The Kingmaker Saga Bundle (Books 1-3)

By Thomas K. Carpenter and Rachel J. Carpenter

Separated from his friends in a brutal game of survival. Secrets uncovered at every turn. It wasn't the game he expected.

THIS BOX SET INCLUDES THREE BEST SELLING BOOKS WITH OVER A 1000 PAGES OF THRILLING ACTION—AND 1000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS/RATINGS!

When Terran and his friends enter Kingmaker Saga, they're expecting a lifetime of adventure together, but a vengeful hag separates them, throwing their plans into disarray. Stuck in the unrelenting wilderness of the Rockleaf Forest and tracked by a dangerous Spirit Bear, Terran must push himself to develop new skills, find a way to reunite with his friends, and defeat the hidden forces moving quickly to destroy his new home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Carpenter
• Release date: Aug 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005730451

Thomas K. Carpenter

Thomas K. Carpenter resides in Colorado with his wife Rachel. When he’s not busy writing his next book, he's out hiking or skiing or getting beat by his wife at cards. Visit him online at www.thomaskcarpenter.com, or sign up for his newsletter at https://www.subscribepage.com/trialsofmagic.

Book preview

The Stone Tree

Chapter One

The arrows lodged themselves in the skeleton's rib cage, making the bony undead creature into a chattering pincushion.  Terran pulled the string back to his ear while yelling to his friends, It's not my fault you blew it into the tree, Newt.  It's a good thing we looted a bow. If we're lucky, I'll be able to take it down with this.  Otherwise, Flynn's gonna have to climb up there.

The arrow sped through the air, bounced through the thick branches, and lodged into the skeleton's thigh bone.  Terran sighed and pulled out another arrow.

Our luck we strand that stupid skeleton in the only tree within miles, said Terran as he sighted the undead creature in the trees, then realizing it was a waste of time, released the tension in the bow.  Surprised the tree is even alive in this arid region.

They stood on a short plateau near sandstone canyons. Behind them, a rotted hut slumped from wind damage, sand piling against the windward side. Scraggly bushes dotted the landscape beneath a pale blue sky, which seemed to stretch forever.

No way am I going up there with that creepy bastard, said Flynn, leaning on his short sword, his hair somehow maintaining a perfect coif despite the recent battle.  It's already going to give me nightmares for weeks.  Damn thing came out of the wall and started grabbing for my face.  We never should have come this far out.  We're way past the newbie area.

Zara had been standing at the bottom of the tree, staring up at the creature impaled on the branches so it could barely move.  She tapped on the tree with her warhammer. 

You're probably right, Flynn, she said, a grin lurking on her lips.  You might wet yourself again if you climbed up there.

Flynn pointed his short sword at the tall redhead.  You know as well as I do, as we all do, that Newt spilled his water pouch on me when I crashed into him running out of that abandoned building.

Zara stared him down for a long moment before throwing him a wink and sticking out her tongue.  

I know, she said.  Just messin' with ya.

Come on, guys, said Terran.  We need to think of a new way to kill this stupid skeleton.  My arrows aren't getting through the branches.

We could just leave it, said Flynn.  Head back to the newbie area and kill some rats until we level up more.

No way, said Terran, rubbing his chin.  We're almost level 2, and this sucker will get us over the finish line.  We've been making good time for our first day.  We've been waiting so long to be old enough and now it's finally here.  The fact that I get to spend the rest of my life adventuring with you all is like the best thing ever.

Good speech, Terran, said Zara.  But do you have a plan?  That tree isn't big enough to hold me, and Flynn's too chicken to climb it.

I'm not a chicken, I'm just tactically sensible, said Flynn, breathing on his fingernails and rubbing them on his black shirt.

Newt? asked Terran.

The fourth member of their party, Newt, was sitting on a rocky outcropping near the tree.  Depite the blazing sun and his umber brown skin, he didn't have a drop of sweat on his forehead as he studyed his tome.  

Huh? he asked, knocking his dusty brown hair from his eyes.  

Tree?  Skeleton? asked Terran.  Didn't you knock it up there?

Newt stared at Terran, then back to the tree.  Affirmative.

Can you help get it down? asked Terran.

Another long blink.  I am afraid my spells are not useful on this undead specimen in this small tree.  The gravity bounce spell cannot reverse this predicament.  But I will study my tome so I can improve my spells so I am more useful during the next encounter.

Terran nodded.  Okay then.

Despite the unfortunate location of their bony victim, Terran couldn't help but grin at his surroundings.  They were a short two-hour hike from the starting area, a town called Sand Blossom, on the edge of craggy hills.  Everything felt so real, even the taste of the salty rations in his pack, which he knew he would eventually get sick of, but for now they tasted like a dream.

Fine, said Terran, setting down the bow and approaching the tree.  I guess I need to do everything myself.

You really gonna climb that?  Without a weapon? asked Flynn.

Terran faced his friends, bowing formally.  A real master does not climb the tree.  He makes the tree come to him.

I think that sounds like what bulls make, said Flynn.

We lack an axe, or I would have already chopped it down, said Zara, flexing her biceps.

Terran put his hands around the slender tree.  He could almost fit both hands around the circumference.  

Going to strangle the tree into falling over? asked Flynn, snorting.

They said in orientation that we should experiment with intention.  That we would discover spells and skills that way, said Terran.

Is that why you keep going all bleary eyed in the middle of combat, looking like you have to pass gas or something? asked Flynn.

Terran paused, looked back at Flynn.  May-be.

Great, said Flynn, sitting down cross-legged.  Wake me when you're finished screwing around.

Terran settled with his knees in the sandy soil, hands around the tree, closed his eyes, and breathed deeply, enjoying the dry wind and sage.  At first, the shifting of the skeleton in the tree, wood on bones, and Zara humming softly behind him made for a distraction, but eventually he was able to push them away.  

The instructors had said to try small things.  Willing epic magics into being was a sure recipe for failure, but making deliberate intentional changes to the world might result in learning a new spell or skill.  

