After some research on the forums, I realize most people saw a nameless NPC tied up when they encountered the demon, Jezol. That means they never even got the ‘Find Captain Moon’ quest, and made the choice to either slay or free an unknown man.
As near as I can guess, the way Sherbie handled the captain’s quests before he met me, coupled with my getting the the hidden quest to find him from Drayer, then the grand finale in his duel with Lieutenant Brockduk which he won so decisively, somehow, Sherbie managed to do everything right. And now, we have a new (free!) defense captain for our guild base. So juicy!
And speaking of juicy, it seems our Captain Moon was more popular than I realized. Before my eyes, where before I searched his name in the forums, the comments are popping up, one after another.
<404Bob> replied: The current game model is broken. They must realize the problem of making a popular character recruitable to guilds, only to replace him with a less popular alternative character. I wouldn’t be surprised if they change the model in the next update. Also with this strong backlash, they’ll probably clone Captain Moon’s ai and bring him back, say he’s his twin or something. Calling it now.
It just keeps going. Damn…
We’d better keep our acquisition of the famous captain a secret, or we’re going to have a full blown invasion on our hands. It’s true as KiWeeaboo pointed out, I might use his popularity to grow our guild exponentially overnight, but somehow, that’s not how I want to recruit guild members. Rather than a bunch of screaming fan girls, I’d rather have dedicated guild members, solidly built characters played by people I feel will have my back.
But I’ll worry about guild recruitment another day.
With Sherbie’s unexpected befriending of the illustrious Captain Moon, our plans to go straight to the druid’s enclave have changed a bit. But then, not really, since teleporting to the Whale Base will save us a quarter of a day’s travel. I’m eager to get back to the base right away and see what upgrades are waiting for us. But first, I’ve had a thought.
Acting on a hunch, I speak once more to Tamiel, the half-celestial priestess.
“You said those with mixed infernal blood often take up wizardry or dark arts, but how would one recognize such a person? Do they have unique physical characteristics? Or perhaps a pervading temperament?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“They are bad tempered, certainly. Depending on the creature they mated with, their physical characteristics can vary. Occasionally there will be horns, or too many eyes or satyr’s feet, but such traits do not commonly manifest, especially not after the second and third generation. More often, those with demon blood can be difficult to identify, as they can look very similar to ordinary earth realm dwellers, except that their shadows will seem darker, and their magic feel fouler. That is all I can tell you.”
I’m thinking of a certain unreasonably unpleasant wizard I know. I only met him briefly, so I can’t say for sure about his shadow, but the magical blow Bax dealt certainly felt unpleasant to me, if not outright foul. Still acting on my hunch, I ask her:
“I don’t suppose you’d know what would calm a half-infernal? That is, if they were feeling particularly unpleasant…”
She considers this a moment, then answers. “Antacids? I understand those with demon blood commonly suffer from stomach ulcers.”
“Ah. I suppose that would make anyone cranky, demon or not.”
Somehow, I get the sense she’s smiling behind her mask. “I suppose so.”
Am I blushing right now? Why should I be blushing? Am I an idiot?
Embarrassed, heart suddenly thrumming, I clear my throat.
“And, would you or your fellow priests sell something like that? Antacids, I mean.”
“If you speak with Mirabel, she will show you the wares I provide. I trust you will find my prices reasonable, Master Revelator.”
“I’m sure I will,” I clear my throat again, turning from the strange robed woman. “Excuse me.”
“Farewell.”
Good gravy. She’s so carefully robed and masked, I almost forgot I was talking to a woman. And a pretty one too, I’ll wager, since she’s half angel.
I wonder if she’d let me see all of her face, if I asked. Or her whole body. Privately, of course. We could go off in the woods, find a quiet place, and she could take off her robes just for me…
Whoa. Your imagination’s running just a little too wild now, Rev. Just because you automatically have access to the 18+ version of this game doesn’t give you the excuse to imagine doing something dirty with an NPC. Down boy.
Just then I hear something behind me. What’s that sound? I glance back, and I get the sense she’s laughing at me.
Why? Can she read my thoughts? I guess Ari and Jezol could. Why not this heavenly being, too?
[Heart rate 140 BPM. Automatic system shutdown if heart rate reaches 150 BPM.]
Damn it!
I hurry away, ears flaming. Running into Sherbie, I give him a quick order.
“Find a priestess named Mirabel and buy ten antacids, then meet me back at the Whale Base.”
“Ok, but—”
“Just do it,” I snap, pulling the guild teleportation stone from my bag and activating it. It takes ten seconds to transport me, so I just stand there awkwardly and wait, glaring out at the camp.
It’s nothing, I tell myself. It’s the mystery my brain is fascinated with; just because she’s covered, my curiosity naturally wants to be satisfied, and see what lies beneath the mask. But I’d be disappointed. I’m sure underneath her robes she’s really just an ugly old crone with sagging breasts and half her teeth. Baba Yaya’s sister, that’s how I’ll imagine her.
The teleportation stone is doing its work. I’m fading out of this place, already halfway gone when I catch a glimpse of something shining off in the distance. It’s Tamiel, I recognize with a kind of certainty. Just before I fade away to nothing, she’s removed her mask, and revealed her face to me.
Suddenly, the transparent, ethereal scene is replaced by one that is solid and real. The teleportation is complete; I’m standing in the middle of the guild base. Mad Wim is hunched over an outside burner, stirring some foul smelling concoction and humming tunelessly to himself while his test shroomlet Tess waddles around the yard. A little further away, Yock leans lazily against his cart and lets out a loud yawn, then stops to pick a bit of brown wax from his oversized ear and examine it with bored curiosity.
“No!” I scream at the scene before me, then I look down at the teleportation stone and shake it furiously. “No, take me back!”
“Well now, if it isn’t the princess, returned to her castle.” Mad Wim turns with a mean-looking grin, but I ignore him, sinking down to the ground, clutching the worthless stone in my fist.
It only goes one way.
“She was so beautiful,” I say, gazing helplessly up at the forest’s canopy. “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful…”
“??, ￥≤&?(^@?”
“I don’t know what’s the matter,” Wim answers Yock, and I see he’s already picked up goblinese too. “He won’t move. Hoi, Rev? You ok, Rev?”
“I love you, Tamiel. Marry me, Tamiel… Let me gaze upon your heavenly pumpkins… Oh, Tami, my Tami…”
“^(!@??Фл.”
“Yeah, best give him some space…”
By the time Sherbie arrives five minutes later, I’ve still not recovered from my disappointment at being teleported away from my one true love at the critical moment. Still, somehow I manage to pull myself up off of the ground, and put on a stoic face.
“Do you have the antacids?”
“Right here. What do you need them for, anyway? Your stomach bothering you? That why you’re so cranky all of the sudden?”
“Who’s cranky?” I growl at him, opening a trade window to receive the medication.
“Anyway,” Sherbie says without a care, unbothered by my surly behavior, “that lady said something weird to me just before I left.”
“What lady?” I look up sharply.
“You know, the priestess lady. Not the one who sold me the antacids, the other one, what was her name?”
“Tamiel?”
“Yeah, her. She had a message for you.”
“For me?” My heart thrums and races within me, but I don’t even care, ignoring my second system warning message of the day.
“She said, ‘Tell him it’s too bad. I would have gladly gone off in the woods with him.’ Something like that. Hey, Rev, where are you going?” Sherbie cries as I stride off determinedly.
“Back to the camp.”
“But that’s hours away!”
“I don’t care. Don’t follow me!”
“But—”
“I’m going to become a man.”