by Troy Osgood
The bandages might not do any good, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. A benefit of Triage was making Greenroot and other healing properties more useful.
The armorer was open early, and Hall was able to replace his leather chest armor. It was too badly damaged to repair, but he got a decent price for it, and the new chest didn’t cost that much. It was a dent in his money supply he didn’t want, but another necessary cost.
LEATHER CHEST
Protection +2
Durability 8/8
Weight 5 lbs.
After the armorer was a return to the General Goods shop for some provisions, and then they set out toward the gate. Guard Captain Henry was walking toward the gate just as they got there.
“Good morning,” Henry said. “Heading out? You wouldn’t happen to be heading north to Land’s Edge Port, would you?”
“Eventually,” Hall answered.
“Excellent,” Henry said with a smile. “You’ll pass by River’s Side. It’s a small outpost not quite halfway between the bridge over the Green Flow River and Land’s Edge.”
“How can we help?” Hall asked. The conversation had the feel of a quest prompt, and he wanted to explore what the increase in Alliance with Henry had gotten him. Henry seemed to be one of these new AI Ally NPCs he had heard about in the Inn the night before.
“I can’t spare any guards,” Henry said. “But need some Letters delivered to Watchman Kelly at River’s Side.”
“We can do that.”
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Guard Captain Henry has asked you to deliver some Letters to Watchman Kelly at the outpost of River’s Side.
Reward: +100 Essec Reputation, +100 Alliance with Guard Captain Henry, +25 Experience
ACCEPT QUEST?
Hall accepted the quest and looked down at Roxhard, who nodded. He had accepted it as well. There was something a little odd about Henry’s request. There were other, and more official ways, to get Letters delivered to another town. Faster ways as well.
Was this a result of the new Alliance points with Henry and being Trusted? Was this something Henry didn’t want done through official channels or any way that could come back to haunt him? Hall had suspected that Henry wasn’t as law abiding as he seemed.
Only one way to find out: deliver the Letters and see what happened.
“Let me mark River’s Side on your map,” Henry said, holding out his hand.
Hall glanced at Roxhard, who looked just as confused. Previously, anytime something was ‘marked’ on the map, it just appeared. Henry looked like he wanted a physical object. Hall paused, not sure what to do. A nagging feeling started in the back of his head, an impulse that he wasn’t sure where it came from.
Reaching into his pouch, thinking of a map, he pulled one out. Rolled up, made of a light parchment with slightly frayed and worn edges. Unrolling it, he saw the island of Cumberland laid out, the places he had been and explored marked. The rest was not shown, just the boundaries of the island seen. It matched the map that opened up before his eyes when he called for it.
Wanting to check something, he thought about his map, and it appeared before him. Hovering and translucent, a duplicate to the physical one that he was holding.
“River’s Side is here,” Henry said and pointed at the map.
An icon of a tower appeared about a quarter of the way between the bridge and the farthest north boundary of Cumberland, more to the east where it was most likely alongside the river.
Staring at the map in surprise, Hall folded it up and replaced it in his pouch.
“Thanks,” Henry said, shaking their hands. “Appreciate it.”
Hall took the Letters, placing them in his bag. They were thick envelopes, three of them bound together with twine. Henry looked happy, like a weight had been removed. He turned to start his duties for the day.
With a shrug, Hall and Roxhard left Grayhold.
The rain that had been threatening for days no longer held off.
It came in a downpour.
Visibility was cut down to almost nothing. Dark clouds blocked out the sun, thick drops of rain formed an almost solid screen. Hall was glad they had found the cloaks, but only two hours out of Grayhold they were getting soaked.
Hoods were pulled up tight, water dripping from the edge and splashing into the large puddles on the ground. It was like an obstacle course, having to avoid the puddles that were filling up the many ruts and holes in the hard-packed road. There was no drainage, the water just pooling.
Both were miserable, wet, and cold.
Pike flew high above them most of the time, flying ahead and taking shelter beneath some branches.
Hall thought about stopping and finding some shelter as well. A look into the dark clouded sky showed the rain would not be letting up anytime soon. Nothing but a mass of dark gray filled the sky. Push on, he thought, bending over a bit to keep the wind from driving the rain into his face, pulling his cloak tighter. Need to get some miles in.
