A New Beginning: A Fantasy Adventure (The White Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  “Arrenroot?” Vexx frowned. “I’m not very familiar with herbs. What properties does it have?”

  “Properties?” Kaylin grinned. “I mean, they’re pretty! I’ve just been picking them as I go along. So where’s the market?”

  Vexx sighed internally and led her down the street.

  “Well, maybe they’ll come in handy. You think you could learn how to make healing poultices?”

  “Nah,” Kaylin said casually as she strode by, kicking a stone out of the way, bits of mud spattering in the air. “I just want to get better at archery. Traps too. I did some thinking after that last fight, and ever since I woke up, I’ve had this idea for a trap that I really want to try out. We could use it on our goblin friend!”

  “Well…what if we get wounded? How will we heal up?”

  “You’re the mage,” she said with a laugh. “Anyway, if you don’t want to heal, we’ll just pick up some potions.”

  “I’m out of money…” Vexx grumbled. “The barkeep has everything I had. What do you have?”

  “Money…money…” Kaylin said to herself, sounding out the word. “That’s a human thing, right?”

  Vexx buried his face in his hands as they entered the market district. Shouting voices echoed over the clanging of Cloudbury’s forge. The traffic was thicker here, a wagon passing by laden with lumber, a couple of mounted caravan guards beside it. That’s a good job, Vexx thought as he slowly lowered his hands. It isn’t raiding dungeons, but it’s steady pay and a bit of excitement if they come across any goblins or bandits.

  “Yes, money!” Vexx finally replied as they passed a food stand. “You need it for, well, for everything!”

  “Oh…that explains why those villagers were chasing me the other day…” Kaylin mused. “I guess they thought the carrots growing in their field were just for them.”

  Vexx raised his head. “Did they put a bounty on you?” He smirked. “Maybe I could collect.”

  “Sure, if you want,” she said with a cheery smile. “What’s a bounty, anyway?”

  Before Vexx could respond, they rounded the corner into the town’s bazaar. In prime position was a tall man with a forked beard, pointing proudly at a large snuffling lizard with an attached saddle. Beside him stood a black woman in a flowing green dress who nodded in satisfaction as she sized up the beast.

  “Highly resistant to disease, ma’am, and none too picky about what it eats.”

  “Good, good,” she replied. Vexx wondered if she was a more experienced dungeoneer. She didn’t seem to be around here, or to be an academy graduate for that matter. His vision was blocked by an armored knight striding past, warhammer resting on a shoulder, and then he winced as Kaylin squealed beside him.

  “Ooh, pets!”

  Kaylin weaved through the crowd and smiled as she put her hand in front of a horse, who warily sniffed at it. Vexx grabbed her other hand and pulled her away.

  “They’re mounts, and there’s no way we could afford even one of them. Not like either of us know the first thing about riding one.”

  “I could learn,” Kaylin huffed indignantly.

  “For now, let’s stick to potions, alright?”

  9

  Doctor Fansee’s Pick-Me-Ups

  The potion stall was unoccupied, an oasis of calm in the busy Cloudbury market. Vexx frowned as he stood there. Vials sat on the wooden booth, one a swirling mix of black and purple, the others of simpler reds, greens, and blues. The sign read Doctor Fansee’s Pick-Me-Ups, but the doctor did not appear to be in.

  “Hello?” Vexx asked.

  A mop of springy white hair emerged from behind the counter, and then the creased and wrinkled face of a gnome appeared, blinking at them from behind thick-rimmed glasses. “Oh, a customer! I didn’t see you up there. I was just—” A pop sounded from below, swirling green smoke clouded the air, and the gnome coughed for a few seconds as he waved the acrid smoke away. “That’s a bad batch of Fenriconian mushrooms, make no mistake. Anyway, what can I do for you?”

  “We’ll need a health potion. We’re hunting a goblin!” Kaylin announced proudly.

  The gnome stared at her for a second and let out an incredulous laugh. “A goblin? Just one?”

  “Oh yes, but I’ve heard he’s strong. He’s killed several sheep! So Vexx thinks we’ll need some potions.”

