Courier quest 2 internat.., p.41
Courier Quest 2: International, page 41
“Why don’t you do the Dexterity skill selection,” the demonkin suggested, looking up at him. “That should help wake me up, and I’ll probably be ready to go afterwards.”
“Sure,” he agreed with a smile. “Quest Master, one point to Dexterity and the skill selection, please.”
[[Stat increase complete. Dexterity is now 5. You have no more banked points remaining.
As requested, here are the options you can choose from for your…
Stat skill selection!
You get to choose a Dexterity-themed skill! It’s a general selection again, and you have two choices.
Option One: Better Balance.
The amount of training you have put into your footwork has really paid off. You’re not going to become some great warrior any time soon, but the way you move and stand allows you to keep yourself upright even when there’s a stiff breeze. In any situation where you need it, your balance is slightly improved.
Familiar Option: Rock Steady Artisan.
This one not only comes from Clay, but from your own experiences. A double whammy, if you will.
You have seen experts and monsters alike mold stone into different shapes of wonderful art. Some of this skill and passion has rubbed off on you. When crafting with rock or stone, treat your Dexterity as if it were 3 points higher.
Take your time, and choose wisely.]]
“I’ve got two this time,” Trevor said, reading over the list again. “Yeah, this one is definitely coming from my time with Drelik watching him carve the Floatstone.”
Adabelle reached up and tapped his forehead. “Come now, you can’t say things like that without telling me what you were offered.”
“Yeah, I suppose not,” he agreed, running his fingers through her hair between her horns. “I have two options. The first one is called Better Balance, and I’m assuming you already know about it.”
The demonkin cradled Mr. Tiggles to her chest as she sat up. She scooted closer to Trevor, her tail wrapping around his back as she nodded. “Yes. I actually chose it as one of my early Dexterity skills. Generally, unless someone is actively trying to unbalance you, whether it’s just to make you stumble or put you on the ground, you’ll never fall over.”
“Oh, so when you leaned into me so hard on the beach that we ended up in the sand, that was Better Balance at work?” he teased.
“That was… completely different,” she said, sticking her nose in the air haughtily. “I wanted you on the ground, so that’s where you went. My balance had nothing to do with it.”
“Okay, I believe you,” he replied, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She ducked away before planting one on his forehead, and she put on a victorious smile. He mischievously arched an eyebrow at her. “Oh, you want to play, lady?”
The sound of a crash behind them made them cringe. “I can fix that!” Rashie exclaimed.
“Why don’t you take Clay and play outside,” Adabelle suggested.
“Okay!” the shark girl replied, and she started running out of the front door. It had been left open to let in the cool air since it was such a nice day out. Perfect for riding.
Clay was quick to follow. To the surprise of both adults, Mr. Tiggles stretched and got up, also heading outside.
“Get rid of the kids. Good call,” Trevor said.
Giggling, Adabelle playfully tapped him on his chest with the back of her fist. “No. Down, son of Ander.”
“Alright, alright,” he replied, sighing dramatically. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he turned his attention back to the floating text box. “The other one is Rock Steady Artisan. It’s labeled as a familiar option but the way it’s worded makes me think I could have gotten a lesser version on my own.”
“That must be why I haven’t heard of it, then,” she said. “Could you read it aloud to me?”
“Sure thing,” he answered, and then did as she requested.
Adabelle tapped her lips with a finger as she thought it over. “As much fun as you would probably have making sculptures like Drelik does, I would feel better if you went down the route of Better Balance.”
“You’d feel better?” he asked.
She gave him an apologetic smile. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you are…”
When she had trouble finding the words, he gave her an exasperated smile. “A significantly less capable fighter than everyone else?”
“I wouldn’t say significantly,” Adabelle protested, as if she might have hurt his feelings.
“You should. I would,” he replied, barking a laugh. “Lady, there’s no way that I’m going to be handy in a usual fight. You’ve tried to train me in swordplay, and I had basically no instincts for combat whatsoever. That’s why I picked up a mace for those times when the going might get tough, and why my first plan of action is to run away.”
“I know, it’s just that you have so many plans for seeing the world,” Adabelle said, turning so that she was sitting on one leg as she faced him. “We’re not going to be able to go with you every time.”
“And now I have Clay, and they can handle things like a tegrunaman with ease,” he returned.
“A tegrunaman is not a monster no matter what it looks like, and it certainly isn’t something like a bandit or another Summoned,” she countered. “Clay may be strong but we don’t know how they’ll stack up in all situations.”
“That’s what my bulwarks are for,” Trevor said. “Helping me get out of sticky situations, or at least give Clay enough time to get into a combat form.”
“Yes, you are capable of having a plethora of tricks up your sleeve. More than a simple courier would, really,” she admitted with a sigh. “But I know the path that Better Balance will lead you down, and I would feel better knowing that you were on it.”
“I will be fine,” he stated in a firm yet gentle tone, putting a hand against her cheek. She looked like she was going to argue, but leaned into his touch instead. “I know you worry about me. And that’s okay, I worry about you, too. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to end up in trouble out there in the real world.”
“I can’t help it,” she said. “I’ve taken a liking to you.”