Terran imagined the disc of wood between his hands turning to stone.  He pictured the lively bark turning gray, cracking the pulp around it.  He kept at it for what felt like ten minutes.  Eventually, he heard his friends grow restless.  Terran was about to give up, when he felt a tug in his mind, as if he'd been searching for the edge of a piece of tape and finally scraped it with his fingernail.  

The intention had a shape to it.  As if he had to solve a puzzle in his mind.  Nothing too terribly complex, the shifting of pieces to come together as a whole, until the whole thing fell into place with a bright flash in his mind.  

The flow of power through his hands felt like a hot stove.  Terran cried out as he pulled away, revealing a gray band of stone where his hands had once been, and around the stone section, the wood had squeezed and cracked.  

[You have learned the Stone Touch spell]

Stone Touch - Unique Spell (END)

Cost - 10 Mana

Duration - 1 minute

Transform a small area of living material into stone for the duration of the spell.  

Whoa, it worked! said Terran from his knees, looking up at his friends.  And I learned a unique spell for it.

Zara screwed up her face as she stared at the tree.  I don't know, Ter, did you really do anything to the tree?  It looks like a slightly different color gray than the bark before.

Flynn chuckled.  Wait, let me get this straight.  You turned the wood to stone.  You made the wood hard?  Is that spell called Boner?

Very funny, Flynn, said Terran as he climbed to his feet, knocking the sand from his hands.  Zara.  Can you hit that with your warhammer?

The tall redhead hefted her weapon to her shoulder, and then with the power and grace of a champion hammer thrower, she slammed the head of the warhammer into the section of stone on the tree trunk.  The stone shattered, which shifted the tree, toppling it towards Flynn, who'd been watching with his hands on his hips.

Watch out! cried Terran.

Flynn scrambled to get out of the way, but had started too late, and the branches of the tree fell around him, capturing him in a wooden cage.  But now, the skeleton was only an arm's length away, and the breaking of limbs had released it to crawl towards Flynn.

Getitawaygetitawaygetitaway, said Flynn, pulling himself through the branches, completely ignoring the way they scratched and cut him.  

Zara, having warmed up from taking down the tree, climbed over the base, positioned herself behind the skeleton, and swung her warhammer down to crush its bony neck.  The skull rolled through the tree to land against Flynn's hip.

The experience bar on Terran's heads-up display flooded with glowing orange light until it was full.

You are now level 2!

Woot! said Terran, feeling extra pleased for solving the tree issue and earning a level.  

From within the cage of branches, Flynn fell backwards with a relieved sigh.  Oh, thank the many gods.  I thought I was going to have to flay my own skin off to get out of here before that thing chewed my face off.

While Zara used her warhammer to break away the branches keeping Flynn trapped, Terran examined his character sheet to decide where to place his first two ability points.

The six abilities he could choose from were Strength, Intelligence, Cunning, Endurance, Agility, and Charisma.  He couldn't place them in the same ability, so they would be spread out.

They'd talked about the roles they each planned to take in the party.  Zara would obviously be their tank, while Newt was a surefire mage type, and Flynn was shifty enough to be a rogue.  That meant he could either be a controlling type character or straight-out damage.  Terran had never really liked the DPS role, as it felt like an exercise in maximizing a spreadsheet, but he loved the tactical nature of battle.  There was a reason he'd taken a minor in ancient board games like chess and go.  

Without a good idea of how the game world worked, Terran pulled up the one skill he'd earned so far, which he was quite proud of, considering the instructors had told them unique skills would be rare.

When he highlighted the Stone Touch spell, it gave him additional information.

[Based on Endurance]

Given that additional health would give him a better chance of survival, Terran put one point into Endurance.  The second point, after a little thought, was placed in Intelligence, since it was his ability to think that had taken down the tree. He checked his updated character sheet:

Character: Terran

Level: 2

Class: Undetermined

HP: 14

Mana: 110

Sta: 120

Strength: 1

Intelligence: 2

Endurance: 2

Cunning: 1

Agility: 1

Charisma: 1

Spells:

Stone Touch (unique)

After everyone placed their ability points, Flynn asked, Can we head back towards town?  I think I'd rather jockey with all the other newbies for the desert rats than deal with more undead.

No way, said Terran.  This is way better out here.  Plus, the views are spectacular.

The rock formations are quite beautiful, said Zara, gazing across the canyons that snaked behind them.  Especially that alternating red-white stuff.  It looks like spongy velvet cake.

Newt looked up from his tome.  That is shnabkaib, which are mudstone and siltstone layers of rock beds.

Let's check out these canyons, said Terran.  We can at least skirt the edges and see what's down there.  If it's too high level, then we can circle back towards town.  It's getting late, and it gets cold in the high desert.

I'm in, said Zara, with a one-shoulder shrug.

The logic seems sound, said Newt, lifting his head.

Flynn grumbled, but nodded, scooping up the separated skull from the skeleton to carry in the crook of his arm.

Great!  Let's get moving, said Terran.

As they walked along the edge of the canyon, Flynn lifted the skull up and spoke to it. Do you know why we're pushing so hard, Skully?  It's not like we're going to win the kingdom at the end of all this.

Probably not, said Terran, chuckling.  But there's a lot of cool stuff to be had if we're first to explore them.  Hell, half our experience has been from being the first to explore a new area.  And we get to spend our time hanging out, not bumping shoulders with every newb under the sun.

The land sloped downward as they explored along the canyon.  The floor was only twenty feet below but it looked like it would be a scramble to get back up.  They saw a few humpbacked lizards that hissed while they walked, but the analyze ability only brought back a red skull icon, which showed they were too high for them.  

Hey, look at that flower, said Flynn, who still had the skull in the crook of his arm.  I bet it's used in alchemy.

A bush with a single bright blue flower clung to the top of the canyon wall.  Flynn leaned over the edge, still holding onto the skull, to pluck the flower away.

Careful, Flynn, said Zara. If you fall you'll be making the fast journey back to town.

