur\u2019s name.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, we\u2019ll wait for her then. She\u2019s a friend of Erin Solstice, so I suppose I shall place my trust in her capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n That was Pisces\u2019 conclusion. He sat back on his bag of potatoes and shifted around for a moment. Then he looked at Ceria.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the topic of spoils however, I wonder. If you\u2019re not planning on doing any studying, why not lend me that spellbook, Springwalker? I\u2019d only borrow it for the duration of the journey\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria paused as she opened her pack. She pulled out the spellbook, the burnt half of a spellbook rather, and opened it carefully to the first page. It was her greatest treasure, now, far more important than anything else she\u2019d ever owned. Yvlon rolled her eyes and Ksmvr scooped up some snow as the argument between the two [Mages] resumed.<\/p>\n \u201cOh come now. I won\u2019t need it for long\u2014and you get sick when reading while in motion. Let me see it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy spellbook, Pisces. That was the deal.\u201d<\/p>\n He scowled at her.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that\u2014I only meant\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI get the first spellbook we find, in exchange for the ring. You agreed, and so this is mine. Deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared down at the page filled with glowing words and symbols. She had no idea what it meant\u2014like most high-level magical spellbooks, this one was written in a combination of regular text and magical formulas. However, the words that were meant to describe a spell\u2019s use and other details were written in a language Ceria didn\u2019t know. She could only try and decipher the magical instructions, which were written in a universal language for [Mages].<\/p>\n The trouble was\u2026Ceria wasn\u2019t certain what tier the spell she was staring at was, but it was certainly far above her capabilities. So were all the spells in the book\u2014the mage had obviously been extraordinarily high-level, and so the spells were the most complex Ceria had ever seen. She wasn\u2019t even certain of whether she was on the first page of the spell or midway through\u2014that was how hard it was to understand.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this is completely unfair. If you compare such a trove of magical knowledge to the paltry ring\u2014surely you understand my position. Springwalker, I implore you. We could study it together. Surely two minds are better than\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces stopped whining and ducked as Ceria pointed her skeletal finger. A snowball coalesced out of the air and shot past his ear. He sat up and Ceria kept reading.<\/p>\n That was the Horns of Hammerad. They sat on the wagon, Pisces sulking, Ceria reading, frowning and chewing at her hair, Yvlon staring at the landscape and Ksmvr playing with the snow.<\/p>\n They had gone into Albez and made their way through a trapped dungeon. True, they\u2019d nearly died and lost a lot of the treasure to the final trap, but they\u2019d survived. And now they were\u2026<\/p>\n What? Ceria frowned as she tried to concentrate on the spell. Were they better than they had been? They were teammates, now, that was certain. They\u2019d faced death once, and so they were a stronger group.<\/p>\n But was that all? They\u2019d actually lost a lot of combat strength, she felt. Yvlon was injured. She could still wield a sword, albeit with some stiffness, but her armor was gone and her arms would need a master-class [Healer] to fix. Or a spell, neither of which the Horns of Hammerad could afford.<\/p>\n They had a spellbook, but Ceria couldn\u2019t make heads or tails of it for the moment and she doubted that Pisces, genius though he was, would have better luck. Ryoka had their hard-won artifacts, and while they might turn out to be earth-shatteringly powerful, and while Ceria would eventually learn all the spells in the spellbook, it was all deferred rewards. Right here and now, they were no better than they had been. Worse, in fact.<\/p>\n And that was concerning for one reason. Ceria put down the book of spells, making Pisces look up, and voiced her concerns to her team.<\/p>\n \u201cI know we agreed to escort Erin back to Liscor. But are we sure that\u2019s wise at the moment?\u201d<\/p>\n The other three Horns of Hammerad looked up. None of them needed an explanation. Yvlon frowned as she ran her fingers across the smooth metal in her arms\u2014the [Blacksmith] had helped sand the rough edges of the metal after she had cut most of it away, but it still had to be uncomfortable, especially in the cold.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. Honestly, I wouldn\u2019t worry normally. We\u2019re more than capable of taking on any normal group of bandits or monsters, but all the rumors of Goblin armies we\u2019ve been hearing recently have me worried.\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the reports of a Goblin Lord are true, we should be cautious. Even raiding parties sent out from such a force would number in the hundreds.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria grimaced.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt Erin\u2019s in danger in Celum, at least if the Goblin Lord\u2019s main army isn\u2019t there. Every city has enchantments on their walls and they can normally hold out for a while. I just don\u2019t understand how Esthelm fell in a day. That makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces just shrugged. He seemed less concerned than the others by the countless stories they\u2019d heard of Goblins attacking villages and even towns and cities.<\/p>\n \u201cGoblin Lords are notoriously powerful. If one is truly present\u2014and I cast aspersions on the rumors of his existence\u2014then he could well have overwhelmed the city\u2019s defenses with a sneak attack. Either way, his army is not a concern\u2014word will spread when it marches. Rather, we should be worrying about Goblin war bands, as Ksmvr has said.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon nodded seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cWe might be able to escape or fend them off if we encounter them on the road\u2014but that depends on how many spells you and Pisces know. Ksmvr and I can\u2019t fight a horde like that. But what worries me is Erin herself. Would we then be taking her into danger, bringing her to Liscor, closer to where the Goblin Lord might be?\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr nodded, but Pisces just smirked and Ceria had to laugh at the irony of the question.<\/p>\n \u201cLiscor? Hah. It\u2019s safer than Celum, Yvlon. Erin\u2019s close enough that she could run into the city if a Goblin force came calling. And as for them getting past Liscor\u2019s walls\u2026not a chance. That city\u2019s famous from the Antinium Wars\u2014it\u2019s withstood sieges from the Antinium and a [Necromancer] far more capable than Pisces.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI object. That statement is fundamentally correct, but flawed in its assumptions. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up, Pisces. The walls of Liscor are high, and they\u2019ve got far more powerful enchantments on them. So long as they actually close the gates, they\u2019ll hold out during a siege for months at least. And there\u2019s two Gold-rank teams in the city. With them on the walls, even a Goblin Lord would think twice before assailing the city.