Common Clay

An hour later, they had reached the baron’s manor.

It wasn’t quite a palace; Pellsglade was a small village, after all, and the baron’s family had never been the pompous sort. At the same time, the contrast between his broken-down farmhouse and the four-story stone manor house was humbling in many ways. The gardens around the house were well cared for, and he saw some of the baron’s personal servants moving among the trees of the nearby orchard.

The baron led the way to the small stable, where grooms hurried to take care of the horses. He gestured for them to follow him inside the manor itself, and Clay just went along with the rest of the adventurers. Herbert gave him a brief clasp on the shoulder and then turned to help the rest of the baron’s men to settle things. Only the Rector accompanied them, speaking quietly to Olivia as they filed into a large sitting room.

Charles spoke softly with his father as well, at least before his father pulled him into a rough embrace. Clay looked away for a moment, remembering his own father. Were they worried? The fight in the Tanglewood hadn’t been very subtle this time.

When the baron pulled away, he gestured for them to sit in the chairs. “Now, I’d like to hear your account, Goodman Evergreen. Sir Leonard’s story was…untrustworthy in several details, especially the claim that you tried to kill my son.”

Clay blinked. “My lord, I would never—”

The baron held up a hand. “Goodman Evergreen—Clay—I never really believed that accusation. You have always been a good friend to Charles, and I don’t expect a handful of months to have changed that.”

Rector Semmons spoke up before Clay could continue. “All the same, my lord, something has changed. My Novice stated that Goodman Evergreen helped save them from the monsters, but the idea of a mere [Commoner] doing so is… difficult to believe.”

“A good point, Rector.” Lord Pellsglade looked back at Clay and raised an eyebrow. “Sir Leonard mentioned something about hiding your [Class]. Is that the case?”

“No, my lord. I am a [Commoner].” Clay glanced at Olivia. She nodded, encouragingly. “I am a level six [Commoner], my lord.”

There was a brief silence. The Rector cleared his throat. “I have always understood that [Commoners] can’t gain levels, Goodman Evergreen.”

Clay gave him a small smile. “Any [Class] can gain levels if they kill enough monsters, Rector. Any [Class].”

Realization dawned on the baron’s face. “I…see.” A smile flickered on his face. “I had wondered about the reports on your farm’s progress. I suppose now I see what you’ve actually been doing. But still, level six?”

Frensfeld broke in, his voice even. “I believe it, Lord Pellsglade. The things Sir Clay did…” The [Noble] shook his head. “I actually expected him to be far higher level than that. He saved all of us.”

Hearing the [Noble] give him a title was a viscerally shocking moment. He was still recovering his equilibrium when the Rector broke in again. “You must have had to kill quite a few monsters to gain such a level by that method alone. How did you manage such a task?”

“Knowing Clay, by doing something unwise. Repeatedly.” Charles was grinning now, his expression a mixture of frustration and genuine amusement. He and Enessa exchanged a look, and Clay felt himself settle on more familiar ground.

“You aren’t wrong, Charles. Not wrong at all.” Then he shook his head. “Still, Sir Leonard was not entirely wrong. I made a mistake today, and it put you all at risk. I’m sorry.”

Ned burst out laughing. “I’d say soaring across the sky and burning down half the forest to save us makes up for it. How in the world does a [Commoner] manage any of that, anyway?”

Clay gave him a half-hearted grin. “Part of it are the [Chants] I learned. If you get the chance and have a high enough [Memory], I’d recommend using them.” Then he looked back at the baron. “The other part is that the more monsters you kill, you can get an [Achievement] for it that makes killing more of them easier. The one for the spiders is called [Spiderbane].”

The baron’s expression grew calculating. “And the one for the Undead?”

He hesitated, recognizing the real question. “[Corpsebane], my lord.”

“I see.” Lord Pellsglade nodded slowly. “I owe you more than just my son’s life, then.”

