Even if she was still in town, and even if she had decided to quit the Seekers… hell, even if she was allowed to quit the Seekers… there was still more to consider. Thia had asked me to pass along her apology to Ves, but I didn’t know how Ves felt about it.
And then there was, well, Thia’s very gracious act of gratitude. She had expressed interest in doing more together, if she could, and I had brought up the idea of possibly beginning a relationship. One way or another, Ves would find out about that, and I didn’t want it to be by accident.
While I hadn’t known either woman for long, there was already an undeniable connection between me and them. Ves wasn’t as… affectionate… as Thia, but our fast friendship and playful banter made me feel like it was possible for our relationship to blossom over time. Or was I just hoping for that, because she was so beautiful, and I was in such an unfamiliar setting?
“Hello? Jeremy?” Ves snapped a finger in my direction.
“Oh, I was just thinking about what you said. What are our options for finding another party member? You said there aren’t many adventurers in Perrenbrook, so does that mean we need to go somewhere else?”
Ves sighed. “Probably. Maybe. It’s not like we’re in any rush, so I guess we could just try to stick to really easy tasks and try to survive off of that money until another adventurer comes around.”
“And hope that they’re the kind that we need.”
“Right… shit.” Ves’s green eyes looked around as she thought about this problem. “And don’t forget about the rune. Now that I know it reacts to magic, I really want to figure out what it’s for and if I can activate it.”
She had been so upset when she couldn’t trigger it that I thought she’d had enough of that rune. “Why’s that?”
“Because it could be hiding treasure, of course. Why else would someone use such a strong rune?”
I shrugged. “Ves, I don’t know the first thing about runes.”
She scoffed, but with a smile. “There’s all kinds of runes, but many are used to seal and protect things. I don’t know what other reason why someone would put one in a cave. Anyway… that’s something to worry about later. Let’s go back to the village for now, and check the Network.”
I felt a lot better about leaving the Starting Cave now that I’d spent more time exploring it, and had my crude map with me. We didn’t run into any other cave rats, which made the trek even easier.
Once we were outside in the cool, fresh air and midday sunlight, I decided to just ask Ves the question that had been on my mind. “What do you think about the possibility of Thia joining us?”
Ves gave me side-eye and continued on the trail. “Not sure. What do you think?”
“Well, she told me that she was considering leaving the Seekers, so the idea might be moot. I think she said her class was Defender, which sounds exactly like what we could use in our party.”
“Did she also tell you that she’s as bad at her class as I am?” There was more than a little acid in her words, to my surprise. Ves hadn’t seemed especially upset at Thia when she stormed off, but the resentment had apparently been growing. She didn’t want to talk about the apology, and now this.
“Yeah, she did. All the more reason for us to work together, right?”
Ves stopped in her tracks and put a hand on her hip. “Because that worked out so great last time?”
I held up my hands a little. “Okay. Obviously there might be more to this than I know, so I’ll just say one thing: What happened yesterday looked like a mistake made by a beginner, like us. There’s a reason why we’re trying to train and improve.”
“It’s not just that she moved out of my range. Even when she managed to block with her shield, it looked like she nearly broke her arm. A Defender who has trouble with defending and a healer who has trouble with healing is a recipe for disaster.”
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, she had a point. It’s one thing for a party to support one member who is struggling to keep up, but if everyone is struggling…
Just as I was about to reply to Ves, I heard a loud voice in the distance. We looked in the direction of the village, and I could see a couple of familiar figures heading towards us: the golden-haired and golden-armored Kael, and the slender, stoic Ullun. At first, I wondered if Thia might be just behind them, but it soon became apparent that she wasn’t. Probably for the best, right now.
Kael noticed us, as well, and held out his arms in delight. “Jeremy, my good friend and future companion!” He was still a good distance away as he spoke, so there was an awkward pause while I waited for them to get closer, since I wasn’t about to shout my response.
“Hi Kael, Ullun. Were you looking for us?”
“No, good sir - it seems we were destined to meet again. Ullun and I had intended to inspect this so-called ‘Starting Cave’. Not only did Gev find an untimely demise in that cursed cavern, but my dear sister nearly met a similar fate. Fortunately, the brave Jeremy was there to lend his aid!” Kael looked at Ves, his eyes widening. “In fact, I believe she mentioned that the Vitality Mage she had partnered with was also responsible for keeping her alive.”
Ves looked uncomfortable. “No, uh, it wasn’t much. Jeremy and Thia were the ones who–”
Kael bowed. “My lady, may I ask you for your name?”
