Chapter One-Hundred Thirty-Six


    I might know Larrez is actually Rer, but it seems the kids havent realized it. Its not like theyve shown any indication of paying attention to politics. With Teemo off helping Jello, its not like I could tell them, even if I wanted to. No, I told him Id be willing to keep that secret, and I dont see why I should change that.


    At least I know why Teemo was grinning and acting like he was. He probably recognized him as soon as he saw him. Well, whats done is done. I look through what I have avable to send to greet the group, and decide on a significantly harder probing encounter than usual. A viper and a few rats wouldnt even slow down Rhonda or Freddie, so I need to step up my game a bit.


    Oh, I should try painting some of the snake scales with the metal transmutation stuff some time. If we can get it to only infuse the scales, that should be a good way to toughen a snake up. I file that idea away forter as I nudge an electric dire rat and a spitting viper to go test the kids. The gatherer groups give the two denizens a wide berth, and its not long before Fiona taps the back of Freddies head and points.


    The young orc looks and nods as he readies his shield and axe. Looks like Thedeim is ready to get started. Electric dire rat and a spitting viper.


    Rhonda nods at that as Lucas pulls a little shard of metal from the brim of the goblins hat, the goblin herself opening her book to a specific rune. There should be an opening to attack after they start. They like to fire from range before closing, she says as magic starts to awaken the rune in the book.


    Rer looks pretty nervous, but seeing the confidence in the other two helps steady him. He takes a deep breath before shifting his feet. Tide Stance he murmurs as he settles into the ssic fencing stance: feet wide, sword forward and raised slightly, back hand held behind and high for bnce. Im a bit surprised to see a watery duplicate of his rapier appear over his head. I can still see a bit of unease in his eyes, but his form looks pretty solid to me.


    I can counter the spit, he says as he steps up beside Freddie, and the orc smiles.


    Rhonda and I can handle the lightning, then. Funneling Bulwark! he shouts as the dire rat starts to spark with the beginning of its attack. Back with Rhonda, Lucas metal shard glows slightly as the rune on Rhondas book shes.


    Lightning Rod! Freddies ethereal shields help channel the bolt of lightning as the dire rat unleashes it, focusing it into the earth at Freddies feet, thanks to the magical influence of Rhonda and her familiar.


    The spitting viper hisses andunches a glob of venom/poison, and this time its Rer who reacts.


    Riptide Riposte! he shouts as he lunges towards the dire rat, the watery rapier intercepting the attack from the viper. It turns an unpleasant purple as it absorbs the attack, but thats not all Rer is up to. His lunge meets the dire rat and scores a good gash down its side, and the water doppelganger of his weapon shes forward to deposit the unpleasant purple into the wound.


    Rer steps back as Freddie steps forward, raising his shield to deflect the enraged bite from the wounded unusually-sized rodent. Freddie sidesteps to take the attack from the viper as Rer steps in once more, and I start to get an idea for why he called it Tide Stance. Each time he hits, the water rapier hits again a momentter. Its like watching waves on a beach erode a sandcastle. I kinda want to see him fight the rockslides, hed probably do pretty well against them.


    Fiona, still on Freddies back, weaves a quick and manages to entangle the viper, giving Rhonda an easy target for an Icicle Spear. The group holds theirbat stances for a few moments, until they get the experience, and then they rx. Rer brings his water rapier to ovep his regr one, before flicking it away to ssh on the ground, carrying with it the blood from the electric dire rat.


    Freddie smiles at the newest member of their party and ps him on the shoulder. Good work! That would usually take me and Rhonda a lot longer to clear! Rer looks a bit embarrassed at that, but doesnt argue as Rhonda pipes up.


    Yeah! Thats some fancy swordwork, Larrez! With you, I think we can take some of Thedeims more defensive monsters, like the slimes and rockslides!


    Is that a good idea?


    Rhonda shrugs. Its not a <em>bad</em> one. Weve been avoiding them because they take too long for just me and Freddie to handle, but your Tide Stance looks like its great for getting through defenses!


    Rer slowly nods at that. It is, yes. Water is very good at getting around defenses, finding the smallest weakness and expanding it. It works very well with my fencing, he says, looking morefortable talking about theoretical application than actually applying it. Luckily for him, (or unluckily, depending on how one looks at it) Rhonda is all about applying theoreticals.


    Great! Well show you the maze, and then head down to the caverns to see if we can handle stuff in there! n made, the group sets off. They dont end up going into the maze, as the line is looking a bit long. That doesnt stop them from getting on top and getting a good view of whats going on.


    I can feel Rer tense once Tiny looks at the group, but the big spider simply waves a foreleg at them and continues on his way.


    Is that normal? asks the poor noble, and the others nod.


    Yeah, says Freddie. If youre just up here to look, hell ignore you. I dont know what hell do if you try to get through the webbing up here and cheat the maze, but I wouldnt try it.


    I half expected to see Vernew up here, Rhonda idly states, scanning the t expanse that is the top of the maze, interrupted only by the trees of Tinysir.


    Freddie shrugs. She must be busy.


    Yeah maybe we can visit her in the enve? With Larrez, we should be able to get through the encounters there without having to spend so much time.


    Vernew?


    Freddie smiles and starts walking back the way they came. Yeah, shes one of the leaders of the spiderkin enve. Shes the Huntsmistress. Kinda bold and brash, but shes cool.


    I wonder if her spear and javelin techniques would trante into fencing, asks Rhonda, looking to Rer for the answer.


    Maybe? Ive sparred against various spears before, and theyve never been especially insightful for my own techniques, but Ive never sparred with a spiderkin, he admits.


    Shes hard to pin down, I feel like you two would be chasing each other all over the battlefield, trying tond a solid hit, says Freddie as he thinks on how the two might face each other.


    Rer quirks an eyebrow at that. Youve seen her fight?


    Rhonda nods. Yeah, beating her was one of our challenges to get our sses. We were lucky and she underestimated us, and we managed to get her caught in a big web tangle.


    Fiona and Lucas both chitter, and Freddie chuckles. Heh, and ourselves, too. It took Tiny several minutes to untangle everyone. I think shed be up for a friendly spar, if she has time. She might be out on a hunt, too, he points out. A <em>Huntsmistress</em> isnt likely to justze around the enve all day, waiting for plucky youngsters toe challenge her to a spar.


    We could follow our first n and go check in on Rocky, then? suggests Rhonda as they start to get off from the top of the maze.


    Might be the better idea, yeah. I dont want to be out <em>too</em>te. Im supposed to do a vigil around sunset.


    Yeah, and I need to bottle some potions, too.


    Rer doesnt seem to have anything pressing, or at least nothing hell admit to. Where are the mining nodes? We could let me mine some tin, make our way to Violet for your quests, and go visit, uh Rocky before calling it a day?


    Freddie frowns as he goes over the timeframe. I think well have toe backter to y with Rocky. We can get some mining done on the way to Violet, but well probably see enough encounters on the way that we should just head to the ratkin enve and through the cemetery to get back home on time.


    The group nods to that, and set off, having a n to be done before their other responsibilities have to be attended to. I watch them go about their fun as I nudge Queen with the steel scales idea, and she seems all for it. She even wants to try giving electric affinity, which I like the sound of. The kids might not get to spar one of my scions or one of the leaders of an enve, but I still want to give them a boss battle. You know, something to remember their first delve as a party by.