Talyn: Rebirth Ch. 13

Here's the next chapter for all of you! Not that much to say about it from my perspective... I hope you like a bit of worldbuilding!

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Chapter 13

“Sorry about the wait, Talyn. When Reagan gets talking, sometimes it takes ages to tear him away.” Gordon said, chuckling under his breath as the dark elf glared at him.

“I do not!” Reagan protested.

“You totally do.” Aslith countered, stepping out of the guild hall.

“Mmhm.” Elda agreed, nodding firmly.

“I… but…” Reagan sputtered, his words dying as he saw he wasn’t getting any support, then he slumped.

Melody laughed, patting him on the shoulder as she consoled him. “Now, now… some people like that sort of thing, you know. I’m sure they don’t hold it against you.”

Talyn grinned at his half-hearted glare, but she stepped outside as well, taking a deep breath, then replied. “It isn’t a big deal. It was interesting to see how many different types of quests there were. I’m a little surprised that there were all sorts of herbalism quests, but nothing really for finding particular types of wood.”

“That’s because there isn’t much need for that sort of quest. Sure, you can find rare wood around here, but it’s nothing compared to what you can find in the dungeon in Castra. If you’ve got a limited, local supply, or a nigh-unlimited, cheaper supply from the dungeon…” Gordon said, shrugging. “I mean, that’s not why we’re heading to Castra, but it’s helpful. The dungeon is perfect for gaining experience in combat-oriented classes.”

Talyn paused, then asked. “You mentioned Castra once before… what’s it like? And a dungeon?”

“What’s Castra like… that’s a great question, since none of us have been there before. We can only tell you what we’ve heard.” Reagan said, his gaze growing slightly distant as they walked down the street, heading toward one of the inns, lights from within illuminating it clearly. “It’s supposed to be one of the largest cities in the known world, and one of the wealthiest as well. All of that’s because of the dungeon… a pocket dimension where treasures, forests, oceans, and dungeons seemly are created from nothing. Of course, you also have to survive to take them, but it’s an incredible resource. Plus, the power is at least partly dependent on how far you are inside the dungeon, which is what lets people level so easily.”

“Huh. That does sound interesting.” Talyn said, slowing down slightly as she thought about the idea. It was oddly appealing in some ways, but after a moment she chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t suppose it’s something that someone without a class can survive, is it?”

“We don’t know.” Gordon said, shrugging. “That said, we do know that some people go in with their basic class, so you might be able to manage it. If nothing else, you’d definitely be able to find training there. Better there than here, since beasties in this area tend to be mid-teens when it comes to levels. I think the Guildmaster would prefer you were somewhere like that, too. I don’t think he cares for jumpers.”

“Gordon!” Aslith exclaimed, glaring at the big man.

“What? It’s true, isn’t it?” Gordon retorted. “We said we were thinking about offering her escort to Castra, and he liked the idea. We didn’t say anything about not telling her about it.”

Talyn couldn’t help a slight sense of disappointment at the brief explanation, but she quickly smothered it. It wasn’t like… well, the group did owe her something, but they’d already repaid her in a lot of ways, and she’d already been vaguely tempted to go to Castra. The additional information also made her certain she didn’t trust the Guildmaster, and didn’t want to train in Woodriver. She’d have to think about what she wanted to do.

While she was thinking, the others were bickering a bit, but it really came down to them not appreciating Gordon not discussing it with them beforehand, not that any of them outright objected to telling Talyn. While they were talking, Melody laid a hand on Talyn’s shoulder, but didn’t say anything. Talyn wasn’t entirely sure why, but she took a moment to gather her thoughts, then decided to interject.

“Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to take you up on it, but it does make me inclined to leave Woodriver sooner rather than later.” Talyn said calmly. “If he doesn’t trust me, it certainly wouldn’t make me comfortable living here on my own. Even with Melody to try to keep me out of trouble, and I’m not sure how much she can really do.”

“I’d do my best, but it isn’t like you’re biddable.” Melody agreed, a smile flitting across her lips. “We can discuss it later, I think. Or you can think on it. This is your life, Talyn, I’m mostly along for the ride.”

“That seems perfectly reasonable. Unfortunately, you’re not going to have a lot of time to make a decision.” Reagan said slowly, frowning as he looked at the others, then admitted. “We were planning to leave tomorrow. Probably a little later than normal, but still well before noon.”

“Um, well, I’ll figure it out. If nothing else, I imagine that it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out where Castra is?” Talyn asked, her thoughts racing. That didn’t give her nearly as much time as she’d like to think things over.

“Not hard at all, though I’d recommend not trying to make the trip on your own. There are some nasty creatures that sometimes decide that travelers make great snacks, or worse, bandits.” Gordon cautioned. “Most of the beasties may not be much above level ten, but at your level they could be brutal.”

“I’d say to find a merchant caravan to join, since they’ll have guards. Might take a silver to pay for it, in that case.” Aslith added, frowning a little. She paused before adding, a trace unhappily. “This isn’t the sort of area I’d really recommend for anyone starting out. Not without higher-level people to keep you company, like the children growing up around here have.”

“That’s good to know. I wouldn’t have thought about it if you hadn’t said something.” Talyn admitted, but since they were about to enter the inn, she quickly finished. “I’ll think about it, and try to be up early. I’m not sure how well I’m going to sleep, so I can’t guarantee anything.”

“Heh, that’s understandable. I can’t imagine what your day’s been like.” Gordon agreed, opening the door.

Talyn stepped in just after Elda, but before Aslith or Reagan, and she nearly stopped. Only Melody pushing her out of the way was enough to keep her from staring more, particularly at the imposing Level 95 Gem Lithicar with skin that glittered like burnished rose quartz just inside. He was about seven feet tall and strongly built, though the white tunic, brown trousers, and a pair of suspenders made him look a little less startling to her. He looked at them and smiled, his eyes almost like pieces of green jade.

