[SD:DD] That's Neat, Moving On - Chapter 4

The group as a whole are a little out of sorts and so they quickly buy the ritual spells Gem had picked out. June received “Potable Water Creation” for 10 ap, the most expensive one by far. Samuel gladly bought “Compact Soil and Sand” for 5 ap. Though Gem lobbied for him to get the more generic “Compact Earth” version for 8 ap since they had the money for it now.

Emrys picked up “Campfire Spark”, which was no longer the cheapest spell, for 1 ap and 150 gp. While Gem gladly shelled out 120 gp for “Sweet Air”. This left them with 7 ap and 95 gp from their loot sales.

June wanted to split this with her and Samuel getting one share, while Emrys and Gem got two, seeing as they had received a lot less in value. However, Samuel didn’t agree with this, wanting at least a fourth since he had been the one to sell it all. It wasn’t really an argument and so when both Gem and Emrys said they were fine with an even split, that settled it.

Samuel, satisfied with the outcome, handed the others each 2 ap and 31 gp. June glares at him, but doesn’t say anything and so the group leaves the store and returns to their inn. Though the streets are a bit emptier than before. It seems the wind picked up a bit and it is tossing the sand around.

Seeing as no one likes sand in their eyes, this naturally cleared things out. Convenient for the group as it lets them get back much quicker. If only because Gem is less distracted by the various shops. Only less though, as with the extra cash, suddenly some of those magical widgets are within their price range.

Of course, nothing could put off their return forever and they soon found themselves sitting around their room’s table, the dirty dishes from dinner collected in the center. Gem is mostly just looking between the others, Samuel seems half certain of something, and June herself doesn’t seem bothered.

Emrys coughs and gestures to June, “Now, I’m sure my suspicions that something is going on are clear enough. Do you want me to say them? Or do you want to?”

Gem rolls their eyes, “Bah, that’s a trick and a half. What are you? A cop asking her if she knows what she did wrong? Just say what you have to. No need to go fishing.”

Emrys shrugs, “That wasn’t my intention, but yeah, I guess it would be like that. I’ll still leave it to you, June.”

June smiles, “Thank you Gem, I hadn’t considered that. I guess it would be best for Emrys to go first, if only so I know what I’m actually responding to.”

Emrys nods and then his face goes serious, “June, are you one of the devs?”

June busts out laughing. She can’t help herself, though she does shake her head no.

Samuel frowns, “Well, that certainly wasn’t my guess either. I was just suspecting some rich heiress paying top dollar for the inside scoop. The closest to that I came was that maybe she knew a friend of the devs. The classic ‘my uncle works at the company’ line.”

June gets herself under control at this point. “No, no, I’m not a dev. Glad I let you go first or else my reveal wouldn’t assuage you.”

Emrys, “Oh, well, you don’t have to reveal your secret or anything. Now that I’m thinking about it, this whole situation is quite rude to you. Yes, I want to know for myself, but as long as it isn’t a threat to the group, I’m fine not knowing.”

June shakes her head, “I’m fine with revealing my ‘secret’. I never really intended it to be a secret? More like I just never got around to mentioning it. Though I guess it could be seen as a pretty big secret.”

Gem raises their hand, “Before that, I want to guess at what kind of secrets you have.” They smirk, “Everyone else got a chance and I’m feeling left out.”

June shrugs, “I don’t have a problem with it.”

Gem nods, “Okay then, let me lay out my thoughts. You’re pretty knowledgeable about the game. Though while you do have knowledge, I could find on the general web and the locals are out of the loop. I personally have to assume that the special use of sweet air is probably known Somewhere in the game world. More than that, as an SAI, you’ve got access to that channel.”

The others frown, but Gem keeps going, ignoring them. “So that explains the information. You aren’t a local either. While there have been some NAI to awaken in the other game, SoulDive has only been out a couple years at this point. Which I guess puts us close?

“Anyway, what secrets could the spell knowledge specifically reveal? You’ve already said you aren’t a dev, but what if you’re still related to the game? Ah! Were you a QA or beta tester?”

Gem looks around, and no one responds. “Come on, it isn’t that stupid of a guess. It would give her some inside knowledge, without actually designing the game. Though if I had to pick one, I’d say beta tester as I feel that when denying being a dev, there would have been some mention of still being connected to the group.”

Emrys sighs, “We’re still stuck on the part where you blithely asserted she was an SAI. Where did you get that from?”

Gem frowns, “Well, she is? And like, didn’t you know? After all, you guessed she was a dev and they’re all SAI as well.”

Emrys shrugged, “Like, sure that goes hand in hand, but I wasn’t certain. It was simple a guess.”

Samuel nods, “I have no clue where you’re getting that from myself. Just look at my guess. The SAI don’t have wealthy heiresses yet.”

June sighs, “Well, I will say I’m not a tester for the game of any sort. However, I’m also as confused as the others on how you knew I was an SAI. Which I am, by the way. That was my secret.”

