Legend of the Spellthief

Entering the inn had Yetveka perk up and smile, waving the soon-to-be regulars over to her. As the day was coming to a close the inn had a fair few more patrons, human, gashriek, and the same saeber.

“Grand evening to you, I heard you took on another hunter contract today”, the manager stated.

“Two actually, we just handed over a trio of muggers”, Marcus corrected.

“Oh, wonderful. You told me tomorrow, but I guess you had more free time than you thought ay.”

“A bit, yeah. Plans may shift a bit as we go about, you know how adventurer work goes”, Logan explained.

“That’s for sure, you did leave abruptly for that adventurer quest of yours.”

“That was, something.”

“Not our best outing”, Marcus added.

“Well, here’s your keys, feel free to keep them for a few days. Room is all ready for you.”

Taking the keys from the counter the pair ordered some food and drink to their room before retiring to it for the day. With the evening in their hands, the setting sun made for good light reading, followed by the Light Ally to aid in the darker reading sessions. Opening up the “Spells in a Hurry Vol 1” tome, Logan had a new window pop up, bringing him back into the gamelike system.

“Warning, as part of the Spellthief hybrid class you have your own form of the skill Quickcasting, as such this tome will not benefit you. Completing this book will still provide experience towards the Reading skill.”

“Well, that’s a bummer. I guess Marcus can read this then. System, would a higher tier tome grant me access to silentcasting?” Logan thought to himself.

“That is correct, Logan. Though we are sure that such a tome would eclipse this one’s price”, the System replied in Logan’s mind.

With his first goal crossed off before it started, Logan picked out “History of Oracles Ver 9” from his inventory to start reading. At 300 pages long, he would not be able to complete it in one night, maybe if he spent all of the next day reading it he could get it done. But this book would hopefully give him some more background information on those that came before him.

Logan was engrossed in the book. Not just because it could be the key to his escape, but because it contained plenty of highly-detailed paintings and riveting tales of the oracles’ exploits. From founding settlements to ending dangers to large swaths of land on Avanar. It was hard to get a total view of who would become an oracle, as Logan wasn’t done, but it seemed no one under 18 had been chosen.

Aside from the grand displays, there were a few minor oracles who had reportedly “retired” to work as normal shopkeepers or farmers. Was it because they couldn’t handle the quests given to them by the System, or were they scared of what was ahead? Either way, a few oracles had actually died of old age, as written in the book. Sadly Logan wouldn’t find a still-living oracle in the beginning pages, but it was a good start to understanding them.

With a sizeable portion complete, Logan put the book down to rest until the next morning. Even though his mind was racing, his body was exhausted after all the physical activity in the day. Beating up bandits and lugging around items had worn out his muscles, combined with the efforts in Moella earlier. Before he knew it, Logan was asleep.

The next day brought bright lights and loud morning sounds outside the glass windows, followed by the wafting smells of breakfast meals coming from the ground floor. With a quick early morning routine, Logan asked Marcus to arrange some meals to be brought upstairs for him to continue his reading session full of fervour from the day prior.

Each page granted Logan further insight into the past of the oracles, and to those who had been kidnapped before him. The book wasn’t a biography nor did it hold large accounts from the oracles’ mouths, but it was almost as if he felt a kinship with those before him. Rolling through the day into the evening he had finally finished the book, granting a large chunk of Reading experience but also a wealth of knowledge.

From what Logan could gather, oracles were documented to have arrived starting around four hundred years ago, though Avanar had been around for much longer than that. It is possible they had come to this world before that time, just nothing was documented. From the book’s accounts, a total of fifty-three oracles had arrived in Avanar to date. So there was at least that many.

Dishearteningly, the book also noted that almost every oracle to this point had either died from old age or in combat. Logan was still alone, at least where the book was concerned. A few locales were of interest, however, describing businesses or settlements where the oracles had spent most of their time. It gave a good enough set of goals to put onto Logan’s list. The first lined up with his stay in Gauntlet.

It also looked like each oracle had a different skill set, from Knights who were far above those of normal NPC Knights, to spellcasters that warped spells together to make entirely new ones. As far as he could read, there were no mentions of any form of Spellthief in the book, though they might have kept their powers a secret, many other oracles seemingly hid their abilities from the public.

With so many people having been taken though, it worried Logan that the beings who did so were able to hide their abductions from his world. If they had all come from Earth that is. The depictions of the oracles showed them to be of different ethnicities too, so Logan could only assume they either all spoke Ava on arrival or English was very close to it.

