REYTH
Reyth closed out her Status Menu and shifted in her seat uncomfortably. In most ways, the cities of the Homeland were more advanced and luxurious than what the Sisterhood had access to. This was no different, with the short seat plushly padded, a cushion with a soft and yielding material within kept warm by a minor enchantment. It was, by all accounts, more comfortable than most of the seats back home.
That decadence is what made Reyth uncomfortable now. Not because she felt it unearned, but after years on the road and sleeping at whatever shelter offered her space, the former attendant couldn’t get used to the softness. It just didn’t feel stable to her. Every heartbeat, the seat shifted in a tiny but measurable manner. It was supposed to conform to her rear and hips to help her be at ease, but to Reyth it just felt unstable.
“Reyth of the Duskwall Sisterhood!”
The call was sudden, and it caused a number of looks to be sent her way. Reyth rose quietly and strode toward the attendant, handing over the spear that had granted her entry. The others waiting in the grand hall gave puzzled expressions that Reyth had been the first one called. Some might have realized that the presence of one from the Sisterhood was unusual enough already, but that did not take the frustration out of their wait.
She left the waiting hall behind, following the two attendants that had come to fetch her. Now weaponless, Reyth followed a respectful distance behind the well-trained guards, trying not to let her discomfort show. She had thought she had no problem with men… but it was very different being surrounded by them at almost all times. She now understood how the visitors to the Sisterhood had felt unwelcome despite being unable to point to any unfriendly acts.
The guards walked in silence, so Reyth did as well, keeping her step light. Her body ached still, despite several days of rest before Messenger had awakened. It was uncomfortably warm for her in the Homelands, compared to the cooler climate of the Sisterhood, but at least the vaulted ceiling of the wide hallways kept the inside somewhat cooler than the city itself.
The city of Messenger’s Rest was not one of the oldest cities in the Homeland, but it was large and important. It had grown up around Messenger herself, the Elder Dragon that had just refused to move when the elves moved into the area one day. Instead, they’d set up a mutually beneficial arrangement.
The elves would watch over and protect Messenger during the dragon’s frequent slumbers. When she awoke, they would inform her of all that had transpired while she was asleep. Then, she would accept several petitioners to state their skills and experience. To some few of these, she would grant Quests before returning to her sleep.
Most dragons sought out elves to give Quests. Most of those Quests were given by younger dragons, not the Elder Dragons, so they were simpler, shorter, and less rewarding. An Elder Dragon that could be reached relatively easily was a rarity, and sometimes Messenger would give bits of lore that only dragons knew.
This brought a lot of people to the city, which was already nestled on a land bridge between two seas. Becoming a trade hub was inevitable at that point, especially when even seeing Messenger required an offering of some type. It could be very expensive to petition the dragon.
Fortunately for Reyth, what counted as an offering was usually not monetary. Most elves who really wanted a Quest were still in areas that used barter heavily, and the dragon heavily preferred interesting stories or items to treasures that only the elves would be able to use. Messenger’s Rest was already one of the wealthiest cities in the world, so the local elves did not mind the lack of revenue from many petitioners… and the ones who did pay, paid quite a lot.
Reyth found the opulence a little jarring. In the Sisterhood, great pains had been taken to make the buildings and walls and furniture look aesthetically pleasing, but each structure still had a defined purpose. Here, many of the halls and pillars were merely decorative, and she could tell that some of the tables and seats were just there so the halls did not look empty. She wondered if the elves had gone soft, here.
She herself was not a great warrior, even after her year-plus journey to the Homeland. She had attached herself to other travelers whenever possible, as even now the Ancestral Road could be very dangerous. Confrontation was to be avoided, and Reyth had taken that to heart. That did not mean she had never had to fight for her life during the trip, but the odds were in her favor then, with seasoned escorts supporting her.
Yet she still had the feeling that in a direct confrontation, she might be able to take one. It was not an idea she wanted to test, especially since there was rarely just one guard around, but their idyllic lifestyle chafed at her for some reason.
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“Elder Messenger, the first petitioner has arrived! Reyth, from the Duskwall Sisterhood!”
The guard’s words snapped Reyth out of her increasingly irritated thoughts and back to the present. They had reached a large open space, and the dragon herself lay in the middle. Scales of brushed copper faded to white, giving a rippling appearance whenever she moved… not that she did much of that.
Reyth swallowed. She hadn’t been prepared for the sheer size of Messenger. The dragon was shimmering and gorgeous in the light, but so much bigger than she’d expected. She’d seen dragons in the distance during her journey, and she’d had the expected awe in seeing them. This was on another level, and it made her stomach sink and her head spin.
While Reyth trembled, the guard stepped forward. “As an offering, she has brought news of the discovery of a new people, who create strange metals like the one on this spear.” Her spear was lain in front of Messenger, who gazed at it in silence. The haft was normal, but the tip had been a gift from the dwarves. She called it ‘Darkmetal’ since it was metal and dark, but its incredible ability to channel Entropic mana was the most interesting part.