They trudged on, seeing nothing and no one.
Another hour and the rain let up. It didn’t stop but it wasn’t as bad, going from torture to bearable.
Now that he could see, Hall was able to make out his surroundings. Using the map with the new markers he had been able to set up thanks to the Cartography skill, they were able to find the shelter of boulders they had used before but late in the evening.
Cold and hungry, they quickly built a fire and ate from their supplies. There had been no sign of any animals all day, so hunting was not an option. Using the cloaks, they were able to form a somewhat decent cover, which allowed for the small fire. Hall also got a couple Survival skill gains.
The next day dawned with no rain. The clouds were lighter, not as thick a gray. The sun was trying to peek out around them. The wind still carried a chill but they made better time without the rain. After a couple hours, the bridge was in sight.
Hall walked around the area where they had seen the tracks and blood. Nothing remained. No evidence, no respawn. The rain had washed the tracks and blood away, clearing the mud and making it all fresh. He looked off into the woods the way they had gone.
Would the Goblins still be there, just bones picked clean by scavengers? Or would the camp have respawned? That was an interesting question, one he hadn’t seen an answer for yet. In the game, the camp would have respawned and so would the quest starting point. Now there was nothing. Did that mean it was a one-time quest? Only he and Roxhard had gotten it?
“The Goblin quest,” he began, looking toward Roxhard, who was leaning against the bridge railings and staring down into the raging waters. “Did you have that before we met?”
Roxhard’s eyes stared off into space, the pupils moving as he searched through his menus.
Hall turned away, not wanting to see it. The vacant look was disconcerting.
The Dwarf’s gaze snapped back into focus.
“That’s odd,” he said. “I didn’t. The only quest I have for that is the one we picked up from here.”
“How’d you get the quest without the first part?” Hall asked, moving his foot along the ground where he remembered there being blood.
“From you, I guess,” Roxhard answered with a shrug. “Not sure how but glad I did,” he said, pulling at his new chain shirt.
Hall laughed. “Come on, let’s go.”
Thinking of the map and opening it before his eyes, Hall reviewed where the outpost they were looking for was. The icon was where Henry had placed it. Hall knew the distance from Grayhold to the bridge and was able to get a measurement from the bridge to River’s Side now that he had a scale. Three more days on the road. He closed the map and reached into his pouch, thinking of the map again. It came out in his hand, neatly rolled up.
“Weird,” Roxhard said.
He reached into his own pouch and pulled out a smaller rolled up parchment. Opening it, they saw Cumberland, but in less detail and with less areas revealed.
“That Cartograph
y skill looks useful,” Roxhard stated, rolling the map up again.
Hall played around with it as they walked, noting locations and measuring distances. The game map, which before had just shown major areas, was not much more useful.
They sheltered in what looked to be an old and abandoned building the first night past the bridge. Hall had found it, just off the road and hidden by some trees. They had searched it, finding nothing of interest, just evidence that it had been used as a camping spot before. Three walls, stones standing with a timber roof. The supports were intact, with no thatch of shingles. The front wall was half-collapsed, stones in small piles. Not much to look at, but it was shelter.
The morning brought the sun and a clear blue sky as well as an early start.
Instead of returning to the road, they decided to cut overland.
While they were in no true hurry, a straight shot through the woods might cut the distance down some. It could also provide a chance for some random encounters.
It was past noon when they heard the first sounds.
Ahead of them, through the thick woods came a bright flash, a roaring from something large and an odd growl of something else.
Pike flew down, settling on Hall’s shoulder. The dragonhawk gave a small screech.
“What’s there?” Hall asked, not expecting an answer.
To his surprise, he got one.
The dragonhawk reared up, talons hooked into Hall’s shoulder, and spread his bat like wings. The bird squawked and Hall saw what Pike had seen.
The view was from high overhead, looking down at a small clearing. A break in the thick forest, a small pool of water fed by a stream coming down a hill at the clearings edge. Covered in grass, both the hill and the clearing. Against the side of the hill was a woman and a small, shaggy cow. She was dressed in leathers and carrying a staff. The cow was next to her, standing as high as her waist. Across from the cow and the woman, facing them, were two ogres. The creatures were tall, ten feet each and six feet across. Large bellies, long arms, small heads. Colored a dull green, dressed in hides. Each of the ogres held tree trunk clubs.
