The Pinnacle Warrior

Just about as soon as she could see the small walls around Stalstadt, Astrid remembered how she knew the man she'd appeared before, asked a single question to, and sprinted past. She'd seen him get his Class right before she did. Interesting. And wholly useless to her. Her steps thundered on the stone pavement for the hundred paces or so that they extended beyond the town's walls. Knowing that there was nothing she could do now if the draft had already swept through the city, Astrid forced herself to slow and walk at as normal of a pace as she could muster. Her emotion-driven approach had been clocked, by one of the guards, and three familiar faces were waiting for her as she approached.

"Ho there! What's the hurry, stranger?" 

"It's me, Ilea!" Astrid shouted back as she pulled her helmet off her head. "I was just coming by when I heard something! Something a little concerning."

"Astrid?" Ilea's response was drowned out by Jan's disbelieving voice. "You're so fast!"

Though subtle, Astrid knew it was coming and saw as Ilea's elbow caught Jan in the ribs. She was in command over Jan and Jarek, Jarek being a Guard who'd been Bestowed the Class the year before Astrid. Ilea spoke up again, now that her companion was silent.

"Welcome home, Astrid. Happy to see you. Did you get a summons too? Or is it just good luck?"

"Good luck?" Astrid asked, hoping her guess was right. 

"Yeah, your parents are still here. Brighid said something about sending a letter, but I don't know the specifics. Now, do you have any precious or dangerous cargo in that backpack that you'll need to explain to us?"

Astrid laughed. "No. A couple silver, but nothing worth even as much as what I'm wearing."

"Normally I wouldn't do this, but it's wartime. Ok if we take a look?"

She gestured for the guards to take a look. Jan kept shooting a glance at her, but Astrid just motioned with her head to keep going as she mouthed, "later". Ilea did look through the backpack, but not as thoroughly as she might have with someone she actually thought was suspicious. Instead, once she'd patted it down, found that the bulk of the back was filled with the armature mannequin and put a cursory hand through it all, she nodded.

"Good to see you. Both of your parents should be home right now. Brighid's been forced to better pass on her responsibilities preparatory to all this. I'll be happy to talk with you when you have a minute. Follow the rules, you know. If you don't you know who's coming for you, and I guarantee, less than half a year as a delver won't stop Brighid from bending you over her knee."

"No, no it won't." Astrid chuckled as she threw her pack back on. Then, she met Jan's eyes. "I'll swing by Ahna's tomorrow. What time do you think will be best?"

"I'm usually over there around lunch?" He shrugged.

"Great. See you then." With a nod and quick steps, she went into her hometown. The cobbled streets she'd explored as a kid, familiar faces more creased with worry than she remembered, and storefronts with less than she was used to all painted a picture that the constant skirmishing on one of their borders was amping up towards more of a war. The sun was beginning to set, the streets cast in shadow as some of the younger people hired by the Viscount ran around lighting lamps on the streetcorners.

Her steps were easy as Astrid jogged through the streets towards her home. Regardless of if people knew or recognized her, when someone her size wearing full armor ran through the streets, people got out of her way. Since most people who lived in cities and towns had Classes that gained experience much more slowly through continuous effort, the average adult citizen of a town this size was about level 6 or 7. That was the same as Astrid's own, and they weren't fighters. As such, she found her path towards her parents was largely unhindered, and she was happier for it. 

From outside, her parents' home was the same as always—the small garden growing happily, the light from a fire inside, well kept walls, everything. For a moment, Astrid could believe that everything was normal, that she didn't need to worry about anything. Then, as she reached to open the gate to enter the front garden, the door burst open.

"What is it—Astrid!" Her mother rushed out, her sword in hand. When she saw her daughter standing there in full delving regalia, she grinned widely. As she gathered the taller, younger woman in her arms, though, Brighid took a moment to look at the helm hanging on Astrid's waist.

"It's different. Enchanted, by the looks of it. What happened there? What's the story? I'll need you to tell us all about it. Savraba! Get out the good plates! Astrid's home!"

Something made a faint sound inside the home, and it wasn't long before her Papa hustled out of the home, his bright red hair glowing in the light of the setting sun. Astrid imagined her own hair looked much the same, but she couldn't think any longer about that. Instead, she felt tears filling her eyes as she gathered both parents into her arms. Her shoulders shuddered as the fears of conscription, of losing her future, and so many other things boiled over. And even so, she knew she was safe and secure in their arms. 

"Come in, my light. Please, I have a meal for you. Plenty to feed a traveling delver, ready to save humanity from monsters and enemies alike."

Astrid chuckled, swiping at her eyes. "I'm only level 6, can't do too much so soon."