I'm always careful, said Flynn, leaning into the bush with his fingers skipping off the petal of the blue flower.  Come on, come to daddy. Skully needs a new flower.

Terran saw the shifting ground before Flynn cried out, so he managed to reach his friend before he tumbled over.  The bush, which had been losing root soil from the wind wear of the cliff, had finally decided to tumble over.

Gotcha, said Terran, but Flynn and the bush kept sliding.  

They were both headed over the edge when Zara caught his shirt, then arm, and right behind her, Newt hurried to Zara.  But the whole party, bush included, kept going over the edge, until they were in a free fall.

Terran closed his eyes, expecting to die during the impact and then revive in Sand Blossom's graveyard. They hit the ground heavy enough to take a few points of damage, but survived.

Owww, my leg, said Flynn, rolling on his side.  You landed right on me, Terran.

Trust me, your knee didn't feel good hitting my tailbone, he said, rubbing his lower back and grimacing.  But how did we survive that?  I thought we were goners.

Newt, who had landed on his feet with his tome under his arm, said, My gravity bounce spell counteracted the potential energy contained within the fall, reducing the velocity gained in the twenty feet from cliff top to floor.

Nice job, Newt, said Terran, patting his friend on the shoulder.  

Oh, that's creepy, said Flynn, who had tucked the blue flower he'd plucked into the earhole of the skull.  What do you think, Skully?  Is it as creepy as an old man with ear hair who wants to give you a piece of candy, or as creepy as a hairless cat in a clown costume?

At the base of the cliff wall, out of sight from above, was a hovel built into a cave.  A rickety wooden fence blocked off the house from the canyon proper.  Hanging from the angled roof, on twine strings, were dolls made from root and vine, twisted until they had human shape.  The rocks dislodged during their fall had broken some glassware near the front door, and the bush had ended up stuck on the fence.

Or maybe as creepy as falling into a freshly dug grave, Terran said as he approached the fence, looking for signs of recent occupancy.

Or as creepy as a drunk uncle under the mistletoe, said Zara, which elicited an 'ewww' from the rest of them.

As creepy as a millipede? asked Newt.

Terran held his thumb and finger apart.  Almost got it, Newt.  Almost.

I think we should probably get the hell out of here, said Zara.  Find a way to climb back up if we can.  Does anyone have pitons or rope?

As they were deciding what to do, a hag appeared in the shadows of the hovel.  The old woman had green skin, fingers as long as daggers, and yellowed teeth for ripping flesh.  Before Terran could leap away, the hag grabbed his arm.  Her flesh was cold and slimy, but she was so strong he couldn't move from his spot.  As the others moved to his aid, she thrust a rusty dagger against his throat.  

You ruined my tincture, she hissed.  I've been nurturing it for weeks, and it took many trials to find those rare herbs.  So much time has been wasted.

We're very sorry.  Flynn held up the skull in one hand.  Skully is sorry too.  It's her fault we fell on your hovel.

Yes, said Zara, who had set her warhammer onto the sandy ground and clasped her hands together.  Please.  We didn't mean to do it.  Can we make it right somehow?

Time, said the hag.  Time is the ultimate equalizer here.  If I kill you all, you'll just respawn, come back when you're ready, and kill me then.  I must give you a reason, for all of you, never to trouble me again.

The hag's awareness of her danger put a stone in Terran's gut.  He wanted to speak, but the dagger against his throat made even breathing dangerous.

Then the hag whispered softly in a foreign tongue, and fell energies built around them.  Terran had no doubt that she was going to kill him, he just hoped that it wasn't too painful.  The instructors explained the first death was the hardest, because it was hard to wrap your mind around the fact that you'd be coming back.   

When she finished her incantation, she leaned forward and placed her wrinkled lips against his cheek.  The smell of death clung to her breath like rotting flesh.

Leaf and stone, a life regrown, take these bones and give them life again, far from here, she said, breathing so close to his face.

When she finished, she placed her finger against his forehead and, before he could move, shoved the dagger into his neck.

You have died!

Chapter Two

Terran awoke on hard ground with a splitting headache and a searing pain in his neck where he had been stabbed by the dagger.  His entire body hurt.  The instructors had warned them about death in Kingmaker Online, but he didn't feel like their descriptions did justice to the actual pain. Terran kept his eyes closed and took slow, deep breaths before rolling over to evaluate if he had lost any experience.  To his surprise, instead of the dry desert aroma his nose was filled with the heavy scent of pine and rotting leaves.  Come to think of it, he heard birds twittering all around him.

His eyes flew open to find he was surrounded by tall pine sentinels standing watch over him.  His hand squished into damp earth as he pushed himself into a sitting position, trying to get his bearings.  A trickle of panic entered his thoughts as he pulled open his world map to try to find out how far away this respawn point was from where he had died.

Nothing on the map was recognizable, leaving his heart thundering in his chest.  They had been in the Winding Canyons fighting the hag when he died, but his map indicated he was now on the continent of Belavar in the Rockpine Forest. 

His heart labored in his chest. He was on a completely different continent than his friends. The severity of the situation was only made worse when he zoomed out on the map and scrolled around looking for a reference point, but the only part of the map he found exposed was a small circle around his current location.  Everything else was unexplored and therefore blacked out.

The quick idea that he might purposely die again, and get sent back to the starting settlement, ended when he read the text right beneath his death notification.

You are now bound to your location.

[Moving to a new continent provides instant rebinding]

The logic of it made sense. It would be tragic to make it to a new place, only to die upon arrival and have to repeat the journey, but in this case, the rule had just stranded him alone in a place that was likely higher level than him.

At the sound of a twig breaking, Terran jumped to his feet to spy what had made the noise.  He let out a breath when a small rodent the size of a squirrel but striped like a racoon ran in front of him clutching some kind of nut in its mouth.  He continued scanning the forest, looking for signs of his friends.  He wasn't even sure if they had died, but he thought it was likely they would have fought the witch in retribution for his death.  So it was possible they would be nearby if she had defeated them.

