After leaving the Alchemist Guild, Lucas and Evelyn found themselves in a modest inn room with a straw-stuffed mattress, a small wooden desk, and a wooden tub, dimly lit by a smoky oil lantern. The mattress was barely large enough to fit the both of them, but according to Evelyn, it was one of the better rooms that could be rented for two silver.
Evelyn, as usual, was the first to break the silence, "I think I would have rather not experienced all of that." In her hand she gingerly held one of the coins Quintrell had given them. "People have PK'd for less. And this—" she held up the coin "—will definitely get us killed." Evelyn leaned back, wiggling deeper into Lucas's chest.
He rested his chin on her head as he appraised the coin in his hand. His thumb slowly passed over its surface, tracing the moon on one of its faces. "We could sell it," He finally said, tearing his gaze away and clutching his fist around the coin. Beneath him, Evelyn shook her head, "Sure, we'd get a lot of money, but this is an artifact we're talking about! I'm not sure how much you were able to learn online, but beyond the already scant few Legendary items there are even fewer artifacts. They aren't even the same classification! Even the worst artifact is at the very least Very Rare."
Would selling this even help? No, it wouldn't.
"So we use it." Lucas's voice was soft, close to a whisper, "but would we even be able to keep it?" Evelyn sat up and turned around, the straw crunching slightly under her as she moved, "We'll just have to do everything we can." She took his hand in hers and rubbed the back of it with her thumb, "Let's just have fun. It is just a game after all."
Should I tell her? How would I even explain it? Where would I start?
"Yeah," the word came slowly, he forced himself to smile, "Just a game." If she noticed anything wrong, Evelyn did not say anything. Instead, she stood up and stretched. "Okay, I need to log out for a bit. My dad's having my pod replaced with one of the new continuous use Astral Dive pods." She paused for a second and glanced his way, "Do you want me to ask my dad to have one installed at your place?"
Lucas shook his head slowly, "No, it's alright. I couldn't accept that. Plus, I have my own." Evelyn raised a brow, "You already have a continuous use pod? Did they send it to you as part of the severance package?" He felt his jaw tighten at the memory that wormed its way into his head. He nodded, lying.
His girlfriend leaned forward and he got up off the wall to kiss her. She gave him a tight hug, "Well if you already have one, we can spend even more time together." Evelyn then bumped her forehead against his, "Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone. Should only take an hour. Love you, dummy."
"Love you too, Ev." Lucas watched as Evelyn disappeared in a flash of white and he sat back down on the edge of the bed. He fingered his waistband and opened the pouch inside. He carefully deposited the moon silver coin and withdrew a small pendant. It was a blackened bronze amulet shaped like an open eye with a tiny shard of onyx for the pupil. Around the edge, Lucas saw words inscribed in runes.
'Narkûl ith'ur Zantirak Ulthuun.' The runes were primordial, he realized, or if what he had read online was to be believed—and it was getting harder and harder to trust the information he had spent months learning—the primordial language used was not even true primordial. Upon his completion of the third part of the trial and his acceptance as an Apprentice Alchemist, Quintrell had told him, "Ignorance is the First Ingredient."
At first, he was confused, but now he thought he understood. Ignorance was the starting point—everyone started out knowing nothing—alchemy was about using an understanding of the world to reshape it. Lucas held the pendant up to eye level then grasped the leather coord that had been woven through a hole in the top and wrapped it around his neck. He tied the ends in a knot.
As the amulet settled on his chest, Lucas let out a chuckle. Evelyn had been right, as usual, today had been a roller coaster. When he had made up his mind this morning, he did not expect to smile as often as he did. He was a man on a mission, Lucas had thought. No distractions could be allowed. What he was doing was important.
More important than Evelyn?
He scowled and muttered aloud, "Nothing's more important than Evelyn." He had time. Rushing things before had never won him any favors, why would it start now? 'You can run or you can walk. We all arrive at the same destination,' his father used to always tell him. It was poor comfort to a grieving young Lucas, but he was older now. He was slowly starting to understand.
I should do something productive while I wait.
