The Stone Tree: A LitRPG Adventure (Kingmaker Saga Book 1) Read online

  It took two tries to make it onto the roof, during which Chanterelle stabbed a swampkin through the stomach, but the attack left her exposed and the other three fell upon her. Terran slammed one in the back, grimacing at the sick crunch of metal on bone. He pushed the dead swampkin from the roof, and the opening gave Chanterelle a chance to spring away. Before he could lift his spiked club again, she danced through the swampkin, slicing them both across the chest and kicking them from the building.

  A quick check to their health and stamina revealed the slimness of their chances.

  "There's still too many of them alive," said Chanterelle, leaning on her knees, wiping the mud and blood from her forehead with the back of her hand as the swampkin gathered to assault them again. "Can you do whatever it is you did before?"

  "I need more mana, that drained me dry," he said. "We need more time and then we need to group them up."

  A muddy Luna came bounding up the wall onto the roof as her swampkin joined the others. Her tongue lolled out as she panted.

  "Can't. Run. In. Stupid. Mud," said Luna.

  "Can you do that rock explosion thing from up here?" asked Chanterelle.

  Even without touching the stone, he knew the answer. "No, I need to be down there. It has to be bedrock, or granite. Something solid."

  "What if I ran them around until you were ready?" asked Chanterelle. "Luna and I can keep them busy. You can slip off the back and sneak around."

  "You look like you can barely stand," he said. "You won't last ten seconds."

  She stood up, lifting her chin. "I can do it. Trust me."

  He looked behind the building. There was a chance to escape if he threw the last of his rock shards at the swampkin, but then they'd lose their chance to save the other elves. This was their best shot.

  "Go, Chanterelle," he said.

  She and Luna leapt into the mud. Terran's stomach did a backflip when Chanterelle nearly slipped, right in front of a pair of swampkin, but she recovered in time, arms pinwheeling as she ran ahead. In the chaos of their escape, Terran dropped off the back of the building, hoping he hadn't been seen.

  As he moved to the front, there was one swampkin remaining, lumbering around on a bad leg, holding an angry looking piece of metal. The others were chasing Chanterelle and Luna, and he didn't want to alert the lone swampkin since he was waiting for his mana to regen. Terran crept to his knees, placing his hands deep into the mud to find the bedrock. The stone answered his call as soon as he touched it, vibrating with excitement.

  On his hands and knees, Terran kept his eyes on the lone swampkin as the others were led around the camp on a merry chase. Mentally willing his mana bar to fill faster when he saw Chanterelle running back towards him, he accidently spoke out loud, "Hurry up."

  The lone swampkin turned, grinning maliciously as it raised its ugly weapon. Terran thought he was going to get his brains knocked in, but Luna leapt up, tearing its throat out before landing beside him.

  As Chanterelle ran past him, Terran willed his mana to close the final gap. The swampkin thundered towards him. As the lead creature reached him, he closed his eyes and let the magic loose into the stone. The explosion ripped through the swampkin, sending their now lifeless bodies into a wide arc. Blood and mud splattered across his face, but he was otherwise untouched by their attack.

  Chapter Fourteen

  In the aftermath of the fight, Terran leveled up. He opened up his character sheet to place his new skill points into Intelligence and Endurance.

  Character: Terran

  Level: 5

  Class: Earthen Mage

  HP: 90

  Mana: 200

  Sta: 150

  Strength: 1

  Intelligence: 5

  Endurance: 6

  Cunning: 1

  Agility: 1

  Charisma: 1

  Spells:

  Stone Touch (unique)

  Rock Shards

  Rock Wall

  Earth Geyser

  Skills:

  Improvisation (INT): 4

  Commune with Nature (CHA): 1

  Nature's Lore (INT): 2

  He should have been elated, but instead, he sat in the mud, surrounded by swampkin bodies, trembling with exhaustion. Luna pressed her forehead against his chest in solidarity before moving to a clean patch of grass and beginning the laborious processes of cleaning her fur with her tongue.

