Chapter 11 - Prep Work (Patreon)

The overwhelming wave of relief that ensued almost left me dizzy. She wasn't here for me. Sure, she might still recognize me and turn in my whereabouts to the criminals, but she wasn't specifically looking for me. She might also be trouble on two legs with an undisclosed agenda, but she was not  here for me. That was a win, no matter how I chose to look at it. Also, she'd leave the village with the next caravan. A moronic smile plastered itself onto my face, and I didn't even try to hinder it. I wouldn't have to hare off into the unknown, without any guidance - instead I'd get to stay right where I was, and the odds were pretty damn good that our remote village wouldn't receive a second visit any time soon. Oh - my pop-up indicator was blinking at me, and I watched as I got a fresh quest:

[You have been offered a quest: “Facades” (Chronicler Quest). You have discovered that Sareena Gloridien is not who she claims she is. Also, her aims seem nefarious. Figure out the truth behind her presence before she leaves the village.

Reward: Unknown. 

Accept/decline?]

Well - that was pretty uncommon for me - normally I'll accept any quest, no matter how small, in the chance that I'll get around to it at some point. This time around, I gave serious thoughts to declining the quest. Staying in the village while she was here was obviously not an option, meaning I wasn't going to get a chance to look into it before she left. Ah, well, I could always tell Gillem about it - ask him to forward the intel to the Council and they could put someone on the job if they felt like it. They might even part with a trifle for the heads up from me. 

I pressed accept, and moved on to the real issue: What to do with the next two weeks? I wasn't going to creep around nearby, that was for sure, and the Dawnlight Forest wasn't really a place for me to go prancing around in. No, I needed some time off, and the Council's quest to make friends with either kobolds or harpies seemed like the perfect solution. It was time to finally let my old alter ego out and play - time to once again say hello to - Side Quest Man! Dun dun dun. 

Fair enough. Even I would admit that my mental antics were decidedly unfunny, but I was literally bouncing about, filled with surplus energy at the awareness that I was not the current target of a localized manhunt. 

All right, kobolds or harpies? A townful of mean-tempered Greck wannabes or a bunch of prissy feathered females who attack on sight. I chuckled. Who was I even kidding? I'd already made up my mind. The experience from Atlas and mine last battle was still lingering in the back of my head, and I really wanted to get a bit of non-fighting practice in with Atlas before I introduced him to a round of battles like the one we'd just been through. Especially with winged foes - I had a working theory that things were going to work quite a bit more smoothly, if he could be allowed to stand unnoticed in the background and help from a distance. Besides, I'd hate to actually succeed in winning the harpies over and then be unable to visit their Chronicler Repository just because I'd been unable to increase my Chronicler skill beforehand. Also, they couldn't all be like Greck, right? There was just no way that every kobold could be that salty.

So, if we were off to kobold land, what would I actually need to look into? I took the piece of paper I'd been using for notes and added a clean break and the title "Preparations". I chewed the end of the pencil, considered my approach and started writing:

- Avoid Sareena. IMPORTANT!

- Get in touch with Lyle and have his leg fixed - Maybe Mallard can help?

- Have another training session with Greck. Get the down low on the kobolds. Learn more magic and magic theory. NEED DEFENSE! Oh, maybe ask Greck to come along.

- Chat with Mrs. Bertinga and purchase whatever items I need. Make sure  that I actually have items for all slots and materials for tinkering. And a tent. Need that Tinkerer lesson!

- Durability for Violin and clothes? Mend stuff first?

I looked over the list, as the door was unlocked yet again as Jeb returned, balancing another large tray in his hands. Man, room service was good today. "Great service and good assistance for spying. Did not turn me in for murder. 5 stars." I waved him in, and took the tray from him. "Hey Jeb, I appreciate your help today - you've helped me a lot. No need to come running next time the next time she returns."

He shrugged. "S'not a problem, mister. Just - what's it all about?"

I laughed nervously. "I can't tell you right now - I hope I'll be able to give you the full tale at some point. Do you have a minute? There's a few things I'd like to ask you. There's a tip in it for you."

Another shrug. 

I took that as agreement and before long, Jeb shot off with instructions to get both Greck, Lyle and Gillem to come visit me - and then he'd be off, carrying my clothes to the local tailor for mending and 5 silver and another silver piece for his troubles. There'd be no mending the violin, however, even though it was down to 49/60 durability. According to Jeb, the local carpenter's knowledge with regards to repairing music instruments were limited to "That time he fixed the ol' cudgel Mrs. Brenathan uses t' beat a tune on Mr. Brenathan's head when he gets drunk." With distaste, I donned my old tattered set of "fancy traveler's clothes", and grabbed the dusty old tome to tide me over. 

