Alex took sure and steady steps, further away from Yvesse and the safety of the huts, and ever closer to the figure kneeling before the tree.
Eventually, Alex was close enough that looking up hurt his neck. This close, the tree looked even bigger and he was once again impressed by the wonders of this world.
The fact that something this beautiful was actually real gave Alex pause. Tree or not, he couldn't afford to not leave this place. He had to get back home. He had to get back to his sister. Whatever test Harrald had for him, he would pass it.
Alex quickly closed the remaining distance between him and Harrald, stopping just short of the kneeling figure. A light breeze ruffled Alex's hair, and silence enveloped the pair. He spent the silent moment studying the tree.
Massive gnarled roots dug into the ground around the tree, acting like a protective barrier around the base. Signs of the tree's age could be seen in the different coloration of the bark, some of it was light, some of it was dark. Some of the bark even had groove marks, insinuating that people had attempted to cut the tree before.
Further up began the first of the tree's limbs. Winding branches struck out, with even smaller extensions coming off of those. The most breathtaking of its features were it's golden colored leaves that swayed in the gentle wind. The grandiosity of it all was hard to take in.
"I wondered when she would bring you to me." A rough voice emerged from the figure kneeling down, the suddenness jarring Alex from his reverie.
Harrald was wearing a black cloak that covered most of his form, but as he finally stood and turned around Alex felt nervous about actually passing that test. All of his assuredness was gone.
Harrald was the first orc Alex had seen since coming to Vorcast, and he was impressed. The eight foot tall mass of muscle rolled his shoulders and took off his cloak, revealing an imposing figure. Unlike most orcs that came to mind, Harrald had darker skin that was more of a black shade than green. Two tusks jutted out from the corners of his mouth, each one adorned with bits of jewelry.
Fiery orbs of red stared at Alex, judging the human before their interaction had truly even begun. As if the rest of Harrald wasn't terrifying enough, he was encased in plate armor that Alex guessed had been crafted by orcs. It had rough edges, jutting shoulder pieces with spikes on them, and a multitude of dents and scratches that indicated it had seen plenty of battles.
In his hand, Harrald held a wooden staff with ends that were wrought in iron. Not necessarily the weapon Alex would expect an orc to have, but it still looked dangerous.
"Yvesse explained things to me. Whatever your test is, I will take it." Alex spoke with a certainty that he didn't quite feel. Harrald could probably wipe the floor with him without breaking a sweat. "I won't betray the secret of this place's existence if that's what you're worried about."
Those words seemed to motivate Harrald. He took one heavy step in Alex's direction, and then another and another. He crossed the fifteen foot gap between them in seconds, leaving Alex no room to react or move himself. The orc towered over him, peering down at him and burning his gaze into Alex's sky blue eyes.
"Swear it." Harrald held out his hand with his palm facing upward. He had found Alex's character worthy, and decided not to kill him right on the spot. Alex didn't know it, but he had technically already passed the hardest part of Harrald's test. "If you truly mean what you say, swear it with a Blood Oath."
Alex had no idea what that was, but he mirrored the orcs' actions and held out his hand with his palm facing up. If a Blood Oath was the price, Alex would gladly pay it to see his sister again.
This world, while exciting and thrilling, was tiring, and home was the only thing on his mind. Words came to him, unbidden, but he could feel the resounding truth in them and the power they held.
"I, Alexander Khelton, swear to you Harrald, that I will never betray the secret of the forest or the people residing here. This oath I swear until my final breath. This oath I swear to bind with blood." As soon as the words left Alex's mouth he felt a thrum in his outstretched hand, like his blood was calling out to another.
"I hear your oath Alexander Khelton, and I accept. You shall be allowed to go freely and safely, but you must never speak of this place. This oath I swear until my final breath. This oath I swear to bind with blood." Harrald's gruff voice was all that was needed. A swirling vortex of wind erupted around the two men, and they clasped each other's forearms with a tight grip.
The second their arms met Alex felt that thrumming sensation flow into the orc. Likewise a slightly more powerful thrum entered Alex from the orc, filling his senses and overwhelming him.
Flashes of a massive battlefield and an axe covered in gore came unbidden into his mind before fading away. A bond had been made, a deal had been struck.
[Know this! You have signed a Blood Oath with Harrald the Merciless. Breaking this oath will cause you to suffer untold amounts of pain, possibly even death.]
[Know this! A Blood Oath is when you willingly share a piece of yourself with another, binding your souls together in an unbreakable agreement.]
[Know this! The Tree of Armandor has witnessed your Blood Oath with Harrald and has seen the depth of your character. You have received the Boon of Armandor. Oak Heart acquired.]
[Oak Heart (Passive): One of the four Great Trees of Vorcast has found you worthy. +3 to your vitality.]