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr and Yvlon nodded. The female [Warrior] looked towards the horizon, still tapping her fingers on the metal in her arm.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it seems like we only have two things to worry about. How to get Erin to Liscor safely, and what we should do while we\u2019re waiting for Ryoka to contact us.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria nodded. But Ksmvr had something else in mind. He stared back at Remendia, now a distant spot on the horizon.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you think there will be crowds cheering us in Celum? I enjoyed the ones in Remendia.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces made a dismissive sound of disgust.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope not. So much noise gets on my nerves.\u201d<\/p>\n He paused.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough\u2026mindless adulation is not without its merits. We should expect at least a small gathering; word will have spread of our exploits and no doubt there will be a commotion when we are recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cTrue, let\u2019s just get through it as best we can.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon smiled crookedly, but Ceria thought she looked a bit pleased at the idea. For her part, the half-Elf considered that she wouldn\u2019t mind the attention. It was inconvenient of course after a while, but\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cJust so long as it doesn\u2019t get to our heads. Fame is fleeting as adventurers, let\u2019s not forget that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly not.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI will commit this to memory.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed.\u201d<\/p>\n The Horns of Hammerad settled back in their cart, nodding to each other. They fell into silence once more, waiting, contemplatively staring at the horizon towards the city of Celum, still invisible in the distance. The only sound was a snort that came from the wagon driver as the horses plodded onwards through the snow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There were no cheering crowds in Celum, nor any parades, much to the disappointment of all the Horns of Hammerad. In fact, no one even batted an eyelid when the adventurers made their way through the gate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Horns of Hammerad? Hm. Your name sounds familiar. You have anything to declare? No? Move on through, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Dismayed, the adventurers walked past the first guard at the gates. It wasn\u2019t as if they\u2019d expected a huge reception. But how come no one had noticed their party\u2019s name? Usually the exploits of adventuring teams were all gossiped about fiercely in all the local cities.<\/p>\n Either word hadn\u2019t spread yet, or no one cared about a Silver-ranked team of adventurers, no matter what they\u2019d done.<\/p>\n Then again\u2026it did seem like the [Guardsmen] manning the gate had a lot on their minds. They all looked sleep-deprived, as if they\u2019d been pulling two shifts instead of one.<\/p>\n Ceria stopped to talk to one of them in the gatehouse. He was mumbling to himself in a corner of the room\u2014she hesitated as she drew near and heard what he was saying.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; <\/p>\n Was he really that sleep-deprived? There was an odd cadence to his words. Ceria paused, wondering if she should find someone else to talk to, but she interrupted the man\u2019s rambling self-reflection anyways.<\/p>\n \u201cExcuse me, guardsman.\u201d<\/p>\n He jumped and stared at her. His eyes were bloodshot, and the scraggly mustache on his face could have used some trimming.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, can I help you Miss\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n He noticed her robes and her hand. To his credit he only stared for a few seconds.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you an adventurer? Do you have anything to report? Monsters? Or something to declare?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. I was just wondering. Is there any news? Any bad news?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n The fuzzy-lipped man blinked at her.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Goblins.\u201d<\/p>\n He blinked a few more times before the words trickled into whatever part of his brain was still thinking. For some reason he took a pose.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.\u2019 Ah\u2026no, Miss. The Goblins haven\u2019t shown up near Celum.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria backed away from him and rejoined her group. Pisces twirled one finger around his ears as he gestured at the guardsman. Ceria just shrugged and led them into the city.<\/p>\n \u201cNow, where\u2019s Erin? Ryoka told me she was staying at a room in\u2026which inn was it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Frenzied Hare, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a surreal experience, walking through a city where no one stared at them or came over to talk or shake their hands. Were the adventurers disappointed? Yes, a little bit, but at the same time it felt good to be normal again.<\/p>\n They were no heroes, and while they liked to be treated as one, it wasn\u2019t why they\u2019d become adventurers in the first place. True, many young men and women of every species joined for exactly that reason; to become rich and famous. But after they spent their first week shivering in the mud and rain while insects crawled all over them, or come face-to-face with a monster with too many teeth, such people usually quit.<\/p>\n True adventurers, Ceria reflected, wanted something other than just fame and fleeting fortune. Although that was a nice side-effect of success.<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t hard to find the Frenzied Hare. For some reason everyone the Horns of Hammerad asked could tell them exactly where the inn was.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing to see the night\u2019s show? Good luck! I had to stand throughout the entire thing, although I\u2019ll say it was worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d go back again, but I\u2019ve work early the next day. Maybe when the next play comes out\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n These remarks meant nothing to the Horns of Hammerad, but it reinforced Ceria and Pisces\u2019 belief that Erin was staying at the inn.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter all, if something strange is going on that girl probably had something to do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria nodded at Pisces\u2019 comment and both Yvlon and Ksmvr were forced to agree. That was how they found themselves pushing the door to the inn open just before the sun set over the rooftops in the city.<\/p>\n To their surprise, the humble-looking inn was packed. <\/em>The Horns of Hammerad opened the door and were treated to a heaving room full of people, crowding every table, talking, eating, so many that the adventurers had to edge carefully into the room to avoid stepping on toes.