Aliandra

  Ali woke after a dreamless sleep, fully rested and feeling amazing. She found herself coed somewhere delightfully warm and soft, lying in a dim interior space with a sloping green roof above.

  Where… Oh yes, my tent!

  Not only was her domain withdrawal pletely healed, but she had slept snug and fy in her new sleeping bag inside her own personal tent. She had experimented with the entments st night before turning in, disc to her amazement that there was a runic sequehat allowed her to ge the colors of her tent however she chose. So much to learn! She had immediately ged it to green, with a gold trim – and Malika had told her that matg her hair and eye color was cute. That hadn’t been her reason, but it had made her smile.

  Ali slowly rose, unzipping the tent fp, and stepping out to greet the day. Her bare feet sunk in a little on the springy carpet of moss and she stretched, taking in the sight of her domain glowing the same vibrant gold and green – a small outpost of mana that stilted in the o of darkhat was the vast cavern around them.

  Malika sat cross-legged, with her back resting against the shrine, presumably keeping watch, so Ali walked over to sit beside her. “I’m awake now if you want to get some more sleep,” she told her friend.

  “Thank you,” Malika answered, making no immediate move to leave, so they simply sat together for a while in panionable silence.

  Ali surveyed her domain and the rees she had created. The Grove, reborn. Each of the new oaks stood tall, drawing a vast n of mana up through its roots that cascaded out into the air through their branches and leaves. The fountains of mana created a stilting hemisphere of light surrounding each tree – extending high into the air, more than twice the height of the tree itself, and wider than it was tall. Just from pntirees, Ali had expanded her domain to fill most of the empty space held clear by the presend power of her shrine. A small glittering jewel against the sea of oppressive darkness.

  Eager to see the gains, she opened her status page and examined her mana.

  Huh?

  She stared at the unged mana total in a shocked surprise that faded slowly to disappoi. My domain is huge now, but … shouldn’t I have more mana? Ali pushed her disappoi aside – as usual when experiments didn’t go the way you wanted, it was a sign you didn’t uand something important. It was what her researstructor had always told her.

  She surveyed her domain again, studying it carefully using her mana sight. The green effusion from the moss and the golden plumes of are magi her mushrooms were still there just like before. Her shriill drew mana to recharge itself, looking remarkably simir to how the trees were drawing mana up through their roots.

  Is it thinner? As she studied the mana flow and structure, she pared it to her memories from the day before, from before she had phe trees. The only thing she could tell was that the mana of her domain around her moss seemed more attehinner, or less dehe effect was subtle, but even ating for the ridiculous brightness of her trees, she was certain she wasn’t just making it up.

  Is there something special about the Verdant Moss?

  Slowly being more and more vinced she had a st of the truth, Ali eventually got up and decided to test her theory directly. Walking out into the cascade of mana created by her first gigantic white oak tree, she found a spot on the ground that was well within the sphere of mana the tree was emitting. It was a long way from the rest of her moss, but that erfect – she wao test it properly. Summoning her Grimoire, Ali began to grow a new patoss in the mana of the tree, someart from the rest of the ected moss carpet she had grown previously. Once she had a sizeable patch, she left it auro the shrio wait.

  By the time the others were awake, and they had eaten a quick breakfast, Ali was sure her experiment was ready. As they all headed out, she stopped by her new patoss, studying it carefully. The new patch was indeed emitting a beautiful aurora of green, just like her other moss. But although her mana total had increased, it was way less than Ali had been expeg judging from the amount she had gained from her initial expanse.

  “Something wrong?” asked.

  “My domain isn’t w quite like I expected,” she said. “Do you guys mind if I cheething for a few minutes?”

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  Something is still missing. She examihe mana more closely, and then, looking back at the mana he shrihe issue became clear. There were very few golden sparkles in this patch of green – much fewer than her inal. Quickly, she opened her Grimoire and flipped to the page for mushrooms, creating one in the new mossy patch.

