by Paul Bellow
“There’s soldiers outside the walls waiting for us,” Bernard added.
I sat up and moved to the front bench to look through the slot. A group of soldiers stood in front of an open wooden gate a few hundred yards away from us.
“Great,” Eric muttered.
“Problem?” I asked.
“Whoa,” Eric said, pulling on the reins.
As the horses stopped, I saw two lions a couple hundred feet ahead, blocking the road. One of them growled.
“Can’t we just go around them?” I asked.
“We can kill two lions without any problems,” Eric said.
As he climbed off the wagon, I opened the door and got out.
I met Bernard and him next to the horses. Both lions growled as they rushed forward. Eric drew his sword and rushed to meet it.
I cast seven Golden Bolts. They reached the lead lion first.
Your seven Golden Bolts MAUL the Great Lion for 21 damage.
You have [50/64] mana remaining.
Eric made it to the one I’d hit and slashed it with his new scimitar. The other leaped, biting down on his slightly armored arm.
“Filthy, oversized felines,” Bernard yelled as he joined the fray.
He hit the lion that had bit Eric, causing it to whimper in pain.
I watched carefully as the wounded lion circled them in a low crouch. One leaped at Eric, knocking him to the ground. I cast another volley of Golden Bolts.
Enough to kill the wounded lion?
Your seven Golden Bolts MAUL the Great Lion for 28 damage.
The Great Tiger is dead!
You have [36/64] mana remaining today.
As the noble creature fell, the other roared and sprung toward me. Bernard jumped in its path, bringing down his mace with a scream.
Eric recovered and lunged, piercing the lion through the side with his scimitar. The great cat hissed, growled, and turned to face them both.
Seven more bolts should do it, I thought then cast.
Your seven Golden Bolts WOUND the lion for 18 damage.
The lion is dead!
You have [12/64] mana remaining today
Combat is Over!
You get 3,200 xp divided by three party members.
You get 1,067 xp
You have 14,391 xp
Congratulations, you are a level four mage.
Gamemaster Tip: Leveling: You will soon need to choose your specialization. Think about this carefully before you reach level five Mage. The following paths will open for you as you progress.
>>Inventor (levels 6 – 16) – practical magic
>>Warlock (can use weapons; levels 5-15) – offensive magic
>>Elementalist (levels 5 – 15) – elemental / summoning magic
>>Wizard (levels 5 – 15) – defensive magic
I cleared the notification window as I ran over to Bernard and Eric.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
Eric groaned then said, “No.”
I turned to Bernard.
“You’re still our cleric for now,” I said. “Give him one of the healing potions. We don’t have to fight everything we come across, guys.”
Bernard pulled a potion out of his bag then handed it to Eric. I watched as he drank it down in one gulp. The pain faded from his face.
He burped then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Feel better?” I asked.
“Much better,” he muttered.
I glanced down the road at the soldiers standing by the gate.
“They didn’t even help us,” I said. “They’re going back into the fort now.”
“Let’s just deliver Rathgar’s message then be on our way,” Eric said.
Bernard nodded.
“I agree,” he said. “Let me get these lion carcasses out of the way.”
“Wait.” Eric glanced down. “We should keep them for the fur.”
“Do we have the time?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
He looked up and grinned.
“I’ll make time,” he said. “They’ll make a good gift for the soldiers.”
“You should make them walk down here and get them,” I said.
While Eric and Bernard tied the bodies to the back of the wagon, I climbed in and waited.
Time for my third level spell, I thought excitedly.
I’d already added Divine Arrow of Energy from the scroll I’d found at the Ruins of Esterhollow, so I’d have two to choose from when I cast.
A few minutes later, the wagon stopped again. I opened the door then stepped onto the courtyard inside Fort Bliss.
Why is it so rundown? I wondered as a group of raggedy men in dirty clothes and piecemeal armor stood around us.
I got a bad feeling as they stared, pointed, and whispered.
Bernard and Eric climbed down and joined me.
“Not a very nice welcome,” Eric said, glancing around.
“It’s tough out here on the frontier,” Bernard said. “Especially after the Great Wars…the things I saw…” His voice trailed off as he grimaced at his memories.
“We’re looking for Sergeant Harris,” Eric yelled.
A man with a funky fur cap atop his head stepped forward.
“That would be me.” He nodded at the lions. “You bring me a present?”
Eric turned to me and smiled in self-satisfaction.
“We did,” he said as he walked over to Sergeant Harris.
Bernard and I followed a few steps behind.
“We’ve been expecting you,” the seasoned warrior said.
“That’s good.” Eric stopped in front of him. “We won’t be staying long.”
“I hope you have time to spend the night,” Sergeant Harris said as he took off his fur cap. “It’s a long journey from Castle Casteel.”
“Why didn’t your soldiers help us with the lions?” I asked.
The expression on his face turned sour as he turned to me.
“You must be the elf,” he said. “Can’t say it’s nice to meet you.”
“Have some respect,” Eric said.
Sergeant Harris spat on the ground.