Lucas looked over to the tub and down at his soot covered form. He realized a quick bath would not hurt and got up to find someone from the inn staff who could fill and heat the tub. With measured steps, he made his way over to the wooden door of his room and opened it just enough so he could poke his head out into the hallway.
The hallway was empty, dimly lit by hanging lanterns that cast long shadows on the worn wooden floor. It told a story of the constant traffic, and the random fresher planks painted Lucas an image of troublesome travelers or unfortunate accidents. The faint smell of pipe smoke, roasted meat, and stale ale lingered in the air. Below him on the first floor the muffled sounds of laughter and movement echoed up through the nearby staircase.
"—ck you! I found it, that makes it mine." From his spot at the door, Lucas could hear a muffled argument. "Robbie, buddy. You know that's not how this works. You've been a good friend so far but—" Lucas tuned out the conversation and stepped properly into the hallway. He retrieved his room key from his pouch and locked the door behind him. It definitely would not stop anyone who really wanted to get in, but it was not like he had anything stored in there.
No, the safest place he could currently store things was on his person. He resisted the urge to pat the pouch in his waistband and he made his way to the stairs. Each step creaked underfoot as he descended and once he reached the bottom he looked around for someone who could help him.
The first floor bustled with the quiet chaos of the early evening. A low amber glow bathed half of the room from a stone hearth at the end. Mismatched wooden tables and chairs dotted the floor, most taken up by those enjoying the inn. Lucas was hardly surprised when he noticed that humans made up the minority of those in the establishment. Arvedell was located in the far reaches of the Sylvan Enclave after all.
It was one of the longest standing nations—owed to the fact that the strongest of elves could live for thousands of years. While most of the Sylvan Enclave was closely tied to nature, Arvedell stood in direct opposition to some of the core beliefs. From what Lucas could recall of the lore, this city had become a safe haven for the outcasts of sylvan society.
That did not mean, however, that it was a place of depravity and lawlessness. Most of the NPCs who made Arvedell their home still believed in the more reasonable tenants their nation was founded on—wisdom, harmony, and sanctuary. Thankfully as an inimicus, Lucas looked quite similar to a dark elf so he blended in quite well. That would no doubt change once he began to channel his infernal lineage.
"Can I help you, sir?" A tall faenlor—a race born from an ancient union of sylvans and giants— approached Lucas. The man had bark-like skin and a crown of ivy for hair. His voice was like a crack of thunder despite how softly he had spoken.
Lucas nodded to the faenlor, "I would like to request some hot water for a bath." He fished out the three copper pieces he had scavenged and offered them. The faenlor bowed slightly and allowed Lucas to drop the coins into his hand, his fingers too large to dexterously snatch them from Lucas's much smaller hand.
"Right away, sir. Might I inquire which room you are staying in?" Lucas told the man and upon his departure, returned to his room. When he slotted the key in the lock he paused. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his stomach twisted similarly to when he had first traveled through the artifact to enter the Alchemist Guild. It passed just as quickly, but left Lucas confused.
What was that?
He leaned forward and placed his ear against the door, trying to listen for any sounds coming from his room. His heart practically leapt from his chest when the faenlor's booming voice cut through the silence, "If you could help me with the door, sir."
Lucas turned quickly to face the giant-kin and noticed he was carrying a barrel. "Of course," he said as fumbled with the lock. It gave a soft click and Lucas turned the knob. The door opened with a squeak and he stepped into the room. His eyes searched around for anything that would have been out of place, but nothing seemed to have changed.
The faenlor followed after, ducking slightly to enter the room. With one arm still wrapped around the barrel, the giant-kin used his other to rip off the top. While Lucas distracted himself with searching the room, the wooden tub slowly filled with steaming water. Once the barrel was emptied, the giant-kin moved towards the door and faced Lucas, "Please don't hesitate to let me, or another member of the staff, know if you need further assistance. The water is conjured so it will disappear on its own in a few hours."
After giving him a thanks, the faenlor left. He moved back over to the door—not having found anything amiss after combing the room—and locked the door. Lucas then began to strip, taking his time to remove the pouch from the waistband. The weight of it felt wrong once he held it in his hand and he quickly dumped its contents onto the bed.
