Tristan

Too many letters, and all from Opie.

Hey Tristan,

Chessa and I are trying to get into this raid in Perpetua, and we were wondering if you wanted to come with us. It's a tier 2 raid, in about 3 weeks. Are you in or are you out? What do you say?

Opie

Hey bro,

Just checking in to see if you've had time to think about that raid I mentioned yesterday. I think you'd be a good addition to the group. Just give me an answer as soon as you can, interested or not, OK?

Opie

Tristan,

Seriously! You need to come to this raid with us! It's only a 10-man, so you won't be so overwhelmed by too many freaking strangers. Even if you're a fresh tier 2, it'll be fine! And the loot! THE LOOT! There's even a good smithing recipe that's, well, it's a rare drop, but still! Just say the word and I'll tell you all about it!

Opie

Dude, c'mon, it's been a week, and I've tried to be patient. I'm not taking silence as an answer. You're going to keep getting letters from me until you tell me either YES or NO yourself. So just say YES already!

Opie

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO. TRISTAN! Come on! I've got six days until I need an answer from you, but you ARE going to give me one! GIVE ME A FREAKING ANSWER!

Opie

Hey Tristan,

Sorry about that last letter. I, uh, well I'm just super excited about this raid, dude, and I thought you would be too. Are you OK? If something's wrong, just let me know, alright? I'll be there. I'm worried about you.

Opie

Tristan,

So, it's two days until the raid, and... Look, man, I need you to come help me and Chessa out here. We need someone else in this freaking raid who's not an idiot. Someone we can trust. That's you, always has been. Just get back to me, OK?

Opie

According to the last messenger, the most recent letter had only been sent twelve hours ago, while he'd still been at the Farewell Ball.

"Huh," he said, turning to Sophie who had just finished quietly placing a gold piece in the last messenger's palm and was now stroking Mister Biggs' side.

Perhaps she saw his expression, because her curiosity visibly piqued. "What's up, Tristan? What was all that about? I mean, we've been traveling together for a while, and I've never seen you get a barrage of letters like that. So... is something wrong? If so, you can tell us. Besides, if we're going to be traveling together--"

"It's nothing bad," Tristan began, cutting her off, "and you're right that you definitely want to know about this."

He paused briefly, both to sort out his thoughts and to let the last of the messengers wander off a little ways, but the lone remaining girl clearly wasn't going anywhere.

After taking a calming breath, a big smile swept Tristan's face anyway. "So all these letters are from one of my oldest friends, Opie, and he, uh, I mean... How would you feel about doing a 10-person raid instead of a dungeon?"

You'd have thought he'd just given Sophie another pendant with how excited she grew. "That actually sounds amazing! Which raid is he going to run? Where is it? And when will it be?"

Tristan grimaced. "So I don't know all of those answers yet, but the one I do know is 'When?'--and it's in less than two days."

"Oh," Sophie said, eyebrows pushing down as her brow knitted. "Do you think the offer's still open? If we're lucky, it's possible that we might still be able to get there in time."

At this, the lone remaining messenger spoke up. "Yeah, so I'm supposed to stay here until I get your response, actually."

Tristan looked at the girl understandingly. "That definitely sounds like Opie."

The girl shrugged. "The pay was good, and oddly enough, the experience has been too. So, yeah, here I am. What shall I say?"

Tristan turned back to Sophie. "I figured I'd run it past you first, to see if you were interested. I'm really glad you are though. I haven't seen these guys since I left Woodsedge!"

A strange but happy-seeming look crossed Sophie's face. She'd begun scratching Mister Biggs along his shoulder blades. "Oh, that's cool. It'll be fun to meet some of your friends!"

"Yeah," Tristan responded as he turned back to the messenger. "Should I write it down, or could I just tell you?"

"Whichever you'd prefer," the girl replied.

Tristan thought for a moment before saying, "Ok then. Here's what I'd like to say:

"Hey Opie, sorry I was out of touch for so long, but I've got a great story to tell as a result--I've been on the Crafting Ark! Also, I'm in for that raid if the spot's still open. Though it needs to be two spots, since I've got a party going with a really good astralist. So yeah, two non-idiots must be better than one, right?

"And sign it Tristan, please," he added at the end, nodding to the messenger."

"Consider it as good as sent," she responded as a portal opened up directly beside her. "Remember, if you ever need a message sent quickly, you can't beat Portalmates Delivery!"