“Mmm.” Messenger rumbled deep in her throat, but only glanced at the spear. The massive dragon’s yellow eyes moved to Reyth herself, staring for a long while before raising a claw and beckoning her closer. “Come. Guards, you may leave. This one has secrets she does not wish to share.”
The statement made Reyth stiffen, then take a deep breath and step forward. The guard looked at her in confusion before dipping his ears toward Messenger and backing away, making an exit from the courtyard. That did nothing to ease Reyth’s anxiety. Did the dragon somehow know about her Quest? Would this count as revealing it?
Once the guards were gone, Messenger simply stared at Reyth. The elf held her breath, uncertain if she should say anything. Heartbeats passed, with no motion from the dragon. Reyth tried to calm herself with the knowledge that if she bonded after this, it would leave quite the impression on her memory-descendants.
“You have great potential,” Messenger finally spoke. It was a throaty rumble, and in elvish, not translated. “A fourth class is open to you, yet you have not chosen one. How unusual. And you have met Those Who Live Beneath?”
Reyth blinked, her ears twitching upward. “I gained the fourth class recently, and do not want to choose something that is a poor fit.” Then her ears lowered in defeat. “You… already know about the dwarves? Do all dragons know?”
Messenger let out a quiet huff of breath that still sounded like a loud snort to Reyth. “The Elder Dragons have long known that something dwells beneath the earth. They are part of the System, so we are aware of them. To know that they have encountered elves… that is news worthy of your presence, more than this weapon. Why do you desire a Quest so much that you have travelled so far?”
“I do not wish to take a Quest, Elder.” The quick answer Reyth gave caused one of the dragon’s wings to twitch, but she remained silent so the explanation could continue. “That is one reason why I was allowed to go first. I have no Quest of my own, only that information. I seek advice in how to spread the word that the dwarves have knowledge and goods that the elves may desire. Goods like that spear.”
By this time, most of the Homeland had already heard of dwarves, if only in rumors. The idea that they had something to trade worth journeying so far away was more rare. Much, much more rare. Reyth had tried, but had no success in convincing anyone. She knew no one in the Homeland, making her task nigh impossible until she made some friends. If the Quest hadn’t stated such a heavy penalty – penalties were rare to begin with – she might have just ignored it.
Or maybe not. Ignoring Quests tended to result in never getting Quests again. She hadn’t considered that a big deal since she lived with the Sisterhood all her life, but now that she was out in the rest of the world, Quests were a lot more useful.
Messenger pondered, her head lifting up as she regarded Reyth thoughtfully. “I know little of elf social customs, but it would seem that you must place yourself into a position of trust, where you can advise the group on your desires. I also know that this takes a great amount of time.”
The Elder Dragon lifted a talon, pointing it toward the diminutive elf with a low rumble in her throat. “You have traveled far to do this. You already have great dedication, and you meet the requirements for a class that would help you meet your goals. How committed are you to this task? Enough to use your fourth class for one that none have ever taken before?”
Reyth tilted her head to the side, her ears perked up. “I am not sure how a new class would help me do this. And how can no one have taken it before? I mean no offense, Elder, but I had heard you did not create the classes, only make them something we can understand.”
A low rumble issued from Messenger’s throat. “That is correct. At times, new classes appear, fully formed and ready to be chosen. Often we choose the names and descriptions of these classes, but at times – like this one – the names are given and we only describe the abilities. It is rare, and this is the first that has happened since my ascension.”
That told Reyth a lot more than even Messenger knew. First, quests given by the System itself. Now a new class appeared, which had not happened in a long while. A very long while. Messenger’s ascension had been over three thousand years ago, before even Reyth’s First Life. Something had caused the System to set things in motion, and Reyth felt… mixed feelings about that.
Should she be honored by such attention? Or was this a burden that would prove to be a sign of troubled times?
And if it were troubled times, did she want to be without any agency in them? Should she just hide away and let others do so?
“Why me?” She whispered that before looking up at Messenger. “How would this class help me? I don’t understand.”
The massive dragon lowered her head, and at the same time Reyth felt a pressure of mana. Her skills were not developed enough to sense what the spell was doing, only that the dragon had done something. Dragon magic worked differently anyway, she may never have the ability to know what it was.
Messenger’s explanation was quiet, very deliberate. “This class will allow you to request that a Quest be made for someone. You will not be able to form the Quest itself… but you will be able to create one and ask that another, who can assign Quests, give it to the target. It is something we have never seen one of your kind offered. Now you appear, with the exact requirements for it, with a need that matches it… I believe it is purposeful.”
Reyth wrinkled up her nose, tail dipping. It sure was convenient wasn’t it? Of course she could walk away and try doing this without the class. She didn’t need it, and she had over forty years left. But this would accelerate her task a great deal, she had to admit. And…
Her heart fluttered. She had always wanted to be something more. In the Sisterhood, her position had been deceptively important. This let her be just the same for the entire Homeland, did it not?
“I accept,” she murmured.
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