Chapter 3: The market and a meeting

It’s strange, for all that has happened to me in the last two days. I had not gotten any sense of wonder at being transported to a new world with too many issues to deal with, and the list keeps growing.

Let’s start with the whole transportation to well someplace. It’s not Magic-Life, or I think it might not be. I need more information. That being said, I am pretty positive if there had been a sudden breakthrough in VR technology, I would have heard about it. Mark couldn’t keep a secret if his life depended on it.

The second issue, more significant than the first, was the whole gender thing. In Magic-Life, my digital body was digital. The code forced you into an artificial construct. It felt odd for the first week, but the program compensated for it. I hadn’t thought about it since it stopped being a problem, but it was always there.

Now, it's hard to explain. It's not helping that I don’t have a problem wearing a corset, never having worn one in real-life. Nor why haven’t I planted my head face-first into the ground while wearing a long dress. I shouldn’t be comfortable in this body, damn it.

And finally, these skills, useful in-game but not something that carries over into reality. I’m a horrible cook. I burn water. Knowing anything more than stick the enemy with the pointy end of the sword was about the extent of my weapons knowledge. And, I’ve never seen a real-life horse, much less ridden one. I can’t really complain about being able to use magic, though. And, I am a little frightened thinking about what would have happened if I didn’t have these skills.

While I ponder the last few days, and Rosalyn gets us ready, I know that most of all, I miss my cousin Kathy. Since my parent’s death, she has been a fixture in my life. She sees things in me that I would have never seen in myself. I need her advice. What’s worse, I am going to miss her wedding. I hope she can forgive me.

However, with all of these issues hanging over my head, I still feel the same way as in the forest. I refuse to sit in my room and cry. Deciding to take my own advice, a visit to the Wyndemere market sounded like fun, so I planned on having a good time. Besides, I needed to find a map and, if possible, make some plans on how to get home.

--0--

Finding our way to the market took no time. Located near the center of the village, we started to pass rows of colorful stalls filled with all sorts of goods.

I could see that Rosalyn sensed my sudden excitement because she, too, was now full of smiles, “So, Lady Eleanor, we have two sides of the market. As you can see, one handles food and drink but also salt, coal, and hand made items. Several stalls will also provide a meal for shoppers, usually fish pies, although they normally cater to the tradesmen.”

“The other side looks interesting as well.” I could see armor and weapons, so that side looked promising. Not that I needed anything, but it’s fun to window shop.

Rosalyn nodded, “Well, Sarian smiled upon us today. I overheard one of the guards say that several merchants from the capital arrived by boat yesterday afternoon. So, it will be more crowded than usual, but perhaps you will find what you are looking for.”

Although I tried not to ask for too many details, not knowing the religion might prove to be an issue, I found out about at least two gods. Sarian, the god or goddess, both apparently are acceptable, of luck and merchants while Dinya, for home and hearth, and maybe women.

I wouldn’t have known about the gods except for the little things. The inn had Sarian’s symbol, a wheel on the front door, and several stalls have it hanging next to their wares. When I mentioned to Rosalyn about a medallion several women wore, similar to a triskelion, she happily explained that they were either new or expected mothers.

In Magic-Life, there were these eldritch beings who created the world, then went off to do whatever eldritch monstrosities did in their spare time.

“So, that’s the Healer’s Hall?” I point to the wooden and stone structure behind the market. “Do all villages have one?”

“Oh, no, it's not very common. As we are an important stop on the Salt Road, several merchants paid for its construction many years ago.” Rosalyn explained.

“Well, if we get a chance, I’d like to stop by for a visit. So, decisions, decisions, “ Smiling, I point to the left, “Food stalls first.”

As the two of us walked, at first glance, it appeared that most of the sellers and buyers were women. There were a bunch of small children underfoot, the older girls either taking care of their younger siblings or helping out at the stalls. Older boys were absent, so I assume they would be with their fathers.

One of our first stops, a small stall covered with all sorts of colorful produce, a lot of it seemed familiar, but most of it not. Pointing to an orange-red colored fruit, which reminded me of a peach, I asked, “Rosalyn, what is the name of this fruit?”

“It’s called a Loraine, my lady. They should just be coming into season.” She picked it up, smelled it before setting it back down.

Some of the others looked interesting too, “Could you pick a handful of different types of fruit for me?”