<\/p>\n It was a strange, surreal sight. The guests sat in eager groups, people who looked like they didn\u2019t even know each other, willingly sharing tables and talking excitedly about the night\u2019s play. It was an odd word they used. \u2018Play\u2019. They spoke of it as if it were something different, or a magical word, and it made the Horns of Hammerad glance at each other in confusion.<\/p>\n More aspects of the inn didn\u2019t make sense. For instance, why was there a curtain on one end of the room? There was a good third of the common room that had no tables on it\u2014why was no one sitting there? Ceria stared around, wondering what was going on.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you see anywhere to sit?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere.\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr spotted a table that was empty and immediately walked towards it. The other five patrons who\u2019d been making a beeline for the table stopped when they saw the Antinium approaching and backed away. Ceria went to sit as well, but she and the other adventurers were stopped by a somewhat stout woman who came rushing over, waving her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cStop, stop! Please, I don\u2019t know who you are\u2014but even if you are<\/em> adventurers, I\u2019m afraid all the seats are taken. You\u2019ll have to stand like the rest. You can\u2019t just take over a table\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n She looked nervous, especially when she stared at Ksmvr, but she also sounded like she was ready to chase Ceria and the others away even if they protested.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry, Mistress. We didn\u2019t know\u2014what\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria waved at the crowds. The [Innkeeper], if that was who she was, looked surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know? Aren\u2019t you here for the night\u2019s play?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat play? You mean with toys? We\u2019re here to see a friend. Erin Solstice. Do you know if she\u2019s staying here?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman\u2019s eyes widened in shock. She glanced back at the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cErin? You want to meet\u2014I\u2019m so sorry, but she\u2019s busy. Cooking. I\u2019ll let her know you asked about her, but if she doesn\u2019t keep working we\u2019ll never get this crowd fed. If you\u2019ll wait until tonight I\u2019m sure\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces rolled his eyes. Fed up with the woman, he brusquely marched past her and towards the kitchen. She tried to stop him, but Ceria and Yvlon walked past her too.<\/p>\n \u201cErin?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria shouted into the open kitchen where the sounds of extreme cooking could be heard. She waited as the woman protectively barred the doorway.<\/p>\n \u201cErin? Are you in there? It\u2019s me. Ceria! And Yvlon is here as well. We\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf heard a shout from inside the kitchen. A moment later a young woman practically ran the older innkeeper over. She shoved the protesting woman aside and then turned to the Horns of Hammerad. Erin Solstice, covered in flour, sweat, and a strange red paste Ceria vaguely recognized as tomato sauce spread her arms wide and rushed at her friend.<\/p>\n \u201cCeria! Yvlon!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n She practically tackled the two women, hugging them fiercely. Ceria laughed as people turned and looked, and Yvlon smiled as she gave Erin a welcoming hug. The girl turned, her eyes widening as she smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cKsmvr! And\u2026you.\u201d<\/p>\n She paused when she got to Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you.\u201d<\/p>\n He sniffed, hurt, but then Erin smiled and hugged him as well, much to the young man\u2019s astonishment.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re all okay! And alive! And\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Erin saw Yvlon\u2019s arms and gasped in shock. Yvlon opened her mouth to explain, but then the innkeeper was interrupting, trying to pull Erin back towards the kitchen.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know these adventurers, Erin dear? Can\u2019t you have your reunion later? Folks are calling out for food!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey can wait. You cook if they\u2019re so busy! Or get another inn to serve food! Shoo!\u201d<\/p>\n Erin shoved the innkeeper away and then turned back to her friends. She stared at them, looking almost teary-eyed with relief.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened? I was so worried! Ryoka only said\u2014well, she left a message for me that you were in Remendia! Did you find the dungeon? She said you cleared it\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Their reunion was attracting stares. Only naturally\u2014Ksmvr might have been allowed into the city, but he was still an Antinium, and Yvlon\u2019s arms were getting their own attention. It didn\u2019t take long for people to put two and two together, even as excited as they were for this \u2018play\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Horns of Hammerad! <\/em>The Conquerers of Albez!\u201d<\/p>\n A huge cheer went up, although half of the guests probably didn\u2019t even know what it was about. This was a crowd that would cheer anything, but soon there were people surrounding the Horns of Hammerad, talking excitedly.<\/p>\n At precisely the wrong time. Ceria, Pisces, Yvlon, and Ksmvr found themselves mobbed, and after a few minutes of chaos, Ceria managed to duck into the kitchen with Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re famous!\u201d<\/p>\n That was what Erin said when they had a moment to speak. The hubbub was muted through the door, and Ceria sat against a kitchen counter, breathing heavily.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I guess. It\u2019s still surprising\u2014how are you here<\/em>, Erin? The last time we met, you were in Liscor, nearly a hundred miles away from here! What\u2019s this Ryoka said about Toren? Is there a problem?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s face fell for a second. She turned around and Ceria noticed she was making food. Strange, circular sheets of dough slathered with pasted tomatoes and covered with cheese and meat. Ceria had eaten this food before, but it was still weird to her. What was it called again? Pizza?<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. He\u2014it\u2019s complicated. I\u2019m making pizzas right now\u2014sorry, I\u2019ve got to keep working. But it\u2019s great to know you\u2019re okay. Except Yvlon! What happened to her arms?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a long story.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria watched as Erin took a completed pizza\u2014golden brown cheese glistening on top of the baked bread\u2014out of the stone oven. Her stomach rumbled, and Erin laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re hungry! Well, good, because I\u2019m making a ton of food! And you\u2019re just in time! The play\u2019s about to start! Oh, right\u2014you don\u2019t even know what\u2019s happened. Well, just wait and see! You can watch it tonight. I\u2019ll make Agnes get a table for you\u2014unless you have another inn you\u2019re staying at?\u201d<\/p>\n The girl took a knife and diced the pizza up into gooey sections of eight which she placed onto plates. She turned to Ceria, smiling hugely.