Chapter 8: Chapter 7

As more people started to come downstairs from their rooms for breakfast Helena moved over to a small two seat table, she didn't feel like being surrounded by a group at the moment. It seems the Gods did not care about how she was feeling as Eruwen sat down in the seat opposite and slouched with a groan. Tut, no rest for the wicked.

"Morning kiddo. You look a lot better than you did last night."

"I wish I could say the same." Eruwen looked pale and sickly with bloodshot eyes. Her slightly curled hair looked unwashed and unkempt.

"Thanks," Eruwen replied with clear sarcasm. "You don't like to sugarcoat the truth do you." Eruwen sighed. "I tell myself never to try matching drinks with Tamhas but every time I do it anyway. I never learn."

"The man's a giant, he's at least twice your size. What gave you the idea you could ever outdrink him?"

"I've never claimed to be smart."

Helena grinned at the suffering woman across from her. "I still remember hangovers are meant to be unpleasant but I have no recollection if I have ever had one, so let's pretend any sympathy I offer is real."

"You're an evil woman. Damn it to the seven hells. What I would give for a coffee right about now." Helena looked at her quizzically. "It's a drink from my home. As much as I have grown to prefer tea because of this place there is nothing like a good, strong coffee for mornings like these."

"I'll have to take your word for it. What are you up to today?"

"Talking to some other guilds and adventurers. The Griffins don't have close to enough people here to protect the convoy, most of our members are back in Faymarr. But now, after what happened, we have surged high up the rankings. A lot of contracts and new recruits will be coming our way. Tamhas normally deals with this kind of thing but I'm helping too since there are no other senior officers present. Boring crap but it has to be done."

Helena realised she did not know much about her saviour so asked, "What would you rather be doing?"

"I love being outside in nature and exploring, it's all so utterly different to my home in the mists. It's why I chose to be a [Ranger]. Finding places and secrets that no one has seen before. Then there's the wilderness which can be scary but also incredibly beautiful. The money you can earn doesn't hurt either. My last run into the wilds I got lucky and paid for almost a year's ... well, I made a lot."

"Is that why the others are adventurers?"

"For some. Others want the thrill or have a thirst to become stronger. Every adventurer has their own reasons, even if that is just because they think it's fun. It takes a certain kind of person to want to do what we do. We're a messed-up bunch."

Helena sat there in silence.

"What? No witty response?" asked Eruwen.

Helena smirked back. "You would know your kind better than I."

---

Helena kept chatting to Eruwen while the adventurer ate her breakfast. She asked Eruwen about training and the [Ranger] eagerly agreed to help, maybe too eagerly for Helena's liking. She suspected an ulterior motive. Oh well, she'd find out soon enough. Then she was left alone again after Eruwen went with Tamhas. With nothing better to do she returned to her room and then collapsed onto her bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling.

She took the time to just lay back and think without any distractions. It had not even been two days since she had awoken with no memories but there were already a multitude of events to process. A city had been destroyed and the fact she had woken inside that huge crater, alive, albeit barely, was suspicious. She could admit to herself she was nervous that she was somehow involved. Maybe she had helped, or tried to stop it, or it was all just a coincidence. Either way if she told someone it would seem like she was linked to the destruction. Even if she was completely innocent, that was a secret it was obviously best to keep to herself.

Helena brought up the anonymous message and read it again. No matter how she looked at it her gut was telling her it was truthful. The author who claimed to be her friend had written things that just felt right to her. They matched how she thought and what she had already experienced. It was as if they knew the attack in the alley, or something similar, would happen and they wanted to reassure her - do what you have to to live. Thinking about the attack, something about it felt ... off, wrong somehow. It wasn't just because she had been scared, heart thumping in her chest terrified even, and she had been about to die; only to experience the feeling like someone else had taken over her body and swiftly executed three people, one of which in a manner she could only call savage or cruel. Even given all that her instincts were telling her something about it was abnormal but no matter how long she went over the events in her head she couldn't put her finger on what. Putting that aside, hopefully the answer would come to her with time.

