Chương 35: An Unfortunate Name

Ch. 35 - An Unfortunate Name Wyatt and Kit set off just before mid-morning. It was a pang to leave the farmhouse behind, but Wyatt knew they would be back. He was already making plans, thinking of how he could improve both the fields and the living conditions. But to do anything, he would need gold — which made the stacks of fruit that Wyatt had in his bag of holding very comforting.

It was a gloriously sunny day, with the clouds drifting slowly so high above them that Wyatt could barely make them out as anything more than fuzzy white wisps.

The light breeze that seemed endemic in the dungeon was blowing behind them as they walked, making the journey seem even more pleasant.

"It's hard to tell with this map, but I think it should only be a few hours until we reach the ruin." Kit nodded agreeably as Wyatt made some notations on his own burgeoning map. There weren't all that many landmarks in sight, but he still added in every copse of trees they passed, every ruined structure, painting details in what had otherwise been a blank expanse.' Lera didn't say what time she was getting there, did she?' Wyatt shook his head.

"No, just that she'd meet us there on the fifth day. I figure getting there around lunchtime is the safest bet." Their journey passed by without incident, until they rounded a bend on the path and the ruin came into view. It was more impressive than Wyatt had expected, a sprawling ruin of what appeared to be a medieval castle, situated atop a hill. The outer walls had mostly crumbled outwards, with huge blocks of stone littering the slopes leading up to it, almost looking like the structure had been blown up.

The ramparts and towers of the ruin were a shadow of their former glory, broken bones of mortar and stone clawing at the sky. There were a number of people moving around the ruins that Wyatt could see, Adventurers he assumed, and he figured this must be one of the locations that Raek had mentioned. They started the trek up the hill, and Wyatt recognised Lera in the distance — going mostly by her blue skin — waiting at the base of the ruin.

There were two people standing with her, another Protean judging by the green skin, and a man with black hair.

"They must be members of her party."

'Most likely.' Lera had spotted them at this point, and was waving her arms and shouting down at them. Kit's voice sounded amused as she looked up the hill at the Adventurer.

'She really isn't restrained at all, is she.' Wyatt smiled as they walked up to meet their friend.

"I like her."

'Yes, I've noticed.' Wyatt raised an eyebrow at the odd tone in Kit's voice.

"What, you don't?" Kit sniffed.

'I didn't say that. Come on, before she charges down the hill at us.' Kit sped up and Wyatt had to break into a light jog to keep up with her. The slope of the hill wasn't steep, but his calves were burning by the time they reached the three Adventurers on the hill. He smiled at Lera, but before he could greet her, the Silver rank Adventurer enfolded him into a tight embrace. Wyatt's breath rushed out of his lungs, reminiscent of the last time he ate a hug from the Protean.

This time was a little rougher as Lera was fully armoured. Lera jostled Wyatt affectionately as she hugged him.

"You made it! I'm so glad, now I don't have to go searching for you!" Wyatt tapped Lera on the back urgently. It was hard to talk.

"Yes, I'm fine, but — let go? Please?" Lera ruffled Wyatt's hair as she let go, giving him an unapologetic grin. She didn't let him get far, instead gripping Wyatt by the upper arms, holding him at arms length.

"Sorry about that — here, let me get a look at you again. Hmmm. Yes, you seem a lot more lively out here than in the city." Wyatt rubbed at his chest ruefully. Her armour had dug in hard enough that he was fairly certain it was going to bruise.

"Thanks. You as well, I guess." Wyatt took the chance to look at her more closely. She was fully armed and armoured, with a sword on one hip, and a long knife on the other. She had intricately carved vambraces on both forearms, and her body and legs were protected by a mix of plate and chainmail. She wasn't wearing a helmet, but Wyatt figured she could just as easily have it in a bag of holding. Lera gave Wyatt a playful smirk, posing ever so slightly under his gaze.

"Get a good look?" Wyatt felt his face begin to flush.

"Sorry, I was just —" Lera laughed loudly, cutting Wyatt off. She turned to look at her two companions.

"See, isn't he great? He's actually fairly competent, but he blushes so easily! Don't worry, Wyatt, you can admire away — I don't mind. And Lady Fox! I see you've managed to keep him in one piece." Kit swished her tail about in the air, silently laughing in agreement. At that, one of Lera's companions, the green-skinned Protean, came forward. Unlike Lera, she wasn't wearing any armour, instead wearing a long robe with a split on one side up to her mid-thigh, under which Wyatt could see leggings.

Like Lera, she was distractingly beautiful, but her 'hair' was very short, affecting the appearance of tight curls that framed her face. The green Protean glanced at the still-laughing Lera.

"So he's the one?" A guarded look suddenly came over Lera's face, choking off her laughter, and she nodded cautiously at her companion.

