by Paul Bellow
I heard screams outside as Evan and I ran past a confused shopkeeper and up a set of stairs in the back. On the second floor, I scanned the ceiling for access to the roof.
“There,” Evan said, pointing to a door at the end of a hallway.
After running over, I opened it and saw a ladder inside.
“Brilliant,” I said, looking down at Evan.
As always, he smiled back at me.
The yells and explosions continued outside as I climbed the ladder.
“What’s the plan?” Evan asked from below me.
“Plan? We don’t need a plan,” I said then nervously laughed.
We emerged on the flat roof. I saw three thick plumes of black smoke rising in the air. Evan followed as I ran to the edge and peered over.
Six of the hill giants had fallen, along with two wolves, but the rest of our group looked battered. I watched as Ryu ran to Axelrod and laid his hands on him. Our dwarven leader sat up then stood, grabbing his battle-ax from the ground.
Sarah and Sheldon stood near the tavern entrance, hitting the hill giants with golden bolts, lava discs, and a few things I’d never seen before.
“We need to take out the leader,” I said. “The others can worry about the rest of them.”
“The super big one?” Evan asked, a hint of fear in voice.
“Yup,” I said. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
“I don’t know if I believe you,” Evan said.
“Here’s the plan,” I said, ignoring his doubt. “You throw your dagger at him from down below to get his attention. When he comes over here, I’ll jump and stab him.”
“That sounds dangerous,” Evan said. “For both of us.”
“It will be,” I said. “But we’ve got no choice. Are you up for it?”
“Anything for Sarah…”
Evan ran toward the hole in the roof and the ladder leading down.
While waiting for him to distract the hill giant and get him close enough for me to back stab him from above, I took several deep breaths to calm myself.
One false move, and I might end up dead myself.
“Hey, bozo!” Evan yelled from the street below. “Over here.”
I peered over the short wall running around the roof and saw the hill giant leader look in our direction. The sunlight hit the blade of Evan’s dagger as it sailed through the air.
When it landed in one of the hill giant’s eyes, my own eyes opened wider in shock. The hill giant cursed as he pulled the dagger out. Blood spewed from the wound.
The hill giant put a hand over his eye then said, “You’re dead, brownie.”
Using the new Ring of Spider Climbing we’d found in the stone giant’s treasure hoard, I easily slipped over the wall and climbed down the side of the building.
I hope Evan was smart enough to run back inside the building, I thought.
I didn’t see him anywhere. The hill giant leader dropped to his knees, still clutching his injured eye.
“Come out now, stupid brownie!” he yelled. “You’ll make a good snack before dinner.”
He crawled toward the entrance of the building as I reached the ground and dashed behind a barrel standing nearby. The hill giant leader reached into the building.
I dashed behind the hill giant, sword in hand. My heart beat faster the closer I got. As the battle raged on around me, I sunk my sword into the hill giant leader’s thick neck.
Your back stab DECIMATES the hill giant leader for 35 damage.
Blood spurted out of the wound. The hill giant screamed.
I stepped back, my sword red with giant blood.
He pulled his arm out of the building and stood.
“You’re going to pay, little man!” he shouted.
I swung again as he was getting to his feet.
Your slash WOUNDS the hill giant leader for 17 damage.
He staggered, almost collapsing, before pulling a giant dagger out of his belt. He thrust it toward me. I dodged to the left, then stabbed again, aiming for his already bleeding neck.
Your pierce INJURES the hill giant leader for 12 damage.
The hill giant leader is dead!
I didn’t have time to congratulate myself; as he fell lifelessly to the ground, a dire wolf crept up on me from behind. I sensed its evil nature.
The dire wolf’s bite HITS you for 9 damage.
You have [95/104] health remaining.
You have lost your balance.
I fell backward. The panting wolf stood with its front paws on my chest.
This is gonna hurt, I thought as the wolf bit my neck.
The dire wolf’s bite INJURES you for 12 damage.
You have [83/104] health remaining.
I struggled to bring my sword up and attack. Evan screamed and ran out of the shop with two large slabs of meat in his hands. He threw them over me and the wolf.
When they landed a few feet away, the dire wolf glanced from me to the meat. It backed off, still growling. Before it could change its mind, I sprung to my feet.
“Die!” I shouted as I attacked again.
Your pierce INJURES the dire wolf for 12 damage.
The furry beast yelped. It turned toward me, its eyes afire with rage.
A half-dozen golden bolts shot into the wolf’s body, killing it.
I turned and saw Sarah and Sheldon on the other side of the road in front of the tavern. He smiled and waved at me. Sarah tapped him on the arm then pointed to the two remaining hill giants in the street.
I glanced around.
Where are the others?
I saw Bernard lying on top of one of the dead hill giants.
“Come on, Evan,” I said. “Be careful.”
As I crossed the street, I saw Axelrod and Josh. They stood on both legs, but they’d seen better days. The half-orc barbarian looked particularly bloody.
“Evan, go protect Sarah,” I said.
