LOCATION: THE CRUCIBLE, 100TH FLOOR
PLANET: LAPIS DIVINUS, ORION LUMINARY INSTITUTE
YEAR: ? | DAY: ?? | TIME: ??
The Scout was a unique class of Rogue that had not developed under the System on Earth. At least not as an official designation.
Kaela learned a lot about them while training in Seraph’s Hold during her first year there.
The scouts operated under essentially two modes. They were fast, stealthy endurance athletes who could cover tremendous distances at incredible speeds without tiring and without so much as rustling a leaf or breaking a twig.
But their main purpose was as elite infiltration specialists. Intelligence gathering. They were basically half ranger and half spy.
Each one of them spiked their Endurance and Charisma stats first. Then they worked on Dexterity and Vitality.
Kaela experienced their incredible skill set when she traveled on a mission with them across the country. She was there to observe and to learn.
The scouts themselves had rolled their eyes at first, thinking they were going to have to slow down or all but carry the Princess.
But by the end of the week, after traveling across the land, picking up intel at dead drops across hundreds of miles, they could be nothing but impressed.
She wasn’t as fast as they were, of course. But the scouts had buffs for that. What the buffs couldn’t fix was someone they were escorting running low on Stamina. Something that, in the entire week they were with her, the Princess had done only on rare occasion.
One night, sitting by a campfire in the middle of an open field, the Scout Leader shared his full skill sheet with her. The skills the class possessed made them exceptionally effective.
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Endless Stride (Active):
Allows Endurance to trigger from your Mana pool while Stamina is being refilled. While on long missions, toggle any time Stamina is low. Note: reducing Mana to zero can cause immediate blackout. Use caution when nearing the end of your Mana pool.
Zephyr’s Boon (Active):
Grants a speed bonus of +25% to nearby allies. Burns Stamina at a +10% faster rate while active.
Greater Shadow Cloak (Active):
Allows a Scout to cloak an entire party while moving through certain terrain. Note: too many people in close proximity can break the illusion.
Eagle Sight (Passive):
Enhanced Perception allows the Scout to better detect ambushes before they are triggered.
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The Scouts all wore flexible gray-black leather armor that covered them from head to toe and allowed for easy, free movement. The color was gray enough to not stand out against the landscape, and the material was matte and soft to the touch.
They each carried recurved bows across their backs with muffled quivers full of several types of arrows. The bows could be broken down and stowed in the sacks they carried, also tied across their chests.
They all fought with short, curved daggers and their fighting style was similar to Kaela’s own, with the weapons becoming natural extensions of their bodies.
The sacks they carried contained multiple changes of clothes that could be worn over their armor, allowing them to blend in among the people when they reached civilization.
One thing that set them apart from Rangers was that the Scouts seemed equally at ease in big cities as they were out in the wilderness. While Rangers would always prefer the wild to a crowded market, Scouts were comfortable anywhere.
Kaela hand-picked the Scout team who would go with her, and they began their preparations right away.
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She spent two hours with Lucien before she had to leave.
“Why don’t you postpone your departure until the morning?” he asked.
“Lucien, the people are suffering. We should get there as quickly as we can. Plus, traveling at night is far more efficient so we may as well get a head start.”
“I realize I am of no use to you on a mission like this,” he said, looking down at the floor in shame. “But—”
“No, my love,” Kaela said, interrupting him with a finger on his lips. “Don’t think of it like that.”
“How should I think of it, then?” he asked. “I’ve never been much of a fighter. That was the domain of my two brothers.”
Kaela thought for a minute, then smiled.
“First of all, you know you are a brilliant leader and an absolute asset to Seraph’s Hold.”
He perked up a bit at the praise. Kaela continued.
“You also know by now that I am not a delicate porcelain doll to be set on a shelf and admired from afar.”
Lucien laughed at the notion.
“No, my Lioness. You are not. That much is true.”
“Then I want you to trust in me. And in our Scouts. We will go in, gather information, and do what we can quietly.”