However the message did highlight an immediate concern. It expected her to level but the System was preventing her from doing so. Even as ignorant about the world as she was, with a pathetic [Lore] of 3, she knew that was going to be a major problem for a number of reasons. Firstly from the conversations she had already overheard or had been a part of, the fact she was Level 1 was seen as unusual and worthy of attention, and attention was something she wanted to avoid. Then there was the issue of being stuck at Level 1 meant she would remain weak, vulnerable, and if everything she had experienced or learnt since waking told her anything it was the fact that this world was dangerous in the extreme. Hells she was currently surrounded by people who spent their lives seeking out life threatening danger as if it was a normal and expected career choice. So what should she do?

The Griffins seemed happy to keep her fed and give her shelter so that answered any immediate concerns. She owed them for saving her life and they seemed like good people but that was not the same thing as trust. Helena sensed that trust was something that did not come easily to her. There were also the benefits that they appeared to be respected by the locals and obviously could look after themselves, they were experienced fighters, they would be useful protection if Helena needed it; and they were a good source of information about the world and the Interface. Learning from them and travelling to their library seemed like a logical short term goal. It would also get her away from Nodel which was probably a smart idea.

Then there were the more nebulous, longer term goals. Recover her memory. Find out who she was and what had happened. Find her friend the message author. Learn why she would be hunted. What were the Mark, the Curse, and the Gift shown on her Status? Who was going to contact her and what was a World Quest? However none of that would answer the question about what she was going to do about her levelling. She needed help and now knew who to ask. Helena pulled the bell cord and waited. It was a young boy who came to her door, one of the inn's servants, and she asked him if he could find Kellin and ask him to come to her room. The boy gave a small bow and sped off on the errand.

In short order Kellin knocked on her door and Helena invited him in. She sat on the bed while Kellin took the desk chair by the window. "I presume you have some more questions to ask? You seem like the curious type and eager to learn."

"You would be right. There is a topic I am very interested in."

"Adventurers," Kellin stated with a faint smile.

"Yes, adventurers," she confirmed with her own slight smile. It seemed Kellin had not been fooled by her earlier talk with Tamhas. That actually made this conversation easier and less suspicious.

"Why are adventurers strong? What makes them powerful?" she asked.

"A wise question for someone considering such a path," he said, giving her a pointed look.

"I am still keeping all my options open," she replied to his unasked question.

Kellin gave her a small, respectful nod as if pleased she had not tried to pretend she did not know that he knew. "I am not Tamhas, I believe everyone has the right to make their own choices when it comes to their life."

"Thank you."

"In answer to your question, it is a combination of factors. The rate that an adventurer can level, the training they receive, the knowledge they can discover, and the rewards they can gain. An experienced adventurer has seen and done much and is a force to be wary of."

"What kind of rewards?"

"What mistwalkers like to call loot. Money, weapons, armour, magical items, potions, spells, skills, runes and so on. Important quests, especially divine quests, offer rich rewards and so does exploring the wilderness, maybe even more so. The most powerful adventurers do not just have high scores in their [Abilities] but also many powerful skills or spells, and a lot of high tier, class-specific gear. They are not alone in this but the speed an adventurer can gain such strength is quicker than any other, if they do not die of course."

Thinking about the message instructions she asked, "So why would someone only want to gain levels?"

"It would depend on their primary class but in general levelling only gives you a boost to your base ability stats. So not something an adventurer would purely focus on. Saying that there are items and skills that are stat locked, you must meet their requirements if you want to use them."

"So if I understand what you have said, being powerful means having lots of good loot and levelling allows you to get it."

"I guess you could say that if you want to skip over countless details and complexities. The Gods created the System in such a way that becoming stronger has a natural path and levelling is a key part of that process. Gaining a level might mean you can use a new piece of gear, that allows you to complete a quest, which gives you a new spell, that means you can defeat a foe, which gains you a new level. The holistic cycle continues. Each improvement is another step on the journey to strength and power."