"You're already level 6? And why haven't we received any letters? Any notes? Anything?" Brighid cut in, cuffing her daughter on the head. She tried to dodge, but Brighid's hand accelerated enough to catch her regardless of her attempt to escape. 

"Can we talk?" Astrid felt her tears return as her smile grew wider. "Inside?"

"Get in there." Brighid jokingly kicked at Astrid's legs as, to her surprise, Savraba picked her up, and carried her like a child into the house. Then, as she thought about attributes and the way that they worked, she realized that her father's Power was significantly higher than hers even now, and she could have done what he was doing right now.

Papa nuzzled the top of her head as he carried her to the table like a child and placed her down in her usual chair. Somehow, he'd managed to get a setting prepared for her in the time between Brighid calling in to him and exiting. He pulled his chair around the table to sit beside her as Brighid did the same. Then, he looked her up and down.

"No armor at the table."

***

It would have taken Astrid fifteen minutes or so to get the mannequin set up and then her armor removed and placed where it belonged without help. However, Savraba prepared the mannequin as Brighid helped Astrid take off the armor, and it wasn't more than five minutes before the three were back at the table and ready to eat their meal. Astrid was still dirty from the day's travel, grime and sweat coated her whole body. Even so, she was just happy to sit and accept the pampering from her parents as they dug deep into every little detail about every small thing that'd happened since she left.

"I'll ensure that Mariusz can't find work here again." Brighid squinted. "He was already a bit shady."

"I did not flee from the Bloodshot Hordes in the middle of the night to have my daughter treated as a Barbarian!" Savraba ground out.

"How were we never made aware of the existence of a surge so close to here?" Brighid gasped. "We have a dozen high Bronze and low Iron guards around here that would have been more than excited and willing to go help you out in those circumstances! The damned Delving Guild, forgive me for saying this, my delving daughter, is full of idiots!"

"And you did this all alone?" Savraba held her hand, looking for more scars. There were plenty, to be sure, and most of them were fresh, but with Quick Recovery, only the most severe wounds would continue marring her skin for longer than a day or two. 

"I'm glad at least those two women had the sense about them to see you for how wonderful you are." Brighid said as Astrid finished talking about how she'd left the town that morning. "I'm glad your previous planning is helping you out here, since so much of it has gone to waste. Do you need anything to help you out when you get to Kznietch? I'm sure we can gather up whatever's necessary for your next goal, but we don't have a whole lot of time…"

"No, I'm fine." Astrid insisted. "And now that I'm done telling my story, I'm finally going to be the one asking the questions!"

Brighid raised her eyebrows and sat back with a smile as Savraba chuckled. With no complaints or statements to the contrary, Astrid asked the first question that'd been burning at her for a couple days now.

"Mother! Papa! Why didn't you tell me about Steady Load? I've gotten the whole explanation now, and I'm sure that you could have said something! I'm sure it's nowhere near as good at untiered as it is at Bronze, but it still should have been something to consider!"

Both laughed and looked at her. "Because we expected to have something like this happen, my light." Savraba was the first to answer. 

"You also wanted to use a shield, and you had that available at Bronze in the same slot." Brighid answered. "That was better than Steady Load right then, but we also expected that there would be someone you trusted and conferred with when you had the opportunity. Maybe it was stupid to expect that you'd get it offered to you again at level 6, but we both were fairly confident that you would continue to wear heavy armor and carry things in the Dungeon."

Astrid just scowled at her parents as they both grinned widely at her and just looked at her frustrated face.

"It's a lesson you needed to learn." Brighid said with a shrug. "It's something that everyone learns at some point, and Savraba insisted on it being this way." 

She turned to her father, disbelieving. He shrugged, a slight sadness to the tilt of his head. "I learned when I came here. I was level 13, with a single Skill selection available to me before Iron, and the Skills I could choose in the first place were mediocre. My Class is unremarkable, now. Nothing compared to your mother's or yours will be."

Astrid reached a hand out to her Papa, and he smiled as he took her hand in his. "No pity necessary. My Class is what allowed me to escape, and my Skills are what drew your mother to me. My Talismartistry has saved my life and found me family. What is there to complain about? There is no need for pity, only joy."

Brighid leaned over and pulled both members of her family into a tight hug as Savraba said it. Astrid allowed herself to, again, soak in the happy moment, but she couldn't allow herself to stay like that. She pulled back and looked both her parents in the face, her difficult question ready to be asked.

"What am I hearing about a draft? What's happening on the southern border?"

"I'm being called back to the Bulwark itself, and Savraba's going to be accompanying me. Our report date is about a week from now, so we were planning on leaving sometime tomorrow. Seems that one of the new Hordemasters have gotten it in their heads that the Bulwark is soft. Might even see some Mithrils showing up, but this is largely the same as it always is. Some new blood gets high off the ascension to their Class and decide that they'll be the ones to break us. They never can.

