Year 88

  *The party moves forward in the cart, Emma and Pts discuss the regional information when a faint scream comes from the woods. The cart stops, and Emma pokes her head out the front next to Rodrick and Spt.*

  Emma(TL): We don’t have time for this.

  Lily: Want me to go scout it out?

  Rodrick: You going to go scout it out?

  Emma: Why? It’s not a monster, so why should we worry?

  Lily: *Disappointed* Emma.

  Canda: I’ll go.

  *Canda hops off the back of the cart and stretches.*

  Rodrick: No. *Looks at Emma.* Why? Don’t you have a kid of your own? That sounded like a child.

  Emma: *Glares* A lot of gnomes sound like children when you’re taller than some of their houses. But if it’ll get us back on the road, then fine.

  *Emma walks off toward the scream, soon finding two young Gnomes, a boy and a girl. Running from a group of Leaping Lypto's, a small marsupial similar to goblins and kobolds in intelligence, their pair of sharp horns spark as they start charging up an electrical strike; their legs allow them to leap like giant grasshoppers. Emma throws a knife into the ground, conducting the shock as she stands between them. Her towering figure scares them into retreating. For Lypto’s to jump, they take in a huge amount of air, doubling their chest size before releasing it with their jump, but as their lungs fill with smoke, they try to jump but quickly collapse, suffocating immediately.*

  Emma: Lily, go follow them.

  *Lily leaps down, and the children jump in fear, watching her run off. Emma turns around and sits down.*

  Emma: Are you two okay?

  Rodrick: Emma!

  *The party reaches them, Pts and Spt comfort the young gnomes.*

  Rodrick: What was it?

  Emma: Lypto’s. And Lily found their nest.

  Boy: Please. Miss Elf.

  *Emma looks down at the boy holding her leg.*

  Boy: They took our Mom and Dad.

  Emma: *Smiles* Don’t worry.

  *Looking through Lily’s eyes, Emma can see them both in makeshift hanging cages. Emma vanishes, leaving her words on the wind.*

  Emma: They’re both asleep and alive.

  *Emma hides just above the small Lypto settlement. Platforms among the different tree levels allow them to leap between. The last of the retreating party makes it back, and soon after, a wall of stone locks them underground. The lights of their eyes look around in panic as the softness of a string instrument can be heard. And just as the first is about to sleep, Emma appears, cutting down the parents where they land on Lily’s back, she runs off with them, using an elemental roar to break a hole to allow her out. As they run toward the light, it begins to glow as Lily blows fire back inside. Emma blasts a hole in the ceiling, the smoke weakens the Lypto’s, making their ability to jump to the light above in vain. Before slaughtering them, all those fortunate enough to make it to the walls are quickly picked off. Emma uses wind magic around her head to allow her to purify the air she breathes in. The party arrives to help just as Emma walks out, covered in their green blood. Canda walks toward her with Lily in her arms.*

  Canda: The kids want to thank their saviour.

  Emma: *Sigh of relief* I thought you were going to give me a new nickname for some reason. I’m happy just to clarify.

  Rodrick: Don’t you already have one?

  Emma: My point. People expect more from you the more titles you have.

  *The parents awaken as Emma returns, and the mother excitedly squeals.*

  Mom: You’ve returned! You’re the elf who saved me as a child! From the slavers.

  *Everyone except Emma looks around in confusion.*

  Mom: Oh, come now, Hyt. I told you about when I was a child, how I strayed too far from the house. But enough about that. Come. Come. You must let me make dinner for you as thanks.

  Emma: Actually.

  *The mother gnome stops and turns as Emma rubs the back of her head, looking away.*

  Canda: We’d love to.

  *Canda leans over Emma’s shoulders, smiling, and she whispers into Emma’s ear.*

  Canda: You can’t say no to a face like that. We can stop for the night, get some good-quality food, and rest before we head into the Briarpatch.

  Hyt: The Briarpatch? I don’t envy anyone heading through there. I hear the food is good, but that’s where things stop being nice.