"Yes, but don't —" Wyatt started in surprise as he was suddenly hugged for the second time in as many minutes. The green Protean threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, although not nearly as strongly as Lera had. Wyatt stood stock still, not knowing what to do with his arms, so he just held them awkwardly at his side. He was intensely aware of how soft her body was, the robe she was wearing doing little to disguise her curves. The Protean pulled back slightly, smiling warmly up into Wyatt's face.

She leant forward and placed a kiss on his cheek, then turned her head and kissed him again on the other cheek. She smiled wider, her face distractingly close to his. The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"When you get back to the city, I'm taking you out for drinks. And I won't take no for an answer, got it?" She prodded Wyatt playfully in the chest with a finger. Wyatt gaped for a moment, glancing back at Kit. The fox was staring hard at the Protean. Wyatt swallowed.

"Uh, alright?" Lera came in between them, and pushed her companion away from Wyatt. She laughed, but it sounded a little strained. Her face had flushed a slightly darker shade of blue.

"Alright, Celia, don't make such a big thing of it." The green Protean, Celia, brushed at her robes, retorting hotly.

"And don't you make a small thing out of it, Lera. Wyatt, I'll look you up in Skalholm." Celia threw Wyatt a wink, and Lera sighed. The blue Protean gestured resignedly at her friend.

"Wyatt, Lady Fox — this hussy is Celia, the [Mage] of our party, Veiled Legacy. The stoic guy back there who's silently judging us is Theo, our [Rogue]. So watch your valuables around him." Theo folded his arms across his chest, letting out a long-suffering sigh.

"I'm a [Rogue], Lera, not a [Thief]. It's good to meet you Wyatt. I hear you only just became an Adventurer?" Wyatt nodded at him, glad of the distraction. He hadn't been expecting this kind of welcome. Theo was wearing fairly normal clothing, if in dark colours, with a loose assortment of leather armour.

"That's right, almost a week ago now." Theo gave him a vaguely approving smile.

"And already entering the dungeon alone. I did something similar when I was starting out. Just make sure you don't miscalculate the risks. There's no second chances when you're Adventuring on your own." Lera broke in, having recovered some of her aplomb.

"He's not alone. Lady Fox keeps him on track." Theo gave her an amused look.

"Ah, of course. So, Wyatt, did you encounter any noteworthy monsters?" Wyatt got the feeling the Adventurer was humouring him, for all that it didn't come across as condescending. Theo and Celia both felt strong, very sure of themselves, if not quite as strong as Lera. So Wyatt just gave the [Rogue] a self-deprecating shrug.

"Not much, it's quite peaceful here. There was a group of Armoured Tuskers yesterday though. The boar attacked me, but …" Wyatt shrugged again, giving them a rueful smile. The members of Veiled Legacy all laughed, understanding what he meant at once. Celia even tutted, affecting a sorrowful look.

"Poor things, I hope you weren't too harsh with it. Lera, you fought a group of those once, didn't you?" Lera groaned.

"Don't remind me! Too slow and pitiful to make a good fight, too hard to kill. I ended up running in the end." Wyatt blinked at her.

"You did?" Lera wagged a finger at Wyatt's face.

"Hey, no judging — it's the smart thing to do. Accidents can happen to the best of us, and could you imagine the ignominy of dying to one of those things?" Lera shuddered. Theo rolled his eyes at her, and gave Wyatt a significant look.

"Ignore her when she pretends to be all delicate. An entire herd of those damn things could spend all day trampling over her and she would barely notice." Lera glared at her teammate.

"Don't make me come over there." Theo raised an eyebrow at her, a smile quirking at his lips.

"As if you could catch me." Wyatt couldn't help but smile. Now he was over the surprise at the greeting he'd received, he could tell how close the three of them were. Still, he'd only expected to see Lera here, as the ruin wasn't exactly close to the portal back to Skalholm.

"So did you all have business here, maybe at the ruin? Or …?" Celia smiled warmly at him, shaking her head.

"No, we just came to see who Lera was meeting. She was quite effusive at the start, and then incredibly coy when we said we'd come along. Which of course made it even more critical that we join her." Lera muttered under her breath, kicking at rocks on the ground. Wyatt smiled.

"I wasn't expecting to meet her whole team today." Celia breezily waved her hand.

"Oh, we aren't the full extent of Veiled Legacy. The others went back to the city already. It was just Theo and I who came along." Theo nodded.

"We aren't staying. I only came to accompany Celia on her way back, no matter what she's implying. If you leave our [Mage] to her own devices, she's liable to get lost." Celia scowled, swatting at Theo who effortlessly swayed out of the way.

"Beastly man." Lera smiled hopefully at her teammates.

"Well, now you've seen that Wyatt is here safe and sound and we don't have to go looking for him … you're free to head back." Celia shook her head mournfully.

"So heartless. And after you were missing for so long, Lera." Lera groaned.

"Celia … look, Wyatt — do you have any more dungeon fruit?" Wyatt blinked at her. He placed a hand on his bag of holding.

"Yeah, lots. I stocked up before I came to meet you."

