Riftside 2 - Chapter 59

I held the door to the Timberline open, and Eryn smiled as she stepped past me. The tavern was packed tight as a crate of horseshoes and noisy as five smithies in a hammering contest. A minstrel tucked into a corner strummed away at his lute, but it was barely audible above the crowd. That is, until Eryn crossed the threshold and a hush rippled through the crowd. The minstrel’s music faltered, and Johan, his face split by a wide grin, bellowed, “Hip-hip!”

The tavern roared back a “Hurray!”

“Hip-hip!”

“Hurray!”

“For Adventurer Whitcroft!” Johan finished, leading a thunderous cheer.

I couldn’t help but feel proud of her and all we achieved together. I let Eryn lead the way, content to follow behind her

Johan rushed over, a tall, celebratory mug of ale held aloft. 

“For Dawnwatch’s newest protector!” he shouted, handing it to Eryn. “May your arrows fly true and your spatial storage never be empty!”

Eryn thanked him and barely managed a sip before Ma pulled Eryn into a tight hug. 

“Oh, Eryn, that dress! You look every inch a wealthy adventurer!”

Pa was right behind her, nodding at Eryn with a proud smile. 

“Knew you had it in you, girl. Good and strong.”

Lysander Wilkens materialized seemingly out of nowhere beside Pa, his serene smile in place. 

“Indeed, a striking figure, archer. And I remain grateful Thomas managed to forge that lightning proof glove for you. It would have been such a terrible waste to leave my bow gathering dust.”

Eryn chuckled at the lie. 

“Yes, I’m super grateful, Lysander. It’s a marvel.”

“Might I trouble you for another look at the bow?” Lysander asked, his gaze thoughtful. “The way the Arclight energies settled… fascinating.”

Eryn’s shoulders tightened. 

“Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my gloves. And I’d rather not get a shock tonight.”

“But I would dearly like to see it,” Lysander insisted. “Just one more time if you will.”

Eryn paused, her gaze steady on the bowyer. Then, a slow smile spread across her face, and she shrugged. 

“Sure. But I’m swiping it back into storage the second you drop it, master bowyer.”

He bowed his head. 

“My thanks, master archer.”

A grin touched my own lips. This could be fun. 

I casually positioned myself with my back to the door, just in the slim, infinitesimal chance Lysander had figured out Arclight was a soul weapon and he had some wild notion of making a dash for it. Unlikely, but I couldn’t help myself.

Eryn swiped Arclight from her storage and tossed it, hissing in a pretend wince. 

Lysander’s hands snapped up, snatching the bow from the air. Instantly, he howled, a sharp cry of pain and jumped back, the bow dropping from his grasp. 

Eryn reacted like the classed adventurer she now was, hand darting out to catch Arclight before it hit the floor. She swiped it back into her storage, then shook her own hand, wincing theatrically. 

“Ooh, still got a kick that one!”

Lysander cursed under his breath, nursing his fingers. He managed a strained thanks and a sigh, then let Pa led him away, muttering something about lightning globules and how, if he only had one more chance, he could make an even better one.

Knut was next, a booming laugh preceding him, his cheeks already well red from drink. 

“Good show, Eryn! Strong arm, quick hands. Like bear catching salmon!” He smacked his tankard against Eryn’s before drinking deeply. “Hurray!” he said. “My little sister now big adventurer. Proud beyond words!”

Nabeeh swept in after him, pulling Eryn into a warm hug. 

“Congratulations, darling! And that dress! Ash, you have surprisingly good taste. Come, our table awaits!” She took Eryn’s arm, leading her towards our usual spot.

I followed with Knut.

“Good dress,” Knut rumbled, nodding towards Eryn. “You pick well.”

I raised an eyebrow. 

“Didn’t know you had an eye for fashion.”

He shrugged his massive shoulders. 

“No idea fashion, but know happy woman. Your pretty bird very happy tonight.” 

His logic, as usual, was unassailable.

We reached our table, or rather, two tables put togethercreating a long, feasting-style arrangement. A place of honor sat empty in the middle, clearly for Eryn. She was immediately swamped with congratulations. Alex, with Nina perched on his lap, offered a cheerful toast. Ming and Finn raised their mugs, Garret gave a thumbs-up, and Enar, still looking a bit out of his depth, grinned. One spot beside them was clearly reserved for Edwin. On the other side sat Rowan, Isaac, and Torsten with Freja, who must have left their brood in the care of Eirik and Mia, their two eldest.