  “I’m…well…” Vexx stammered, flustered from the poorly disguised chortles from the nearby crowd. “It’s just…safety first.”

  “Yes, yes,” the gnome said, unsuccessfully hiding his amusement. “Goblins are certainly fearsome, especially when they’re on their own. Do you think you’ll need two?”

  “Oh, I don’t know!” Kaylin looked over at Vexx. “What do you think, Vexx? Do you think we’ll need two health potions for one goblin? Why’s everyone laughing?”

  “Just the one, thanks,” Vexx said between gritted teeth. They might laugh now, but soon they’ll know my name when I’m on par with Dred Wyrm.

  “Hmm…” the gnome slid a small red potion across the stall but kept his gaze locked on Vexx. “You’re a mage, aren’t you?”

  “I am, indeed.”

  The gnome tapped a small blue vial, the sound ringing out. “Why don’t you get one of these bad boys? I bet they never let you use mana potions in the Academy. I see you’re wearing Initiate’s robes. Let me guess, you dropped out?”

  Vexx grimaced. “The instructors just couldn’t handle my brilliance…oh, never mind. And yes, I’ve tried mana potion before. It’s like drinking ectoplasm mixed with dwarven moonshine.”

  “Well, I add spearmint in mine. How’s your stamina?” the gnome looked over at Kaylin and gave her a lecherous wink. “I’ll bet he could use more with you around, am I right?”

  “Hmm?” She blinked. “Yes, I suppose Vexx could use more stamina.”

  Vexx muttered something unintelligible and wished for the ground to open up and swallow him.

  “Oh, don’t worry,” she said with a smile. “I was also exhausted last night! By the time you put me to bed—”

  “That’s not…she’s just…”

  “Don’t worry, partner, I’ll get this one,” Kaylin said as she carefully set out a few copper pieces. “I forgot I had these little bits of metal.”

  The gnome smiled. “Aren’t you a darling? Any time you get more bits of metal, come back and see Doctor Fansee’s Pick-Me-Ups. Any potions you want; competitively priced, guaranteed 99% poison free!”

  “Sure. Who’s that?”

  The gnome frowned in confusion and pointed up at his sign. Kaylin tilted her head as she squinted at it.

  “Doc…tor…”

  “You’re a lucky man,” the gnome said in a quiet voice as he slid over the vial. “Just keep in mind, the Church doesn’t like interracial interc—”

  “I’m not,” Vexx sputtered, glancing at Kaylin, who was still sounding out the sign. “I’m not sleeping with her,” he said in a quieter voice.

  The gnome nodded, clearly unconvinced. “Do I look like a paladin to you, buddy? I don’t care what you do. Just let me know if it lasts for more than four hours. Sometimes I mess up the dosage.”

  10

  Pollander’s Sheep

  “A right up here,” Kaylin said for the tenth time as they strode along the main road outside Cloudbury.

  “I know, I know,” Vexx snapped.

  “Okay, because last time—”

  “I know!”

  They turned and continued in silence, passing the three scattered homesteads that Pollander described. Based on the tranquil scene, it was hard to imagine that any goblin raiding had happened around here. At least, not lately. Though I’ve always heard it’s a rough country near the Lifeless Hills. As if farming and ranching wasn’t hard enough.

  Kaylin’s left ear twitched. “There are some sheep up ahead. They sound scared.”

  By the time they reached the third house, Vexx could make out the bleating with his own ears. They were penned in a small enclosure, a pi
tchfork sticking out of a pile of hay nearby, but the area was otherwise quiet. The two dungeoneers separated and approached the area in silence, though it didn’t take long before the two of them met again in the close-cropped field.

  Flies buzzed around the half-devoured carcass of a sheep. Blood and drag marks indicated that at least a second sheep had been killed, though the trail of blood disappeared into the underbrush leading up to the Lifeless Hills. Vexx let out a whistle as he squatted down beside the sheep.

  “Looks like our little fella had himself a meal here and took another one away for later.”

  “Really?” Kaylin asked. “You asked the sheep that?”

  “What?”

  “You said you trained in the Dark Arts, right? Are you asking the sheep’s ghost questions?”

