Impressions & Blows
"What kind of first impression should we make on the Amazons?" I ask, as my companions and I explore the "Style" room I first discovered on my first day in this world.
The room is divvied up into two areas. One half of the room is filled with machines, tools and supplies for making clothes, and the other half is something akin to a catwalk, complete with mirrors that'd allow somebody to examine themselves at different angles. There is also a number of enchanted manikins that subtly glow to me, thanks to perks I possess that let me detect magic.
"Well, Mateo… What do you want to be known as?" Raquel asks, even as she touches one of the manikins and an outfit suddenly appears on the thing.
"I suppose trying to become a well-known warrior would be… challenging, at best." I remark, since this world's version of Amazons are similar enough to my world's that they are well-known warriors and I… am not. Even with perks like "Iron Chef" and "Well-Fed" in my repertoire, as well as my "experience" as an adventurer, I doubt I'd be able to match an Amazon in one-on-one combat barring truly exceptional circumstances.
"I guess I should try to become a well-known merchant? That feels… doable." I eventually say, causing my two companions to nod in agreement.
"That would make the most sense. It'd also explain why you have such a range of items for sale, especially if you plan to expand the wares you offer in the months to come." Raquel replies, even as we both watch Beth try on a range of outfits. I put my hand on the manikin in front of me and I chuckle when my mind is filled with a menu that asks me to select an outfit, and then shows me a series of different outfits to choose from.
The outfits on display in my mind's eye relate to a range of careers. I can see the clothes worn by city guards, by doctors, and after looking for several seconds I find an outfit worn by merchants. The actual clothing is elegant looking, and by studying it with "Upgrade" I can tell that it is actually made of reinforced cloth, and offers the same sort of durability as a set of leather armor would. The outfit materializes in my hand and I begin to undress.
"I could also try to become a… saint, or a healer, or something analogous to that." I muse, even as I begin to equip the outfit. Part of the reason why I'm bothering to change at all is because I have perks that let me know how to best present myself, and I know that if I want to maximize the odds of me being taken seriously as a merchant I need to look the part.
"Is that really an option for you as you are right now? If so it's a fantastic idea, but do you have any ability to heal?" Beth asks, also changing into another outfit. She seems to be doing so for fun, as opposed to Raquel, who is dressed in an outfit that reminds me of a modern day secretary. It looks good on her.
"I do, actually. I took my first steps towards mastering the clergy pathway to power when we were interacting with the nereids. Because of that I gained a decent number of abilities related to healing, and faith." I explain, even as I glance at Beth and catch her smiling and gazing at me lustfully.
As I am speaking a mental window appeared in my mind's eye that asks me if I want my words to be understood as the truth, thanks, fittingly enough to a clergy perk. I tell it that I want to be believed, and because my words were true I see Beth's eyes widen in shock and delight.
"I'm far from mastering that pathway but I can do enough that I can be helpful." I explain, concisely.
"Hmm… Well, most places are always in need of healers. Clergy powers based around life will basically ensure you can always find at least room and board in nearly any settlement." Raquel thoughtfully tells me. She has a point, there's probably a lot I could do with even just the clergy powers I possess.
"That's a good point… And that's not even getting into my other powers." I muse, even as I finish slipping into the new outfit. My companions look at my clothes approvingly, and I smile at them as we begin to finish up our preparations. I decide to tell Beth to wear an outfit that makes her a skilled carriage driver, and to toss me an outfit she can wear later to help out with merchant stuff, which she does.
In a matter of minutes we find ourselves outside of the cottage. Before we do anything else I pull out my portable monitor and fiddle with it, until I get to the menu that lets me manage the status of the estate. I shift it into the "Locked Down" state and when I look at the actual cottage I can vaguely see a thin, transparent field of shimmering air around it. It takes me a beat to realize that I'm seeing a forcefield, and since that's the case that explains how the estate was kept safe after the doll maker perished. When that's done I look in the direction of the beach.
"Okay, so we're heading to the amazonian coastal city the nereids told us about. In order for us to get there quickly, I have a neat little tool in my possession." I state, smiling as I focus on one of my "Merchant" items. Curiously, it's also a "Culinary Warrior" item. It's the one and only object in my possession that is listed as being a part of two pathways. When I attempt to retrieve it, the same thing that happened with the "Kitchen Space" item happens again.
