Lowlife, Scoundrel, Bandit Queen

Chapter 184 184 - Heavy lifting

Moving the heavy stone slaps still isn't fun, but it's at least manageable this way. Thus before long all the slabs are at the campsite, most hidden under a thin layer of leaves that served as padding under my blanket before. Only the one already in my pack is an exception. I take a little break and I take this chance to limber up and get a better feel for the range of motion of this new still unfamiliar body too.

Eventually it's time though. Time for a serious proof of concept regarding the rope sling I made from willow bark. I use the last of the water in my bottle to make sure the not nearly properly processed plant fiber isn't too dry and spry. Then I slip its center under the pack and it's ends over my shoulders, together with the straps of the actual pack and then I lift, doing my best not to throw out my pack as I do so.

A moment later I'm actually standing there with the heavy load properly shouldered. It's just one slab of shiny and sparkly stone but together with the rest of my pack that has to be about one hundred pound on my back. I feel a little unsteady at first and going downhill might be the real challenge with a load like this, but in general I'm optimistic that I'll manage.

Right now I have no time to waste though, thus I get going, the stone isn't going to get any lighter after all just because I wait longer. Thus I set off in the general direction of the hidden tower that is my destination. I don't run this time around. That wouldn't do me any good in the long run. Instead I move at a sustainable, steady pace.

I don't just follow the valley as I did on my way here, after descending from the hill. Instead I climb the hill in question at an angle. It isn't very steep anyway, but like this it's actually easier. I don't just descent from the ridge as I reach it either to follow the cliff face after wards instead I descent at an angle as well. This too is easier on my knees, especially given my heavy load. And I can cut straight through the forest like this, staying well away from the cliff close to the wyvern's quarry nest. Even better I always stay under the cover of foliage, which is very much appreciated.

I bested a lich the other day, a formidable foe for sure, but I don't want to find out what my chances would be against a giant flying lizard with teeth like daggers and scales like plate mail. No, I have had enough excitement for one trip. Thank you very much.

Of course it turns out that my aim is a little off, but it's not by much. In the end I still have to follow the cliff for a short while to reach the tower. I do so at a distance to make sure I stay unnoticed.

The first real problem becomes apparent when I actually stop at the entrance. I'll have to clear out the makeshift barricade in the doorway, or at least part of it anyway, because I certainly won't be climbing to the tower's top to enter through the rooftop access burned down as I am.

I set my pack, slab of stone and all, down to the side of the doorway and begin to clear it to the point where I can simply step over the remaining rest. As it turns out it's actually quite relaxing work after making the trip here. Yes, much better than the actual heavy lifting as most of the rubble I have used to block the doorway is considerably lighter than that big stone slab.

In fact, once I'm done I decide against picking up the pack as a whole. Instead I just lift the bothersome piece of stone furniture free of it, to carry it inside. I don't move it too far anyway, gently setting it down on two pieces of firewood I already have here, behind the rest of the firewood. This will have to do for the moment.

Afterwards I take a moment to stretch. I'm starting to suspect that by the time I'm done my back will really be killing me. Just four more slabs of stone. Just four more. I really hope I don#t have to do this again anytime soon. I let out a groan and get my empty water bottle to quickly refill it with clean and ice cold water from the flooded stairwell. I take a quick sip right away too, which sends a shiver down my back and makes me break into goosebumps, which looks a little funny in this unfamiliar body.

There is no time to waste though. After checking my pack and the makeshift rope for damage I immediately set off again, following the path I took to get here back in the other direction. It's disturbingly easy to do so. The ground is dry and covered in leaves in between the underbrush for the most part, but I still left more than enough easy to spot footprints and other signs of my passing.

It probably can't be avoided with such a heavy load while traversing anything but an actual road, but I still don't like it. I can't do anything about it either though. No, the only thing I can do is to hope that it'll rain sometime soon so the tracks I left get washed away. Otherwise my secret tower hideout might not stay a secret for much longer.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Hmm, maybe I should just embrace that development instead? I could hide the fact that it's my hideout behind another facade, or can't I? Maybe by turning it into a rest stop others can use too? It shouldn't be too hard either. If I just were to add a few more lines to Kronk's out of date Orukh graffiti that would already be a good start. Something like a request asking people who use the place to replenish the firewood when they leave? A mention of the shrine on the floor below and fresh water at the bottom of the stairs might help too. I happily nod to myself, as my thoughts wander while I move cross country again, much faster this time.