  Mom: Now you have to come over. Our house was built by dwarves, so it might be a little cramped, but much more comfortable than the ground.

  *Reaching the house, a small stone mound with a stairway leading underneath. Atop the mound is a dining area, the chimney attaches to a smoker, atop the mound allowing the party and family to relax and tell stories as the food slowly cooks. The rooms, while Rodrick had to crawl through the doorways, are large, open rooms with padding on the floor, making it a place to rest with shelves built into the walls for decoration and storage. Emma shares a room with Canda, who curls up like a cat and Pts, who rests against Canda like a pillow.*

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  *The Briarpatch is located in the north eastern part of Glimmerfell, stalks of Briarroots reach the skies, allowing their leaves create a canopy, dimming the light the deeper you go. The thorns are large enough to cut through a fully grown dragon. The Gnomish guard has borders surrounding the area, with a wall. About every mile, a watch tower can be seen. As the party arrives, a bell tolls,s and they all watch as a giant thorned vine bursts from the ground and begins whipping around. Screams of the Brairlings as they sprout forth are stomped out by the gnomes. *

  Rodrick: That looks fun!

  *Rodrick runs toward the fighting, only for the guards to raise their arms. He leaps over them and joyously crushes a couple of the Briarlings. *

  Gnome guard: No! You need special boots,s or you’ll just spread them!

  *The brairlings pop out of the ground using thorns for blade-like arms. After the guards clear up Rodrick’s mess, the party willingly meets with the captain of the guards where they properly apologise to Captain Fit, a very muscular gnome, who could be confused for a dwarf.*

  Fit: No one was hurt, although now we’ll need someone to go collect the Brair heart. It’s a knot of roots that grows whenever the Brairlings become Brairblades. If it’s not cleared out within 48 hours, or it awakens as a Brairbeast.

  Rodrick: Sounds scary. *Smiles*

  Canda: You’ve caused enough problems.

  Rodrick: Are you saying I can’t beat one?

  Fit: Not by yourself. But with you two. *Looks at Pts and Spt.* I assume you know the inner risks?

  Spt: We know the safest point is a small settlement of adventurers called the Berricks.

  Fit: We haven’t heard from them for a few months now.

  Emma: Is that weird?

  Fit: Not usually, no. But since you’ve heard it. Can I ask you all to check on them as well? We rely on their cooperation to maintain the ecosystem here.

  Rodrick: That’s fine, but we’re looking for the Catsnip. Would you have any information on it? All we know is it grows in the darkest parts of the Briarpatch.

  Fit: Ha! Good luck. It doesn’t grow until spring. And even then, that’s when we have a boom in monster sightings.

  *As the party carefully travels into the Briarpatch, they notice a group of large structures. A watch tower stretches just below the canopy above sits in the centre of the building with rope bridges connecting to the supports of the tower. Patches of the tower have been reinforced to allow structures built inside.*

  Rodrick: It looks like a Pirate hideout.

  Emma: The only reason the Ice Bowl doesn’t look like this. Is because your government wanted to control it.

  Canda: You’ve been to the Ice Bowl?!

  Emma: It’s been some time, but yeah.

  Canda: Not enough people have been going as of late, so they had to open it more to the public. I hear another floor appeared recently.

  Emma: Maybe I’ll stop by again.

  Rodrick: Make sure you take me with you. *Stretches* I’ve always wanted to go myself, but I’m always forgetting.

  *Reaching the adventurer’s town, they’re instructed to stop by the Guildhall.*

  Receptionist: We require anyone who wants to go to the Abyss to prove they can handle it. We’ve had too many incidents in the past. While we’re an Adventurer’s guild, we’re also under a different set of rules.

  Rodrick: What’s stopping us from just going?

  Receptionist: If one of our Abyss guards finds you, you’ll be escorted back here. And before you ask anything else, only confirmed active ‘S’ rank or higher can apply to be an Abyss guard. So please don’t make their jobs more difficult. The process takes about two months.

  *As Emma approaches the counter, she realises. She no longer has her Guild tag.*

  Receptionist: Yeah, I’ve heard it before.