My perception of the world is altered and I begin to see a curious hologram of the "Traveler's Dream" item overlay itself on the ground in front of me. I select a spot a short distance from where I'm standing and the object phases into reality for real, manifesting as a small carriage with a brown horse attached to it.
"Say hello to a nifty little possession of mine. The 'Traveler's Dream'!" I say, as I walk towards the object. The horse affixed to the carriage turns and eyes me curiously. The carriage is quite small, but in my eyes it emits a powerful glow thanks to the potent magic that courses through it.
When I reach the back of the thing I pull open the carriage door and am delighted to see that what was promised in the item's description in my backpack is true. The inside of the carriage is not a small area with a few seats for Raquel and I, but actually a fully outfitted, medieval-themed tavern.
The area just inside of the carriage is a powerfully enchanted space, and the carriage itself is outfitted with potent space-bending magic to allow it to be far bigger on the inside than the outside. I can see a handsome bar at the end of the first room of the tavern, itself known as a saloon.
Behind the bar is a door that I supernaturally know leads to a small hallway from which someone can reach my room; a tiny living space for myself and the dolls, and a decently outfitted kitchen. I can also see another door leading to what I, also supernaturally, know is a massive space for any customers to sleep in. I listen to Beth talking up to the driver's seat of the carriage, even as I step into the carriage itself, followed shortly after by Raquel.
"Wow… Is this a creation of yours, Mateo?" She asks, even as she looks around and takes in the peculiarity of the sights before us. She walks over to the end of the tavern's public space and looks out one of the windows. The window is mundane and lets in early morning sunshine, which Raquel appreciates.
"This is not a creation of mine. And you have not even seen its truest power." I tell her, somewhat cryptically. As remarkable as this device is, its true power will only become apparent if we do something like find a merchant's boat, or even an airship, but for now it is confined to taking on the form of a carriage. Not that that's much of a weakness, honestly.
"This device allows us to enjoy some of the comforts of home while on the road. We can be assured of having a nice night's sleep in here, for example. Or that I can make us a decent meal." I explain, brightly.
"And we can always be sure to have the items needed to make some money…" I add, and I can't keep myself from chuckling a little. I take a few steps back and I glance outside at Beth as she peacefully interacts with the horse saddled to the carriage.
"Hey Beth. Do me a favor and take us to the beach would you? The same place where we stopped before." I ask her, to which she cheerily tells me she'll get us there in no time. I thank her for her enthusiasm and head back inside the carriage, shutting the door behind me this time. As soon as I do I subtly feel the carriage begin to move though thanks to what I assume must be a fusion of magic and effective design I barely feel the movements of the carriage as we take off towards the beach. Raquel continues to explore the tavern while I make my way over to our kitchen.
For the next few minutes, aided by a handful of my "Support Staff", I make a fish and fruit kebab for the spirits. Doing so is simpler than making the tacos I made before, and shortly after we arrived at the edge of the shore I finish the dish. I taste the food myself and am delighted to find that it is delicious. It is placed on a platter by the spirits, and I write a note on the platter that I enchant to read itself aloud when the nereids approach that will inform them that they can keep the platter.
I take a few moments to place the offering at the edge of the shore myself, and I note that the spirits are not yet out this morning which compels me to expend a tiny bit of my arcane energy to cast a few spells that will shield the food. I don't want anything unknown to me to eat the food I made for the spirits, and to spoil the offering. Doing so only takes a few moments and then I spend a moment telling Beth what direction to take the carriage in, and before I know it I'm back in the carriage and we're back on the road.
"So… What do you think of our tavern?" I ask, after sitting down in one of the booths that line one of the edges of the neat central room of the tavern. Raquel, the only other person in the room with me, is currently taking stock of our inventory.
"I think it's neat! It's… a bit empty though." She tells me, and I nod in agreement.
"It could use some… golems, preferably the ones I make and then enhance, and something like some self-playing instruments." I say, as I envision the tavern, which is pretty sizeable, staffed by creations of mine. Raquel's face lights up as she envisions the improvements I just suggested.
"Yeah! That would upgrade this place's aesthetic value significantly." She says, brightly.