A slight breeze rustled the leaves, bringing a stronger pine scent with it.  Terran really did prefer the forest to the high desert, but seeing no signs of his friends worried him.  Maybe if he could get a better view of the land, he could find a way to get back to them.  Terran picked up his bow, dusted off his tattered linen clothes, and wiped his hands on his now grimy pants.  He would have to find a tree to climb and hope he could see more from up high.

After about a hundred yards Terran spotted a suitable tree to climb.  Its bottom limbs were only about five feet off the ground, and it looked sturdy enough to hold his slight frame.  He reached up to grab hold of a limb that was at neck height.  The rough bark scraped his hands, but the sticky sap helped a little with his grip.  He tried to jump and pull himself up onto the branch, but his low Strength score made it impossible to heft even his small frame.

He didn't like playing the strong tank type, but right now he wished he had Zara's beefy arms.  He imagined her doubled over with laughter watching him continue to fail to get into the tree.  Finally, with quivering arms, he collapsed to the ground and leaned against the thick trunk. Being a newb sucked sometimes.  

Terran sat in frustration, missing his friends.  They had been waiting so long to finally be old enough to play Kingmaker Online together.  This was so unfair.  He hoped his friends had made that hag pay with her life for separating them.  Terran felt some satisfaction imagining Zara smashing the green-skinned woman in the face with her warhammer while Newt managed to pull his nose out of a book long enough to crisp her with a fire bolt.

The thought of his friends brought renewed dedication. Terran found rocks large enough to stack, which he used to create a stepping stool.

[You have gained the skill Improvisation]

Skill: Improvisation 1 (INT)

Maybe you aren't dumber than a pile of rocks.

Terran tested the strength of his improvised stool by easing his right foot onto the rocks.  When only a tiny amount of shifting occurred, Terran grabbed the branch at his neck and stood completely on the pile of rocks.  He pulled himself up onto the strong limb and watched as the rocks tumbled away when his weight was removed.

After several minutes of climbing, Terran noticed his stamina was almost fully depleted, so he straddled the branch he was on and leaned back against the trunk to take a rest.  He had been so focused on safely climbing that he had not noticed how much progress he had made.

Terran opened his world map and allowed the transparent overlay to line up with his view.  The map expanded as he took in all the sights around him.  It seemed like he was in the forested foothills of a never-ending mountain range.  A few miles away stretched a lazy river winding its way through a small valley.  On the far side of the river mountain peaks covered in snow reached for the sky, almost touching the clouds.  The game details were so real that it was hard to believe this was an artificial world inside a quantum computer sailing through the stars.

As he studied his surroundings, he realized that the never-ending verdant forest wasn't as uniform as he'd first thought.  Within the green were patches of gray, or worse yet, empty tree limbs as if there'd been a blight.  Further out, there was a whole hillside that looked like it'd been razed by an explosion.  Only a few trees still stood, and those had lost their leaves. 

After several moments of bewilderment Terran brought his focus back to his current situation.  If he was going to survive and get back with his friends he would need help.  The instructors had told them there would be NPCs in towns that would be able to assist in some tasks, so he needed to find his way to one.  The only problem was there was no town in sight even from his vantage one hundred feet in the air.

Terran licked his dry lips and realized finding a town was the least of his worries.  The task of surviving on his own weighed on him like the distant mountains.  He had spent his whole life preparing for this game with his friends as teammates.  They each had their roles and worked fairly seamlessly together, but thanks to that hag it had all fallen apart.

A loud rustling from below brought Terran out of his angry thoughts.  He watched in silence as a giant white bear the size of a grizzly plodded into the clearing below.  At first Terran thought it was a polar bear based on the white fur, but the analyze ability told him it was a Spirit Bear, and the red skull reminded him to stay as still as stone to avoid detection.  Spittle dripped from the bear's giant teeth as it sniffed the rocks around the base of Terran's tree.  He forgot to be silent as he breathed a sigh of relief watching the bear amble further into the forest away from his tree.

The close encounter with the Spirit Bear reminded Terran of the task at hand.  He needed to find water, food, and shelter if he was going to make it to a town.  With a renewed sense of purpose, Terran took stock of his surroundings.

That river is the key, Terran mumbled to himself.  Towns are often found along rivers because it makes trade easier.  I need to make my way to the river and follow it in a direction until I find a town.  Plus, having access to food and water won't be an issue if I can figure out how to catch fish. The river is to the west, so as long as I keep the mossy side of the tree on my right, I should get there.

[You have gained the skill Nature's Lore]

Skill: Nature's Lore 1 (INT)

You probably won't survive the night, but at least you know which way is west.

As Terran put his feet back on solid ground after lowering himself out of the tree, he scanned the ground, making note of the footprints the Spirit Bear had made, heading in the opposite direction.

Man, I wish I had prestidigitation.  This sap is everywhere, Terran lamented as he tried to wipe off his hands.  I guess I'm just going to be one of those crazy people wandering around talking to themselves in desperate need of a shower now.  But at least I'm not carrying a skull with me, he added, thinking of Flynn.

He noted more signs of decay as he traveled.  Even the dirt seemed thin, little clouds kicking up at his steps.  The place was missing a vitality that he would have expected in such a lush environment.

After several hours of traveling, Terran heard what he assumed was a stream in the distance.  When he finally reached the stream, he fell to his knees and quickly sunk his hands into the freezing water to remove some of the dirt and sap before he took a drink.

Shit that's cold, he muttered as he attempted to scrub the sticky sap off his hands.

Searing pain shot through his fingers as he struggled to clean himself off in the icy-cold water. To his surprise his right hand rubbed against a small, pumice-like rock about the size of his palm.  The gritty surface of the rock was scraping the sap off his hand.  He cupped the rock between his hands and vigorously rubbed them together as the sap seemed to melt into the crevices of the rock. He added the helpful rock to his inventory.  When all the sap was gone, he dunked his hands one final time to make sure they were clean, then greedily slurped at water he brought to his mouth.

