Chương 5: A Quest

Elias could easily follow the shine of Goggs' bald head, even in the gloom. The man moved quickly past all sorts of botanical curiosities. Mushrooms shaped like small houses, ferns that twirled in a thousand golden ratios, and some fly-trap-like growths that snapped at him as he passed.

"What exactly is this place?" Elias asked, catching up to the man just as they exited the growth of the park and into the relatively orderly streets of the town.

"As far as that goes, I'm not sure I can be much help."

"Did the mushroom not say anything helpful to you either?" Goggs stopped in front of a stone building with a thatched roof. A sign hung from the door that showed a white hand with magic pearls radiating from it. He got a thoughtful and serious look on his rugged features.

"Mine wasn't a giant mushroom. It was a gold medal. See, I kicked my bucket in an ultra-marathon. I was running to sponsor a little boy's leukemia treatments and … well, let's just say the Mojave desert turned out to be terminal, at least in my case."

"Dang."

"But to answer the root of your question, no. I doubt my giant medal was much more helpful than your mushroom. None of us are really sure what we are doing here, except to say that … well, it is not that much different than life."

"How so?" Goggs leaned against the building, a philosophical smirk crossing over his hardened features.

"We all have our own individual trials to bear. Finding out what that is? Well, that's part of it. Groping for purpose is like … a race that never ends, ain't it?" Elias tapped his thumb against his chin for a second, weighing what he'd just heard.

"Wise words. But everything has to be quantifiable. Even this place." Goggs shrugged.

"Don't think about it too much. You might go crazy." They went inside and Elias spent a moment basking in the calm atmosphere of the place. It was not unlike some small countryside church. There was stained glass that let in the dim light of the forest in a hundred different colors. Stone carvings of heroic figures lined the wall. And there were rows of brightly colored, decorative maces in a glass case at the far end of the building. The place sparked a feeling of awe.

"Did you build this?" Elias said, looking up in wonder.

"Not me specifically, though I definitely played a part in it. This is the cleric guild hall," said Goggs, indicating the whole of the space with a sweep from one of his muscular arms.

"Though as you might have gathered, there aren't any other clerics here."

"Where are they?"

"I'm the only one left, unfortunately. Fire knights have chased quite a few of us out. Affirmation imps and … well, other things I won't yet mention did in the rest. When I saw you in the hub, I was hoping that maybe you shared a class with me. But I guess, like I said, we all have our own paths to hack out of this place." Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Elias took a closer look at the brightly shining maces inside the display.

Each was more elaborate than the last, all of them shined to a nice finish, crusted with glowing orbs and vibrating mysteriously.

"You mentioned the fireknights. I guess I've already had the displeasure of bumping into them. An awful bully that goes by the name of Brock?" Goggs set down some of his equipment and poured two glasses of wine from a decanter in the corner.

"The fireknights were mostly firemen back in life. Believe it or not, most of them bought the farm running into burning buildings to save someone or another. But it goes to show, one act of heroic selflessness doesn't make a person a saint forever after. Bullies … that is the right word. They've been trying to dominate the town for the last year or so. And their guild is by far the most powerful and influential around these parts. Steer clear of them, at least until you get your feet under you."

"Are they actually dangerous? I got the sense that Brock fellow might have been blowing some hot air."

"Just don't give them any opportunity to take you out. Particularly when there is no one else around. I can't prove it, but I get the feeling they have dispatched more than a few inconvenient scrubs over the years."

"Thanks for all the advice. Speaking of getting my feet under me, you said something about a quest?"

"Right, there is something you could help me out with. And it is probably right about your level too. But first, I think you need something to swing. You obviously aren't that much of a boxer, at least not without me buffing the hell out of you. But I won't be around all the time. You are going to have to learn to defend yourself or you won't make it very long." Elias couldn't help but turn his eyes in the direction of the shimmering maces.

"Not those," Goggs said.

"I figured that would be fairly obvious."

"Whose are they?"

"There used to be a whole lot more of them. This is all that's left. They were ceremonial, once upon a time. Back when the Cleric's guild was flourishing. I just make sure to keep them around for prosperity. A bit of a pain, having to make sure there is always a warding spell up. And then, of course, we lose some of them to the … well I won't trouble you about that yet."

"Thieves?"

"No, they can't be stolen." Elias raised an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, try and touch the case. It will hurt, but it won't kill you." Elias could already tell it was a bad idea, but his curiosity quickly got the better of him. He stuck a hand out, and was zapped for his trouble. It reminded him of a time his dad had asked him to change out an outlet in his 1960 bungalow and forgotten to kill the breaker. Maybe he did remember some things about his life. At least, the shock of the ward had jostled his memory a bit.

Before he could even say ouch, Goggs had cast another healing spell on Elias. The pain barely even registered. Then, Goggs went into a wooden chest at the far corner of the room and began digging around in it.

"Fascinating," Elias said, examining the case even more closely.

"Is it some kind of electrical device?" But Goggs ignored the question.

"This is more your speed I think, scrub. Druids prefer to use staves, or so I've been told," he said, tossing a long wooden stick in Elias' direction.

"It isn't magical or anything. You'll have to upgrade at some point." Elias caught it. Though it had no frills and was splintery and rough to the touch, he liked the way it felt in his hands.

"I really don't know how to thank you for all this."

"You can thank me by clearing out the rats in the basement."

"Rats?"

"Yeah, big ones. That's your quest, brave sir druid. There are a few echo coins in it for you. And the experience of course. You need to get your level up, and whacking a few rats with that staff of yours ought to do the trick. Plus, they keep eating my food stores." # You have been offered a quest: clear the basement of the Cleric's Guild of its rat infestation. Accept? #"Accept. Yes. I'll do it," Elias replied.

"Good man. I'll catch up with you in a bit," said Goggs. He gathered up his things as if intending to take his leave.

"I've got some stuff to attend to. But just make yourself at home." Goggs slung a few more buffs at Elias on his way out. When he found himself alone, Elias spent a few minutes swinging his new staff around, thrusting it at imaginary foes and getting a feel for the weight of the thing. He was ready.