“Yes. Tell us again how they helped you,” says the woman, who I soon learn is named Yuki Ginbog. And the girl haltingly relates her experience to the assembled gathering. I notice that she glosses over her terror when Lugg tried to persuade her to come with him.
The Ginbogs also insist on making up beds for the four of us, vacating their children’s normal chambers. And for the rest of the evening, more and more local people arrive, having been invited to come around for a dram of rum to celebrate the ‘heroes’, as the farmers keep calling us. Poor Shamila has to repeat her experience multiple times.
Soon, I am making my excuses and heading for bed.
* * *
It’s still the middle of the evening, around ten o’clock. As I sleep in the farmhouse, I likewise clock out inside the gaming pod at Viperstar’s offices, taking only a few moments to go to non-immersive mode and check that all is well. And indeed my body feels calm and restful, and very comfortable despite the warning that my body temperature would drop. So – this is what hibernation feels like.
Daria might be ready to sleep, but I’m not. And while the gaming pod provides for my biological needs, there is a part of me that wants to stretch my legs in real life. Perhaps it’s just a matter of habit.
I unclip the small door behind me, wriggle round onto my front, and then clamber out. The room is still lit, though more dimly so – the desks still unoccupied. As it happens, a young man is climbing into one of the other gaming pods towards the other side of the room just as I come out. Our eyes meet briefly, and then he climbs inside and shuts the door.
I check for messages, and see that my uncle has asked me to call him, and there are also messages from both Andros and Kashif. I would like to call those guys to update them, but first I want to find Zakira, or rather Asma. I want to know what she and Connor have been up to in-game, and if they managed to leave Nimroth as planned. The progress of the revolution, in other words.
Damn – even offline, I can’t stop thinking about game events. But cooperating offline like this could provide a valuable, even life-saving source of information that is simply not available to us inside Shadow Kingdoms, for better or worse.
There is nobody else in this room, so I move back though to the triangular room with the couches. I can see several more cigar butts at the place where Connor sat earlier, but there is no other sign of him, or of anyone else. Well. At least I know that I am not alone in the building, but it would be reassuring to see a familiar face.
I walk back through to the entrance. Asma is not here either, but there is someone at the desk, a middle-aged woman who is watching something on a screen in front of her. She looks rather bored. Two security guards now stand by the far door, both seated, appearing relaxed, though they do both have guns at their hips.
I approach the desk. “Hey… uh, I am looking for Asma. Is she around?”
The woman’s head swivels slowly round, and she blinks at me for a few moments. Then she says, “No, she isn’t here.”
I glance around the room. “Right. Do you know when she’ll be back?”
She consults a tablet on the desk in front of her and then looks back at me. “Tomorrow morning, she’ll be working.”
“Ok. On the desk?”
“No. She doesn’t work reception.”
“Really? Oh. Right.” I start to step away, then look back. “What about Connor Champion?”
She shakes her head firmly. “I am not allowed to give out information on his whereabouts, my dear.” With this, she returns her attention to the screen, which appears to have some kind of sports match playing out on it.
I make my way back to the room with the couches. I give Uncle Roy a very quick call, and while I am a little evasive about my whereabouts, he seems satisfied when I tell him that ‘A friend called Asma who works in the city said I could stay over’.
Technically true.
I then hit up Andros and Kashif, and we have a three way chat – easy to do via a laptop, but my preference is to call on my Kjatari implant.
Both of them seem pleased to hear from me, and ask about my time in the game. I briefly fill them in on what has happened since I last spoke to them, at which point Daria had just left Dubasa.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” asks Andros, always the most cautious of the three of us.
“From what I have seen, yes. Everything is operational and pretty stable, and there are already some other human players online, not just me.”
They nod, and I decide not to dwell on my in-game experiences any further. “Anyway… what else is going on? Is there any news from PreacherKorp? I mean, about Shadow Kingdoms coming back, fully online?”
“There hasn’t been another announcement,” says Kashif, “but there’s a lot of buzz. Everyone seems to think it will happen within a few days.”
“Seems about right,” I say. “If I hear anything up here, I’ll tell you.
“Are you at home?” asks Andros.
“No,” I reply, and briefly explain about the shady people who followed me at the college.
“So you’re in the city?” Kashif asks.
And Andros chimes in: “There could be dodgy people from that corporation there too, Lucy,” he says. “It’s probably much more likely that they’ll be near you than out here. Won’t you be safer back home?”
“I don’t know.” As I speak, I glance around the still-empty room, aware of how quiet it is around. “But I am visiting a small gaming firm. They have guards, so I think they can protect me. And I don’t want to put my family in any danger, so I just told my Uncle Roy to tell everyone that I am away.”
“But where are you exactly? Could we come and help out again?” asks Kashif.
I hesitate. “It’s called Viperstar. I’ll find a more secure way of letting you know the address.”
“Listen,” he continues, uncharacteristically serious, “if you are in trouble and we can help, just let us know. Right, Andros?”
“Right.” Andros is looking stubbly; his cheeks swell out as he scrunches up his face into a frown, and then he nods vigorously.
