"Why?"

"Because I need to understand if mom and dad are in danger."

"They're growing," Lena said. "She said it earlier; they are forcing people to join."

"Yes, they're getting allies, or vassals. Because of fear, naturally. The War Hounds are brutal, but they're good at what they do."

"And you?" Reidar asked. "What do the Spriggans offer? What are you doing to contend with their influence?"

"Freedom," Seraphine said. "We don't force people to join. We don't take more than our share. We try to build something better than survival for everyone. But that's a harder sell when people are scared."

"Principles, uh?" Reidar asked, wondering if that was really the best thing to do.

It was because of principles that he helped the Three Lakes and Havenwood, and in the last place, he got tricked and became a target for an organization made of monsters.

Altruism couldn't be idiocy, and he had been one back then.

His mother was in a coma, yes, but it wasn't like he could have done anything about it, and his father was with her, kept safe by Seraphine and her people.

Seraphine looked at him. "I won't deny it, Reidar, I want your help, especially now that I figured out who you are. Judy and Matthias's son. Besides, you said it yourself, you were going to Creamont anyway."

"You want my help, uh?"

"Yes, Reidar." She paused. "I've seen what you can do. Come with us," Seraphine said. "You, your group, and anyone else willing to join. The Spriggans need strong fighters. And you need to be with your parents."

Reidar said nothing.

"I know it's a lot to ask." She paused. "Joining a war against other people… It isn't exactly the best thing to do. But think about it. If the War Hounds keep growing as they are, it won't take long before they get us too, and if we fall, your parents will too." She paused.

"Your father is strong, Reidar; he was level 40 way before I reached level 30. He has a trait that makes him terrifying, which is ironic considering he was a doctor, but…"

She hesitated.

"He can't level up as fast as he did before," Reidar said, "Because of mom, and because you need him there to heal your people."

"Yes." She paused. "If you have such a large group as mine, you get a lot of injured people… "

She was right. Reidar knew it.

But it changed things. Now he had a target. The War Hounds. If they were threatening his parents' well-being, if they were preventing his father from leveling up and getting the necessary perks to heal his mother, they had to be eliminated.

"Yet all that didn't stop him from reaching level 100 in the past weeks." She paused again. "I'm not much stronger than him, and he rarely goes out hunting. But when he does, he always levels up once or twice, if not more. His trait is just that strong."

That surprised Reidar.

"I will then…"

Seraphine nodded. "That's great to hear."

They remained there for a couple of minutes, in silence.

She stood. "I should check on my people."

She turned to leave. Then turned back to Reidar. "Let's try to clear these quests as fast as we can, all right?"

The man nodded. Then Seraphine walked away, disappearing into the camp.

Reidar stared into the fire. The flames danced. The wood crackled.

<My parents are alive.> It was a relief to know they were under someone as competent as Seraphine.

He repeated it like a mantra.

Yet it was weird for his father to be at that level already. Seraphine said they went to Creamont a couple of months earlier, that his father was there, and that he now was at level 100.

Of course, Seraphine's growth was just as astonishing. If she was level 30 when his father was level 40, they grew at similar rates.

<How strong was his trait for him to reach such a level while Seraphine has just ten or so levels more?>

Lena's hand stayed on his shoulder. Jake sat in silence, watching the fire.

None of them spoke.

The surrounding camp continued its rhythm. Survivors talked and laughed. Fires burned. Sentries patrolled.

Lena broke the silence. "Don't worry, Reidar, we will go to them as soon as we are done here. If anything, you should be happy. We know they are… ok…"

Jake was looking at him with wide eyes. He knew what it was to lose parents. Lena did too, but she had the time to heal, altough she didn't completely heal from the scars their loss brought.

"Yes," Reidar said. "Anyway, what do you think about Seraphine's group, the Spriggans?"

Reidar thought about it. The Spriggans offered allies, information, and a base of operations. But they also came with obligations.

