~‌ ‌1.13 ‌-‌ Rosewater Flavored Bliss ~‌

 

Noto Island

2nd Fireday of The Full Moon

 

Materializing inside the town’s square, Flea took off running towards the guard’s barracks. Rushing inside in a panicked state during the middle of the night spooked the few guards awake at the hour. The first guard to get his wits about him started speaking to Flea.

 

“What the hells going on?!”

 

“Where is the Lieutenant?”

 

“He’s asleep. What’s the emergency?”

 

“Three of the adventurers I went on the escort quest with earlier today killed the guards and the Mink Beastkin leading the group four hours ago. I just respawned and ran over here as fast as I could.”

 

“I’ll go get the Lieutenant. Wait here.”

 

It wasn’t much later when the Lieutenant came stomping down the stairs in a complete mess of clothes and armor thrown on haphazardly.

 

“Report!” he bellowed, getting to the bottom of the stairs.

 

Flea went over all of the events from earlier in the day. He informed him that the Furbolg Cuddles might have more details if they could find her. The Lieutenant dispatched a group of guards to the harbor to try and salvage anything they could. He also sent a runner to the Adventurers’ Guild with the three Lethality members’ names to see about blacklisting them here at the Noto branch.

 

“Are you sure they’re still on the island?”

 

“They should be unless they repaired the schooner’s sail. Also, while I’m here, I was told by one of the guards you’d be interested in a story of mine.”

 

“What kind of story?”

 

“The kind where my Goblin buddy and I got into The Tower to the northeast of town.”

 

“That would be a story I’d very much be interested in hearing. Would it be possible to get back to the tower this way?”

 

“I can’t say for certain. If you travel deep enough into the mountains, I think Dryads use some type of illusion magic to force you to wander aimlessly. I think we got lucky the first time.”

 

The Lieutenant took a seat and indicated for Flea to sit down with him.

 

“Start from the beginning.”

 

The Drunken Ogre

2nd Dreamday of The Full Moon

 

Waking up the next morning, Flea went down to the common room for breakfast. Taking a seat at the bar, he greeted the beautiful Fox barkeep.

 

“Morning darling, what can I get ya?”

 

“You must be Racine. I’m Flea. It’s nice to meet you finally. I’d like whatever you got for breakfast, please.”

 

“Greetings to you Flea, I’ll have your breakfast ready in a jiffy.”

 

Eating his breakfast, Flea contemplated his plans for the day. Finishing his meal, the Gnome got up, waved goodbye to Racine, and headed out into the town to start his day.

 

Stopping by the Adventurers’ Guild, Flea turned in his Tin chit from the escort quest. The Gnome tried finding out some information about the Lethality members from the escort quest, but got shut down. Fenix informed him guild policy was they never discussed internal issues with low-ranked members.

 

Flea decided to go into the forest, grind terrorbears and maybe look for hints on where the matriarch came from. Leaving out the North Gate, Flea skirted the rabbit infested fields and headed into the woods. The Gnome harvested any herbs he spotted along the way as he traveled deeper. While digging out a lavender plant, Flea caught the sounds of a bear nearby. Finishing up, he started stalking towards the noise. Finding and dispatching the bear was more manageable now with his increased speed and strength. His improved skills allowed him to dodge and hit his opponent's neck and sides.

 

Zelkan’s training really helps. I should go back and train harder soon.

 

Flea settled into a repetitive pattern of harvesting herbs and killing every terrorbear he crossed paths with for hours.

 

Around three in the afternoon, Flea came to a small clearing within the forest. Just from a glance, he guessed the open area held hundreds of Lavender. Getting to work, Flea harvested as fast as his little fingers could work around the roots. Around the fortieth Lavender plant, he heard the giggling start. The Gnome stopped digging out the Lavender he was working on and stood up to look around the clearing.

 

“I know you can just kill me at any time. Why don’t you guys just come out and talk to me?”

 

Giggles came from all around him.

 

“He isn’t afraid,” came a voice from empty space to his left

 

“He just wants to talk,” came another from behind the Gnome.

 

In front of him, a single Dryad popped into view. Immediately Flea turned bright red, averting his eyes to the ground.

 

“He likes what he sees sisters,” came from his left.

 

The Dryad was stunning looking, her skin the color of grass, and hair made up of knotted dark green moss. Her chest was on full display, causing him to blush further. The green Dryad wore a short skirt of leaves around her waist, with two bone daggers hanging at her sides. She wore nothing else and stood there staring at Flea.

 

“Umm, thank you for speaking with me. Is there anything you can do to cover up?”