I ran toward the others. “Over here, beasts!”
The two remaining hill giants turned their attention from Axelrod and Josh to me. I screamed bloody murder as I ran forward then attacked the closest one.
Your slash INJURES the hill giant for 14 damage.
As the hill giants concentrated on me, Ryu rushed over to heal Axelrod and Josh.
“Get Bernard!” I yelled as two giant clubs hit me.
The hill giant’s bash WOUNDS you for 17 damage.
The hill giant’s bash MAULS you for 21 damage.
You have [45/104] health remaining.
Ouch.
I fought through the pain and pierced the same hill giant I’d hit before.
Your slash WOUNDS the hill giant for 16 damage.
“Over here, oafs,” Axelrod called out from behind them.
Josh yelled and ran forward, bringing his sword down on one of them.
“We got this,” I yelled, striking again.
Your slash INJURES the hill giant for 12 damage.
The remaining hill giants glanced around at their fallen companions then took off running toward the edge of the city. Axelrod and Josh rushed after then stopped.
Combat is Over!
You get 37,000 xp divided by nine party members
You get 4,111 xp
You have 49,414 xp
You need 1,586 xp for Level 8 Rogue --> Bounty Hunter.
I took a deep breath, feeling lightheaded and about to pass out.
“Everyone okay?” I yelled.
Sarah and Sheldon walked over.
“I’m out of mana, but we’re fine,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Down half my health. How’s Bernard?”
“He got hit hard,” Sarah said. “I thought Sheldon was protecting him with golden bolts.”
She turned to the attorney turned mage. He frowned and lowered his head.
“Ryu, what’s going on with Bernard?” I asked.
Our new priest wandered over.
“Who?” he asked.<
br />
“Bernard, our original priest,” I said, pointing to his body.
“Oh, him,” Ryu said. “He was a priest?”
“It’s a long story,” I said. “Why aren’t you helping him?”
“Um, I’m tapped out,” he said, shrugging. “Sorry.”
I pushed him out of the way then ran over to Bernard.
“Can you use his wand?” I asked as Sarah walked up.
“Yeah,” she said, taking it from his belt. “If it’s charged up.”
“Gnome guards coming,” Ewen said.
I turned and saw a couple dozen gnomes in full battle armor marching toward us.
“What’s all this about?” I asked.
Axelrod and Josh walked over.
One of the gnomes stepped forward.
“You’re the ones responsible for this, aren’t you?” he asked.
“The ones that defeated nearly a dozen hill giants?” Axelrod rested his hands on the upturned handle of his battle-ax. “Are you here to thank us?”
“You’re the reason the hill giants attacked Westwood,” the gnome said in a steady tone. “Defeating the stone giant has disrupted the balance of power in the area.”
“We did good,” Josh said. “They’re almost all dead.”
The gnome leader shook his head.
“We killed a few dozen here today in Westwood, but more will be coming, not to mention their other relatives.”
“Other relatives?” I asked naively.
“The other giants,” the gnome leader hissed. “Your party is hereby banished from Westwood. If you cause trouble or refuse to leave, we’ll be forced to imprison you as a bargaining chip if the fire giants show up for revenge.”
“You’re crazy,” Axelrod said, lips pressed tightly together as he shook his head. “Go tell Gertrude what happened. She wouldn’t kick us out.”
The gnome shook his head.
“She’s the one that gave the order,” he said.
Axelrod lifted his battle-ax and held it with both hands.
“I have nothing against dwarves,” the gnome said. “But your party must go.”
“He’s alive,” Sarah said behind me.
I turned and saw Bernard sitting up.
“Give us two hours to rest up and gather our belongings,” Axelrod said.
“You have until morning,” the gnome commander said.
He turned and walked over to the other gnomes.
Ryu snorted then asked, “Are you letting a gnome get away with that insolence?”
“We don’t need to start a war,” Axelrod said. “Our business in Westwood is done anyway. It’s time to hunt down the black dragon and kill it.”
“Maybe the dragon will kill you,” Ryu said.
I tilted my head slightly as I studied our new party member.
“Everything hurts,” Bernard said.
I turned to him.
“Are you doing okay, buddy?” I asked.
He took a deep breath.
“Barely,” he said. “Ryu kept running past and not healing me.”
I glanced over at the grey-robed priest.
“Pack up the wagon,” Axelrod yelled. “We’re leaving tonight.”
I helped the others load the wagon. I wanted to ask why we didn’t take another night to rest in the city before leaving—since we still had until morning—but I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.
The others had all wanted Axelrod in charge. He could make the tough decisions. When things went horribly wrong, it would be on his head, not mine.
For some reason, that fact didn’t make me feel any better.
15
A Giant By Any Other Name
Eric
Axelrod bought a second wagon before we left Westwood that evening. We headed south. The mountains were to the west, but we wanted to avoid any giants if possible.
Bernard, Evan, Sarah, and I were in one wagon. The others rode behind us in the other one. I sat next to her on the front bench, holding the reins.
