80 – Thunder Vipers

The stairs were cut from the hill itself, hundreds, maybe thousands, worn at the center.

Alexandra was walking behind Willow as they descended, and the city spread below them. From afar, Kator was a mass of grey and brown attached to a harbor. From up there, she could see where the city ended and the farms began. Then, further in the distance, a small river flowing into the sea.

In the middle of the city, a large manor estate sprawling with gardens took up more space than the entire harbor. The Merinus estate was nothing in comparison.

“You’ve hunted before?” Will asked.

“Some.”

“Thunder Vipers live in those dunes.” Willow pointed at the seafront, to the left of the harbor.

Alexandra passed her hand on the hilt of the sword she’d borrowed from the academy. It was sharp. Sharper than the one she used for training.

“I don’t understand your class,” Willow said. “Thunder Vipers are Bronze rank beasts. Isn’t it a bit too much?”

“I’ve had worse.”

“You know, you don’t have to do it. You could skip a day.”

Alexandra shook her head. “I know. But don’t worry. If the system gave me this quest, it’s because I can accomplish it.”

Willow looked back at her without stopping.

“Speaking of which.” Alexandra summoned her journal and opened it to her Adventuring Party. “I have a perk. I don’t think it will be useful right away, but I’d like to add you to it.”

“What is it?”

“Adventuring Party. It lets me share my quests with others. Not dailies, though.”

Willow accepted the offer. She placed her palm on the journal, and her name appeared under Louis’.

Adventuring Party Members (3/3):

• Alexandra Ward

• Louis Ombre

• Willow Dumries

“Dumries?” Alexandra asked. “I think I read a book written by a Dumries.”

“That’s possible. My family has been with the Keepers for a long time. I have many relatives in the order.”

“Even with… you know…”

They reached a platform where the stairs turned in another direction.

“Yes.” A pause. “The Dumries are still Keepers. We have our own opinions about some things. That’s not the same as breaking away.”

The stairs ended on a wide street.

She’d seen Kator from the hill. Up close it was different. The buildings were tall and narrow, with brown clay walls under pointed grey tile roofs. Most of the walls were dark from the weather. Moss grew in the joints of the older stonework.

It wasn’t raining now, but the streets were wet. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, as it tended to be around here.

Willow moved without hesitation, like she knew every turn. Alexandra kept pace next to her. The streets narrowed as they went. They crossed an area with market stalls on both sides. Fish, vegetables, grain, and meat—there was more diversity than in Esmera for everything but flowers.

The streets didn’t run straight. They bent and crossed at odd angles. They walked past small squares, some with wells in the middle, others with fountains.

The harbor opened ahead of them. Masts above the roofline. The sea was grey and flat, the horizon swallowed in clouds. A few boats were out. More were docked. The same Katori ships she’d helped unload in Esmera. On the docks, figures moved in and out of warehouses, slow and steady, loading or unloading.

Willow turned left before they reached the water, following a road that ran along the seafront. The buildings here were lower and more spread out. Fishermen’s stores, mostly. A yard with nets stretched on wooden frames, soaked through again. A few dogs lazed outside, none bothering with them.

The wind picked up as the road curved away from the last buildings.

The dunes started where the city stopped, with no real boundary between them. The last street simply ran out of buildings and became scrub grass and sand. The dunes were not large. Low ridges running along the coast, the grass on top bending in the wind.

They walked around the base of the first ridge, where the sand was firm enough to walk on without sinking. The beach opened on the other side. Wide and flat, the tide was out, and the wet sand dark and shining.

They were alone.

“The wet sand is the problem,” Willow said. “Thunder Vipers. It’s in the name. On dry ground, you’re safe unless you let them hit you. Only, the sand is always wet in Kator.”

“I see. How far can their thunder reach?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Depends on the beasts’ size, level, and skills. A large one could cover an entire dune. A small one, maybe ten feet.”

Alexandra looked at the beach. The sea had receded, leaving behind tide pools. Then she turned to the dunes, where the snakes lived. She unsheathed her sword, held it in one hand, and opened her journal in the other.

Step one: find a viper. She didn’t have a skill for that, so she would have to rely on her perception. Then, she was hoping that Combat Sense, Sure Footing, and Giant Slayer would be enough.

Giant Slayer – 1:

This skill allows you to partially ignore rank suppression.

Each level increases the effect.

She had yet to test out her only rare skill. Hopefully it was worth the troubles she went through obtaining it.

She looked at Willow. “I’m going, then.”

“Be careful. I’ll intervene if you’re in danger.”

“Thank you. Try holding back until you think I really need the help. This is my quest.”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Alexandra stepped toward the dunes. The sand was wet, yet her feet sank as she climbed the first ridge. She stopped at the top where she could see the beach, the city, and even the tower of the Iron Library lording over it all from atop the hill.

Ahead, the dunes ran deep.

She moved slowly. The sand shifted under her feet.

The dunes were covered in grass, stiff and sparse. Each clump was a potential hiding spot for her prey.