"We're leaving earlier than the actual conscription because some of my old subordinates have stayed in full-time, and they've gotten to Steel. As a condition of my speedy arrival and lack of complaints, they're instating me as head of a special task force, doing much of what I did before you were born. Be mobile, focus on particular threats and keep the Barbarians from pushing in too much. That's about it."

"I… will… it's…" Astrid stopped talking, not sure what she was trying to say anyways. Finally, she settled on asking, "Will you both be okay?"

Both laughed as they took her into an embrace. "As safe as I can be." Brighid didn't promise something she couldn't absolutely guarantee. Astrid appreciated it, though she wished she could have been told that her parents wouldn't be killed on the front lines.

"Do I come with you?" Astrid asked.

"Nope." Brighid shook her head. "Dungeons need to be cleared for safety, and you're too low level to be considered a national asset. You'll be pushed to be in the Dungeon more than usual, but given that you're here less than five months after you left, I'd guess they won't need to push you to get back in there."

They continued talking late into the night, about every petty little thing that'd changed in the past months, and it seemed to come too soon that it was time for Astrid to retire to her room. Sleep came quickly, but she found herself tossing and turning, waking several times as nightmares about her parents dying to Barbarians flashed through her mind. 

***

"We'll wait to leave until you do, so go ahead and meet with Ahna. We can make the journey pretty quick." Brighid was the only one to speak with Astrid when she woke in time too late for breakfast. It was strange to wake up to her mother in the house, but since she was leaving town, she'd already taken care of all the work necessary to pass over the reins to someone else. Who, Astrid didn't know specifically, but given how blase Brighid was being about it, it was taken care of.

"Sounds good. Thank you, Mother." Astrid gave her a quick hug before making sure her coin purse was hidden under her tunic. She knew where her breakfast was coming from. Stark's food had been hearty and healthy and filling, and Astrid enjoyed it. But he only baked bread, and she wanted more than that.

Without her armor on and not in such a hurry that she ran through the streets, Astrid was happy to take her time and appreciate the sights and warm air. Sure, her stomach grumbled as she hadn't given anything to sate it so far, but it wouldn't be long before she had. Now, different from every time she'd walked through Stalstadt, there was a tension the small town usually lacked. Discussions over prices weren't teasingly haggled over but both sides wielded their words as weapons. Children walked through the streets only in hand with someone larger than they. The smell of forges burning was heavier in the air than usual, and Astrid found that, even though she knew everyone who passed by, she got more and more distrustful gazes than ever.

She rolled her shoulders and repeated to herself her goals. Don't lose temper. Be patient. Be kind. Don't lose temper. Be patient. Be kind. 

In the couple of minutes that it took to get there, Astrid had calmed herself enough that as she walked into the bakery, she'd genuinely loosened the tension in her face. Then, a familiar, friendly voice called out, "I'll be right with you."

"If you wanna make me wait," Astrid called back with a grin, "I guess I can, for some of your pastries. Do I get a 'hey, sorry everything's not the way we expected it' discount?"

"Astrid!" Ahna's face poked out from the back of the shop, her apron dusted with flour. "Jan said to expect you at lunch. Was he wrong or are you early?"

"Just early. First, I just wanna say I'm sorry. Didn't react the best back there, then I basically just disappeared. I didn't mean to become a wraith instead of your best friend."

Ahna stepped around the counter, her arms outstretched. Astrid took her into a hug.

"You're so much harder now." Ahna said. Astrid pulled her head back to look down at Ahna in confusion. The Baker blushed as she explained, "Your waist. You've gotten even stronger. I bet your stomach doesn't have any softness to it now."

Astrid shrugged. "Kinda the life I lead now. You coulda been like this too."

"No." Ahna laughed. "I would have been making you this every morning and kept you soft and cuddly."

Astrid leaned down and pinched Ahna's cheeks. "By the way, where are my pastries? I'm here bringing good delver money to eat until my belly wants to explode!"

Ahna, laughing, slapped Astrid's hands away. "I came out here to make sure that I wasn't wrong! I'll get them for you now, but I have to say that anything with sugar is at a premium, like a single danish is eight copper."

"Well, those are your favorites, so I'll have two danishes, eight sausage rolls, ten meat pies, and a muffin."

"Astrid, the portion sizes haven't shrunk!" Ahna laughed. "You can come back tomorrow and get fresh ones! Now come, I need to do the deliveries, and we can talk as we walk."

Deciding not to tell Ahna "no" quite so quickly, Astrid agreed to accompany her friend on her rounds. How she was going to tell her that she was leaving in just a couple hours, though… that would be difficult.