"I understand," and Helena felt like she did. "I remember you saying earlier gear can also increase your ability scores. Does that work to use loot that has restrictions?"

"An astute observation. Rare pieces of gear can offer such bonuses and yes they can increase your stats such that you can use other restricted items. However that is often regarded as a 'bad build' because if you don't have the natural level increased base stats to use the item then if you lose that gear or find a better piece of equipment you may find yourself losing the ability to use a possibly critical item or skill."

Even with Kellin trying to unnecessarily complicate matters the answer was surprisingly simple. If she could not level she instead needed loot. Loot that would mitigate her levelling problem.

"And skills? How do you take skills from someone?"

"Take? That's an interesting choice of words."

Shit. She had been too busy thinking about loot that she spoke without considering what she was asking.

"A slip of the tongue. I meant learn of course. I'm distracted by thinking about too many things at once. You've given me a lot of information."

"I knew what you intended to ask but I meant that is an interesting topic. There are myths about creatures and classes that worship dark idols, stories about flesh eaters, blood drinkers, and their ilk that feast on their still living victims and drain them of not just their life but also their [Status]. Thankfully they are just stories to scare children and the foolish. The only way to gain skills is through actions, learning from a teacher, from quests rewards, and loot such as skill scrolls."

Those around you know far less than they think.

"That's a relief. Such an ability sounds troubling."

"It would be pure evil and seen as anathema by the Gods, on par with stealing someone's soul. Such a creature would be hunted by every race and eradicated, but despite that, if it existed, many people would kill to learn such an ability in the quest for power."

You will be hunted.

Helena did her best not to react and keep what she was feeling off her face.

Reveal nothing. Always keep your secrets. Always.

Helena wanted to find her message writing friend urgently. Their advice, no matter how cold and unfeeling, always seemed to be right for the situations she found herself in. How did they know so much about her?

Congratulations, your Lore has improved: 3 -> 5

---

It was approaching noon and Kiara was here to collect her to go on their shopping excursion. "Come on. Let's go. Lets go." The excitable little blonde bounced in the bedroom doorway as she waited for Helena.

Helena laughed. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. Give me a moment to get my things." Taking her stolen purse and cloak, as well as her daggers, they set off. Madam Jillian had given them both lidded, empty straw baskets, and Helena a list of things she wanted along with a small purse of coin before returning to her work in the kitchen.

Helena looked inside the purse and held up one of the full-size silver pieces and one of the smaller gold to Kiara and asked, "How does this money work? What is it worth?"

"Everyone follows the dictates of Tellus, the god of riches and good fortune. He wants all trades to be fair and straightforward. The small ones we call bits and there are ten bits to a full coin. Values are ten copper to one silver, ten silver to one gold. So that gold bit and silver coin are worth the same."

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"That seems simple enough. Are there any other coins I should know?"

"There's sandia and platinum, but it is very scarce which is why one pure platinum coin is worth a hundred gold. There are also rare magical metals but I haven't been taught about those yet as they aren't used for common trade."

"Okay." Helena then showed the list to Kiara and asked, "This is what Madam Jillian wants, where should we start?"

Kiara's bright blue eyes scanned the shopping list. "The herbs and spices will be easy, those shops are close together. Then we can get some lunch. After that we can go clothes shopping," her eyes sparkled at the last statement.

"Fine, fine," Helena said with a smile. "As long as we get everything on the list first we can go to wherever you want after that."

"Yay!"

Helena let Kiara lead the way. She first took them to the royal road but then crossed it to reach a set of streets on the other side. It actually took them a few minutes to cross the road as it was filled with packed carts and lines of people carrying their belongings on their backs as they streamed out the city. There was no evacuation but it appeared people were starting to come to the conclusion they no longer wanted to stay in Nodel.

