Traudl Quest: Part 5

Ok, I’m a day late, but in my defense, I did have this just about ready to go out last night, but it was a holiday. I was doing my duty, as an American, to partake in all the most important patriotic duties: watching baseball, eating hot dogs, and watching fireworks while songs play, unironically, that sound patriotic, but are actually critical of some aspect of American society.

Anyway, Traudl’s quest continues with a shocking new development. Could she have found what she was looking for already? Obviously not, there are still a few more chapters to go!

After a quick stop in Uleag, to buy a magic ladder, Traudl headed north back to Porzoin. This time she hugged the northern edge of the mountains, toward the big lake. Having not seen the lake up close prior to this point, she wanted to check it out.

She spotted something odd, beached on the northern shore of the lake. There was a small, rickety, rowboat. It was unlike anything she’d seen in the land so far. Everything was so perfect and untouched by wear. This boat had seen many years of use and had several holes smashed in it. She hoped this wasn’t the kind of boat she would be getting to sail to the fiend’s island to the east.

In Porzoin, Traudl walked up to the flower shop and sprinkled the wake-up-powder on the owner. In an instant he sprung to his feet.

“What a terrible dream I had! Thank goodness it’s over. I understand. You need flower seeds for Lindin. Here you go.” He said then handed some seeds to Traudl.

“I didn’t tell you about Lindin and the flower seeds, how did you know?” She said with a laugh.

Traudl turned around and noticed the whole town was now awake. “That’s a fast acting magic powder!”

Her next natural step was to check out the weapons and armor shop, but she paused. There was something else she was supposed to be doing. A lingering memory tickled at the back of her brain telling her that she wasn’t supposed to be greedy and violent, but she couldn’t focus on it. Her trance was broken when she heard a foreign sound. It was someone talking without being prompted!

She hurried over to the source of the voice and found a young man in front of the weapons shop. He lacked the refined, and uniform, look of the other people of the land. His hair and beard were long, and his clothes were fine, but faded, like they had been left out in the sun for too long.

“Please! Just give me that sword or something, there are monsters outside!” he pleaded.

Traudl walked up beside him. “He won’t understand those words. You need to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”

He looked over at Traudl in shock. “What? You spoke without me prodding you? Could you be a stranger here too?”

Traudl nodded, “I’m not from here. I came from—” She had trouble recalling. “—from the south… I think. My name is Traudl.”

The man gave a weary smile. “I’m Ziphar. I came north seeking trade. I was warned it was a strange land, but was sure that was just superstition. Boy, was I wrong. I came up the river from Enas’ni with my wares. And everyone here was so strange. They were acting like they act now, only talking when prodded. Never responding to questions. The man in the flower shop thanked me for waking the town. I was so confused. After a short time there was a flash from the east, the sky went dark. Then everyone in town fell over. I tried my hardest to wake everyone, but eventually succumbed to whatever spell had taken them.”

Ziphar then looked down at his long beard and held it up. “Goodness! How long was I asleep?”

Traudl tilted her head in thought. “I’m not sure how time goes here. I haven’t seen night, eaten, or slept since I got here. I’ve gone to the inn, but I don’t really sleep. I give the man money and the world goes black. I don’t seem to dream. No time seems to pass. My eyes open and I feel refreshed.”

“This town has been asleep for a while though, since I arrived. So, you’ve probably been asleep that long, plus however long you came here before me. What did you come here to sell? Armor and weapons?”

“No.” Ziphar opened his bag and pulled out two fine shirts. “These are made by my wife. She’s the finest seamstress in Enas’ni. I had more in a trunk, but I was attacked by monsters as soon as I got off my boat. I had to leave the trunk behind and ran here. Not that it matters. Nobody here wants to buy anything from me.”

Traudl stared at the pattern in the clothing. There was a traditional floral pattern that caused a part of her brain to tickle. Had she seen it before?

“Enas’ni.” Traudl repeated. “Those flowers. It’s like a dream I once had, I think. I feel like I should know these things. No matter. I’ll have time to think about all that stuff after I finish being the hero and defeating the evil fiend!”