“Ves.”
“Ves. I offer my deepest apologies for not insisting that you join us for our meal yesterday. Had I known that you aided Aralithia in such a way… but no matter. What’s done is done, and today is a new day! Perhaps you two could accompany us to the cave so that we could continue our conversation?”
Ves and I shot each other a nervous glance, although I don’t think it was for the same reason. I cleared my throat. “Could I speak with my partner alone for a moment?”
The tall aevrana happily agreed, and I took Ves aside and out of earshot. She looked like she had eaten something sour. “There’s no way I’m spending another minute with that guy and his creepy arm candy.”
“Trust me, I get it, but what if they find the rune? I don’t know if they plan to inspect the entire cave, but I bet they at least want to see the place where Gev died.”
Ves’s ears flattened and eyes narrowed. “Dammit, you’re right. I bet that elf’s magic is powerful, too, if she’s with the leader of the Seekers. Ugh. We’re going to have to go with them and try to keep them from noticing the rune.”
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I agreed, so we returned to the pair of experienced adventurers and said that we would love to go to the cave with them. Kael wasted no time in talking to Ves about the advantages of joining the Sterling Seekers, repeating the same points he had made to me. While I followed behind them, feeling bad for Ves, I was surprised to notice that Ullun had moved next to me. I hadn’t noticed that she nearly matched my height, as she was usually right next to the much-taller Kael. Her tall and slender build, combined with her icy demenour, gave off an intimidating aura. (I wasn’t hating it.)
The gorgeous elven woman, keeping her eyes on the road ahead, spoke for the first time in my presence. Her voice was soft and luscious, but somewhat disdainful at the same time. “Kaelition truly believes that you will be joining us in the Seekers.”
“He definitely seems excited enough at the possibility.”
“I believe that Aralithia would be quite pleased, as well.”
My face got warm. “Oh, uh, you think so?”
Ullun face formed the barest hint of a smile, but still didn’t look at me. “I don’t envy the man who has caught the interest of both Xyrosia siblings.”
If she suspected anything about me and Thia, she wasn’t giving anything away. “They seem like the kind of people who always get what they want. But what do you think? Should I join the guild?”
The silver-haired beauty turned her head slightly and I could see her amber eyes inspect me from top to bottom. “While I’m sure the Xyrosias would give you preferential treatment, that won’t guarantee you a spot in one of the guild’s parties. Consider that before you make any decisions.”
I thanked her, appreciating her candor. Even if Thia chose to - or had to - stay with the Seekers, I don’t think it would be the best choice for me. Maybe if I didn’t have someone like Ves to help me out, and I was completely lost and alone, it would be a different story. Ullun also made me think about Thia’s place in the guild. Despite being the leader’s sister, she wasn’t showing the kind of aptitude at her class that she was expected to. The Xyrosias seemed like an important family, at least within the Seekers, so I couldn’t imagine her ending up doing some kind of housekeeping work at their headquarters.
The image of Thia greeting me at the door while wearing a revealing maid uniform entered my mind, and I filed it away for another time. In any case, I could understand why Thia wanted to leave the guild, and why it would be a difficult decision for her.
We hadn’t traveled far from the cave entrance, so it was a quick walk back. Kael drew an enormous sword and a shining, golden shield, then insisted on taking the lead. No arguments here. Ves handed me her flint and steel, then held out the torch so I could light it. I thought I saw Ullun arch an eyebrow, but it might have been my imagination.
Unsurprisingly, we had barely made any progress through the cave before Kael asked me where I found Gev’s body. “Just keep to the right and you can’t miss it. I should also say that there’s nothing left in there… the rats did most of the work, and Ves cleaned up the rest.”
Kael lowered his head. “I appreciate that, and I know Gev would feel the same way.” It was clear that he was trying to keep his voice down, but it still echoed throughout the passage. “We still wish to inspect the area. If this cave is as unsuitable for novices as it seems, I will be reporting it to both the Perrenbrook village elder and the Adventurer’s Network in the hopes of having it permanently sealed, or at least, restricted to more experienced adventurers.”
Ves sneered at the idea. “What happened to that Rogue was a freak occurrence. I’ve lived around here for my whole life, and I’ve never known anyone to die in this cave. There’s nowhere else for beginners to go for miles.”
“Ves, your hometown pride should be commended! As someone who feels as strongly as you regarding fledgling adventurers, I pray you can understand why I only desire their safety.” His words, while patronizing, also sounded sincere. It made a lot of sense why he was granted the Defender class. Ves was not impressed, but looked like she didn’t want to start an argument.