I passed Rosalyn a few silver coins then gave the nervous woman behind the counter a smile before stepping back to look at the next stall.

“Greetings, Beatrice, can I have an assortment of Loraines, Crowpupls, and if you have them, South Kingdom Pears for my Mistress,” Rosalynn stepped forward all business-like.

“Hello Rosalyn, sorry, no pears, but I do have a couple of Smokers that haven’t ripened yet.” The woman gave a nervous smile.

“I guess that will do.” Rosalyn sighed.

As she paid for the fruit, I overheard Beatrice whisper. “Who is your mistress today?”

“Lady Eleanor of Avalon,” My Lady’s Maid said proudly.

I didn’t mean to embarrass or frighten the poor woman as she turned red in the face and gave a poor curtsey, tricky holding a large handful of fruit.

Moving away as Rosalyn placed the items in her basket, she sighed. “I do apologize for that, my lady.”

“No harm. Let’s see what else I can buy today. Do you think someone carries honey?” Something familiar, and I had several recipes that used it as an ingredient from my cooking skill.

“Master Lovell.” Rosalyn nodded as we walked over to the next stall filled with various loaves of bread. I then selected one to nibble on while we walked.

“And Baroness Sabena’s household keep bees, but I am not aware if either will be in the market today with honey only sold a few times a year. However, we might find a merchant who carries it,” She explained as she paid for the bread.

Oh, I guess that makes sense. I have no clue when you can or cannot get honey from beehives. As we strolled around the market, like my monster geese idea, I wondered if there were monster bees that gave lots of honey.

“So, Baroness Sabena?” Perhaps the owner of the lands.

“Yes, these are the ancestral lands of House Donha that she holds for the crown. Although the village has a separate charter through the merchants guild, we still pay allegiance to the Baroness.”

Another issue that I would have to deal with in the future. More important, shopping. I had other things I wanted to find, but they were quickly shot down. Tea would be lovely in the morning, and coffee would be a dream. Unfortunately, I learned, neither had made its’ way to wherever I found myself, assuming it existed in the first place.

I stopped at a pottery stall then turned towards my companion. How I could forget, “Does this market carry sugar?”

Rosalyn looked a little confused, “Do you plan on making medicines? I heard that Master Oscar sometimes uses it in the more expensive ones to make them taste better.”

“Is it not used in confections or even candy?” Not sure what it would do to potions. In-game, they sort of had a taste, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

She suddenly looked excited, and then gave me a knowing smile, “Oh, when Princess Marguerite came of age, I did hear they had a splendid confectionery sculpture. Now I think about it. They did have something called rock candy.”

“Oh well, no matter,” So most likely not found in a village market. It's not like I planned on baking a cake.

“Lady Eleanor, Matilda could make a lovely fruit compote with the Loraines and Crowpupls as she will have some honey in stock.” Rosalyn offered, somehow thinking I was upset about not having sugar. “The Smokers, though, are a little sour until they properly ripen.”

“No, that’s fine, I have other plans for the fruit” I smiled, looking behind me at the small procession of curious children following us.

Well, we found no honey, but we did spend time at a stall for a couple of bells, where an older woman sold a variety of herbs — quite knowledgeable about their use and where to find them too. At my request, she selected a large assortment of herbs for me, both cooking and medicinal.

Along with the others, she included a jar of crushed Nursemary, used as a common contraceptive, and two filled with Barrel Leaf used for menstruation relief. I had no need for the former but dreaded the latter.

Looking at the stalls on the other side of the market to redirect my thoughts, I felt like a kid in a candy store. As we walked over, I noticed that the first few stalls carried a small selection of spices, dyestuffs, perfumes, and some lovely jewelry.

Although the price of cinnamon was comparable to the jewelry, I still managed to pick up a bit along with other spices. The merchant included in the sale a small wooden spice box. Afterward, I started perusing the armor and weapons, exciting but not a lot to look at.

I mention that to the merchant, an older man who grimaced as he rubbed his hands together. “My lady, I apologize. We normally do not bring a large selection of arms to village markets.”

Running my hands over a small buckler, I gave the poor man a smile, “I understand. I am impressed by the quality of the workmanship.”

From what I gathered, adventurers tended to congregate around larger towns and cities. From what I found in the market, all low-tier gear, for an adventurer starting, some of it was quite good.

