Courier Quest 2: International, page 35
“That is rather fascinating,” he replied, and it sounded like he meant it. “I might have invited you to stay for some research, but it is unlikely that the Altabrae family would go out of their way to procure a Summoned for an experiment. They’re a little bit frustratingly old-fashioned.”
“Yeah, it seems like that would just bring more of a hassle your way,” the courier said, offering Baldared a sympathetic look while Ilyin led them towards a craggy cliff face.
“We wouldn’t want to be hassling the great wizard,” the minotaur snorted.
“It would be easier if they actually understood how great I really am,” Ilyin sighed dramatically. “Alas, here I am, stuck on this rock with the rest of them.”
Cindy nudged Trevor in the side, and he looked down at her. “Why are you sucking up to this guy?” she whispered.
“He seems kind of miserable, doesn’t he? A bit stressed out?” the courier asked honestly. “He’s a little rough around the edges, but a lot of people are. I’m giving him a chance. It’s not like we’ll see him again.”
The captain frowned and narrowed her eyes at Ilyin’s back before sighing. “Suppose so.”
“Don’t come any closer!” Ilyin suddenly ordered, throwing his arms out. “I’m about to work my magic.”
Trevor and Cindy stopped immediately, and Baldared did so with a huff. It looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it.
The elf cracked his knuckles and tried to do the same to his neck, though it steadfastly refused. He made some arcane sigils with his fingers and started casting his spell.
“Oh, stone of the great terran mother!” Ilyin yelled, raising his arms in the air. “Denude yourself of your position in time and space! Understand that you were meant to move and shift and be tossed from this island prison! Your place is not here, but out in the world!”
Trevor immediately thought back to Melvirn and how cringe inducing his spellcasting was. This was only the second wizard he’d seen perform magic, and the Quest Master had apparently been telling the truth that they were all like this.
“Universe, I beseech you! Cut this poor stone before me in twain. Rend a piece so that it might become its own entity, free from the hive of its own making. Allow it to take on the form hidden within for eons!
“Universe!” he repeated. Trevor glanced around. Cindy was staring with wide eyes, and he wondered if she had ever heard a wizard cast a spell before. Baldared just looked bored. He had probably seen this a hundred times before. “Exacerbate the cracks in this facade before me, bring it tumbling down to pieces as all things are one day destined to do! See this cliff before me, make it tremble!”
Honestly, Trevor was just surprised there was no ritual circle like Melvirn needed. He idly wondered if that was because of a difference of power or experience, or something completely different.
“Mold this stone into a shape suitable for the small creature located behind me!” Ilyin stated.
Clay perked up. They hadn’t really been paying attention, choosing to watch the workers who were pointedly ignoring the wizard, but looked over at the mention.
“This Floatstone shall soon belong to a new owner, one who molds and burrows and is already one with it!” Ilyin shouted. That part had to be new, and Trevor checked Baldared’s expression for any reaction. He still looked bored. “Oh, great terran mother! Impart upon this elemental a piece of your priceless bounty. Crack, tear, and rend!”
The ground shook, and all of the workers went down on one knee. They didn’t seem bothered by it, which made Trevor think this was a regular occurrence. A loud crack demanded his attention, and he turned back to the rock face.
A large fissure appeared from top to bottom. It might not have been a tall cliff, but the power on display was still admirable. Near the bottom, the crack had split in two before rejoining after a couple of feet. A chunk of brown Floatstone shot out a short distance, tumbling through the air, before stopping completely in front of the wizard. It hung there, unmoving, and Ilyin threw his hands up.
“Another glorious success!” he announced breathlessly.
“That sure was something, Ilyin,” Trevor praised as he approached.
“Yes. There was a little improvisation there at the end, but I think it was for the best,” he replied, patting the courier on the back as he stared at the chunk of brown stone. “And there you are. It’s all yours.”
