by Paul Bellow
“Come on,” she said from the top.
I climbed up after her, swinging my body over the rails. The dirty deck smelled of fish, making me hungry. I glanced around, not seeing anybody.
“This way,” she said then headed for a set of stairs leading below deck.
I was even less impressed with the interior of the ship. Black grime stained the wood of the hand rails all the way down. Monky stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
She held up her index finger. I kept quiet, not hearing or seeing anything. After a moment of silence, she chanted loudly for a few seconds then abruptly stopped.
I heard something clanging against metal below us. She motioned for me to follow then headed deeper into the ship. With each step, things got even grimier.
The foul smells of fish and rum also got worse. We stopped at what I thought was the bottom-most floor of the ship. She moved a barrel, exposing a trap door.
After opening it, she called down, “Hello. It’s me, Monky.”
I flinched as a green, greasy goblin popped its head out. When I lifted my blade, the goblin screamed and retreated to its dark hiding spot.
“Sorry,” I said as I put away the weapon.
Monky paid no attention to me as she went down after the goblin. I sighed then climbed down the hatch, barely fitting. Once at the bottom of the boat, I couldn’t even stand at full height. Several goblins cowered together.
“Stay back,” Monky said. “They’re frightened.”
“How many are down here?” I asked.
She snapped her fingers, creating a ball of light that hovered in the air. I stared past her and saw at least two dozen goblins huddled. One of them crept forward.
“Thank you,” the goblin said, accent heavy. “Is it safe to leave now?”
“Not yet,” Monky said. “Perhaps tonight.”
“We want out of here,” another goblin said.
A few of the others mumbled their agreement.
“It’s not safe yet,” Monky said. “You need to wait.”
“We’re hungry,” their apparent leader said.
Monky turned to me. “Do you have any food on you?” she asked.
“Always,” I said as I unslung the sack on my left shoulder.
I removed the few loaves of bread and beef jerky I kept around just in case. Sylvar and the others loved spiking my food with gross things, so I had taken to keeping my own uncontaminated food supply.
As I set the food on the bottom of the boat, the goblins swarmed forward. I shifted my weight from one foot to another, still uncomfortably bent over.
“You can go back up,” Monky said. “I need to talk with them.”
Crouched, I slinked back to the hatch. Once out of the enclosed space, I stretched my arms. Were the goblins player characters or something? Monky thought they were special, but I couldn’t figure out why on my own. As I pondered, I heard familiar laughter above us.
I leaned over the hatch and stuck my head down.
“We’ve got company,” I said.
“Keep them busy,” Monky replied. “I’m almost done healing the goblins.”
“But who is it?” I asked.
She resumed chanting and humming. I sighed as I stood up. Walking over to the door, I listened for the laughter. Had they gone away? Were we safe?
“There you are,” Sylvar said as he walked down the stairs.
I stepped out into the hallway, blocking the storage room.
“What’s going on?” I asked then hastily added, “I haven’t found any goblins on this ship.”
Harvey, Rizzo, Thero, and a strange man in black armor followed Sylvar down the stairs. I took out my sword again, casually resting the blade on my shoulder.
“Why are you searching this ship?” Rizzo asked.
I noticed the newcomer watching everything.
“Just a hunch,” I said. “But I was wrong.”
“Stupid half-breed,” Sylvar said.
“Enough!” the stranger shouted. “I’ve tracked them here to this ship. This is the last place we’ve looked. I don’t know who you are, but you need to step aside.”
“Let us through,” Rizzo added.
Not thinking, I dropped my sword then ran toward the group at the bottom of the stairs. They yelled as I barreled into them, toppling all of us to the floor.
“Who is this nut?” the stranger screamed. “Get off me!”
“Sorry,” Thero muttered then passed gas through his armor. “Double that.”
Harvey was fighting not to chuckle, but some of his laughter slipped through.
I untangled myself then stood. Monky and the goblins had nowhere to run. I had stalled for time, but they couldn’t slip past us and out of the ship. What was I thinking?
“Apologize to Captain Riggardo!” Rizzo shouted. “Do it now!”
“Sorry,” I said, bowing my head. “Still learning to control my barbarian rage.”
“That outburst was no barbarian rage,” Rizzo snapped.
“I’m working for Magi Inyontoo,” I said. “We’re all on the same team.”
Captain Riggardo laughed as he stepped forward.
“Like that matters to me,” he said, stopping mere inches from me. “What exactly are you doing for Magi Inyontoo? And you one of the three new players?”
“He’s helping us kill the other newcomers,” Rizzo said. “Leave him alone.”
“Shut up,” Captain Riggardo said, not taking his eyes off me. “I asked the dumb brute.”
“I kill the people Magi Inyontoo tells me to kill, so I can get out of this stupid game,” I said.
We maintained eye contact. He averted his eyes first. I grunted.
He whipped his head back, pushing his chest against mine.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“You heard me.”
“We need to find the goblins,” Rizzo said before we got into a fight. “It’s a small group, but there’s obviously a way they’re getting out of the trainer zone Magi created. That hack is still kludgy if you ask me.”