Terran opened his inventory and with a thought brought out his flask to refill in the stream.  The flask had been dry since the hag had stuck her dagger into his throat.  After filling his flask, he took stock of what he had available to him.

Water flask

2 rations

Banana 

Bedroll

25' rope

Rusty dagger

Longbow

10 arrows

Flint

Pumice rock

It wasn't much, but no one started a game with a lot of items, and since he and his friends had gotten most of their experience from exploring rather than killing level 1 creatures, there had been nothing to loot except a banana from a tree they had passed early in their adventure.  He would have to change that if he was ever going to make it to a town.

Terran bent down to top off his flask, but a strange noise caught his attention.  He quietly crept away from the water and stood at high alert trying to discover the source of the disturbance.  His ears were finally able to pick out a low mewling sound that seemed to be coming from the west. 

[You have increased the skill Nature's Lore]

Skill: Nature's Lore 2 (INT)

You will probably still be eaten by a bear, but at least you will know which direction it came from.

After about a hundred yards, Terran caught a slight movement in the corner of his vision.  He froze when he saw what looked like a gray lioness with tuft-filled ears crouched about seventy feet away from him.  His analyze ability named the creature a Rock Leaf Lynx [Unique], and Terran's shoulders relaxed as he noticed her yellow status bar with a fancy gold frame around it.  She would put up a good fight, but he stood a chance of at least surviving the encounter.

The stone-gray lynx with her pointy black ears was crouched, looking ready to pounce, but she remained still even when Terran blinked, losing the staring contest. He couldn't figure out why the lynx had not moved until he noticed her back right foot was caught in a trap.  A small whine emitted from her as she tried to shift her weight and move backwards.  Terran was deciding if he should free her from the trap when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Seconds later, his ears were accosted by the ominous roar of a giant bear.

Chapter Three

Terran froze, emitting a whine of his own he turned towards the sound and discovered the bear was about two hundred feet from him.  Standing on its hind legs, the Spirit Bear was as big as a truck.  Its white belly fur was caked with mud, while a strange star-patch marked its shoulder.  Even from a distance the size of its claws and teeth turned his knees to water.  Terran was pretty sure the bear could fit his whole head in its mouth, and one crunch of those teeth would be the end of him.

Although he could just respawn, dying in Kingmaker Online hurt terribly, and Terran's sense of survival was too strong to just give up.  He knew from the red skull icon and his lack of arrows that he would not be able to take on the bear and win.  He didn't think his rusty dagger could penetrate the bear's hide even if he had wanted to get that close to those claws and teeth.  Panic was setting in as his mind raced through the options.

With a quick thought Terran opened his inventory, trying to find anything that would help.  His eyes stuck on the icon of the banana, which he had briefly confused with a boomerang.  Too bad he didn't have a real boomerang.  Then maybe he could throw it and the bear would want to play fetch. His mind was certainly not helping him get out of this situation.

The bear ambled towards Terran, stopping every few feet to rear up on its hind legs and growl at him.  Terran opened up his ability tab, hoping to find something more useful than the items in his inventory.  Although Improvisation could be of use, it wouldn't help without an idea, so Terran quickly switched to his spell tab and saw the single spell he knew: Stone Touch.  Terran knew he wouldn't survive the casting time trying to turn the bear to stone.

He grabbed the banana from his inventory and cast Stone Touch on it.  Within seconds the yellow banana became gray and hard, taking on more weight.  He felt ridiculous holding the slightly phallic stone fruit in his hands, so he threw it at the bear.  The stone banana spun through the air, cracking the Spirit Bear right above the right eye, resulting in a grunting roar.

[You have increased your skill Improvisation]

Skill: Improvisation 2 (INT)

Kudos for your banana-tossing skills, but next time pay attention to the Do not feed the bears sign and you might live.

Terran wasn't sure what reaction he had intended to get from the bear, but running full speed towards him with teeth bared was not what he'd had in mind.  Terran ran as fast as he could back to the stream, sucking in air as he pumped his legs, but not watching where he was going, he fell off the edge of a ravine, down the steep slope to the shore of the fast-moving stream below. 

He stepped under the overhang when the white bear came tumbling overhead and down into the rushing water.  This part of the stream was deeper than Terran had thought—the bear had to frantically paddle to stop from floating downstream.

"Come help free me and I will help you escape the bear, said a voice in Terran's head.  He was confused until the voice added, I know you saw my foot stuck in this trap."

The lynx was communicating with him.

[You have gained the skill Commune with Nature]

Skill: Commune with Nature 1 (CHA)

Now that you can talk to animals, maybe other things in nature have something to say.

Terran blinked the notification out of his vision while he made his way back up the ravine.  The bear was winning his fight against the stream, so Terran knew he had little time to escape.  He grabbed one of the exposed roots from the tree above him and scrambled up the embankment, relieved that the one he'd picked hadn't snapped in his hands.  He needed to get back to that lynx quickly, but his feet had a hard time gaining footing on the loose soil.  He frantically cast Stone Touch on the dirt around his feet to give himself a better launching pad, and with a strong heave from his arms finally managed to make it the rest of the way up.

Terran didn't even bother to look back as he sprinted towards the lynx.  Once he reached her, he discovered her foot was stuck in a sticky trap unlike anything he had ever seen.

Smart human. You will never survive that bear without help.  Now free me and we will escape together, the lynx purred. 

I have just the thing, Terran said as he blinked open his inventory, looking for the rock he had taken from the stream.

He hadn't noticed before, but the rock had a purple outline around it indicating it needed to be identified.  There wasn't time for that now as he heard the Spirit Bear crashing through the trees, headed their direction.  He used the rock to scrub at the sticky substance around the lynx's foot.  Soon the rock had absorbed enough of the gooey tar-like stuff for the lynx to get her foot out.

Quickly, up the tree, the lynx said, directing Terran towards a large tree with her muzzle.

Terran's heart sank as he realized her only plan was to climb to safety.  He could barely manage that task before with a pile of rocks.  There was no way he was going to be able to hoist his frame six feet off the ground with a bear clawing at him.