Trevor nodded and placed Clay on top of it. It was roughly the size of the courier’s torso, so he pretty much got what he paid for. With a smile, he backed away as his familiar burrowed in. Ilyin, on the other hand, leaned forward.
The Floatstone changed shape slowly, as if Clay was getting used to the new magical rock. It turned into a cube, a rectangle, and a near perfect sphere. What it didn’t do was move.
“Hmm, maybe try shifting out, like, a shaft?” Trevor suggested as he felt his familiar’s frustration. “And then drag the rest of the stone behind you, I guess. If that makes sense.”
“So, they can’t move,” Ilyin hummed.
Just as Trevor suggested, Clay extended part of their new Floatstone body forward, and then attempted to follow with the rest of it. It took a considerable amount of effort and it was very slow going, but they did make some headway.
The elf got in close and looked at it from all angles, stroking his chin in thought. “It looks like center mass is the issue,” he observed, pointing towards what had to be the slowest moving part of the rock. “Which, honestly, makes a lot of sense from what we know of Floatstone.”
“That’s pretty neat. So, as long as that center point stays where it is, then Clay should be able to sculpt this new stone much faster?”
“Theoretically,” Ilyin agreed. “Which doesn’t really help if they want to fly, but sometimes that’s just how the universe is. Fickle, like some people I know.”
“Speaking of,” Baldared started slowly. “You made dinner reservations specifically to get out of the tour, so we should probably leave.”
Ilyin scowled, ignoring the amused look on Trevor’s face. “That’s what I get trying to get out of things without knowing if they’re going to be interesting or not,” he muttered, crossing his arms. The elf observed the slow pace of the airborne earth elemental before looking at the courier. “Feel free to come back after your familiar gets his basics down. I’d love to see where it leads. Got it?”
“Yeah, sure,” the man replied easily. “I’m planning on coming back, so I’ll visit then.”
He watched as Ilyin seemed to war with himself, deciding the best way to respond to how quick Trevor was to agree, and couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. He wondered if the elf had any real friends. Or, at the very least, peers that he hadn’t alienated.
“Okay, good,” was what Ilyin apparently decided to settle on. He gave the courier a nod before turning to the halfling. “Captain Cindy Talawell, right?”
She stood up straighter at suddenly being addressed. “Yes?”
“You come back after the stormy season is over, too,” he said, making a noticeable effort to not make it sound like a demand. “If your ship really is as fast as you say, we could have work for you.”
“You’ve got it, boss,” she replied with a grin and a salute.
Another nod, and he gestured towards the entrance. “You can pick up your regular order that way, but I have to go before Baldared gets too impatient. I’m afraid I’ve already failed.”
“So long as you know,” the minotaur snorted.
Ilyin smacked him on the arm on the way by, but Baldared didn’t seem to take offense to it. He bowed to Trevor and Cindy with a small smile before following the elf towards the entrance.
“What a weird couple of dudes,” Trevor chuckled. He turned to the Floatstone and a rapidly fatiguing Clay. It seemed this was a lot harder to mold than regular rock, though he wasn’t sure why he thought otherwise. Maybe because it was magical. Putting his thoughts aside, he knocked on the stone. “Alright, little buddy. Let’s get that into my inventory. We’ll tackle this problem a little later.”
The stoat emerged from the Floatstone and they shook themselves like a wet dog. A whiff of frustration passed through the bond. Trevor picked them up and held them in his arms.
“If anyone can do it, it’s you,” he told his familiar gently as he pulled the Floatstone into his inventory. “And if it’s not possible, then that’s just how it is. At least you have a new bed to sleep on, or whatever else you want it for.”
Clay nodded as their master started heading towards the entrance to pick up the other blocks. Cindy followed, reaching up to pet the earth elemental.
“Good try, Clay,” she praised, and the familiar preened.
Once they got the blocks, it was just about time to go. Trevor hoped that Rashie had some success down in the ocean.