“Captain Rathgar sent word that you can stay for the night,” he said. “But the war wagon stays with us tomorrow morning.”
“Hold on,” Eric said. “That’s not what Rathgar told us.”
Sergeant Harris stepped forward, almost bumping his chest into Eric.
“It’s Captain Rathgar now,” he said. “You’d best remember that, half-blood. Don’t think we’re not all watching you.”
“Can you give us horses, at least?” Bernard asked.
I loved his diplomacy skills. Eric needed to calm down.
“We’ll see how I feel in the morning,” Sergeant Harris said.
“I don’t get it.” Eric pointed to the lions. “We brought you a gift.”
“Those lions have prowled the perimeter of this fort for a dozen years, protecting us in exchange for their pick of the wildlife.” Sergeant Harris shook his head. “You just ruined that for us. Do you want a medal or something? I should kill you for killing them.”
“Sorry,” I said. “We didn’t know.”
“That’s the problem with rogue adventurers like you,” Sergeant Harris said. “You’re not really on one team or the other.”
“We’re definitely not with the Black Guard or Magictology,” Bernard said. “I like to think of myself as one of the good guys.”
Sergeant Harris turned to him.
“Yeah, maybe,” he said, shaking his head. “But I don’t see it.”
“We’re doing the best we can to survive,” Bernard said. “Cut us some slack. It’s not like we’re helping the goblins or anything. We were at the Battle of Esterhollow.”
Sergeant Harris snorted then continued talking.
“You can stay behind the fort walls tonight,” he said. “But you’re gone in the morning. Am I understood?”
Eric nodded his head toward a group of men fig
hting.
“Why are you training so hard?” he asked.
Sergeant Harris narrowed his eyes.
“Are you a spy or something?” he asked.
“No,” Eric said. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Bernard raised his left hand.
“Anyone want to hear about the one time I officiated a brownie wedding?” he asked. “True story and very funny.”
Everyone turned to look at Bernard. He grinned like a goofball.
“I ain’t got no time for stupid stories,” Sergeant Harris said.
He turned around to face his men.
“Everyone back to work,” he yelled. “We need to be vigilant with the lions gone. The so-called heroes are off limits on order of Captain Rathgar.”
Sergeant Harris stormed off, leaving us to ourselves.
“Can you believe he’s doing this to us?” Eric shook his head. “I’ve got half a mind to go back and confront him about it.”
“You’re getting pulled in again,” I said, hoping he knew I meant the game. “Take a deep breath. Don’t make it worse.”
“We should rest,” Bernard said. “We can leave in the morning.”
“If you two don’t mind, I’ll sleep in the war wagon tonight,” I said.
“Don’t stay up too late reading,” Eric said.
“Yes, Dad,” I said in my best annoyed-teenager voice.
The other two smiled. Little things made life in the game easier—small memories of the real world.
“I’m going to the bunkhouse to talk with the soldiers and see if I can glean any information,” Bernard said.
“Good idea,” Eric added, nodding his head. “I’ll go with you.”
“Talk to you two later,” I said as I waved.
While they walked toward the barracks, I went outside to our war wagon.
If we only had it until the morning; I wanted to use it.
The magical globe of light lit up as I entered and shut the door behind me. Before doing anything else, I checked my new stats.
> Stats
Name: Kali Tracaryn
Race: Elf
Class: Wizard
Level: 4
XP: 14,391 (8,609 for next level)
Alignment: +80 (Very Good)
HEALTH: 24 (24)
MANA: 12 (64)
Strength: 72 (+10%)
Dexterity: 96 (+35%)
Constitution: 52 (+0%)
Intelligence: 93 (+30%)
Wisdom: 43 (+0%)
Charisma: 44 (+0%)
I also went over my spell list to think of new ways to use them in combination, especially the ones I’d recently added.
> Stats Spells
Spells: Level One
Fish Slaying (1mp)
Golden Bolts (2mp per bolt up to 4+ lvl of caster)
Glorified Cloaks of Bronze (2mp per armor adjustment)
Ladder of Dwarven Earth - (2mp per cubic foot)
Identify – (5mp)
New Level One Spells:
Shut the Front Door – (2mp) – Close and seal a door. Portal receives 10hp per level of caster and will stay sealed until it takes that much damage. Even the caster cannot unseal this door. It’s shut.
Conjure Bronze – (2mp) – Need one gold coin to create one bronze coin. Prerequisite for higher level spells
Spells: Level Two
Snares of Dust (3mp) – Clouds of dust particles rise in the air, often rendering a person unable to do anything other than cough and stumble away. More mana may be used for more dust.
New Level Two Spells:
Mystic Therapy – (10np) – Target heals 1d10 damage.
Cloud of Marvelous Sound [Uncommon] – (15mp) – A cloud of sound surrounds your enemies, disorienting them. One-foot radius per level of caster.
Spells: Level Three:
Divine Arrow of Energy [Rare] – (25mp) – Sends a blue energy beam up to one hundred feet per level of caster. The person hit heals 1d50 damage, regains 1d50 mana (if applicable), and receives a +10% to-hit bonus. Caster may not be the target of this spell.
