You think for a moment, honestly you don't need any of these items… "I'll just take the Amrita," you say say after thinking for a moment. "Maya, since you can only use one accessory, why don't you trade Sera the Warg cloak? She's the only one who doesn't have a better defensive item yet."
Maya thinks it over for a moment, "I guess that's not a problem, I did much better today than I expected anyway. Seraphine, are the boots and cloak fine for you?"
"Um… yes, I can only wear one though…" Seraphine responds.
"You can switch, since the boots are only good if you're in an underground dungeon right now, you can wear the cloak any time we're above ground," you cut in.
Seraphine stares at you for a moment and nods, "T-thank you, Mister Al… I didn't think of that."
The four of you set off for town once the loot is divided up, you're feeling pretty good about today. Even if you're kinda worried about your reception at home when you get back to town… Ah, maybe you could bring Seraphine along, Uncle and Mom always got on you for not having enough friends, so showing that you made one today might work, right?
"Hey, Sera, do you wanna come home with me tonight?" You ask.
Idle conversation cuts off, Anshelm looks to have almost tripped due to how quickly he turned to look at you, and Maya is working herself up into those creepy giggles again.Seraphine's reaction is weird though, she suddenly went all red in the face and froze up staring at you.
"Ufufu… so bold Al, I didn't think you had it in you," Maya manages to say between giggles.
"What?" You respond blankly, not getting why it's such a big deal, "We'd be going to the Inn afterword anyway, I just wanted some company while I chat with my family, they're probably kinda grumpy since I left without saying anything this morning."
Maya frowns and shakes her head, "Al, be more careful how you say things then."
You glance over at Seraphine whose gone back to more normal coloring, and looks a weird mix between disappointed and relieved…. People are weird sometimes. "I… um… I wouldn't mind I suppose."
"Great," You reply cheerfully, "You're a life saver Sera."
Your group lapses into more normal chatting, until you reach the city near sunfall, it's a good thing you didn't take much longer or you might have been caught outside… you're pretty tough, but that would probably be hard to live through.
Unfortunately as you begin heading up the street to the Inn, you run into someone who apparently recognizes… someone in your group going by the purposeful way they walk up to you.
Cyrille
Paladin C
22
It's easy enough to see he has his eye on Seraphine, you take a moment to study the guy as he approaches. Blond hair, square jaw… looks like the cover of one of those trashy romance novels, real nice shiny silver plate armor though, and way taller than any of you… something that seems to have Anshelm drawing himself up as it becomes clear to the others that he's looking at your group.
You glance over at Seraphine, she's looking kinda resigned. Sir shinypants speaks up once he's within a few steps of your group. "Miss Seraphine, please do not tell me you spent the day outside with… these," you bristle at his dismissive tone, and so does Anshelm. Maya is just regarding him with narrowed eyes though… she isn't smiling though.
"I did just that." Seraphine speaks up, cutting into the awkward silence. "We were very successful today. I-I told you, and I told Father that I could do this on my own," huh, Sera was almost assertive there, even if she stumbled once or twice.
"There is no reason for you to put yourself in danger going out with others of such low level, Miss Seraphine. I am perfectly capable of letting you accrue experience on in-town missions. Please do not be stubborn about this. Your Father wishes only for your safety," Asshole the knight tries, putting on a more conciliatory tone. Condescending jerk.
"I-I refuse. You are dismissed Cyrille. I can do this on my own." Seraphine repeats stubbornly, "I'll tell father that myself if I have to. I am branded, it is my duty just as much as any other to see dungeons cleared."
"Yeah Sera is pretty good at this, we took out two bonus bosses today," You cut in, drawing a look of disdain from the Paladin.
"My, someone is mad their easy paycheck escaped, how terrible for you," Maya adds, not sounding sorry at all. What does she mean… wait, this guy must have been hired by Sera's folks to keep her from doing anything risky…
"This is no business of yours," He responds curtly, "If you truly mean that Miss Seraphine, you will have to inform your father yourself. I will not abandon a contract without word from my primary employer. I will simply have to keep a closer eye on you otherwise."
You scowl at the tall man and step closer to Sera's side, what an asshole. Seraphine speaks up again, after glancing over at you. "I-if I have to I have to. I will go with you if only for that," Seraphine turns to look at you while Cyrille blinks in surprise, he clearly wasn't expecting her to be cool with confronting her dad. "Mister Al, I'm sorry but I have some personal business to take care of. I will have to take up your invitation another night," She pauses, fidgeting slightly, as she nods to Maya and Anshelm as well, "Miss Maya, Mister Anshelm. Today was very nice. Thank you for your help. I hope we can group again sometime."
By now Cyrille has recovered his composure… which he is mostly using to give the three of you the stink eye, "Very well Miss Seraphine, I am sure your Father will talk you out of this foolishness. Shall we go then?"
"We shall," Seraphine bobs her head in a slight bow to all of you, "Farewell everyone. Thank you again."