  Vexx blinked in surprise…then looked down at the sheep. A thought rose in his mind. That elf might be the dumbest person I’ve ever come across. And yet…his hand hovered over the sheep’s skull. And yet…

  Vexx bit his lip and stood up. “No. I’m just guessing based on the blood trail. Do you see the way the grass is bent over in one direction? He carried the second sheep away.”

  “Oh, right,” Kaylin said, nodding agreeably. “I guess that could be it.”

  “No time like the present,” Vexx said, already trotting away and following the trail of upturned grass and drops of blood. He felt excitement rising in him as he continued the hunt. To kill or be killed…and we have an advantage over our foe. A goblin might be starting out small, but if we hurry, we’ll be back well before nightfall, and then I can leave this damned village for good.

  He glanced over at Kaylin as they walked, the lithe elf stepping lightly through the bushes and scattered trees. Her tanned skin and dull leather armor blended in well here, the earthy browns would hide her easily as the colors of the grass shifted from greens to yellows. Vexx tried to recall what he knew of the elves.

  They live in tree villages, like she’d said. I wonder, though, are they all as naive as her? She’s handy with a bow, at least, and moves with an athletic gra—

  “Oof!”

  Kaylin tripped, sliding down a sloping hill, her bow jutting out as it caught on branches and rocks. Vexx snickered despite himself, then kept his face blank as he carefully stepped down the slope, bits of dirt falling around him. Kaylin cursed and muttered as she slowly got to her feet.

  “Careful here,” Vexx said. “It's a rocky country outside of Cloudbury.”

  Kaylin nodded. “The Lifeless Hills, right? You’re from around here, aren’t you, Vexx? Why are they called that?”

  Vexx let out a long sigh. “Well, it’s true there are goblins and wild animals around, but it’s no place for humans to make a living. Not for long. We just stick around the edge of the forest.”

  “The logging camps,” Kaylin said, nodding to herself. “They’re not so far from my tree village.”

  “Why’d you leave, anyway?” Vexx asked as Kaylin dusted off her knees. They began walking down the trail again. The trail was harder to follow now, with only the occasional drag marks and spots of blood to guide them. The air seemed thinner as well, Vexx took in long breaths as he continually scanned the trees and brush around them.

  “To seek fame and fortune,” Kaylin said. “What about you?”

  “Ah, well...” Vexx trailed off, unpleasant memories of his time at the Academy coming back to him. It hadn’t been all bad, of course, and he’d learned magic. Not a lot of people had the kind of talent he had, or the drive to learn more…even if that very ambition was what brought his time at the Academy to an end.

  “Something like that,” he said after a moment. “Be the next Dred Wyrm, you know? The best dungeoneer around,” he said, almost defensively, and glanced over at Kaylin as if afraid she’d laugh. Instead, she just looked over thoughtfully.

  “That’s a good ambition. I wish you the best of luck.”

  Vexx grinned. She might be a bit stupid and naive, but at least she’s nice. There could be worse people to go into battle with.

  Kaylin scrambled up a ridge, raising her hand to her eyes, and Vexx found his gaze locking onto her. Not a bad-looking sort either.

  “Vexx!” The elf glanced over, her bright eyes iridescent in the light, and she grinned widely when she got his attention. “I found the sheep!”

  11

  Setting the Trap

  Kaylin worked intently with her cords, muttering under her breath as she tied one end of a rope to a branch. Vexx peered over, looking past the dead sheep and towards the nearest cave. They’d poked around the entrance and found several other caves nearby before Kaylin had eagerly suggested setting up a trap. Vexx found he preferred the idea of setting up an ambush here over going down below and so he stood there, scouting around, as Kaylin finished setting up her snare trap.

  “And then…there! Once he steps beside the sheep, we’ll get him for sure.”

  “You’re sure about this?” Vexx asked, trying to keep the skepticism out of his voice.

  “Of course,” she said, completely focused on tying a knot. Vexx shrugged and wandered over to a hollow with an overhang where he’d made the most basic of shelters. A fire would be easy for him to start, of course, but they had to keep a low profile here. Vexx gathered up some dried grass, wedged himself into concealment, and resolved to have himself a pleasant nap.

