A clinic in Blue Pine town is preparing to change shifts. There can be any number of injured or ill in the dead of night as well as the day. It wasn’t quite night yet, but the sun was giving the tell tale signs of setting. As the day gives way to the night, physicians and doctors prepare to return to their homes, while others take their place.
One gentle soul among them is a boy. He was a 13-year-old boy with pink hair and golden eyes and wore fine, but dirty clothes and an apron over it.. His name was Halerd Albrinter. He was of noble birth, but he didn’t have the heart to fight for the title of heir like his brothers and sisters. Instead he focused on training to be a doctor. Someone who heals people. He had begged and pleaded for the physicians at the clinic to let him study under them. Eventually his stubbornness paid off and he was in training. Today he was caring for a town guard who had been injured in the raid on the Blood Hoof gang.
A Corporal Falock had been the first to breach the back door to the brewery that was functioning as a front for the Blood Hoof gang. For being the first in, he had been shot 3 times. Once in the leg, once in the arm and the last was in his chest. He was lucky that the bullet did not cut through any important organs. Still, he was told he would be bedridden for days. Halerd was changing the Corporal’s bandages.
“So anyway, learn from my mistakes kid. Please, have a better taste in girlfriends than me. Or boyfriends. Honestly after that breakup, I can’t recommend restricting your choice in a partner.” Corporal Falock said.
“It couldn’t have been that bad, sir.” Halerd said.
“Well, you weren’t there.” Falock chuckled. “Still, try to get a better taste in partner than me.”
“I will try sir.” Halerd said.
Corporal Falock chuckles as Halerd finished changing his bandages.
“I’m sorry. And thank you for hearing me out.” Corporal Falock said.
“No, thank you for opening your heart to me. I’m told that releasing the pain in the heart is as important as taking the bullets out of you.” Halerd said. “I can only hope that my taste in men or women surpasses yours.”
“I hope so too, kid.”
“Oh! Please, take a gander at this.” Halerd hands him a book. “It is a light novel from the east. It is a story of a hero who rose up to defeat his father’s killer. It’s full of action and friendship.”
“Hah. Yeah. I don’t have much else going on. Thanks kid.” Corporal Falock waves to the boy as he leaves with dirty bandages.
This was Halerd’s last assignment he was assigned and it was already getting late. He brings the dirty bandages to a room that the clinic was using as a place to store hazardous materials before disposal. With his final task done, he prepared to leave. He finds the physician he was training under to tell him he was about to leave or if there was an outstanding emergency that needed an extra pair of hands. Easily enough, Halerd enters one of the wards and finds the physician.
“I’m about to leave, is that alright with you doctor?” Halerd said.
“Halerd! Good timing. I’ll need you in a minute, come here and sit with your sister.”
Halerd Albrinter went wide eyed at those words. He looked around the room and found his sister, Velaura Albrinter sitting in a chair while a red haired girl was with the physician.
“I-uhm. Right away.”
Halerd walked over to where his sister was seated. The doctor snapped his fingers to get his attention.
“This girl here has a dislocated shoulder. Do you know what that means?” the doctor said.
“It means that the bone isn’t in the right place.”
“That’s right. This is the kind of injury that needs a bit of precision. Now, they’re not dying. So don’t try and fix it fast. Watch.”
The doctor extends Ren’s arm and then moves it like how one of the Albrinter family servants holds a tray before serving a dish. The sound of bones snapping and clunking together can be heard.
“There we go. That was… a lot less screaming than I was expecting.” the doctor said.
“Don’t worry. It still hurts.” Ren said.
“Phew. I thought I mucked it all up.” the doctor joked. “Anyway, that’s it. You just don’t stress that arm out too much, you hear?”
“As long as I’m just walking and looking tomorrow.” Ren said.
“Alright. I changed your bandages and your arm is back in your socket. Are you sure you don’t want a cast?” the doctor asked.
“I’m sure.” Ren said.
“Alright, you get these kids home safe.” the doctor got up and patted both of the Albrinter children present on the shoulder and left.
“Humph!” Velaura turned her nose and looked up at those words.
Left in an awkward moment, Halerd spoke up.
“Uh-hi! I’m Halerd Albrinter. Are you acquainted with my sister?”
“I dunno. Maybe.” Ren said. “I’m Ren.”
“I see. Pleasure to meet you Ren.”
“I’m going to walk you both home and then I’ll be back in the morning.” Ren said.
“Why is that?” Halerd asked.
“Velaura asked for my help. So I’m going to help her.” Ren said flatly.