However, with the price of a broadsword, at least in this market, at eighty silver pieces and a mail shirt for over five hundred it seemed a little out of the price range for the average new adventurer.

“What ore does your smiths normally work with?” I asked while looking over a small selection of knives.

“Iron and steel, my lady, although we do have requests for silvered weapons,” He then smiled, pulling out a box with some rather fancy looking silver knives.

Not that I needed one, but they were beautiful. “Do you know of smiths that work with more esoteric metals such as Mithril?”

“No, my lady, I have not heard of the ore before.” Putting the box away, he brought out another one with more elegant pieces. A little pretentious for my taste, did anyone buy these? Oh, he did have cute looking boot knives.

He also confirmed that Orichalcum and Adamantium did not exist. However, Mithril did have another name. “In my country, Mithril is often called Silvered Steel.”

The merchant looked a little surprised then nodded. “Yes, however, it’s quite rare, my lady. It's not something I would carry; however, I have heard that a few master smiths work with the metal. It's in very high demand among A ranked adventurers.”

He must have seen the confusion in my face. “The Adventurers Guild in the southern kingdoms ranks their members using a letter system. A new adventurer normally starts with a rank of F while our Kingdom’s elite bands are ranked A. I have heard that other countries further north use colors or metals.”

“So, how do adventurers progress in rank?” Not that anyone would be getting experience points. It’s only something you get in a game.

The merchant nodding in understanding and explained, “By the number of jobs they fulfill. Although for each rank, the number needed to progress increases.”

“Sounds like a good organization, how do you request a job?” I guess they didn’t call them quests.

“You would either contact the local constabulary or travel to an Adventurers Guild office, for example, the one in Harmon and fill out a job request form. The guild master or his assistance would then rank its difficulty and post it.” The merchant then knelt and started rummaging under the counter.

Poking at a few of the knives, I asked, “So if you’re a ranked F adventurer, you can only pick a ranked F job.”

Made sense, you wouldn't want to do a quest that was below your level, nor would you want to do one too high a level. In this world, that mistake would have dire consequences.

“That is correct, my lady.” He rose up, pulling out a swash of velvet, and started laying out the boot knives for me to get a better look.

“I see. And how do you tell if the person you hired has the correct rank or is even a real adventurer?” Admittedly, these were a much better selection than most of what I have seen.

“Well, proper ones carry their guild badges at all times, so there isn’t any confusion.” He smiled as I picked up a blade that caught my attention.

“So, what happens if someone else uses your badge?” The gold filigree was rather beautiful. Looking closer, I knew what drew me to it. A dragon wrapped its body around the hilt, with its mouth ending at a little red gem inserted into the center of the pommel.

The smile never left his face, as he explained, “Can’t happen, my lady. Upon registering, the guild uses your blood to make the badge. ”

I thanked him for his time and ended up buying that boot knife after all. In the end, I only spent thirty-six silver pieces.

As we walked away, Rosalyn asked, “Does your country not do something similar?"

“In a way, we have low, medium, and high-tier jobs. Someone with no experience wouldn’t even be able to learn about the higher tier ones.”

In Magic-Life, quests above your level, the NPC didn't tell you about them. Although if you or your party were adventurous, you could always enter a high-level area; sometimes, the rewards justified the danger.

“Oh, I should hope not. It all sounds very dangerous.” Rosalyn gave me a worried look.

I chuckled, “It's not the safest of professions to be sure.”

Lunchtime surprisingly found me sitting behind a merchant stall, sharing a meal with a cinnamon-colored cat woman, or beastmen named Opal. She and her husband were merchants who recently traveled up the river to meet up with a large caravan heading east.

“Hope you don’t mind this simple meal, my lady.” She said while pouring me a cup of Kujacha, which was a type of twig tea, but no one called it tea.

It’s some odd blend made of roasted stems, stalks, and twigs of the Kujacha plant. Tasted a bit like black tea, but it was also rather strong, so we sweated our drinks with honey.

“Of course, not Opal, this is quite lovely.” Sipping my tea happily, I looked over the spread.

Lunch consisted of meat and vegetables in a thick brown, along with flatbread, a platter of feta cheese, and some creamy white sauce in smaller separate bowls. I could also see containers of nuts and what I thought might be Dates.

“It’s all quite excellent. Is this beef?” I asked, serving myself some more of the main dish much to the annoyance of Rosalyn. She and a younger version of Opal stood off to the side, eating their own meals.