“You need to figure it out,” Captain Riggardo said. “And soon. Magi Inyontoo and I are not pleased with how the situation is going so far. You’re taking too long.”
“It’s not our fault,” Sylvar whined. “He doesn’t have a prisoner number, and the gamemaster tacked a year onto his respawn. It took us over a week to just find him.”
“Yeah,” Rizzo added. “We needed to find a way to reach him before training. It’s not a big deal. We’ll be back on schedule shortly.”
“The other two new players won’t know what hit them,” Harvey added.
Thero burped, adding no other insight.
Captain Riggardo sighed.
“Fine,” he said. “But let’s finish searching the ship. I love hearing the sound of a goblin’s neck snapping as I tightly grip it with both hands.”
His grin caused me concern, but I kept silent. I needed to figure a way out of the mess without the goblins or Monky getting into trouble. But without magic, I didn’t see a way.
“Step aside,” Captain Riggardo said.
I shuffled to the left then right, blocking him.
“Sorry,” I said then relented.
He shoved me then walked down the hallway to the back storage room. I followed him, stopping in the doorway as he saw the open hatch on the floor.
“Aha!” he shouted like an overzealous attorney during his first trial.
Captain Riggardo stormed over to the hatch and dropped to his knees, peering down into the darkness. I waited for him to make a discovery. When nothing happened, I stepped forward and peeked over his shoulder.
“Anything?” I asked, hoping I sounded snarky enough.
“I need light,” Captain Riggardo said.
Harvey shuffled over then cast a spell for illumination before crawling underneath the storage room to the bottom of the boat. I waited for him to discover the goblins.
“There’s nothing down here,” he said. “Compl
etely empty.”
I fought to hide my surprise, which turned out to be almost as difficult as burying my anger when it rose to the surface. As Captain Riggardo stood, I remembered Monky’s ring. She must’ve teleported all of them.
“Told you it was clear,” I said as Harvey climbed out of the hatch.
“You smell,” Thero said as he sniffed the air.
“Like you’re one to talk,” the healer retorted.
“Enough,” Captain Riggardo shouted. “Let’s get off this floating trash heap.”
Sylvar glanced over at me but said nothing. He and the others left the storage room then headed back up the stairs to the deck of the ship.
I resisted the urge to look down the hatch. Topside, Captain Riggardo stood near the rope ladder leading to the wooden pier. I walked over and stopped behind the others.
“Once we find out who’s helping the goblins, we’ll string them up,” Rizzo said. “No mercy.”
“That’s if you find them,” Captain Riggardo said.
He climbed over the rail and headed down the ladder.
Rizzo turned to the rest of us, displeasure painted all over his face.
“What’s going on?” he snapped.
Everyone turned their attention to me.
“What?” I asked then shrugged.
Everyone thinking you were stupid had its benefits at times. Rizzo shook his head then climbed over the rail. As the others followed, I glanced around, hoping Monky and the goblins were okay. Going against Magi Inyontoo felt somehow liberating.
“Hurry up!” Sylvar shouted from the pier below. “We’re leaving.”
I glanced back at the stairs leading down then grabbed onto the wooden railing around the ship. After climbing down the rope ladder, I caught up with the others.
6
No Remorse, No Regret
Josh
After the goblin incident, I fell into a routine. They cut back on my leveling and kept me working on the finishing touches of the Temple of Magictology. Basically, I had become their slave labor, but I didn’t mind. All the physical labor gave me time to think.
I checked my penalty timer as I laid in bed one afternoon. Only two months had passed since I spawned back into the game as a barbarian. Could I make it another ten months without Eric and Sarah?
Magi Inyontoo had lied about someone meeting me, or he hadn’t known about the penalty. Either way, I continued to lose respect for him.
As I stared at the white ceiling, with my hands resting behind my head, I marveled at the fact that I had been in the game two entire months. The people Magi Inyontoo had sent to help me seemed unable to help themselves—except for Monky.
Thero stumbled into the room, obviously drunk. Once Captain Riggardo had left as suddenly as he had appeared, everything had gone back to normal.
“We go kill them,” Thero said, stumbling over the simple words.
I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the cot.
“Kill who?” I asked, no longer as intimidated by him.
Thero mumbled something incomprehensible then stumbled out of the room. I stood, intent on finding Monky. She had become my rock in a sea of uncertainties. The more I got to know her through her actions, the more I enjoyed spending time with her.
I found her downstairs in the main room on the first floor. She stood near the door with Harvey, Rizzo, and Sylvar. I walked over, sword strapped to my back as always.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“Bloody war,” Thero shouted from the stairs.
I turned and saw him trip then fall all the way down. He sat up at the bottom, laughing despite his dented plate mail. I shook my head then turned to Rizzo.
“This might be a bloody war,” Harvey said. “I’m not sure if we’re strong enough.”
“Maybe we should stick with the bearbugs,” Sylvar said, not surprising me.
His cowardice was as big as his mouth.
“Attacking a human village doesn’t feel right,” Monky said.
“They refuse to acknowledge Magictology,” Rizzo said. “They’re fair game.”
“Besides,” Harvey added. “We need the experience points.”
“And looting is always fun,” Thero added from behind us.