Chapter Forty-Three: The Darkness
Trevor relaxed in Rabinar Square, eyes closed as he enjoyed the sun on his face and the sea breeze through his hair. In his backpack beside him, Clay rested, trying to regain all the energy they expended earlier trying to move the Floatstone. The courier’s stomach was full from another wonderful meal of crab and curry, which he got to using the staircase this time, and he didn’t have a care in the world.
None except for the little shark girl that he was supposed to be watching. Trevor looked at the Callback Bracelet on his wrist. It had been nearly half an hour since he pressed its button. Rashie wasn’t going to ignore it, he knew, but getting back to the square might have been a problem depending on where she was. He had no idea how far away she had to go to find the starburst spearfish.
Really, Trevor knew better than to worry all that much; he was just starting to get impatient.
“Quest Master,” he said aloud. “Can you please show me my stat screen?”
[[Trevor Anderson
Human
Level 15 (4/6)
Banked Points: 0
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 4
Stamina: 6
Magic: 1
Mana: 1
Speed: 5
Specialty Stats
Capacity: 7
Power: Inventory
Skills: Quick Growth (Human), Temporal Dimensional Storage (Inventory), Stacks (Capacity), Quick Change (Inventory), Endurance Boost (Stamina), Earth Bond (Inventory), World Walker (Speed)]]
Trevor read over his stats. Strength and Dexterity were both one level up away from a skill, and he only had two more quests to complete. He was right at the cusp, and after returning to Tosa he would be halfway to level seventeen with three out of six to go.
“Think I could get an advance on two of these quests?” Trevor asked hopefully. He really wanted to see what Dexterity skill he would get once he boosted it up to five.
[[You already know the answer to that question.]]
“Yeah, but it was worth a shot,” he replied with a shrug.
Glancing around the square, Trevor frowned. Still no sign of the shark girl. He had the book he was reading about the Eskretet Revolution in his inventory, but he didn’t want to get too deep into it. Not with Rashie, hopefully, around the corner.
Something blue and green shot out of the stairwell to the docks, landing with a wet thud. In a blur, the shark girl ran up to Trevor and tapped her bracelet against his. The red glow on the gemstone stopped, and she took a deep breath.
“You alright, shark?” Trevor asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Had to swim… real fast and… dodge rocks…” she panted. Now that the bracelet wasn’t constantly yelling at her to return, she doubled over with her hands on her knees.
“Take your time,” he replied. “Water?”
Rashie nodded. “Please.”
Trevor retrieved a cup of water from his inventory. She downed it the moment she got it in her hands, and gave it back so he could take care of it later. Stretching, she sat on the bench. Then, with a grin of triumph, the shark girl reached back for her tail. He hadn’t noticed before, but there was a large sack tied around it just above the fin.
Curious, Trevor took it when offered. The bag was heavy and he wasted no time opening it. Inside was a whole collection of rainbow scales. Maybe not enough for a dress, but certainly enough for Corrin to do something with.
“Good job, Rashie,” the courier praised, reaching over and rubbing her head.
“Yes, I am success,” she replied happily. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and put her hands behind her back. “Ask me how I did it.”
Trevor smiled. “How’d you do it, shark?”
“So, there I was,” Rashie started, instantly going into an action pose. “Swimming in the ocean, not minding my own business because I had business to mind. The PathGuider pointed me in all sorts of directions. Left, right, up, down, and then left again, somehow. That’s right, it pointed left twice.”
“Wow. That sounds like it could have been a problem.”
“Maybe for some people, but not for the scourge of the ocean,” Rashie laughed, puffing out her chest with pride as she put her hands on her hips. “I summoned Logan and told him the deal. ‘We’re trying to find this rainbow kid,’ I said. ‘Okay, cool,’ he said, and we started looking around. The more we looked, the smaller an area the goggle pointed me in. The ocean’s big, Trevor. Real big. There’s lots of places to hide.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
The shark girl nodded. “We’re searching high. We’re searching low. We’re searching in between, because it’s important to look everywhere. And then, we find it.”