Food and drink already littered the table, and a fresh tankard was pressed into my hand. 

“To Eryn!” someone shouted, and we all drank deep.

A while later, after a few more beers had vanished, Harold arrived, flanked by Vos, Corwen, and Mara.

“Storm Warden,” Harold said, his voice carrying a note of genuine pride as he toasted her with a brimming tankard of his own. “The Guild is proud. May your career be long and prosperous. And bring in lots of valuable carcasses!”

Vos sipped a glass of red wine. Corwen, beside him, was nursing a glass of milk. 

Milk. 

At a party.

Roq would have been jealous at how the man handled the glass.

Mara, in stark contrast, downed a shot of what looked suspiciously like Azabaran Fire Water before slamming it upside down onto the table. 

“Congratulations, Whitcroft,” she said. “Good to have another strong arm Riftside.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I’m heading to Sentinel Station. Standing guard tonight. If the monsters attack, with half the town’s adventurers drunk, could be bad.”

“Thank you, Mara. Stay safe,” Eryn said. Mara gave a curt nod and disappeared, the crowd opening before her and closing behind.

Eryn then stood and tapped her mug for attention. 

“I just wanted to say thank you,” she began. “For everyone’s support. It means the world to me. And a special thanks to my Ash. For believing in me and helping me grow faster than I ever thought possible. In return, I’ll do my best to support all of you in, well, whatever goals you’re chasing after.”.”

“Hear hear!” we said, just in time for Edwin to make his appearance. He handed Corwen a folder with a grimace, then bellowed, 

“Johan! Beer!” A mug appeared in his hand almost instantly. He downed it in one go, slammed it on the table, and called for another. Nabeeh, with a knowing smile, passed him hers. He toasted Eryn with it. 

“To the Storm Warden!” 

He drained that one too and put it down slightly less dramatically.

“Edwin, is everything alright?” Eryn ask with a hint of worry.

Alex chuckled. 

“Our Commander absolutely loathes paperwork. He’d rather fight Quarris, riding a Titanfang, alone, than write a report about it.”

Edwin shuddered dramatically. 

“Truth. Utter, soul-crushing truth.” He clapped his hands together. “But enough of that! Everyone did good on the raid. Damn good!”

“You really took down a red threat?” Garret asked.

Knut nodded. 

“Indeed. That. And over two hundred crystalkin. Spatials full to bursting!”

Finn let out a low whistle. “Riftrot, what a windfall that’d be.”

Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

“It would be, if Edwin hadn’t insisted on donating our share of the carcasses to the town. All we got was our part of the mind gems. Five each. Which isn’t nothing, but still…”

Ming nudged him. 

“Don’t complain, you old geezer. You know why.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, handsome,” Nina said, from his lap, and giggled. “I’ll take your mind off the Mind Gems later.”

Alex grumbled good-naturedly. 

“Fine. But I had hoped to invest in your development, beautiful. Help speed up your leveling.”

Nina’s tone shifted, a playful edge entering her voice as she looked at Edwin. 

“Commander, you need to stop being so altruistic and take better care of your team!”

Laughter rippled around the table.

Then Katherine Ridley appeared, her usual calm presence a welcome sight. 

“Eryn, congratulations.”

“Thank you, Katherine,” Eryn said and stood, giving the doctor a bow. “I’ll come by for a chat soon, about what to do with my debt for the gem.”

Katherine nodded. 

“I’ve had some thoughts on that too, but it can wait for another day.” Her gaze shifted to Knut. “Coinshield. Come with me.”

“Me?” He asked, pointing a finger at his chest. “What’s wrong?”

Katherine just crooked a finger. 

“Come. Now.”

Knut shrugged and grabbed two fresh beers. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he rumbled, and followed her into the crowd.

Harold then bid us farewell. 

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he said with a wink, then gestured to Vos and Corwen. “Gentlemen, why don’t we bring these drinks with us back to my office and continue the discussion of Dawnwatch’s new, and rather promising, situation.”

Johan materialized at our table with a fresh platter of roasted meats. 

“How’s the coin counting coming along? Enough to deal with the silver serpents yet?”

“We had fifty-seven gold before this quest,” I said into the sudden quiet of the table. “Leaving us short four hundred and twenty-one. Pa…” 

I paused, realizing I hadn’t told anyone about the Mind Gems we’d found in the carcasses, nor had planned to do.

