My eyes narrow at the simple necklace that Thorpe is dangling in my vision. A basic chain for the loop and a small silver locket. Smooth and featureless with no extra decoration whatsoever.
The steam rising from my bowl of morning porridge fogs up the silver plating just a little.
My eyes slowly pan from the locket over to Thorpe, who is smiling proudly as he wiggles the piece of jewelry back and forth.
It's the morning after the all-hands meeting and our arrival back in the village. Currently sitting in the kitchen and still trying to wake up fully. And I'd like to say I woke up bright and early, but both Thorpe and I slept until close to noon.
Although I'm not complaining…
Mama heated up porridge and bacon for me this morning before she left for work, and I was trying to enjoy it before Old Guard busted in to show me a trinket he found.
"So…what is it?" I ask tentatively, my voice coming out a bit raspy. I slept harder last night than I ever have in my life, and it was NOT pretty. When I woke up, I was crumpled up like a knot and drooling. And by the looks of how disheveled Thorpe is, I think he woke up much the same.
The old man pulls back from where he was leaning over the table. He fiddles with the necklace a bit between his fingers. "This…is a necklace that I used to wear back when I met your mom. I didn't want people bothering me about my class at the time." He explains as he unlatches the necklace and slides in behind me. Lowering it down in front of my face before putting it around my neck. "It might seem unassuming, but that's the point. It's enchanted with [Secrets], so it's meant to be something mundane. Cause technically it's illegal to have this."
My eyes widen, holding still as Thorpe latches the necklace around my neck. The term [Secrets] feels really familiar, and it takes me a moment to remember why. "Oh…the bandit mage mentioned that enchantment."
Thorpe's hands stop briefly before he lets the necklace drop down against my chest. "Right. Yeah, I can't say I blame him for thinking that." The old man admits, patting my shoulders before he walks around to sit down across from me. His expression is somewhat apologetic, but it fades quickly. "Go ahead and check your window for me."
Which makes me realize I haven't checked it in quite a while now. "May the blinded see."
______________________________________
[[LEVEL-01]]
//Name: Liore Perro
//Age: 12
//Class: [Farmer] -> [Knight]
//Status: Healthy
[[STATS]]
//Strength: 2
//Dexterity: 2
//Intelligence: 2
//Perception: 2
//Stamina: 2
//Resilience: 3
//Magic: 1
[[PASSIVE]]
[??????????]
[Slayers Aspect]
[Favored]
[Battle Theory] -> [Sword Theory]
[Threat Detection]
[Mana Sense] = [Weak]
[Mana Storage] = [Minor]
[Secrets] = 8 Charges
[[SKILLS]]
[??????-??????]
[Leap Stride] + [Spring Kick]
[[CLASS QUESTS]]
[Plant A Seed]
______________________________________
My eyes widen even more than they had before, raising to a stand quickly and almost knocking over my porridge. "OH! It says I'm a [Knight]!"
Thorpe chuckles and gives me a calming gesture. "Easy now. Don't get too excited. It's just temporary." He gives me a bit more of a stern look. "None of them are level 10, so no one should be able to see through it. But it's not infallible, and it has its limits. So listen up."
My face gets warm from embarrassment as I slowly sit back down and nod. "Yes, sir."
Old Guard looks briefly amused. "Firstly, while they're here, only wear it when you are out and about. It has a charge limit on how many times it can cover you before it runs out. Those charges deplete when someone uses [Identify] on you. And these people are super paranoid right now, so you need to keep an eye on it."
I nod slowly, keeping focused on his instructions. "Should I just stay away from the noble guy then?"
Thorpe snorts. "I'd love that, but he's not likely to let that happen. The man can't keep his nose out of others' business to save his life." He says while shaking his head. "But he's not the only one to worry about. He's brought 10 mercenaries with him, including the 2 we met last night. But they have 2 [Scouts] and 1 [Ranger] with them."
"How can I spot them?" I ask lightly as I spoon some porridge into my mouth.
"Easily. You can't miss them. Hoods, light armor, bows, and daggers or short swords. The [Scouts] have plants decorating parts of their gear for a stealth skill they use. And the [Ranger] is Hascan, so he's tall and tough-looking. Covered in tattoos." He explains, leaning back in his chair. "But they shouldn't be too much of an issue. At least not today. They don't have as many charges as Lord Felix does, and I'm sure they've used them all up already this morning."
I nod along more with him before pursing my lips. "Aren't we supposed to meet with them today to talk about…you know…" My voice trails off as a sinking sensation begins to press on my chest.
Thorpe leans across the table and gives my forearm a comforting squeeze. "Yes. But I'll be there the whole time, and I'll do all the talking." He assures calmly. "And if I think they're trustworthy, we're going to press our case on the bandit thing with them. Hopefully, we can clear up whatever's making them so jumpy around us."
"Good…I don't like keeping something that important from them. Especially since it seems like they're already suspicious about it." I state, giving Thorpe a rather frustrated look. "Whoever has been killing our fields is somewhere nearby, and we don't know how many there are or how frequently they come here. We don't have time to-"
"Liore…stop." He interrupts, concern written on his face. "You are working yourself up too much."