A jubilant reaction came from the other side of the room as Marcus shouted a “yes” with the closing of his own tome. Jumping in his seated position Logan looked over to his ally in confusion.

“Finish your book too, Marcus?”

“That I did, and look at this!” Marcus replied with an energetic tone.

Jumping from his bed he set the book aside and took a casting position. Thrusting his hand forward he incanted, “Heal Shot!” to which his normal display of yellow lines and orbs shot at Logan to wash over his body.

“Ah, you got Quickcasting, great work!” Logan praised as he stood up.

“It took a bit, but I got it down. Now we can keep pace when barraging foes with spells.”

Looking over his partner's status to inspect how this affected his spellcasting, Logan saw that the Devout was sitting at 11.5/13 MP. So what he had heard earlier was correct, it took extra MP or spell slots to quickcast, looking to be either half of the base spell or some other formula. He’d need to wait for Marcus to gain access to second-level spells to investigate further.

“That we can, though make sure to not overdo it. Quickcasting takes more of your spellforce to do”, Logan informed.

“The book did mention that, and I certainly felt like it took a bit extra. Emergencies it is, or when we don’t need all thirteen spells in a day”, Marcus continued with a wide grin across his face.

“It’s rare for a caster without second-level spells to do that, isn’t it?”

“It was in Tinte, but with the money we’ve brought in, it won’t be too surprising. Since we’re each other's benefactor, you being rank 8 helps people believe in what I can do.”

“Plus those who saw you at the G-Hall thought you blessed by those above”, Logan spoke as he remembered their reassessments.

“Either myself or through you, I truly do feel blessed.”

Giving out a cough Logan steered the conversation, “There’s a place I want to investigate in the commercial district, ‘The Restaurant’, it has a link to a previous oracle”, he mentioned as he threw on his coat.

“I remember you mentioning that word before. Is it something from the ones above? A skill? Weird another oracle knew of the word”, Marcus spoke as he threw on his robe.

“Something we might share, we’ll have to see”, Logan replied, thinking to himself what to hide and what to reveal to his ally.

Leaving their room, Logan gave a wave off to Yetveka as the pair passed the counter and headed outside. Checking his quest window to set some hunts as currently active, Logan was able to find one close to where he wanted to investigate. At the guardhouse he selected the contract and confirmed it with Jirango.

“Gail Ren - Human - Late 20s, male - See attached sketch.” It was a bit of a jump, as the contact noted the individual as a rank 4 Devout who was wanted after stealing several tomes. There were few classless left to apprehend, but this one was close to The Restaurant. He was to be apprehended and the tomes returned safely.

Moving northwards, Logan and Marcus found themselves within a large array of taverns and inns. One building was tucked away to the side, slightly larger though more unassuming than the others. A large sign was hung above the door with large cursive red lettering “The Restaurant” on full display.

Full of blue-painted brick, the building boasted large glass window panes with amateurish painted sections of victorian knights in armour, each one having a plume of hair from their helmets of different colours. Opening up the large oak doors, that had engravings of animals all across them, led the duo inside.

The interior was spherical in its roof design as it reached high up, removing any possibility of another floor. The room was filled with hundreds of fine tables covered in cloth, glinting silver and glassware, most with patrons dining on full-course meals. It demonstrated a typical high-end restaurant from Earth, which felt out of place within a medieval setting.

A waiter approached the adventurers, dressed in a black suit and tie, which was a bit more fitting but still out of place. He had the typical cloth draped over his held up arm, though thankfully lacked the pompous attitude that Logan was expecting.

“Welcome, sirs. Table for two or might you have a reservation?” the waiter asked politely.

“Actually, I was wanting to talk with your owner if it wasn’t a bother”, Logan replied.

“Might you have had a bad time at our establishment before? I apologise ahead of time if that was the case.”

“No, I’m here to talk to him about the original creator. I’m doing a study on previous oracles you see.”

“Ah, of course. We’ve had a few people come here with such questions. Might you have purchased an almanack of previous oracles? Those often give the same information that Sir Eno has spoken of.”

“Yes, but I had some follow-up questions that weren’t addressed in the tome I had bought.”

The waiter stood there for a moment, pondering his next response. “I shall go and ask Sir Eno if he has the time, if not you may need to return at a later date.”

“Thank you, we’ll wait here.”

Moving to the side somewhat, the pair leaned against a nearby wall as they waited for the waiter and hopefully the current owner to return.