“Pa’s work brought in sixty-three, and we got a hundred and twenty-five for the quest so far,” I said. “And then, with Edwin finishing his report…” I nodded towards the Commander, who was now engaged in an animated discussion with Rowan. “That’s another one hundred and twenty-five gold, which leaves us short one hundred and eight gold.” 

I looked at Nabeeh and Eryn. 

“We’ve got three days left to make the snakes choke on their greed. It’ll be tight, but with Pa and Torsten working overtime, and the materials we have brought in, we will have  fantastic gear for the auction. Is everything ready for that?” I asked Johan.

“It’ll be the event of the season here at the Timberline. Coin only.” Johan winked. “And speaking of coin!” Johan clapped his hands together and grinned. “In honor of Eryn’s breakthrough, I’ve come up with a little party game! Come on!”

He went behind his bar, pausing only to touch two fingers to his lips and then to the mounted Steel Scuttler carcass on the back wall.

“Silence!” Johan yelled, and the tavern quieted, all eyes turning to him. “I figured today was as good a day as any for finding out who the best damn archer in this town really is!”

Isaac cleared his throat loudly, standing and raising a hand before giving a theatrical wave, followed by a sweeping bow to the room. Laughter erupted.

Johan grinned and lifted a wooden disk, the size of a medium shield, from beneath the bar. It was an ornately painted target board, which he proceeded to hang beneath the Steel Scuttler on the wall. We moved closer through the crowd.

“Alright, you scruffy mob!” Johan declared, flinging his arms wide. “In honor of Eryn’s breakthrough, and thanks to a bit of master craftsmanship from Lysander and a few drinks too many on my part, I present to you… Rift Hunt!”

The board was a marvel. Divided into twenty narrow, pie-slice sections, each was painted with the snarling face or silhouette of a Riftside monster: Titanfang, Steel Scuttler, Shardfang, and seventeen others. Each monster’s slice was divided into three, a large, medium, and thin slice, from edge to center. Some of these were colored. Four spots along the edges of the board, corresponding to north, south, east, and west, were painted like a Mind Gem.

Finn licked his lips. 

“What is it?”

“Here’s how it works,” Johan said, holding up a dart that looked like a miniature arrow, fletched with blue silk. “Each player starts with fifty empty slots, like a maximum-leveled Spatial Storage, an empty one, at that. You slay monsters, get loot. First one to fill their spatial storage and gets out wins! Simple, eh?”

“Too simple,” Isaac called out from the crowd. “Where’s the catch?”

“Monsters are worth different points,” Johan explained. “And some are harder than others to slay. Take the Steel Scuttler.” He pointed to its section. “They take two hits to slay, but fill three slots in your spatial, and—”

“What?” Richard, one of the other adventurers, interrupted. “Why? Scuttlers are tiny!”

Johan leveled a glare at him. “Because I say so.” He then jabbed a thumb towards his trophy Scuttler. “And because Steel Scuttlers are lucky monsters here at the Timberline! You got a problem with that?”

Richard held up his hands in surrender. 

“Fine by me, Johan. Just curious.”

“Good.” Johan continued, “A Gloomstalk Cat is worth two points and only requires a single dart to slay, but only a hit in the third quadrant of its slice counts.” The large and medium one was colorless.

Beside me, Eryn nodded to herself.

He pointed to the bullseye at the center of the board, painted in the same green as our Branchway Rift. 

“Now, once you have filled your spatial, you have to sink one in the center to get back through the Rift and win!”

A collective “Ooooh” went through the crowd.

“And see those four little shiny bastards on the edge?” Johan gestured to the Mind Gem spots, each barely larger than the nail on my thumb. “Those are critical points. Hit one, and it counts as a hit on any monster on the board, and you get an extra throw.”

“So you can shoot infinitely?” Isaac asked.

“Only four gems,” Johan said. “And I’m guessing you won’t go for them often, unless you want to slay the Titanfang, which is worth thirty points, or the Juggernaut, which is worth fifty. The Titanfang requires four hits and the Juggernaut five, meaning you have to hit Mind Gems to slay them. And! Anyone aiming for those must call out their shot, and if they miss, they will be ridiculed mercilessly by yours truly!”

“Why?” Isaac asked, a grin playing on his lips.

“Because even I, a humble level one scavenger turned barkeep, know that only fools attempt to take down such a beast by themselves with a ranged weapon!” Johan declared. “It requires a team! But, you should never say never, so the opportunity is there for those who like to waste their time and my darts.”

