"Rams gets all the best equipment because she"s the one that tends to take on the hardest tasks. Dwargon is a close second, and we try to divvy up our earnings into affording enough gear for both of them," Ellie said, Kenji nodding behind her with his golden eyes still taking in the great burning field.Just like Kenji had taught them, the tanks were geared first. Rams sported a pair of defence enhancing magic rings, while Dwargon had some especially thick steel plate curtesy of those Warden Company blacksmiths.
"We"re getting his heavy armour enchanted next, with earth magic," Ellie added after trailing Kenji"s gaze and bit her lip as if expecting a scolding. "Do you think that"s wrong, should we have gotten that done before the rings?"
"Ellie, you"ve done a marvelous job. Really, I"m impressed," Kenji said, his little nod and truthful words making the girl grin wide. Then that grin faltered at it"s widest point and rapidly collapsed into guilty fear.
"You can be happy. I"m sure the dead would only want what"s best for you," Kenji added swiflty, thankful the Satyr woman put her arms around Ellie"s waist and squeezed. Gurgling Ellie was pulled up into a furry hug, the hints of despair thrown from their hooks and left the Raid leader with nothing but anger and embarra.s.sment.
"Get of Rams, GET OFF!" Ellie cried and was dropped onto all fours.
The other party"s snickered, Bloodhorn finding her antics especially funny.
"Grand Guild Master," one of their members cried, his ebony horns reminiscent of their defeated general, "give us command. She got lucky getting to the fourth floor first because she doesn"t realise that skipping ahead meant missing the chance to fight more monsters and grow stronger! The creatures of the forest are much more use to combat too. Put me in charge, or my brother here."
The satyr"s "brother" was a tall Minotaur with a gruff exterior and a heart long closed off to anything bar blood and battle. Grunting, the Minotaur set loose a jet of steam that snaked it"s way to the Rose Gate.
"My Lord, surely such unrefined creatures cannot be left in command," wailed an elf with more flourishing than a dancer, "the Sun Elves understand command, discipline, and are easily the most intelligent species alive. Place your trust in us, not untested children."
The elf"s hair was well combed, and his face was pretty, but that sneer was the mark of an ugly heart. To Kenji he seemed the type to bring up the results of his IQ tests non-stop while being so laser-focused on "important" endeavours that he couldn"t tie his own shoelace and was forced to live with his mum well into his 40"s.
"I"ve made my decision," Kenji said, having chosen his words carefully. "Now listen to your Raid Leader, this raid is her"s to command. If you can"t handle that, then I suppose the door is right there."
Turning to Ellie, Kenji nodded.
Although he heard shuffling behind him, hoa.r.s.e whispers and a whole lot of sniffing from the elves - the creaky wood of the old door failed to sing. And so, they had decided to stay.
"W-well then, better get going, right?" Ellie flashed an uncertain grin, the whole room now filled with adventurers that thought themself better than her. Kenji looked forward to how she responded and tried to fade his presence into dust and better allow the young leader to take charge.
"Bloodthorn has the first point, Ellie"s Crew reinforcing and Sundrakes are our ranged support," Ellie said. "If we"re changing plans, I"ll give one of the commands."
Kenji had heard of these "commands". The result of Ellie calling a meeting yesterday, and while begrudging, the other party leaders seemed to accept this. For now.
Upon entering the Rose Gate, things went very differently to what Kenji expected as Ellie raised her hand. The Raid party halted, as Ellie and Arti approached the wizened treant.
"We brought back your Queen Firefly, would you allow us to use the hidden pa.s.s?" Ellie said with a little curtsy and pulled a large jar from her backpack. Inside a huge firefly buzzed, a tiny golden crown hovering over its head.
"Oh, there she is!" said the brightened tree, "of course - to the second floor you go! Oh, and do bring her back if she gets lost again, won"t you?" The treant seemed very concerned as the rather fat firefly wobbled through the air, dizzily swaying left and right even as a host of lesser fireflies swarmed the thing to administer a small army"s worth of hugs.
Kenji thought the whole thing rather bizarre, but as a ma.s.s of roots to their side pulled apart to reveal a subterranean road, he could only stand impressed.
"Well go on," Kenji encouraged, Ellie stifling her nerves with a great smile as she surveyed the crowd of shocked expressions.
"This way!" She ordered, having Bloodhoof lead the party downward, their grumbling having apparently gotten lost as they hopped to it with gusto. The path soon descended into darkness, and yet pulling out a series of prepared torches, Ellie indicated to the Sundrakes.
"Light them up."
"Use our magic on something so ordinary? I think not," huffed their leader, Kenji about to intervene but held back just long enough for Ellie to roll her eyes.
"Then at least cast [Illuminate], there"s a boss in this tunnel that"s easy to miss. Seeing as it always drops a gem of some kind, I"d rather take it down on the way."
At the mention of the gem, the Sundrake leader smiled and pointed in the air that became filled with a burst of light. Fading, the light revealed a little milky white orb with black specks for eyes that emitted a hazy light upon the pa.s.sage.
Further along, the Raid party came a rock formation with the haziest outline of a face. When slammed with a fireball, the elemental erupted to life, and with Dwargon"s [smash] was quickly reduced to rubble. At its core, Ellie pulled forth a dusty crystal.
"You guys keep the loot safe," she said, showing admirable restraint as she pa.s.sed the gem to the very pleased Sundrake leader. In her shoes Kenji would have stuffed that down his knickers rather than trust his raid mates. But this is what heroes were about, and proof that perhaps all his work was really started to raise promising candidates.
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Already Ellie had been raised from a [H] to a [E] while Kenji had known her, and she seemed set to climb much further than even that.
As they progressed through the cave, the party emerged into a would of trees covered in curved leaves and fresh air.
Distantly a pair of koala looking creatures in blue overalls chatted with one another, a huge purple porcupine monster on a leash trailing beside them. Distantly too arose a castle that looked suspiciously like an apartment tenement, with a blue, red and white flag fluttering overhead.
"No way," Kenji muttered. The Bloodhorn group backed away as huge spiders crawled across the ground, while a Sundrake whimpered as a t.i.tanic brown snake slithered over a nearby hill.
"That"s the Australian flag."