Then she stepped through, the portal closed, and she was gone.

"That was kind of cool," Tristan said.

Sophie chuckled, shaking her head. "Yeah, I suppose so. Just know that it can get really old quite quickly if you want to be left alone and others refuse to listen."

Thumbing back through the seven letters, all sent within the span of his one month away, Tristan could see what she meant. But before he could say more, a notification popped up.

You have been invited to a temporary party by Chessa Klimenta. Accept?

"I just got a party invite!" he told Sophie. "Give me a second, and I'll get you one, too."

She nodded, continuing to pet Mister Biggs.

As soon as he Accepted the invitation, a long, clearly prepared message popped up in group chat from his healer friend.

Opie: Tristan, you GLORIOUS bastard! Perfect timing!! We haven't filled your spot--I wouldn't let them--and WOW! How much did you level up on that Ark?! Tristan: Hah, yeah, I had a really productive month. Opie: No kidding, man. You're level 18 now? Wow.

Tristan opened up his Status and thought back to the last time he'd seen Opie. I guess I have grown a lot since then.

Opie: Anyway your friend can absolutely come along! That actually fills the final spot. And aren't astralists supposed to be super versatile when supporting a raid? What role do they fill? Tristan: So, yeah, her name is Sophie Adrielle, and can you invite her, too? Chessa: On it, sec. Tristan: As for her role, do you mean like, she can deal damage or tank? Opie: Her name, eh? Tristan, are you finally picking up a little on the lessons I was trying so hard to teach you? Chessa: Gods, Opie, just stop. I found a Sophira Adrielle. I assume that's her?

Tristan bounced the name off Sophie, who looked curiously troubled at first, but then nodded.

Tristan: She says yes. Chessa: I'm sending her an invitation now. Opie: And yes, that's what a 'role' is in raiding terms. Just so you don't look dumb, if her astral can deal damage and tank--which is awesome, by the way--that would make her a "hybrid DPS/tank" astralist. Good to know, right?

A second later, Sophie joined their party.

Sophie: Hey all, thanks for having me along. Chessa: Welcome to the party! Please ignore Opie if/when he says something crass. Or anything, really. Opie: Ignoring that. Hi! Sophie, can your astral tank? If so, we'll definitely be using 'em. The more tanks the merrier! We're meeting up in Perpetua tomorrow. Opie: And hey! You're both practically right outside the freaking city? What are the odds of that? You could just pop open a portal and be here in no time! Tristan: Give us a sec.

Sophie had given him a sign that she'd wanted to talk, and not through the party chat.

"I think I'm going to wait to tell them about my astrals when we're in person. People tend to get a bit weird when they learn I've got three. The title helps, but they can't see that yet."

Tristan nodded as he faced Sophie fully. "Yeah, that makes sense to me. So now the question is whether you want to meet up with them today. I'm fine with it, obviously, but what do you say?"

"Wow," she responded, "I mean, why not, right? Better to meet a few of our future raid members before we get totally overwhelmed by the whole lot of them. And you said it was going to be a 10-person, right? Gods among and above us! That means we're going to Cinderbark's Fall!" Suddenly she was even more excited, like she was pushing all the way to an 11 on a scale that had only ever gone to 10 before.

Tristan: Actually, yeah, we'll just hop through a portal. Want to meet up tonight? Opie: ABSOLUTELY MY DUDE! AND GET EXCITED!! We're going to be raiding before you even know it! Chessa: Take your time getting here, though. There's no rush. Opie: Of course there's a rush! It's Tristan! Opie: Anyway, as soon as you get to Perpetua, we'll come find you, OK? I can't wait to freaking see you! And if you think you've got stories to tell, dude, just wait till you hear about my EPIC STAFF QUEST! Chessa: Gods, please no. Opie: Hah, oh yeah! And I'll make sure to go over all the fun parts in excruciating detail!

Beside him, Sophie's eyes had widened quite a bit. "Are they always like this?"

Tristan chuckled. "Yes and no. Honestly, I bet they think they're toning it down for your sake."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Uh huh."

Opie: Anyway, tell me as soon as you get here! Chessa and I'll start scouting for a good table right away! OPIE OUT!!

Tristan let out a sigh. Fully turning his attention back to Sophie and Mister Biggs, he couldn't help but smile. "So that's Opie."

