Riftside 3 - Chapter 3

Sausages, scrambled eggs, butter, bacon, ham, cheese, and a dozen other toppings were laid out on our dining room table, the wood cool beneath my arms. A breakfast fit for kings, or at least a party of adventurers. Ma and Pa had joined us, which was only fair, considering they had brought most of the food.

The meal and the company made the battle, the duel, the breakthrough, all of it feel like longer ago than if it happened just yesterday. More like a brutal fever dream I was only now waking from.

“Can I change yet? I’d like to taste the bacon. It looks…succulent,” Roq said.

“No,” I said. “We need to keep my mana topped up for now. I promise you’ll get to taste later.”

“Won’t be any later the way Knut is eating!” Nabeeh laughed. “And how the mage stays slim with the amount she packs away is proof magic exists,” Roq added, grumpily.

“Hey!” Nabeeh said, ripping a piece of bread off and throwing it at him. “I was on your side, but now? Now I’m going to truly stuff myself!”

“I am impressed at your self-control,” Eryn said to Roq. “I’d have thought you’d be all over this first thing.”

“Ma talked to me about table manners,” Roq grumbled. “She threatened that I wouldn’t get any pie.”

“Ah,” Eryn said. “Clever woman you are, Ma.”

I smiled, looking from my soul weapon to the mother who had raised me.

Nabeeh, who was nursing a cup of Ma’s tea, stifled a yawn. “Speaking of clever. That Class Gem Harold gave you… What’s your plan? The Guild will be expecting your breakthrough, and I doubt it would go over well to just tell them you gave it to your hammer.”

Eryn frowned, a small crease appearing between her brows.

“She’s right. Might raise some questions we don’t want right now.”

I had been mulling that over since the meeting at the Guild Hall.

“I’ve got a plan,” I said, munching on my ham and cheese sandwich. “It’s not brilliant I’ll admit, but it’s something. Firstly, I’ll stall. Tell them I’m preparing for the breakthrough. That I need to be in peak physical condition before attempting it. That will buy us at least a few days.”

“Time for what?” Nabeeh asked.

“Time to find another gem,” I said. “And then, if they press me, if they demand to see a breakthrough before we’ve got a suitable gem… I’ll give them one.”

“How, son?” Pa asked, already having polished off his breakfast. “You can’t fake that.”

“No,” I agreed. “But with Roq’s new strength buff, and if you and Torsten can forge me a new set of epic gear? The visible power increase might be enough to sell the lie. Most won’t look too closely at the numbers. They’ll see a significantly stronger warrior and assume the rest.”

“Might work,” Knut said. “Roq gives annoying big boost to strength.”

“And what do we do in the meantime?” Nabeeh asked. “Are we hunting today? What’s the next target?”

“Today we have two goals,” I said. “First, we need to talk to Edwin. I’ve already sent Karl to find him and invited him over for breakfast. He needs to know what Roq has told us. Second, Pa, can you help forge a new weapon for me, for when Roq is… otherwise occupied?”

“That I can do, son. I’ve got a few ideas. For hammers, of course,” he said with a nod to Roq.

“Do you think the Commander will even help?” Roq asked, his voice a low rumble. “He is a man of the Guild. Their rules are his shackles.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But he, among everyone, deserves to know the truth. We need his support, and he can’t properly fight an enemy he doesn’t understand.”

“What then?” Knut asked. “After talk and new gear?”

“Then we hunt,” I said. “We head Riftside, and we find the biggest and baddest monsters we can bring down. We need money and crafting materials, but most desperately, we need more Class Gems.”

“For my revenge,” Roq declared proudly.

“For our survival, buddy,” I corrected.

“Sure. Your survival shall be my quest as well,” Roq said. “And only through the death of the Hive Mind will it be accomplished.”

“I am level seventeen, nearly eighteen. So close I can nearly smell the breakthrough,” Nabeeh said. “You think the Guild will have a gem for me too?”