  Bed Deathcap – Mushroom – level 2 (Death)

  Hmm… Her Grimoire had unhelpfully produced the wrong mushroom.

  She tried again.

  Forest Amanita – Mushroom – level 3 (Poison)

  Not what I wanted!

  Forest Amanita – Mushroom – level 5 (Poison)

  This is annoying.

  On her fourth try, she finally got what she was looking for.

  on Glo – Mushroom – level 3 (Are)

  There we go. Ali put her Grimoire away. “Ok, let’s go. I’m done for now,” she said. It would take a while for her mushroom to start iing with the mana, so she would have to wait till after they got back to see how her experime.

  ***

  Ali ehe Guildhall to a se that crackled with teement and anxious anticipation. There were more people than st time and all of them were milling around in the waiting area by the quest board while the low hubbub of muted versations filled the air.

  “We’re right on time,” said as they stood a little apart from the crowd to wait. had been the one who had remembered the time of Vivian Ross’s guild meeting. Ali’s brain had been so full of information she hadn’t even remembered that there had been a meeting scheduled at all.

  They hadn’t been waiting for more than five minutes when the door opened and the Guildmaster strode fidently across the hall, followed closely by Mieriel. She stopped at the quest board, and everyone crowded closer, entirely blog Ali from seeing anything except legs.

  “Some respect for the smaller people at the back!”

  Ali startled at the familiar high-pitched voice that cut through the noise from beside her, somehow sounding both cute and full of frustration.

  Mage – Gnome – level 23 (Water)

  Ali immediately reized the short white pixie-cut hair and cobalt-blue dress that she recalled had matched the girl’s mana perfectly.

  Seri? She had seen the mage maniputing water by the river and had admired her magic. She’s a guild member, too?

  “We’re not the smaller people,” Ali said. “They’re the ones afflicted with rgeness.”

  The Gnome’s head snapped around to see her and a peal ht, clear ughter filled the air.

  “Oh, I like you!” she announced, reag out her hand toward Ali. “I’m Serendipity. Serendipity Puddlecrash. My friends call me Seri.”

  Ali was a little taken aback by her overt friendliness, but she respoo the introdu politely with a reciprocal, “I’m Aliandra Amariel. My friends call me Ali.”

  Thinking Serendipity’s hand was an offer for a handshake, Ali took it, but immediately the Gnome used it to draw her into the crowd, darting through between legs and around a burly Dwarf before Ali found herself dragged to the front of the crowd, and suddenly she could see.

  “Much better,” Serendipity whispered to her in a spiratorial tone and sat on the carpet to listen.

  A little lost, Ali simply sat beside her and turned her attention to Vivian Ross as she began her annous.

  “Many of you have probably already heard the news, so I’ll be brief and summarize it,” Vivian began. “The Town cil has decred an emergency because of a nearby dungeohat is heading our way.”

  The room was suddenly filled with people talking, some excited, some surprised.

  Vivian held up a hand for silence before tinuing. “It’s Goblins. There are even Bugbears and Hobgoblins in the horde, so we’re in for a hard battle.”

  “Those are too high level for us!” someone called out from the crowd.

  “Yes,” Vivian answered, cutting off what seemed like it might devolve into some sort of panic. “But everyone will get appropriate roles, and we’re w on defense pns already. The cil has put a bounty on Goblins, and I would ence all the bat csses to take that quest when Mieriel posts it. But there will be lots of quests. Already, people are rep that it is difficult to buy ables and crafting supplies. The farmers have been recalled to the town and the safety of the walls, but that means food will be getting scarce too. I want to ence everyoo not panid che with the guild regurly as the situation unfolds.”

  “Is it real?” someone else asked.

  “Yes, we have multiple scout reports, and some verified sightings of Goblins ilying farms already. They will be here in a few days at most. For now, check the guild quest board and try and take any jobs you . The garrison will be manning the walls and responsible for the main defense of the toill likely be asked to support them in whatever way they need.”