To his horror only his room key and three silver coins fell; the moon silver coin was gone. Lucas felt lightheaded and sat down on the bed, bringing his hands up to cradle his head. His thoughts raced as he retraced his steps starting from Evelyn logging out. No matter how much he replayed his short adventure from his room to the first floor he could not figure out where and when he could have lost the coin.
Fuck!
Lucas began to chew on his thumbnail as he bounced his knee up and down. Sure, he had not really felt like he deserved the sudden 'compensation,' but it was something else entirely when it goes missing hours after he received it.
Maybe I just dropped it.
He stood up grabbing his room key off the bed and quickly made his way to the door. He stopped mid stride and slowly turned his neck towards the wooden desk that sat in the corner of the room. Upon it sat a few things Lucas was damn sure were not there earlier. The first item was an ornate wooden box. The wood was as white as paper and the edges were adorned with silver filigree. Beside it was a much smaller parchment wrapped rectangular package.
Resting on the top of the package and the wooden box were envelopes sealed with wax. Lucas held his breath as he slowly approached. Hesitantly, he reached for the envelope on top of the box. The wax seal was an identical copy to the crescent moon found on the moon silver coin. He flipped the envelope around and in cursive, 'Vaelith' was written. Carefully, he set it back down and reached for the second.
The seal was the same and as he expected, 'Zariah' was scrawled on the back. A shiver ran up the length of his spine as he took hold of the letter in both hands. He snapped his gaze upward as if expecting to find someone watching him. Instead, all he saw was the ceiling of his room. Lucas closed his eyes, hoping to catch even the slightest sound. If this was some sort of elaborate charade from that creep Khorvek, he wanted to at least know his death was coming.
Lucas stood—letter in hand—for what was an uncomfortable amount of unknown time before he opened his eyes. He dropped the letter on the table so he could free up his hands to fidget and immediately felt relief. That prompted Lucas to back up as far away as he could get from the letter.
When his back touched the door, a flash of white light alerted Lucas to Evelyn's return. She looked around first at the items on the desk, then the filled tub before she noticed Lucas near the door, "Oh, did you just get back?" She walked over to the desk and reached for the letter with her name on it.
"Stop!" Lucas rushed forward and shouted, scaring Evelyn. "What?!" She jumped back and looked at him, "What's wrong?" Lucas inched closer to his girlfriend and held out his hand, which she took. He pulled her away from the desk, keeping his eyes trained on the desk, "Those just appeared." He whispered, "And the coin is missing."
A piece of the puzzle seemed to click for her as she glanced at the pouch and coins on the bed and the room key he seemed to have dropped on the floor. Evelyn reached into her own pouch and her eyes widened. She let go of his hand and detached the pouch from her waistband. Just like he had, she emptied the contents onto the bed. The first to spill out was her room key, then her Apprentice Alchemist amulet and finally three silver coins.
"But h-how?" She stammered, "I logged out with it in my pouch. This shouldn't be possible." She inclined her head towards the desk, "And those just appeared after you lost your coin?" He nodded, "Yeah…And at first I thought it could have been that duergar, I felt like someone was watching me, but I'm not so sure anymore."
"Why's that?" Evelyn questioned. "Because," he licked his dry lips, "the feeling went away when I dropped the letter." She stepped closer to the desk and gently lifted her letter. Her brows furrowed and her thumb traced the wax seal. She turned the letter over a few times and looked back at Lucas, "I don't feel anything strange. Are you sure there's something wrong with these?"
Something in his very core told him to stay away, that whatever these were, there would be no undoing whatever happened after opening them. "I don't think we should open them." Evenlyn gave him that look she usually gave him when he was blowing things out of proportion and tore open the letter. He winced and when nothing happened he let out a sigh of relief.
Evelyn pulled from the envelope a letter and began to read it outloud.
To the Iron-Willed, the Unbending Blade, the One They Whisper of in Retreat—Lady Vaelith,
It is with no small measure of admiration (and, if I'm honest, a touch of wariness) that I pen this letter. You will become both shield and spear—unyielding in your defense, unrelenting in your pursuit. Where you tread, the wicked take pause, and those who would stand against you find themselves… reconsidering.