“I see.” Halerd nodded. “Thank you for aiding my sister in her affairs.”
“Don’t worry about it. Now, let’s get you both home.” Ren said.
The three of them leave and find their way to the Albrinter estate.
“Guards!” Velaura says to the guards. “This person will be arriving here in the morning as my guest. Please see her in when she arrives.”
“Of course, but we must inform your lord father.” the guard said.
“Sure, if he bothers to listen at all.” Velaura grumbles.
Velaura turns to face Ren again.
“Thank you again, Ren. And you were somewhat cool back there. I dare say your magical prowess surpasses my own. And perhaps your martial prowess matches my siblings. So I’ll rely on you.”
Velaura waves her hand. Within Ren’s head, a system message appears.
Quest
Repair the Albrinter estate’s ward and barrier.
Quest Accepted!
“I’ll be back later to take a look.” Ren said.
With that, they parted ways. The next morning was much more exciting.
“We are on high alert! All hands on deck! We're in it now!” a guard shouted.
The magic that protected the Albrinter estate had gone down. Everyone was in a panic and there’s a fair chance that someone smoking a pipe improperly dumped his ashes and a fire had broken out. All the while, Ren and Velaura was poking at magical stuff.
“So everything seems to be in order.” Ren said. “The barrier and ward fell from the puncture as expected. I would say that the problem is elsewhere on the property. Not from the outside.”
“Yes, and you found no issue with the magic circles.” Velaura said.
“It seems that the problem isn’t as simple as someone accidentally changing the circle. They are both even numbered in their polarity, which should have been expected from something that has been protecting a rich family.” Ren said in a plain tone of voice.
“We’re a noble family. Not a family of rich merchants or something like that.” Velaura corrected her.
“Sure. Sure.” Ren said as the two walked back to the front entrance of the Albrinter family estate.
Guards rushed up to lady Velaura. They ran to surround Ren with swords and spears, while other put shields between her and Velaura.
“My lady! Who is this?” one of them demanded.
“Uh, my guest. What’s going on?” Velaura asked.
“Someone has dispelled the ward and barrier!. We are locking down the whole estate! Please return to your room.” the guard said.
“Oh!” Velaura paused for a moment to think. “That uh… that was me. I asked her to help me test the barrier and… well… we dispelled it for a bit.”
The guards stare at Velaura for a moment. They give a heavy sigh and palm their foreheads. The two are taken inside and get to work on restarting the barrier. However, this appears to have been a rather rude awakening for most of the people who didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn.
“Velaura?” Did you do something weird again?” Halerd said as he peered into a secure room with magical circles inscribed.
“Don’t worry about it. If I woke you up, I’m sorry.” Velaura waved him away.
“So you’re joining in on the scheming too.” Halerd harrumphed.
“Whatever, go back to bed or something.” Velaura was working with Ren on some sort of magic.
“What is this now?” an older boy came through the same doorway Halerd stood in.
He also had pink hair and golden eyes. He wore what appeared to be a military uniform, but there are no marks of rank or nationality. At best he wore a short cape with what appears to be a rose in a sort of tiara or crown. He was a bit taller than Halerd. There is no mistaking the fact that they’re related.
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“I don’t know. Velaura brought a friend over.” Halerd said. “She seems nice at least.”
“Hah! Nice. Right.” So what, she’s some kind of mage?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. She only said her name was Ren.”
“Ren! Ah! That Ren. Blue Pine’s favorite adventurer, is it?” the older boy said.
“You know her?” Halerd asked.
“Know of her.” he says. “I’m going to go say hi.”
The older boy walks inside and greets the two girls at work on a magic circle.
“Hello! I see you’re both hard at work.” the boy extends a hand out towards Ren. “Gilligan Albrinter. Am I right to hear that you are Ren. The newly dubbed Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer?”
“Yep!” Ren said.
“Hmm.” Gilligan looked Ren over. “Mage robes. A katana. Spellbook. What about your status?”
Ren
Level 8 Warrior
Strength: 15
Magic: 25
Agility: 11
Vitality: 11
Magic Capacity: Clear
Titles: Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer
Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 3
Housekeeping Level 1
Netami Style
Netami Style: Form 1: Flash
Netami Style Form 2: Swallow Dive
Netami Style Form 3: Helm Splitter
Netami Style Form 4: Blade Wave
Spells:
Ice Bolt Level 2
Fireball Level 1
Haste Level 1
Raise Zombie Level 1
Stone Wall Level 2
Water Arrow Level 2
Blind Level 2
Locate Location Level 1
Project Mind Level 1
Magic Soft Fall Level 2
Chain Lightning Level 1
Basic Barrier Level 2
Whisper Sanctum Level 1
Magic Sense Level 2
Status: Injured
Left Leg Gunshot Severity 2 Bandaged
Right Arm Bite Severity 3 Bandaged, Dislocation Severity 1 Realigned
“Pfft. What is all this?” Gilligan chuckled. “What was there a grab bag of skills and spells and you managed to nab all of these? What even is your build? No, wait. What’s with all these spells when you’re a warrior?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Ren said.
