Book 6: Chapter 1: Reciprocal

Book 6: Chapter 1: Reciprocal

Miguel let out a long sigh as Ironshore came into view. It was still miles away, but the sight definitely elicited a wave of relief. The city wasn’t as large or developed as Easton had been. Nor had he lived there for as long. But even so, it felt like home in a way he hadn’t experienced since his mother had died. His eyes flicked to the west, where he saw the island. Surrounded by ethereal fog, the details of its landscape were hidden, but he could practically feel the grove within.

And more importantly, a sense of anticipation came alongside the proximity to his ultimate destination, all because of a skill he’d received at level twenty:

Pledge of the Green Warden

Pledge yourself to a grove. When you do so, you will gain power in relation to the grove’s strength. If it falls, so too shall you fall.

He’d gained an additional level on the way back from Norcastle, but it was difficult to get excited about a few extra attribute points when what felt like his class’s defining skill had yet to be realized. Now that he was so close to his uncle’s grove, Miguel’s anticipation had reached new heights.

“So, this is where they build monsters,” came Meredith’s rough voice from where she was sitting atop one of the wagons in the caravan. “Doesn’t look all that impressive.”

Miguel glanced back at the older woman. She was just as grizzled as ever, with her gray-streaked brown hair tied back in a tail. Along the way back from Norcastle, she’d picked up a few scrapes, just like everyone else, but none were serious. Not surprising, considering that she was the highest-level guard in the caravan.

“What do you mean?” he asked, slowing a little to walk beside the wagon. As he did so, he kept his eyes trained on the wilderness on his side of the trail. An attack wasn’t likely so close to Ironshore, but it wouldn’t have been unheard-of, either. And Miguel knew the cost of letting his attention lapse.

“Monsters like you, kid,” she said with a chuckle. “Shame you won’t go delving with me. You still won’t reconsider?”

Miguel shook his head. “I’m not saying that I won’t go,” he lied. He didn’t intend to run a tower with the woman, no matter what she offered. The fact was that there was something about her he didn’t altogether trust. Maybe it was that she was alone. There was something to be said for survival, but when you’re the last member of your group left alive, it raised a few questions. Plus, he didn’t like the way she looked at him – a mixture of anticipation, eagerness, and predation. He’d seen similar expressions on other faces, but it still put him on edge. “I’m just saying that I need to check in with my mentor.”

“And your mom.”

Miguel shrugged. “She deserves a say.”

“You want my advice, kid?” Meredith asked, though Miguel knew it was a rhetorical question. Predictably, the woman went on before Miguel had a chance to answer. “Be your own man. Nobody likes a momma’s boy. You’ve got some power right now, but it won’t ever amount to anything if you keep asking for permission.”

Miguel didn’t respond, though he very much wanted to. If he’d been on the fence about whether or not to join Meredith’s team, that comment would have pushed him into a firmly negative position. He refused to be derided because he loved his mother and respected her opinion.

Besides, as much as he wanted to think of himself as an adult – by multi-versal standards, he was – he knew, at least in the back of his mind, that he was still barely a teenager. And the notion of going it completely alone was daunting in a way he didn’t want to consider.

“I’ll keep your advice in mind,” he said tersely, then pushed forward a little. Meredith knew she’d overstepped, and she tried to get his attention to apologize – in her laconic sort of way. However, Miguel simply ignored her and focused on the task at hand. Soon enough, the wagon train dipped below the tree line and made its way through the surrounding forest.

The local wilderness wasn’t particularly dangerous – not with how thorough the hunters were in culling powerful beasts. Yet, every now and again, something strong would slip through the cracks, and now that they were so close to their destination, Miguel refused to let his guard down.

In the end, his diligence was unnecessary, and after an additional day’s worth of travel, they reached the gate. It was an impressive thing, nearly thirty feet tall and built right into the wall surrounding the city. More, Miguel was familiar enough with crafting and enchantment to recognize that it was more than a mere physical barrier. From a structural standpoint, the wall was far sturdier than even its stone construction would suggest, and it had a variety of enchantments meant to dissuade any potential invaders.