It is for this reason that I offer to you something truly rare. An heirloom not of any house or nation, but of something older. Something forgotten. Something you would have to search the cosmos just for something lesser.
Corruption's Embrace. A piece of hand-worn jewelry, though that word feels woefully inadequate. It is equal parts regalia and weapon—a whispering relic of night and corruption, forged in places best left unspoken. You will find it coils like a promise around the wrist, its claws fitting your fingers as though they were made for no other hand but yours.
It is not simply beautiful, nor merely dangerous. It is a crown for the hand that guides fates. The central gem—the twilight eye—will respond to you. It knows a queen when it sees one.
When worn, it will grant your strikes an echo of true corruption, tainting the wounds of your foes and frustrating their ability to mend. Some call this cruel. I call it decisive. You understand, I think, the necessity of such finality in a world that refuses to let evil stay buried.
Be warned, Vaelith. The Embrace does not answer to cowards. It will not serve the hesitant or the pure. But you are neither.
You are perfect.
Should you wish to speak, you know where the shadows gather and the candles burn low.
Yours in sorcery,
Archibald
"Archibald. As in Archibald the Enchanter?" Lucas reached for the letter and Evelyn handed it to him. While he read and reread the contents of the letter, she lifted the lid to the wooden box. The moment she did, an otherworldly presence filled the room. Lucas hesitated to call it divine—because as far as he knew it, there were no divines—but there was no better word to describe it.
The inside of the box was a fabric so dark, it looked to be the void of space. Faint glimmers of light shone like stars in the night sky. Resting inside was exactly as described in the letter, a pair of ornate jewelry claws that were equal parts beautiful and dangerous looking. "Wow…" Evelyn looked lovingly at the claws and picked one of them up.
It seemed to liquefy and wrap around her hand as she put them on, holding her hands out to admire them. An evil grin bloomed on her face and she looked over to Lucas, "Momma's gonna have fun with these." She picked up the wrapped package under the letter addressed to Lucas and tossed it to him after shaking it, "Feels kinda like a book. Hurry up and open it! Christmas came early."
Lucas jumped forward and threw his arms out to save the book from Evelyn's terrible toss. When the book was in his grasp, he once again felt like he was being watched. "Do you really not feel that? And are you not at all concerned how strange all of this is?" His girlfriend just shrugged, "at some point we gotta remember this is a game, and just have a little fun. Game logic isn't always perfect."
If only this was just a game for everyone.
Evelyn looked at him expectantly and he caved, he gently tore off the wrapping and gaped when he saw what he held in his hand. It was a thick, black-bound tome veined with silver like frozen cracks in ice. It called to him and when his bare skin touched the cover, the feeling of being watched melted away into one of a comforting embrace.
Without even needing to read the letter, Lucas knew the tome's name. The Nightmother's Solace. The name came to him as easily as recalling his own name, the other details however escaped him. "Oooooo. Is that a spell book?" His girlfriend asked while handing him the letter addressed to him.
To the Lost Pup in Need of a Lantern—Zariah,
Ah, there you are.
Wandering again, are we? Not aimless, no—there is purpose in you yet. I can smell it beneath the confusion, the anger, the sorrow. The kind of purpose that doesn't shine brightly like a hero's banner, but glows soft and cold like starlight on fresh snow. The quiet kind. The kind that matters.
You remind me of someone I once knew. He stood where you stand now—unsure whether to howl or to run, whether the darkness at his back was a comfort or a curse. He didn't get a letter like this. But you do. That makes you luckier than he was.
I've left you something I acquired recently—The Nightmother's Solace. A tome, yes, but not the sort that gathers dust or minds being whispered to at odd hours. Bound in night itself and veined in winter, she breathes if you hold her close. Her pages shimmer with ink that refuses to stay still, like thoughts that haven't decided what they mean yet.
Inside, you'll find truths that only the night is willing to say aloud. Secrets passed from lip to shadow to page. Not all of them will make sense at first—some might even frighten you. That's alright. She is like that sometimes. She frightens before she comforts.
This tome does not command. It invites. You may read it, speak to it, weep into its pages if you must. It will not judge you. It is for those who wander and wonder. It is for you.
