Blood and Cupcakes

by Taj McCoy El

  His eyes widened with surprise. “Little sister, I would be honored to share my information and a bite to eat with ye.” He leaned closer and crossed his arms on the counter “...but there is still the wee, niggling matter of the cost.”

  She motioned at his stand with a wave. “Well, it’s your stand.”

  He stroked his thick, luxurious mustache and stared skyward for a moment, seeming to count silvers in his mind. “20 silvers,” he said at last.

  “Jensen... should I just walk away and save myself from being robbed?” Mayah acted as if she was somewhat insulted. “I just walked out of the woods, why would I have 20 silver?”

  Well I’m guessing ye’re a level 2. That means you have at least ten kills. At 2 silver a drop usually. So, I'm using this to my advantage,” he said, pointing to his head smiling.

  “You are a charming lout, I'll say that, but I'm more in the market for something around 7 silver.”

  “Why don’t ye wring the blood from my body and use my skull as a goblet to drink it from? How about 17 silver? For my children’s sake?”

  “9.”

  “15,” he countered.

  “11.”

  “13?”

  “Deal…” the trade agreement popped up and she accepted.

  DING!!!

  New active ability

  Skinflint level: 1

  You could stretch a copper into wire and resell it for silver. I hope you have deep enough pockets to hold all of your savings.

  When activated, you receive a 5% discount from any vendor

  +5% to presence

  Yes!!! She had done it again. She was starting to get the hang of Majesta.

  She asked Jensen her first question. “So, do you actually have any children?”

  “Aye,” he smiled wolfishly, “the eldest is named Hunger, the next one is Thirst…”

  Mayah couldn't help but chuckle into her hand as he rattled off more of his progeny.

  …..

  1.3 Painful Lessons

  Jensen placed his frothing mug on the table, looked her in the eye, and said, “If’n ye really want to train yerself up, put lots into stamina. The training village is meant to get you ready for the world out there. Your stamina means you can move. If ye can move, ye can at least run away. I see a lot of the younger fellas put all their points into strength. They can pick up a house, but after a second or so, they’re just limp noodles. Ye always have to have yer stamina above yer strength or yer not gonna be worth half a copper.”

  He paused to take another drink. “Right now, ye can run about 40 feet at a full out sprint, but then you'll get dead tired. Try doing that holding something heavy?” He sat back, taking a look around the tavern.

  Her money had been well spent, until she figured out the tavern bill. She had been taken like a sucker. But still, she liked Jensen and he was forthcoming with information. She sipped her bubble tea. It tasted like root beer. The age restrictions wouldn't even let her say beer, let alone drink it. This was her third tea. They were delicious and each one had boosted a different stat so far.

  “So, who might I find to teach me to build up my stamina?” she asked.

  “Well, little sister, since we’re already here, let's talk. I can see a fire in yer eyes that most don’t have. These dunderheads think this is some kind of game. Stinking paladins, present company excluded, just don’t get the fact that the people here have feelings. I've been attacked fer nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Never an apology or a second thought,” he griped into his mug. “But ye, lassie, are cut from a different cloth. I can tell.

  “I know plenty of ways to get ye trained that these buggers will pester ye about fer years to come. What I am saying is that, yes, I will train ye. But again, there is a cost.” The last part he said with a frown.

  “I should've walked away from your stand the moment I heard your bargaining skills.” she smiled

  “Aye, but since we're here we might as well both profit.” He smiled back.

  They haggled back and forth, finally settling on 11% of her monetary drop loot. She then activated Skinflint, which somehow went critical and dropped the amount to 10%.

  “Ye do drive a hard bargain. How about after ye finish yer training, I travel with ye for a bit as well. It would do me good to stretch my legs and get away from these insufferable scourges. Ruffians and louts the lot of them.”

  She smiled at the prospect. The NPCs are so well constructed. I can’t even tell he’s not real. She would do well to remember that fact as the game progressed.