“And I have with you,” Trevor replied, leaning forward to kiss her. She reciprocated, and once finished he placed his forehead against hers. “Quest Master, Better Balance, please.”
[[You have gained the Dexterity skill Better Balance. Now, whenever you stumble, there’s a much smaller chance that you’ll fall. Which isn’t as funny, but you do you.]]
“After all that, you’re picking the skill I suggested?” Adabelle asked, biting her lip nervously as she searched his face. “You could have taken Rock Steady Artisan, if that’s what you wanted.”
“I know,” he replied with a smile. “But that kind of feels like cheating, honestly. Like, if I’m going to get good at sculpting or carving or whatever, I’d like to do it on my own merit and not let it be system assisted. Learn the old-fashioned way.”
The noblewoman smiled. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“Good. And you need to lighten up a bit,” Trevor said, kissing her nose. “I’m going to be fine. Even if I don’t have an escort, or a plus one, Clay is more than enough to take care of me. They’re a lot stronger than you might think.”
“Perhaps,” Adabelle allowed. She glanced at the clock, checking the time. “Will I need to go get Austin? Or a wagon?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I have the Fire Roses in my inventory to present to the Queen of the Feywood and Clay is fine with us riding double. Their saddle is actually really comfortable. Well, with a blanket. Are you feeling ready to go?”
“I am,” she said, standing up and smoothing her riding skirts. “It’s a shame Wayne couldn’t be around to say goodbye.”
“He was,” Trevor chuckled, standing up with her. “You were too asleep to give him more than a wave.”
“Ah, that would do it, then.”
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand. They started walking towards the front door. “Let’s go mark another country off of my list.”
Chapter Fifty: The Lost Woods Effect
Clay’s appearance was strange as they trotted through the forest north of Tosa. They were in their wracor form with their extraordinary attention to detail on full display. Their scales were immaculate, the tack moved like it wasn’t made out of rock, and the only thing that made it obvious they were something else was the mismatched coloration of different kinds of stone and the two small sapphires they used for eyes.
That, and they were slightly longer than usual in order to accommodate two riders.
The large stone saddle had the blanket over it, and both Trevor and Adabelle were seated comfortably. She had her arms wrapped around his waist, and leaned against him. There was no discomfort in Clay’s bond, though they did feel pride in being able to do this for them.
It almost mirrored the feeling Trevor felt whenever someone realized they were about to get a delivery. He thought back to King Eskretet when he received the portrait of his castle, and how he had the same joy on his face that Gulta, the kobold innkeeper, had worn on hers when she received her daughter’s dress. They were on completely opposite ends of the social spectrum, but had the same reaction.
Whether Clay felt this because they enjoyed carrying people or simply because they were doing their job well didn’t really matter, Trevor was just glad that his familiar seemed to find happiness in it.
The path they traveled was flanked by a dense forest. Every now and then the courier could pick out Firesap trees scattered around, their red bark making them easy to find. They required a specialized axe to cut down, and a gout of flames exploded outwards towards whoever tried to chop them without one.
Adabelle squeezed him around his waist, and he turned his head to look at her. “How are you doing back there?”
“I’m doing just fine,” she replied, smiling as their eyes met. “Marveling at how good of a job Clay is doing. I haven’t had a ride as easy as this one since, well, ever, I don’t think.”
The earth elemental raised and lowered their head, nodding in agreement.
“They really are great at everything they put their mind to,” Trevor praised, reaching out to pat his familiar on the neck like he would a normal wracor. “Except swim, but there’s shapes for that, like boats.”
“Or you could buy them some pumice,” Adabelle suggested. “That way, they could just float.”
“Pumice!” the courier exclaimed. “I forgot about pumice! That would be perfect for Clay when we go on more boat rides. I wonder if Klar could get us some or if we need to go out and find it ourselves. Maybe get you some obsidian at the same time. That stuff is pretty cool.”
“Considering how many uses it has, I’m sure you could order it through Thimbleden if you so desired,” she said, smiling at his enthusiasm. “Though, if you’d like to ask Klarkartar, you could always check in with him at the ball.”
“He’s going to be there?” Trevor asked, excited. “That’s awesome, I’ve missed the big guy. How do you know?”
“I received a short list of invitations as part of my duties as Tosa’s mayor,” she answered smugly. “As someone the queen trusted, it used to be Jackson’s job to vet certain countries and cities that surround the Feywood in order to prevent some diplomatic incidents, and now it falls to me. Lailah and Griffin are going to be there representing Eskretet’s adventurer’s guild.”
Trevor smiled at the news. Lailah had been a big help whenever he needed to go to Eskretet and was a big fan of him and Adabelle as a couple. The Scottish elf had a lot of big sister energy to her, which meant she was fond of teasing him, but that had become endearing, if a little annoying sometimes.
Griffin, however, was the complete opposite. The soft-spoken, three-tailed kitsune was someone he had only met once, and that was brief. She had been able to hide in plain sight despite wearing shining metal armor like a knight. The only reason Trevor had seen her in their first meeting was because Lailah had broken whatever spell or illusion she had up that kept him from noticing her presence. He was looking forward to speaking with her in a more relaxed setting.