Sophie laughed. "Yeah, I gathered. But Chessa seemed nice from what I saw."

"She has to be, to make up for Opie. He's, well, he's kind of a lot."

She laughed. "Tristan, I grew up around some crazy people. How bad could he be?"

- - - - -

Tristan hadn't exactly read a lot about the city of Perpetua. He'd never imagined leaving Woodsedge as a boy, so he'd never really read all that much about anything that wasn't directly related to smithing, dungeons he wanted to explore, or his Path. But he'd still heard a lot about Perpetua. It was the City of Cities, after all, sometimes called the Boundless City or the City of Endless Growth. It was a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and he'd never quite understood what that meant.

But now? Now he was fairly sure he actually didn't understand even half of what this place was.

For one, it was hard to classify how big it was! Enormous, colossal, titanic... It was bigger than all of those. It might even be bigger than all of them combined. And beyond that, it was always growing.

The city would never again be as it was today. If he was seeing it like some painting, he wouldn't even have to wait until tomorrow for that painting to be outdated.

There were so many people moving around that it reminded him of how he'd felt when he first saw Rockmoor--except now he was comparing Perpetua's activity to that small city instead of Woodsedge, and it was still impressive. While most of those people in Rockmoor had been going about their own business, here in Perpetua, the majority moved about on City business.

Roads were being cobbled or repaved, buildings were being constructed or repaired, and everywhere there was a sense of purpose that felt nearly tangible. It made him wonder if he should be joining in, and definitely not just gawking.

Walking through street after street lined with vendors, he couldn't help but believe that there were more things bought and sold daily in this place than in all the other markets he'd ever been to combined. There were all kinds of voices that were mostly speaking the common tongue, but there were also a few using exotic sounds he'd never heard before.

Interesting. I wonder what they're talking about?

Coins, spices, and gems of all shapes and sizes changed hands in what Tristan could only assume were bargained prices.

As he'd explained to Sophie, he was just looking to pick up a few materials before meeting up with Opie and Chessa. He really wanted to fix his new spatial storage bag somehow, so he wouldn't have to rely on her to open it whenever he needed something. But suddenly he worried that he'd take hours just to find a simple smithing supplier.

There were all sorts of other shops and businesses lining the roads. He glanced down one side street that practically looked like a garden with all the flowers and plants--several even blooming out of the walls and street itself. Down a little farther and across the way, he saw signs that could only be for melee and martial arts trainers. One in particular caught his eye:

{Inheritor} Dojo of the Stormfist

Offering lessons for the newly Awakened, untrained, or those looking to alter their Path. Open 6 days a week.

Join our proud family, our legacy of excellence.

Tristan wasn't sure what to think of that at first, as he'd never heard of an [Inheritor] Dojo. He knew what an [Inheritor] was thanks to being offered the title with one of the Classes in his Tier 2 selection. But did this whole dojo work under an [Inheritor], or was it specializing in granting those that wanted it the Class? He didn't know, but it was interesting.

Drifting a little closer, he could see that there were flyers and magical posters displaying a few repeated faces that all grinned animatedly out at any that passed by. He could see that beneath all their faces were names, and most shared a surname: Stormfist.

So it's not just the dojo name, but the family name, too.

He supposed that made sense for a dojo that specifically advertised itself with [Inheritor] Classes.

Down the road and across the street, he could see that there was another, no doubt rival dojo. While the Stormfist dojo seemed draped in yellows and purples, the other was markedly green and orange. He was about to go investigate it closer when Sophie called him back to the main street.

"Oh, Tristan, come look at these!" the astralist called as Sneakers alighted on her shoulder. She was standing just outside the entrance to a rather large and well-protected stall. It was surrounded by walls of clear glass, though Tristan got the distinct impression that they were magically reinforced.

Tristan approached with spiking curiosity. He could tell how excited Sophie was, but all he saw within those glass walls was a collection of odds and ends that didn't make much sense. There were odd-looking fruits and nuts, uncut stones, clumps of grasses, irregular gemstones, and more. It was totally eclectic and made little sense to him.

"What am I looking at?" he asked.

Sophie blinked at him before laughing lightly. "So you don't have natural treasures in Woodsedge either?"

Tristan puffed up a little defensively. "We do, of course we do, but we just don't have... Look how many of them there are! And they're just for sale?" He sighed. "Makes it seem sort of silly how much effort people go through to hunt them down back home."