I turned and saw him struggling to stand up straight.
“Anyone else need a buff?” Harvey asked.
“I do,” I said.
He walked over and prayed.
You feel Blessed.
+10% to hit | +5 damage
“How long does it last?” I asked.
“Long enough,” Harvey replied. “There’s only one person in the whole village we need to worry about—Morgan the local hero.”
“I don’t think this is the right decision,” Monky said. “He’s possibly another player.”
“Then it’s a good thing we didn’t ask you,” Sylvar snapped. “I’m tired of your insolence.”
Ever since the goblin incident, she had been speaking out more against the group. While I admired her for it, I hadn’t become too involved. Her insolence kept them occupied enough to leave me alone for the most part.
“Is everyone ready?” Rizzo asked. “I’ve only got one charge left on the Wand of Teleport.”
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Harvey said, his blood-stained mace in his right hand.
Rizzo waved the wand, teleporting us twelve miles east of Esterhollow. We appeared behind a copse of trees half-a-mile outside the growing hamlet.
“This will be too easy,” Monky said. “Why attack other humans?”
“You know why,” Rizzo said. “They’ve been helping the escaped goblins.”
“We don’t have proof of it,” I said, finding it hard not to defend Monky.
“The game’s working hard to penalize mod farm grinding,” Rizzo said. “We need other options.”
“Can’t we find some giants or dragons or something?” I asked.
Monky smiled while the others laughed at my idea.
“Everything on this level is almost all undead now,” Sylvar said. “And we need them.”
“Yeah,” Harvey added. “You ask too many questions.”
“Killing human villagers just doesn’t seem right,” I said.
“They’re just NPCs in a stupid game,” Sylvar said.
“Except for the town hero,” Monky said. “He’s a player who we want to kill, but he’s told us before he won’t fight.”
“Then he’ll die,” Thero said. “Simple.”
“He’ll fight us,” Rizzo said. “Let’s go.”
We followed as our feckless leader walked out of the trees. A woman gathering berries nearby screamed and ran back toward a collection of thatched-roof houses.
Thero laughed maniacally as he ran ahead, sword raised high. I held back with Monk.
“We can’t even get experience points from them,” she said. “It’s pointless.”
“Just blowing off a bit of steam,” Sylvar said over his shoulder.
At the edge of the hamlet, our group stopped. Thero yelled and lunged at one or two men holding pitchforks, sending them scurrying into and behind houses.
“We’re here for Morgan,” Rizzo said.
“Morgan the Coward,” Sylvar added.
I shook my head. How old was he?
A man wearing bits and pieces of chain mail strung together stepped into the middle of the street ahead of us. Everyone turned to him.
I noticed two swords at his side. Why hadn’t he drawn either of them?
He lifted his hands, palms out, and tilted his head back.
“We don’t want any trouble,” he said, staring us down.
Two women in simple white dresses peeked around the corner of a nearby building.
“You can’t build a settlement here,” Sylvar said. “Magi Inyontoo’s orders.”
“I don’t follow that man,” Morgan said, lowering his hands to his sides.
“Everyone will follow him eventually,” Thero said. “You might
as well do it now.”
“Not us,” Morgan said. “Not ever.”
I admired him being willing to stand against Magi Inyontoo.
Was I playing for the wrong team?
“Then you shall suffer the consequences,” Rizzo said then lifted a wand.
He shot a Flaming Disc of Lava at a nearby cottage. The frail building instantly went up in flames. Several people, including children, screamed and ran out.
Morgan drew two glowing longswords at the same time.
“Leave us alone,” he said. “Go now.”
“Or what?” Sylvar asked.
Rizzo shot another lava disc, igniting yet another structure.
“Burn, baby, burn!” Thero shouted.
“Now!” Morgan said in a commanding voice.
A few dozen men carrying pitchforks, shovels, and a few swords stepped out to surround us. I glanced to the left then right as I pulled my own sword.
Monky chanted, causing an energy field to form around us. Everything outside the translucent blue field looked hazy, even more unreal somehow.
“We’ve got you outnumbered,” Morgan said. “Leave now.”
Harvey laughed hysterically then shook his head.
“Kill ‘em all!” Thero shouted. “No remorse and no regrets!”
The heavy warrior ran through the forcefield protecting us. He plowed into a group of farmers with pitchforks in their shaky hands, sending them flying.
“Get Morgan!” Rizzo shouted.
As everyone ran in different directions, I wondered how their group ever accomplished anything. Maybe I should ditch them sooner rather than later, I thought as I looked around.
“Get in the game!” Sylvar screamed as he shot his bow.
I looked up as a young man ran toward me. He impaled himself on my outstretched sword. As he fell to the ground, bleeding from his gut, a sick feeling spread through my own stomach.
While I had seen monsters killed in the game before, this was different. Most of them were controlled by the AI running the game, but what about Morgan? Should we kill him? Another player? What about Eric and Sarah?
Morgan charged at Harvey the healer, striking him with both blades. I held back as Thero rushed across the street, wildly swinging his sword.
The dual-blade fighter dodged, parried, then attacked, bringing the heavy tank to a halt. Rizzo stepped forward and cast an offensive spell.