  “Well time's a’wasting, little sister. Why don’t we hit the training field?”

  “Right now?”

  “Ye're as rested as yer gonna get. By the way, did I tell you this training was going ta be brutal?” He smiled devilishly.

  “No, no you didn’t.”

  He chuckled and chuckled until it turned into an open mouthed, loud, maniacal guffaw.

  What have I just gotten myself into? She thought, shaking her head.

  …..

  They walked to the training field while he asked what kind of Paladin she wanted to be.

  “I've seen some that only swing a sword and try to hack their way to glory. Others use their magics and forget about any actual fisticuffs. So where do you want to focus?”

  “I definitely want to use magic, but I don’t want to be afraid of being in the heart of a battle. So, I guess high attack damage with magic or my hammer.”

  “....Hammer? Ye planning on being a carpenter?”

  “No, I mean my war hammer.”

  “What's a little thing like you doing with a war hammer?”

  “Long story…”

  He looked at her for a moment. “Well, if that’s the way ye want it who am I to complain?”

  He shrugged his shoulders, “Can’t say I’ve seen such a petite thing wield a war hammer so at least this’ll be entertaining.”

  As they approached the field, they found six paladins in the distance facing off against their leather-clad enemies. The Paladins held daggers, swords, axes, and a solitary mace respectively. The enemies stood unarmed, arranged in a straight line of six facing the paladins. They all stood far enough apart that these fights would be one on one. The enemy’s boiled leather armor was visibly mending itself, the slashes and tears slowly fading into nothing.

  The Paladins either stood wearily or attacked weakly. The enemy took the hits without flinching while towering over the bent and exhausted paladins. One paladin, overcome by his weakness, stumbled forward, catching himself on the midsection of his enemy. The enemy did nothing. The paladin took his time leaning against the immobile enemy and finally straightened. He gave the enemy a jovial pat on the shoulder, knocking loose some straw that flitted to the ground. The paladin stepped back raising his daggers, and began to slash away with everything he had.

  Ha… It looks like the training dummies are punking those paladins. Mayah saw the paladins resting, attacking wildly, and then resting again. They stopped very, very often.

  Maybe they keep stopping to refill their stamina?

  “Here we be, little sister, this is where things get messy. Ye see those fools over there banging away at those dummies like there’s no tomorrow?” She nodded. “They’re stopping to let their stamina recharge. The trick to building up your stamina or any other of yer stats is’ter let it run out as often as possible. Fer this, we're gonna have to keep you in the bottom 10% of yer stamina bar. So, whip out yer hammer for me?”

  That's what she said…. Hehe.

  She activated Happiness and her stamina started to drop right away.

  “My... lassie, that’s a big’un, didn’t take you for the type."

  “That's what she said…” she sniggered at her joke.

  “That’s what who said?”

  “Sorry; joke from another world.”

  It was getting less funny as her stamina kept dropping.

  “I can see yer arms trembling alrea
dy. Maybe we can level ye up in a few hours, but yer gonna hate me every step of the way. So, let's get started. Walk along the edge of the field with yer hammer. Let yer stamina drop as low as can be, 1 or 2% if possible, and then place yer hammer on the ground. When it gets up to between 5 and 10%, ye lift it and walk until it drains away again.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Her stamina was already at thirty percent.

  “Aye, little sister. Now stop talking and start walking.”

  “That's what she said.”

  He eyed her strangely and finally got the joke. “Aye, that she did,” He clapped his hands together in understanding.

  …..

  It was just after midnight in Majesta. She had already spent 12 hours in game. Sweat was pouring off of her face and running down her back. She practically crawled around the practice field, struggling to lift the hammer from the ground. Using every muscle in her body, she lifted and let the weight pull her slightly forward. She stepped up to Happiness and readied herself for another lift. The 30% pain setting was a lot tougher than she expected it to be. It felt like there was a migraine just itching to eat her brain. Her muscles had turned to jelly in the first five minutes and their cries of agony had only gathered in strength as time had passed.