“They’ll likely spend them all on the scavengers and adventurers ready and willing to break through right now,” I said. “That’s what it sounded like, anyway. But once you’re at nineteen and ready, they should prioritise you. We’ll hunt hard and get you there fast.”

Nabeeh gave me a nod of appreciation.

“Speaking of the hunts,” Ma said, joining us at the table with a plate of fresh bread. “What of your fifth member, Ash? Sounded to me like the whole internship or apprenticeship or whatever you want to call it is a big part of why Vos approved the idea. It would be weird if you didn’t take one on since it was you who suggested it in the first place.”

I glanced at the others.

“I… admit I mostly floated that idea to get Vos to release more resources so we could break through. I didn’t really think of how it would push another member on us.”

“Well, if the steelhusk is heated, you might as well hammer it out. So, what do you need?” Pa asked. “Another tank? A healer? Another mage?”

“Another ranged attacker for zone control could be useful,” Nabeeh said. “Or another mage to double up on utility and damage. A dedicated healer would certainly be useful.”

“The best defense is strong offense,” Knut grunted. “More damage. Kill faster. I agree. One more cute mage girl so we marry her out to Jonah for free beer always? I like idea.”

“Knut,” Eryn said with a sigh. “Speaking of levels, I have no idea  what spells I’ll even get while leveling. I sure hope for some healing.”

“I will do my best to grant you what you seek,” Arclight said.

“But power isn’t the only factor,” Eryn continued, her expression serious. “Whoever joins will be exposed to… everything. The soul weapons. The truth about the Hive Mind. The wrong person could break. Or betray us.”

“Must have loyalty,” Knut said, waving half a sausage around. “Put party above self interest. Then we reciprocate.”

His words reminded me of a promise I’d made, one I’d almost forgotten in the recent chaos.

“There’s Enar,” I said.

The name hung in the air for a moment.

“The guard?” Pa said, frowning. “He is brave, but is he adventurer material?”

“He stood against the Domitius thugs to protect you,” Ma said softly. “He was knocked out cold for his trouble, but he didn’t waver.”

“He stood on the wall during the siege,” Eryn added. “Fought with us all the time and never even considered running. He might have what it takes.”

“Wouldn’t take a Domitius bribe,” I added. “Paid for it with blood.”

“Not ideal he keep getting hurt,” Knut said with a shrug. “But has good heart. Loyalty like such… cannot be forged. It must be earned.”

“Garret took a chance on us as scavengers,” Eryn said. “Would repaying him be the right call?”

“Garret,” I said, frowning. “He is definitely solid, and he stood with us against Domitius too. He’ll make a decent adventurer, but we don’t need a third front-liner, and he’s set on becoming a warrior or tank.”

“Finn then?” Eryn asked. “He was there that night too.”

“That he was,” I said. “But, no. I trust him at my side, but not with two soul weapons’ worth of knowledge. We both know he ran from something, and it wasn’t washing dishes or hammering steel.”

“I too, ran,” Knut said.

“Not remotely the same situation, brother. Besides, you know it’s different.”

“What about Nina?” Nabeeh said. “She’s powerful, clever. Fun, too. She’d fit right in.”

“She’s a good scavenger,” I conceded. “And she wants to become a mage, which could fit, unless she gets Fire. We don’t want to double up on an element. But… I gave Enar my word. Told him I’d save him a spot. He deserves a chance to prove himself.”

“If he will healer, throw spell, or shoot sticks,” Knut said. “I approve.”

“Fine by me,” Eryn said.

“I’m willing to be magnanimous,” Roq added. “Though if he betrays us, I reserve the right to the killing blow.”

“No-one’s killing Enar,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Just telling Arclight to back off if it comes to it,” Roq explained.

“Fine,” Arclight said. “You may have the scavenger. But in return I call dibs on Mara.”

“Hey!” Eryn said. “No killing our allies.”