She gazed at the setting sun.
I looked up and saw brilliant streaks of colors washed together poetically.
“Sometimes it’s so beautiful in here,” she said.
“Yeah,” I said when she didn’t continue her thought.
The four miniature horses in front of our wagon trotted down the dirt road in middle of two barren fields. I recalled our adventures on level one-one.
“Eventually, this’ll be the Four Wizards’ land,” I said to make conversation.
She nodded. As I watched the road ahead, she turned to take in the natural wonder in the sky. When the wagon hit a bump in the road, her body pressed against mine.
“I’m sorry,” she said then moved away.
“You’re fine,” I said, staring straight ahead.
“Do you think we have a chance of finishing this quest?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I said then glanced over at her. “Don’t you?”
“Maybe,” she said. “I’m so tired of this game, Eric.”
“Try being here for twenty-plus years,” Bernard said from the back.
“We’ll find our way out,” I said. “Maybe you’ll create a magic item that can eject us from the game eventually. Or my father will come home and get us out. Should be any time now.”
Both of us fell silent as the wagon rolled forward. Two hours south of Westwood, we stopped to make camp for the night. Axelrod barked orders at all of us.
While we worked, Sarah stayed in the wagon, transferring the rest of the new scrolls to her list of spells. After finishing, I walked over to Josh to get help leveling.
“You want to spar?” I asked.
He said nothing.
“Josh?” I asked.
“What?” he snapped as he spun around.
“You said you’d spar with me back in Westwood before the hill giants attacked,” I said. “Are you still interested? I’m so close to hitting advanced skill level.”
“Sure,” he said. “Let’s go over there, away from camp.”
We walked a few hundred feet away from the wagons and into a field.
“I haven’t forgotten what happened in Westwood,” I said. “Before the hill giants showed up. The way you attacked me.”
“Neither have I,” Josh said. “But I’ve been thinking. This is stupid. We should be working together to get out of here.”
“I agree,” I said.
Should I believe him?
“Get ready,” he said. “Let’s do this.”
I drew my sword and held it in front of me. He yelled then ran forward with his. The two blades struck each other with a loud clang.
“Watch it,” he said.
“Can’t handle me?” I asked as I stepped back and circled around him.
“I thought we were sparring,” he said. “I don’t want to kill you anymore, but I’ll do it.”
“You can try,” I said then stepped forward and slashed.
He blocked again.
Your Weapon Craft (Blades) skill has improved.
Weapon Craft (Blades) Advanced Level 1 of 5
You have a new skill.
Weapon Craft (Dual Wield) Basic Level 1 of 10
“Nice,” I said then smiled.
“You get it?” Josh asked, lowering his sword.
I nodded, still smiling.
“You look like one of the brownies right now,” he said.
I laughed, not caring.
Dual-wield? I needed another weapon.
“Think quick,” Josh said then swung.
I dodged out of the way.
Your Dodge skill has improved.
Dodge – Basic Level 3 of 10
“Cut it out,” I said. “That’s enough for tonight.”
“What’s going on over here?” Axelrod yelled as he walked up.
“Nothing,” Josh said while staring at me.
“We were sparring to improve stats,” I said.
Axelrod stopped a few feet away.
&n
bsp; “Did it work?” he asked. “Looks to me like you’re both out here messing around instead of helping set up camp.”
“Picked up Dual Wield,” I said.
“About time. You should’ve had that a few levels ago if you ask me,” Axelrod said.
He shook his head then turned and walked back to the others.
I glanced at Josh.
“He’s more of a gamer than you,” he said.
“I’m more than a gamer,” I replied. “Are we good? Me and you?”
“Yeah,” he said. “This game is getting to me in so many ways.”
“Me, too,” I said. “At some point, we’ll find someone who can help us get out of here. My father might show up at any time and get us out of here, too.”
He nodded and said, “That would be nice.”
We walked back to the campsite together. Ewen crouched on the ground, trying to light a fire with flint and his dagger.
“Don’t break it,” Evan said, hovering over his shoulder.
“I’m not breaking it, bozo,” Ewen snapped.
Bernard, Sheldon, and Ryu sat on a log someone had pulled close to the fire.
“Let’s rest up and get ready for tomorrow,” Axelrod said. “There’s no telling what we’ll run into when we enter the mines.”
I wandered over to a wagon, not even checking if it was the one Sarah was studying inside. As the others prepared for dinner, I sat down with my back against a wheel.
Sleep came quickly after closing my eyes. I only meant to sleep a few minutes, but my body had other ideas. Dreams of the real world flooded my mind.
* * * * *
I woke an unknown amount of time later. Someone touched my arm.
“Get up, Eric,” Sarah said. “It’s time to go.”
She stood over me, looking down, beautiful as ever.
“You slept through the night,” she said. “I took your guard shift to read.”
“Thanks,” I said, standing. “Where are the others?”
“Everyone’s in the wagons and ready to go,” she said.