 

“Nothing to cover up Gnome.”

 

“Okay, um, I’m Flea.”

 

“We hail thy Flea.”

 

“Why did you kill my friend in the field, and why are you messing with the mines?”

 

“You and your friend have been inside The Tower, the first in decades. You have broken our pact, so you both had to die. Your friend in the forest and it seems you within the mines. You should not have been able to reach The Tower, yet you have. How is this?”

 

“We heard shrieking coming from inside the mines. We went deeper into the shaft, exploring to find what was causing it. Getting ourselves lost in the process, but we found an exit from the mines inside The Tower.”

 

“Shrieking? You heard someone yelling or screaming inside the mines?”

 

A second Dryad popped into Flea’s sight. This Dryad had pale blue skin with purple hair made of vines.

 

“There is no one else in the mines except those sisters who guard it. They have not reported anything about someone or something down in the mines, yelling or as you say shrieking,” the new Dryad said.

 

“I’ve heard it on two different occasions. I heard it the other night right before you guys started to giggle and slit my throat.”

 

“Curious events indeed. Our sisters guarding the caves leading to The Tower would never have allowed anything to pass our illusions. They would have killed you on sight upon seeing the mark of our broken pact to restore balance. Our sisters would have left your friend and you to wander the mines till you found yourself back at the surface, not The Tower,” the first Dryad said.

 

“What’s in The Tower that you’re protecting?”

 

“That tower was the home to a practitioner of necromancy. He was a manipulator of life and death. He would take animals and people, cutting them up and merging them into Abominations. The Master of The Tower let his Abominations loose onto the island a century ago, almost destroying the town and the Dryad. With the help of adventurers, we were able to force the necromancer back into his tower, where he sealed himself and has not been seen since. We made a pact with the town to remain The Tower’s guardians and make sure no one gets inside to find his research and create more Abominations.”

 

“Don’t you think he’s dead by now? Can anyone live that long? Even isolated?”

 

“Flea, you’re new to Mae and have much to learn on how long anyone can live here. The Master could have put himself into a deep slumber for an eon without care. We remain to guard and protect. May he never unleash his creations again.”

 

“I don’t think anyone will get into the top of The Tower, we tried to open the door, and it’s shut tight. We couldn’t even shake it.”

 

“It’s good you didn’t, but we must find out why our sisters in the mines haven’t reported killing you, reaching The Tower, and the shrieking as you described. Niseph dear, you will follow this Gnome into the mines and report back on what is happening with our sisters.”

 

“Yes, mother,” a third Dryad materialized next to the first Dryad.

 

“I need to head back to the town first. Can Niseph remain invisible in town?”

 

“No, we may only stalk while within the forest and fields. She can wait outside while you run into town.”

 

“Alright, I need to contact my friend and tell him to come mining with me tonight. It shouldn’t take too long to run into town and leave him a note.”

 

They walked through the forest in silence. Reaching the fields, Flea turned to Niseph to ask her to go invisible and found the Dryad had already done so.

 

“You there?”

 

“Yes”

 

“I’m going to try and do some cooking before I go into town. I want to see if I can make a bit more coin.”

 

Flea wandered around the edge of the trees and gathered wood lying on the ground. Sitting with his back to a tree, the Gnome took out his cook’s camping kit. Flea turned his twenty rabbit meat into Spiced Rabbit. He took out the sixteen terrorbear flank and started trying different methods to cook the meat with the various spices. He burnt almost all of his stock till he tried to boil the meat with water from one of his canteens using simple salt and pepper.

 

 

That wasn’t as good as I hoped, but I guess it’s basic, maybe if I buy some vegetables from the market and try it with them.

 

“I’m going to run into town. It shouldn’t be much longer than an hour. Is there anything I can get you from town while I’m doing my errands?”

 

“You would buy me something?”

 

“Sure, within reason, I guess. I’m not rich.”

 

“Would you buy me candy? It’s been a long time since my sisters and I have had the candy some of the shops sell.”

 

“Sure, any specific kind?”

 

“I remember the pink ones. If you could buy a bunch for the rest of my sisters as well, please.”

 

Walking through the gate and towards the Brazen Boar, Flea waved to Telen as he passed the Elf. The Gnome left a written note with the barkeep for Khorwin, then headed to the various shops to sell his loot and find a shop that sold candy.

 

Flea had made more money in the nine hours he farmed the flowers and bears than he had with all the days farming the rabbits. Flea was now over 90 silver after selling his loot. After filling his canteens and buying a bustle of vegetables at Blinks, he asked him where he could find candy in town.