The vortex died down as the thrum of power subsided, and the two men pulled away from each other. Alex was slightly out of breath, and Harrald had a bead of sweat pouring down his arm. "Hah! If I'd have known that, I wouldn't have needed the Oath." A jubilant tone filled the air, Harrald's red eyes lighting up. "Who could've guessed the Hero of the Realms would wind up in my camp."
***
A few hours later, Alex stood at the edge of the glamour that concealed the tree and the refugees. A small gathering of people had come to see him off, most notably Harrald and Yvesse.
After Harrald discovered Alex's identity through the Blood Oath, any lingering tensions were erased. Harrald promised not to divulge Alex's identity, but even so, this small crowd indicated someone had been told.
Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. It's not like anyone from here will spread it around. Alex shook his head, Harrald really wasn't all that bad once he got to know the orc. Yvesse was right, he had to be tough, but deep down he was a kind hearted soul.
Alex looked down at his hand, clenching it. He could still feel the small tug of the bond he had forged with Harrald, a reminder that he could never tell anyone about the amazing place he had discovered. It was a shame, but he understood. These people deserved to be safe from the war.
"You are always welcome back Alex," Harrald's voice boomed behind him, and he turned around to get one last look at the orc, the succubus and the tree beyond. "If you are able to find it again." A laugh followed the orcs remark, and Alex waved them goodbye. He took one step forward and crossed the threshold.
Silence immediately surrounded Alex, the glamour concealing even Harrald's loud laugh. A hollow feeling filled him, as if a part of him was now gone. He could go back. He could turn around and walk right back in. He could hide among the refugees and live with Harrald and Yvesse.
They had gotten relatively close in the few hours Alex was there. He had formed an unexpected kinship with them, and now all he wanted to do was go back. All of his worries would disappear. He could forget about being the Hero. He could just be Alex. His steps faltered, and he hesitated.
Steely resolve consumed him. He wasn't that kind of person. He couldn't forget. He couldn't abandon his sister. As much as he might despise being a tool for the gods, he wouldn't be led astray now. Obtaining strength and power was his goal, and he couldn't do that if he hid in the shadow of a tree.
[Realm Walking: Can be used in 8 hours 43 minutes and 19 seconds… 18 seconds…]
Alex closed the skills menu with a sigh. He still had plenty of time before the cooldown for his skill was off, the only question was what could he do to pass the time.
Reclaiming the mantle of the Hero should be his priority, but he just wasn't ready for it yet. There was a weight lifted off of his shoulders that he didn't quite want back at this moment.
He mulled over his other options, stepping out a twisting tree root to avoid tripping over himself. He could try and reform his party, but that meant being 'alive' as the Hero again. He could go back to Fareon and rest, but far too many people probably knew his face. His features twisted into a frown the more he thought about it, there wasn't much that he could do.
He reopened his character menu and inspected everything, seeing if there was something he could do to kill time. Eight hours was nothing to scoff at, maybe he could just mindlessly farm monsters?
Name: Alexander Khelton/Alex Khelton
Age: 20
Level: 5
Class: (LOCKED)
Race: [F] Human
Alignment: [Earth] Forces of Light
Titles: Lesser than Trash, Death Dancer
Strength: 19
Dexterity: 20
Charisma: 19
Endurance: 20
Vitality: 23
Intelligence: 20
Wisdom: 20
Luck: 18
Health Point Total: 240
Mana: 200
Armour Rating: 34
[Active quests, 1, Completed quests, 2]
[F-rank, Hunting the Hydro-croks: Ready to be turned in for rewards! [Rewards: 30 gold pieces, random Bronze tier equipment, 20 Reputation points, 250 Experience Points.]
[F-rank, Tending the Garden: Ready to be turned in for rewards! [Rewards 25 gold pieces, random Iron tier scroll, 20 Reputation points, 250 Experience Points.]
[F-rank, Saving the Treasure: Dendrick the blacksmith lost a valuable treasure chest when his caravan was attacked by a savage beast. Hunt the beast down, and return the treasure chest to Dendrick. [Rewards: 50 gold pieces, 2 pieces of random Bronze tier equipment, a valuable ore, a favor from Dendrick, 30 Reputation points, 400 Experience Points.]
His eyes paused as he read over his quest menu, he had completely forgotten about the quests! He wasn't quite sure how the Hydro-crok quest had been completed, but he had a pretty good guess. The only thing that didn't make sense was why would he still be able to turn it in for a reward if the party had been dissolved?
[Know this! As the Hero, quests that you accept can be turned in by you and you alone. Your party members will receive their own rewards based on contributions.]
The system's answer was quick and succinct, but Alex inwardly raised an eyebrow. It almost never answered the questions he asked in his own mind, and if anything, it offered information when Alex never asked for it.