“So, you learned some eastern sounding fighting style. You have a katana. You a weeb with tons of spells?” Gilligan said. “Don’t tell me you were training to be a mage and then you read one of those foreign light novels. Then you gave it all up to try and be one of those samurai you read about in those books.”
“Not really, no.” Ren said.
“I am impressed, though. A class promotion as a level 8. And you didn’t get the same ‘best education’ I did as a noble. Still, your build is far from optimal.” he chuckles. “You know, samurai would benefit a lot from shields. So much offense, but they’re not dominant. Far from it. Making the best build is about striking a balance. At minimum and to be useful, you must kill at least 2 enemies equal to your level. You must be able to kill an equal and survive long enough to kill another. That is the bare minimum someone should strive for. That becomes much harder with an unoptimized build. Pick up a shield and your defensive options would expand enough for you to survive to killing two equal to your level.”
“No. I need both hands on the sword.” Ren said. “Netami style is derived from kendo. It’s a fighting style with two hands on the sword. I can’t hold a shield.”
“Oh yes. Because those injuries of yours clearly say otherwise.” Gilligan scoffs. “Well, good luck with… whatever it is you’re doing here.”
Gillian gives a clap and begins to strut away. Before he leaves, Halerd tries to speak to him.
“Hey! You were really rude to her.” Halerd said.
“Well, she seemed nice.” Gilligan said as he continued his strut away.
Halerd looks on in disgust, but could do nothing against his older brother. He looks back at the two girls and saw that there was nothing for him to do and left them to their work.
“Hey, who was that?” Ren asked.
“Ugh, it was Gilligan. He’s a big fan of what he calls the ‘metagame’ or something. He also hates it when people aren’t using the most optimized builds and junk.” Velaura said.
“So, you need both hands to do anything. Did I hear that right?” Apherward spoke in a snide tone.
“Well, I’m sorry that the human form was created with two hands. And that some people respect that by holding their weapon in both.” Warumasa said.
“Oh, so you need both hands to do your wacky sword techniques?”
“Yes.”
“So all of your top skills that you’re so proud of has so many requirements to meet so that you can use them?”
“Are you actually trying to make fun of Netami style for requiring that someone use two hands?”
Despite the petty squabble in Ren’s head, the Albrinter estate’s ward and barrier were put back up without incident. Still, the question as to what the issue that Velaura spoke about was unsolved. To that end, Ren suggested a new strategy.
“As I said before, I am under the impression that the issue is with something in the interior. Something within the estate is the issue. Not on the outside. We have already seen that the problem isn’t the magic circles.”
“So it seems.” Velaura the 10-year-old girl tries to sound smart and sophisticated.
“Then a sweep of the grounds is necessary.”
“Of course. Cast your spell.”
“Magic Sense.”
Magic fills Ren’s very being. Her eyes glow and her hair seems to wisp in the air unnaturally, but strangely with purpose and direction. Within Ren’s head two voices speak of what Ren senses.
“Ah, come on! Nothing! Even here? With this spell?” Apherward cried out.
“Ugh, is this what using your sense for magic is like?” Warumasa said.
“Oh come on. Don’t tell me you actually benefit from Ren casting Magic Sense.”
“If this disgusting feeling is your spell, then yes.”
“Okay. Okay. Look, do you see anything?”
“No I don’t see anything.” Warumasa snaps back. “It’s like some strange weight is on me. Or I guess this weight is on the girl. Like a 6th sense rather than sight. Is this stuff safe for her?”
“Okay, let’s just try walking in the direction of this weight.”
“Let’s try this way.” Ren said.
She and Velaura walk off somewhere in the manor. They pass through a grand hall and garden. Velaura asks a question as they walk.
“Aren’t you going to say anything about the manor of Lord Albrinter?” Velaura asked.
“It’s big.” Ren said plainly.
“Is-is that it?”
“There are scores of rooms and space to conduct magical research. Maybe a place to build muscle, but I’m sure I haven’t seen what room you use to study or train.” Ren said in the flattest tone imaginable.