"Yeah, I'll see you later Sera," you kinda enjoy the way the Paladin's eyebrow twitches every time you call her that.
Maya and Anshelm say their goodbyes as well and you watch Seraphine leave with Sir shinypants. "What an ass," You say flatly when they are out of hearing.
"Tch who does he think he is looking down on us," Anshelm grumbles in agreement, "Let me get a week or two of leveling in, and I'd show that guy."
"Now, now boys," Maya responds cheerfully, her normal smile back in place, "No reason to carry on, Seraphine looks like she knew what she was doing… my I suppose beating two tough enemies like that must have given her quite a confidence boost. Good thing, right Al?"
"Hmm… yeah, right," you say absently. Wait, crap, now you have to go face the music alone!
Maya pats you on the shoulder, as if she can tell what you're thinking. "Some things are best faced on your own Al, don't tell me you can't even match Seraphine's confidence."
"Of course I can," you grumble. Your group splits again after that. With Maya and Anshelm heading to the merchant quarter so Anshelm can offload his starter gear, no reason to hold on to that after all, and you heading off to home.
It's quite a walk, but it goes a lot faster than it did this morning, with how much your endurance has been improved. You are soon among the twisty streets of the arcane district again. Finding your way home is second nature, even if you find yourself hesitating at the door of the small house wedged into the space between a pair of alchemical labs, you easily ignore the weird way space goes bendy in the alleyways on either side, and knock on the door.
It takes a few minutes, but soon enough you can hear Uncle's shuffling gait approaching. The door opens, revealing your Uncle in all his crusty glory. He's only a little taller than you, and half bald already, though you aren't sure that's because of a chemical burn on his scalp or age. He looks down at you with his one good eye, and it takes a moment for recognition to dawn. You guess you do look pretty different from when you left.
You are about to greet him when you are cut off by a sudden pain in your foot… did he… did he just jab his cane into your toes! "Ow… what the hell Uncle!" You yell, stepping back before he can do it again. "I know I left without saying anything, but you don't gotta be a jerk!"
"Of course I have to, you worried your Mother and I sick, you careless girl," He grumbles, he turns around awkwardly, shuffling on his cheap wooden prosthetic to make room for you to enter. "Come on in then, since you've deigned to come home."
You enter your narrow home grumbling honestly, it was more the surprise than anything else that made you react like that, Uncle's little jabs don't really hurt anymore. You glance around, no sign of Mom in the little front room that makes up most of your home. "Don't know what the big deal is, you knew where I was going, and Mom isn't even here."
"She took the morning off, she's working late to make up for it," He grunts and your face falls a little. Oh… well crap. "She left you a note on the table. Give it a read, then talk to me, my soup's getting cold."
Uncle shuffles off to the kitchen and you head to the table, where a small parchment note sits on top of a little wooden box. You glance curiously at the container and unfold the note to read.
Alice,
I should have known you wouldn't be able to wait. I wish you had, but I understand, there is so much about dungeons and the branded we don't understand… and this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn. Knowledge unshared is knowledge soon lost though… so try to come home sometimes and tell us about everything. I know you'll do well. Just don't rush off alone! I managed to pull some strings at the lab and buy you one of the early copies of a new skill crystal that's been in the works. Consider it an apology for missed birthdays… but you don't really need tuition for the academy anymore do you? Either way, use it well.
Love, Mom.
Hmph… maybe can try to stop in now and then. You guess it can't hurt. You reach down to open up the box and see just what she got you, probably….
Divine Eye
The Combination of all Scan Skills. At lowest level allows the user to see the health, SP, and Level of Enemies, as well as additional dungeon information and the value of [common] items.
Oh, oh.... This is expensive, like four or five more zeroes than you have in your pocket expensive. You guess that makes sense if she blew her savings on this. You gingerly reach out and activate the Skill crystal. It flares and disappears and you feel the new skill being equipped to your remaining passive slot.
You don't have any enemies to look at, so you glance over your dungeon list… looks like only two lines added for now. The number of rooms in each dungeon and the minimum recommended party size. Looks like you went pretty overkill on the Glade.
You slide into a chair and spend some time telling Uncle about your day. Stupid grumpy old man only barely praises you though, and even then it's mostly for not rushing off alone like he half expected you too. You manage to pull a good job by the end though, so you'll call that a win.
Eventually you return to the Inn to eat dinner and rest, the food is surprisingly good at the Goblin, and it only costs five gilder for the night. Apparently as long as you pay for the day you can leave your stuff in the room and it will keep… only up to ten items though, some weird mystic mechanic of the Inn's rank.
So What to do today?
[]Do some shopping?yes/no
Well regardless of any shopping, do you want to
[]Do some missions today
[]More Dungeons!
-[]Seek out your old group
-[]Try to get with some new people
-[]Do a little of both,(Specify which already known members you want)
-[]Nah you can totally Solo a dungeon now, you're level 2!
((Kind of an intermediate update, I'll probably do the next one pretty quick to let you actually select items and/or new party members))