As the others looked back and forth between him and the baron, Clay lowered his eyes. “I was just doing what I could to help, my lord.” He raised his eyes, and saw the baron staring at him, his gaze intent. “That’s what I was doing this whole time. For all of it.”

The baron studied him for what seemed like forever. Then he nodded. “Then tell me about all of it, Sir Clay. Leave nothing out, and we’ll see where we can go from there.”

It took the better part of the rest of the day to explain everything. He told it all the best that he could. At some point, servants came and offered some kind of fruit juice to drink; Clay was glad for it, if only to wet his throat. As he talked, he tried not to notice the reactions of his friends. Enessa seemed torn between admiration and rage at the risks he’d taken. Charles was more resigned and amused, though there were times when he thought the [Paladin] was exasperated enough to slap him upside the head. The others were mostly quiet, Lord Frensfeld most of all; the [Noble] seemed transfixed by the story, as if memorizing every word.

By the time he finally reached the end of the story, with the chaos of the battle still fresh in his mind. Clay found himself shivering. “It was too close, my lord. If things had gone much differently…” Then he shook his head. “I await your judgment, my lord.”

The baron sat back in his chair, his eyes calculating. “So we have how many more days before the next swarm? Six days?”

Olivia spoke up from where she sat; she’d occasionally broken in to give her account of things as he’d talked. “Something close to it, my lord. It is hard to be exact.”

Charles stroked his chin for a moment. “It sounds as if you’ve already culled quite a few of the larger monsters. The next swarm would be…difficult to contain without them preying on the newly hatched.”

Frensfeld nodded. “I agree, Sir Charles. It may lead to an expansion of their territory beyond the Tanglewood, if we are not careful.”

“It’s not all bad, though.” George shrugged as the others looked at him. “I’d rather fight a bunch of the little ones than one of those bigger things. If we have to, we could cut down a lot of spiderlings, maybe get that [Spiderbane] [Achievement] for everyone.”

Maribel shook her head. “We can only be in so many places at once, though. Unless we want to split up.”

“No. I’m not letting any of you out of my sight until this is done.” Enessa folded her arms and glared at Clay. “Especially Mr. Almost-Get-Eaten-Five-Times, here. I’ll break legs if I have to.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary, Syr Enessa.” Charles seemed to be fighting off laughter. “Then if we want to avoid the monsters expanding, we may need to be more proactive. How many of the larger creatures are left in the Lair?”

Clay frowned, thinking back over what he’d seen. “Maybe five of each kind of elder spider, fifteen of each kind of adults. I…don’t know how many spiderlings there are. It seems like there are always more.”

“So ten rank sixes, thirty rank threes, and a barrel load of rank ones.” Ned looked from him to Charles. “You’re thinking of going for the Lair?”

“One of the strategies for dealing with new Lairs is to kill the Guardians and force it to rebuild. Without them, there won’t be a swarm.” The [Paladin] grinned. “Not a strategy to undertake alone, maybe, but a valid plan nonetheless. If we work together, it should be possible.”

“I agree.” Frensfeld glanced at the Rector and Olivia. “Especially if we devote some time to learning the [Chants] that Sir Clay has utilized to such an effective extent. I don’t know how effective they’ll be for some of us, as many require secondary [Stats] to be effective, but given his success, it would be foolish to ignore them.”

“Oh, I definitely agree.” Ned gave Clay a hard-edged smile. “I’m gonna need some time with your notes, buddy. If you don’t mind, of course.”

Clay felt a spark of hope growing in him. “Yeah. I’ll just have to get them from my house.”

Then he paused, remembering the terrible form of the Guardian. “Still, the rank tens inside the Lair…”

“They should be a lot easier to deal with if they’re by themselves, right?” George sighed. “I don’t like the idea of taking them on, but if we could kill all their little friends first, it would be seven versus two. That should change the odds a lot.”

“Eight, Sir George.” Lord Pellsglade smiled as the adventurers all looked at him. “I hope you would not resent my participation in this task. After all, this is my domain, and it sounds as if you could use every warrior you can find.”