A few minutes passed as Marcus noticed the waiter coming back, nudging Logan they both stood up straight. The owner was an older gentleman, probably in his 80s, with thinning grey hair and a well-kept beard. The waiter that had brought him over went back to his other duties.

“So, I hear you’re oracle fans. I have a few minutes spare, are your questions quick to answer?” Eno asked in a direct but slightly weak voice.

“I have a few, for starters, did you know the oracle personally?”

“Well, that has been answered before, but yes. Leroy Lemaire and I were very close back in the day. He stayed a few nights at my home when he first revealed himself and we were stuck at the hip ever since.”

“Did he mention any OAB to you?”

“Huh? Now that is a question indeed”, Eno started a bit startled. Having an expression as if he was wracking his brain for memories he continued, “We had many conversations but he did ask me about Tinkom when we first started exploring the lands together.”

Thinking to his time reading the deity tome, Logan was able to remember this one easily.

“Tinkom, the Caretaker of the Young and one from above. His sign is that of an adult human's hand holding onto the paw of a young saeber. Dedicated to the protection and enlightenment of the youth on Avanar, Tinkom ensures longevity to those under adult age. Tinkom is a common deity for children to worship in the hopes of presents or protection when exploring outside their neighbourhood. If anything threatens the sanctity of youth, Tinkom rains down horror to the evildoers.”

“Did he talk any further about Tinkom with you? Or about any goals he had?” Logan pushed further.

“He pretty much just asked if I knew Tinkom, or of him. I told him who the deity was and what he represented. We did visit a church where he did further investigations into the one above but he kind of dropped it afterwards. As for goals, he asked about some ovensiase.”

“Oh-ven-see-as?”

“Yes, the ovensiase were a big issue back in that time, some 60 years ago now. They are a monster comprised of deadwood and roots. A necromancer at the time had let out an overabundance of undeath magics which caused the local area to become contaminated, enraging Desma and causing his wrath to fight back in the form of the ovensiase.”

“Did he aim to fight them? Or say anything more on the matter?”

“We visited an adventurers’ hall where he looked up some quests for them, but he quickly gave up that too. At the time he was only a rank 6 Fighter, and the ovensiase quest called for at least rank 16 before taking them on.”

“So, he got scared about the quest the System gave to him and gave up totally?” Logan thought to himself.

“What happened with the monsters, and Leroy, after that?”

“The monsters were eventually killed, they killed many in return mind you. After that, Leroy and I set to do some crafting, general aid in the settlements, then eventually created this place of dining. It was passed down to me around 20 years ago now, without an oracle it isn’t as popular, but still brings in business”, Eno answered wistfully.

Remembering what was accounted for in the history book, Eno died of old age, so it wouldn’t mean much to ask for a confirmation on that. Though the ability to simply not take on the quests and “retire” did give Logan an “out” if he didn’t want to risk his life returning to Earth, the books did allude to such. However, this did confirm that not all oracles were under the patronage of Vokka.

“That should be all of my questions, thanks for answering them all, sir”, Logan ended. “I shouldn’t ask about Earth or returning home, that’d raise too many suspicions”, he thought to himself.

“Thank you for showing an interest in the past. The fame of oracles seems to die off just as they do.”

“May Desma bring you plentiful game”, Marcus prayed to Eno.

Finishing their farewells the pair exited the restaurant with new information in hand. It wasn’t much to go on, Logan had to guess that Leroy either gave up totally or that failing his quest meant he wasn’t given any further ones. Since it was a possibility, Logan felt wary about forgoing any further System assignments. With the mention of a quest far above his current level, Logan had a pit of anxiety form in his throat.

Looking towards Logan as if expecting his next command, Marcus’s face showed no signs of being disheartened, though Logan’s wasn’t so stoic after the intel gathering. “Both of my System quests so far seemed reactive, I was lucky one didn’t pop up to take me to the goblin war in the south. If a large enough threat emerged and I was chosen to take it down, am I prepared as I am now?” he ruminated in his head.

With only two quests to go off, Logan didn’t have enough information. Leroy’s quest wouldn’t help in regards to a timer either as Leroy may have held it in reserve before asking or investigating. Hoping the timers would be at least a week or more, Logan would continue his current course of action.

Moving away from The Restaurant, the duo were once again guided towards the general vicinity of their next hunt. At level 4, it would prove to be more difficult than the previous ones, but with such a gap in their power, Logan didn’t worry too much. Following the circle until they were inside, Logan approached a guard as usual and acquired a witness for the hunt.

