Dark Town, A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure: Level One of the Dragon's Crawl (Tales of Temerity Book 1) by Palmer Pickering

Author:Palmer Pickering [Pickering, Palmer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mythology Press
Published: 2024-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

23

Yellow Jewels

This sector of alleys was crawling with adventurers, more than the others they had crossed. It was not uncommon to encounter marauding bands at every turn. Temerity and Half-pint nimbly avoided them by ducking into doorways or standing stone-still in their sylph cloaks, or running away and climbing walls, then racing over rooftops and through warrens of attics.

One neighborhood was infested with archers and crossbowmen staked out in busted-out windows overlooking the streets, raining down arrows and bolts on anyone who dared enter their territory. Temerity and Half-pint quickly reversed course and fled the area, not wanting to serve as target practice for a bunch of overly enthusiastic Range Attacks. At least with Melee fighters, you could look them in the eye and anticipate their next move. Fortunately, most adventurers preferred swords or other close-range weapons and to engage with their adversaries face to face.

They came upon one such group after Temerity’s orange jewel warned them to turn back but Half-pint insisted that they confront whatever lurked around the next corner.

“We have to practice,” he stressed, for the third time that day.

“You mean, I need to practice,” she said wryly.

“You’ve done well so far, to be honest. But you’re new,” he said. “I failed the first level twice before I was successful. You’ve already made it farther than I did the first time.”

That did little to quell the anxiety that made her jump at every shadow. The orange jewel didn’t help, stinging her hand and vibrating insistently whenever she held it. It seemed every street held some danger the jewel wanted her to avoid.

When they turned the corner, they nearly bumped into a band of four. Both groups drew up short and stepped back a pace. She quickly assessed the jewels carried by the members of the opposing band—two each, worn strapped to their forearms—and the roles they played. A double-red Attack, a double-blue Shield, a double-green Healer, and a red and blue combo, which made a lot of sense to her, for strike and parry.

She and Half-pint were woefully outmatched and still carried their jewels in pockets—or if they held them in their hands, it did not allow them to wield a weapon in that hand. And their assortment of jewels was not good. They had one red, one orange, one blue, one yellow, and the end-game green jewel. What good was healing if they both were killed? What good was premonition when the threat was right in front of them? What good was charm against a steel blade?

But Half-pint was not deterred—neither was he fighting or running. Temerity stood behind him, waiting to see what he was up to.

“Jolly good evening to you,” the hobgoblin said, giving the foursome a little bow. He held the yellow jewel in one hand, blue in the other.

“How do you know it’s evening?” one of the adventurers growled. “It’s always hella dark in this cursed town.”

“It is indeed,” Half-pint agreed pleasantly. “That’s why we must all make it to Level Three, the Pastoral Lands, as soon as the dragons allow.

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