Scriptoring...
Scriptoring...
163 quotes (163 spoken, 0 mentions)
“Great! I’ll let you know when it comes up.”
“That means we can at least prove they’re not [Bandits]. Who’s this one from? Oh. Don’t take this request.”
“Twenty gold? That’s a fortune for City Runners—and way too little to risk for the High Passes! This has to be a joke. No one lives there. Here—”
“She once gave me a few treats she imported from overseas. They were frozen bits of fruit and sugar. Tasted amazing.”
“Fals, how’re you doing?”
“Oh, so it’s a class thing? That makes sense. But is the, uh, [Barefoot Runner] class better than the [Messenger] class?”
“Did you just finish your deliveries to Celum? That’s fast! I normally have a bite to eat in the markets. They do a wonderful cinnamon bun in the mornings, but I guess you already ate, right?”
“Why? Too cheap for them?”
“And you did it barefoot? I thought the others were just playing a prank on me when they said you ran everywhere without shoes.”
“Oh that? It’s one of the old-style requests. You get them now and then. Someone sends a [Message] that they want a delivery and they promise payment. But we have no idea how much they’re willing to pay and who they want the package delivered to. At least it’s confirmed.”
“Very nasty place. More Runners have died there than—well, it’s bad. Tons of monsters live around the area. It’s a Gold-rank threat. Or…Named-rank. Even a Courier wouldn’t do that lightly. How much do they want?”
“Maybe if we get a famous Courier like Tritel, the Moonlight Rider, he’ll take a look, but otherwise, I bet it’s a prank. Like asking someone to visit the moon.”
“How about you and I do this delivery of ore to Pelingor? It would be a long haul, but they’re offering a gold coin for delivery today! Plus the roads are very safe. Whaddya say?”
“It’s for the High Passes. I know you’re not local to here, but you know the High Passes?”
“Well, if you’re sure. But we should run together sometime. How about in a few days we do the Tern Road run and deliver the spices to Celers and Remendia?”
“Again?”
“So why are you here? Going to accept another assignment?”
“And you don’t have a scratch on you.”
“Fals!”
“Hey, Ryoka!”
“How about a nali-stick, Ryoka? My dad’s a [Farmer]—I told you, remember? He was trying to grow some on his farm, but most didn’t grow well. It’s super sweet. Want some?”
“No, calm down, Ryoka. If you start a fight, you’ll be the one in trouble.”
“Why don’t we all settle down? Persua, you and your friends can go have a drink somewhere else, okay?”
“Are you going to read all of these, then?”
“Ryoka, stop.”
“You’ve had your fun, but I think you should leave, Persua.”
“Well, I don’t know how to say it, but Ryoka sort of broke an unspoken rule in the Runner’s Guild. She did this delivery and made a lot of folks mad—”
“Is it just a broken bone?”
“Where are you going, Ryoka?”
“Sorry. She’s just—unfriendly.”
“I just heard that Ryoka was doing a delivery to the Ruins. Was it that helpful?”
“You came all the way here just to do that?”
“I’m Garia Strongheart. From around Celum. Pleased to meet you.”
“It wasn’t—exactly an accident.”
“I was taught, and I know more than basic words. Fals can read too, and he owns a few books.”
“It was a wagon, not a cart. Lot heavier. And I didn’t know anything about it! Fals would have stopped it—most of us didn’t know anything until it happened. I found Ryoka at the [Healer]’s…the rest of the Runner’s Guild was horrified. This was the work of Persua’s friends. Not that anyone can prove it. They say it was just an accident and Ryoka tripped.”
“But they were truth spells, Ryoka. We…”
“Persua says it was an accident. She says the Guildmaster investigated it and that’s that.”
“No—could you fake them?”
“We’re not all bad.”
“Why don’t healing potions work? They fix people with stab wounds up in seconds. Why not bones?”
“I’m not a big reader. My dad and mother are, but I can only read when I go home. Books’re too expensive otherwise.”
“You mean, world history like you were asking me about the other day? Sorry I didn’t know more.”
“Where’d you get the book?”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Did you—did you go to see the [Healer] I told you about? She’s a good one. Works with us Runners all the time.”
“So, how are you doing? Is your leg feeling any better?”
“Hey there, Ryoka!”
“Hey, Ryoka, how are you doing?”
“Oh. Is it, um, interesting?”
“Really? I thought most books were several gold coins—at least.”
“Is that a book?”
“What’s it about?”
“What, all of them?”
“Follow me!”
“Punch her.”
“You know she was behind it. Everyone does. She probably lied on the truth stones!”
“Fals? I know you’re one of our best Runners, but why aren’t there any older Runners than you? You’re only twenty-two—”
“I’m just collecting payment. What’s with all the panic, though?”
“It’s not possible at all? Even for you?”