After the orcish invasion, the people of Ironshore refused to be caught off-guard again. In the years since that battle, they’d worked tirelessly to prepare themselves to repel any intruders, and all of that effort had borne impressive results.

That was clear when Meredith let out a gasp from where she sat atop the wagon. “These people don’t mess around,” she said almost under her breath. Miguel felt a bit of satisfaction at the grizzled woman’s response.

Perhaps she wasn’t quite as worldly as she put on.

After checking in with the two guards at the gate, the caravan progressed into the town and made its way to the warehouse belonging to the merchant guild that had financed the whole thing. It was partially paid for by the city itself, but Ironshore’s treasury was insufficient to pay for everything. So, they’d turned to private interests, of which there were plenty of takers.

Not that Miguel cared overmuch about that. He only wanted to collect his pay, then leave the wagons behind. The experience had been interesting, and he’d gained a few levels along the way, but he was eager to reunite with his mother.

And to finally use his class’s defining skill.

So, after being given a pouch of ethereum, Miguel headed to his mother’s forge. Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t there, so he traveled a couple of blocks to the site dedicated to her special project. When he reached it, he saw that the foundation for the building had been laid, but the frame of the structure was still a work in progress. Doubtless, if she’d turned to one of the town’s Builders, the project would have already been done. Yet, she insisted on doing everything herself.

Miguel understood his mother’s reasoning, but still, he worried about her obsessive nature. When she latched onto something – especially since his other mother had been killed – Carmen had a tendency toward mania. In a lot of situations, that was a good thing. A crafter needed dedication, or she would never progress. But even a fourteen-year-old could recognize the dangers inherent in that sort of obsessiveness.

Never was that clearer than when Miguel saw his mother painstakingly running a lathe over a brick. The act itself wasn’t unusual, though from what he understood, it wasn’t the preferred method of shaping normal bricks. That wasn’t what caught his eye, though. Instead, the thing he noticed more than anything was that his mother had lost weight and looked as if she hadn’t bathed in at least a few days.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Hey mom,” he said when he drew close enough.

At first, she didn’t react. Then, as if coming out of a daze, she looked up, blinking before her eyes widened. Then, she threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around him. After that heartfelt reunion, she insisted on hearing the tale of his journey. He told her the story, leaving out the more harrowing battles he’d experienced and ending with, “I got level twenty-one, though. I have this new ability that I can only use on the island.”

“What is it?”

N/A

Alignment

N/A

Strength

67 (37)

Dexterity

67 (37)

Constitution

64 (37)

Ethera

35 (25)

Regeneration

64 (24)

Attunement

Nature

Cultivation Stage: Cultivator

Body

Core

Mind

Soul

Wood

Recruit

Opal

Neophyte

He gasped in shock.

His attributes had nearly doubled, and in every category. The largest increase came in the Regeneration category, which had been bolstered by forty points. Strength and Dexterity had seen an increase of thirty points, while Constitution was twenty points higher than it had been before he’d used Pledge of the Green Warden. Ethera had seen the smallest increase at only ten points, but even that was an incredible boon.

But there was more to it than that.

Elijah had once explained how his domain worked. With it, Miguel’s uncle could sense everything on the island, right down to the smallest detail. What Miguel now felt was similar, but instead of knowing everything about the island, he only had a vague idea of where everything was. If he’d had to describe it, he would have said that it felt like a watered-down version of Elijah’s sense.

Which was still a little overwhelming, but not quite as taxing on his Mind as what Elijah had once described.

It made sense, though. How was he meant to protect the grove if he didn’t know what was going on within its borders? Still, he knew he needed to test things out so he could discover the extent of the enhancement he’d received upon making his vow. He looked forward to seeing how everything would work out.