I smile at them both, feeling suddenly touched that they would again offer to help, however impractical it might be. “Thanks guys. I will contact you if I am in trouble. I promise.”
“Good,” says Kashif. “And just tell us if you need us to come up there and keep an eye on you while you log in. I mean it.”
“It’s good of you. But I think I am pretty safe here, at least for now. They have fully kitted out gaming pods, security guards, everything. It’s amazing, really. But if things change…”
Kashif nods. “Okay, then. In that case, we’ll just do your homework for you.” He chuckles, and I smile despite my ongoing feeling of tension.
“I’ll be glad to get back to it, too. I miss… well, my normal life. There are just a few things I need to see to here first.”
And it is not long before I am on my way back to the pod.
Chapter 31: Slavers
By morning we are ready to set out, though not before young Shamila has given me a little silver pair of scissors as a keepsake. They are sturdy and ornately decorated, and I thank her sincerely for the gift. The family also press several days of rations on us, which we accept with thanks – our supplies are running low, and while we can be confident of having enough for the journey if all goes to plan, it is always helpful to be prepared for any possible detours, especially when we know that there are enemy soldiers not far away.
The Ginbog family will take nothing in payment for the overnight stay, either. But as we leave, I give Shamila a handful of silver coins, selecting Dubasan ones and others with unusual designs. She smiles up at me, and I pat her messy copper-colored hair before turning and joining my companions as we begin to make our way back to the road.
Overall, the encounter leaves my inventory and wealth looking as follows:
Backpack: bedroll, copper wire (10 yards), daily trail rations (7), empty glass vials (2), fine-quality rope,
flask of oil, iron pot, lantern, letters (4), light blankets (2), quiver with arrows (8), set of high-quality crafting tools, set of spare light clothes (dirty), signet ring, silver scissors, waterskins (2). Other items: belt, belt (enchanted), cloak, dagger, fine morning star, jeweled knife, money pouch, poor-quality bow, waterskin.
Copper: 11 Silver: 2369 Gold: 226
I belt the travel cloak around me as we set out, and shoulder my bow. I’m kind of low on arrows, but I can deal with that when we get to the city. And so, by early morning we are on the road again.
It is not long before we leave the cluster of settlements behind, and the road gets rougher as it starts to descend. The mountain caves – the same ones that I recall seeing off to our left the previous evening – are looming closer now, and I can see that they are deep and several yards up from the ground. The nests of further griffons, I wonder? I can envisage this as having been set up as a recurring plotline within the game – rescue the farm from the griffon – and with my hit points still below half, I could certainly do without a repeat encounter.
“How are your wounds?” asks Coruff, reaching into a pouch at her waist and pulling out and briefly peering at a couple of small vials, one with a glittering green liquid and one with a white powder. Before answering, I check my status:
Status: human, female, 15 hit points Name: Daria Level: Journeyman crafter Location: Ironrock Mountains, Kamarok province, Varian Empire. Time: 07:54
“I am still in some pain,” I reply, “the wounds have healed a bit thanks to the dressings that young Shamila used, as well as a night’s rest, but I wouldn’t survive another fight like that.”
“Very well,” she says. She is now clutching two vials of blood-colored liquid in her hands, and I recognize two of the potions from the chest which she packed up back on Dubasa. She passes them both to me. “Drink one of these. Keep the other for next time. I should have given you them sooner.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“For healing.”
And sure enough, after drinking the sour-tasting liquid – it reminds me of the liquid from jars of gherkins – I feel considerably less pain in my two main wounds. A further status update reads as follows:
Status: human, female, 26 hit points Name: Daria Level: Journeyman crafter Location: Ironrock Mountains, Kamarok province, Varian Empire. Time: 07:55
So – I’m fully healed. I thank Coruff, and tuck the other potion carefully inside my backpack.
We hurry on, and as we cross a small stone bridge and then round a stand of wispy pine trees, the path narrows. I see a familiar figure on the road. It’s a lizard man, and, if I am not mistaken, a shaman.
Despite the distance, a wave of familiarity hits me, and as we get closer, I can see that my instinct was dead right – it is none other than P’oytox, our friend and former travel companion.
I raise my hands in greeting, a delighted smile crossing my face, and then hurry forward ahead of the others.
“Daria,” he says in his usual hissing tone of speech, peering down at me curiously after a perfunctory wave as we all reaffirm our acquaintance. He then stops, looking around at the others.
“You got my message?” says Coruff. And I gaze at her – it’s the first I am hearing about a message to P’oytox, and nor did I know that she even could communicate with those outside her coven.
“Indeed, Coruff. And so I made for the main route to Nimroth, but it is crawling with Dubasan mercenaries.”
“We know,” says Garner. “We came across exactly the same problem. We slew a couple of them, but Daria suggested that this route would be a good alternative.”
The lizard shaman nods, and we begin to walk. Before long, I am slightly ahead of the group, alongside P’oytox. The same five companions that set out from Vel for the Badlands are reunited once again.