I'll never get up there, Terran yelled at the lynx.  This is your escape plan?  Why did I even bother coming back?

Oh, and your banana-tossing skills were going to do you much good?  All you managed to do was enrage the bear.  Grab hold of my tail and quit bitching, the lynx countered while easily jumping up to the first limb and lowering her tail for Terran to reach.

He thought about trying to escape on foot, but the white bear came barreling through the trees, jaws covered in slaver.

Shit.

Terran grabbed her tail and used it like a rope to climb the trunk.  Her tail felt strong in his grasp and seemed to actually help drag him up the tree, but he worried that it wouldn't be in time. As soon as he reached the first branch, the bear slammed into the tree, shaking leaves into the air as if it were a parade. The lynx scrambled higher, while the bear stood on its hind legs, reaching out with its massive claws.

Terran scurried further up the trunk as the bear tore the limb from the tree, right where he'd been perched a moment before. He followed the lynx into the middle section of the tree, straddling a thick branch while he caught his breath.

Spirit Bears do not normally climb, said the lynx.  Now we just have to hope this one isn't hungry enough to exceed our patience or learn a new skill.

As Terran eyed his empty stamina bar he hoped the lynx was right.

Chapter Four

It was difficult to relax with a giant bear pacing around twenty-five feet below him, but somehow Terran managed to rest enough to refill his stamina before loud rumblings announced themselves from his stomach.  He eyed the rations in his inventory, looking for some relief, but decided he wasn't quite hungry enough for beef jerky.  Instead, he took the rock out of his inventory to keep his hands busy and provide some distraction from the current situation.

I think I'm beginning to understand people's fascination with pet rocks, he said to no one in particular as he rolled the unidentified rock around in his hands.  Though I doubt most people's rocks do much more than stare at them.  You're special, Spongy.  We're going to be friends.

He was filled with the memory of Flynn talking to his skull while they all laughed.  The thought disappeared, but the longing feeling remained when he heard what he assumed to be a small laugh from the lynx several branches above him. 

Pet rocks and stone bananas.  Trying to compensate for something? the lynx asked.

Hey, don't bite the hand that frees you, Terran shot back, then glanced between his legs. How long do you think he'll keep at this? It's almost been an hour.

I've seen hungry bears wait for days, she responded.  Unless something better comes along or he gets too annoyed to bother, there's no telling how long.  Alive and waiting is much better than being bear food though.

A pine cone tumbled to the ground as Terran shifted his weight on the branch, trying to find a more comfortable spot.  The bear stopped its pacing and looked up at Terran when the pinecone landed several feet in front of it.

Terran grabbed two nearby pine cones and tossed them at the bear.  The bear casually swatted the large seeds away and growled up at Terran.  The pine cones were too light to gain any velocity, but it gave him an idea.  He gathered up several more pine cones and focused mana into his hands, casting Stone Touch on them.  As soon as the spell finished, the brown fist-sized seeds turned gray and heavy in his hands.  He threw one as hard as he could right at the bear's head.  Upon impact the pine cone shattered into dozens of rock shards, pelting the bear.

[You have learned the Rock Shards spell]

Rock Shards – Spell (END)

Cost: 15 Mana

Duration - 1 minute

Create a stone item that explodes into pieces upon impact.

Oh wow!  I wasn't expecting that, Terran exclaimed.  All the little pieces of the pine cone just shattered everywhere.  Look how pissed that bear is now.

Terran continued pelting the bear, who roared in anger as it tried to dodge the stone projectiles. When the lynx saw what was happening, she gathered pine cones in her mouth and tossed them to Terran, who used them to rain stone upon the bear.  After several minutes of being pelted, the creature shambled into the forest.  Although the bear's health bar had barely moved, Terran noticed small red spots of blood spattered on its white coat.

[You have increased your skill Improvisation]

Skill: Improvisation 3 (INT)

Keep it up and pretty soon you won't be as dumb as a bunch of rocks.

That was some quick thinking.  We should get out of here as quickly as we can, the lynx said, jumping from the tree and landing in true cat form on all four paws.

Terran wasn't nearly as graceful as he scraped his arms on the bark and somehow managed to snag his bow on a limb on his way down.  The cat made a sound of laughter as she headed off in the opposite direction of the bear.

Hey, wait! I don't even know your name, Terran called after her while trying to catch up to the graceful cat.

I suppose since I owe you a life debt now, I could tell you my name.  I am called Luna because I was born under a full moon and excel at night hunting, she responded as he caught up to her.

I'm Terran.  Nice to meet you, Luna.

Seldom do I see humans roaming the forest alone.  Where are you going, Terran? asked the lynx.

I don't actually know, he sighed.  I was in the Winding Canyons when I was cursed by a witch, and when she killed me I respawned here.  I'm trying to find a way back to my friends. I thought there may be a town along the river, so I was heading that direction.

There are no human settlements within my territory, but perhaps the cave dwellers may know of something.  I could take you there if you would consider that payment for the life debt.

Suddenly Luna crouched down and perked up her ears.  She motioned with her tail for Terran to get down.  Confused, Terran dropped to his stomach and watched the lynx for clues as she slunk across the ground towards a small pile of moving leaves.  As silent as an owl, Luna pounced on the pile.  She stood back up with a small rodent grasped in her teeth and greedily devoured it.  Terran wasn't sure if he was more impressed or grossed out watching her eat the tiny animal.

When Luna had finished her lunch she licked the back of her paw and wiped her face until it was clean.  Terran's stomach emitted a low rumble while he watched Luna clean up.

Any chance we could cook one of those?  I don't normally eat things that are still wriggling.

Luna laughed. First, you'd have to be able to catch one. I may be able to help you catch something a little easier.  Come.

Luna silently padded off into the forest, switching her tail each time Terran snapped a twig following behind her.  Terran thought she looked like a dog greeting its owner after a long day of work.  Turning around and letting out a low growl, Luna narrowed her eyes at him.