The offer seemed to catch the rest of the group completely flat-footed. Charles, however, chuckled slightly. “Coming along to make sure your son doesn’t shame you, father?”

“I raised you better than to do such a thing.” Lord Pellsglade shifted his shoulders slightly, looking remarkably like a petulant child for a moment. “You cannot possibly blame me for wanting to guarantee your success and safety.”

Then he sighed and grinned. “Besides, I’ve always hated fighting those things. If we can put a stop to them for a decade or two, then I consider it well worth the work.”

“We would be honored to have your assistance, Lord Pellsglade.” Frensfeld glanced around at the others, as if giving them the opportunity to object. No one did. “I propose we take a day to rest and prepare, and then set about isolating these Guardians from their allies. Once done, we can assault the Lair and end this threat directly.”

The others murmured their assent, and Clay felt a smile growing across his face as he realized that there was still hope after all. Alone, he had been on a course for almost certain failure. With an entire team of adventurers, however…

A servant entered and whispered something to the baron. He listened solemnly for a moment and then cleared his throat. “Sir Evergreen, I believe your parents have arrived looking for you.” He smiled slightly. “Speaking as the father of an aspiring hero, they may require some reassurance.”

Clay stood without remembering the choice to do so. “Ah, thank you, my lord. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll…”

The baron gestured for him to go, and he was out the door before anyone said another word. There were times when the world of monsters and adventurers could wait, after all.

The next two days were an…interesting experience, to say the least.

One day, he’d been going about his business in the Tanglewood in secret, with only his own resources available to help him do the job. The next, he suddenly had an entire team of allies and the baron’s finances at his disposal—and in an even greater difference, it seemed like every person in and around Pellsglade knew what he’d been doing.

It was horrible.

“Well, if it isn’t our local hero!” Adam grinned widely, as if something had suddenly gone right in the world. “What would you happen to be interested in? Armor? A new weapon? Perhaps some personal heraldry?”

Clay regarded him with a mix of horror and resignation. “No, I don’t think I would need anything like that, actually.”

“Hmm, I thought not.” Adam’s grin grew wider, and he gestured for Clay to follow him. “Too many people think of adventurers and picture heroes clad in fine armor and wearing silk capes, of all things. Not many appreciate some of the more…needful details of the work, shall we say?”

The merchant led the way to a table that had been cleared of other items, save for a single long box. Adam opened the lock on the thing and flung it open, standing back with a broad smile. “Now, here is something that you’ll really find fascinating, I’m sure. Take a look.”

Clay nodded and then stepped around the table so that he could see what the merchant had prepared. His earlier skepticism melted away as he saw what lay inside.

The first item was a grapnel attached to some cord. It looked vaguely similar to a set of meathooks forged together, complete with a spiked tip of some kind. As he picked it up, Adam nodded. “The cord can easily bear your weight, and probably much more. You can rely on it not to break.”

His satisfied tone was a little grating, but Clay ignored it and turned to the next items, a pair of weapons that seemed like a cross between a javelin and a harpoon. He hefted one of them, testing the weight, and Adam grinned. “You’ll note the hook on the end. Useful for attaching a cord or chain if needed. The barbs are incredibly sturdy, which should mean that they can take your weight as well, if necessary. It also has a metal wire stretched through the core, which means lightning that strikes the end can be conducted easily through the tip. Useful, in many cases.”

Clay blinked, picturing the baron sending a bolt of lightning through the thing. He nodded appreciatively, and then turned to the next pair of items.

They were a pair of knives, obviously crafted in two very different patterns. One was a plain thing, with a simple cutting edge on one side and serrated edge on the other. As Clay examined it, Adam pointed at the hilt. “It is meant to act as a useful tool in the wild. Cutting undergrowth, sawing through branches, even using the handle as a makeshift hammer. It should serve you well.”