“And tell me, Daria,” the lizard shaman says more quietly, “how you disappeared so suddenly and mysteriously. The others worried you were dead, but I was able to reassure them that this was not so.”
It is a little disturbing to think that my companions spoke to the necromancer among us to – what? – attempt to commune with my soul? But it further shows that NPCs really don’t know what to make of human players’ behavior. They don’t have a framework for it, and make sense of events as best they can. It’s like another culture or a whole different dimension to them, and they catch only glimpses of it.
“It’s very hard to explain,” I say evasively, “but perhaps we can discuss it another time? If I can just say that I was in another place, and against my will.”
He nods, but says nothing.
“And the swamp,” I say to P’oytox, “and the threat to your people? It’s just not easy to avoid the Knights of Dawn and their servants. We have had enemies close behind us the whole way here. But I assure you, we have not forgotten our promise.”
He makes a rattling noise and raises his head upwards. Does this indicate pleasure, I wonder? I am not too clear about how to interpret lizard non-verbal communication.
Then he says, “I am heartened, friend Daria. You were one of the most vocal in promising your aid, and so it was very disappointing to me when you disappeared. On behalf of the Szula tribe, I thank you. But yes, there is still a great need, to answer your question.”
“How so?” I ask. “Are the knights back there already?”
“There have been some incursions by their servants, but the worst is yet to come, I fear. Our scouts report that one of the red riders has recently been seen leaving Sefindarg City, moving along the road to the south of the Great Swamp. At the same time, a small force of Imperial troops is gathering outside Katresburg town itself, to the north of our homeland.”
At this point, Coruff leans forward from behind us. “Outside the town?” she queries.
The lizard man looks at her – his whole head turning – and then responds: “Indeed. It appears that the people of Katresburg are now in open warfare against their Imperial masters. The Imperials threaten our people, but the citizens are in even more imminent danger. Come – there are elders from two of the other tribes waiting for me on the path ahead.”
* * *
The sun is shining brightly above us, cutting through the chill of the morning, and I loosen my cloak, stowing my old belt away in my pack once again. We proceed along the dwarven road; the way is descending, and Katresburg is not too far off now. We should reach it by the afternoon.
Ahead and to our right lies the Great Swamp. It’s hard to make out much detail from here, though, and I decide to bring up some info on the swamp:
The Khranulian Marshlands (or, as they are more commonly known, the Great Swamp) form a vast area of wetlands, lakes and small islands in the interior of the imperial province of Kamarok. It is located to the south of the Ironrock Mountains, as slow-moving streams from the mountains flow into the soft peaty flatlands at the southern end of their route and spill over, forming a vast quagmire. The area is so large that it greatly restricts travel through the interior of the province; the central region can only be traversed by boat, and at some risk. Historically, Sefindarg City and its vassals were generally reached by ship rather than by land, but today a road runs south of the swamp from Sefindarg City to Dathmir, and a further road connects Dathmir with the minor city of Katresburg, near the swamp's northern edge. As a temperate wetland, the area is a rich haven for waterfowl, fish and other wildlife. There are a few human and elven tribes – generally considered to be uncivilized by outsiders – and a much larger population of violent and dangerous tribes of lizard folk. There are rumors that swamp dragons are to be found near the centre of the swamp; whether true or not, such tales tend to discourage the average traveler from straying too near the swamp's festering heartlands. The numerous tribes of lizard folk are known for their love of human flesh, but they are not always completely savage. If a band of warriors look like they would be too dangerous to be worth attacking then, maybe, the lizards might be civil. Some say it is possible t
o earn the respect of the lizard folk, and occasionally even a form of friendship.
Hmm… Not for the first time, I notice a bias in the in-game knowledge base. I wonder who wrote it.
We carry on, falling silent as we continue to descend the mountain road, keeping a watchful eye out for mercenaries as we go.
* * *
“Look,” says Coruff, pointing at a long barge upon the river. “Slave traders.”
“She’s right,” says Garner, stopping and shielding his eyes from the morning sun. “That’s not good news for the local people. I wonder where they get the slaves – the villagers didn’t mention it.”
Lugg grunts, and there comes a hiss from P’oytox.
“Those people steal our young,” he says, pulling his dagger and gripping it so tightly that his hand shakes.
Looking down the slope from the path to the river’s broad surface, I peer at the barge. I can make out a man with very long hair who has a scarf covering the lower half of his face, as well as a couple of the creatures with frog-like faces that I noticed on Dubasa; they seem to be a pretty rare species, but perhaps well suited to rivers and swamps – who knows. Either way, they are slavers.
The barge itself has a couple of raised areas in the middle with wooden roofs. This may be where their victims are held. Its ends are flatter, open areas of deck. It is drifting slowly along, going with the current – meaning that it is heading south from the mountains and towards the swamp, I suppose. This is technically the same river as the one that comes out onto the coast at Sefindarg City, but it passes through the swamplands first, and separates into multiple streams, which are known to be very hard to navigate.
The Call of the Coven: A LitRPG novel (Shadow Kingdoms Book 2) Page 21