  Any doubts she had about Jensen’s training had passed after her first stat increase. She had raised her strength 2 points, her endurance by 2, and her stamina by 7 already. She was surprised that her stats and attributes could rise independently of her stat points. The first message had surprised her so completely that her stamina bar had risen to 30% while she read the stat upgrade notification. Jensen yelled at her to stop dawdling and she got back into it, draining her stamina to 1%.

  Each new stat point had had taken a little longer than the last one, but three hours into her training and she was more than happy with the results—except for the near constant headache and fatigue that constantly assailed her. Watching her stamina bar raise to 5%, she struggled to lift the hammer. The headache pinged in her brain like a violin string snapping. She dropped the hammer and took a breath.

  Jensen sat on the bleachers that stood off to one side. He had finally woken up from his nap. At first, he yelled encouragements. Those faded, trailing off into loud snores an hour ago. Now he was awake, picking his nails with a knife, not truly paying attention to his charge. She readied herself to lift the hammer again, cursing Jensen and his training. Wishing she had never heard of his bizarre training regimen or offering to pay 10% of her profits for torture. As she lifted again there was a Ding!!! She almost fell over in surprise when the notification blocked her view. She looked at the notification.

  New passive attribute

  Iron will

  You have the fortitude to forge ahead, no matter the difficulty. You may not be that smart, but there is iron in you that none can bend.

  +5% to endurance

  +2% to intelligence

  Holy geez…… that is incredible. I'm regenerating stamina faster now and there's less drain. She took a quick look at her character sheet:

  Name:

  Pretty Princess Cuddle Fluff

  Title(s):

  High Empress of the Pie Mountains

  Race: Princess

  Alignment:Chaotic Neutral

  Level: 2XP: 100/125

  HP: 33Regen: 0.21HP per sec.

  Stats

  Strength: 7Max lift:49 lbs.

  Mana: 5Mana pool:150MP

  Regen:0.26MP per sec.

  Stamina: 12

  Depletion rate at max effort:

  1.00SP per sec.

  Regen: 0.43SP per min.

  Attributes

  Constitution:1 +5%

  Endurance:3 +5%

  Intelligence: 1 +2%

  Agility: 1 +5%

  Perception:1 +7%

  Presence:1 +5%

  Abilities

  Awareness level: 2 (+7% to Perception)

  Survivalist level: 1 (+5% to Constitution)

  Achilles Heel Level: 1 (+5% to Agility)

  Skinflint Level: 1 (+5% to Presence)

  Iron will Level: 1 (+5% to Endurance +2% to Intelligence)

  Her thoughts of numbers were interrupted by Jensen’s voice in her ear.

  “Ye can’t be finished yet, lassie. I doubt ye even have the tired or hungry debuff on ye yet. Ye got a few more hours till sunrise. Get back to it, or it’ll short circuit yer training. And since I'm sure yer strength has jumped a wee bit as well, let's add a wee little bit of weight. What's yer strength at now?”

  “7.” The energy to speak had just returned.

  “If ye can speak, that means that yer stamina is coming back. Hold yer hammer while ye talk. And maybe swing it a little. Don’t let it get above 50%, or we’ll have to start all over again and it’ll be harder because of your higher stats.”

  She groaned, lifting Happiness and held it while Jensen looked around in his pack. She actually had to swing the hammer now to keep her stamina draining.

  “Have ye gotten any new attributes?”

  “Yeah… Iron Will…” she huffed.

  “Good. We’re gonna push that, so don’t let yerself rest. If ye do it’ll be all for naught. A few more hours and you’ll be able to take on some of these muscle heads who think they’re manly. Now put these on yer handle, here, like this.” He had filled bags with earth from the field and tied them to her hammer. They added 15 lbs. of weight to her torture. “That should keep ye from plateauing too much,” he said, standing up and leaving her there.