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not stay here instead? But you\u2019re probably staying at the best inn\u2014that\u2019s okay! I can visit you and besides, the beds here aren\u2019t that <\/em>great. But you should stay for dinner! It\u2019ll be fun, I promise!\u201d<\/p>\n Embarrassed, Ceria had to interject. She coughed as she confessed to Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t uh, actually have the coin to stay at a good inn, Erin. We were hoping you could\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n The girl\u2019s eyes widened in shock.<\/p>\n \u201cYou didn\u2019t get any <\/em>money from going through the dungeon? That\u2019s terrible! Everyone was saying how great it was, but adventuring doesn\u2019t pay, huh? You can stay at my inn\u2014I mean, the inn I\u2019m helping to run! Free of charge! I\u2019ll be making pizza tonight and I\u2019ll make a huge breakfast tomorrow!\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria would have liked to protest, but she and the other Horns of Hammerad really didn\u2019t have any room to argue. She could only smile and hug Erin. The other girl hugged her back, tightly. They stood in silence for a moment, countless words unspoken, just happy to see each other again.<\/p>\n Then the door opened and let in spilling noise and confusion. Erin turned back to her cooking after giving the distressed woman named Miss Agnes orders, and Ceria and the other Horns of Hammerad found themselves seated just in time to witness a play.<\/p>\n What was it? The Horns of Hammerad sat at a table right in front of the stage, staring in confusion at the men, women, and one female Drake all dressed up as if they were [Lords] and [Ladies]. They strutted about the stage, and then one began to speak. He declaimed to the audience, who went magically silent as they watched him, only pausing to eat the hot pizza and sip from their mugs.<\/p>\n And then\u2026two Humans, a man and a woman, both dressed as [Guardsmen]\u2014Ceria thought they actually were<\/em> [Guardsmen]\u2026met in the center of the stage. One called out to the other, who stood at clear attention.<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n The woman on watch turned and put her hand on her sword, frowning deeply.<\/p>\n \u201cNay, answer me: stand, and reveal yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n A briefest pause, and then the man cried out.<\/p>\n \u201cLong live the [King]!\u201d<\/p>\n The woman palpably relaxed. She took her hand away from her sword.<\/p>\n \u201cBernardo?\u201d<\/p>\n The man nodded as he approached.<\/p>\n \u201cHe.\u201d<\/p>\n What happened? One second the two were talking, and Ceria was wondering what in the name of fungus was going on, and then\u2014<\/p>\n And then the play began. The Horns of Hammerad stared at the actors as they began to act, and realized as they were sitting what that word meant. Acting. Telling a story. Of course they\u2019d heard of performers and storytellers and even the occasional reenactment of an event, but this? This was different. They sat in stunned silence as on the stage of the Frenzied Hare, the people in silly costumes came to life and told a story.<\/p>\n For Ceria\u2019s part, she sat with a slice of hot pizza in front of her, chewing slowly and relishing the new taste. She tried to follow the performance on stage. What was this about some kind of revenge plot? Apparently the character \u2013 some [Prince] with an odd Human name \u2013 was trying to avenge his dead father, who\u2019d come back as a ghost to ask him to slay his killer.<\/p>\n Human [Kings] and [Princes] and betrayal and death. Ceria had trouble keeping up with the plot in truth, but she felt mired by the sheer depravity of it all. The people on stage backstabbed and poisoned each other, dragging all down into death in the end.<\/p>\n It reminded her of Terandria, actually, and the rumors she\u2019d heard of the games of politics played by each nation. She didn\u2019t like<\/em> the premise of the play, but she couldn\u2019t look away. And the food was good.<\/p>\n But if she was the least-riveted by the performance, the same could not be said for Pisces. The instant the play began the mage was fixated, to the point where he actually stopped eating and just focused on the play.<\/p>\n He sat hunched forwards, eyes intent on each character as they spoke. Occasionally Pisces would sit back and nod his head or shake it sadly as they delivered complex verses in Shakespearean prose, or roll his eyes and smirk when a joke was spoken that passed over the audience\u2019s head.<\/p>\n To Ceria\u2019s right, Yvlon sat tensely in her chair, just as gripped by it. She was entranced too, although in her own way. Yvlon frowned when the premise of the play\u2014a [Lord] who had slain the rightful [King] married the [Queen] to usurp the throne\u2014was revealed. Thereafter she sat rigid in her seat, clearly rooting for the main character of the play to uncover the truth and bring down the traitorous villain.<\/p>\n And on the other side of the table? Ksmvr sat still, his slice of pizza drooping in his hand, staring as the tragedy unfolded. He seemed fascinated rather than emotionally moved, but Ceria didn\u2019t see him look away once.<\/p>\n She suspected a lot of what was going on was passing right over\u2014or perhaps between\u2014the antennae on the top of his head. But he was a keen observer nonetheless, and sat almost completely still as he watched the play reach its conclusion.<\/p>\n When it was over, when the young [Prince] lay dying and the rest of the cast lay sprawled out on the floor and his friend called out an end to the sorry tale, the audience leapt to their feet. They cheered the actors who stood and bowed repeatedly, and only then did Ceria find out the name of the play. She had missed it when getting her pizza, but now the name of the play was on everyone\u2019s lips as they talked excitedly about the story and called for more food and drink.<\/p>\n It was called Hamlet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n —-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was close to midnight before the inn finally cleared. The people left, most drunk and almost all half-asleep on their feet. The [Actors] had already left. Ceria had seen one of them\u2014the [Guardsman] with the fuzzy mustache who\u2019d played Hamlet\u2014stumbling off, looking partly dead. She wondered how he could work his job and act like this every night.<\/p>\n The [Innkeeper] Miss Agnes and the staff of [Barmaids]\u2014four of them, all needed to keep up with the crowds\u2014had long since retired. Only Erin remained. She sat in the messy room, looking exhausted and happy. And with her sat the Horns of Hammerad.<\/p>\n There was a different kind of feel to the air as they sat, talking quietly and eating the leftover pizza Erin had made. The excitement from the play had gone\u2014Pisces had asked Erin many questions about it, as had Ksmvr. She\u2019d told them all about the first few performances of the tale of Romeo and Juliet, and how it had changed the city.<\/p>\n The play was a new, amazing thing. The tale enacted on stage was a classic. After the first night, the new [Actors] had put on repeated performances, each time filling the Frenzied Hare to the brim with eager, paying guests. Other inns had immediately tried to entice the performers to their inns, but the troupe had stayed here.<\/p>\n And of course, where success came, countless people followed, wanting to perform the play themselves, become [Actors]\u2026Erin told the amazed Horns of Hammerad that other groups were already imitating the play, and even going to other cities to perform.