“I should find that a strange statement, but you are, oddly enough, the least strange thing I’ve encountered in this land. I suppose I’ll make a mad dash for my boat and try to head for home.

Traudl quickly grabbed Ziphar’s arm. “You can’t go back to your boat. It’s been smashed. I saw it on the way here. Maybe the monsters did it? You’d have to walk all the way south toward Ailehan, and that’s very dangerous for someone without weapons and armor.”

Traudl again froze. There was a thought in her brain she couldn’t quite reach, as if locked behind some heavy door. A desire to do something that was drowned out by the overwhelming urge to fight monsters, buy things, and continue her quest. She pushed and pushed and finally said. “I could help you.” She paused again, shaking her head at the strange thought. “Yes. I want to help you. I can walk with you to the border of this land and keep you safe.”

Ziphar laughed, “That’s very sweet of you, Traudl. But look at you. You’re a tiny little thing wearing such heavy armor. What good could you be at fighting monsters? I think you’d slow me down.”

Before Traudl could get another word in, Ziphar jogged out of town. Traudl took a few minutes to check over her equipment to make sure she had enough potions and other essential adventuring gear. Once everything was in order, she headed out after Ziphar, convinced he was going to get himself into trouble.

She hadn’t gotten far when she heard the cry of a man in distress. Traudl sprinted toward the sound and found Ziphar engaged in a fierce duel with a werewolf. The wolf would have struck a mortal blow if Traudl hadn’t leapt into combat and deflected his sharp claws away with her shield. The two exchanged blows for only a moment before Traudl pierced the creature’s side with her sword and he vanished, leaving a pile of gold behind.

Ziphar was crouched on the ground, with his hands over his head. He peered out gingerly, to see the werewolf was gone. He then rose to his feet. “I either underestimated you, or I overestimated myself. Either way, you have my eternal thanks.”

Traudl reached into her pack and pulled out a healing potion. “Drink this, it will make you feel better.”

He hesitated for a moment, cringing at the foul smell of the fluid, then quickly drank it down. Within seconds he felt whole again.

“I hate to impose further,” Ziphar began, “But can you lend me some of that gold, so I can buy something to defend myself with?”

Competing compulsions wrestled in Traudl’s head. She wanted to help him, didn’t she? But help him do what? She couldn’t recall. The thought was there only moments earlier, but it had since slipped away. She had to get powerful and fight the fiend, Mozebarr. That was her overriding desire. Of course, she was going to help Ziphar get powerful, so he could fight the fiend with her. That must have been it.

Traudl looked into her bag of gold and counted out enough to buy some equipment to get Ziphar started. “I’m going to fight the great fend, Mozebarr. I could use some help.”

Ziphar gave Traudl a stern look. “Great fiend? You sound like you’re in a fairy story.”

Traudl nodded in approval, “Yep! This land is just like a children’s story. Scarry, but not too scarry. Dangerous, but not really dangerous. You get killed and get right back up at the castle.”

Ziphar scowled. “What do you mean? That creature would have killed me!”

“I told you that when you die you just come right back at the castle. People don’t go away and come back outside of stories. You don’t need to be afraid if you come with me. I’ve got a magic sword and magic armor now. We’ll fight enough monsters to get you some too.”

Ziphar gave Traudl a sidelong glance. “I don’t think that armor would fit me, and that sword is too small. Though perhaps I could use it as a razor to get rid of this giant beard.”

Traudl laughed, “I was worried about that too, but it’s never been a problem. Don’t worry! Everything here is magic. If you buy something, it will be your size.”

Ziphar hesitated. The sight of Traudl’s magic armor. The thought of fighting and growing powerful. An evil fiend waiting to be defeated. That must be why he came to this land as well. He stuck out his hand with a grin. “Let’s be off then.”

Traudl took Ziphar’s hand and squeezed it firmly. “The fiend will be no match for us! We’ll have all the gold and jewels and magic items this land has to offer!”

EDIT: Art credit for the featured image to the Dragon Quest game series. The image credits Akira Toriyama, but you can never believe what you read on the internet. I sourced it from HERE.