  When he looked up, he caught Chanterelle staring at him with wide eyes and an expression he couldn't quite put a name to, but she looked away, crimson rising to her cheeks. Terran watched her hips sway as she strode towards the building holding the elven prisoners. He was afraid of how the elves would react to being freed by an offworlder, so instead of going with Chanterelle, he took the opportunity to investigate the swampkin quarters.

  Terran's nose was assaulted with mud and decay the moment he entered the dank building. The back of the room was filled with pallets of straw and ragged, threadbare blankets. Near the door was a large table with rough-hewn benches on either side that could seat at least thirty. Dirty cups and plates littered the table and more were stacked next to a fireplace still glowing with embers. It emitted enough light for Terran to see.

  Terran took a step into the room just as a rat carrying a hunk of what he assumed was bread in its mouth scurried through a small hole at the base of the far wall. As his gaze followed the rat he noticed a small object shining in a lone pile of straw. Terran assumed this must have been where a more important swampkin had slept because there was a pillow and a thick blanket instead of the rags the others were using. Cautiously he shuffled to the back of the room and hastily grabbed the shiny bauble. It appeared to be a glowing blue stone, but it felt weightless in his hand.

  He had just remembered his analyze skill and was going to investigate the stone further when the rat came running back in the hole and raced inches from his feet. He screamed in surprise and jumped back, falling into the pile of dishes stacked by the fireplace. The cacophony of stoneware crashing to the ground brought Luna to investigate.

  "Sounds like you're getting this stealth thing down," she ridiculed as he sprawled on the floor and a plate rolled to her feet.

  "Rat," he screeched, pointing under the table.

  Immediately Luna lunged under the table, then backed out with the rat in her mouth. "Midnight snack. Thanks," she said without moving her teeth.

  Terran scrunched up his nose and shook his head with a shiver. "Look what I found," he said, reaching his open palm towards the lynx, whose eyes widened.

  She swallowed the rat in one bite then in a whisper she breathed, "A Theris Stone... I've only ever seen one of these." She walked towards the shining blue stone in Terran's hand. "What were swampkin doing with such a powerful item?"

  Excited by Luna's response, Terran analyzed the stone:

  Theris Stone: Mystara Eventide (legendary item)

  Grants the wearer night vision

  The thing that goes bump in the night won't be you anymore

  Chanterelle crashed into the room and sighed when she found Terran sprawled on the floor. "I thought you were in trouble," she said, crossing her arms.

  "He is in trouble if he plans to keep blowing our cover every time. Unless we were attacking blind, deaf mutes, then I guess he might manage. Though I'm sure he'd find some way to mess that up too. Please don't start throwing things to get their attention," Luna said with teeth showing.

  "Isn't that just what he's doing with that bow?" Chanterelle chuckled while holding her gut.

  "Happy I can amuse you both." Terran stuck out his bottom lip while standing back up and dusting himself off. "Did you free the elves?"

  Chanterelle nodded. "Ten of them. They said the other building was an armory, so I sent them to get weapons since it sounded like you had stumbled into another problem."

  "I was searching this place until that rude rat decided to interrupt things. At least it paid for its crime," Terran said, winking at Luna while rummagi
ng through the piles of straw.

  He found a few loose coins that didn't amount to much, several horrendous smelling tunics, and a pile of hoarded spoons stashed in the corner under copious amounts of straw.

  "Find anything else?" Luna asked.

  Terran turned towards her with fistfuls of spoons and raised eyebrows. "Sure. If you're in a rush for some soup."

  Luna took a lap around the room sniffing at various locations before heading out the door muttering something about opposable thumbs. Terran threw the spoons in his backpack, pocketed the coins, and then followed her out.

  He was greeted by a pink hue on the horizon slowly spreading its light across the swamp. Chanterelle was standing next to the armory gesturing animatedly while speaking to a tall, muscular elf with an axe slung over his shoulder. The elf looked like he might smell as bad as the swampkin and he was a bit emaciated from his captivity, but he still held an imposing aura.

