Yvlena didn’t know if she wanted to reveal she was the Harvest Guardian just yet but worried lying to the NPC would come back to bite her later, so she settled on the next best thing. A half truth.
“The Miasmic barrier was weak when we came through it from Corr’s Inn.” Yvlena told him. Cedar’s eyes lit up at the mention of the old inn far beyond the outskirts of the town.
“Corr’s inn, what I wouldn’t give to try that breakfast special one more time.” Cedar sighed and looked out the window again where the figure in the rusted armor was still patrolling.
“You shouldn’t have come here, it’s too dangerous.” the man said drawing his lips into a tight frown. Yvlena understood he was just worried for them, but she had a task to fulfil and it had brought them here.
“What happened to the town?” Yvlena asked. “Why is everything in ruins?”
Cedar lifted his hand and gestured for her to calm down as he began thinking of the best way to explain the fall of the Verdant Vale.
“It started with the pollution of the Verdant Lake, then the river, the Miasma came so suddenly and we didn’t know how to respond to it. As you know a lot of towns were dealing with the war of the gods and we were experiencing the fall out heavily, being at the edge of the mountains like this.” Cedar said.
Yvlena narrowed her brows, she hadn’t noticed any mountains in the skyline when she came closer but then again she had been attacked before she could fully take in the scenery. Geographically she knew that the Verdant Vale was backed into a corner, Cedar probably wasn’t lying when he said they were up against the edge of the mountain.
“Once the water was polluted, our Great Verdant Tree, once nourished by the water coming from that lake and river began to wither away and die.” Cedar said solemnly.
“I’m sorry.” Yvlena said holding her hands to her mouth in a gasp, she didn’t know if she wanted to push him to reveal more of the Verdant Vale’s tragedy but she had to know more.
“Then what happened?” Risel asked.
“People started getting sick, at first we thought it might have been a common plague but it was much worse than that.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“The Miasmic sickness.” Yvlena murmured, she recalled it was the same affliction Bavga was suffering when she had met the old woman in the swamp, Yvlena knew the recipe for the Swamp Balm but would it cure these people?
“You know of it, so far we haven’t been able to find a cure, nor even find something to soothe the sickness and the worst of it, those who have been infected slowly turn into ghouls. Shadows of their former selves, unable to differentiate between friend or foe.”
“Like zombies.” Yvlena said with a chill running up her spine, she had faced some truly terrifying things, zombies included, it only made her wonder if Enis was behind it. But the book said she specifically corrupted water.
The Verdant Vale didn’t seem closer to any body of water other than the Verdant Lake and even then that was too far away for the bane of fishermen to have struck them.
Could a Godfall have happened near by?
“You look like you have some questions on your mind young elf.” Cedar said to her once he noticed her contemplative expression.
“How’s the Verdant Vale faring now? We actually came here looking for someone, another elf.” Yvlena said, speaking up for Risel who wanted to interject but didn’t want to be rude.
Risel smiled at her, grateful the other was able to discern her intentions and ask on her behalf.
“I recall there used to be a little elf family in the Verdant Vale, but as you can see now I live on the outskirts. The Verdant Vale is a cesspool of infected people and few who still have their senses are trapped within the town.”
“Do you know if one of the elves was name Freude?!” Risel asked in alarm. What if her brother was one of the infected people trapped in the town.
“I’m sorry my dear, but Ol’ Cedar’s memories ain’t what it used to be.” The man said. The three of them gazed out the window still watching the large figure patrol the treeline to the previous area.
[Quest Complete: An Unexpected Escort
Risel the alchemist is deeply interested in studying the Miasma and would like to accompany you to see the Miasmic Barrier blocking the path to the next town.
Should you agree, you will have to protect her which could slow things down, should you decline your relationship with Risel suffers.
***
Everbloom Seeds x10
***
Moon Points x10,000
Moon Gems x200
Exp 3000]
[The Game has Acknowledged your bonus actions]
[Bonus Action:
Not only did you fulfill quest in a timely manner you managed to get Risel safely to the Verdant Vale and fulfill your duty as the Harvest Guardian]
The quest window popped up, surprising her, as Yvlena read through she noticed the bonus brought up to her. She only then recalled she was supposed to just take Risel to the barrier but had escorted her further.
‘Hey it’s not my fault, I got that quest ages ago. I must have forgotten the details.’ Yvlena thought sheepishly, she didn’t mind the extra goodies that would be given to her by the game after all. Who would say no to that?
[Yvlena Acquired
Exp: 4550/3200
***
Everbloom Seeds x10
***
Moon Points x10,000
Moon Gems x200]
[Yvlena is now level 19!]
[Subclass: Leveled Up
Garden Mystic (Harvest Guardian) 7/10]
[Bonus Reward: Gold x30]
As soon as the shower of Rewards ended Yvlena turned to Cedar and Risel who had fallen silent, Risel had a contemplative expression while Cedar sat patiently waiting for either of them to speak. This mission would be a tough one and she would need to figure out what to do.
It was likely a quest prompt would come up any time soon and Yvlena would have to save the town somehow. It was her duty as the Harvest Guardian.
The weight of her title began to sink in a little further, she wasn’t just the Harvest Guardian of Bloom Haven, she was the Legendary Harvest Guardian of Moon Valley.
‘Just like in Mom’s stories.’ Yvlena thought, but more and more she was forgetting what her mother had written and she didn’t know if her uncle still had those old notes and manuscripts her mother had written a long time ago.
“What have I gotten myself into?”
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