Chapter 20: Chapter 20 – Minor Consequences

 

Baris looked around his camp quietly, and suddenly felt like this place wasn't quite his. It looked like home, the place he grew up, but he felt he still had lots to do, and this camp wasn't quite right.

He picked up his gear again, and walked towards the fairy grove, but decided to stay far back from it.  If he explored it, he would have discovered that it felt too quiet, as there were no wolves. There weren't even any bears.

It was odd. He knew there were wolves and bears around, and that was the reason the fairies left the area. He saw some old houses in some of the trees, and how they looked exactly like they did when they were abandoned. No damage at all.

"So what happened to drive the fairies out of here?" He frowned heavily. There seemed to be some secret that he couldn't detect. He moved around the grove instinctively, towards the northeast, and could see the small mountain to the south.  To the west would be Steepbell, but his path took him away from everything he would want to see, as though he was gently guided away.

"Wait. Where are the repulsion stones? How come I haven't seen a single one, or even detected a single stone since I've come here. I've seen a level twenty blue wolf, but this is supposed to be a low level area." He sat down on a large ornate stone, but suddenly stood up. He looked down, and rolled his eyes. He scanned it.

"Repulsion stone, weakened? So what does that mean?" Baris frowned, and closed his eyes. "Map. Hm, there they are. Repulsion stones all over the area that I was in, but they all have weakened labels." Baris turned his head as a small pack of wolves appeared. Three blue wolves, and two grey ones.

"Level twenty, level eighteen, level twenty two, and two level ten grey wolves. This area is supposed to be limited to level twenty and below. That means someone weakened these stones, or they didn't maintain them." Baris smiled and stood up. As the wolves charged, he dropped his pack and grasped his freshly made Apprentice level maple spear.

"Time for a fight! I've wanted to let off some steam!"

Baris decided to test out his strength. He knew the basics of battle. The powerful ones could kill him if they swarmed him, but usually they would send in the small fries to take down his strength. In truth, the small ones could whittle him down with bites, or in the case of soldiers, small strikes that would sap his stamina.

One punch solved each grey wolf though. He cracked their skulls quickly, while the force snapped their necks. The level eighteen rushed in and was skewered through the mouth. The two higher leveled ones split up, to hit him with a pincer attack. It was too bad that they were in for a surprise.

Baris jumped right at the level twenty and landed on his back. His blade sank right into the wolf's brain, which killed him instantly. Baris looked right into the eyes of the confused level twenty two.

"Just you and me now. Bite Bite Bite Bite." Four beginner level magics right in a row. First thing the wolf did was grimace, but shake off the cold like it was nothing. The second thing it did was growl as the second one struck. Then it yipped as it was hit by a third. By the fourth hit, the cold had compounded to the point of an apprentice level frost spell. Its snout, face, and paws were frostbitten, and it felt the pain shoot into his brain.

Before it could do anything else, Baris had run right at it, shoved his spear through its chest, and deep into its heart.

"FUCK! I only needed two thousand points to level up! Not forty five hundred!"

 

* * *

 

Nuella frowned as her sister laid on her couch and laughed her head off at Baris.

"Sister, I can see why you're interested in him!" She continued to laugh. "Who would slug two grey wolves, or jump onto a blue wolf's back? He's hilarious!" Ethys giggled and grinned like a fool.

"Oh? Did you see what effects his actions have on the mortality rate then?" Nuella asked her sister. Ethys stopped and ran over to her desk, while Nuella made slight shifts in Baris's mood so that he would follow her plans.  When it came to those who shared her burden, Nuella had a razor sharp focus, and uncanny level of concentration in spite of the curse.

"Oh my heavens." She said in a soft voice. "The death rate possibilities have plummeted!" She looked at the screen, and frowned. "Sister, have you noticed how the repulsion stones are weakened? Is that why the mortality rate was so high?"

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"Yes, that is why. However, they caused it themselves." She said casually. "They don't maintain them anymore." Ethys looked shocked.

"They don't? Why not?"

"Because I haven't told them to. I've told them for hundreds of years, but they still have no idea that they should do it themselves without being told." She rolled her eyes. "I have so many things to watch over! The least they could do is watch over the things that guarantee their own safety!" Ethys scrambled out of her chair.

"But did you tell them that it's their responsibility to handle it?" She asked seriously.

"I don't remember." She frowned. "Does it matter? It's only a small detail that I can't seem to keep hold of anymore." Nuella turned back to her screen, while Ethys finally had a small glimpse of the consequences of her actions.

She only wanted a slightly more laid back place to watch over their world. Instead, it had the opposite effect she hoped for. She only hoped that this one was easily fixed, and the only anomaly.

"Shouldn't you send a message to your oracle? To remind them they need to maintain the stones?" Ethys asked, as she hoped to remedy this situation quickly.

"It can't hurt." Nuella sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. Might as well."

 

* * *

 

"ALEA!" The Guild Master rushed downstairs as she watched her mare fumble out of her seat. Her face was pale.

"What's wrong?"

"The repulsion stones. They've weakened!" Zentha said, her face reflected her fear.

"But doesn't she send out a message to let us know they need to be refreshed?" Alea said with a frown. Zentha closed her eyes, and sat down with a plop, right on the floor.

"She said she told us for hundreds of years. We were to go out once every five years. Why didn't we understand, and need to be reminded like children?" Zentha had tears roll down her cheeks. "She's disappointed in us. But there is something else in the message. Like this is only the tip of the spear, and its beyond her scope to assist us."

"Beyond her scope?" Alea asked, now more then confused.

"She is the ruler of karma and balance. As long as her sisters don't go over this line, she'll maintain neutrality. If things are planned around this, she won't interfere." Zentha said quietly. Alea helped her to her feet.

"Go to the archives. Find out when we've been sent out last to refresh the stones, and search about the previous times. Maybe this isn't a coincidence." Alea said. Zentha felt her goddess' fingers stroke her soul, and realized that she was just given a lifeline. It was a little bit of approval for the right course of action. It was also coupled with the sensation that her goddess expected it long before now.

It was unsettling to feel like they had somehow failed their goddess, yet didn't know why.

 

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