Tale Of A Berserk Healer

Ruth finally slowed down, catching his breath and pushing a mild amount of the warm golden energy throughout his body.

Herald quickly pushed his mana through the swordsman, Branwen, checking his leg.

Ryth notes the bright blue light. (So he's got a different Arcane source... I likely can't learn at all from him, especially if he's likely Ocean and I'm... probably Sun.)

Ryth at least assumed he was Ocean as Sky rarely had to do with healing.

"So our spider problem is an actual problem."

Everyone nodded to the Lizardman, Azolfos's words.

"Jeez... we have no idea if a nest has started up. But to have those numbers, were probably dealing with a queen who's growing a territory, and those were part of the further reaches. Just imagining what might happen to anybody who goes beyond that tree or wherever the line they've drawn is..." Branwen shivered.

"Kid you're lucky you stuck your hand into that nest. Any further and you would be smack dab in a new monster-nest." Erakin laughed nervously. At this point, he couldn't tell if this kid was super unfortunate or miraculously lucky.

(What do you call a mixture of both?) he wondered, looking at the kid, and noting a small bit of light leaking from his eyes, the one sign he was restoring himself with mana. {Well from where we come from we call that a protagonist, but sure, confuse yourself.}

"So I get that a nest is when a broodmother-type appears and creates an army of inferior children and superior guards to establish a territory to grow, but why is it so close to town? How did something reach that level of stage unnoticed?" Ryth tried to get some answers and learn a bit about a kind of monster only seen in the frontier or beyond, as forming a nest within a kingdoms borders would be suicide typically.

"Well, likely it evolved from another nest and fled to create its own, meaning we have a bigger problem further in. If it fled, then the previous nest has grown enough to create new mothers, which means the goblin lands either have a competitor... or a terrifying new ally."

"The death of us all." Herald muttered.

"Or it's just a freak coincidence that nobody noticed somehow. The real question is if the broodmother is stage 2 or 3, and if it has any kings."

Ryth shivered at the thought of being so near a stage 3's nest. Not only the swarm of lower-leveled creatures made it terrifying, but at that level it might spawn Kings, and that would require a stage 4 team or even stage 5 depending on creature and exact level/number.

"Well I think we figured out all we can. We push any further and we'll bite off more than we can chew." Everyone was in agreement, so they got up after that breather and made their way back to Maevair.

~ ~ ~

Burdock striker his beard, with his brow furrowed.

"Hmm... that's not good, not good at all. A nest could kill a lot of our adventurers, especially if the lower larva are so venomous..."

"You got any of that venom left?" That question was aimed at Ryth, who quickly nodded, patting his satchel.

Everyone electively ignored the hairy legs poking out of the cover and focused back to the matter at hand.

"Well... here's your payment, good job fellas. Kid, you mind coming with me?"

After holding out a crystalline card, which the lizard tapped with a card of his own, the Dwarf gestures for Ryth to follow him, and they went out after showing the Stage 2 team out and waving them off.

"W...why do you need me exactly?" Ryth finally asked the question burning at him since the dwarf asked him to stay.

"Well I need you to come as I talk to Fion so we can try and figure something out. You own the only samples we got after all... It's late enough that he may be awake..."

"No it isn't."

"Sigh... no, but he will be."

With that, Burdock set off in strong strides, Ryth following with wry amus.e.m.e.nt.

(A grouchy enchanter vs a stubborn dwarf... fight!)

"BAM BAM BAM! OI! FION YOU V.I.R.G.I.N VAMPIRE, GET OUT HERE AND DO YOUR JOB YOU SHUT-IN!"

"..."

"GET OUT HERE OR I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT I CAN REALLY DO WITH YOUR SISTER!"

(I... am speechless.)

"OI GET UP YOU-"

"I'M UP!" A load yell from behind the door echoed out, a blast of mana filled with hostility nearly bowling Ryth over.

The door slammed open, Fion looking more cross than ever, spectacles askew.

"Please, tell me Burdock. What will you do with my sister? Who is MARRIED?"

The dwarf smirked and shrugged. "Nothing much, just show her why she should get a divorce."