  "...could really use some training," Chanterelle was saying while shaking her head as Terran walked up to the pair.

  Even covered in grime, the muscular elf would be considered very attractive. Terran's jaw tightened and a pang shot through his gut as he watched Chanterelle stand with one hand on her hip talking to him.

  "I'm Terran," he said, shoving his outstretched hand into the middle of the pair.

  Both elves stared down at Terran's hand in silence. Chanterelle tilted her head with a raised eyebrow and finally said, "This is Lhoris Valren, a renowned elven captain." She turned her eyes back to Lhoris and continued, "I am pleased to discover you are still alive. We have had no news of you in so long I had feared the worst."

  "We were taken captive a few weeks ago by some offworlders and brought here." He glowered at Terran, but his face softened as he turned his gaze back to Chanterelle. "How is your family? I fear to ask since they don't seem to be with you."

  "Offworlders," interrupted Terran. "Were there three of them? Big brash guy, a woman with golden hair, and a smaller one?"

  Lhoris' hand went to his weapon. "Are they friends of yours?"

  "Not in the least bit," said Terran. "They tried to kill me."

  The tall elf relaxed his shoulders as Chanterelle answered, "My family is back at the Mother Tree."

  Lhoris' eyes glinted with excitement. "I felt its renewal in my bones. How could such a thing happen? Was this you?"

  When Chanterelle turned towards Terran, opening her palm to indicate him, the warrior elf scrunched up his face.

  "I do not understand," he said.

  "Terran found the seed and brought back the Mother Tree," said Chanterelle. "He's the current leader of the settlement."

  Lhoris' face blanched, his tanned skin turning pale as moonlight. He spun on his heel and headed into the armory barking orders like a general with a room full of rowdy new recruits.

  "Did I say something wrong?" Terran asked, kicking the dirt at his feet.

  "Elves are no longer as trusting as we once were. Many, including Lhoris, believe it was our trust of the offworlders that ended up destroying the Mother Tree and our society. His favor will not come easy I am afraid," Chanterelle said as the corners of her mouth dropped.

  You have completed the quest Free the Elves

  Population increased by ten

  +100 reputation Rock Leaf Elves

  Terran sat with shoulders hunched as he made a show of repacking his things while Lhoris led the elves in gathering up the supplies throughout the ruins. Once he looked up to catch Luna's eye and noticed Chanterelle watching him while she honed her blade. Her face reddened and she immediately dropped her gaze when he shrugged at her. Terran let out a long sigh. It was going to be an uncomfortable trip back to Gneiss Glen.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A hush fell over the entire party as they walked into the clearing and saw the Mother Tree with her branches reaching for the cloudless blue sky. Smiles and a few lone tears spread throughout the elves who had for so long been without their home. Even Lhoris sucked in a breath and raised his head towards the sky, taking in the wondrous sight of the full-grown tree. A cool breeze ran through the glen and a leaf fell to the ground at Terran's feet. Upon separating from the tree, the bright green leaf began draining of color until it was light gray when it finally hit the ground. Terran bent down to pick up the leaf and was amazed to find it had turned into a soft stone that was continuing to harden in his hand.

  As Terran stared wide-eyed at the strange leaf in his hand, an elf named Ara began singing an eerie song. Others joined in, and soon the clearing was ringing with the harmony of elven voices. The Mother Tree seemed to shudder in delight as the elves continued their song, and the tree dropped several more leaves, which were gently gathered by the matronly elf who had begun the song. Terran handed his leaf over to Ara as if presenting a gift to a queen. Her kind eyes smiled at him as she took the treasure from his open palms and finished singing her song.

  "That was beautiful," Terran breathed in astonishment at the gentle moment he had just witnessed. "I've never heard a song like that. It seemed like the tree was listening too."

  "Of course she was listening," the matronly elf responded with a light grin. "All enjoy the gift of music—the Mother Tree is no different. She provides for us and we nurture her with song and loam. You should learn the songs too."

  "Oh no. I don't sing," Terran blurted out, vigorously shaking his head and backing away from Ara.