But a word of warning, little pup: the Solace gives what the Nightmother deems fitting, not always what you want. Be open, and she will open in return. Try to deceive her, and she will close tighter than a tomb.
You are not as lost as you think, Zariah. You're just further from the firelight than others. But some of us were meant to thrive in the dark.
Don't be a stranger. I find I quite like hearing about you.
Yours in shadows and snowflakes,
Archibald
Evelyn hummed softly to herself as she admired her new artifact. From the moment she had touched it she knew its name. Corruption's Embrace. It sounded so sinister, so evil, so unlike her. It was fun, and new. Evelyn had always loved to try new things—she would not be playing Dustspire otherwise.
As Lucas silently read his letter to himself, she stuck her clawed finger into the tub. The water felt warm, the perfect temperature for a bath. Unconcerned with Lucas noticing her, she disrobed. Freed from her clothes, she lowered herself into the bath. "Ohhhh yeah…That's nice." Evelyn tried to remember the last time she had a proper soak, and drew a blank. As wealthy as her family was, even they did not have a bathtub.
In fact, the shower in her house had sat unused for at the very least a decade. They had better, more efficient ways now. Evelyn rolled her eyes and looked around for some soap and a sponge or washcloth. "Hey, Lucas. Can you check those drawers for some soap?" She pointed towards the desk.
Lucas stood still, staring down at the letter in his hand, "Yeah." Evelyn watched as he continued to stand as if in a trance, "Lucas? Dummy, you in there?" He looked over to her then back down to his letter. She smiled when he seemed to realize something and his head snapped back to her. "What am I going to do with you?" She laughed and gestured for him to come closer with a clawed hand.
…
After they had both freshened up, they moved downstairs to get something to eat. Evelyn had not realized it until the scent of food hit her exactly how hungry she was. She rapt her clawed fingers on the surface of the wooden table they sat at and watched as Lucas nervously looked around as he placed his new tome on the table.
He was afraid of having it stolen, or it being the reason some of the players or NPCs decided to harass them. She placed her hand on his, "It'll be fine, dummy." She shook her head and muttered, "And after everything we just did to get you to relax." Someone one table over coughed loudly, drawing her attention. She noticed people sneaking glances their way and after someone clapped Lucas on the back, congratulating him, did she feel heat rise to her cheeks.
Thankfully she was not the only one embarrassed as Lucas cutely chewed on his lip. A dark elf—large enough to give her old orc character a run for its money—approached their table. Her skin was a darker shade of purple than Lucas's and her hair was fire-red. She was dressed simply in a brown tunic and trousers with an apron tied around her waist. She looked over to Lucas then Evelyn, "Manen naa lle an?" She spoke in Elvish, which she automatically knew meant 'What is it you need?'
Since Lucas was not playing an elf, he had a confused look on his face. Without missing a beat, Evelyn responded, "I'quessir tel'quessir tel'me'ala foratta en'baraneth tel'silme." (The best meal we may get for two silver each.) The waitress nodded, "Ta naa i'lómelind stew ar yára bass, ar lhing en'lim sereg. Lle autien rael." (That is the lentil stew and old bread, and a cup of watered wine. You will have it soon.)
Evelyn placed two silver on the table and Lucas followed shortly after. Once the waitress left he leaned closer, "Was that Elvish? How did you even do that?" She reached out and patted the top of his head, teasing him, "Once you're all grown and no longer a newbie—I'm just kidding, everyone knows the language of their race. The information is downloaded right to our brains or something. I used to know orcish before I deleted my character. Now? It's been replaced with Elvish."
"Zyak shio leth? Ixi riln vexir di creol ekess tir, vur valignat ve?" Evelyn smiled as he quickly picked up on it. She made fun of him for being a newbie—just like he had done to her when she first started playing games—but she knew once he got into the groove of things he would be indistinguishable from anyone who had been playing since the game launched like her.
Their waitress returned with their meal and Evelyn offered a 'thanks' before she picked up her spoon and scooped up some of the stew. She blew on the steaming liquid and looked over at Lucas, who despite having cleaned up in the bath, was still clothed in soot covered clothes, "You never did say why you look like you got set on fire."
He groaned and took a bite of his stale bread, "You're never going to believe this."