  With that, Vivian ehe meeting and Mieriel walked over to the quest board and began pinning scrolls and notices on it. The crowd instantly split in two – half clustering around the quest board, and the rest mobbing Vivian with a deluge of questions.

  Ali had to wait quite a while before she got the ce to view the new postings. The quest board was a retively practical broad expanse of cork that had been o the wall, with a box of pushpins hanging beside it. The main bounty quest was easy to find, pinned right in the ter of the board, even signed by the mayor. Ali touched her guild ring to the kly fresh part to accept the exterminatio. There were various prices listed based on levels and such, but she just trusted the amounts to be fair.

  It’s payment for defending myself, which I would do anyway.

  Bronze Guild Ring – level 1 signifying bronze-level membership with the Adventurers Guild.Owner: Aliandra Amariel.Quests: Eliminate hostile Kobolds in and around Myrin’s Keep – 0 Eliminate hostile Goblins in and around Myrin’s Keep – 0 Mana: Store or retrieve an item. Capacity: 6.2 / 25kg.Created by Giddy Clicksprocket.Ring

  She was trag two quests now, but it would likely take a while before she returo the underground ruins. She had no idea exactly what role she would take against the ining horde of Goblins, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared.

  The rest of the new quests reted to the Goblin emergency all had to do with supplies, ables, and crafting materials. Apparently, everyone anig and h important supplies, even without the specter of Kieran Mori’s more nefarious pns to profit from the immi flict.

  “Ali.” ’s quiet voice caught her attention and she saw he ointing to a scroll. He looked at her with a quick smile. “What about this one for you?”

  The scroll he ointing at was an ammunition request signed by the Garrison ander, Gerald Brand – although, iy, it robably put out by his logistics staff. It was a long and plex list of various items and prices that the garrison o supply their defense of the town, and ’s finger ointing to a lihe bottom.

  Arrows? Oh, I make those!

  “The price is quite generous,” Malika offered, examining the scroll. “Looks like two silver pieces per quiver for the level of arrows you made for . If everyone is h, you might be one of the few people willing to fill this order.”

  “Perfect!” Ali grinned iement. I make some money! She would finally be able to pay her friends back for the help and mohey had loaned her: the recall potion Mato bought, the loaned money for her new daggers, and the campihey had bought for her. Making lots of arrows would take a while, but all it would cost her was the mana and the time o create them.

  Ali’s imagination had been filling her mind with images of her having to fight off waves of Goblins like the Warband they had defeated, risking her life ah in defense of a town she mostly thought of as disgusting and terrible. But here was a way to help that used her non-bat abilities and could help her out with her money situation at the same time.

  Maybe I even afford a library membership or a trip to the bookstore!

  She touched her ring to the scroll to record the quest oracker entment, so she wouldn’t o che with the board every time.

  “Thanks, ,” she said. “But I’ll make as many as you need first before I sell the rest.”

  ***

  It was on the way back down to the shrihat Ali noticed her mana pool had grown. It worked! When they arrived at the Grove, Ali rao her experimental moss patch to see what had happehe patch was quietly emitting the green nature mana, but now there was a fountain of gold p out from the on Glo mushroom she had created. The upwelling mana sparkled and glowed, but when she exami closer, she could see it was mingling with the green mana, weaving into the plex structure she had observed elsewhere in her domain.

  She was still puzzling over the implications in her mind when she suddenly became aware of a presence beside her.

  “I have returned, A Mistress.”

  Ali jumped. It took her a sed, but she she chirping sounds of the Kobold she had left ba the forest.

  He’s back already?

  “You were quick,” she answered, peering at the Kobold who was carefully keeping himself to the darker shadows by her tree. A pair of her wolves that had survived the Warband were roaming the Grove, their noses sniffing at everything.

  “I do not require sleep,” he answered with a bow.