  After an hour went by, she was so tired she didn’t care anymore. She became a machine. Lift... carry... drop... repeat. Lift.... carry... drop... repeat. Soon enough, a tired debuff was added to her. It felt like someone had laid a sandbag across her back.

  Tired Debuff

  Stamina regen is cut by 20% until player rests for 6 hours or logs out for 1 Real World

  hour.

  Perception drops by 20% until player rests for 6 hours or logs out for 1 Real World

  hour.

  Why did it just get much harder to move?

  Jensen appeared right as she was about to give up. He held her upright for a second. “You can do this, lassie. Who’s gonna teach all these dunderheads how to really fight this war if you don’t?”

  Lift... carry... drop.

  “You’ll be wiping out dungeons in no time.”

  Lift... carry... drop.

  “Just don’t quit. I’ve got a lot riding on ye.”

  Riding on me? What is he talking about? She looked to see a few people were gathered on the bleachers. Jensen must’ve been taking bets on her. It made her proud that he believed enough to bet on her. She smiled, looked him in his eyes, and said through a few wheezes, “Make sure I get my cut.”

  He looked astonished. Then a smile spread over his face “That’s what she said!” And he laughed while she could only try to.

  “Oh…” he said snapping his fingers while walking beside her, “Call out if yer strength goes up and make yer debuffs public, if ye can. So we can see the horse were betting on?”

  “Sure just gimme a …OOOF…moment. Mmffff… Okay. There ye go.”

  Her stats visible, he ran off happily.

  She hadn’t been much of an athlete IRL but here she found that the most mundane things like killing a groak were exhaustingly difficult. She thought about giving up Happiness, but she somehow felt that would be wrong. It felt like an extension of her power. An extension that had to be learned, understood …mastered. The training village was going to whip her into shape mentally and physically. She got back into her rhythm. After another hour, a second tired debuff was slapped onto her.

  Tired Debuff x2

  Stamina regen is cut by 20% until player rests for 6 hours or logs out for 1 Real World

  hour.

  Perception drops by 20% until player rests for 6 hours or logs out for 1 Real World

  hour.

  These effects are cascading the first 20% is removed then
the second 20% is removed.

  Actual regen is -34%

  It still felt like someone had put two sandbags on her back. And with her stamina regen slowing, so was she. She lurched along, determined not to give up. Her arms were shaking uncontrollably, her headache was a numb throb in her head that she could barely perceive. But she wasn’t about quit.

  This went on for two more hours, and she received a debuff every hour or so. Her progression around the field had slowed. But Iron Will raised 2 points, her stamina 4, and her strength 2, and she saw the training making dividends. She plodded along, determined not to give up. Her arms felt like wet paper. Her headache was ten-penny nails driven into her brain above each eye. She stumbled a few times, but got to her feet as quickly as she could.

  Her health points had jumped up to 41, which she guessed was impressive for a level 2. She was changing on the inside as well. Her focus was being refined. Her attention dwindled down to the minutiae of her repeated movements. Her stamina bar became her world. She would lift at 3% and drop at 1%. She was firing all pistons, but it felt like they weren’t engaging the drive shaft. She looked up at the sky and saw it lightening from the oncoming sunrise. How much longer did she have to go? She would have to log off soon.

  ...And she lifted

  …..

  Tired Debuff x8

  Stamina regen is cut by 20% until player rests for 6 hours or logs out for 1 Real World hour.

  Perception drops by 20% until player rests for 6 hours or logs out for 1 Real World hour.

  These effects are cascading: the first 20% is removed then the second 20% is removed...etc. actual regen is -83%

  Jensen’s voice appeared in her ear, “Ye're almost there, little sister.”

  Shut… up…. She didn’t have the strength to say this out loud. She barely had the strength to think it. She had to log out in 30 minutes game time. The sun was a golden line on the horizon. It began casting long streamers of light across the field. There was now a small crowd gathered around the bleachers. Some were cheering for her, but others very vocally wishing she would drop. She ignored them all.