And picking my newest spell. What to do?
Choose One Level Three Spell
The Three Lesser Chants of Platinum – requires conjure bronze
Portable Sword of Fire – 10mp – Wield a flaming sword for five minutes per level of the caster. Sword deals 1d8 + 1d4 fire damage. You must be skilled in the use of a blade.
Blessed Webs of Gold – 15mp - Cast an energy net to confine your foes.
Villainous Cold Auras – 20mp – Make a humanoid appear unlikeable and cold.
Fish’s Virtue (Water breathing) – 5mp per minute - Requires Chant of Just Kill Fish
Flaming Discs of Lava – 5mp per disc. Each disc deals 1d6 fire damage.
Gamemaster Tip: At level five, you will gain one fourth level spell, and one more spell of each lower level.
I selected Flaming Disks of Lava. Without a fighter, we needed a mage who could dish out some old school damage.
“The sacrifices I make for this party…”
“I appreciate you, Kali, even if they don’t.”
Charlotte always brought a smile to my face.
“Are you feeling smarter too?” I asked.
“Oddly, I am,” she said.
“Get some rest. We’re leaving tomorrow.”
“You too, Kali…”
The rest of the evening, much to my delight, went by without any craziness.
I eventually managed to fall asleep.
3
More Like Sylvar the Stupid
Eric
* * *
I woke to the sound of Sergeant Harris and a bunch of soldiers talking loudly.
Bernard sat up and stretched on the bunk next to me.
“Up and at ‘em,” Sergeant Harris said as he walked over to us. “We’re moving out, and we need you to vacate the fort.”
“Fine with us,” I said, rolling out of bed.
I wanted to question him, but I kept my mouth shut. We had enough of our own problems to worry about.
As Sergeant Harris wandered toward the door, I stretched and struggled to wake up. Even in the game, I never got enough sleep.
Bernard yawned beside me.
“Don’t do that,” I said. “These cots aren’t comfortable, and I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I kept an eye half-open most of the night too,” he said.
After a few more stretches, we made our way outside. I saw a throng of men standing around a wagon-train. Bernard and I walked over to Sarah as she stood next to the war wagon on the other side of the courtyard.
“Good morning,” Sarah said as we reached her.
“You sleep okay?” I asked.
“About as well as you would expect in a war wagon,” she said.
I smiled, amazed at how she always managed to look so cute.
“Are you ready for our ride to Talbot to find a tree troll?” I asked.
She nodded and said, sarcastically, “Can’t wait…”
“I need to see a man about some horses,” I said.
Bernard chuckled, and Sarah rolled her eyes.
I left them and walked toward the wagon train.
Sergeant Harris stepped out of a group of men as I approached.
“You need something?” he asked in a nasty voice.
“We need horses,” I said, hand on my hilt.
He laughed.
“You can’t intimidate me, son,” he said.
All the men around him kept staring intensely at me.
“I just want you to do the right thing,” I said.
We looked into each other’s eyes in silence.
“Fine,” he relented. “I’ll give you some horses.”
He stormed off to the back of the wagon-train.
I walked back over to Bernard and Sarah.
“Got ‘em,” I said then smiled.
“Yeah?” Sarah asked.
She nodded behind me.
“He
re’s your horses,” Sergeant Harris said.
I turned and saw three of the sorriest horses in the entire history of the species. They all looked to be in near death.
Sergeant Harris grinned then turned and walked away.
Bernard walked over to grab the reins. Not that the horses could’ve outran any of us. Would they make it to Talbot?
“I’ve got to hit the outhouse,” I said.
Sarah scrunched up her nose.
“Good luck,” she said. “They’re a mess.”
I pursed my lips together then turned and left. Atop a wooden throne, I thought about our odds of getting out of the overly realistic game.
Was it really a prison?
My father wasn’t the type of person to be involved with anything illegal, but he’d been so secretive. I’d chalked it up to my mother dying, but maybe it was something else? It would explain him being so distracted.
When I returned a few minutes after I’d left, Bernard and Sarah had climbed atop two of the horses. I climbed on the last one.
“Thanks for leaving me the best one,” I said.
“She’s blind,” Bernard said. “I’m not even kidding.”
Sergeant Harris rode over on a fine black stallion.
“We’re on our way to help hold the peace in Esterhollow,” he said. “I’ve given you a hard time, but it’s a tough world these days. Don’t take it personally. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to prove your loyalties.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Sarah said.
Sergeant Harris looked at me, but I kept my mouth shut. He turned his horse and rode off toward the head of the wagon-train.
“Roll out!” he yelled.
I watched as the massive gathering of animals and men headed out the fort’s gates. They moved slow but steady.
“We should get going,” I said.
“Agreed,” Sarah said.
We rode across the courtyard then through the open gateway, passing the horses, soldiers, and wagons. As they headed east to Esterhollow, we rode north toward the outpost of Talbot. Three abreast, we trotted along.