 

“Best candy in town would be at a little bakery near The Guild. Make a right when you come to The Guild, and it’s the third building on your right. You shouldn’t miss it.”

 

Entering the shop, Flea could smell the many delicious scents in the air.

 

“Hello, I’ll be with you in just a moment,” an old lady said from behind the counter.

 

Flea wandered the store’s front, checking out the selections of bread and pastries within the cases. He found the candy against the far wall. There was a wide assortment of taffies and hard candies customers could choose from.

 

“What can I help you with today?” the older Elf asked Flea as she finished up with the previous customer.

 

“I’m here for a request. I need some pink ones and a big bag for the Dryads. Any chance you know what they would like?”

 

“Dryads!? You’re friends with the Dryads?”

 

“I’m not sure, but I have one outside the city gates who asked me to buy candy for her and her sisters.”

 

“Do not tell anyone else about this, you hear me? There are a lot of those in the town guard who would hunt and kill the Dryads. I know they vowed to protect The Tower and take it seriously. They’ll kill anyone who gets close, and that’s made certain people mad over the decades. I’ll give you a large mix of hard candies for them. I know they used to love them when they were still allowed to trade with the town.”

 

“Why were they banned from trading with the town?”

 

“They killed the Lieutenant and his group a few times over the years when they tried to get into The Tower.”

 

“But if they knew the Dryads were protecting The Tower, why would the town guard try and get in?”

 

She shrugged.

 

“I don’t know, but the Lieutenant banned them from the town for it.”

 

“That doesn’t make any sense. But now I know why the Lieutenant was so interested in The Tower and my story.”

 

“Stay clear of both him and The Tower if you can.”

 

“Thank you for the warning. Little late on it, though,” Flea chuckled.

 

“Here’s a three-pound bundle of mixed candies and a small one for Princess Nispeh with her favorites. Don’t worry about the price. Just let her majesty know if she wants more to send you along.”

 

“Wait, you know them?”

 

“Aye, her daughter used to come in here all the time for these candies when the Dryads came to trade in the town.”

 

“Niseph is a princess?”

 

“Yes, she is the princess of the Dryads.”

 

“I had no idea. She’s sitting outside the gates right now, waiting for me.”

 

“What? Why is the princess waiting for you? And why is she alone?”

 

“We are heading to the mines to find out what’s going on with her sisters there.”

 

“Oh my, well, tell her Granny Sue still thinks about them from time to time.”

 

“I will. May I ask how you got to be so close to the Dryads?”

 

“They saved my husband from a pack of Phantom Wolves. The creatures came through a Beast Portal that opened in the forest near him while he was out gathering. The wolves almost dragged him through the portal when the Dryads rescued him, driving the wolves back into the portal and closing it.”

 

“Wouldn’t he have just spawned back here If they killed him?”

 

“Ah, you are new here. If you find yourself on the other side of a portal that goes to the moons, you’ll be stranded until you find another portal back. If you travel away from Mae, all Mae based crystals shatter. Going to any of the moons is highly dangerous, even for Mithril Adventurers. Even if you find a portal back here to Mae, you can end up halfway across the world. I would have lost my husband that day if it wasn’t for the Dryads.”

 

“That is a massive amount of information to process. You have my thanks, Mrs. Sue.”

 

“No worries at all. Call me Granny, or Granny Sue, please. You have my thanks for helping the Dryads out. They just want to protect the forest and us from the Abominations.”

 

“I need to get going. Niseph is waiting for me. I will give them your greetings.”

 

Flea left the bakery, heading towards the North Gate. He made his way down the trail to the fields and swung left at the bottom towards the lake.

 

“You there?”

 

“I am.”

 

“Granny Sue sends her greetings and has given me your favorites Princess.”

 

“I wish she wouldn’t tell people about us, especially me. But did she add those pink round ones to the bag? Did she? Did she?”

 

Flea laughed.

 

“Hold your horses. Let me get them out of my bag.”

 

Flea pulled out the small sack of candies Granny Sue had given him for Nispeh, taking a piece out. He raised his hand, palm up, with the candy on it. The sweet vanished instantly.

 

“Oh, it’s so good. I think Granny called these rosewater flavored. It has been years since I’ve had one.”

 

“I’m glad I could get them for you then. Granny Sue gave me a large bag for you and your sisters as well. So when we return to them, I’ll give you the bag.”

 

“Thank you, Flea.”

 

They walked the thirty minutes or so to the first cave entrance. Along the way, the Gnome and Dryad tasted the various candies in silence.