Isaac chuckled.

“So,” Johan continued, raising the dart again. “Each archer gets three shots per round. Fill your spatial. Slay as many monsters as you can before your storage hits capacity. First one to hit fifty and get back through the portal, wins.” He scanned the room. “Any archers brave enough to play, raise your hands!”

Isaac’s hand shot up. Eryn’s followed. Wade also raised his. Seven others joined them.

Johan pointed a finger at Eryn, a wide grin on his face. 

“A guaranteed spot for you, Breakthrough Girl! Let’s see if the gods gave you a class and aim. Next, Isaac, Wade, Naral, and…Riley! Come on over.”

A thin black man with a mohawk and a woman of Eryn’s height but Knut’s width made their way to the bar. 

“Oh, and to make sure there’s some challenge in this,” Johan said, “You’ll throw from the line you’ll find just inside the door!” He gestured to the Timberline’s entrance, a good thirty feet from the target.

“What happens if we hit any of your expensive bottles of booze, Johan?” Wade asked.

Johan’s grin didn’t falter. 

“Firstly, you’ll pay for it. And secondly, you should be ashamed to call yourself a ranged adventurer!”

The crowd chuckled. 

Finn’s voice then cut through the hubbub. 

“Anyone want to take bets?”

Johan pointed at him. 

“You better do the bookmaking from this side of the bar, Finn! And make sure the house gets its cut!”

Finn, looking like a Shardfang that had just spotted a lone Scavenger, started eagerly taking wagers. Money clinked, and voices rose in excited speculation.

I leaned towards Eryn. 

“Think you’ll win this?”

She pondered for a moment, her gaze fixed on the distant target board. A slow smile touched her lips. “Yes. I will.” She met my eyes. “Bet thirty gold on me, Ash. Not so much it’ll be impossible to recover from if I lose, but enough that it’ll give us a nice boost towards victory over Domitius.”

Thirty gold. A hefty sum, but I couldn’t remember a single time she’d declared something without delivering on it. 

I found Finn and placed the bet.

The match began. Eryn insisted on going last, letting Wade start. His three darts arced through the tavern to oohs and ahs, thudding into the board to ‘slay’ a Steel Scuttler and a Gloomstalk Cat, netting him a five points for a respectable start. Naral and Riley went next, their scores varying. Then it was Isaac’s turn. He was good, no doubt about it. He called out a Mind Gem and hit it, using it to wound the Titanfang, before sinking three more, immediately jumping to thirty points, and Wade groaned.

Eryn called out a Mind Gem, but missed with her first dart, and spent the two next taking out Gloomstalk Cats for four points. 

The rounds continued. Isaac attempted Mind Gems again, but missed the next three rounds, and used the same tactic as Eryn, economically adding to his score.

Eryn and the others struggled to catch up. When Isaac ended up filling his spatial with a Steel Scuttler and needing only a portal shot to win the game, Eryn still needed a hefty twenty-three points. 

For the third time in a row I went to take a sip of my ale just to find it empty, but I didn’t have time to get a refill. Eryn had the last play of this round. 

“Mind Gem,” she said, calling out once again. The crowd stood lined up, only the corridor between her and the board empty. She breathed out slowly, held the dart in front of her face, and threw. It flew true, striking just inside the northern gem icon. 

A cheer went up.

“A Mind Gem hit!” Johan bellowed. “Eryn, which monster feels your wrath?”

Her voice held the slightest tremor. 

“I’ll wound the Titanfang.”

Another cheer. 

The Titanfang’s section only had its smallest pie slice coloured, and she hit it with both her next two darts. Two wounds. The beast now had one hit point left and she had one dart remaining for this turn.

“One more hit for the chance to tie with Isaac!” Johan commented.

Eryn paused and stared at her final dart, before looking at me and smiling.

She turned back to the board and a stillness came over her, a subtle shift in her posture that I, and perhaps only I, recognized. 

She’d just activated Snipe. 

Her arm moved, a blur of motion, and the dart flew. 

It struck the southern Mind Gem.

The Timberline erupted.

“Two Mind Gems in one round!” Johan roared, his voice hoarse with excitement. “What do you do with the damage, adventurer? Though I think I know!”

“I’ll slay the Titanfang,” Eryn confirmed, a small smile playing on her lips.