“What they say?” Knut asked.

“Acceptable,” Roq said. “Probability too low.”

“Enar gets the first shot,” I declared, waving my hands and shutting down all the killing talk. “If he is selected by the Guild, and survives his breakthrough. If not… Nina is next in line.”

They all agreed.

Not long after, a sharp knock on the door made us all turn, and Nabeeh practically jumped to her feet and flew to open it.

Commander Edwin stood outside, looking like he hadn’t slept in a week. His armor was gone, replaced by a simple tunic, but the weariness clung to him like a shroud.

“Hello, handsome,” Nabeeh said. “What brings you to my door at this early hour?”

“Nabeeh,” he managed a tired smile. “You look… well.”

He ignored her hamfisted flirting.

“Thank you, Commander. And you look like you’ve been wrestling a dozen Knuts. Come on in. Ma’s brought tea and food.”

But Edwin just crossed his arms and scowled at me.

“What was so important you had Karl beg and whine me away from a planning session for the town’s defence, Ash? Don’t tell me it is to have breakfast with the newest adventurers in town.”

“Come in and close the door, Commander,” I said. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet, and believe me, it’s worth it.”

Edwin gave me a stern look, but then did as I asked. His point was then completely undermined by his stomach rumbling loud enough for us all to hear, and Ma stood, pulling out a chair for him.

With a sigh, the commander’s mask cracked, and he slumped into the chair.

“Fine,” he said, grabbing a piece of bread and reaching for the butter. “I’m here so I might as well have breakfast. Talk.”

Nabeeh poured him a mug of tea as he began to eat.

“I want to show you my soul weapon,” I said simply.

“What about it?” Edwin asked around a mouthful.

I picked up Roq and placed him on the floorboards.

Edwin glanced at the warhammer.

“Another soul weapon? Looks… bigger. More… spiky.”

“That’s Roq,” I said. “Post-breakthrough.”

The commander choked on his bread, his eyes widening.

“You… you found a way?”

“I did. All he needed was a Class Gem. Had a breakthrough similar to us humans. Changed him in more ways than one.”

Edwin’s brow furrowed.

“Was it the gem the Guild gave you? For your breakthrough?”

“Yes,” I said.

“You used it on your hammer? Damn it, Ash. You better hope it was worth it,” Edwin said, taking an aggressive sip of tea.

“I think you’ll find it was,” I said. “I think it’s time for you to introduce yourself, Roq.”

Black smoke burst from the warhammer and in the weapon’s stead appeared Roq in his primal form. He had to hunch to avoid hitting the ceiling, his scaled body filling the space, his molten orange eyes fixing on the commander.

Edwin spat tea across the table, scrambling backwards out of his chair so fast it toppled over, but he bounced up like a cat. He stopped himself just short of swiping his sword from his spatial storage, his face a mask of pure shock.

The rest of us couldn’t help but laugh.

“It is an honor to finally meet you in person, Commander Edwin,” Roq’s voice boomed, deep and resonant. “It is time you get the chance to properly thank and appreciate me.”

A few minutes and a lot of Roq later, Edwin sat back at the table, a fresh mug of tea in his hand, his eyes never once leaving Roq.

“I can’t believe it,” the commander said, for what must have been the tenth time. “A transforming soul weapon. My mentor’s spear never did that.”

“Never mind the talking and the transformation,” I said. “What do you think of what he told you? About our enemies. About the Hive Mind?”

Edwin looked around the table, then laughed, a rough, weary sound.

“You remember when Mara told me to stay behind while you went to dissect Quarris?”

I nodded.

“Well, I don’t think there’s any point in keeping her secrets anymore. What Roq just told you… it’s what she told me. More or less.” He leaned onto the table and lowered his voice. “Central Command knows. The King knows, too. They at least think they understand what we’re facing, which is why they’re so focused on defense. They view the enemy as overwhelmingly strong.”