You're louder than thunder echoing through a canyon, she chided.  You will accomplish nothing if you cannot learn to be silent.

Terran shrugged. I promise I'm trying.

After about an hour of walking they came upon the mouth of a large cave.  The smell of rotting flesh and wet dog oozed out of the depths of the darkness.

Yuck!  I hope we're not getting dinner in there.  Smells worse than a locker room full of teenage boys after wrestling practice, Terran said, scrunching up his face.

Oh no.  I wouldn't go in there.  That is the lair of the Crag Trolls.  Nasty things, Luna responded. We should keep moving.  I'd rather not run into one of them.

The eerie silence that surrounded the mouth of the cave gave way to a bustling forest.  Birds chirped and insects buzzed as Terran and Luna wove along what must have been an animal track.

Where are we going? Terran asked.

To hunt Bullywugs. Even a lumbering ape like you could catch one, and humans say they taste like chicken once roasted on a fire. A group of them live by the pond not far from here.

A flock of geese landed in the water as the pair reached the forest pond.  The ripples from their landing sent waves along the once glassy water.  The sun poured in from the opening in the trees, warming the air.  As Terran looked around at the beautiful landscape he spotted what he could only call giant frogs on the other side of the pond.  There were three of them crouched in waiting, then they would suddenly burst into the air, flinging their tongues towards an unseen insect one at a time.  The yellow health bar from Terran's analyze ability reported the Bullywugs must be near his level.

"Since you cannot be quiet, stay here and I will herd them towards you.  Try to attack from afar before they reach you.  Those tongues are deadlier than they look, so you don't want them getting that close to you," Luna instructed as she silently headed off around to the other side of the pond.

As soon as Luna left, Terran prepared several nearby pebbles using his Rock Shards spell.  He wasn't sure he could throw as accurately as he could drop pine cones, but he didn't have any other ideas.  He concentrated on each pebble in his hand, transferring his magic into them. Within a few minutes he had a substantial pile of prepared rocks and an empty mana bar.  He prepared to throw one at the exact same time that Luna came crashing out of the trees, sending three Bullywugs frantically hopping in his direction.

Racing around the edge of the pond, the Bullywugs were headed straight for Terran.  The first stone he threw shattered into pieces at least fifty feet short of his targets, so he waited briefly for the giant frogs to get closer before unleashing a volley of the prepared pebbles. The debris flying in every direction made it impossible to tell if he was hitting his targets, but Terran kept throwing until he realized the pebbles were no longer exploding.

Oh shit, the spell only lasts a minute! Terran wailed, realizing his error.

One of the Bullywugs lay motionless on the ground, but the other two were headed straight for Terran with their giant, sticky tongues lashing out in front of them trying to get a taste.  Terran backpedaled, unsure of what to do without any more rock shards to throw.  He nocked an arrow in his bow and shot towards a Bullywug with only half of its health left.  The arrow flew wide of its target and pierced the ground several inches from the trailing lynx's foot.

Hey, watch where you aim that! Luna roared as she lunged towards the Bullywug closest to her.  

The lynx pounced on her prey and quickly subdued it with a bite to the throat.  Its legs gave a few final twitches as it lost consciousness while Luna tossed her head back and forth, gripping the giant frog in her teeth.

Terran scrambled backwards wishing he had dug a trap or something to catch the giant frog on his tail.  Since his mana had regenerated enough to cast one more spell, Terran bent down and grabbed the nearest rock, willing his magic into it as he immediately threw it at the Bullywug, whose tongue was only inches from reaching him.  The rock shattered on the giant frog's chest, sending shards everywhere.  Terran's health fell a quarter as he took some of the shrapnel in the face, but the damage was lethal to the Bullywug, and it collapsed to the ground, tongue unfurled.

You are now level 3!

Terran bent over, panting from the exertion as Luna strolled up to the Bullywug on the ground and nudged it with her muzzle.

Not much meat left to cook, but at least the legs are still intact.  They're the best part anyway, Luna said cheerily.  And you seem to have grown some from the experience.

Yeah, but there has to be an easier way to do that.

Luna nodded with a smile. Cut off their legs and we'll find a safer spot to make a fire so you can roast some frog legs for dinner.

Terran set to work gathering the six hind legs with his rusty dagger while thinking about how he would spend his ability points.  He was tempted to spend the points on Endurance and Intelligence again since that would increase his hit points and those were the abilities that affected his spells and skills the most.  On the other hand, increasing his Agility would help him be quieter.  Once all the legs were packed away in his inventory, Terran sat down and opened up his character sheet to place his points in the same abilities that he had before. 

Character: Terran

Level: 3

Class: Undetermined

HP: 45

Mana: 140

Sta: 130

Strength: 1

Intelligence: 3

Endurance: 3

Cunning: 1

Agility: 1

Charisma: 1

Spells:

Stone Touch (unique)

Rock Shards

Skills:

Improvisation (INT): 3

Commune with Nature (CHA): 1

Nature's Lore (INT): 2

He decided to let Luna keep chastising him for his inability to keep quiet.  That could be her job.  He needed to focus on improving his spells.  After placing his points, Terran stood, shouldered his backpack, adjusted his bow, and readied himself for more walking.

Come on.  I'm hungry.  Let's find a place to cook these things, Terran said to Luna.

Luna languidly finished cleaning herself then finally stood and trotted away from the pond with Terran at her heels.  They had only been walking a few minutes when Luna suddenly froze, ears perked up, tail swishing.  While watching the clouds move across the bright blue sky, Terran ran into her from behind.

Hey, what's— Terran began.

Shh, Luna curtly interrupted as the sound of voices drifted towards them.

Luna jumped behind a nearby bush and indicated with her head that Terran should do the same. 

Hide! she warned.  Crag Trolls use these paths, and we do not want to be seen by them.

Terran hurried to a different bush.  Trembling with anxiety, he crouched down behind the branches and held his breath as he listened to the footsteps and voices growing nearer.  