He wasn't complaining, he just didn't understand how it worked. He shrugged his shoulders, dismissing the train of thought. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all that.
He swapped over to his map screen and his vision was consumed by the view of the realm. The map showed that he was quite a distance away from Tendrassil village, but he could make it there in about two hours if he kept up a good pace. It was just one massive forest as far as he could tell, but it was a straight shot so long as he didn't get sidetracked.
With a goal in mind, Alex closed his menus and set off once more, trudging through the massive forest.
Earth, Valdenci Territory, District 5
"See? Aren't things so much better when we talk them out my dear?" Anton panted out between breaths, his once white gloves turned red with blood. The constant sound of a liquid dripping to the floor filling the room every so often.
He straightened up, adjusting his tailor made suit and wiping a spatter of blood from his chin. He had to admit that Amanda had a stronger resolve than most, it was impressive. But she would break.
"F- Fuck. You." Amanda managed to mumble out coherent words, her head hanging down. Her lip was split, her nose was definitely broken, one of her eyes was swollen shut and she was certain she had a concussion. But she wouldn't yield.
"Ha. I admire your spirit girl. You have fire." His fist connected with her jaw and her head snapped up, blood flying out of her mouth. Anton's other hand gripped her by the hair and held her head up. "But here's the thing." Another punch, this one landing squarely on her stomach. "Fire." Another punch to the gut. "Can." The blows stopped raining down, and he let her head fall.
"Always." Instead of continuing to wail on her with his fists, a new idea had taken root. "Be." He grabbed one of her hands and yanked it up, holding one of her fingers in a gloved hand. "Extinguished." And then he snapped the finger back.
Vorcast, Tendrassil Village
Alex was slightly winded by the time he arrived in Tendrassil, the sun hanging low in the sky. It had taken him slightly longer than he originally thought, but that was only due to a small pack of wolves who thought he was their mid-day snack. The village was just as he remembered it.
He didn't expect much to change in three days, but if their issues had been taken care of then why weren't villagers tending the crops? He had passed by the farms on the way, no noticeable changes had taken place. Tools had been left where they were discarded, normal weeds were growing. It just didn't make sense.
He ignored the call of the tavern and a warm room, and headed straight for the other big building in town. A two story wooden building that looked very much like a town hall was acting as the adventurers hall.
This late in the day, most players were turning in their daily quests or teleporting back to bigger towns for places to stay so they could logout.
Alex pushed through the heavy wooden doors and was greeted by a rather empty looking adventurers hall. A few parties were chowing down on meals and drinking from steins, and others were having hushed conversations. He ignored them all and walked up to the main desk, where a young looking human boy was waiting.
"Welcome back mister, I trust you had a successful day's journey?" The greeting was refreshing to Alex, he hadn't talked to anyone in hours. He just offered a smile and nodded at the boy who looked to be in his mid-teens. "Yea, you could say that. I'd like to turn in two quests."
A commotion broke out behind him, but Alex didn't turn, even as shouting broke out and insults were hurtled. As was common with MMO's, party rivalries broke out all the time, it was just the nature of the game. Hotheads who had drunk far too much for their own good would clash, and their friends always had their back.
A menu popped up before Alex, asking him which quests he wanted to turn in. He selected the only two options available to him and then pressed the 'Yes' option.
[DING]
[Quests turned in, rewards granted!]
[DING]
[Congratulations! You have reached level 6. 4 skill points awarded]
As was customary, a thrill of energy filled Alex and he was elated. Leveling up just provided a feeling that you couldn't get anywhere else.
[DING]
[55 Gold coins acquired.]
[40 reputation points acquired for Fareon and Tendrassil. 60 points required to advance to the next rank.]
[Boots of the Valiant acquired (F-Rank)(Bronze Tier)]
[Scroll of Inspection acquired (F-Rank)(Iron Tier)]
The notifications finally came to an end, and Alex was rather satisfied with the results. He got a whole level, two new items and some gold. All things considered, that was a good day's journey. That gold would go immediately towards funding the nicest room it could afford, as well as a hot meal.
The fighting between the parties had died down by now, and the players resettled back into their normal spots at their tables. Alex just chuckled and shook his head at their actions. Typical gamers.
They'd waste their time over stupid arguments and rivalries as opposed to grinding out the game and collecting awesome gear.
He was just about to push open the doors and leave the building when his danger sense flared up. Acting without thinking, he ducked and twisted his body to the left just as two iron daggers slammed into the wooden doors with a solid thud. They were buried up to the hilt, meaning whoever threw them was aiming to kill. Alex turned on his heels and was faced by a smug looking Wood Elf.
"Huh. Well I'll be. Didn't actually think you'd show up."