The progress of Echo Radar was seemingly slowed in the capital, possibly due to the lack of hostile foes nearby. Combining it with Identification lead the group into a slower search than normal as the crowds were full of classless beings. Just as usual, however, the circle shrunk and they came across the Devout in question.

Draped in grey and blue robes, the 5'11" man didn’t blend in too well with the more boring browns of the common folk. Scanning the man revealed something disturbing to the Spellthief however.

“Gail Ren: Devout 4, 40/40 HP, 10/10 MP. A travelling healer and merchant of herbs, this man has seen a wide swath of the Gauntlet lands. Known for his disease-curing skills alongside a deep knowledge of poisonous berries and the like, Gail has found a name for himself in some of the northern settlements due to his aid…”

The man had no mention of evil or criminal activities in his description. Was Logan’s Identification skill being altered in some fashion? Maybe it was from a similar item to the cache arm. He wasn’t too concerned about the man's skills, spells, or gear at that point as they would only matter in a fight though he kept them in the back of his mind.

Motioning to Marcus to stay close but off to the side, Logan approached the man in question alone. “Hello, sir. Might you be Gail Ren?” Logan asked in a non-threatening manner.

Returning a slight smile and welcoming tone, Gail responded, “That I am. May I help you with something? I do not recall us meeting before now”

“Have you recently come into the possession of some skill tomes?”

“That I have? How did you know? Wanting to buy them off me?” Gail replied in a confused tone.

“Well, your apprehension contract told me. I am a hunter, look”, Logan replied as he held out the contract firmly.

Glancing over the contract after showing off a shocked expression, the Devout looked up with worry replacing the look on his eyes. “Uh, sir. I think there has been a misunderstanding. I bought these tomes with coin, not theft.”

“Well, that is what I have been told. Would you mind coming down to the guardhouse to sort this out?”

“I did have errands, but this is quite serious. To think a hunting contract was made before even talking to me. I’ll come along, I have the tomes in my bag”, Gail spoke quickly.

Motioning to Marcus and the guard to move over to him, Logan stored away his contract while keeping a close eye on his mark.

“Do I need to be bound?” the Devout followed up.

“No, you’re coming peacefully. I can just take your staff for now.”

The man didn’t make any movement aside from turning slightly to allow Logan to take the weapon easier. Marcus and the guard shared a look of confusion before Logan explained the situation.

“Ah, maybe it was a false report. It’s rare, but this guy could have pissed someone off”, the guard informed in a gruff way.

Returning to the Gerro Guardhouse, Logan found no retaliation from Gail. The Devout even spoke of some of his travels, sharing knowledge about herbs and berries with Marcus who was intrigued to speak with another of his class. It was uncommon to find a travelling Devout, so Marcus would not pass up this chance.

Reaching their destination, Jirango had an inquisitive look on his face as he saw the unarmed yet unbound mark. “I take it you have an explanation for this? Rare to find a cooperative mark.”

“Gail said he had bought the items he was noted to have stolen”, Logan informed.

“Correct, sir”, Gail followed.

Letting out a groan of annoyance Jirango stood up and prepared his devices for the truth circle. “If it is, someone will be seeing a hefty fine and jail time”, he threatened to the wind.

Stepping onto the circle caused it to glow as normal though Logan noticed it was a bit dimmer than usual.

“Are you Gail Ren, and did you steal tomes from Yenwa or the village of Ee’yenis?”

“I am, and I did not”, Gail answered immediately and clearly.

A noticeable green light shone from Jirango’s eyes, Logan noting it to be some form of identification skill all his own or related to his class.

“Cani’s whip. Alright, Gail, please take a seat while we go over everything”, Jirango cursed, turning to a formal tone as he motioned the mark to a nearby chair. “Logan, your pay, give us your signet and you can be off”, he continued as he pulled out a small pouch.

“I take it someone is going to get an ear full?” Logan asked teasingly as he placed his signet on the table.

“Fucking tricksters. I hate them every time they use the hunting contracts to sort out a personal dispute. It’s a lot of paperwork for nothing. They’ll get their due though.”

With an updated signet, Logan placed the reward into his inventory with 6 silver to Marcus and 14 silver to himself in their own sections. Though with the lack of any fighting the Spellthief was disappointed to see that no XP had been distributed to the team. Handing over the staff to Gail also meant there were no item rewards or bonuses for this mission. But Logan wasn’t about to steal from someone that had been recently framed.

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