“And with that, your spatial is full! Fifty points, after tossing some smaller carcasses,” Johan said, chuckling. “Next round, if you and Isaac both hit the portal, we’ll have a tie!”

“Hold on, Johan,” Eryn said, her voice carrying clearly over the din.

“Yes?”

“I have another throw, don’t I? For hitting the Mind Gem.”

Johan frowned. 

“Well, yes, but your spatial is full…”

“I’m shooting for the Rift,” Eryn stated.

Isaac, who had been looking rather smug, spluttered. 

“Hey! That’s cheating!”

Johan held up a hand, silencing the protests. 

“I’m the referee here, Isaac. And I’m the one who makes the calls. And I say… it’s fair! She hit the Mind Gem, she gets another dart. If she manages to hit the Rift with it, she wins. Fair and square.”

Isaac grumbled, but it was good-natured. 

“Fine, fine. Let her try.”

Eryn then grinned. 

“To lighten the mood a little… Johan! Five beers!” The crowd roared its approval. “This is becoming too easy. I challenge my fellow archers here. Let’s see who can down their beer the fastest. One after the other. Johan, you time us. I’ll go last.”

The other four archers gamely accepted. One by one, they chugged, ale spilling down chins, mugs drained with varying degrees of speed, with Wade being the fastest, not even needing to breathe.

Then it was Eryn’s turn. She picked up her mug, and with no apparent hurry, took elegant sips. “This dress is far too pretty to spill alcohol all over it,” she commented, raising her chin, taking another deliberate swallow.

The crowd laughed, though Riley punched her jokingly on the shoulder, complaining at being tricked into taking a beer bath!

I smiled to myself. Eryn was waiting out her Snipe cooldown. Clever girl.

Finally, she drained the mug and handed it to Isaac.

“Watch the board,” she said. Then, she went completely still again, dart at the ready. 

Snipe. 

The entire Timberline seemed to hold its breath. Her arm whipped forward. The dart sailed through the tavern air, a tiny missile on a perfect trajectory, arcing gracefully down to strike the green bullseye dead center.

The tavern exploded to shouts, cheers, and tankards banging on tables.

Nabeeh was suddenly at my shoulder. 

“We should have bet a hundred. We’d be done with Domitius already.”

I just smiled as Eryn made her way through the jubilant crowd, her face flushed with victory. She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a kiss that tasted of ale and triumph.

“You’re wonderful,” I told her, grinning.

Isaac was standing by the door, shaking his head and muttering something about “impossible shots.” He narrowed his eyes at Eryn, who winked back. He shrugged, a smile finally breaking through. “Congratulations, Storm Warden!” he called out.

“Isaac! My friend!” Johan boomed. “Help me bring out the cake!”

A moment later, they emerged from the back, carrying a massive cake shaped like the Rift Hunt target board, complete with a perfectly centered candied arrow piercing the bullseye.

“Johan, this is… amazing!” Eryn said, giving the big man a heartfelt hug once the cake had been placed safely on our extended table.

After Eryn had cut the cake and handed me a piece, Johan pulled me to the side, his expression turning serious. 

“Got a few rumors to share now, Ash, before we all get too drunk to remember our own names.”

“What is it?” I asked, my good mood dimming at his tone.

“Heard whispers, Ash. Serona. She’s been sending multiple gem-grams. One today, after you lot returned from Riftside. Marked as ‘urgent’ I heard.”

A knot tightened in my stomach. 

“Do you know what was in them?”

Johan shook his head. 

“Haven’t been able to get my hands on what she sent. But one of the replies that came back to her? Karl managed to sneak a peak. It contained only one word. ‘Coming.’”

I frowned, my gaze drifting to Eryn, who was laughing as she was doling out the magnificent cake. She caught my eye and waved for me to join.

“Thanks, Johan,” I said, turning back to him. “Please, have some people keep an eye on the town’s entrances. Let me know if you spot anyone… suspicious.”

“Will do, Ash. Now go enjoy the party. You’ve earned it.”

I scanned the room for Harold and the officials, but they seemed to have indeed departed. With a mental sigh, I swiped Roq out.

“What!? It looks like the party started a long time ago!” Roq boomed in my mind. “A celebration of this magnitude demands tribute! Tribute in the form of baked goods! And milk! Don’t forget the milk, you forgetful biped!”

I turned to Johan, and his eyes dropped to the hammer a moment later.

“I’ll have a bowl brought out for your hammer.”