Sophie moved closer to him. "So wait, have you never had one before?"

Tristan shrugged, moving slightly forward. "I spent my time in the forge..." Then he saw the prices. "Oh, gods!"

"Yeah, they're not cheap," Sophie acknowledged. "But for permanent boosts that are almost always extremely useful for the rest of your Path, it doesn't seem that unreasonable, does it?"

"No, I suppose not," Tristan said as he eyed a table full of price tags--in platinum--with lots of zeroes.

"Since this would be your first, I could buy you one," Sophie offered.

"At these prices?"

"Think of it as returning the favor for getting me all those early levels. You invested in me when no one else wanted to, and now I'd like to invest in you."

"But taking you through the Deepstone Mines was really easy for me."

"And paying for this will be just as easy for me."

Tristan considered her offer carefully before finally saying, "If you're sure, then I think I would appreciate that. But which one...?" He started bending down to read the small text written on the cards beside the items, each explaining the benefits the natural treasure would provide.

Permanently boosts Intelligence. Permanently increases mana pool. Permanently adds spell damage, melee damage, elemental damage. And those were just the mid-range items. There were a few less expensive tables nearer the front, but Sophie walked past them without so much as a glance, heading straight to the rear. He drifted behind her, trying not to fall too far behind as he glanced about. Sophie seemed to be eyeing a few things in the glass case right beneath where the owner had positioned himself.

"I can see that you're only interested in the exceptionally rare," the small, goateed man said with a winking smile, "similar to that title."

Sophie replied with a cold detachment that felt odd to Tristan, as it wasn't something he'd heard from her before. "I'm after quality, and whether that turns into a sale for you depends entirely on what you have to offer," she said, practically looking down her nose, "and whether your prices are all as inflated as those middle tables." She flicked her wrist dismissively toward the items Tristan had just been inspecting.

He realized very quickly that this transformation was well practiced, and as a result she was good at talking to vendors like this.

"Yes, of course, my worthy friend. I think you'll find that what I have far outshines the offerings of my competitors--and if you find any of them with a lower price, why, then I'll beat it! On this you have my word!"

"I'm sure," Sophie said, turning toward Tristan and lowering her voice so only he could hear, "just as I'm sure they'll all be priced exactly the same."

"What was that?" the merchant asked.

Sophie turned about slowly and indicated Tristan. "My friend and I are in the market for his first natural treasure. He has a rather uncommon Path--a hybrid of crafting and melee--and I'd like to help him along it."

"Of course, miss, of course! Might I recommend..." The merchant then spent the better part of five minutes going through all of the highest-priced items he had that could possibly benefit either side of Tristan's Path. Some of the highlights, which also happened not to be the most expensive, were:

A gray root that, when digested, would grant him greatly enhanced vision.

A stone that could be absorbed into one of his hands to make it virtually impervious.

A vial of glowing golden energy that doubled a person's Source capacity when drunk.

A cluster of flower petals that could be eaten raw to improve mana manipulation.

But then something caught his eye that he felt fell into the sweet spot of sorts. It was just past the edge of "the rich table," as he'd started to mentally call it, but it also had a look about it he couldn't ignore. It glittered in a way that he couldn't quite explain, since it seemed to only do so from the corner of his eye. Whenever he looked straight at it, it just appeared to be a normal bunch of sky blue berries.

He picked up the card and read:

Sageberries - 1 bunch (6 berries), 240 plat. Items you craft can hold more magic. +2% per berry.

Sophie quietly appeared at his elbow a moment later. "Oh, so this is what caught your eye."

He held the card up so she could see and read it easily.

"That's a good choice," she lowered her voice, "but I could easily afford a bit more, Tristan, if that's your worry."

The easy nature of that statement kind of blew Tristan's mind. He himself now had more money than he'd ever had before, thanks to the sales of his "art" sword and his prize purses, but he still had a long way to go before he'd ever feel comfortable just dropping over 200 platinum on something like a bunch of berries! Even if they were a natural treasure, it still felt sort of mad to him.

"It's not that," he eventually replied to his friend, even if it was partially true. "I just think this will do me the most good now that I'm enchanting things." And later on I'll repay her for everything she's given me. In his head, he had opened a mental tab: he owed her for the healing, the mithril, and now this natural treasure.