Velaura gives her a sideways glance as she speaks.
“This is the place.” Ren said as she pushed open a set of marble double doors.
“You mean our private temple?” Velaura asked.
Pushing the doors open, another young girl is inside. She too has the same pink hair and golden eyes that all the Albrinter siblings have. She wears white robes with golden thread lining the sleeves and collar.
“Who goes there?” the girl shouts.
“Hi! I’m Ren.” Ren says as she walks through the marble doors.
“Oh! I’m Unwo Albrinter. It is a pleasure to meet you.” the girl introduces herself.
Ren continues to head deeper inside the Albrinter family’s private temple. The building is a bit small, but made of marble. There are shrines dedicated to the various gods. Ren wordlessly walks to an idol and pulls it off the stone pedestal.
“What are you doing?” Unwo screamed.
“I found it!” Ren said as she pulled something wriggling from underneath the idol.
As the figure is peeled from the idol, it takes the form of a little skinny guy with horns and red skin.
“Ow! Ow, ow!” the figure speaks. “Foolish mortals! You shall pay for this with your very lives! Get ‘em boys!”
At those words, 9 other similar figures appear from some of the other idols and leap at Ren.
“Die! Mortals!!!” the tiny figure shouted with outreached claws the size of toothpicks.
Ren tosses the figure in her hands at the ones leaping at her.
“Waahh!!!”
“Hey! Outta the way!”
Ren had gotten into a draw stance with her katana.
“Blade flashing, steel drawn.
Your blade sang first, feel cold light.
In a blink, you die.
Form 1: Flash”
In a single explosive movement, she stepped forward as her arm flailed in the air. A familiar bone snapping sound resounded in the Albrinter family’s private temple.
Status: Injured
Right Arm Dislocated Severity 1
“Whoops.” Ren said as her arm went limp and her katana clattered to the ground.
“Look at what you did now, idiot!” Apherward said.
“Oh shut up!” Warumasa snapped. “You going to get one of your fancy magics to pull us out of the fire now?”
“I’ve already filled her magic capacity. After casting Magic Sense.”
“Yeah, and this is why you always carry a blade. NOW PICK ME UP OFF THIS FLOOR!”
“Oh, pick yourself up.”
“I-wait, can I move her from here?”
The 10 figures pounce at Ren. She easily side steps them. Before they could turn to pounce again, Ren had picked Warumasa up in her left hand.
“Oh! I can!” Warumasa said.
“Alright. What now?” Apherward said.
“I’m just going to stab them. They’re just imps, I can do this with one hand.”
“Oh, but those could be your cousins.” Apherward mocked.
“Oni and imps have no ancestry or common ancestry as you mortals know it. Or was that perhaps an insult?”
“Take it how you want. I’d busy myself with work if not for the fact that you’re breaking the poor girl to pieces.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just sit your hide down. This doesn’t require any of the forms. I’ll settle this with normal attacks.”
Though Ren lost the use of her right arm, she could use her left without issue. And instead of using one of her grand Netani style techniques, she makes a normal attack. Like swatting a fly, the first falls without issue. The nine other imps leap at her and attack as one. Ren tries to sidestep, but her left leg loses strength and she tumbles to the marble tiled floor. The imps try to follow up, but even on the floor Ren flicks her wrist with Warumasa in hand. Even in an uncomfortable position, this is enough to cut open the thin body of an imp. Ren steps forward and onto one knee to close the distance and slash with a bit more of a wind up to the swing this time. The blade catches another imp and it dies. Seven remaining imps keep their distance before one speaks up.
“Surround her, ya knuckle heads!”
The imps form two groups. One on Ren’s left and the other on her right. Ren takes this chance to get off her knee and stand properly. The imps initiate again.
“Now!” one of the imps shouted.
They all leap at Ren at once. Ren responds by pommel striking a poorly positioned imp to her right before pulling the blade out to the left to stab at an imp. They both fall dead. Of the remaining five, two of them manage to catch Ren with their claws. Both of them claw at Ren’s back as they pass beside her as they leap.
Status: Injured
Torso Cut x2 Severity 1
Ren rushes over and delivers a flurry of attacks. She rushes to her right and swings twice at a group of three. Two more imps meet their end at Ren’s blade and a third scrambles to put some distance between it and her. The two behind her leap at her back. Without looking, Ren thrusts her sword behind her back and runs the length of the blade through the imp. She turns to keep her back towards the last of the imps mid leap and it fails to reach her. The imp lands joining the last survivor of the group of three. It turns to face Ren as the other goes wide eyed.