"Still… This is a traveling tavern. Gods, that could generate a LOT of money in the right place, even if we leave it as plain as it is today," She says, and I chuckle as I try to imagine whatever scenario she is imagining. "If money is your goal, placing this in front of the right dungeon or somewhere along a popular trading route would go a long way towards securing an enviable fortune." She tells me. I nod at her.
"Oh trust me, I get it. This place, if I am given time to really outfit it, could become akin to a small, mobile fortress. Twenty people who need sleep could live here, and if I find people who don't need sleep the number of people I could house here becomes significantly bigger. We could do a lot with this space." I say, causing her to nod back at me in agreement.
This place has the potential to truly let me flex my mercantile abilities. Of all of my powers, my tamer, clergy, and merchant abilities are the ones that are the least useful without other people and/or creatures. And, truthfully, I might well need to use my mercantile abilities if I want to actually get the powers of a true alchemist or a style warrior, as well as to master the powersets I am currently in the midst of trying to unlock.
For the next two hours we inch closer and closer to the distant city. As we do I lay my eyes on the other parts of the tavern, including my room and the common sleeping area. Both rooms are sparsely decorated, but are functional and that's all I really need. After a while I find myself back in the common area where I spoke to Raquel earlier, and I sit down at a booth with a window.
I glance out the window and am surprised when I see something in the distance ahead of the carriage. I can see for miles thanks to my perk-enhanced body and senses, and about as far as I can see I can see a faint tinge coloring the air somewhere far away and painting it with shades of magic. Perks like "A Nose For Magic" and "Insight" allow me to physically detect supernatural phenomena and objects, and while back home this is something I've gotten used to out here in the wild such sights stand out.
The air in the distance is tinged pink, and I can tell intuitively that I am detecting… a truly massive amount of magic. I mentally begin to prepare myself for whatever we are about to happen across, as at the very edge of the horizon I begin to make out distant buildings.
"Beth! Ready yourself, the moment we enter the city it looks like something will be happening." I say, as I open the window of the tavern. I can hear her tell me she'll be ready, and I nod and look at Raquel.
"There's something happening in the city. I can see a… thick, fog-like blanket of magic over it." I tell her, causing her to sigh.
"Interesting times we live in, huh?" She asks, causing me to smile at her.
"At least we'll never be bored, right?" I ask right back, causing her to chuckle. I can sense us approaching the city, and I will one of my newer creations, my "Mighty Blade" to appear in my hand. The elegant, non-magical weapon appears in my dominant hand and I allow my mind to channel and focus on the years of experience as an adventurer that I unnaturally possess. At the same time, other perks also take hold as I intently clutch a sword that I view as my own personal property for the first time.
I look out the window again, and find that the buildings in the distance are suddenly much bigger now, thanks to the fact that we're closing in on the city. I study the elegant, Grecian looking buildings with a curious smile on my face. I know something is happening, but it's still exciting to be close to people again.
Our carriage is fast, as the horse that it is attached to is a supernatural steed, tireless, fleetfooted, and obedient. Every second the nearby buildings seemingly grow a little bit taller, and my grip on my sword tightens.
I first get to see the source of the chaos and magic because the carriage has been traveling along the beach. Thanks to this simple fact I am able to notice the intensity of the potent magic I am seeing sharply increase along the water as we close in on the city, and eventually I get to lay my eyes on twelve different medieval ships besieging the city docks!
They are armed with ill-maintained cannons and every few moments one of the cannons fires on one of the distant buildings, and I watch seemingly tiny figures dart to intercept the cannonballs while other tiny figures take on tinier figures. I am watching amazons tackle what must be either the remnants of an invading navy or, and I think this is more likely, some sort of pirate attack.
I motion for Raquel to come and sit with me, and I open the window so that Beth can hear what I'm about to say. Raquel, sensing the seriousness of the moment, comes and does what I ask quickly and quietly.
"There is some… tiny fleet attacking the city. I can see what I think are pirates," I say as I glance at one of the attackers and use "Upgrade" to learn what I can about them. My suspicions are immediately confirmed, and I learn that the men are infected by some strange magic as well. "Yep, definitely pirates, attacking and fighting amazons. Their ships are opening fire on the city, while the crews of the vessels clash with women who may well be guards." I explain to my allies.