“Yup. Nothing too special; I did a few trips to Lindol and back, but that’s it. How about you? Taking a late-night request?”
“It’s the same one I saw a week ago. I told Ryoka only a Courier would take that. Was I wrong? I thought maybe you might…”
“I bet you say that to every Runner, Fals.”
“Ryoka. Oh. And what did the Guild tell her?”
“—Twenty-three, then. But why aren’t there any other Runners? I know a lot of us die or get hurt, but surely there should be some more, right?”
“Think a Courier will come by?”
“I heard people say Runners only care about money.”
“You knew? You knew and—I can’t believe you, Fals!”
“I still don’t like it. Persua’s crazy. Ryoka won’t be able to run for at least a year! Even with potions to help her heal! Have you seen her leg?”
“Now that you mention it…she’s never mentioned what level she is. She must be high-level, though.”
“I don’t know. I’m no expert, and she’s got it wrapped in layers of bandages. They look magical though, and—and I met a mage who said that the only way she’d get it healed was to pay hundreds of gold coins to a high-level [Healer].”
“That still won’t fix her leg.”
“It’s bad.”
“But she wanted Ryoka! And if she knows where she is, she’ll go and meet her!”
“Wait, she wanted to know where Ryoka was?”
“And you told her?”
“She punched a Minotaur when he tried to invite himself into her room this morning.”
“Ryoka—”
“I’d like to be able to run like you. But I can’t. I’m too slow—I can only carry really heavy stuff instead of fast requests. If it weren’t for the way the Guild works, I wouldn’t be able to run.”
“I thought you’d say that. I told Fals you would.”
“Couldn’t you—couldn’t you just talk to Magnolia? Would it be that hard to just ask her…?”
““Okay, okay.””
“We’re neither. We’re just people, Ryoka. And they’re not perfect, I know. But we can’t all be like you. Some of us have to work together to survive.”
“You’ll die!”
“Ryoka, Fals is right. This is serious. Just take one of Magnolia’s requests! The High Passes—”
“Ryoka, this is so great. You have to tell me what happened! Let’s get a drink—or visit my home! I mean—you’re well! And guess what happened to Persua and the Guildmaster?”
“Did Magnolia Reinhart do it like she said? She’s so generous!”
“Ryoka! You’re on your feet!”
“You’ve got to do something about it, Fals. The reward’s gone up to eighty gold. Eighty! A bunch of the new Street Runners—they know it’s dangerous. But for that kind of money…”
“But he had an enchanted shortsword. He wasn’t an adventurer, and I know that’s not high-level compared to a Courier, not by half—”
“I’ll keep them off your backs if I can. But they’re angry. Really, really angry.”
“I didn’t say it was perfect.”
“What? No. He was an experienced City Runner—Level 19! I—I saw him just the other week. I thought you said no one went—”
“I didn’t—I don’t agree with everything Fals said, Ryoka, but I think he’s right in some ways. I think you’re right too, though. But you’re special. You—you can do deliveries by yourself, but some of us need to work together. Without the way the Guild does things, we’d get hurt way more often.”
““Go. I’ll try and keep them busy for a little bit. And don’t die, okay?””
““When are you going to go?””
“Really? This Muy—muy tai thing is good? Is it a Skill?”
“Come on, we can work this out—”
“She said she tried to contact you several times. Didn’t you, um, notice?”
“Well, if you distribute the weight properly, it’s not that bad. And sometimes I walk a bit if I get tired.”
“Um, yes. Normally. I mean, I’m not too fast, but I can still earn quite a lot on an overnight delivery.”
“They’re just interested, Ryoka. There’s no need to look like that.”
“That’s right. Most deliveries people want fast over long distances, like the ones you take. But sometimes they want to make sure no one reads their message, so that’s important too. But when they need something delivered quickly—well, faster than by cart or wagon and it’s small enough—we get the heavy requests. I take those most of the time. It’s safe. No one wants to steal raw ore or a few bags of sugar. The most expensive stuff I carry are weapons and spices.”
“What?”
“She’s really, really sorry, you know.”
“Well, can you blame them? I mean, you are the only Runner to survive the High Passes for years—and without a scratch at that! And when you fell out of the sky—”
“Oh, so you found a healing potion? Ceria was so worried when she realized she’d given you the mana potions.”
“He was trying to say sorry, Ryoka. Why’d you chase him off?”
“You didn’t have to be so rude.”
“No one’s. He’s trying to keep the Guild together, Ryoka.”
“Not—necessarily. He, uh—why don’t you like him?”
“Ryoka!”
“D-don’t be nasty. Fals likes you. He’s just not—don’t be nasty. You’re the one who keeps provoking Persua, you know. I know she’s bad, but he’s on your side.”
“She’s like a dog, Ryoka. Even if you hurt her, she’ll keep coming back. And if you do get her mad, she gets vicious.”