“The starburst spearfish?” Trevor asked.
“No, the first scale we brought you. We found it in a reef, on a cliff, that led to...” Rashie paused dramatically before making her voice deeper. “The Darkness.”
The courier put his hand over his mouth. “The darkness?”
“No, not the darkness. The Darkness,” she repeated, urging him to try again.
“The Darkness,” he said, his voice low.
“The Darkness was a place where the light couldn’t touch, because it’s under the Floating Isles,” the shark girl continued, jumping onto the bench he was sitting on and pointing downwards. “Logan was afraid to go down there at first. I wasn’t, because I know that no sea monster can beat me up. But, it wouldn’t hurt to look around a little more. Maybe ask, and that’s what we did.”
“I’m glad you took the time to gather information. That was smart thinking,” he praised.
Rashie paused, and it became clear that wasn’t what had been on her mind. Still, she nodded. “Of course. I know that you gotta know your enemy before going onto the field of battle. You’ve got a sharp instinct, as is proper for someone who I call Uncle Trevor!”
The courier had to restrain himself from laughing, instead just smiling and making a gesture for her to continue.
“So, we asked around. We talked to eels, and fish, and crabs. And Alder was there, too?” Rashie said, somewhat confused. “He said he had traps for crabs, but sometimes he wanted to catch them with his bare hands. I can respect that.”
“That guy’s pretty hardcore, huh?”
“Yeah, and he’s a good swimmer. Not like me, though. I’m super-fast,” she boasted, pointing at her chest with her thumb. “But he was just a distraction. Because we finally found what we were looking for. Someone who knew about the rainbow fishy.
“There was a big fish, about my size, with teeth for days, and it was kind of round, and it had an antenna, which had a light on it, and it was glowing, and it lived around The Darkness.”
“The Darkness,” Trevor repeated, making sure there was a proper amount of awe in his voice.
“The Darkness, yeah,” she said as if that explained everything.
“Sounds like you had a run in with some kind of angler fish,” he told her.
“Her name was Missy, and she tried to eat me,” Rashie pouted. “The whole time all I wanted to know was where the rainbow fishy was, and she chased me around. Logan was too slow to catch her to make her stop, but soon enough I got tired of her shenanigans, malarkey, and tomfoolery. Then I punched her in the face. She tried to eat my hand, though, so I had to hit her with the other one. That made her stop once she realized that I was at the top of the food chain, not her.”
“Those pesky angler fishes, always thinking they’re at the top of the food chain with their little light and big teeth,” Trevor chided, as if such a beast was right there with them.
“Right? Always!” the shark girl agreed, outraged over what happened, even though this was probably her first time ever seeing one in this world.
“For shame.”
“Yeah. Once Missy realized that I wasn’t for eating, she got real gabby. I mean like a mile a minute of talking and words and gossiping about the entire underwater community. Did you know there was a tegrunaman named Raxitle— Raxtle— Raxital— Ugh,” she groaned, shaking her head. “There’s a tegrunaman out there who, apparently, can’t even swim? Just scoots along the bottom of the ocean all day. He’s a weird fellow from what I hear, but I feel bad for him, too.”
Trevor nodded empathetically. “Poor guy can’t swim. It’s a travesty.”
“Yeah, a real travesty,” she agreed with a nod. “But enough about Radiometers. Eventually, after what seemed like hours of Missy gabbing her teeth out, she admitted that there was at least one of the rainbow fishies down in The Darkness. Logan was still scared, but I was brave, so I volunteered to go alone.”
“Did you go into the void all by yourself, Rashie?” Trevor asked sternly.
“No, I had Missy with me,” she answered. “And Logan did end up coming. He just had to find his courage first. Didn’t want to leave me alone with the angle fish, either.”
“Angler fish, but that’s good.”