“Goat,” She replied.

The brown dish tasted a lot like beef Vindaloo without a lot of the heat. I think the white sauce might have been a type of Tzatziki sauce.

“This is a fascinating fabric.” Opal murmured her lunch now forgotten.

The swatch of Arianwen silk in her hand quite excited the fabric merchant. I asked if she had something similar, which immediately began a discussion, so lunch.

“And this comes from a spider?” She tilted her head and asked.

Nodding, I set down my spoon before replying. “Yes, they look a little like a crab spider but the size of a large pony. They inhabit cold mountainous regions, territorial, overly aggressive, and quite venomous. With their silk being so valuable, it’s well worth the trouble clearing out a nest of them.”

She nodded and then asked, “You’re an adventurer?”

“Yes.” Was it that obvious?

Opal smiled, apparently not all that surprised at the answer, “You’re far from home, yes?”

I looked up at her startled.

Opal gave a small musical laugh before she explained. “Your clothes, my lady, and your hair and complexion are somewhat out of place.”

Now that she mentioned it, most of the people I have encountered were brunettes or had soft-black hair. Skin types vary, but most were olive-skinned. My clothes, I didn’t have an answer to that, middle ages fantasy fashion?

“My Ulric has traveled most of these lands, from what he said your people must come from the far north.” She said thoughtfully.

Oh, so that’s why she wasn’t surprised that I encountered a cold-weather spider. And technically, she wasn’t wrong. In Magic-Life, when you create your character, you first pick a starting city. From there, you selected your character's appearance. My starting city Uloth sat in the far northlands of the Mercians.

“And your dress is it made of the same fabric? “As she looked over my outfit, I could tell she was itching to touch it.

Wiping my hands with a napkin, I held out my arm. Hesitantly, she reached over and touched the sleeves. “It’s called Arcane-weave.”

“It’s quite beautiful.” She smiled through Opal’s and her daughter’s clothes were also quite pretty, multi-colored layered silk robes and slippers.

“Is it enchanted?” She asked.

Nodding, I showed her the inside of the sleeve with its small golden runes sewed into it, “It made by merging two types of silks. I’m not sure how it’s made, but it’s quite popular among adventuring mages and healers of my country.”

“Your household’s seamstress appears to be quite skilled,” She murmured before turning her head and spoke up, “Daughter, ask your father for the red bag.”

“Yes, mama,” The cute little cat girl then scampered off to find her father.

“Red bag?”

Opal grinned before popping a bit of cheese into her mouth.

Rosalyn jumped up and started to clear the table as Opal’s daughter returned, passing her mother the red bag.

Reaching inside, the cat woman withdrew a large bolt of silvery cloth, which appeared to be longer than the inside of the red bag. So they have enchanted bags here as well.

“Oh, Mistress is that Rumchunder silk.” Rosalyn leaned forward but stopped herself from touching the fabric.

Opal nodded, letting her do just that, “Yes, you have a good eye, Rosalyn.”

The fabric appeared to be very fine silk. I ask, “How does it hold enchantments?”

Opal smiled, which seemed quite similar to the weapons merchant, “Quite well.”

Rumchunder appearance reminded me of some of the mid-tier mage robes a few of my guild members wore half a year ago. I think I had a teal colored blouse made of similar silk.

“I wish that Valindra was here; she made most of what I wear. She would enjoy perusing through your stock, probably buy most of it,” I sighed, my guildmate would be delighted. I found out after she joined our group that she had a small business in real-life, making costumes and clothes. I learned a lot about fashion from her.

Reaching over, I ran my hand over the silk, “You know I wouldn’t mind a dress made with this fabric.”

Trying to look at what else she might be hiding away, I asked. “So, what else do you have in that red bag of yours?”

Opal gave me a cat-like grin.

--0--

Four men and a woman had their lunch interrupted by news from the patrol leader sent out to the Forest Road. They hoped that the report had been an exaggeration. Unfortunately, it was not.

“It’s as Lady Eleanor reported, sir, we discovered the remains of three skitters at the edge of the of the road.” The Corporal stood in the center of the Captain’s office to give his report.

An older man with a jagged scar across his face grimaced. “We need to push our patrols further down the road, Captain.”

The Corporal continued, “The tails were missing from all three as well, honored veteran. We also managed to find three Heart Cores.”

