The Xalinor Chronicles

Seeking answers

The shy moon peeped through a curtain of oak leaves and faintly lit up the dark path ahead. It was a dark night and Jake and Zill didn’t have any source of light with them. The dusty road curved around the blueberry bushes and oak trees on either side, making the journey longer than what it should have been.  They kept trudging along the snaking path, guided by a trail of stars which glimmered like Christmas lights on a velvet sky.

Jake was bursting with curiosity and he couldn’t contain his thoughts any longer. The young software developer needed answers for the numerous questions which cluttered his confused mind.

“Zill, can all creatures in this world use special skills?” he asked.

The gnome slackened his pace and gave Jake a surprised look. “You really don’t know anything about this world. Of course every creature can use skills. Don’t they have skills in your world?”

“I think skills in my world are much different from the skills that can be used in your world. In my world skills are basically things that you are good at and they help you get a job.”

“I don’t understand. Don’t the people in your world have any special powers?”

“I used to live in quite an ordinary world. No one had any special powers in my world.”

Zill was extremely shocked by what Jake had said. He thought for a while and then inquired in a curious tone, “Can your people cast magic spells?”

“No, they can’t do that either,” sighed Jake. The difference between their worlds seemed to be far too great. “Where I come from, there is no magic, no special skills, no strange 3 headed beasts and definitely no elves or warlocks. I really need your help to find out more about your world.”

“I will be happy to help you. After all you are my friend now,” Zill replied with a smile.

Jake’s first priority was to learn more about magic and special skills and then he could find out more about the different races of creatures which existed in this world. He untied the shield which was still tied to his left arm and flung it away. With the weight lifted from his arm, he felt much more comfortable.

“Which creatures in your world can use magic? And how many skills can a person use every day? Also, are skills used by beasts different from the skills used by the gnomes and the warlocks?” Jake fired a rapid volley of questions at his little companion.

The humans of Xalinor always treated the gnomes with contempt. They thought of the little creatures as lesser beings that were far less intelligent than them. Zill was delighted when Jake asked him so many questions. It gave him an opportunity to show off his knowledge.

 He began explaining things with great enthusiasm. “Only warlocks can use magic, though there are rumors of a rare class of troll that can also cast certain magic spells. I don’t believe the rumors because trolls are really silly.” He paused for a while to recollect his thoughts and then continued, “Everyone here can use skills but beasts do not have to shout the name of the skill before using it. They can’t speak, so they just use skills by thinking about the skills and focusing their energy. I forgot what your other question was.”

“I want to know how many skills you can use in a day. Is it the same for all creatures who live in Xalinor?”

“I can only use a single invisibility skill every day. Most beasts can use just 1 skill but some mythical and dark beasts can use as many as 3 skills. Warlocks and elves are very powerful, so they can use more than 3 skills, some of them can use as many as 10 skills each day.”

Jake thanked Zill for answering all his questions so quickly. He now had a better understanding of skills but there were many other mysteries which remained unresolved. He was determined to find out as much as he could about this new world before they reached Zill’s warren.

“The prince called you an expert Sneaker. What does that mean?” inquired Jake.

“There are 2 different classes among the gnomes; they are the Diggers and the Sneakers. Warlocks and elves also have different classes among them and so do the humans. Humans mostly belong to the Peasant or the Craftsman class but there are a few Warrior humans as well. You can find all about the classes from my father. He has a special book which contains information about the different classes with big pictures of each class.”

“This sounds like a lot to take in. I really need to read your father’s special book. Oh, you didn’t tell me why the prince called you an expert?”

“That’s my level. Every gnome, human, troll, elf, and warlock starts at novice level but they can go all the way up to legendary. I started at novice too, then after a lot of training I became an adept.” Zill hesitated for a while and then added, “Let me tell you a secret, I stole a Level Book from Marzenon’s palace and used that to reach expert level. I wanted to become strong, so that I can protect my family.”

“I see now. That’s why the guards had tied you to a stake. This Level Book sounds pretty amazing. Are there more such books in Xalinor?”

“I have heard that Illanor Saville has a Level Book and sometimes you can find a Level Book in a sealed crypt.”

“That’s all I need to know for now. Thank you so much Zill. You really are an amazing friend. I can finally make some sense of this now. It’s just like they show on Isekai anime shows. I just need to discover my special powers and level up to become stronger!”

Jake had barely finished his sentence when they heard a high pitched howl which was followed immediately by many more.

Zill cast a terrified glance at Jake and whispered in a frightened voice, “We have to run now. There are blood hounds nearby!”