Ryth inwardly facepalmed and waited with a strange anticipation for how this grouchy old man would respond.

"...get in her you bastard. What do you want from me this time? Wake me up at a reasonable time why don't you?"

"It's 3 in the afternoon!"

"Exactly! Way too early!"

(Does Fion ever actually wake up or do people always wake him up cause they need him? I honestly wonder what time he'd wake up on his own...)

Fion noticed Ryth. "Oh, you with him?" He gestured with an annoyed expression at the dwarf walking in so casually.

Ryth quickly shook his head and crossed his arms, waving them horizontally. "No no no, he just wanted to get more on that spidervenom and needed me for it."

Fion nodded. "Cmon in then kid."

Ryth took a few steps in and waited as Fion went to the desk and grabbed the vial from the day before.

"Wait you already had a sample?"

"Of venom? Yes. But he's got a body part there, so that's what I'll be checking out all new."

Ryth wanted to smack himself, forgetting he'd sold some of it to Fion yesterday, but after hearing the 2nd sentence he grabbed a spider leg and handed it over.

Fion tossed him a single copper and went to work, dribbling a bit of venom on the leg and comparing the creatures resistance to its own poisons with other organic material.

He worked while Burdock talked about what had been reported, mixing crude jokes in and guffawing loudly at himself. Fion continued to work, ignoring the loud dwarf, but as he did he became less and less lazy, until the enchanter looked serious and focused.

He'd already proven it wasn't acidic and only hurt organic material, but...

"I dunno what you expect from me Burdock."

Fion sighed, pinching his own nose as he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm an earth enchanter, you want a alchemist if you wanna find exact properties. I can give you a rough rundown for giving out info, but honestly? Ask Contren for help exterminating the nest and stop anyone below higher stage 2 from going out."

Burdock stopped smiling. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. The flesh is untouched by the venom, I'd say it's a stage 3 broodmother at best, and the chances of Kings being there are high. Get Contren to help us, the Duchess is bound by the kingdom to send an extermination squad at least."

Fion took off his spectacles, looking Burdock in the eye. "Those kids walked up to the nest, and now these things are gonna start going out of the nest in retaliation. If you keep sending out people who can't handle a spider swarm of that toxicity, you'll have many dead by week's end."

~ ~ ~

Ryth sighed as he walked out onto the street.

A bit closer to Level 3, and now he wasn't allowed to go out hunting until this got resolved.

(I oughta visit Livia and Dad then... maybe I can find some work.)

"Oh! Good you aren't gone yet!" A call from behind caught Ryth's attention as the voice was the familiar husk of Fion.

"Huh? What's up?"

"Good news kid! Your dads a carpenter right?"

Ryth tilted his head. "Yeeeah... he takes care of the wall repairs usually and other objects that are ordered."

"Well I might have an interview for you with an Apothecary."

"WHAT?! How'd you find an Apothecary anywhere near here?"

Fion laughed. "He's working as a herbalist for some reason, but it turns out he's an actual Apothecary! Who knew we would have one out here! You interested?"

"Yeah of course! But why was my dad's trade important?"

"Not sure, he just wanted me to check. I dunno why, people in that kinda powerful position of a trade have weird quirks."

Ryth blinked. "Well I'm interested, so let me know a time and place when you get it, unless an issue arises..."

He slumped a bit. "Yeah something will probably go wrong."

Fion smacked his leg with his cane.

"Look lively! Stop being down on yourself and have some confidence! You're still young!"

"Ouch..." Ryth rubbed his leg, nodded to Fion, and walked away. "Good bye, see you tomorrow!"

Suddenly Ryth froze. Fion felt confused as Ryth slowly spun about on his foot, and smiled.

The widely grinning teen slowly walked back to Fion, then said; "perhaps I'll get a miracle, for you've gotten one today!"

"...well I don't feel any younger. What are you going on about?"

"You're standing outside! In sunlight! It's a miracle you aren't ashes you old vampire!"

"Ahahaha haha!!!"

"GET BACK HERE AND TAKE A BEATING YOU!"