“That’s pretty cool, lady,” he said. “I’m kind of surprised that Griffin would leave the king’s side, though.”
“It’s not as though she’s his only guard, and she gets time off as well,” Adabelle giggled, watching as her boyfriend nodded as if to say that made sense as he returned his eyes to the road. “She deserves to spend time with her wife, anyway.”
“Yeah, she definitely—” Trevor arched an eyebrow as he stopped talking, and his head swiveled to get a better look at her. “Did you just say wife?”
“I didn’t think that would be something you had an issue with,” the noblewoman said.
“No, I don’t have an issue with it. I’m just surprised that Griffin’s married. She had the aura of someone who gets way too into her job when I met her, I guess.”
“She is, but she’s also been married to Lailah for about seven years now, I believe,” Adabelle said, looking up in thought. “It was certainly before I arrived here.”
“Lailah’s married? How is this the first time I’ve heard of it?” Trevor asked, more surprised by this revelation than the last. The mayor let out a small noise, as if she had caught herself saying something that should have been a secret, and he sighed. “It didn’t come up back when we first met in Eskretet, and Lailah wanted to catch me off guard with it, didn’t she?”
“No, we just… forgot to tell you,” the demonkin bluffed, looking away with a slight smile on her face. She knew she had been caught.
“Uh huh. Real believable,” he snorted.
“Take a left up here, Clay, followed by three more rights at the forks,” Adabelle instructed, getting another nod from the earth elemental. She pulled Trevor back into her, resting her chin on his shoulder, and kissed his cheek. “Okay, yes. I had forgotten about it, but she definitely wanted to see your shocked face. Would you consider acting surprised when, or even if, she springs it on you?”
“Maybe, I’ll have to see how I’m feeling at the time,” he answered playfully. “Keeping something like this from me. As if you weren’t also looking forward to seeing my shocked face.”
“Maybe a little,” she admitted mischievously. “Can you blame me? I really thought the look on your face would be cute.”
“Oh, well, if it’s because you think I’ll look cute, then that changes everything,” he said, scratching the back of his head.
“Really?” she asked, hopeful.
“No,” he answered immediately. She pouted, and he laughed. “Yes, it’s fine. I’ll try to act surprised, but I’ve never been the greatest actor. Maybe I’ll just be unimpressed. Lailah expected some great reaction out of me, and I’ll be over it with a shrug.”
“Whatever you decide, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Adabelle said, squeezing him gently for a moment. She perked up when the familiar started to turn. “Oh, sorry Clay. Second right, then two rights back-to-back. That should put us on the fastest route there.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” Trevor started, looking around. The forest was starting to become misty, though the road remained clear. “Could you tell me a bit about the Feywood? You mentioned that it could either be a couple hours from Tosa to their capital, or a few weeks depending on which paths you take.”
The noblewoman nodded. “That’s right. I’ve heard it called the Lost Woods Effect before,” she told him, only to have him snicker. With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know that’s a video game thing.”
“Sorry. It’s just, since you’ve said that, I now know exactly what this place is like,” he said with a smile. “So, you have to go down the right path otherwise you get lost. Something tells me it isn’t nice enough to send people back to the entrance, though.”
“Not as such, no,” she confirmed. “The path comes as part of the invitations, though I’ve got it memorized now from all the times I came here with Jackson. Landmarks, at least. Sorry again, Clay, for almost sending you down the wrong path.”
The earth elemental nodded again, and Trevor translated. “Clay says it’s all good. What happens to people who end up wandering?”
“It really depends,” she answered. “There are fey that roam the forest, and most of them are generally ambivalent towards outsiders. Most will be sent back where they came from, receiving any aid they need first. Things weren’t always so peaceful, but Jackson brokered a treaty between Lucent and the Feywood shortly after the revolution.”
“I assume the previous rulers of the country angered the fey somehow?” Trevor guessed.
Adabelle nodded. “Extensive logging operations that cut into their territory for the magical trees,” she explained, gesturing towards something in the forest.
Turning his head in that direction, Trevor immediately picked out what she was pointing towards. Not far from the trail was a tree with blue bark so dark that it was almost black. The thick branches were lined with lighter blue light, leading to white, red, and yellow glowing leaves. Only those below the canopy were illuminated; those that the sun touched were dull and gray.
“Everyone is forbidden from cutting them down,” she continued, noting his expression with a smile. “Now, I mean. There’s a whole section of the forest near Eskretet that is still recovering from the damage done by the tyrants that came before our current system. Once they were deposed, all operations ceased immediately and Jackson was able to talk the fey into a tentative peace. The contract still goes on today, but there’s not much animosity between us anymore.”
“That’s good. I’d hate to see what a war with the fey would look like,” Trevor said, thinking back to all the mischief Denden and Merckle had gotten up to. They had just been bored kids, but they still caused Tosa a lot of trouble before he managed to scare them off with the threat of Rashie.
“It wouldn’t have been pretty,” she replied with a thin smile. “Out of the many countries Lucent used to be enemies with, I’d be the most worried about the Feywood. Some of the inhabitants here are as strong as seasoned Summoned.”