  "We'll see," she said with a wink at Chanterelle.

  "Petram," Lhoris exclaimed as the shaman walked into the clearing from the far side. The pair inclined their heads at each other. "I should have known you would already be here."

  "Isn't she magnificent," Petram said, arms wide, gesturing towards the tree with a friendly laugh. "We should prepare a feast to celebrate your homecoming."

  "I'd feel more like celebrating if I knew we were under competent leadership," he responded, snarling at Terran. "This honor should never have been given to an offworlder. Only a Rock Leaf Elf is capable of tending to the tree and growing the settlement."

  "Come now, Lhoris. All creatures have the ability to learn new skills. Offworlders are no exception, and Terran the Tenacious has shown great promise." He winked at Terran. "Look how healthy the tree is already, and he did manage to free you from your captivity."

  Lhoris rolled his eyes and huffed, "I doubt he can even capture a single spirit essence, but I hope you're right, Petram."

  "Let's prepare a feast for tonight," Petram said to everyone. Then nodding towards Chanterelle, he added, "Perhaps you should head to the cave and inform your father that you are safely home."

  Chanterelle somehow made herself small, stole a sideways glance at Terran, then quickly turned to leave. She had gone about ten steps before she took a deep breath, turned around, and stood staring at Terran, mouth opening and closing. Terran watched as crimson rose up her face, then she abruptly turned back around and left at a run without saying anything.

  Petram had a wide smile as he sauntered towards Terran.

  "I have a surprise for you. Come," he said, indicating towards the Mother Tree.

  Terran shuffled his feet as he followed Petram to the tree, wondering what Chanterelle was trying to say. Luna nudged his leg with her muzzle, pulling him out of his thoughts. He gave a quick shake of his head and smiled as he sat down next to Petram at the fire.

  "I'm assuming from your smile that this is a good surprise," Terran said to the elf.

  Petram dug through the bag at his feet. Terran watched with interest as the shaman brought out a stone seed much like the one he had found, only a little smaller. This seed fit in the palm of his hand and was missing the bright red spiderweb of veins. "The Mother Tree produced a seed while you were gone. We didn't plant it because you have to decide what kind of tree you'd like it to become," he said, handing the stone to Terran.

  "We will be able to house another six settlers once the tree is planted, but you will have to decide what to do with the others whi
le we wait for another seed to harvest. You should now be able to tell how long that will be and which building options you have available," he continued.

  Terran opened his settlement tab as he rolled the seed around on his lap.

  Settlement: Gneiss Glen (Tap to rename)

  Level: 1

  Fortifications: none

  Population: 16/30

  Housing: 1/5

  Seeds grown: 0/5

  Days until next seed harvesting: 15

  Total Buildings: 0/5

  Barracks 0/1

  Fungi Garden 0/3

  Shaman Hut 0/1

  Chieftain Hut 0/1

  Orchard 0/3

  Leaf Armory 0/1

  Weaponmaker 0/1

  Occupations:

  Unassigned: 11

  Loamers: 3

  "What is a leaf armory?" Terran asked the shaman while still reading through the settlement sheet.

  "When the leaves fall off the tree they turn to stone. We have learned how to combine the leaves and make them into formfitting, custom armor pieces. Ara is a master armorer who has outfitted our elves for hundreds of years, so she could give you all the details, but basically having a leaf armory improves each piece of armor and makes upgrades available," Petram explained.

  "So for now I need to pick a building for this seed, assign occupations to the ten new elves, and figure out how to house and feed everyone until another seed can be planted." Terran let out a long breath. "Maybe Lhoris is right. Can't you do all this, Petram?"

  "I could have if I had been the one to plant the Mother Tree seed, but you were given that honor, so no, I can't," he said, patting Terran on the shoulder like a parent placating a child complaining about having to do homework.

  Terran gave a disappointed shrug. "Maybe I'll start by talking to everyone and finding out if they have an occupation that they'd like to do, then I can go from there. It's hard to make a decision without all the facts."