“Not even with Persua?”
“Hi Persua!”
“Calm down! Everyone calm down!”
“I was just angry. You hit him way more than I did.”
“Well, you know…I carry a lot of heavy things…”
“Yeah, but…”
“Really? Well, I mean, I’d love to know how to move like that. You were amazing back there! You’re practically as good as an adventurer yourself!”
“I’m big, Ryoka! I don’t want to be, but [Farm Workers] bulk up, and it’s impossible to lose weight! My dad says it’s fine and that I take after him, but I’d rather my mother. I don’t want to be big. I want to be small and light like you and—”
“I’m a [Runner]. And—I know I’m bigger than most girls. I just don’t like talking about my size.”
“I’ve never seen anyone with it. But yeah, [Enhanced Strength] only comes to warrior classes around Level 30. The fact that I got it so early on means I’m a lot stronger than normal. Dad used to make me help him pull out tree stumps instead of using a horse.”
“It’s not a great class. Or a job, really. Even [Farmers] get more respect since they actually know how to till the land and take care of it properly. I just helped out with the plowing, lifting, and so on. But when I used to tell people what class I had, they’d laugh—or they’d figure it out because of how I looked.”
“I’m glad you think so, but—it’s because of my class. And the way I eat, but my class is part of it. That’s why I’m so strong too, but it’s embarrassing.”
“It’s just—it’s just a bit embarrassing, that’s all. You know?”
“Please don’t. If you do, she’ll try something worse.”
“Why would they do that? No one wants to work on a farm. It’s boring and tiring, Ryoka.”
“But all the way to Esthelm. That’s a far…”
“Martial arts?”
“Near the road that goes to Liscor. It’s down south, about sixty miles away?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing—or if I want to fight. I don’t like violence.”
“You’re hungry? I know a good place to eat if you want—”
“Oh, no. That’s the way students at Wistram Academy communicate apparently. Ceria doesn’t know other spells so…”
“It was helpful. Even if no one likes the class, we get some useful Skills. [Lesser Strength] is the first Skill most warriors get, but [Farm Workers] get it too. Um, I got that on my second level up. But then there’s [Enhanced Strength], which is what I have, and I’ve heard if you reach really high levels, some people get [Greater Strength].”
“They’re all out of the city. Calruz came by and gathered all the members. Apparently, they’re going to Esthelm to prepare to enter the ruins in Liscor.”
“He would if you let him stick around. Fals can’t do anything to Persua except talk to her, but he’s trying to help. He was celebrating when he heard they got demoted to Street Runners! And he told Claudeil when no one was sure if you were going to walk again—he told him that if you didn’t walk, he should leave the region that night.”
“You were amazing! He barely touched you the entire time!”
“Um, I was a [Farm Worker] before I became a [Runner]. I got to Level 14 before I changed classes. That’s why I’m so…so…”
“But the way you moved! He was an adventurer, and you treated him like some kind of Level 1 [Thug]! How’d you do it?”
“You don’t know you’ll get it right away. I just got lucky. Okay, a lot of workers like me get at least [Lesser Strength] quickly, but it depends. Anyways, I worked on my father’s farm until I was eighteen, and I only hit Level 14 even though I worked every day from dawn till dusk. It’s not worth it.”
“Still, I couldn’t believe it. When you threw the mug in his face I thought we’d have to run for sure. But you took him down!”
“You do. You both look—way better than I do. Or Persua. Or anyone, really. I don’t see why you want to fight her.”
“It was still five people, Ryoka! Most adventurers couldn’t do that with a weapon!”
“Why?”
“And she challenged you. To a fight?”
“You knocked down a Silver-rank Captain. Anyone would be proud of that.”
“Ryoka? Did you do something to make her—um, mad?”
“O-oh. Sure.”
“Um, hi, Ryoka. What’s up?”
“Oh. Nothing. It’s just—that’s Yvlon Byres, Captain of the Silver Spears. She’s famous around here.”
“Well, yeah, of course, but…”
“What was that?”
“I—I can go. It’s no problem. I didn’t want to get in the way—”
“You made it look so easy. Yvlon was in armor, and you just threw her to the ground—twice!”
“That doesn’t make any sense. Fals is—he has his faults, but he’s not a bad person. There’re good folk out there. Like—like the Horns.”
“That’s it?”
“You don’t think she’s like that?”
“She’s related to Lady Magnolia, Ryoka.”
“You both look like—like princesses!”
“You know she once took on five men and won, right? She did it barehanded.”
“Ryoka, that’s—I know Yvlon. Her group, the Silver Spears, helped chase off a group of bandits that was attacking me once. And I’ve heard of her. She’s a really good person! She’s nice, she gives to the poor, her team takes on requests to help people even if the reward isn’t high—”