The trailer rattled as it rolled over another set of uneven bumps, jostling luggage, empty water jugs, and everyone unlucky enough to be sitting inside.
The whole back compartment swayed with the rhythm of the road, forcing its passengers into that awkward state between sitting still and being gently scrambled like eggs.
Jax sat to Kaelen's left, somehow already asleep despite the trailer's best attempts to rearrange his spine.
Across from them, Sir Braedon and Selene sat together, though Selene was the only one actually looking awake.
Thalia had claimed the ballista stand, still practicing with her strings as if the rocking vehicle was part of some advanced training method.
Aiden and Liora sat up front, guiding the trailer and keeping Sir Oinks-a-Lot from doing whatever a pig considered mutiny.
Normally, Liora liked the ballista post. She enjoyed lounging up there, looking smug, making comments, and pretending she was far too elegant to be traveling with the rest of them. But ever since breakfast, she had been acting strange.
Then again, this was one of the more boring parts of adventuring.
The world was massive, and traveling took time. That meant everyone eventually found their own way to survive the endless stretches of road.
Selene watched the scenery and tried to identify anything interesting.
Thalia practiced.
Sir Braedon and Jax took naps with almost insulting ease.
Liora navigated and cared for Sir Oinks-a-Lot, at least for this stretch.
Aiden drove
Kaelen often read.
His bag held a collection of books he had grabbed before they left, simple stories meant to entertain rather than enlighten.
They had been traveling for almost a month, and he still had plenty left to read.
But today, he had a different goal.
As one of the core healers of the party, Kaelen had taken it upon himself to manage not only everyone's physical wounds, but their mental states as well, at least thats what he told himself.
Healing a broken arm was easy enough. Healing the quiet little cracks people hid behind jokes, pride, and incredibly poor decision-making was a lot more complicated.
For that reason, he had been keeping notes.
Especially after the past two days.
Jax and Liora had both been acting strangely, and Kaelen needed to update his observations before whatever problem they were avoiding decided to explode in their faces.
He reached into his bag, pulled out his small notebook, and read over his notes.
Aiden Hallowcreek
Physicality: stable
Mentality: stable
Current hurdles to overcome:
Aiden is developing what appears to be the beginning of a savior complex. This seems to have arisen from the fact that he has been the lynchpin in saving several members of the party, if not all of them, in one situation or another.
The main examples include:
Saved the whole party during the Blood Trent fight.Saved Liora and Kaelen in the dungeon.Stalled Ymer until the party could be saved.
I believe this is the motivation behind Aiden's new obsession with strength, which he is currently seeking through martial training.
Notes:
Aiden appears to have an oddly developed sense of self-management and mental care. This may be connected to his Fragmented Will skill, which could be assisting in the management of his mental state.
This is both good and bad.
It will likely keep Aiden moving in a positive direction, but because the skill shares his goals, it may also push him further into his savior complex unless he is shown a healthier path.
============================
Jax Stormcaller
Physicality: stable
Mentality: on edge
Current hurdles to overcome:
Jax seems to possess a childlike attitude toward life that I believe stems from a place of pain. Jax has yet to open up to anyone about this pain.
However, he has been getting more and more tense lately. I will need to ask him about this soon.
Notes:
Jax seems to be adjusting to his role as team leader better after the incident in the first dungeon. While that progress was shaken by the encounter in the second dungeon, I believe Jax is not only developing, but growing from the experience.
============================
Liora Aeras
Physicality: stable
Mentality: worried
Current hurdles to overcome:
Liora has been on edge and unusually panicky since breakfast. I believe she knows something she is refusing to share with the rest of the party.
He may need to ask her about it tonight while gathering firewood.
Notes:
She is rather confident in herself, bordering on narcissism.
As Kaelen read, the trailer slowed, then came to a stop. Everyone stretched and began to move, some with more dignity than others.
Jax and Liora both glanced toward Sir Braedon.
That was enough to make Kaelen pause, a moment of confusion and curiosity towards the strange apprehension of their traveling companion.
Then Aiden turned off the vehicle, and everyone began breaking into their usual tasks. Today was Kaelen's turn to gather firewood.
He turned toward Liora, about to invite her along, when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Can I join you in gathering firewood?" Sir Braedon asked. "I have a question for you."
Kaelen turned to him and nodded.
"Sure. Do you want to grab the heavy stuff?"
Sir Braedon nodded, and the two started toward the tree line.
Still, Kaelen could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise. He shook his head, trying to shake the feeling, and blaming the strange weariness he saw earlier
They had all reached level 10 after the incident in the second dungeon, which meant Kaelen had gained a new skill choice. One he had still not decided on.
As they walked deeper into the woods, he opened his system screen.
Congratulations, you have reached level 10.
Pick from the skills below.
Gavel of God (E)
Sheltering Wings (E)
Angel's Mercy (E)
The three skills stood before him once again.
He had read them over and over, trying to choose between them.
Gavel of God was an offensive skill that brought down a large spectral hammer on an enemy.
Sheltering Wings was a defensive skill that protected both himself and his allies.
Angel's Mercy was a healing skill that restored health by percentage instead of a flat amount.
The decision had been driving him mad for days.
Kaelen silently made his choice.
The screen closed as he bent down and started gathering sticks. Behind him, Sir Braedon did the same.
After a few moments, Kaelen spoke.
"A question for you, Sir Braedon, when you get a chance."
"Yes," Sir Braedon said quietly. "What is your question?"
His helmet was angled toward the ground, but Kaelen could feel his attention on him. It was the unsettling kind of attention that made someone wonder if the man had eyes on the back of his head.
"Call me paranoid," Kaelen said, keeping his voice even, "but it seems two of my party members seem a bit wary of you, anything happen between you 3?"
Sir Braedon said nothing.
He paused where he stood, still holding a bundle of sticks.
Kaelen barely noticed the first shift. Just a small bump beneath the armor.
Then his body moved before his mind caught up.
He jumped backward as his newly chosen skill activated. A set of golden, faintly transparent feathered wings burst from his back and wrapped in front of him.
A spear-like tendril shot from Sir Braedon's shoulder and slammed into the wings.
The impact cracked several feathers, sending glowing fragments drifting to the forest floor.
Sir Braedon stood slowly.
Several mouths formed across different stretches of his armor, each one filled with large, jagged fangs. Even the face of his spear opened into a mouth.
"And here I thought I had gotten away with it," the spear said. "Guess something tipped one of them off."
The tendril retracted.
In the distance, Kaelen could already hear the others reacting to the notification of what had just happened. Movement. Shouting. The party was coming.
Kaelen stared at Sir Braedon and gave a sharp, humorless shrug.
"I don't….. What are you?!"
He raised his staff, ready to hold him back.
You have used skill Sheltering Wings (E)
Wings spring forth to defend you and your allies.
Sir Braedon has used skill Flesh Make: Weapon (E)
Your wings have blocked 22 damage.