“Welcome to Diamond in the Rough, how may I help you?” the innkeeper asked, his voice a deep bass.

The appearance of the inn itself was almost a side note to Talyn, but after a few seconds she was able to take in the inn itself, which startled her. The floors were of solid stone, she couldn’t identify it but it was gray and polished to a mirror sheen, with a few rugs here and there. Whitewashed walls were pierced by narrow windows, themselves filled with glass, and strange sconces of white crystal shed a gentle light through the room. While the tables in the dining area weren’t fancy, they were immaculately clean and polished, with chairs of matching quality. The building was the cleanest, fanciest place that Talyn had seen so far, including the temple. It was shocking to her, since the exterior had stuck her as nice and well-constructed, but nothing like this. As she watched, a human waiter came out of the back with a tray of food that looked more like what she’d have expected from a roadside inn, calming her down a little. It had stew, slices of bread, and narrow wedges of cheese on earthenware dishes, and mugs that she assumed were filled with water or some form of alcohol.

“Talyn?” Melody interrupted, and Talyn jerked her attention away from examining the room, only to find everyone looking at her. The innkeeper politely, and most of the others looked amused.

“Um, sorry, I was just looking at the room… what was that?” Talyn asked, flushing a little. She should’ve known better than to get distracted.

“We weren’t sure if you needed lodging and meals for both you and Melody or just yourself.” Gordon explained, shrugging. “None of us have dealt with guardian spirits much, let alone one as intelligent as Melody.”

“Oh.” Talyn said, her thoughts racing, then she looked at the goddess. “Well? What do you want?”

“While I’d like to eat and take a bath, it really isn’t necessary. You could always banish me and summon me back, which would solve the soiling, and I don’t need to eat. I don’t see a reason for me to take a room, though.” Melody said, her voice thoughtful. “It’d be simple to summon me again in the morning. It’s up to you, though. You have limited funds, and I don’t want to impose too much.”

Talyn relaxed a little, nodding as she thought, then made a decision, speaking slowly. “True… but dinner and a bath is what, two copper?”

“That is correct, young lady.” The innkeeper confirmed.

“In that case, let’s get dinner and a bath for both of us, and a room for me.” Talyn said after a moment, smiling as she added. “No need to start scrimping and saving just yet.”

“Very good. In that case, it will be six coppers from you, and fourteen for the rest of you.” The innkeeper rumbled. Talyn nodded and pulled out the coins she needed while the others handed over their own.

In short order they were given room keys, all of which were on the second floor. Talyn was amused to note that the others had taken rooms for two people each, and had split up so that men and women were separated. She wasn’t sure whether any of them were involved with each other, and it wasn’t any of her business.

Talyn made her way up to her room and slipped inside, pausing as she looked around, a little surprised. Oh, it was tiny, barely larger than the cells which the others had been imprisoned in, but it had a window, a bed, and a nightstand with a pitcher, bowl, and a candlestick on it, as well as a washcloth. It was also as perfectly clean and polished as the dining room below. Talyn laughed softly, slipping off her pack as she glanced back at Melody, who was her constant shadow.

“Not what I expected, if I’m being honest. Do you think all of this is a side effect of the owner being so high level? I mean, nothing else I’ve seen has been this clean.” Talyn said, setting her backpack down on the floor. It looked incredibly out of place there, like it was too dingy for the room around it. It also was pretty much everything Talyn owned, which was vaguely depressing.

“Most likely, yes.” Melody agreed, smiling at Talyn as the goddess closed the door behind them, plunging the room into shadows. Not that it really impacted either of them, with their eyesight. “What do you think you’re going to do?”

“I… don’t know. I mean, I could take them up on their offer. It’d be safer… but part of me chafes at the thought. Why does the Guildmaster not want me here? Why does he want me to go there? It bothers me.” Talyn admitted, letting out a faint sigh as she paused, then shook her head. “Part of me wants to go on my own, despite the warnings. That would be stupid, though. What do you think?”

“I think that it would be stupid, but it’s your prerogative to do whatever you like in this life. That’s the nature of the offer you were made, Talyn.” Melody replied, leaning against the door and crossing her arms in front of her. “I regret that I appear to not have prepared you as well as I might have. I should have done more, and for that you have my deepest apologies.”

“Pfft. I may have been surprised and annoyed earlier, but… but you know what? I don’t think there’s anything that you could have told me, even if we’d spent days or weeks going over everything. Nothing could have prepared me for the reality of this.” Talyn said, going through her clothing, and felt faintly sour when she realized the clothing she was wearing was everything she had. That wasn’t a pleasant thought, and she rubbed her face, gesturing at the pack as she added. “Hell, some of the things are simple. I have exactly one change of clothing, that’s it. How could you have known to warn me about something so simple?”

“Mm. You may have a point, but I still feel like I could have handled it better. Though perhaps there was a reason for me not to… and maybe your comments about there being a catch weren’t entirely wrong.” Melody said, smiling wryly. “In any case, shall we? The baths have likely been drawn by this point, and the food smelled good.”

“I’m surprised you can smell anything after going through the swamp. My nose is still refusing to work.” Talyn said, letting out a sigh. She glanced at the gleaming pendant and the robe she’d acquired from the cult, then shook her head. She’d have to figure out what they did later. Maybe the next day, depending on what she decided to do.

Melody just laughed, grinning and opening the door. Talyn followed her out, pulling out the key to lock the door. She just hoped no one slipped into her room while she was out. Even if she didn’t have much, she didn’t want to lose it.