I sit stunned for a moment. Noticing that my heart is racing rather quickly, and that twitching in my face has returned. Even my hands are trembling on the table. "I'm…I'm sorry…" I mutter quietly, taking deep, slow breaths.
That happened so fast…
Old Guard doesn't say anything for a moment. Giving me some time to slow my heart down before he speaks. And when he does, it's calm and leveled. "You are right. It is something that has to be dealt with. And it will be." He leans forward in the chair to rest his arms on the table. "But we can't do that properly if we are panicking. We've got time. More than we probably think. So I plan to take as much of it as I can to recuperate." His hand raises to point a finger at me. "YOU…even more so. Because you are suffering, and that is just as important."
My shoulders slump further and further as he speaks. The underside of my right eye twitches as I stare down at the bowl of porridge still in front of me. The steam has died down considerably. My right hand is still holding the spoon that is half-submerged in the slurry of lukewarm grain. And I can't help but feel a kinship with the wooden utensil's current predicament. Half sunk in the muck that's slowly solidifying around me.
SNAP
I flinch. My eyes glance up at Thorpe as he pulls his hand back from snapping his fingers. His expression is even more concerned now. "You were drifting off there."
My body seems to have really hunched over while I wasn't looking. So I straighten myself back up and shake my head dismissively. "I'm fine. Just lost in thought."
Old Guard stares at me for what feels like an eternity before finally leaning back. "We will talk about this later. Neither of us is really in the mood for it."
I frown at that, opening my mouth to speak. I"m…" but I bite my lip to stop myself. Why do I feel like I have to apologize?
The old man looks like he's about to say something himself, but both of our attentions are drawn to a knock at the door.
Both of us glance towards the kitchen door leading to the entrance area. Then turn back to look at eachother with raised brows.
Thorpe groans as he stands up, pointing a finger in my direction. "Eat your porridge! I'll go see who this is." He orders, before pushing through the door and disappearing.
Even though I'm curious as well, hunger is taking precedence. I spoon more of the porridge up into my mouth. Which has unfortunately cooled down a lot and has become more congealed. But I don't mind it too much. Still tastes good.
I can hear the wind blow into the entrance way when Thorpe opens the front door, as well as him and the visitor speaking. And judging by the deep tone and posh accent, I'm pretty sure it's Ser Ethel.
"Ah! Mr. Thorpe. Just the man I was looking for. Mrs. Perro informed me I'd likely find you here. Is this a bad time?"
"Not at all. What can I do for you, Ser Ethel?"
I hear the [Knight] clear her throat. "Well…this is a bit awkward. But last night you had mentioned that you have a healer's draught? Am I correct?"
"I do, yes. I'm guessing you want some of it?"
My brow raises at the conversation while I continue eating, snapping a few pieces of bacon to drop into the porridge.
"Yes! I would greatly appreciate at least a swig. I can certainly pay for it. I am getting up there in age, and my joints have been absolutely killing me lately."
"I can fill you a tincture for a 10-of-silver. Ain't the first time I've done that. And I can definitely relate to the joint stuff."
"That is mighty generous, Mr. Thorpe! I can at least spare 4."
"If you insist on it. I won't refuse more money; we are kind of in a rut here."
"Of course. I'm glad to help. And I don't mean to rush, but could we do the exchange now?"
"Alright, alright. Give me a moment." He says with a sigh.
I hear the front door close and see the kitchen door open. Thorpe looks a bit wary in the eyes, but scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hey, kiddo. I gotta do a run by my place. You wanna come along?"
My mood perks up a little bit, and seeing as how my bowl is now empty, I nod. "I'd like that. I wanna get out of the cottage for a bit." Standing up from the table and placing my bowl in the washtub built into the counter. "I'll go get dressed real quick."
Thorpe gives a nod of approval and steps back outside while I run back to my room. I quickly throw on a pair of workers' trousers, a tunic, and a light grey coat before sliding on my boots.
For a moment, I consider leaving my sword behind, but I think better of it. Snatching it from its place at the foot of my bed and buckling it onto my back. Doing a few test hops to make sure it doesn't bounce around too much.
Once I'm satisfied, I move through the cottage and step out of the front door. Thorpe stands with his arms on his hips while Ser Ethel has her full plates on just like she did last night. Save for her fluted helmet, which is still tied by a cord to her hip. The armored woman smiles brightly as she sees me. "Hello there again! I hope you had a good rest."
I smile a little and nod. "I did. Slept like a log. Had to untangle myself when I woke up."
Thorpe chuckles. "Her mom said she looked like a pretzel."
Ser Ethel chuckles as well. "I'm glad. You looked like you needed it. And happy to have you join us." She says, before her eyes widen at me. "Oooooh, is that your sword?"
I raise a brow and look over my shoulder at the grip of it. "Oh. Yes, it is."
The [Knight] puts her hands together like a prayer and leans over to me. "Do you mind if I see it? I love looking at other combatants' equipment. You can tell a lot about someone by how loved a good weapon is."