We soon found ourselves back in the rune chamber yet again. Trying not to look suspicious, I moved around Kael so I could keep my foot over the rune. “I found Gev’s body over here.” I pointed to a spot a few feet away from where he actually was - it felt more believable to tell a half-truth than to completely lie.
Kael knelt down, presumably in prayer. It was hard to be annoyed at the guy when he to genuinely care about his guild and everyone in it.
Meanwhile, Ullun was scanning the room with her usual emotionless gaze. “I sense the presence of mana.”
“Ves healed me in here not long before we ran into you, so that tracks.” Ves crossed her arms and nodded in agreement, but Ullun didn’t react to either of us. As soon as the elf wasn’t looking in her direction, I saw Ves roll her eyes.
Standing back up, Kael moved to the center of the chamber and looked around. “Ves, my good lady, would you be so kind as to fully illuminate the area for but a moment?”
Uh-oh. Ves kept her cool, but I could tell from her body language (including her ears and tail) that she was not at all pleased about this request. I didn’t know if she would find a way to decline, respectfully or otherwise, or attempt a stronger version of a simple spell that didn’t come easy to her. On top of that, if Ves succeeded, it could increase the chances of Kael or Ullun finding the rune. It would be weird as hell if I just stood in one spot until everyone else left the chamber.
I guess Ves must have weighed the options, and thought it would be less weird if she just did her best to cast the light spell. That, or she didn’t want to admit that she had difficulty casting anything.
She nodded at Kael and approached me, offering the torch so she could have her hands free. I beckoned her closer. As a way of showing my support, I put my other hand on her back, which seemed to put her a little more at ease.
The netharri took a deep breath and focused, her arm outstretched. The tiny mote of light soon materialized, but wasn’t increasing in size. I could feel her body tensing, so I tried rubbing her back with slow, gentle motions. That appeared to help: the tension eased up, and the light gradually expanded.
I had to look away from it as it filled the chamber, giving it a much different feel than before. Looking in Kael’s direction wasn’t really a better option, as the light was reflecting off of his gleaming golden armor. The ball of light hovered towards the center of the room, then up towards the ceiling.
Ves exhaled and a drop of sweat fell from her forehead. She looked at me, her lucious lips slightly parted, and my hand on her back felt something unexpected. A faint sound soon accompanied this sensation; something I might have missed if not for the cave’s natural silence, and it hit me.
Ves is purring…
My calico companion seemed to realize what she was doing at the same time. Ves’s eyes widened and she took a few steps away, avoiding my eyes. Kael was looking in another direction and didn’t notice any of this, but Ullun was somewhere behind me, so I’m not sure what she saw or heard. Regardless, the sound soon faded and I was back to worrying about the rune.
Logically, this felt like a low-stakes situation: if someone else found and activated the rune before Ves, would that be the end of the world? But I wanted to help her… enough so that I could feel my heart beating faster with each passing minute.
“Thank you, my lady. That will be enough for now. There doesn’t appear to be anything of note here, so we should continue inspecting the rest of the cave.”
Ves didn’t react to Kael’s words immediately, but they sunk in a moment later. “Oh, I’ll just… sustain the light.” Maybe it’s easier to keep it going than to cast it from scratch.
Kael beamed at Ves, his teeth nearly as shiny as his armor. “An excellent notion! It’s a pity that it will undoubtedly keep any small creatures at bay - my blade has thirsted for even a morsel of action.”
I gave him my best Oh well! shrug. “At least we’ll be done sooner, right?”
“Indeed, my friend!” Kael took the lead and stepped out of the chamber, with Ves following close behind him - most likely to get the light away from the rune as soon as possible. Ullun was next to leave, and I made sure to move right after her, so it didn’t look like I was up to anything.
However, as soon as we were in the connecting passage, I bumped into Ullun. She had suddenly stopped, for some reason, and quickly (and gracefully) spun around. Her breathtakingly stunning face was inches away from mine, and I felt an alluring and intimidating aura. Whether it was a magical effect, an elven trait, or just her natural presence, I had no idea.
She only looked at me for a second with her cold eyes, then slid past me, back towards the rune chamber. Ves’s ears perked up as she heard this, and she turned around, concern on her face. Before any of us could say or do anything, I heard Ullun speak from the chamber’s entrance.
“Kaelition. You must see this.”
What do you think of Kael and Ullun so far?