The second knife was very different. It was nearly as long as his forearm, with a broad blade that narrowed to a curved point at the tip. One side had a sharp edge all the way to the tip, while the other was only sharp for about a third of its length. He noticed the weight as soon as he picked it up; his other knife, the one that Herbert had crudely fashioned for him, had been about as heavy, but it had been missing the deliberate lethality and crossguard of this weapon.

“Ah, a personal request from the smithy. I had it made for you as soon as I heard.” Adam’s tone was nearly gloating now, and he gestured to the knife with all the pride of a new parent. “You should be able to use it for both forward and back cuts, as well as stabs. The weight will make your blows heavy, and the guard will protect your hands. Ideally, it will penetrate even the toughest of monster hides. It is special, I think. You could say the design came to me in a dream.”

Clay blinked. He looked over at the shopkeeper, wondering what the man had meant. Adam simply grinned at him, not providing any further explanation. “Thank you, Adam. These are exactly what I was hoping for.”

A look of absolute satisfaction and contentment crossed Adam’s face. He nodded in a slow, happy way. “I am glad to hear it, Sir Clay. Very glad indeed.”

Vaguely unhappy at being unable to surprise the man one last time, Clay reached for his coins. “How much will it set me back?”

Adam raised a hand. “Do not trouble yourself, good sir, my wares are provided at the request of the baron. He’ll handle the details for you.”

Still a little off balance, Clay extended his hand. “Well, thank you, still. You’ve been very helpful.”

It didn’t seem possible, but Adam’s grin grew a little wider. “That is higher praise to me than you know, Sir Clay. Good fortune to you.”

Clay made his way back to the baron’s manor, carrying the supplies and tools that Adam had given him. He tried not to notice the way the villagers whispered as he walked past. The third time he rushed past a gaggle of giggling girls, he was tempted to start running, but he assumed it wasn’t going to help anything in the end. After all, he was a [Commoner] that had been fighting monsters. People were going to talk.

It didn’t help that Charles and Enessa met him on the edge of the village, still wearing their adventuring equipment. The [Paladin] and [Fighter] made for an impressive sight, and both of them seemed ready to laugh when he mentioned the whispers. Charles simply smiled and shrugged off the complaints. “You’ll get used to them, Clay. They are part of the burden, after all.”

Clay glared at him. “What, killing the monsters isn’t enough?”

Enessa nudged him, nearly making him drop the bundles in his arms. “Well, what did you expect? I mean, they’ve been pitying you all this time for not being part of the ‘generation of heroes’ and then you go ahead and prove yourself to be one of us the whole time?” She laughed. “You’ll be lucky to get out of town before someone tries to marry off their daughter to you.”

“Don’t you even start with that.” Clay felt his face burning. His mother had already mentioned, in a far-too-offhand way, how many of their neighbors had started to ask after him and his farm. Maybe it was the prospect of having a new farm on the edge of a territory that didn’t have monsters to trouble it, but he suspected that others might have wanted their family to have a tie to someone who was close to the baron. Either way, he wanted none of it. “I have enough problems already.”

“Well, at least we are going to solve some of them tomorrow.” Charles’ expression grew a bit more solemn, and Enessa nodded seriously. They’d both been training and repairing their own equipment, as had all the rest. Clay allowed himself a grim smile. The next day, their campaign against the Lair was going to begin. Finally, the Tanglewood was going to be free.

It was later that night that a servant announced Clay had a visitor.

He looked up from where he had been checking and rechecking his gear. The last thing he needed was for the spear to snap, or his bow to lose its tension now. They were bound for the Tanglewood early the next morning, so he couldn’t afford to take them for granted.

Wondering if his parents had come, Clay went out of the temporary quarters the baron had lent him—apparently his new status as an ‘adventurer’ of sorts had granted him a lodging with the others, at least until the Lair was dealt with—and out to the hall, where he found Olivia waiting for him.

He had seen little of her since the baron had brought him back; the Rector had bundled her off to the shrine almost as quickly as was physically possible. Clay had tried to visit her, but the Rector had informed him she was busy with important work, and that she was not to be disturbed—even by an apparent local hero. Something told him the Rector was not entirely pleased with the whole situation, but even an adventurer couldn’t challenge a Rector on their home ground, so he had gone back to the manor disappointed.