<\/p>\n But the [Actors] with the highest levels were by far Wesle and Jasi and the original crew of people who kept performing. They had already gained a handful of Skills and they had been bitten repeatedly by the acting bug. So Erin had taught them another play, Hamlet, which they were performing each night to great success.<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t know what I\u2019m going to do. They want to learn all the plays! And they said they want to create a travelling performance\u2014just like Shakespeare did! It\u2019s so wild!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho\u2019s Shakespeare? The one who wrote this play? Where does he live? Can I meet him?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces chewed the crust of the pizza furiously as he stared at Erin. Ksmvr was busy eating some raw dough\u2014he was obsessed with the stuff, and only he could eat it with the charm against food poisoning. \u00a0Erin just waved Pisces away, shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s long dead. And besides\u2014there\u2019s just so much to do! I\u2019d like to stay, but doing these plays is exhausting!<\/em> I can teach Wesle and the others the plays I know\u2014some of them have [Perfect Recall] like me. But I just wanted to show them a play, you know? I didn\u2019t expect it to get this big.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cForget famous. This will sweep across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria sat back in her chair, amazed at the idea. She could already see the play becoming a huge hit in Terandria. Why, every [Lord] would want to put on a performance. How much money could be made from it? She couldn\u2019t even imagine what would happen next.<\/p>\n Erin just shrugged. She hadn\u2019t wanted to talk about the play at all. She stared at Yvlon\u2019s arms again as the woman dozed in her chair.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe what happened to you guys. You\u2019ve been through so much. And Ryoka\u2026I thought she would come back with you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria tried to reassure Erin. She honestly had no idea what Ryoka was going through, or why she\u2019d attracted the attention of Magnolia Reinhart, but Erin looked worried.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019ll be fine. She\u2019s tough. And she has that Frost Faerie with her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah! Ivolethe!\u201d<\/p>\n The young woman brightened up, as if having a Frost Faerie follow you around was a good thing. She stared at the others and sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just so glad you\u2019re alright. So glad. I was worried.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria smiled slightly guiltily at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did it. It cost us a lot, but we did it.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces and Ksmvr nodded. Yvlon blinked and nodded as well, automatically.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2014yes. Yes we did. And we have come here to repay the debt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot that we have any gold to pay you with.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces\u2019 sardonic remark made Erin wrinkle her nose at him.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care about that! I\u2019m just glad you\u2019re okay. Besides, Ryoka has all your stuff, right? When she comes back you can give me coin. Or a magical sword. That would be cool. Or the bag of holding! That would be so useful!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe owe you a great deal. We\u2019ll find something worth repaying you with, even if it\u2019s only a bucket full of gold.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria meant every word. Without Erin\u2019s help they would have never had the coin to get to Albez, let alone found Ksmvr and joined up the way they had. Erin smiled, and then looked wistfully towards the window.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now that you\u2019re here, you\u2019ll help me go back, right? To Liscor?\u201d<\/p>\n The others at the table sat up. Pisces cast a glance towards Ceria and she hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we can. But it\u2019s dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s okay. I\u2019m used to danger.\u201d<\/p>\n No one could disagree with that. Even so, Ceria hesitated. She looked around the inn. It was still messy, but it was a nice place, in its own way.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure you couldn\u2019t stay here? At least for a month or two? Celum isn\u2019t bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked at Ceria seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, it isn\u2019t bad. But Celum\u2026it\u2019s not Liscor, you know? All my friends are in Liscor\u2014well, you\u2019re here but you know what I mean. But my inn\u2019s there, and so is Mrsha and Lyon and\u2026I have to go back. Even if it\u2019s dangerous. You get that, right?\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf breathed out slowly as Ksmvr nodded across the table.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe I do. We do. And we\u2019ll help you get back, but we\u2019ve got to be careful. But Erin, there\u2019s one thing you haven\u2019t talked about. How did you get here?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin had been smiling at Ceria, but now her smile vanished in a flash. She looked down at the crumbs in the plate and drew a finger through them.<\/p>\n \u201cToren.\u201d<\/p>\n Next to Ceria, Pisces sat up, looking suddenly alert and slightly worried. Ceria scooted closer to the table, staring at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Ryoka mentioned him. What about your skeleton, Erin? What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n The girl looked at Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s your creation, isn\u2019t he? Can you tell where he is now?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces hesitated, then shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not linked to him at the moment. I can sense him, but only vaguely. He\u2019s\u2026to the south, a good distance away.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. That makes sense. It\u2026matches with what I\u2019ve heard.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s face was troubled. Ceria saw Yvlon staring at Pisces and the way the mage stared hard at Erin\u2019s face.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat did my creation do, exactly?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll tell you all I know. But it\u2014it makes no sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Briefly, Erin told the adventurers everything that had led up to her arriving at Celum. Ceria watched Pisces\u2019 face. It changed only a little as Erin spoke, but when she talked about Toren disappearing he glanced down at his hands.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what happened. I just fell asleep\u2026and then I was all the way over here. Toren must have dragged me here in the sled when I slept. But he left me in the middle of nowhere.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see.\u201d<\/p>\n The Human [Mage] tapped the table, seeming to think. He looked\u2026slightly worried, Ceria thought, and a foreboding feeling appeared in her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cPisces. What happened to Erin\u2019s skeleton?