"They don't seem bad, but I can't trust Seraphine. Once in Creamont, I will send as many Vorathid Foragers to scour the city. I will also buy something to spy on people." Reidar turned to Jake. "I will need your help."

With his trait, Jake could summon as many creatures as Reidar could. He might be able to find something, and having more scouts was good.

He nodded.

"We'll travel with them," Reidar said. "We will help on the condition they will help us in return. We won't be joining them forever."

"Seraphine might not like that," Lena said. "I think her intention was for you to stay."

"She'll have to," Reidar said. "She needs fighters. She can't afford to turn us away, and if she tries to bite more than she can chew, I will deal with her." There was a cold look in Reidar's eyes, one Lena had never seen.

Reidar wasn't the violent type. She knew that better than anyone. He got himself into a huge mess in Havenwood jusst for the sake of doing the right thing, but it looked like the events there changed him.

Lena considered this. "Fair enough."

They fell into silence again. The fire popped, sending a spray of sparks into the air.

Reidar's thoughts turned to the quests. <If we finish them, we'll gain levels, skills, and resources. Enough to make a difference in Creamont.>

He didn't know how strong the War Hounds were, but they must have been near Seraphine's and her people' level, and to be at that level it meant at least their leader must have had a trait. Otherwise it was impossible to get strong this fast.

That made him think.

<Could it be that dad has a trait too?>

He felt like there were too many people with traits. It was good for humanity from a certain point of view, but it also meant that people with weird ideas about power and conquest had a greater chance to appear, and likely the War hounds leader was one of such people.

The quest that had felt like a distraction before, now was preparation.

He pulled up his status screen.

—[«STATUS»]—

Name: Reidar Miller

Level: 120

Health: 1070

Mana: 8570,70

C.L.A.S.P.: 178515 / 384800

Available Attribute points: 0,00

Skills: Mending Touch, Group Rally, Root Grasp, Circle of Renewal, Void Javelin, Elemental Storm, Summon Razor-Gill School , Summon Spectral Knights, Summon Rift-Sprite Contubernium, Wind Barrage, Granite Shard, Aqua Cannon, Fire Bolt, Summon Murk-Fin School, Stone Skin, Chitinous Carapace, Hive Mind Echo, Formic Acid Barrier, Corrosive Demise, Summon Vorathid Foragers, Summon Skeletal Warriors, Summon Feral Pack, Summon Shadow Guardians

Equipment: Shepherd's Crook of the Wild, Summoner's Cowl, Summoner's Mantle, Summoner's Leggings, Summoner's Handwraps, Summoner's Treads, Summoner's Bracers, Summoner's Cloak, Summoner's Sash, Aqua Sprite Pendant, Ember Sprite Ring, Stone Sprite Ring

Proficiencies: Velia's Regional Map (39%), Velia's Monster Compendium (49%), Fundamental Spellcraft (84%), Combat Instinct (86%)

Attributes: (S.H.I.E.L.D.: 10,7), (A.C.U.M.E.N.: 56,8), (F.L.A.I.R. : 9,5), (F.L.I.P.: 8,7)

Minions: Spectral Knights (x1)

Survival Points: 4.399.089

Trait: Skill Sharing

Perks: Efficient Scavenger (6/6), Arcane Potency (6/6), Mana Attunement (5/5), Mana Font (6/6), Focused Mind (5/5), Rapid Learning (5/5), Arcane Resilience (4/4), Empowered Effects (5/5), Arcane Leech (5/5), Spell Control (5/5), Pack Tactics (5/5), Elemental Infusion (5/5), Resilient Constructs (1/6), Ethereal Anchor (5/5), Mana Siphon (10/10), Inspired Creation (4/8)

Perk Points: 0

Titles: The First Killer, The First Apprentice, The Pioneer, Creature Slayer IV, Rift-Sprite Hunter IV, The Exterminator, Guardian of the innocents, Adept Learner, Abyssal Caller, The Apex

Profession: Tailoring (LVL33), Woodworking (LVL55), Enchanting (LVL42)

—[«END»]—

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