"We're going to be entering the city and aiding the amazons. Magic is at play here. The pirates have been 'Corrupted', whatever that means, by some magic that infuses them all. These pirates are my size, and have less strength than I do, but they are holding their ground." I add, causing Raquel to nod curiously. I can tell Beth hears me because she drives the horse a tiny bit faster than before.
"As soon as we get to the city we'll be hurling ourselves into the fray. Are you two ready?" I ask, as we begin to close in on the city. Beth tells me she's ready and Raquel silently nods at me. We are now minutes away from the fighting, and whenever a cannonball is fired my allies and even the horse with us can hear it.
In moments I can well and truly see the docks we are approaching. I can make out details as specific as the eye colors of the pirates and the amazons, and I can easily inspect their weapons and their fighting styles. I hear Beth begin to laugh as we draw closer and closer to our foes, and I ready myself by walking over to the door leading out of the tavern. At the same time my train of thought that is focused on the bars I can see in my mind's eye abruptly displays new information!
[Alert: Quest Assignment
Quest Name: End The Assault
Quest Details: Pirates are assaulting the city of Oceanos. Aid the amazons in repelling their foes and do your best to keep the casualties to a minimum!
Quest Steps: Contribute meaningfully to the city's defense by taking out a fair number of the pirates yourself. (0/35)
Save or slay their enslaved animals (0/10)
Rescue the corrupted prisoners of the pirates (0/5)
Bonus Objectives: Find the source of the supernatural potency of the pirates (0/1)
Prevent 10 fatalities after you enter the battle.
Quest Reward: Enhanced reputation with the Amazonia [Faction]. Experience for defeating the pirates, and your foe's loot. Completing bonus objectives will result in more rewards.]
This message confuses me, but I opt to run with it and when the carriage skids to a stop I fling the door open and dart out of the vehicle. I find myself on the edge of a stone road, and with a thought I desummon my item as soon as Raquel steps out of it. In front of me one of the amazonian defenders of the city is clashing with several pirates and holding her own.
The auras that surround the amazons differ from amazon to amazon, but the auras that surround the pirates are uniform and are all a strange pinkish-purple color, no matter the physical condition of the pirates. Even the unconscious bodies of defeated pirates have auras that are exactly the same color. I have to wonder if they are part of a hive-mind or something…
The amazonian closest to me is a titan of a lady, standing over six and a half feet tall and wielding a spear that is bigger than a healthy portion of my body is. She is clad in elegant looking blue armor and is physically intimidating. The pirates she is facing are distracted by my presence and their eyes dart between her hulking form and my own, and she unconsciously notices this distraction, prompting her to dart forward and swing the spear at one of the pirates.
The figure nimbly dodges her blow, but I point my free hand at the figure and silently cast a simple spell. Meanwhile, my dolls dart out from behind me and slip past the first set of pirates, heading deeper into the docks where more amazons and pirates clashing.
A purple orb of pure force is expelled from my palm and darts towards the figure. It hits him square in the chest and he lets out a pained sound as he crumples to the floor, having suddenly lost a healthy chunk of his health and being knocked unconscious by the sudden attack. Internally I watch as this is counted as the first pirate I have defeated, prompting an update with regards to the quest's steps.
This also causes another notification to appear in my mind's eye, one alerting me that I have just earned "Skill books" relating to the pirate's skills, as well as money for defeating him. This is just as curious as the notification that follows that alerts me that I have gained experience, which I can tell must refer to some sort of video-game-like abstraction of… something.
I dart forward, and before I enter the range of the amazonian defender I loudly proclaim that I am here to aid the city. I see the woman tense up, but she doesn't outright reject me and when I appear next to her I hear her heart hammer in her chest a touch faster due to my presence. The instant that I lunge at the closest pirate I hear her touch a small metal bracelet on her wrist, and say something in the language of the amazons, which, like all languages, is something I can understand.
"We're receiving… unexpected aid from a stranger. He and his friends appear human, the distinctly non-amazonian kind, and they came out of nowhere. If you see a dark-haired, young, male mage, or two non-amazon women, fighting the pirates, do not attack them by mistake." She utters, incredibly quickly, before she darts at the next closest pirates, intercepting them before they could think to try and attack me.
I find myself face to face with a middle-aged man wielding a cutlass. He is dressed in loose clothing and his eyes are a curious shade of purple. He points his cutlass at me and cackles as the blade begins to glow. I move to approach him and the blade emits a jet of purple energy, which I deftly dodge thanks mostly to "Well-Fed" making me a peak human in terms of all physical things. I manage to close the distance and I lash out at the man with my blade.