  Did he run the whole way back? There was no other expnation Ali could think of. He was invisible in the dim light, but she could sense his presence via Martial Insight. Without her skill, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to see him, her with her eyes nor her Are Insight.

  I guess he doesn’t use mana much, she realized.

  Already distracted from her studies, she opened her Grimoire and begaing daggers, getting the higher quality steel daggers on her sed and third try. “Give me your old daggers, and use these instead,” she told him, exging ons with the rogue. He ied them carefully, and just like her ue, broke into a wicked-looking grin. Ali guessed it was not really his fault, his face looked like a cross between a dragon and a lizard, and he had so mah. From her e, though, she could tell he was genuinely happy.

  She stored the poor-quality crude daggers in her ring and turned back to the moss and the puzzle of her domain.

  “May I take this?” the Kobold asked, interruptihoughts before she even got started. The bck-scaled creature was bent down over one of the Forest Amanita mushrooms she had made when she was trying to pnt a on Glo earlier.

  “Sure,” Ali gave her permission but then looked a little closer. The mana surrounding the red and white spotted poison affinity mushroom was green, but it was a sickly green, in trast to the vibrant mana of her Verdant Moss. As the Kobold dug it out of the ground with his dagger, the mana rippled and the sickly can to fade, repced quickly by the strreen and gold of her domain flowing in to fill the gap.

  The other Amanita toadstool was still surrounded by the sickly green color, and very little of the golden are mana resent nearby. The Bed Deathcap sat in the ter of a well of darkhat seemed to have decayed the mana of her domain immediately around it.

  That’s iing, she thought, feeling that she was close to uanding something. What if he removes the other ones?

  “ you make a poison from this?” Ali asked, pointing to the dark bck Deathcap mushroom.

  “Yes. A ic poison, but it’s lower level than this one,” her Kobold answered, holding up the red and white Forest Amanita.

  “ you dig this o anyway?” she asked him. “And that one?” she poi the other Amanita mushroom. “If you ’t use them, you get rid of them for me?”

  Quickly following her instrus, the Kobold removed the two mushrooms and Ali observed the sea of her domain mana flowing into the holes left behind, building in strength until nothing was left of the fn mana. A few moments ter, her maximum mana pool increased by one point.

  I got it… I think. The pnts created by her Grimoire drew in ambient mana from the ground. Or the air, she realized. And ohey drew it in, they did something to it before releasing it again. More research is needed. In the case of her pnts with a mana affinity – like the Verdant Moss or the on Glo – they transformed the mana into an abundance of their own affinity, releasing much more than they absorbed. For the ral pnts like her trees, they simply spread the mana over vast distances, which resulted in the dilution of her domaiy, but didn’t actually tribute to her mana pool. The Bed Deathcap was drawing in her domain mana and the ambient mana of the enviro and makih-affinity mana which was actively impeding her domain. Because Poison was much more patible with Nature, the Amanita mushrooms didn’t disturb her domain nearly as much.

  Ali’s personal affinities were Nature and Are, and it was abundantly clear that it wasn’t the mana that represented her domain per se, but the structure of the weave of her two affihis is why the Verdant Moss and the on Glo are both required to grow my domain properly! Aha!

  She had hoped that the trees would help grow her domain, but it seemed that they were a bit of a disappoi. Although… With the amount of distance her mana reading, the trees would be incredibly helpful for crossing the stream without making a ected expanse of moss. She had already demonstrated she could ect isoted moss patches through the domain spread by the tree.

  It was far from a rigorous theory, any schor would agree, but for now, it would serve her as a w hypothesis. She looked outward, taking in the ominous-looking mana just outside her domain.

  Now, I just o figure out what happens when I grow into that.

  She moved to the edge of her domain, and at the maximum extent of the maed by her tree, she pnted a patoss and fi off with a few mushrooms, destrug the ohat wouldn’t tribute to her domain.

  Nibble, nibble, here es trouble…

  timewalk