Warband

Chapter 13. Edge of the Map.

They continued to move toward the west, and the place that Nebram had suggested for what the System called his base of operations. Once or twice, Silas thought that he heard the sounds of battle in the distance as Cavanik fought with whatever the beast had been charging toward. At least the jungle lord was busy and didn’t seem to be tracking them any longer.

As the trio put distance between themselves and the threat of Cavanik, Silas began to relax and focus on the jungle around him. He used to get like this in Vietnam, completely exhausted from being up for long periods of time, but also somehow able to hyper-focus on the jungle around him as he sought out any threats. It felt like several hours had passed and Silas noted they were approaching the western edge of this layer of the pit when another clearing came into view and the sounds of a waterfall were heard in the distance.

“This is the place, Silas. Though my people fear it, something about it seems to keep other threats away. Despite that, I doubt its effect would work on a jungle lord or one of the corrupt. Still, you should be safe from any of usual jungle dangers while in here,” Nebram said as they walked into the clearing.

Silas tried to take it all in. His attention was first drawn to the edge of this layer, which was a tall, foliage covered rocky cliff face that stretched into the sky where it disappeared into the misty sky. This was the barrier that kept everything inside this layer, but Silas wondered what might be waiting on the other side.

“Nebram, has anyone ever climbed up there?” Silas said, pointing toward the cliff.

“Yes, a foolhardy warrior took it upon himself to explore back when I was young. He was an accomplished climber, and his friends waited at the bottom of the barrier for him to return. Hours passed, and finally, his body fell to the jungle floor. Whether he had been killed by something, or had finally reached exhaustion and fell, we do not know as his body was too damaged to discern what had happened.

“There are easier, though still dangerous ways to move between the layers. A portal resides on each layer that allows access to the one above and the one below. For us, there is only access to the second layer, as we are at the top of the pit,” Nebram explained.

“Where is this other portal, is it the one I arrived from?” Silas asked, wondering if the same portal was used for everything here.

“No, the portal is far to the northeast, and only our elder has ever set eyes upon it. The portal is in a strong fortress, now held by a powerful evil. To gain access to the portal, the evil inside the fortress must be destroyed. None here on the layer, even our entire tribe, has the strength to do so,” Nebram said.

“What exactly is guarding the portal? Do you have any details?” Silas asked. From what the System had said, he was going to have to clear out each layer of this place at some point, and knowing what was out there lurking in the fortress would be helpful for his future plans.

“It is never the same, sometimes it is powerful humanoids, and at other times, fearsome monsters. The powers in the layer below vie for dominance over the portal and only their infighting allows us to survive an invasion from them. Whichever group controls the layer below us, usually sends the guardian to control our portal. With the corruption growing on this layer, I cannot tell what will stand against you there,” Nebram said.

“Well, that fortress and the portal to the second layer are a problem for future Silas, for now, we need to see if this place checks the boxes for a base of operations,” Silas said, stepping further into the clearing.

The cliff face jutted out from the barrier, and Silas thought he saw several openings, almost like a series of caves there. He was also right about the waterfall, as a stream emerged from the cliff face and fell into a small lake near the clearing. The big surprise here was the ruins near the lake. It was just a pile of rubble, but the stones that weren’t completely destroyed reminded Silas of the construction of the portal platform he had arrived on.

This whole place had a peaceful and serene feel to it, unlike the oppressive danger of the jungle just a few yards away. The clearing ran a good two to three hundred yards in either direction, and seemed centered on the ruins. The lake, caves, and ruins were all part of this place, and Silas could feel some kind of connection.

Buster seemed to be feeling more at ease as well, and trotted off, sniffing the short grass of the clearing as he explored the area. Silas followed, not wanting to be too far from his friend. Nebram slithered alongside Silas, and the naga seemed more relaxed than he had been before as the peaceful feeling of the clearing took hold. A System prompt confirmed that this would work for Silas’ objective.

You have found a suitable location to use as your base of operation. Do you wish to claim this area, or seek another?

“Do you know of any place better than this? The System wants to know if I’m going to claim this place or keep looking,” Silas asked.

“I’m sorry, Silas, this is the only place like this that I know of. Other options probably exist somewhere in the layer, but I have no idea where, or how to reach them,” Nebram answered. That was good enough for Silas. He was tired of this jungle and wanted to complete the System’s quest so he could go back home and rest.

You have laid claim to a critical location on this layer. A base of operations for your warband will be created for you after you are assigned a class, and your tutorial session is complete. A portal leading to the guard post and marketplace will now be constructed in this area. When entering the first layer of the Pit of Bhalkur, you will now be keyed to this portal unless you manually change your key to another portal.

As soon as Silas read the System prompt, the ground shook, and a new portal platform rose from the ground under the existing ruins. As the portal rose, the debris from the ruins were absorbed. It was bizarre, and the stone behaved almost like a liquid as it formed into a nearly identical platform like the one Silas had arrived on. Instead of old and weathered, this platform had a freshly crafted look to it.

Buster had run away from the commotion, but as the platform finished rising, he began to head toward it, sniffing as he went. As the finishing touches were placed, stone walls rose to enclose the portal at the top of the platform. There was a single opening facing toward the cliffs that formed the barrier for this layer. At least when he arrived or departed, the portal itself wouldn’t be out in the open where anyone could be watching.

“I think we’re done here, at least for now. Thank you for your help Nebram,” Silas said as he noted the blue light of an active portal glow from the platform opening.

“It was an honor to serve my people as your contact. Hopefully, when you return, we can meet again,” Nebram said.

“Sure, I can see your village on the map, so I’ll come look you up the next time we’re here,” Silas said. Nebram looked a bit lost as he gazed at the ominous jungle in front of him.

“You know, you can stay here if you need to. Like you said, this place should be safe enough if you need to rest before heading back to your village,” Silas offered. Immediately after making the offer, he was hit with another System prompt.

You have offered access to this critical location to someone not in your warband. Please note that access can be revoked at any time. Should someone not approved to have access enter this area, you will be notified as long as you are present on this layer. Do you wish to officially offer the being known as Nebram access to your base of operation on this layer? Y/N.

It didn’t sound like there was a lot of downsides to letting Nebram have access here, and he had proved himself helpful as a guide. Silas told the System to officially make the offer.

The being known as Nebram has accepted your offer. He will have free access to your base of operation until you revoke access.

“Thank you, Silas, I think staying here a bit before venturing into the jungle is a good idea. With at least one of the jungle lords riled up, the journey home would be very dangerous. I will have to hunt, but that won’t be too troublesome,” Nebram said, looking genuinely grateful.

“Oh, here, can you eat these? A goblin merchant gave them to us and frankly, I’m not exactly sure what kind of meat it is,” Silas said, offering Nebram a handful of the meat sticks that Gritvart had given him. With a whine, Buster reminded Silas that he had been promised one.

“These smell enticing, I thank you for the gift of food, and apologize for not having a gift to reciprocate,” Nebram said as he took a bite of one of the meat sticks. Silas tossed one to Buster who snatched it from the air and moved away from the others like he was afraid they’d try to steal his treat.

When Buster had finished his stick, which didn’t take long, Silas started climbing the stone steps of the platform leading to the portal. Stepping into the portal, a new System prompt appeared.

Congratulations, you have completed the tutorial and are eligible for a class to be assigned to you.