Chapter 241: Contact (2/2)
‘ding’ ‘Poison Resistance reaches 2nd lvl 1
You are a target of assassins or not very good at distinguishing berries. Surviving either of those you have developed a general resistance to poisons.
2nd stage: Either you need better guards or you need to stop eating everything you see. Experience has granted you an ability to sense poison. Additionally its spread throughout your body is slower, reducing its effects.’
That’s why I poison myself. Ilea thought with a smile.
The rogue walked to the othersas Ilea watched them help up the lizardman who was still weakened from the exertion and near death experience, “We have to go, a trail of blood was left behind.” The robot said and turned to Ilea. “What do you seek as payment warrior?”
“I need a place to sell my things, more importantly a smith. Know anyone around that fits that description?”
He nodded and started walking into the dark, “Aye, not a pleasant one that one but perhaps you’ll survive it. If the poison doesn’t drop you after all.” He said and chuckled, a click resounding from his right eye, an enchantmentflushing the dark cave with light. “We should be quiet, not to attract more attention.” He added before they climbed down through a tight opening.
Ten minutes of silent climbing later, they came into a tunnel that seemed unnatural, its walls straight. She noticed for the first time how tall the robot was now that he stood upright. Easily two hand a half meters, even taller than the lizardman. The smoky rogue was the only one similar to her in size. “Where are we going?” She asked after a couple minutes of walking down the corridor.
The light of his headlight waved over to her before it moved forward again, “Hallowfort, our home.”
Ilea looked at the others but they ignored her, lost in their own thoughts. “That doesn’t really tell me anything robot man.”
He laughed at that, deep and loud before he checked behind them, “We should be safe now. You’ll see lassie. Seeing your worn out armor and those horns on your head I think you’ll fit right in.”
“I will show you to the smith with a good word as soon as we’re there. I doubt that is fixable sadly.” He added, “A shame, looks like Niameer steel.” A test perhaps but she had no idea what the name meant.
“Found it on a corpse a while ago, had it reforged.” She said, the robot holding up a thumb.
“We’re here.” Pushing aside a big stone plate, he leaned on its side and gestured them all to go in. Following inside, he pushed back the massive stone gate with the handle that was attached on the other side. Moving through the waiting people, he touched a runed plate that was on the other end of the small tunnel, a section on the ground opening immediately. Fresh air immediately flowed in, “Careful, it’s a bit of a drop.”
Ilea waited until they were all through before she looked down, jumping and landing two seconds later, looking at the waiting group of people. They stood at the edge of a massive cliff, crystals growing on the stone behind and around them, stretching for kilometers into the underground cave, illuminating everything in a pale light. Ilea stepped towards the edge and looked down, several hundred meters of air until it ended in what looked like a massive lake. Natural stone pillars grew from the lake up towards the ceiling, everything covered by crystals in patches of white.
A bridge a hundred meters to her right led over a chasm and towards warm torch light interspersed with magical lamps. Houses of all sizes and styles riddled the plateau, built on top of the massive statue depicting a humanoid figure, its head missing. The stone monument reached down and into the natural rock below before it all ended in the distant lake. “I’m impressed.” Ilea said, smiling as she took in the view and looked over at the robot. The metal on him was rusted in parts, dark gray and black as well as patches of red showing.
“No monsters here?” She asked as he joined her side and chuckled.
His eyes twirled before he spoke, “Rarely. They reside down in the lake or the dungeon. We’re safe here from the storms as well as most wild beasts. Come now, a warrior able to heal will be a most welcome addition.”
Ilea nodded and followed him when the lizardman knelt on one knee before her, “I owe you my life warrior.”
Ilea grinned and flicked his lizard like head, “You owe me a drink.” The lizard looked confused when the robot started roaring with laughter.
“You heard the lassie, come before you get yourself into more dept than you can carry.” He said and helped him up.
A three meter tall guard with dark armor and a hammer as big as Ilea grunted when they came over the bridge and entered Hallowfort. It wasn’t big, nothing compared to any of the cities in the human plains. Perhaps a village or even just a bigger camp but what it lacked in numbers and size, it won back in diversity. To Ilea it felt just as alive as any bigger city she’d been to. Half the races running around, trading and shouting she had never seen. Is that a dwarf? The man was as tall as a kid but with sturdy arms and legs, no hair on his head as well as a scar on his scalp. He looked about as heavy as she would be were it not for her dense bones and muscles.
The scents of unknown foods mixed with body odor entirely alien to her as they walked through the village before they came up on a small house. “I’ll see you later, let me know how it goes.” The robot said to the rogue. The man didn’t reply, nodding lightly towards Ilea before he vanished. The lizard bowed deeply before he too said his goodbyes, at least for now. It seemed clear that responsibility for her would fall on the robot.
“Come on in.” He said and opened the door, stopping in a contraption near the wall before his chest opened, steam exiting from both the pipes on his back as well as the chamber itself before a man about one meter forty in height jumped out. A black bushy beard, one mechanical eye and black greasy hair looked at her with an outstretched hand, “Terok Stonebreaker, very happy to make your acquaintance.”
Ilea smiled and shook his hand, “Ilea Spears. The same. You were moving that machine?”
“Never seen a dwarf and his rig!” He laughed and walked over to it, “It’s smaller than most but trust me this thing can take a punch. The runes and gears allow for the finest movements coupled with my metal magic. Not the most beautiful thing but it does the job. Don’t ever insult it or I’ll pummel you.” He said, laughing again before punching the exoskeleton.
“Fascinating. You think I could get one of them too?”
He frowned, “Well you might as well try, it’s hard without metal magic. The fine control I mean. You need specific metal too, that elven stuff you have on your armor might be a start but you’ll need much more.”
Ilea nodded and smiled, happy to have found this little place. Still, she didn’t come to the north to join another village and get involved with their problems and wars, “Can you show me to the smith? I don’t plan to stay long.”
The dwarf smiled and nodded, “I understand, not one to dwell. I shall stay true to my word. If you ever need anything just come back.” He said and opened the door, beckoning her to follow. “He was good as dead, glad you appeared. I just hope he will go out again.” Terok said as he led her through the village.
Ilea spotted smoke coming out of a big building, hearing the sounds of a hammer hitting metal, “What about that one?” She asked as he led her further down, away from the forge.
“She’s not bad but won’t be able to handle your level of steel. There’s only one here that could but he’s… well. He doesn’t want to work with everyone. Not me either but perhaps I can convince him to take down the runes, you’ve saved one of us after all.”