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a number of theories but\u2026it would be best to collect more information first. Miss Erin, have you heard anything else of your skeleton?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nodded, and now she looked\u2026sad. Terribly sad.<\/p>\n \u201cI kept asking Wesle\u2014the [Guardsman]\u2014about him. At first there was nothing. But\u2026the other day he told me a skeleton on the road was attacking people. He killed a bunch of travelers and buried them in the snow. A group of adventurers nearly got killed by him, and afterwards they found all the dead people. Over twenty of them.\u201d<\/p>\n All four people in the room stared at Pisces. He raised his hands defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cI <\/em>didn\u2019t order him to do that!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell then, what the hell happened!?\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stood up in her chair. She pointed a finger at Pisces, who flinched.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sure sounds like your spell failing! Did Toren lose control somehow? Why did he start killing people?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. I have an idea but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not all.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin interrupted the two. They stared at her. Erin stared at them in the darkness, her face only lit by the few candles burning low in the inn.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s more. A bunch of reports just came from Esthelm.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon stirred in her seat, looking confused.<\/p>\n \u201cEsthelm? I thought it was destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was. But apparently a bunch of people survived. They managed to retake the city\u2014they fought off another army of Goblins and a bunch of undead. Apparently, a Goblin army came by just as all the dead in the city began to rise. And the dead were being led by a skeleton. One who could fight like a swordsman and had purple eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces froze in his seat. Ceria stared at him, but Erin wasn\u2019t looking at either of them.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people apparently were being led by this [Knight] guy. He saved them. Everyone\u2019s talking about him. The Savior of Esthelm. A Gold-rank adventurer named Ylawes Byres.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon froze in her seat, eyes wide. Ceria stared at her.<\/p>\n \u201cIs that a relative of yours, Yvlon?\u201d<\/p>\n She vaguely remembered the name from somewhere. Where? Then Ceria remembered.<\/p>\n The pit. The pit of insanity. At one point Yvlon had claimed to be Ylawes. Now the woman closed her eyes. When she opened them, she smiled ruefully.<\/p>\n \u201cI know Ylawes. He\u2019s my older brother. He must have journeyed south to see me. He normally works far to the north, around our family estates.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone stared at Yvlon. She just shrugged, tired.<\/p>\n \u201cSurprised? I\u2019m only a Silver-rank, but my brother\u2019s quite famous up north. His team\u2014the Silver Swords\u2014often take up causes like this one. Esthelm\u2019s just another one of his triumphs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard of the Silver Swords.\u201d<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t as if Ceria knew all of the adventurer teams by heart, but the Gold-rank ones tended to stick in one\u2019s memory. But she\u2019d never known Yvlon had a brother. Then again, she\u2019d never asked. It was surprising to say the least, but Yvlon didn\u2019t seem to want to talk about her brother at the moment. She looked at Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cPutting aside my brother\u2026you said Toren was spotted at Esthelm?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin nodded unhappily.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Leading the undead. They killed a lot of people. The attacking Goblins too, but a lot of people. It was definitely him.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked at Pisces, helplessly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did he do it? Why did he run off and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n All eyes were on the mage. He shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. Twice he glanced at Ceria, but then he sighed and sat up in his chair.<\/p>\n \u201cNumerous theories come to mind. He could have been controlled, or simply gone rampant if my spells failed. However, both outcomes are unlikely in the extreme. My best theory is that he simply\u2026grew too powerful for your commands to control him. And he decided to go his own way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n The word came sharply from Ceria. She stared at Pisces, heart beating faster.<\/p>\n \u201cToren\u2019s just a skeleton, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n She remembered the skeleton\u2019s gaze, almost intelligent. Almost alive. Pisces hesitated.<\/p>\n \u201cHe may have developed the capacity for thought.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToren?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked incredulous. So did Yvlon. Ksmvr just stared silently at Pisces as the mage nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can happen. Revenants retain the personality of their former selves. Toren is no Revenant of course, but he could have gained the\u2026ability to think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGained.\u201d<\/p>\n The word was heavy on her tongue. Ceria couldn\u2019t look away from Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cYou keep using words like that. Gain. Grew. But the undead can\u2019t grow. They\u2019re not alive. They can\u2019t change unless a [Necromancer] alters them in some way. Nothing can. Unless they can level.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces stared past Ceria. Silent. Unmoving. Ceria\u2019s pulse was thunder in her ears. She remembered the past. She remembered Wistram, and she gave voice to her fears.<\/p>\n \u201cToren couldn\u2019t have changed. Unless you did it. You actually did it. You gave him, an undead, the ability to level.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s eyes grew wide across the table. Yvlon sat up straight, and even Ksmvr grew shocked. Ceria just stared at Pisces. He looked ahead, face emotionless. Then, slowly, the fa\u00e7ade broke. His lips turned up. He looked at Ceria.<\/p>\n And smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cYou bastard!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria leapt from her chair. She knocked Pisces out of his seat, and slung him to the ground. He gasped as she put her hands around his throat and tried to choke him. Ceria felt him push her hands off him as Pisces backed away, speaking quickly, urgently.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know he would gain any type of sentience! His capability to level up was only meant to be a feature, nothing more!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou knew!<\/em> You gave Erin an undead that could level! Are you insane!?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria pursued Pisces, ready to punch his brains out. To her surprise, hands grabbed her. Ksmvr used three of his to hold her, and Yvlon grabbed her other arm. Erin was just sitting at the table, looking blank and shocked.