"Great! Celia, Theo — Wyatt can give you a parting gift for the road." Wyatt pulled a few of the fruit out of his bag.

"Oh, sure. I know they don't look like much, but they really —" Theo's eyes had bulged when he saw the fruit. He let out an incredulous laugh, taking a subconscious step backwards.

"What are you — don't tell me you've been eating Bronze Nutsacks!" Wyatt paused, looking down at the admittedly shrivelled fruit he was holding. Even with [I Procure Only the Very Best], the outside didn't look all that improved. Only the juicy insides of the fruit were noticeably different.

"Wait, what did you call them?" Lera looked offended, almost incensed at the name.

"Yeah, Theo — what are you on about?" Theo looked from Wyatt to Lera, disbelief writ large on his face.

"You're having me on aren't you — Lera, you know what I'm talking about, surely. Those bushes that grow by the rivers here. I mean, these ones look pretty dried up and shrivelled, but it's late in the year so I guess they are on the way out. They usually look ripe and plump, so heavy that they weigh the bushes down. Bronze rankers always try them for some reason — they taste absolutely foul." Wyatt turned the fruit over in his hand. He'd only used his skill, [I Can (probably) Eat That!] on a whim, as the fruits had admittedly looked pretty unappetising. If he'd hadn't spent so long wandering in the Gateway Woods, eating anything he could dig up, he doubted he would have considered it at all. But if Theo was to be believed, and the fruit tasted bad during most of its life cycle, only becoming delicious right at the end … Lera was poking Theo in the chest.

"Take that back! That fruit is one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten! I will not have you refer to them as nutsacks!" Theo was dodging the angry Protean.

"I'm sorry, I didn't name them! Look, calm down!" Celia had recoiled at hearing the name, but she was edging closer, sniffing curiously.

"Lera, they really taste that good? Theo has a point, they look kind of bad." Lera threw her arms in the air in a huff.

"Don't try them then, more for me." Celia shook her head.

"Don't be dramatic. Wyatt, can I try one, please?"

"Sure." Wyatt cut a fruit open, and the instant the golden flesh of the fruit was exposed, the sweet scent of it permeated the air. Theo froze, and Celia actually licked her lips, her pale green tongue darting out. In an echo of Lera's first time, the green Protean almost snatched the fruit as Wyatt held it out to her, devouring it so quickly that juice was running down her chin. Theo took his more hesitantly, but he ate his almost as quick once he'd tasted it. The [Rogue] wiped at his mouth.

"I can't believe that tastes so good! What in the world made you try one? At this time of year they look like they are on the verge of dropping off and rotting!" Wyatt shrugged.

"I was exploring, and I have a skill that lets me know if something is safe. So … I just tried it." Theo shook his head slowly.

"Unbelievable. Wait until we tell the others that Bronze Nutsacks are actually worth eating." Wyatt felt a pang at hearing that. He'd been counting on making regular trips with the fruit to finance his ambitions. If everyone found out, that would be a problem. But then again, if the fruit only became edible at this time of year, there might not be too long until the window closed. Lera stepped in to allay his fears though. She shook her head, looking seriously at Theo.

"No way, not a word to anyone else — alright?" Theo blinked at Lera.

"Seriously?"

"Very. Wyatt's got a deal with a merchant. So don't mess it up." The [Rogue] hesitated, then just shrugged. He gave her a rueful smile.

"Fine. It's not like it really affects me — this is the first time I've been on this floor in years. Plus it would ruin the joke." Celia spoke with her mouth full, eating another of the fruits. She waved cheerfully.

"I won't say anything either! But Lera, hook me up with that [Merchant] friend of yours when you get back. I'm definitely going to want more of these." Wyatt quickly handed her and Theo a few more.

"Here, as thanks. I appreciate it. You not saying anything, I mean." Theo took one of the fruit, giving Wyatt a small smile. Celia took five.

"That's alright, Wyatt. It's not exactly standard, but this is sort of like your treasure haul from the dungeon, isn't it. I don't hold with poaching from other Adventurers." Celia nodded, still chewing greedily. Her voice was slightly muffled.

"Yesh. He'sh a gud [Rogue]." Theo sighed.

"Alright, I'm going to get this one moving. Lera, are you going to be back in the city tonight?" Lera grinned, clapping a hand on Wyatt's back.

"Maybe. Probably tomorrow morning though." Theo nodded easily.

"Alright. We'll be at the regular inn with the others. I'll see you there, or at the guild. Come on, Celia." Wyatt and Lera watched as her teammates left. The blue Protean turned to Wyatt with a grin.

"Okay, up for one more night in the dungeon? I want to properly hear about what you got up to since I saw you last. Lady Fox, I hope he wasn't too much of a handful." Kit sighed theatrically, flicking her ears.' He hasn't been too much trouble in truth, but his focus takes some getting used to.' Lera nodded absently, smiling. Then her eyes widened in surprise. Kit laughed silently.