  Pts: She’s the Night Warden! Surely you can do something.

  *The Receptionist who looks at Emma. Emma avoids making contact out of embarrassment.*

  Receptionist: Okay, then you won't mind taking a test?

  Emma: *Sigh* Can I know what it is before I agree?

  Receptionist: The guild master will challenge you if you can either land a hit or avoid being hit within three minutes.

  Emma: Sounds safe enough, sure.

  Receptionist: So you are claiming to be the Night Warden, and you’d like a reassessment. Correct?

  Emma: *Closes eyes* Yep.

  * Emma stands across from a large Human man, the Guild master.*

  Receptionist: The Reassessment test for Adventurer Emma Silvashade, Aliases includes Night Warden. The test is being administered by the current Guild Master, Hillton Grease. The rules are as follows.

  *Hillton raises his hand to stop the Receptionist from talking.*

  Hillton: I only agreed to this because of your title. If you’re the “Night Warden.” Then you’re guilty of at least 12 counts of Poaching.

  Emma: I never asked to be called that. As for the charges. I only hunted to protect others or to eat.

  Hillton: Be that as it may. The witness accounts in the more recent years have been of a Female elf.

  Emma: How recent? I’ve been in the eastern territories until recent.

  Hillton: She also refuses to work with others, causing issues for people who try to aid her. But she also had Orange eyes. *Points at Emma’s blades.* She also uses a great hammer.

  Emma: Wait, so do you suspect me or not? I’m getting mixed signals here.

  Hillton: *Laughs* I think at most, you might be pretending so you can skip ahead of others. It happens at least three times a year.

  Emma: So can I.

  *Emma barely manages to block Hillton as he flies across with his shortsword. He spins around, attempting to smash his shield into Emma, but she flips back, using the shield as a spring to fly high above. She throws herself across the field, and the two silently lock eyes. Emma appears behind Hillton, but his Barrier is too strong. He slides back, looking at her with a grin. The receptionist looks in awe. Emma’s eyes start to glow, and Lily leaps down, standing off the edge. Emma smiles, and the two clash, sparks fly as the metal clashes, as the last of the sand falls, the receptionist attempts to get their attention. But the two show no sign of stopping. Emma leaps back to catch her breath. Hillton’s barrier starts to flicker.*

  Hillton: Let’s call it a draw?

  Emma: *Out of breath* That’s fine with me.

  *They shake hands, and the Receptionist leaves the room.*

  Rodrick: Hey, Hillton! How about you and I go a round?

  *Hillton grins before launching his shield into Rodrick and through the wall. Everyone laughs as Rodrick coughs.*

  Rodrick: Dirty trick.

  Hillton: Yes, because the creatures of the abyss will care about fairness.

  *The receptionist enters the room with an envelope. She looks at Rodrick with concern and confusion as she walks over to Emma.*

  Recptionist: With the guild master's approval, we’ve okayed your reassessment.

  *Emma picks up the card and looks at it.*

  Emma: Wait. Why does it say ‘B’ rank?

  Hillton: We follow similar rules to Mithrun in that regard. I hear the Official guild is still cutting back on ranks because of the drop in elven spellcasters. Now tell me. Are you really the Night Warden?

  Emma: I guess I was at one point. I never formally accepted the title. I don’t like being associated with a Warden. Makes me feel like a hard ass.

  Hillton: Is that really a bad thing, though? I’ve no reason to believe you’re lying to me, but I can send you a letter to avoid mix-ups later.

  Emma: No. I’m hoping after a few generations, it’ll be forgotten. But first. Do you have information on the one who claimed to be the Night Warden?

  Hillton: I’d check with the Border Patrol when you have the chance. They’re the ones who give me outside updates.

  *The next few months, the party takes care of their Briarroot issue, as well as makes time to report to the border patrol.*

  Fit: Yeah? Well, tell Hillton that’s no excuse. If we don’t know if they’re alive, we don’t know if we need to send in a squadron.

  Emma: I have some questions about the one claiming to be the Night Warden.