“And if you need a larger force? You will go in with the army?” Lucien asked.
Kaela shook her head.
“That would only lead to thousands of civilian casualties. Maybe more. Perhaps at the first sight of the army marching, the usurpers might plunder or burn food stores and flee, unpunished for their many crimes.”
She grabbed his hands in hers.
“No, I would prefer to handle this smarter. The quiet way is the best. At least for now.”
A dark expression crossed her face.
“But if we do need the army, I will send for them and we will crush them. Either way, these people will pay for what they’ve done.”
They spoke for a while longer, then Kaela donned her own outfit the Scouts had made specially for her as a reward for surviving the week with them.
She pulled the hood over her head, and Lucien hugged her one last time. “Come back to me, Lioness.”
“I will,” she said. She kissed him deeply, and then she ran to meet the nine Scouts waiting outside the palace gates.
“Okay, Your Highness, you know the drill. We will only slow if you need us to.”
Kaela raised a finger in the air.
“First of all, don’t call me that again while on this mission. Use our codenames only. And secondly, if I slow you down, I will buy you a beer in the first tavern we visit in Caerwyn.”
The Scout Leader laughed.
“Deal. Now, we move.”
He cast Zephyr’s Boon and Greater Shadow Cloak, and the group was off.
Lucien watched from the palace steps as his wife faded from sight almost immediately.
As they ran, Kaela couldn’t help but smile. After the first few hours, the Scout Leader handed the speed and cloaking buff duties to the next in line while he regenerated his Stamina.
They had a chat group going on their interface, and had brought Kaela into it.
The wind was at her back, and the moonless purple twilight urged her onward. They ran all night and through the next day.
She needed to stop once for twenty minutes in the mid-afternoon to replenish her Stamina, causing her to lose the low-stakes bet.
But the Scout Leader was impressed with her fortitude and quick recovery, and he knew his Princess was one of the most formidable fighters in the realm.
So he chose not to comment on the bet, instead handing her two strips of dried boar meat to help speed up stamina regeneration.
It was early evening on the second day when they crossed the border into Caerwyn. Before approaching the boundary between countries, they had run deep into the forest and away from the heavily patrolled roads.
They paused for a bit and observed the border from a distance. Men Kaela had never seen before were dressed in mismatched armor.
They weren’t checking anyone’s credentials, but they were demanding a fee to cross the border into Caerwyn.
“What do they think they are, trolls?” Kaela asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, the children’s story of the large troll standing on a bridge and forcing everyone to pay a toll in order to cross?”
“Hm, must be a Caerwyn story. We don’t have that one,” one of the Scouts said.
“No,” Kaela thought, “it’s an Earth story that apparently doesn’t translate…”
“Either way,” she said, “it’s improper. We have never charged a toll to cross between our countries, even during the war.”
The Scout Leader told everyone to begin preparations to enter the city. They all untied their packs, broke down and stored their bows, and pulled on street clothes over their armor.
One was dressed as a courier.
Another was dressed in rags as a street urchin. He was the youngest of the group and rubbed dirt on his face to help sell the role.
One was a blacksmith. He smeared metal dust on his arms.
The Scout Leader was a merchant, decked in finer clothes. He had an ornate sword across his back, and Kaela had seen him fight with it before.
The two women with them were dressed as barmaids.
Kaela braided her long hair and tucked it up inside a cloth headwrap. She pulled a plain gray cloak over a simple brown tunic and breeches. Her satchel contained herbs, as she disguised herself as a traveling healer.
All disguises were meant to blend into society. All roles that would fit in anywhere and become essentially invisible.
And, every one of the outfits was lined with secret pockets that concealed throwing knives, daggers, garrotes, and anything else they thought they might need in a pinch.
The group checked each other over, making small adjustments as needed.
Then, it was time. As the sun went down and evening set in across the land, the nine scouts and Kaela split up and entered Caerwyn from different points.