I allow my instincts, honed by "years" of experience adventuring I acquired thanks to perks, to guide my hand and while the man is quick he's not quite quick enough to dodge my next strike. I stab the blade into the figure's arm and he roars in pain though the sound isn't one of hateful rage but rather rage and something… else. Something that, when coming from a man, especially a foe of mine, I don't particularly enjoy hearing: the sound of pleasure.
"Gross." I mutter, as I point my free hand at his head and cast the same spell I cast to knock out his ally, aimed squarely at his head. The spell strikes true and the man is sent flying back, unconscious before he hits the ground. This prompts the same set of notifications I received earlier about getting money and skill books from defeating this man, as well as updating the quest information.
I hop to the side of the amazonian I was just beside and I dart forward at her foes, blade-in-hand. The two pirates do not have the time to react to me before I am on them and I lash out at both of them with stunning speed.
I assault one pirate with my blade and the other with magic, opting to use simple magic to keep him on his toes. While the man is attempting to dodge the burst of energy I fired at him he is hit by the end of the spear wielded by the amazon who is fighting alongside me, who lets out a triumphant laugh as the pirate is sent flying away from us. A split second later I stab the man I was assaulting with my blade, getting him square in the chest and I hear him emit sounds of pain and pleasure as he slumps to his knees. This time I don't get skill books, but I still get money.
A new alert appears in my mind, telling me I've unlocked the ability to invite people to "My Party", and it explains what it calls "The Party System Feature" in detail. It also tells me that Raquel and Beth are in a party with me, and as they begin to fight and take down pirates their accomplishments in battle will be added to my total, and vice-versa. In seconds the total number of pirates "I" have taken down becomes five.
I can see tiny portraits of my "Party Members" with bars of various colors beside the stylized images. I know, from my own bars, that the things are representations of the health, stamina, and arcane energy possessed by both of my allies. At the moment all of their bars are full, which is good to know.
I approach the fallen pirates and place a hand on the clothes of the soldiers that have not perished. One by one I enchant and curse their clothing to restrict their movements, causing their clothes to glow and become animate as their pants tightly squeeze their legs and their shirts length and trap their arms. I also strengthen the clothes they wear, to ensure they can't break free. When I'm done I get up and ready myself for more violence.
I glance at the figure beside me. By using "Upgrade" I learn that her name is Cladora, and that she is a decently ranked city guard, who is powerfully skilled with the spear and with some local forms of magic.
"Hey, let's go help the others!" I say, causing her to look at me and study me. She is silent for a moment, scrutinizing me and studying everything from my appearance to the way I hold my sword. I can also faintly sense her recalling what she saw me do before. She eventually nods, and the two of us turn and face the chaotic scene before us.
My dolls are in the middle of the violence, fighting alongside six guards against a large throng of pirates. Behind them is a particularly tall, tanned amazon with dark, curly hair who has no clothing on her upper body and wears padded pants.
She wields a gigantic mace and her skin is radiantly glowing as she casts spells on the amazons in front of her. I can see and sense her tremendous magic power. When I glance at her I utilize "Upgrade" and I learn that her name is Ophelia, and she is an "Oracle", which I intuit must be a type of clergy thanks to knowledge I have of Greek mythology.
"For Amazonia! For Oceanos!" She shouts, her voice magically rising above the chaotic fray as more of the pirate ships open fire on the buildings behind the harbor. Her shout energizes the amazons, and I distantly hear the sounds of footsteps approaching our location, which I quickly realize must be reinforcements. I glance at the ships, studying them for the first time, and doing so cements the reality that there must be hundreds of pirates as more are dashing towards the dock.
The ships are arrayed in an unorganized clump that gives each of them aside from the forwardmost ones the ability to fire on the docks and the buildings behind us. They are connected to each other via wooden planks that pirates on the furthest back ships must cross to get over to the docks, and so far no amazons have had the chance to board the pirate ships to take the fight to them. The ship the furthest back is undoubtedly the head of the fleet, and I can see that is where the striking fog of magic I can see is the thickest.
Cladora and I dart towards the nearest group of pirates and amazons, and in seconds we are back in the fray.