“I see,” The honored veteran frowned.

A bearded man in deep blue robes chuckled. “Owning the aculeus and telson from a forest slitter isn’t a crime, Corporal. Even the most inexperienced adventurer knows the most valuable parts of that monster. As for the Heart Cores, I am sure she knew that skitters cores were not worth the effort unless they were of exceptional quality.”

“No, Master Oscar, they were not,” The Corporal admitted.

“See, then perhaps she would be willing to sell the aculeus and telson to me. The village could always use more anti-venom potions,” Master Oscar said with a smile.

The third man in a red arming coat commented, “We will have to ask, anything else, Corporal?”

“No, Captain, but I have doubled the field guards as you ordered.”

“Thank you. That will be all.” Watching the man close the door, Captain Conrad sat back on his chair, cursing silently.

“Sweet Aldor, three of them. We will also need to double our forest patrols as well, Marcus. At least until Master Zendar’s caravan is safe behind the walls.”

The honored veteran replied, “Yes, Captain, are you thinking of sending a job request to the Adventurers Guild.”

“Perhaps, but I’m hoping our new guest might be able to help. I have also sent a letter to her Grace’s seneschal about Lady Eleanor's arrival.” Captain Conrad frowned.

“I don’t expect we will hear from her with Duke’s Argyles marriage a week away.” The apothecary said thoughtfully. Everyone nodded. Most nobles had already left for the capitol.

Scratching his scar, Marcus turned to the others. “Wonder what’s her story, arranged marriage, or some other reason for her to go adventuring?”

“Not the first noble to take up the profession, nor the last. Mostly second or third sons and the occasional daughter too,” Master Oscar shrugged.

The Captain looked thoughtful. “Lady Eleanor reminds me of Count Aric’s youngest son Devon. Remember him, Marcus? He also didn’t want everyone fawning over him.”

“He was also quick to share a drink with you no matter your station.” Marcus laughed.

“A good man, especially in a fight.” Captain Conrad looked towards the Wayfarers Rest innkeeper. “So, what do you think, Thomasyn?”

The man shrugged, “She’s has a bit of a presence about her, Captain, almost frightened poor Alistair to death.”

The rest of the room turned to the innkeeper with questioning eyes.

“Thought that Queen Clíodhna had risen from the dead,” He chuckled.

Marcus scoffed.

The innkeeper just shrugged, “Still, there is no denying her presence.”

“Alright, so besides scaring a bunch of old drunks, anything else?” The Captain sighed.

“As usual, Rosalyn has no time for the ‘just’ call me Eleanor nonsense. Like her mother, she being court raised. Thankfully, our noble visitor isn’t one to press the issue. “

“Wise of her,” Master Oscar chuckled then frowned. “Did she have a guild badge?”

“Did you ask for one, Thomasyn?”

“No, why would I do that, Marcus? None of my business, she did pay in foreign coin and her accent I can’t place, but other than that she’s been a pleasant enough guest. Oh, and Matilda likes her, complimented her on her cooking.”

“That’s not saying a lot. The woman loves anyone who compliments her cooking.” Marcus grumbled.

Master Oscar jumped in. “Except, Uther.”

Thomasyn agreed, “Yes, but the bastard deserved it.”

Rubbing his eyes, the Captain gave the three a look before turning to the fifth member of the group who had been silent the entire time. “Iona, your thoughts, what do you want to do?”

The young woman looked down, playing with her robes for a moment. “I don’t think my sister or anyone in her group could kill a forest skitter by themselves much less three. Do you think she will help? I know she is looking for her companions, but maybe she can help find mine?”

--0--

Not sure why I bought so much fabric. I don’t’ have a single skill point in Clothier, but Opal did have an excellent selection. Thankfully, besides my new knife, spices, there was another purchase for me in the market, but unfortunately, no maps for sale. Still, I had a bit of a haul.

With the spice box and herb bags in my inventory and my knife in my boot, I sorted through a rather large, expensive wooden box filled with ink and vellum.

I already discovered something different about this world, and that was an item called a Mana or Heart Core. It seems that monsters inhabiting certain places manifest these crystal-like cores in their bodies.

Scholars believe it to be a form of magical corruption, as even normal animals turn monstrous as well. Those who produced potions, scrolls, and magic items require them for their work, so the cores were of high demand. The high-quality core, the more valuable.