“Look out!”
Both of the remaining imps are run through on the same sword thrust. The last of the imps had been slain by Ren. With victory in hand, the bodies of the imps turn into what appear to be pebbles.
“For fuck’s sake, man. You let her get cut by imps.” Apherward groaned.
“I know that was an insult, but I’m basking in too much blood and flesh to care.” Warumasa sighed with apparent satisfaction.
“What?” Apherward spoke with a concerned tone of voice.
“The blood and flesh of my enemies are a glorious thing. Oh how delightful it is.”
“Oh, I almost forgot I was stuck here with a demon. To think for a moment I thought demons infighting was out of the question. How silly of me.”
“Oh goodness!” Unwo Albrinter shouted. “Good miss, are you okay?”
“Don’t worry. I’m okay.” Ren said flatly as she sheathed her katana with her left hand because her right was dislocated. She also had two new cut wounds on her back.
“Please, wait a moment. I’ll heal you with magic.” Unwo said.
Unwo clasps her hands together. A divine light fills her hands before she presses them into Ren’s arms. A warm light washes over Ren as her various wounds and injuries begin to heal with divine light.
Ren
Level 8 Warrior
Strength: 15
Magic: 25
Agility: 11
Vitality: 11
Magic Capacity: Clear
Titles: Blue Pine’s Favorite Adventurer
Skills:
Swordsmanship Level 3
Housekeeping Level 1
Netami Style
Netami Style: Form 1: Flash
Netami Style Form 2: Swallow Dive
Netami Style Form 3: Helm Splitter
Netami Style Form 4: Blade Wave
Spells:
Ice Bolt Level 2
Fireball Level 1
Haste Level 1
Raise Zombie Level 1
Stone Wall Level 2
Water Arrow Level 2
Blind Level 2
Locate Location Level 1
Project Mind Level 1
Magic Soft Fall Level 2
Chain Lightning Level 1
Basic Barrier Level 2
Whisper Sanctum Level 1
Magic Sense Level 2
Status: Injured
Right Arm Dislocation Severity 1
“Ah! Your arm.” Unwo gasps. “I’m afraid my magic cannot help with that.”
Velaura thinks for a moment.
“Well, let’s see if Halerd is still here.” Velaura said.
Some minutes later, Halerd is at the privately owned temple.
“I only saw the doctor do this yesterday, so I may not be proficient in this.” he said.
Halerd lifts Ren’s arm and manages to set the bone back in place without issue.
“I think I got it.” Halerd said.
“Good job.” Ren said.
“Great, then if you’re done worrying, can we get back to our investigation?” Velaura said.
“Your friend here had just been attacked. You can’t expect her to just jump up and get to work again.” Halerd said.
“I agree with Halerd.” Unwo said. “You must give her time to rest.”
“No, I can keep going.” Ren said. “Velaura, the magics I found lead here. That leads me to believe that the issue stems from here. Particularly the idols enshrined here. When I investigated them further, we found those imps.”
At some point, Gilligan Albrinter arrived with some of the family security guards and his own soldiers. He is now listening very intently.
“This temple has eleven deities enshrined here, is that right?” Ren continued.
“Uhm, yes.” Unwo said.
“But there were only ten imps that emerged. So-” Ren got up to examine the only remaining idol that didn’t turn into an imp. “Name all the gods enshrined here, please.”
“Well, there’s Yerl God of Nobility, Vaesiliya Goddess of Fate, Talonkay God of War, Brasbran Goddess of Marksmanship, Ludeo God of Creation, Sathernee Goddess of Magic, Helaida Goddess of Nature, Jerchail God of Progress, Dalonder Goddess of Beauty, Urmahal God of the Home and Zeshtal God of Festivals. Those are the gods enshrined here, but what gods may be worshipped here is dependent on my lord father. However he cared not for the divines. From my understanding, these were the eleven deities that were enshrined when the Albrinter first received the title of Marquess.” Unwo said.
“So… um… which one is this?” Ren grabbed the last surviving idol.
“That is an idol dedicated to Yerl God of Nobility.” Unwo said.
“Well, this one is the only one that didn’t turn into an imp.” Ren said. “I am of a mind that someone put demon stuff in your shrine and it messed with your wards and barriers.”
“Woah!” Velaura, Unwo and Halerd gasped.
“Can you tell if everything is okay with the barrier and ward?” Velaura said.
“Yeah, it should be okay now.” Ren said.
Velaura thought for a moment.
“Can we wait a few days to see if they have any problems in the next few days?” Velaura said.
“Yep.” Ren said.