“How do they know?” Knut asked.

“Mara didn’t say,” Edwin admitted. “But it all makes sense now. We know they have other soul weapons. Even the king has one.”

“What does the Guild plan to do?” Roq demanded. “I will not accept for them to simply sit back and wait for defeat. It is folly and we will be doomed! They must—”

My mana, already low from Roq’s prolonged transformation, flickered and died. With a final, disgruntled puff of smoke, Roq collapsed back into his warhammer form.

“Blast your meager mana pool, Ash!” he complained. “I was in the middle of a very important interrogation! You must pump up those numbers! Hmm, maybe we can find you some special ingredients that can raise your mana pool further. Like…human hearts!”

“Shut up, please.”

“What happened?” Edwin asked.

“I ran out of mana.”

“Fascinating,” Edwin said. “And I don’t know Central Command’s plan. Mara wouldn’t share it, only most of what you told me of the Hive Mind. She instructs me to keep the knowledge secret to avoid mass panic. ‘A civilizational collapse in the face of an unbeatable foe’ she called it.” He looked at each of us. “I don’t know what the Guild will do if you start telling people the truth, but you are grown ups, so I’ll leave it at that.”

We all nodded.

“Now that you know, what do you plan to do, Edwin?” I asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” he admitted. “But I’ve been thinking of three possibilities. The first is to gather enough power to face the Hive Minds directly and slay them all. A raid of level sixties, maybe? All soul weapon wielders? Having met Roq… it explains a lot about your own power, Ash.”

“An excellent plan!” Roq declared. “I shall graciously lead this raid, and you may bring your wielders along as support.”

Eryn snickered, and Edwin shot her a questioning look.

“We all hear Roq in our minds now,” she explained, and told him about Roq’s new communication ‘gift’.

“Interesting,” Edwin said, glancing at my warhammer. Then he gave a small shake of his head and continued. “But without knowing how strong the Hive Minds truly are, I am loathe to attempt such a thing. My second thought is to fight our way in and wage war Riftside, but with the goal of finding and closing all the portals that don’t lead to Noros. From what Mara told me, it is but one world in their expansive empire, and not even a central one at that. So if we can shut the portals leading here, or even just set up a single large base riftside, focusing all the guild’s resources on defending one entrance, maybe we could hold it.”

“Does the Guild know how to shut the portals then?” Nabeeh asked.

“Not that I know of,” Edwin said. “But if they can be opened, there must be a way for us to shut them down, too.”

“Why not just focus on shutting the portals here on Noros?” Pa asked.

“Won’t work,” Knut said. “Hive Minds opening constant portals. Close them here be like patching leaky boat. Must solve problem up stream. With big dam.”

“What’s the third idea?” Eryn asked.

“It’s a long shot,” Edwin said. “But if the Hive Minds are fighting on so many fronts, they must have other enemies. Maybe… we could find ourselves some allies.”

“A workable plan, but for one flaw,” Roq said. “We would need to find their portals first, which means we’d nearly have to help them win their own wars before they could help us.”

I relayed his thought before adding he might not be right. What if the planet Riftside had portals to other worlds too, ones not yet defeated.

“This is all… insane,” Ma said, voice shaky. “If I hadn’t built my life on selling items forged from the unbelievable, I wouldn’t believe a word of it.”

“I know,” Edwin said. “Before seeing Roq with my own eyes just now, I was skeptical of Mara’s story myself. Thank you for sharing that with me. All of you. It… changes things.”

“There is one more thing to share,” Eryn said, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Edwin looked at her, suspicious.

She placed Arclight on the table.

“This,” she said with a proud grin, “Is my soul weapon.”

Edwin stared at the bow, then at Eryn, then at me. He sighed a long, suffering sound, and leaned down to smack his forehead against the dining table.

“By the three bloody bells,” he groaned, his voice muffled by the wood. “Of course you have a second one. Nothing is ever simple with your party, is it?”