<\/p>\n \u201cYvlon!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCalm down, Ceria. We need to know just what Pisces did before you beat him to a pulp.\u201d<\/p>\n The look in the woman\u2019s eyes clearly said a beating was in order either way. Pisces gulped, but began to explain. He was too eager to do so. Ceria glared at him across the table as the [Necromancer]\u2019s eyes lit up as he told the group what he had done.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Ceria is right. I created an undead that could level. Toren, as Erin named him. He was just an experimental prototype\u2014something meant to repay her and guard her inn. But I wanted to see if he could level as well, so I gave him to Erin. I never expected him to gain sentience, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe can think?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at Pisces, looking horrified. He hesitated, and then nodded.<\/p>\n \u201cHe must be able to, to abandon you and do what he has done. Had you noticed him taking independent action or\u2026questioning your orders?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t\u2014I thought it was just him being weird. But now\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Erin stared at her hands, blinking.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2014yeah. He did. He was acting so odd lately and I was going to bug you about it. He can think? He\u2019s alive?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd he can level.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria glared at Pisces. He edged away from her, but it was Yvlon who spoke. The woman looked deeply troubled.<\/p>\n \u201cHow? How is that possible? I\u2019ve never heard of a leveling undead, ever. Not even the greatest [Necromancers] could make one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMore like none of them were crazy enough to try. Any undead that can level will eventually rebel, just like Golems.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria glared at Pisces. The young man raised his hands, looking nervous but elated.<\/p>\n \u201cI told you it was possible. I told them all at Wistram. Toren was proof I could do it. But I never expected him to level up quickly enough to subvert my control. I did check, you know, whenever I saw him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot well enough. Look what\u2019s happened!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow, though?\u201d<\/p>\n Ksmvr was the one to speak. He stared at Pisces, looking troubled.<\/p>\n \u201cIs comrade Pisces truly that great of a prodigy? Or is his level high enough that he is able to create such a miraculous undead through some Skill?\u201d<\/p>\n The half-Elf shook her head, smiling darkly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t learn how to make leveling undead by himself. He\u2019s not that smart.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces opened his mouth and then shrank back in his chair as everyone glared at him. Ceria explained.<\/p>\n \u201cA Golem taught him. A Truestone Construct; one of the most powerful types of Golems in the world taught him an incomplete formula for creating beings capable of leveling up. And he\u2014completed it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo you made a thinking, leveling undead.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon\u2019s eyes could have bored a hole through the mage. He shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cI was taught a theoretical piece of magic, it\u2019s true. But it\u2019s still not perfect. It wasn\u2019t even certain my creation\u2014Toren\u2014would be able to level.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut he did. And he learned to think!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEvidently.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces stared uncomfortably at Erin, and then away. She had a haunted, horrified look on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cI made him do chores. But he could think the entire time?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cErin\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria reached out and touched her friend. Erin shuddered, and then stared at Pisces angrily.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, he was alive. But why did he start killing people? I never told him to do that! He just did chores for me!\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces spread his hands out, helplessly.<\/p>\n \u201cHe probably wished to. I can only speculate, but as I told you once, Toren is not meant for peaceful activities. He may have rebelled out of his desire to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? He\u2019s not evil! I mean\u2014he wasn\u2019t made that way, right? All he did was do chores! How could he just kill like that?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin tried to snap her fingers, but couldn\u2019t. She was trembling. Pisces closed his eyes, when he opened them, he looked regretful for a moment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is what he was made to do. You see\u2014I made him to fight, to protect. I imbued him with the capability for rational thought in the fashion of Golems. Problem-solving skills; but nothing more, certainly not a groundwork for actual cognition. But I never gave him anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin turned towards Ceria. The half-Elf crossed her arms.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t give him a conscience. Or\u2026morality.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat? Why not?\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces shrugged eloquently at Yvlon. She clenched her fist, and Ceria interjected.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can\u2019t. He doesn\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen why make a creature like that? You\u2019re just inviting trouble!\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria wasn\u2019t about to defend Pisces on that. He just looked at her, though, haughty and unrepentant.<\/p>\n \u201cCognita has no moral compass. She functions well enough without one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s a monster too. She\u2019s killed more [Mages] than any other being in the world, I\u2019ll wager. She might be helpful to some, but you know she\u2019ll kill without a qualm as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces nodded reluctantly, but he still didn\u2019t appear convinced what he\u2019d done was wrong. Remorseful, yes, guilty, even. But he looked like he had when he stood in front of the Council of Wistram the day they\u2019d exiled him. He was certain, and it made Ceria sick because at least in some way, he was right.<\/p>\n He\u2019d done it. He\u2019d actually done it. She could hardly bear to look at him.<\/p>\n Pisces turned back to Erin. The young woman was pale. She looked like she was about to vomit. The [Mage] modulated his tone, spoke softly and, for Pisces, gently.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me be clear, Erin. This was not your fault. The error lay with me in underestimating the capability of my creation. Toren was a loyal servant until he grew strong enough to break the orders you and I had given him. Now he is a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA killer. He killed people. Men. Women. Children. But he\u2019s also like\u2026a baby, isn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn odd way of looking at it. But I suppose he would be young.