Thankfully, my Rune skill had not changed. I didn’t need cores to create scrolls. For low-tier ones, all I needed was parchment and ink, but vellum was preferred. Unlike this world, in which cores would be ground up and used as inks, for me, the higher the level spell, the rarer the vellum needed. So for low-tier spells, you could use vellum made from sheepskin or goatskin. Mid-tier spells required more exotic skins and exotic inks.

I even had some dragon’s skin and dragon’s blood in my inventory taken from the last adventure. Unfortunately, even with my maxed out skill in Runes, I wouldn’t be able to use them since my magic spell level didn’t meet the requirement.

“Wonder if I could raise my spell level.” That was something I should look into, most likely at the Adventurers Guild.

Rosalyn knocked on the door, “My lady, the Captain, and company have arrived.”

“Already, well, no matter, I can work on this later,” I said as I let her into the room.

Helping me with my outer dress, Rosalyn had taken it off so she could brush off the dirt. She looked me over one more time before the two of us entered the sitting room and with a quick curtsey, stepping out of the way to start taking care of the refreshments.

I bowed my head politely to the three people standing in the sitting room, “Greetings, my name is Eleanor Reine of Avalon, and I thank you for coming.”

Wearing a red arming coat, I assumed he must be the good captain stood in the center of the group. Clean-shaven, well built, dark-haired, olive complexion, he looked like a knight right out of a picture book. He wore a linked silver chain around his neck with a badge of office.

Removing his armor cap, he gave a bow from the waist, “No thanks are necessary, Lady Eleanor. Let me introduce myself and my companions. My name is Captain Colin of Westwood to my right, Honored Veteran Marcus of Bridgetown, my second. “

“Honored Veteran,” I greeted him.

Marcus, a scarred veteran, looked to be a good decade older than his captain, also gave a bow from the waist before coming to something like attention. Like his captain, he wore a red arming coat of lesser quality with a hand sewed device on the right beast.

“To my left is Iona, a ranked F mage from Harmon,” The captain motioned to a dark-haired, young woman around the age of sixteen or seventeen dressed in a green linen dress which had little baggy sleeves and a "V" like neckline.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Eleanor,” She stepped forward and offered a curtsy.

Smiling, I motioned all of them to take a seat while getting out of Rosalyn’s way as she set down drinks for the four of us.

Captain Colin spoke first, “My lady, I would like to thank you for taking care of the forest skitters the other day. It would have become a serious issue if the three moved into the farmlands.”

I could imagine that they would have been an issue for the guards I spotted by the Orchard, “Happy to help, Captain, if they are anything like rock scorpions in my country, they are a bit of a pest. Still, a good job for a low ranked adventuring group to deal with and make a little coin in the process.”

The captain nodded, “Indeed, we often request such a job from the Adventurers Guild.”

Thinking back on the reaction to the guards at the gate, I frowned, “I assume that you do not normally encounter three forest skitters at the same time.”

Marcus answered, “No, my lady, our patrols run into them on occasion. Even the adventurers normally only encounter one or two per season, but as you say, not at the same time.”

Captain Colin nodded. “We do have a few questions, Lady Eleanor. From your travels down the Albanese Way, assuming you came from Peturia or Coria, did you encounter many monsters? We ask this because we have a caravan scheduled to arrive from the east and are curious about the safety of the route.”

Oh, well, it’s not as if I can tell them the truth that would not go over well. Most likely, the Captain would think I am touched in the head. Better to tell them a partial truth, it's not like I know the towns that he just spoke about much less the Albanese Way.

“I don’t know, but let me tell you why. Two weeks ago, I received a task to hunt down an overgrown lizard that had been terrorizing the countryside in and around the Mercian coast.”

By the lack of recognition on their faces, I’m guessing none of them have heard of Mercia. Not a surprise, but the small part that’s left, which thinks I am still in a game, held out hope.

“Eventually, my companions and I tracked down its lair in the Cold Swamp, dealt with its minions, and finally killed the beast. Afterward, I had Minerva and Harold open up a portal to take us to our guild hall.”

“An Arcane portal?” Iona said in wonder.

“Iona?” The captain turned to the surprised looking mage.

“It’s an extremely high-ranked spell, Captain that allows a mage to teleport from one location to another. I have only heard of a few A ranked mages and of course, Archmage Phexidis that can cast that particular spell.” She explained.

