At the stables where the mounts were purchased, Miri went to purchase her mount. In terms of mount options, there were plenty to choose from: horses, ponies, goats, llamas, unicorns, griffins, wyverns, velociraptors, and a large, flightless, ostrich-like bird with yellow feathers that’s definitely, definitely not a chocobo from the Final Fantasy series. But Miri wasn’t getting any of those. She’s too poor to afford those. Instead, all she could afford was a thorn-tusk boar.
The beast she saw before her was indeed befitting of its name: a fairly sizable boar, large enough to be ridden, with a coat of rough, brown fur and a pair of large tusks coated with thorn-like protrusions similar to a thick, thorny vine. Judging from its expression, it seemed to have a really unstable temper—one that’s so wild, it could hardly be tamed. Miri decided to name him “Tusko”.
“Alright, listen here, Tusko,” Miri said to the boar in a tone similar to a drill sergeant instructing his soldiers. “First of all, let’s get something out of the way. I don’t like you and you don’t like me. However, once I earn enough money and get myself a decent mount, I’m gonna sell you off and you’re gonna be someone else’s problem. The quicker you assist me into making that money, the quicker I get to get rid of you. Now, in the event that I find you too much trouble for me, I know of a roast pig recipe that’s just perfect for the likes of you. Cooperate with me and we’ll both have an easier time working together. Do I make myself clear?”
Tusko merely let out a pig-like snort. Miri didn’t know whether it’s a snort of confirmation or something else entirely. Regardless, she’s going to have to deal with him in the meantime.
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The trip to the dungeon to find the rune was a bumpy ride for sure. Like Miri had suspected, Tusko was a pain-in-the-literal-ass to ride on, always veering off into random directions and constantly tried to buck her off. Though they’d managed to cross the plains and hills faster than if she were to walk on foot, it was nonetheless an annoying and bothersome experience.
Once they’d arrived at the dungeon where the rune was supposedly located, Miri got off from Tusko and magically recalled the temperamental beast back to her mount rune—the boar turning into a mist of multi-colored particles which then got sucked into the rune itself. Miri’s hips became incredibly sore due to that ride; she dreaded returning back to the city using the same method. But she’ll worry about that later. Right now, she needed to find that rune.
Miri entered a cave-like entrance and moved down a flight of stairs onto what appeared to be a network of catacombs. The walls were built with what was clearly man-made layers of large cobblestones accompanied by dimly lit candles and torches scattered throughout.
On some of the walls, there seemed to be open tombs built into them, containing ancient and deserted skeletons—one covered with cobwebs. Plus, large urns containing a white powder, probably bone ash leftover from the cremation process, was scattered throughout the area.
Overall, this dungeon gave off an ominous and eerie atmosphere befitting for a dark fantasy setting like this. However, it’s nothing that Miri hadn’t seen before during her playthroughs of this game. Even so, being physically present within the setting felt much more substantial and immersive than simply playing the game on a screen with a controller or mouse and keyboard in hand. Carrying a persistent sense of apprehensive exhilaration in her heart, the redheaded mage advanced deeper into the catacombs.