"Why aren't we shopping on the main road?" Helena asked.

"Too expensive. Those are all shops for the rich. Locals do not buy from there, but they do have the best goods and adventurer's gear if you have the coin. However all the really high-end places, and many of my favourite shops, and where to buy the nicest clothes have been destroyed. It's sad, I hate it," she said, rubbing a little tear from her eye.

Helena gave Kiara a small hug to comfort the younger girl. "Come on, let's get the stuff Madam Jillian wants and then some food. I know I'm going to be hungry soon."

"Okay, me too."

Unlike the side streets Helena had walked the night before, which had mostly been residences with the occasional inn, this part of the city appeared to be a market district and also home to various crafters selling their wares. Kiara took them to a street with shops that specialized in the fresh herbs and spices Madam Jillian was looking to stock up on for the journey. Helena gave Kiara the list and let her get on with it. Kiara seemed to know what she was doing. She checked the quality of the goods, arranged delivery to the Griffin Inn for the heavy and bulky items, and even haggled the final price. All Helena had to do was hand over the money.

"You're very good at this," Helena said to Kiara, the teenager smiled happily at the compliment.

"My family owns a goods store back in Feymarr. I learnt how to buy and sell things ever since I was a child. Prices are low because of what happened. People are leaving Nodel, the traders want to sell all their stock quickly, just in case they decide to leave too."

That would explain why so far Helena hadn't even had to hand over any of the gold coins Madam Jillian had given her, based on that the amount of money in Helena's purse of stolen coin was worth quite a lot. Helena was placing packets of spices into her basket when Kiara suddenly warned her as she went to pick up a large pouch wrapped in multiple layers of waxed paper.

"Careful with that one."

"Why?"

"It's ground phlacta seeds."

Helena looked at Kiara questioningly.

"A lot of the guildsmen like to sprinkle it on their food but I don't like it. It burns your skin and mouth, and you really do not want to get it in your eyes or breathe it in. That is extremely painful and lasts for hours."

"Why would anyone want to eat that?"

Kiara shrugged. "Tamhas says he likes the flavour and the heat. Eruwen calls it super tasty extra-strong chilly powder."

"It's cold?"

"No. I don't know why she calls it that either."

"Weird."

Kiara nodded in agreement.

Afterwards Kiara led them to a food stall selling a variety of skewered kebabs. Helena did not recognise any of the cubes of cooked meat or vegetables on the long sticks so she let Kiara choose for her. Apart from a slice of green vegetable which was too bitter and left her tongue tingling, Helena found the rest to her liking.

Next on the shopping trip a gleeful Kiara next led Helena to the clothing stores, one in particular. Her destination was a wide two-storied establishment with a peaked, slatted roof. "It's the best in the district", she stated. Helena could see a plaque over the entrance that read: Danielle's Couturier and Fine Clothing.

Inside the expansive store were rows and rows of clothes racks and dressed mannequins, with lines of shelves with folded clothing against the walls. A handful of staff were helping a small crowd of customers with their purchasing choices.

Kiara soon found who she was looking for, the proprietor, Madam Danielle. She was a tall, prim, older woman in an elegant black dress with white accents, the monochromatic outfit matched her shoulder length black hair and which contained a few locks of silver. Everything about her manner was rigid and precise but her smile was enthusiastic and genuine when she saw Kiara.

"Why if it isn't one of my most favourite customers, little Kiara, though not so little anymore. Less than a year since I last saw you and you've already grown so much. No Jillian with you today?" Kiara shook her head. Madam Danielle then spotted Helena and said, "And who is this ravishing young lady? My dear you are positively stunning. I absolutely must be allowed to dress you in one of my designs. I quite insist."

Helena ignored the flattery and introduced herself.

"A pleasure my dear Helena. Any friend of Kiara and Jillian is a friend of mine. I've known Jillian ever since I had my first, tiny workshop back in the royal quarter. Leave your baskets behind the counter, no need to carry them around while I show you what I have."