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCould you change him? Make him\u2026not kill people?\u201d<\/p>\n Erin looked up at Pisces, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Ceria waited too. Pisces hesitated, but after a moment shook his head regretfully.<\/p>\n \u201cI could stop him, perhaps. But it would be dangerous and all I would be able to do is render him harmless. Ceria is correct: I cannot give him a conscience. I do not know how. No one does.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n Yvlon said that. She stood up, staring at Pisces and Erin.<\/p>\n \u201cIf what you say is true, that skeleton is a huge threat. A thinking undead, one capable of leveling and leading others? It could become a threat capable of taking on Gold-ranked adventurers soon if not stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin\u2019s voice was quiet, but her eyes were suddenly focused. Her hands\u2014she kept them on the table, but they trembled as she looked at Pisces.<\/p>\n \u201cCan you stop him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can.\u201d<\/p>\n The [Necromancer] said it quietly. He looked at Ceria and she understood.<\/p>\n \u201cSevering the link?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the easiest way.\u201d<\/p>\n Pisces explained to Erin and the others.<\/p>\n \u201cErin feeds Toren with her natural mana. No matter how far away she is, he and she are connected. Without her mana, he cannot survive, powerful as he may be. If I cut it, he will cease to\u2026live.\u201d<\/p>\n Silence fell over the room. Yvlon opened her mouth, clearly wanting to tell Pisces to do it now, but she stopped when she saw Erin\u2019s face. Ceria understood, a little bit. For all Erin yelled at her skeleton, Ceria had seen it with her since as long as she\u2019d known Erin. It was Erin\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n What? Friend was too strong a word. The girl had thought Toren was a mindless tool for the entire time. But she\u2019d relied on him, even liked him. What he was to her couldn\u2019t be explained in words.<\/p>\n And now she had to kill him.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps we can track him down.\u201d<\/p>\n That came from Ceria\u2019s mouth. She blinked when she said it, but everyone stared at her and so she spoke, desperately trying to give Erin another option.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we set out, we might be able to track him down. You said he was at Esthelm? He may still be in the area. Or we could find him, look for rumors\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. Do it now.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin cut her friend off. She stared at Pisces. The mage stared back, looking as shocked as Ceria felt.<\/p>\n \u201cNow?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. Cut Toren\u2019s supply of mana right now. This instant!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure?\u201d<\/p>\n Why was Ksmvr saying that? But the Antinium had the same sense Ceria did. Erin was shuddering. Her face was pale and sweat stood out on her forehead. She was not well. But the look in her eyes was steel.<\/p>\n She spoke quietly to the others.<\/p>\n \u201cHe killed people. I asked, and I made sure. Toren killed people. Not just one, not just two, and not in self-defense. He killed them because\u2026because he wanted to. And he\u2019s going to keep killing people if he\u2019s not stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n She stopped, gulped. Erin closed her eyes, but then went on, voice hoarse, choking on her next words.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this were a movie\u2026or a play\u2026I\u2019d be the stupid idiot who didn\u2019t stop Toren before he killed thousands of people. He\u2019s already killed dozens, maybe hundreds. And how strong would he become if he kept leveling up? Maybe if I knew I could find him I\u2019d\u2014but I can\u2019t. He\u2019s too far away. And I won\u2019t let him kill anyone else. It has to be now.\u201d<\/p>\n No one could answer her. It was the right decision. Pisces hesitated as Erin walked over to him.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you need to cast a spell or something?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. It\u2019s a simple enough procedure. As the one who cast the spell I can unravel it. It will just take a minute\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo it, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Ceria stared at Pisces. He looked at her, uncertain. She just stared back. See, she wanted to ask him. See what you\u2019ve done?<\/p>\n Pisces looked away. He made no sound, but after a moment laid his hands on Erin\u2019s head. She shifted, once, and then was still.<\/p>\n No sound. No grand show of lights, no mystical chanting. Pisces just moved magic and Ceria saw a thread, thinner than silk and stronger than stone flowing from Erin out into the world. Pisces pulled at it and slowly, the connection broke.<\/p>\n That was it. It was over. He let go of Erin and she stared up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s done? He\u2019s gone?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe will be. No undead can live without mana and Toren consumes\u2026consumed more than most.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n Erin took a few steps away from Pisces. She stared blankly at him, and then looked around the room. Everyone stared at her, Yvlon with a pale face, Ksmvr silently, Pisces full of what might have been regret, and Ceria with no idea what to say.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m tired. I\u2019m gonna go to sleep, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n So saying, Erin began to walk up the stairs. She left the Horns of Hammerad behind and went into the small room that wasn\u2019t hers and crawled onto the bed. She didn\u2019t bother undressing, and lay down in the rough blanket. She put her pillow over her head, and curled up into the smallest ball possible.<\/p>\n She didn\u2019t cry. She couldn\u2019t cry. But something in her heart broke. Erin whispered the words into the night.<\/p>\n \u201cGoodbye.\u201d<\/p>\n She listened, hoping to hear a reply. But all she heard was silence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Previous Chapter<\/a> Next Chapter<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the Horns of Hammerad left the city of Remendia, it was, predictably, to a huge fanfare and celebration by the crowds lining the street. At this point, the four adventurers so highly lauded were well and truly sick of the entire affair. \u201cIt\u2019s not even as if there\u2019s anything to cheer about. We\u2019re leaving.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52856846,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"patreon-level":0,"patreon_level":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11693083,349],"tags":[7224,250708,4330244,4472517,11693079],"twi_volume":[11693132],"twi_collection":[],"class_list":["post-3371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-volume-3","category-writing","tag-fantasy","tag-inn","tag-web-novel","tag-web-serial","tag-writing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nFor in that sleep of death what dreams may come
\nWhen we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
\nMust give us pause: there’s the respect
\nThat makes calamity of so long life\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\n