Adventurer Ellen
“Are you all right?”
Ellen panted quietly as she stared at the smoldering remains of the spider that had, seconds ago, nearly bitten her face off. She was pretty sure that Vincent’s blessing wouldn’t have been as effective against that kind of attack.
It had been unreasonably close.
“Ellen?”
Again, the voice prodded her. Ellen snapped out of it and blinked, turning to face the trio of more experienced adventurers. She became aware of Vincent gently checking her over for injuries, while Edmund scouted the perimeter. Miriam was the one asking about her health, wearing an expression of concern that she never thought she’d see on the grouchy mage.
“I think so,” she finally croaked out. “I just didn’t expect all of them to pounce after me at once. S-sorry I messed it up, Miriam.”
To her surprise, the mage shook her head. “No, you lunged just fine. It really was a shock to see them all go after you, you’re not wrong. It was very strange.”
“It was?” Ellen stared, automatically lifting her arms while Vincent checked her out. “Um, I think I’m okay, but thanks, Vincent.”
“A more experienced adventurer might have been able to handle it,” Miriam explained. She still wasn’t going easy on Ellen. “But someone new to it like you? I don’t blame you for freaking out. For a newbie you did well. Did you gain a Level?”
Ellen shook her head. “No. I’m probably about four thousand away from Level 8.” She paused to check. “Closer to three thousand, actually. If I can kill a few more dungeon spawn and get a couple more first time bonuses, I might reach it before we leave.”
Miriam nodded while Ellen reviewed her notifications. “Level 8 is usually a Skill Enhancer. Do you have any unlocked? We’ll need to push you to unlock one if you haven’t.”
“I unlocked Spear Fighting this fight,” Ellen reassured her with a nod in return. “I’m hoping to get an Agility point and take Sure-Footed later when I hit 11, but I’m not sure yet what to take for my Level 9 Perk. My sister wants me to take Strong Back if it’s offered again, but I might want something more combat-focused.”
“Sure-Footed is a great pick.” Edmund spoke up as he rejoined the group. “If you want a more combat-focused one there are good choices available. If you were offered Strong Back that means you might qualify for Firm Grip or Power Strike. Either would be good. The former is better for a spear, but the latter opens up more advanced Perks later. Strong Back is better for utility if you don’t intend to focus on being your party’s sole front-liner though.”
Ellen nodded gratefully. “I took Overbear for my Level 6 Perk. I thought it would help keep the monsters at a distance.”
Edmund clapped her on the shoulder. “That’s not a bad thought, either. For a spear-user, it’s a great first pick. I just thought you’d be more bow-focused.”
A look of confusion briefly passed over Ellen’s face before she remembered that Edmund thought she was a Hunter Class. She’d almost messed up in talking about her Perks. Fortunately, a lot of the Strength and Agility Perks between Hunter and Fighter were similar. She’d have to be more careful about that.
“I um… I’m going for a more close-in build,” she mumbled lamely. “Maybe I should have picked Fighter instead, but I’m curious what kind of options will open up for a close-in Hunter later on. I might even try to unlock a Hybrid.”
Miriam chuckled, and Vincent gave an amused snort, but neither mocked her statement. Edmund was a little more gracious about it.
“Might see how well you’re leveling and how much you enjoy what you are doing first,” the swordsman grinned. “We all want the Hybrid Classes, but do you really want to slog through the early levels again?”
You have no idea, Ellen thought to herself, but she just smiled back at him.
“Yeah, it’s kind of a fantasy, but you were all talking about Gran- Greylan earlier so the thought came to me. He’s kind of my hero. Well, one of them.”
Miriam laughed, covering her mouth. “You and everyone else’s, kid.” Still condescending, but Ellen liked her better with this more lighthearted attitude she’d been carrying since entering the dungeon.
“So far, this looks like a pretty early dungeon, that much is true.” Edmund stared at the exits. “It’s still giving spawn bonuses, but if it isn’t spawning loot then we may need to let it cook a little longer or mark it as a minor dungeon. Guess we can’t get our hopes up too high. We were lucky to get this job at all.”
“Well I’m glad the Guild sent you!” Ellen smiled… then tilted her head as the others gave her a puzzled look.
Edmund shrugged. “You stay here and sit down, recover from that shock. Miriam, you stay here with her and recover your mana… that Fire Bolt on top of the other two spells can’t have been easy. Vincent and I will scout out the tunnel to the left and see if it goes anywhere interesting.”
Vincent ruffled Ellen’s head lightly before the quiet healer followed Edmund, ducking into another narrow passage with the swordsman. This left her alone with Miriam.
It was awkward for a long few minutes, but Ellen couldn’t just ignore what had happened.
“Uh… thanks for saving me.” She sank down to a crouch, arms around her knees. “You kept giving me those dirty looks, so I wasn’t sure if you liked me.”