Pursing my lips at that, I glance up at Thorpe to see his reaction. But he just smiles and gives a nod. So I shrug and reach back to pull the sword free from its sheath, turning it around to hand the grip out to her. "Careful…it might bite."
The armored woman looks a bit surprised at my warning. "Oh? It's enchanted, is it then?" She asks with a smile, gingerly grabbing the grip and immediately flinching. "OH! He is feisty! That stings quite a bit."
Old Guard shakes his head and sighs. "Yeah. It likes Liore a lot. Won't even let me pick it up anymore." He admits. "Which is odd…cause her brother used it for training before her, but it never acted like this until she had it."
I frown a little at my sword and reach out to touch the cross guard. "Be nice. She just wants to hold you for a moment."
The armored woman's tensed-up hand seems to relax on the hilt. "Oh! There we go. Thank you. Could hardly move it." She chuckles nervously before lifting my sword to her eye level. "Don't worry. Just getting a good look at you and then you'll be back where you belong." The woman speaks to the old, heavy blade.
I know Thorpe said the enchantments don't actually give it a mind of its own, but you certainly could have fooled me.
Ser Ethel looks over my weapon and gives a low whistle. "Really puts the BROAD in broadsword, doesn't it…"
Thorpe smirks. "Yep. It originally belonged to the leader of the merc band I was part of. And that's how he liked them. Might not look it, but he paid a small fortune to get it forged and enchanted. And it's stood the test of time."
She nods, her expression quite complicated. Her eyes seem to be lost in the blade. "Certainly has. I can tell it's been through a lot. But it's been well taken care of." She smiles lightly and lowers it down to hand it back to me.
I take back the weapon, and the grip feels like it relaxes against my palm. "Drama queen…" I mutter before sliding it back into its sheath.
Ser Ethel laughs at my remark. "You should consider yourself lucky. Not many young [Knights] can get a weapon like that this early." She comments before turning her attention back to Thorpe. "But let's not dawdle. I'll get my tincture and get out of your hair."
Old Guard gives a low hum as he turns to start walking down the path around the side of the cottage.
The village is small, and Thorpe lives pretty nearby, so it doesn't take but a couple of minutes of walking to reach his front door.
His home is only built for one person, so it's very compact. The front door opens up immediately into the kitchen and den area that shares the same space. Two doors at the back of the room lead to the washroom and his bedroom, respectively. It's homely and spartan, other than the heavy stench of Tabacco and smoking herbs.
Once we're inside, he turns to look over his shoulder at us. "Wait here. Gotta go scrounge it up." He grunts, not waiting for a response before he's already across the room and walking into his bedroom. Shutting the door behind him.
Other than the sound of Thorpe moving things around in there, it gets awkwardly quiet. The armored woman and I are standing quietly in the den section of the room. A rocking chair covered in pillows sits in front of the fireplace. A black monster fur rug on the floor. His silver tower shield is leaning against the brickwork surrounding the fire pit. And his spear is settled on a single wall rack. But not much else.
Ser Ethel catches my attention as she gasps lightly. Her grieves clinking as she steps up to the wall where Thorpe's spear is. One of her hands slightly raises as if she is about to touch it, but she pulls it back.
She stares at it for a long moment before looking over her shoulder at me. "This is his weapon?" She asks, but it feels more like she's asking herself rather than me.
I slowly nod, finding her reaction odd. "Yeah? It's the one he's always used."
She looks pensive for a moment, lost in her own thoughts. But then her face seems to relax. But our attention is taken as Thorpe opens his door and steps back out into the den. A familiar green-tinted bottle gripped in his hand with an unbroken wax seal around the neck, along with a couple of little glass tinctures.
The old man moves over into the kitchen section and sets the items down on his small dinner table. "Haven't had to open a new bottle in a while." He admits, pulling a knife out from his belt and using it to cut open the wax seal on the top to expose the cork. Then scrounges up a cork remover from his kitchen.
Ser Ethel's eyes are as wide as saucers. "That…is all of that…the whole bottle?"
Thorpe raises his brow at her stammering. "Is this whole bottle Healer's Draught? Yeah."He answers casually.
The armored woman looks very conflicted for a moment before she asks. "How…how old is that?"
Thorpe looks up to the ceiling as he screws in the cork remover. Likely counting in his head. "Uh…19 or 20 years I think."
The [Knights] face pales. "This…is going to suck…"
Thorpe smirks at the woman just as the cork pops out, releasing the most vile stench I've ever encountered. Spreading across the room instantly.
My eyes instantly begin to water and the inside of my nostrils burns. Even my skin starts stinging. The sound of coughing and hacking fills the room as both Ser Ethel and I run to claw at the windows while trying to open them desperately.
Thorpe's bellow of a laugh doesn't last long before he joins in on the suffering. The old man wheezes, dropping to his knees. "I…I think…I should have opened this…outside…"
Ethel and I whirl around to glare at him with tears, snot, and drool running down our faces as we yell in unison.
"YOU THINK?!"