Sophie spun about to face the merchant, who had begun to move around his counter with steepled fingers. "The berries will do," she said.

"A good and wise choice, of course, though might I suggest something for yourself as well, my--"

"No, I think this shall be plenty," Sophie cut him off. She held the card up distastefully. "Though this price, I'm sure, is just for the uninitiated, am I right?"

The man began to smile, though it did not seem to reach all the way to his eyes. "The price is what it is, my discerning friends."

"180," Sophie replied.

The merchant looked affronted. "180? My dear, I must feed each of my seven children and my dear wife every night. And! This cluster alone will boost his crafting by 12%! Such certainty in a treasure is quite valuable, and the amount granted is substantial!" He leaned in toward her. "What about 230?"

"190," Sophie countered, her face as unchanged as a statue.

The merchant looked wounded. "My dear, 190 is an insult--to both me and him! Think of this as an investment in his future! He is a craftsman, and being able to add more magic into an item will allow him to recoup these miniscule expenses, perhaps quite quickly! Have more faith!" The merchant's eyes glinted. "220."

Sophie slid the card back onto the table beside where the berries rested. "I think not. We meet in the middle at 200 and call it fair. That is my final offer."

The merchant made a show of wringing his hands. "'Fair,' she says. 'Fair,' at 200 platinum pieces! That isn't even the middle, which would be 205! Still," he held out his hand and his smooth smile widened. "I believe we've found a suitable deal. One that hopefully earns the returning patronage of a discerning customer."

Sophie nodded, produced a small pouch, quickly counted some coins within it, and handed it to the goateed man. "Thanks for your help," she said.

"And thank you, friends, for your business! May those berries serve you well and boost your Path!" He lifted the bunch from the table and placed them delicately on Tristan's palm.

Well, Tristan thought, both impressed with Sophie and grateful, It may have cost a bit less, but I'm still going to pay it all back.

A step outside the magical glass walls, Tristan turned to Sophie and stopped, shaking his head. "That was too much, but, really, thank you."

Sophie smiled up at him and took the moment to reposition her necklace--the one he'd given to her--so it was more visible around her neck. "You're welcome. I'm glad I could do it."

"I'm going to pay you back--"

"That's totally unnecessary."

"But I will anyway," Tristan promised.

Sophie sighed. "I'm sure. No matter what I say, you'll probably do it anyway. But know that I don't need it. Like I said on the Ark, maybe find a way to pay me back in a way that isn't coin. Just enjoy the berries, OK? They're your first natural treasure! So eat up, enjoy the flavor, and like the man said, I hope they serve you well!"

Tristan took the first berry to his mouth, and by all the gods, in that moment, it was the most delicious thing he'd ever tasted. Savoring each, he finished the bunch and opened his Status to admire their effects. It was definitely worth missing out on getting the supplies to upgrade his prize bag, at least for now.

STATUS:

Tristan Hammerson Human L18 Swordsmith/8 Swordsman/9 Enchanter {{Student of Jamal}}

Stats: STR 89 (+26) AGI 39 (+7) END 87 (+16) INT 19 (+1) WIS 21 (+1) ILL 48 (+5)

Core: [Soul-Forged] Items you craft replace a portion of the required materials with soul, are greatly enhanced, and become Soulbound. You may only use Soulbound items.

Titles: {Ark Aficionado}, {Ark Winner}, {Awakened}, {Fledgling Dungeon Delver}, {Lonely Dungeoneer}, {Soulscarred}, {{Student of Jamal}}

Skills: [Augment], [Blade Echo], [Bless], [Craft Armor], [Craft Shield], [Craft Tool], [Craft Weapon], [Create: Portable Forge], [Disenchant], [Gather Ore], [Identify], [Imbue], [Infuse], [Inscribe], [Permanent Party], [Repair Item], [Rivalry], [Sharpen Blade], [Work Metal]

Attacks: [Blade Flurry], [Cleaving Slash], [Piercing Thrust], [Riposte]

Passives: [Agility Up II], [Blade's Resolve], [Born Blacksmith], [Calendar], [Clock], [Combat Reflexes], [Endurance Up II], [Enhance Craft I], [Heat & Fire Resistance], [In a Hurry], [Inspiring Blade], [Magic Resistance], [Manipulate Magic], [Strength Up III], [Will Up I]

Natural Treasures: 6/20: [Sageberry VI]

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