  Crack!

  Vexx’s eyes snapped open. Kaylin was beside him, softly snoring into his ear, and he quickly shook her awake. “I hear something,” he hissed as the elf shook off her sleepiness. It was just past dawn, the first faint glimmers of light appearing above the nearby ridge.

  Did I really sleep that long? Vexx wondered as he scrubbed wetness off his cheek. Elf slobber. Gross.

  The same grunting and shuffling that he’d heard earlier were growing louder now. He squinted to make out shapes in the darkness, but as usual, Kaylin spotted it first.

  “The goblin,” she whispered beside him, hurriedly rummaging for her bow, and quietly stringing it. “He’s by the trap! He’s got the sheep…and…he’s dragging it,” she said, readying a shot. Vexx had kept his clothes on over the night, needing little else, but waited to summon a flame.

  Ice bolts are alright if I’m putting out a fire, and I’ve been taught quite a few other tricks. But fireballs? There’s no beating it.

  “What? He’s gone right past the…agh, why didn’t it work!”

  The shuffling stopped at this. Then it grew louder, more panicked, and now Vexx could dimly make out the goblin dragging the sheep to one of the cave entrances.

  “Great going, Kaylin,” Vexx said, visibly annoyed that the element of surprise had gone. “You spooked him!”

  Fire flamed into life below his hands, illuminating the elf as she huffed beside him. “Well, I’m going to get him! Follow me!”

  Kaylin bounded off, heedless of the rocks in the darkness around her, while Vexx followed along at a slower pace, scanning the ground as he walked forward. Soon, a shriek tore through his thoughts and he glanced up as Kaylin soared into the air.

  12

  Into the Cave

  The flames pouring from his palms illuminated the twisted, struggling elf trapped in her net, bouncing up and down between the limbs of two sturdy pine trees. It came to a rest and she was well and truly stuck, her arms and legs jutted out of the nets as she desperately tried to struggle free.

  “Nice job, elf!” Vexx whistled.

  “Don’t just stand there!” she called down.

  “Never fear, Kaylin, I have a goblin to catch.”

  “At least cut me down!”

  “No time for that,” Vexx snapped as he hurried ahead.

  “Vexx!”

  The goblin had disappeared into one of the cave entrances, the deceptively strong creature holding the sheep over one shoulder, but Vexx followed close behind, sprinting through the winding tunnel.

  I have to catch up soon, before the corridor splits in two or three. Then the
re’d be no way we’d catch him in time!

  Vexx was close enough that he saw rocks still rolling from where the goblin and his captured sheep had dislodged them, and even a few bloodstains along stalactites where the dead sheep had brushed across them. He strained forward, leaping ahead as the path twisted and went deeper into the mountain, a faint emerald glow emerging around them. The chamber opened up now, and even in his hurry, Vexx faltered at the sight.

  He slowed, choosing his steps carefully. The dim glow fell on the carcass of the sheep, abandoned in the middle of the passage. The glow seemed to give the white wool a peculiar greenish tinge, but Vexx thought he saw something crouching behind it.

  “Come out, you filthy creature!” Vexx shouted as he peered over the sheep’s carcass. Goblins were short and cunning creatures, but it was little use hiding behind the dead sheep. He leaned over, a flame readied. The goblin wasn’t there.

  “What the—”

  Vexx glanced up just as a snarling goblin leaped at him from atop a massive stalactite. He reeled to the side, the goblin’s axe missing, but the creature had already sunk its teeth into Vexx’s shoulder. Vexx screamed in pain, instinctively grabbing the goblin with both his hands and tearing it off before throwing it to the side.

  He raised both hands now, just as the goblin spun around. It approached menacingly with an axe in its hand and a twisted scowl on its misshapen face. Flames burst forward, a powerful spray of fire that burned the goblin to a crisp. Vexx couldn’t suppress his yell of pain and agony as the fire tore into the goblin.

  Then he ended the spell.

  In a flash, the fire dimmed, and smoke rose from a few smoldering fires around the blackened corpse of the goblin. Vexx sagged down to one knee and stared at the fire-blackened body for a long moment.

  “Shit.”