Out of all the things that'd gone my way after entering the World of Chains, Gillem was the one recurring person who had done the most to help me. I couldn't help wondering what I would've been reduced to if he hadn't helped me to begin with. Hell, he'd helped me reduce my negative reputation with the village and eventually even ensured that I was on good terms with the Council - Autoria excluded. Apart from a small temper tantrum where the reputation of his mother was at stake, he'd come through for me at all times. He didn't disappoint this time around either, rapping on the door just a couple minutes later.

I filled him in on what I'd encountered - which meant introducing him to Atlas. His eyes grew wide as saucers when Atlas materialized seemingly from thin air, but he did regain his composure instantly. Following the first shock, his curiosity was insatiable, and after a smattering of questions, I laughingly had to tell him to address any other questions at Naevys, because I was fresh out of answers.

As to my situation, he was quick to agree with my approach, and kind enough to lend me Jeb to run interference when I was going out - just in the case that the elf and I were to walk about in the same general area. He lifted a finger, admonishing: "Don't think you can rely on using him for cheap work labor any old time though. That's for me alone to abuse." He finished with a wink. He then barked a laugh and continued. "And you know what? If anybody asks, I'll just tell the truth about what the Council has asked you to do - only, I might slip up and mention that you went after the harpies."

I clapped my hands. "Good one. And don't you worry, Gillem. I'm not going to take the one true benefit of becoming a parent - free labor - away from you. Now, with that over and done with, we've taken care of the worst of my worries. I have one final place where I'm going to have to ask you for help though."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's money. In all honesty, I hadn't expected to have to leave the village just yet, and haven't been hoarding cash. If I need to approach the kobolds and make a good showing of myself and Grant's Crossing - whatever that might entail - I'm going to need to purchase some equipment - and I just don't have the cash for it.

He frowned. "Remember the first evening we talked. I told you that I have two rules: I keep my word, and I don't give any credit ." He looked me up and down, taking in my old, tattered clothes and made a small noise in the back of his throat. "I will, however - for your own good, you understand - explain to the Council how you look, in detail. With that in mind, I think we should be able to agree that a small advance on the reward would be in order." He smirked. "Can't have 'em thinking that everybody in Grant's Crossing looks like that, can we?"

I looked at him with a deadpan expression. "This is you getting back at me, isn't it?"

He burst out in laughter. "No. Oooh no. I'm just getting started."

I made an obscene gesture at him and I cleared my throat. "Now, don't get used to this, you old villain, but seriously, thank you. For everything. You've done more for me than everybody else combined in the village, and - well, I owe you. Big time. Don't think for a moment I've forgotten about figuring out what happened with your mother either."

He nodded and patted me on the elbow. "I know, Arcangelo. I know. Now get something to eat. Sounds like you have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow. I'd better get back to making sure that Kiff doesn't steal scraps from the kitchen again."

I looked at the door closing behind him and could feel a silly smile on my face. Then I got to work, figuring out exactly what I wanted to do the day after to be prepared for my excursion. Oh, and stuffing myself with Gillem's delicacies. Seriously, that guy knew how to cook. Eventually, I came up with a decent game plan and decided to reward myself by going to bed early. It took me a while to fall asleep. Plans and insecurities intermingled in my head and twice I had to get up and jot down another thought to my list before I gradually slipped into the release of sleep.

Generally, these days I tended to sleep until I woke up with no fixed sleeping schedule. Before starting my regular 8 to 5 job, I'd always gone to sleep whenever I felt like it, automatically gravitating towards a day that started around 9-10 AM. Today, however, I started the day bright and early, as Atlas kept shouting bloody murder in my head. To be fair, "murder" probably wasn't the right word, but in my sleepy, groggy condition it took me a while to realize what was going on. I jumped over to the table in my undies and grabbed my violin, preparing to defend myself, before I slowly started to take in just what was going on. The outrage and hateful feelings that shot through the bond were...directed at something or someone and...I couldn't help myself, but sat down on the bed and started laughing, high-pitched peals of laughter that sounded dangerously close to hysteria. 

As it turns out, I was not under attack. Atlas' fury was directed at some dastardly animal who'd had the audacity to steal away with the eggs from a bird nest that Atlas himself had been eyeing. I couldn't be entirely certain, but I also got the impression that he got slightly miffed that I was laughing at his misfortune. 

Ah, well. I stretched my body and cracked my neck. It was 7 AM, and I had a lot of things to do, so I might as well get to it. After a while, Atlas calmed down enough to check over the window and confirm that Sareena was still sleeping. I crept down to the bar, where Jeb was using the bar for a pillow and convinced him to prepare a lunchbox for me and join me at Lyle's house as soon as possible. My request for a handful of unboiled eggs was met with a strange glance, but he acquiesced and promised to wake Gillem up and get hopping. A couple of communication attempts later, and I felt confident that Atlas knew that he should seek me out when that Sareena lass woke up.