“I don’t like you,” Miriam replied with blunt honesty in her pretty voice. “I don’t like babysitting amateurs, and I don’t like that Edmund seems sweet on you specifically. You’re too young for him, and he has a habit of trying to get too close to his teammates.”
Ellen wasn’t so naive that she couldn’t get the implications there, but it was so far off from her current mood that it took her mind a few moments to turn over what had just been said and let it click. Her face warmed up as her blush crept through her cheeks.
“I’m… not really interested in him. Ew.” She wrinkled her nose. “He’s cute, I guess, but way too old for me. And I’m not looking for anyone right now! Ugh, now I feel dirty… also he might have had a chance if he’d taken a bath before flirting with me the first time.”
Miriam burst into laughter! “Not quite what I expected. He’s not that bad… he just has a weakness for redheads, and you are attractive. But he’s also kind of a softie. He probably really does want to help you mature more than he wants to sleep with you, and he’ll keep his hands off if you tell him no.”
Hearing that Edmund was ‘a bit creepy but not that much of a creep’ wasn’t as reassuring as Miriam likely thought it was, but Ellen calmed at the news anyway. She nodded, “Yeah I’m… definitely not interested. My uncle told me that if I was going to be an adventurer, never date in the party anyway. He said that’s the fastest way to make the party split up.”
“Your uncle sounds like he knew what he was talking about,” Miriam chuckled. Then her smile faded some. “I know I just said I don’t like you, but that sounds a little harsh. I don’t like you as part of the group. You seem like a nice enough girl, but I’m not sure you’re adventurer material. I’m grateful you managed to get us this job—we really needed it. I don’t think you’ll fit in with the group, though.”
Ellen pushed herself up to her feet. “Well you don’t need to worry about that.” She smiled lightly at the mage. “I already said I had reasons to stick around here. Unless you all plan on moving into the Treetop Inn, the most I’ll do is poke into this dungeon with you.”
Internally, she flinched. Merchant Ellen hadn’t mentioned that she’d gotten them this job. Juggling their stories between all these different Ellens was really starting to get complicated.
“Good enough,” Miriam replied, stretching arms over her head. The chamber was small enough that the taller blonde’s fingers brushed the domed roof of the cavern when she did this.
Ellen watched enviously, then shook her head and changed the subject.
“Hey. If you were back at Level 4 or 5 and were planning to be a mage… would you go Scholar or Apprentice when you hit Level 6? And how would you do it? Asking for a friend.”
Miriam shrugged. “Apprentice will always be easier and faster for getting into the mystic arts, but you’re locked into what your Master teaches you. Your style of magic will always carry those marks. Scholar is more difficult, but you have a unique style, and if you don’t have any mage willing to teach you what you want nearby it’s the only option. Just try to unlock Mana Channeling before you hit Level 8. I’d recommend attending a class on magic theory or a book, if you can afford it, and practicing until you get it.”
“That sounds too easy…” Ellen mumbled.
“It sounds easy,” Miriam agreed. “Actually doing it is challenging. It’s harder to become a good mage than a good warrior. That’s why Hybrid Classes with both are so rare. People who fight with weapons can spend all that effort honing their Attributes and learning new tricks. It’s hard to have the time for both.”
“Mmmhmm.” Ellen scratched at her neck thoughtfully.
Any chance for further questions was cut short by the return of Edmund and Vincent. The swordsman smiled again, but this time Ellen felt a little crawling sensation up her back.
Maybe she shouldn’t have picked this group.
If anything, she liked Miriam more, now.
“Well, it’s a bit of a hike, but we did see some loot down there,” Edmund announced as he strolled up to the two girls. “I’m not sure what’s there, but maybe something decent. Hard to say, with a new dungeon. Usually the first few spawns are trash anyway, but we’re here to assess today anyway.”
“What’s the catch?” Miriam asked, lifting an eyebrow.
Edmund grinned and rubbed the back of his head. “Some kind of giant, horned weasel? Maybe a stoat… I don’t know the difference, but I think stoats are common in this area. Pretty sure dungeons start off making stuff based on local wildlife, but it’s been a while since I read up on them. How are you two holding up?”
“Stamina recovered, and I’m a lot more ready,” Ellen replied, standing up straighter.
Miriam bent over to retrieve her pack. “Same, my mana is almost full, even with the Darkvision spell’s drain. Same plan as before?”
Edmund shook his head as he headed back to the tunnel. “Not this time. If that’s really an empowered weasel of some kind, you should focus on slowing it down. Vincent and I will hit it and Ellen here can move in once we’ve hurt it, get a few stabs in herself. Sound good?”
“Makes sense to me. Thank you,” Ellen replied. Miriam nodded, less talkative now that Edmund was here. That was fine, Ellen needed to concentrate. Not to mention, she had her own thoughts to worry about. There was one detail she hadn’t brought up with any of them, and it had her chewing her lip in thought.
What in the bloody skies is a Bloodline Rival?