Chapter 34 - First Quest Clear

Ash watched the clearing for a short bit of time, deciding what to do next. Many would go ahead and begin gathering the flowers considering they seemed unprotected but Ash felt apprehensive about that idea. Kneeling to gather them, she would be vulnerable and she disliked that feeling intensely.

Her decision made, she paced around the edge of the clearing, knowing that if the rodents were near enough they would come after her. The first few fights were uneventful and completed her quest but she still didn't feel quite safe enough in the clearing.

She paused to consult with Ro, as a denizen of the world he knew a lot more than she did about what the guild would want, "Obviously there will be a problem if I take too many flowers, as it will deplete a necessary resource," she began, "But I am less certain about the rodents. They are a natural part of the ecosystem, not monsters, however now that they are here it may be hard to get them to return to their home."

The quest for the flowers had been strict, telling her exactly how many to take and outlining the maximum amount as well. The one for the rodents had merely listed the number they wanted defeated to cull the population even though it was unlikely that only five of them had taken residence in the area.

"The guild listed five because they've had people out here watching. Between their eating habits and breeding habits removing just five of the adults will make it so that they won't destroy the flowers if they stay to eat them. More likely, they will move on elsewhere before too long as the flowers aren't their ideal form of sustenance. The best solution is to take care of the thing forcing them out of the ecosystem they belong in and force them back there, removing those that refuse to return or escape," Ro sighed roughly, "We can't do that right now, though the guild and temples are working on putting things together to take the fight to the boar before it reaches the city."

Cautiously, Ash began gathering the flowers from the part of the clearing she'd already walked. She was very careful and followed the directions of the quest, taking only the head of the flower. While the roots and stem had their uses, it was far more important to allow the plant the chance to grow new flowers than it was to gather those. It didn't take long before she had all thirty stored safely in her inventory.

"So," she moved to stand next to Yarrow and Luna, "You said there were a number of dungeons around the city. Which of them are near here and which do you recommend we tackle?"

Her plural indicated herself and Luna, she didn't expect to drag an important paladin into a dungeon with her. In their own world she would have tried not to drag Luna along either, less because Luna wasn't needed and more because Ash wasn't as careful with aiming her spells in dungeons. They were artificial structures, formed of emotions, the dangerous ones had to be destroyed.

"You're familiar with dungeons?" He seemed surprised by that, which was expected since most Godsborn that weren't relatively powerful magic users themselves wouldn't know about them at all. They were generally kept a secret from the regular populace and destroyed before any harm could come of their presence.

Luna gave a sharp nod, "Ash hasn't been in one in centuries," she said, more a reminder to Ash that she wasn't at her top performance and shouldn't treat the dungeons in Fantastoria as she had the ones in their own world, "But I'm usually called off at least once a month for closing high-risk ones."

"You do not keep them around for the resources?" Yarrow asked, confused.

Ash answered the question, "They do not contain resources for us, just danger. Likely the resources you get are created by Lord Lucrum," she felt the familiar twinge of a god's power, a slight reminder that he'd given her permission to drop Lord when addressing him, she ignored it.

Yarrow had been growing more curious about the differences between their worlds as he'd spent time with Ash. Before, he'd been willing to write off the Godsborn as eccentric visitors from another world that held no regard for their life in his own because death was not permanent for them. Interacting with Ash, though, he was beginning to think there was more to the connection of their worlds than entertainment.

"Why does Lord Lucrum not do so in your own world?" He finally asked the question that was on his mind.

Luna sighed, "I don't know how much we're allowed to discuss all of this, really. There's a lot we try to keep secret…because of how dangerous it would be if the information made its way to the wrong people," her eyes moved briefly towards Ash as she spoke, reminding Yarrow of the condition she was in. The pain she was in indicated a major problem, one that likely interfered with her ability to cleanse magic in some way. The way Sidus reacted to her, as well, taking time to spend with her as if she was precious to him leaned more towards indicating her poor health.

Knowing Sidus would warn her away from saying anything she shouldn't rather than outright sanctioning her, Ash debated explaining. She wasn't sure she could handle an actual sanction with her magic fractured in her proper body. Even the healing she'd gotten from Lucrum had caused far more pain than she was supposed to be able to feel within Fantastoria.

"The gods have been barred access from our world through all forms but that of their oracles," she kept the explanation simple.

Yarrow couldn't even begin to imagine a world without the gods though, he looked once more at Ash, it was clear that it had not always been so for them. The familiar way she interacted with Sidus pointed to them having always been close, which meant that the loss of the gods was a threat his own world could face.

"Can we prevent it?" It was such a simple question, but the answer was incredibly complex.

"The most important children of the gods have to be protected," Ash said quietly, "And people must be taught that the gods don't interfere in free will. Their influence on the world is generally in minor forms that can always be ignored. One might feel the need to travel somewhere in particular, a journey that will lead them to meet someone important to their life. A larger than usual crop of berries and fruits growing to distract a wild animal. Those are the ways that the gods influence the world most of the time. It is important that everyone understand that."