Chapter Five

Crouched behind the bush, knees pressed into the rocky ground, Terran listened as the creatures approached.  He hoped they would pass by his location without spotting him.  He was glad that his high desert colors didn't stick out against the greens and browns of the Rockpine Forest.

So I had him by the collar, and when he tried to get away, I poured a whole bottle of fizzy juice down his pants, a deep male voice said.

Two other voices, one male and one female, joined in the first's laughter.

He never should have said that about you, Kratow, said the other male voice.  When you mess with the bull, you better be prepared for some bullshit.

He shouldn't have thought to insult his betters, said the female voice with a trilling accent.

Terran had been expecting Crag Trolls, but when he heard their honest-to-goodness real human speech, he popped up behind the bush to see three humans: a massive guy wearing leathers with a claymore on his back, a smaller guy whose skin was as dark as his clothing, and an attractive blonde wearing chainmail.

Hey!

He was so surprised at hearing other players that he forgot to think about the manner of revealing himself, because as soon as he appeared, the three adventurers fell into fighting stances.

A bandit! cried the smaller guy.

Before Terran could get another word out, the one who'd spoken extended his index finger, from which a fiery ray shot.  The burst of flame hit Terran right in the shoulder, searing flesh, so he threw himself back behind the bush.

The hiss of steel exiting its sheath filled Terran with dread. As the party surrounded his hiding place, he shouted, I'm a player!  I'm a player!  I'm a player!

Terran looked up to see the one called Kratow holding his claymore on his shoulder, face wrinkled with confusion.  The other two stood beside him, hands on hips.

Who the hell are you and how did you get here? asked Kratow.

From his crouched position, Terran asked, May I stand up?

Kratow nodded.

I'm Terran, he said, holding his hand out, then retracting it when no one made a move to shake it.  

I'm Kratow, this is Roald, and that's Selune, said the guy with the claymore.  You shouldn't jump out of bushes and not expect to get attacked.

My bad, said Terran, then remembering Luna, looked around to introduce the Rock Leaf Lynx, but she was nowhere to be found.

Looking for someone? asked Selune, following his gaze.

I, uhm, no, said Terran, deciding that since he didn't know much about these three, he wasn't going to tell them about her.  

Kratow thrust his sword forward, then shoved the tip into the dirt.  I thought I asked you how you got here?  What's a newb like you doing here, and all alone?

I got cursed by a witch, said Terran.  Then she killed me and when I respawned it was out here.

Whoa, said Roald.  That's one hell of a curse.

How do we know you're telling the truth? asked Selune, squinting at him.

I, uhm, don't know why I'd lie about something like that, said Terran, holding his hands out, palms up.  We were exploring the Winding Canyons, which is on the Moranne continent.  It's all high desert in the region we were in.

We? asked Roald.

My friends and I.  Unfortunately, I was the only one that got cursed.  What about you three? he asked.

Kratow grunted, looking like he didn't want to answer the question.  Selune rolled her eyes in the big man's direction.  

We started in High Keep, headed directly into the Rockpine Forest for exploration experience and because we heard the area was once the home of an ancient Rock Leaf Elf civilization.  Thought we could find some cool artifacts.  But.  She sighed.  This area has been a big disappointment.  We haven't seen anything except Crag Trolls that are too high level.

There were some Bullywugs down the way at a pond, but I killed them all, said Terran, hoping to impress them.

Selune waved her hand dismissively.  "They're shit for experience."

It was then that Terran realized they were higher level than him.  They'd hit level 6 already, which was impressive considering the game had only been live a few days.  Curiously, their gear seemed much nicer than what he and his friends had available at the start.  Somehow, Terran didn't think that they'd found their shiny armor and weapons off the creatures available at their levels.  

May I join you guys? asked Terran.  It doesn't have to be forever, but at least until I can get back to a town, or figure out how to return to my friends.

"May I? snorted Roald.  Are we playing an elementary school game here?"

Don't be such a dick, Roald, said Selune, shooting a wink at Terran that sent his insides fluttering.  It would be good to have someone who doesn't just grunt, or can only talk about himself.

Roald breathed on his fingernails and rubbed them on his black shirt.  

Kratow hadn't said a word.  He stared at Terran for an uncomfortably long time, before a party invite message appeared for him to accept.

Thanks, guys, you won't regret it, he said.

As they continued on the path, Terran asked, So where are we headed?

Back to the Formidite colony, said Selune, who walked beside him.  We had a quest from the queen, but we haven't had any luck with it, so we're just going to kill them all and see what they drop.  Should be easier now with a fourth party member.  She wrinkled her forehead.  What do you do?  Are you an archer?

The guess confused him until he remembered the bow on his back.  I'm terrible with the bow.  He leaned down and scooped a pine cone from the grass.  After transforming it with Rock Shards, he threw it downslope at a tree.  The stony pine cone exploded, sending up a puff of dust in the aftermath.

He looked back to Selune, expecting her to be impressed, but she only blinked, then took a couple of long strides to catch up to Kratow, leaving him at the back of the party.

Chuckling, Roald filled the spot next to Terran.  

I see the way you're looking at her, but trust me, don't, he whispered.  Beneath that blonde coif is the heart of a viper.  She's sweet with you because she'll want something later.  It looks like Kratow runs this group, but it's really Selune.  The sooner you learn that the longer you'll survive.

Okay...thanks, said Terran.  What are you doing out all this way?

Roald ran his tongue over his canines before glancing at the other two.  When he spoke, he lowered his voice. Only newbs stay in the safe areas around the city.  If you want to be a player for the kingdom, you gotta take chances.  We heard there are powerful artifacts hidden in the forests, and our Selune wants to be Queen of the World, so…

Got it, said Terran, trying to imagine what kind of kingdom Selune would run if she were in charge.  Though he'd only just met her, the thought gave him shivers.

What about you?  Is that what you and your friends were trying to do before you got split up? asked Roald.

No, said Terran.  We're just looking to have a good time, enjoy our adventures, maybe eventually start a settlement, that sort of thing.  Mostly it was about us being together.

Roald made a noise in the back of his throat like he didn't buy