Archmage Minerva?

“Well, if you ever meet Minerva, try not to call her an Archmage. Her head is big enough already,” I smiled, remembering the girl's antics in-game and out, then continued, “When I stepped out of the portal, I found myself in the center of a circle of large stones.”

“Godstones,” The young woman said in wonder.

Now, didn’t that sound foreboding? “We call them standing stones. Most of them built long before us. I take it you have similar stories.”

Iona nodded, still looking a little bit in awe.

“Unfortunately, I arrived alone. Once I reached a road, I flipped a coin and ended up in Wyndemere.”

The captain chuckled, “Well, Sarian must have watched over you, my lady. If you have traveled east, it would have taken you to Coria, which would have taken you a good ten days by horse.”

So it seems that on the off chance someone followed me to this world, they could be anywhere. I’ll have to hope that didn’t happen. I took the guild icon out of my inventory, just to be sure.

Reaching for it, the captain looked it over before passing it over to his second in command, “I have not seen this device before, Marcus, you traveled quite a bit as an adventurer.”

The honored veteran frowned, then answered, “The dragon reminds me of something, sorry as a device no.”

Nodding, I put it away, disappointment on my face but a relief in my heart. “Well, I need to make some plans. A merchant mentioned just this morning that she needed caravan guards, which sounded interesting. I thought it might provide me an opportunity to meet someone who can help me get home.”

“Have you ever done caravan work before, my lady?” Iona asked.

“Well, no, I gather it’s common?” The only thing similar, early in the game, my party did a couple of really poor developed escort missions before they removed them from the game entirely, thankfully.

Marcus replied. “Most adventurers start with similar jobs. There are a few adventuring groups that’s all they do. It’s an honest job, safer than descending into some crypt on the off chance of finding a bit of coin or core.”

“No doubt, although I could pay my way if I wanted to accompany the caravan, I would prefer to be doing something useful. Either way, I probably should register, wouldn’t want to be mistaken for some ruffian,” I smiled.

If one wanted to become an adventurer, registration was somewhat of a requirement. One could end up with a hefty fine, spending time in the stocks or worse accused of brigandry.

“Well, I don’t believe that will be an issue.” The Captain nodded. “However, I can help pass along a guild registration. We don’t have an official office in our village, but we do have several former adventurers who act as officers if need be.”

“I also have a request,” Iona brushed her hands over her robes nervously.

“Go on,” I nodded towards the young mage to continue.

“Two weeks ago, I completed a job to clear the area north of Wyndemere of monsters. I joined my sister Myra, and her group, who are D ranked. Even so, they allowed me to join them.” She said proudly.

“Was it your first quest?” I asked. My guild often did something similar for our alts that joined the guild to help them to level up.

She returned a soft smile at the question. “No, but close. I had been part of a small group that was assigned to clear out vermin under several of the inns in Harmon.”

“Not quite the same as running around the Wyndemere Forest.” Marcus chuckled.

“No, it was exciting and a bit frightening. I didn’t know what to expect. As the Captain knows, we only ran across a few deer, a bear, and a pair of gura which took one look at us and immediately ran away.”

“A gura?” Not a monster I have heard before.

“It’s a monstrous boar, about the size of a cow. The only fight occurred when we came across a pack of Lupi at the foot of the Pale Hills. We managed to kill half of them before we managed to drive them off.”

“Which I am thankful,” the Captain replied, “A pack of wolves is bad enough, but a caravan would be hard-pressed to fight off their giant cousins.”

“It was then we discovered a huge rockslide, a large part of one of the hills had collapsed. Katilia, one of the group's scouts, searched the area and came back to report a large hole in the ground. I didn’t get a good look, but my sister and Katilia were both very excited.”

“So a dungeon?” I had a bad feeling about this.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, “A prison cell?”

Oh, so that’s not a name they use. It makes sense as the term comes from a pen and paper game back before my grandfather's day.

“Labyrinth, underground ruins or necropolis, they are often called different things in my country,” I explained.

“I think so, but my sister didn’t say. Only that her group planned on returning after we reported the completion of our job to Captain Colin and the guild in Harmon.”

I could already see where this was going; her sister's group must not have returned after searching the ruins. New dungeons were always a great find but could be dangerous as well if they were above your level.

Iona started to run her hands over her robes again. “She said she would be back, that they were only going for a quick look. That was well over a week ago.”