Now, though, she was standing in the entry room waiting for him, and he smiled to see that she was still wearing what he now thought of as her traveling clothes. She also had a rather determined look on her face, and, as always, a collection of parchment in her hands.

“Olivia, it’s good to see you! I tried to come by—”

“I know, the Rector informed me.” She grimaced. “I was occupied by one of the several activities he’s assigned me as penance for ‘assisting in the corruption of a member of the community,’ as he calls it. Apparently he is concerned that I intend to continue teaching [Chants] and providing information on monsters to whoever happens to ask, which is a threat to the stability of the town.”

Clay winced. “Well, imagine if a [Child] or [Youth] decided to go monster hunting. That’s not a great idea.”

“I doubt the Rector was worried about me teaching a [Child], Clay. He’s just angry that I was spending my time doing more than cleaning his shrine.” Olivia grimaced again, looking away. “If he had his way, he’d have me polishing those floors forever.”

He frowned. “Are you sure? He let you talk to me all those times, and he was fine with you coming out to visit me at my farm, right?”

Olivia paused, her eyes going a little distant, and her lips twisted. “Yes…yes that’s true. Then why…”

She shook her head. “Never mind. I can figure out that riddle later. For now, I have something for you.” Olivia held out the parchment. “Here’s a summary of everything we collected on Lairs, [Chants], and Curses. Everything your friends haven’t already carried off, of course. I tried to summarize everything I could for you.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.” His list of [Chants] had more or less been confiscated by Frensfeld, Maribel, Ned, and Lord Pellsglade. They’d spent the time since memorizing every single one of the [Chants] that he’d been able to make work. Their superior [Memory] made the effort rather easy for them, something that would have made him jealous if they hadn’t run into other issues. For most of them, the [Chants] also appeared to rely on other [Stats] for their strength, a fact that he hadn’t recognized due to how his own [Class] worked. Still, they seemed enthusiastic about gaining another tool to use in the coming battle, and he was all too happy to share what he had learned.

All the same, it was good to have his own copy of things again. He noticed that she had taken care to write in her own version of shorthand, something that would make it hard for others to read, but wouldn’t be hard for him. After all, he’d seen it often enough.

“I’ll be working on a summary of everything we learned about these enemies, but that won’t be done until you’re already gone. You’re leaving tomorrow morning?” She seemed…hesitant about the question. He tried to seem confident.

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “We should have enough time before the swarm to do our best to stop the Guardians. We’ll be fine.”

Olivia nodded. “I’m sure you will. Yes.” She paused, a long, awkward moment where Clay wasn’t entirely certain what he was supposed to say. He looked away, thinking of all the times when Olivia had been there for him. All the times she had found the answers he’d needed, or had given him the chance to gain the edge he needed. He never would have reached this point without her. How was he supposed to thank her?

He turned back to at least try and she kissed him on the cheek.

Clay froze, full of surprise and confusion and…

Before his brain had sorted itself out again, Olivia was stepping back, her face red. She straightened her robes slightly, avoiding his eyes. “You had better come back alive, Clay Evergreen. You owe me your help, especially if I’m a [Commoner]. So take care of yourself, understand?”

He nodded, his mind still whirling with shock and conflicting feelings. “I-I’ll come back. I promise.”

Olivia drew in a deep breath, once again straightening her robes. She squared her shoulders and nodded. “Good.” When she turned away, the blush on her face seemed bright enough to light fires from. She still seemed determined, though, as if she was the one who’d made some kind of oath.

He shook his head, still a little uncertain it had even happened. Apparently, it wasn’t just the spiders that could surprise him. All the same, he set aside the bundle of feelings; the end of the Lair would begin tomorrow, and his friends would need him focused. Not distracted by whatever…that had been.

If only he could convince himself that was a possibility.