Page 175 of I Ran Away to Evil 3
CHAPTER 96
King Kraken’s Heart
Julian
Gerda caught his eye, and Julian knew what she was thinking.
The reminder hurt, but he also knew she was determined to cross her bridge after the dungeon was complete. He could understand … but he wasn’t happy about it.
“No,” he told the party. “Guild Mistress Alice is an international criminal who should be detained at all costs. Leaving her when she’s here waiting for us and potentially at lessened strength from fighting the dungeon boss would be foolish. As foolish as walking into an ambush we were already expecting and could prepare for.”
“So then, how are we going to prepare for the ambush?” Jeffry asked, concerned. He knew their inventory better than anyone and didn’t seem keen on continuing to the next level with their current resources.
“I can help with that!” Gerda lifted her hand. “Ah, let’s see. Tully, you should take this.”
Gerda summoned an Epic-tier war hammer called Dawn of the Last Dragon Hammer, granting a +3 strength buff. It also lit its opponent on fire on a crit success, dealing burn damage. Sir Tully’s hands were shaking when she handed it over, and he looked like he was going to cry when he read the stats for himself.
For Jeffry, she pulled out the Legendary grade sword told about in ballad and song, Badgerclaw Best Blade. It had a +5 strength buff and a fifty percent chance to crit against dragons. The half-elf whispered, “By the gods,it’s real?”
For Visha, she pulled out Epic-tier twin blades, one that dealt paralyzing electric damage on a crit, and the other that shot out water blades when infused with mana. Visha had one Epic-tier blade already, an heirloom in her family that had been passed down for generations. She held her new weapons in outright awe.
When Gerda reached Pram … something unexpected happened.
She had just pulled out the King Kraken’s Heart, saying, “Here, Pram, you should have this,” when Pram hit the floor on his knees. She hesitated by his sudden action but placed the pendant around the selkie’s neck.
She’d handed over Telv Kingdom’s greatest treasure, the lost king’s pendant … and the reason for Pram’s family being exiled twenty years ago.
Pram’s parents had been the diplomatic emissaries to Sumbria when the civil war broke out.
The war had started on the elven queen’s coronation day. Her family had been cruel and unjust to the citizens of Sumbria, but the new queen had decided it wasn’t enough. On the day she’d stepped up, Terra Glade had issued a new rule: elves were no longer allowed to marry non-elves, and all previous unions were dissolved. All half breeds, who were already second-class citizens, were to be stripped of their rights and demoted to third-class citizens with the rest of the non-elf cast.
The Telv queen’s consort, Prince Tori, had been a guest of honor at the coronation dinner that evening. Pram’s parents had not been able to save Prince Toriorhis regalia, which had been stolen in the chaos of battle.
In her grief, the selkie queen had banished Pram’s family from the Underdark until they could return her husband’s treasure, the King Kraken’s Heart. Only a few merfamilies lived in the waters around Valaria, most resided in the Underdark—a long deep sea canyon off the eastern coastline. Telv was the only kingdom in the Underdark, and Julian knew that being able to right his family’s honor and return to the depths had been Pram’s dream since they were young. Pram was crying. Whatever bonus the pendant gave was nothing to its meaning.
Gerda stepped back, looking obviously confused. Knowing Pram wasn’t able to, Julian placed a hand on her shoulder and asked, “You just had that lying around?”
“It’s one of the treasures that Henrietta found in another timeline. Since she’s with King Keith, I went around collecting all of the artifacts and legendary items she wouldn’t be needing anymore,” Gerda explained. “They’re world-quest items, like the scepter in your locket.”
“And, uh,wheredid you find King Kraken’s Heart?” he asked.
“I stole it off Crown Prince Deryl Glade at the Spring Ball,” she said, casually bringing about the destruction of Sumbria’s ocean trade. “usingthese.”
She pulled out a pair of gloves that looked like cat paws while Julian went over to help Pram to his feet.
“Here.” Gerda handed the treasure over to John.
When he saw what they did, the rogue’s eyes went wide. “Interesting.”
It was surprisingly funny, seeing the otherwise solemn, quiet, human wearing cute cat gloves. John flexed his hands once, and then a wide grin spread across his face.
At that look, Gerda joked, “Don’t make me regret giving you that.”
John looked up at the troll, made to say something, and stopped. His eyes opened even wider.
“And you aren’t allowed to steal my ring!” she exclaimed, covering the ring with her other hand.
“It’s actually saying your most valuable item is the Trickster’s Scarf,” he said, amused.