She led them upstairs to a similar floor layout but the clothing was more in Kiara's style and size. The youngster was in her element as she rushed through the rows of clothes, her bright blonde ponytail bobbing behind her as she picked out ones she wanted to try on. Helena could already tell it was going to be a long and tiring afternoon. She decided to hand over Madam Jillian's purse to Kiara and told her to buy whatever she wanted.

Looking to Madam Danielle she asked, "Can you take care of Kiara for me for a short while? I want to go take a look around by myself."

"Oh course dear, if you see something you like be sure to let me know."

Helena wandered around but the outfits were either too small or not to her liking so she made her way back downstairs. There she found a better selection with more varied choices though some of the dresses looked very impractical and more suited to formal social gatherings.

As she was walking between two rows of mannequins Helena froze as she felt a sharp point dig into her back and a strong, roughly scaled hand grabbed her arm hard enough to leave a bruise. A sibilant voice whispered in her ear. "Ssshhh. Stay quiet. No noise. Come with Bakag or Bakag will hurt pretty maid."

She slowly nodded to indicate she understood and was then forcefully led outside by a side exit, the man trying to keep his actions hidden from the people in the store. Helena was pushed into a side passage that ran behind the shop, it was filled with various empty boxes and crates. She could hear the main street outside but they were hidden from view.

Helena found herself standing in front of a bulky male Komo, his hand holding a large, ugly knife which he was pointing at her face, but unlike Kellin his scales were a muddy brown rather than light green in colour, and he was either shaved bald or lacked hair.

[Race: Komo] [Level: 28] [Grade: Bronze] [Class: Footpad]

"Bakag best sniffer in Ravens. Bakag find token. You carry token under cloak."

Helena clutched her stolen purse. The black disc she had taken from the [Brute], this man could track it. Damn it, her ignorance was going to get her killed. There was so much she did not know was possible.

"The others search outside the wall, they sneak into territories of the other clans. But not I. Bakag is clever, Bakag search close to the kills, Bakag find token. Smells it inside a guild. Why guild kill chief's brother? Why pretty maid have token? Pretty maid did not kill. Level one, too weak. Did her lover give it to her as present? Does she know who killed chief's brother?"

Helena thought about lying but it served no purpose. He had already found her and the Golden Griffins' inn.

"I do."

"Raven Chief waits for them. Pass on message. Tonight, high moon, Talvox Square. Tell come alone, or you die, other maid die."

"You will hurt Kiara if they do not come?"

"Yes. Much hurt. I will hurt them, Raven Chief will hurt them. They come, or you die, young maid die, all guild die."

No, I will not allow that to happen. I owe them my life.

"I see. I presume you will return to your Ravens and tell them you have found the token?"

"Yes. Bakag will be rewarded when I return and tell —"

With a protective fury Helena rammed her dagger up into his skull through his jaw, pinning his tongue to the roof of his mouth as she did so.

"Bakag will say nothing. No one will hurt Kiara. I do not permit it."

Helena pushed the body off her blade and it collapsed bonelessly to the ground, his knife clattering against the pavement. Then she slit his throat to make absolutely certain he would be telling no one about her and the Golden Griffins. She felt sick to her stomach as she used the exceptionally sharp blade to finish the task, and the blood, oh gods the blood ... but she refused to let her queasiness stop her. Dragging the corpse behind a crate she cleaned her knife on his jerkin. Without a second thought she pulled a purse off his belt. Loot. Another day, another kill. Her new life was madness.

+++

Congratulations, your Level has increased: [error] ~1

Congratulations, the skill [Dagger Proficiency] has improved: 4 -> 5

Congratulations, you have successfully ripped the [Scarce Tier] skill [Stealth] from a defeated foe.

Stealth - Make your actions more difficult to sense. Environment can improve or degrade results. Gaining levels in [Stealth] will improve effectiveness and may grant addition benefits.

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