By the time I reach the campsite near the ruins again I have made up my mind. That's exactly what I'll do. Not even the fact that I finally feel my [Running] skill make some progress can distract or dissuade me. I resolve to remove the barricade in the doorway completely too. I'll make a grate to block the archway from the inside instead. I should be able to make something sturdy enough from some slightly thicker hazel branches for sure.

I grin to myself as I carefully lower the next slab into my pack and onto the rope already slung under it. Yes, a grate like that could make the place look almost legit. That's exactly what I'll do. I'll just stay out here for another day to get it done. It really shouldn't take any longer than that and I'm still not in a hurry after all.

And after having another quick drink I'm off again for the second trip to the tower. This one is harder than the first, as the plate I'm hauling about is slightly bigger too. Within the confines of my mind I curse myself, but other than that I just keep drudging on quietly. I make sure both my pace and my breathing are even. I can't afford getting too tired or downright exhausted yet, since I still have several more trips to make.

The breather I take at the tower after depositing the second plate atop the first, just using a few more fresh cut branches as distance bits to make sure stone doesn't directly touch stone, is a little longer this time though. I'm doing a few more stretches this time too. Overall I'm just very glad that I have no plans to make work like this my everyday job. Even less so considering how bad the pay at the docks, the most common source of back breaking work, is. Even considering that adventuring hardly is any better I'll still gladly decline. Yeah, thanks, but no thanks.

Finally I'm off again to make the rest of the trips, one after the other. My [Running] skill improves twice more in the process, but it's still far off from the next level up. Maybe I should take a messenger quest the next time I visit the adventurers' guild in search of work? It would be a good excuse to give the skill even more of a workout. And it would give me a chance to see some of the other towns of the frontier too. Yes, the idea might be worth some consideration. So many ideas! I better make sure not to completely forget all about them!

Even though I have all the stone slabs here at the tower now I make one more trip to the ruined settlement and my camp there. On one hand to pull the sharpened stakes I placed around my camp out of the ground. It would be rather inconsiderate to leave them in place. On the other hand to collect some more thick hazel and willow branches which grow more abundantly there. The letter earns me some more progress for my [Foraging] skill. Since I'm already at it and in the right place too, I decide to push the skill some more by gathering more mushrooms, a mix of trunk huggers and chanterelles again, as well, which earns me some more progress for the skill as intended.

In fact I might have gathered a little more than usual, maybe because I'm actually quite hungry after today's rather exhausting workload. Thus, in between mushrooms and fresh cut wood, my load for this last trip is hardly any less than those before. It still feels lighter somehow though. A most curious effect, but not one I'll question anyway.

By the time I reach the tower for the last time I'm thoroughly exhausted. Still I'm a little curious about a fact I only really take note of now. I haven't seen or heard anything of the wyvern nesting nearby all day. I'm not quite sure if that is a good sign. Could it be that the young have hatched and the mother moved on with them to some other hunting ground? One she hasn't already exhausted? Has someone already taken care of the scaly beast and her offspring? For some reason the thought makes me feel sorry for them, even if just a little.

I'm tempted to head out once more to check the nest out by myself. I groan and hang my head. To be perfectly honest, that is the sensible approach. There are few threats greater than the one you aren't aware of after all. Uncertainty is not my friend in this particular case, thus I decide to head out once more. I leave my pack behind at the tower this time though. I don't want to be burdened down by it.

The sun is already setting. I'll have an hour of light at most. It'll be twilight though, but that might just be in my own best interest. Long shadows growing ever longer are best to hide slight movements.

It's at the last moment before stepping out that I remember one important not so little detail. I groan and stop again. After making sure I'm not being observed I focus on my appearance once more and change back to my usual self. More of my dwindling Mana drains away to fuel the skill and the next moment the desired change washes over me. It's accompanied by a notification I crave even more.

[*Ding!* Your skill Change Shape has leveled up to level 7!]

This one counts towards the progress of my scoundrel … no my eminence in shadows class. Curious how that works out. If this keeps up the newly upgraded class might really level up before my other classes. This one comes with indirect benefits too. The racial shape changing skill is my best regarding quality, thus its impact on my spirit attribute and indirectly my magic power and Mana reserves isn't negligible either, in a good way though.

Now that I'm back to my usual delicate self and after readjusting my clothes again I'm really ready for some more scouting. I duck low and move carefully while keeping my distance from the actual cliff edge, earning some more progress for my [Stealth] skill, for now until I reach a spot that should allow me to catch a glimpse of the scaled monster's nest.