Gem frowns, “I’m not getting why this is any sort of secret? Besides, if you wanted it to be a secret, why did you basically right out say it with your response to Emrys? The whole ‘my secret wouldn’t assuage your suspicions’ thing? That right out says you are an SAI and if that’s the only secret, I can certainly see why it wouldn’t remove his suspicions.

“Not that it matters? Like, the game isn’t giving you any hidden advantages. If anything, our situation is flipped in here. You’re the human and I’m not.”

Emrys rubs the bridge of his nose. “Okay, this is getting nowhere. We know the secret now and it doesn’t change the party dynamics at all. Let’s sleep on it and go kill some lizards come the marrow.”

With that, Emrys gets up and heads into his room with Samuel heading to his own room soon after.

June smiles at Gem, “Thank you for not making a big deal of it.”

Gem just looks confused, “It’s not a big deal?”

June snorts and pats Gem on the head before heading off to her room as well.

Gem frowns and looks around. “Hey! Wait a second! They left the dishes to me!” And they sighed. Though it seems more weary than it should have been.

Because Gem isn’t clueless. They’ve been around the block, surfed the web, and seen the world. Yes, they know many people aren’t exactly ecstatic about the SAI. However, this was a game made by them! It should sort those types out. Gem shakes their head, it just honestly does not make sense to them in the same way how some people have a problem with Gem being a they/them. What good is life if you can’t live it pursuing your own happiness?

Then Gem does the dishes and gets to bed as well.

Though the next morning comes much too early for their taste. And this isn’t simply a matter of Gem wanting to sleep “five more minutes”. Rather, the group is legitimately waking up much earlier than normal. The desert requiring a different schedule as you don’t exactly want to be walking around at midday.

Breakfast was a meal of fatty lamb and root vegetables. A filling meal with a bunch of energy for the day to come. Gem smiles, “I wonder what kind of seasoning that is! Had a pleasant tang to it.”

Emrys shrugged, “A local herb. They add it to everything because the herb helps with water conservation. Our rations we picked up before grabbing the spells had some included and while Samuel haggled, I asked about it.”

Gem nods as that makes sense, then they glance around, “So, I’m not doing the dishes this time. You all left them to me last night so it’s your guys turn today.”

The others can’t really say anything against that and so Gem leaves it to them. Gem picking up their pack and heading out to get a breath of fresh air. Though when the others leave, they find that Gem got anything but.

If yesterday had gotten a little sandy, today it was worse. Gem was not happy, “Why doesn’t sweet air work on this? I spent the minute needed and channeled into the pamphlet, yet the sand isn’t going anywhere!”

June laughs and shakes her head, “Samuel would have a better time trying with compact sand as that would draw it out of the air to pack together. Though seeing as that spell isn’t channeled, casting the ritual wouldn’t do much good as more sand would just take the place for what he removed.”

Gem, “Bah, that’s annoying! At least it isn’t so bad as to overly affect vision.”

Samuel, “A little grit won’t hurt anything. Though I suspect if compact soil and sand works how June just said the spell does, I’ll be using the ritual quite often to clear said grit out of our clothing. Now, let’s move out. We want to make as much use of the early morning chill while it lasts.”

Not that there is as much “chill” as some familiar with deserts would be expecting. The magical nature of Horizon Oasis Desert traps some of the heat at night, maintaining above freezing temperatures. Which some would take to mean the days would be even hotter, yet that didn’t seem to be the case. Because sometimes? Magic just doesn’t make sense.

And it is into this chilled landscape that the four venture forth. Mostly normal dunes and windblown flats surrounded the city. Though since the party is heading straight into the desert, that soon changes.

Odd colored dunes pop up first. They don’t spread beyond their bonds and the sand that blows off them soon loses the color, yet upon them various odd effects make themselves known. Most obvious being a collection of green hued dunes through which the air chimes like untold bells. Only Gem ventures into them, the others suffering damage if they simply get near.

It is soon after that when the party faces their first martial challenge. Over the rise to their left, scuttles a small swarm of dog size scorpions. Their stingers were a bright red that occasionally lets off wisps of smoke.

Emrys, “Keep moving! I’ll get an illusion up and we’ll take them from the side. Just don’t let them surround us.”

Samuel moves to the side, “As if that will be easy.”

June stays quiet as she prepares her buff spells, uncertain who should get them first, but ready.

Gem laughs, “This is a perfect test for my weapon!”

Samuel glances to the side at them, “This? What about our fights at sea?”

Gem charges up a Wind Blade as they respond, “We didn’t really fight underwater? Which was sort of the point. Piercing does better than slashing and bashing there. But a scorpion? Well, I guess bashing would be the best, but piercing is next in line!” And they release the charged Wind Blade.

It zips across the distance between the groups and takes not the lead scorpion, but the one directly behind it right above the monster’s maw. A satisfying crunch can be heard as the spike of wind punches through and causes havoc for the pressure-sensitive insides of the scorpion. Its legs and tail snapping out straight before curling up dead.

Gem cheers, “Got it in one!”

More than that, though, the corpse delays the scorpions behind and allows Samuel to face the first scorpion one on one.

That's How The Spell Works - Chapter 3

Into The Storm - Chapter 5