“And you’re looking for someone to help you to search for them?” I looked towards the captain, who nodded.

“Well, yes, but I don’t have any money. The guild won’t send anyone, well can't really without some offer of payment. My friend Roberta who works with the guild, even asked around, but?” She waved her hands in frustration, her eyes full of tears.

“But a party of two isn’t a real party,” I said to her kindly.

Wiping her eyes, Iona smiled. “Oh, my aunt and uncle will be joining us. Well, even if you can’t help, they plan on searching for Myra’s group anyway.”

I must have had a strange look on my face because Marcus said, “Leo of Harmon and his wife Karin of Inswick were both well-known adventurers before Karin became pregnant. They retired but still run a guild sanctioned school.”

“Aunt Karin is an excellent marksman; she even trained members of the King’s army. Uncle Leo, when not teaching, works at the Healer’s Hall. They are or rather were C ranked; however, that was almost twenty years ago.” Iona nodded but looked up at me. I could see that even with their experience, she was worried.

“Are they here?” I would like to meet them, still if someone was missing.

Marcus then explained, “No, they’re scheduled to arrive from Harmon tomorrow. We will also escort you through the Forest Road as we are sending out an advance party the day after tomorrow to meet with an eastern caravan.”

“We are concerned with the forest skitters and some other reports that have come in recently,” commented the captain.

It sounds like the greeting party was unusual, “You think that the landslide stirred up something?”

Running his hand over his hair, the Captain looked at Iona before saying, “Unfortunately, Myra’s group didn’t mention the rockslide or the ruins only that they completed the job.”

Iona looked down and whispered, “I didn’t know.”

With a sigh, I sat back and nibbled on a piece of spiced cake. “Not unexpected, Captain with a brand new set of ruins to explore. Iona's sister wanted to be first before others decided to have a go at it. However, it seems the difficulty of the ruins might have been beyond them.”

I understood, really, in-game the first to clear a new dungeon had become a badge of honor. We also have an award given to us by the developers as the first party to be totally wiped out in a dungeon.

The Captain nodded, “Lady Eleanor, I am more concerned with the increase in monster activity. If nothing else, I would ask that you confirm if the rockslide or something else is indeed the cause.”

Truthfully, being part of a real, ok, I am admitting it mostly, searching a dungeon sounded exciting. But, with my party consisting of two older adventurers and a sixteen-year-old girl wasn’t exactly ideal.

“I’d like to meet your aunt and uncle Iona before I make my decision.”

--0--

Undergarments notes: Well, since it came up and it's pretty interesting reading, breast bags, yea they were a thing.

Henri de Mondeville, surgeon to Philip the Fair of France and his successor Louis X, wrote in his Cyrurgia in 1312–20: “Some women insert two bags in their dresses, adjusted to the breasts, fitting tight, and they put them [the breasts] into them [the bags] every morning and fasten them when possible with a matching band.”

“Many [a woman] makes two breastbags [bags for the breasts], with them she roams the streets, so that all the young men that look at her, can see her beautiful breasts; But whose breasts are too large, makes tight pouches, so there is no gossip in the city about her big breasts.”

Glossary:
Aggro - As a verb, it refers to a hostile mob that has noticed a player and is actively trying to attack that player. As a noun, it refers to the amount of "hostility" the player has generated on the mob.

Alt - or alternate character is a character in addition to one's "primary" or "Main" player character. Also, one frequent use is to play characters of opposite gender or to see what new features have been added since they last were on a low-level character.

Escort Missions – a quest where you have to safeguard an NPC, without getting them killed. This wouldn't be so bad, except that the NPCs are universally stupid, running ahead and getting killed in the process. Many players despise these types of quests.

Guilds - Semi-permanent player groups. In typical games, players must use a substantial amount of capital to start the guild.

MMORPG - Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game

Mob - An AI-controlled monster.

Tank - A tank or also known as a meat shield, redirect enemy attacks or attention toward themselves to protect others. Typically the fighter tries to take as much aggro as possible away from weaker players such as healers and mages. Since they can often take a lot of damage, they are usually heavily armored and have lots of health.

Total party kill (TPK) "Rocks fall, everyone dies" or wipe - a situation in which every player character in a party dies. Factors include player inexperience, insufficient player characters, or encounters too difficult for the party's capabilities.