Ogres were higher level creatures, not normally found in this part of Cumberland. Their territory was more east toward the island’s edge. Strong, not that smart but not as dumb as they looked. A single one was a tough fight for an equal level player. There were two of them.
But they were attacking a lone woman. A Druid, judging by the animal companion. She would be no match for them. Even if they were higher level, Hall couldn’t ignore the sounds and the woman needing help.
“Come on,” Hall said to Roxhard, taking off running toward the clearing. Pike screeched and leapt into the air.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The clearing was a hundred yards away. Hall made that distance quickly, a sprint that would have made any football kick returner proud. He jumped fallen logs, skirted around trees, all while using the noises to guide him through the thick forest.
His Vitality dropped as he ran. He could feel his heart racing, his legs aching.
He could see the clearing ahead, a thinning of the trees.
Bursting through the tree line, he used Leap and jumped into the air. The clearing was only about a hundred feet long and half that wide with a large pool near the far end. He didn’t jump high, using the ability to cover the distance in a single bound.
Leading with the spear, Hall slammed into the back of an ogre. The creature weighed over three hundred pounds but was staggered by Hall’s weight and momentum. The tip of the spear pierced the creature’s shoulder, cutting through the thick and leathery like skin.
The ogre roared and turned, swinging it’s arm around
Hall felt like he hit a wall. He let go of the spear that was still embedded in the ogre and dropped to the ground. His training let him land on his feet, and he quickly jumped backward. His body hurt, small pains and bruises everywhere. The ogre was hard, like a mountain.
He looked up into the ogre’s face. The head was small, a bony and pronounced forehead hanging over two small eyes. Large tusks pointed up from the wide mouth.
It roared at him, swinging a club that was the size of a small tree.
Hall ducked, feeling the air move as the weapon passed above him. It would have done a lot of damage if it had struck him.
Pike’s cry split the air as the dragonhawk dived. Sharp talons dug lines across the ogre's head as the bird passed. The ogre swatted at Pike, the dragonhawk moving too quickly out of range.
The other ogre ignored the small fight, stepping closer to the woman and the cow.
Facing only the one ogre, she now had time to cast a spell and waved her free hand in the air, making gestures and sweeps, fingers moving deftly. Holding the staff, a long piece of gnarled and thick wood, she pointed her hand at the ogre. The creature looked down at its feet dumbly as the grass grew and grew, wrapping around the thick legs. It roared as it tried to lift its legs, one after the other, unable to move.
The roar turned into a bellow of rage and pain as the barreling form of Roxhard slammed into the back of its legs. The ogre bent forward, twisting the wrong direction.
Roxhard stood up, staring into space, shaking his head to get his focus back.
The ogre backhanded the Dwarf, who went flying across the field, landing hard and skipping another ten feet or so. Showing its great strength, the ogre lifted its legs up. The grass tore, pulling out in clumps. It stalked toward the Dwarf, ignoring the woman and the small cow.
Hall jumped again, avoiding the great club as it slammed into the ground making a dent. Dirt and small rocks exploded at the impact. He had drawn his short sword and slashed at the ogre’s side, cutting a line across the wide belly. The ogre roared, green blood falling to the ground. The answering swipe by the ogre’s free hand just barely caught Hall in his shoulder. His smooth sidestep was pushed into an awkward fall. He landed hard and managed to roll away, putting more distance between himself and the ogre.
He could see the other ogre advancing on a still shaken Roxhard. The Druid was looking from one to the other, trying to figure out the best way to help.
Or to run.
She didn’t run.
Raising her hands, she pointed the staff at Hall’s ogre. Shards of sharp wooden splinters flew from the staff, striking the ogre in the back. It roared, reaching back to dig at the splinters.
Hall jumped up, sheathing his sword and drawing the javelin with the now free hand, grabbing his spear with the other. Taking aim, he threw the javelin and used his momentum and weight to pull the spear from the ogre’s shoulder. A large chunk of shoulder, flesh and muscle, tore out with it.
The javelin flew straight and struck the second ogre. A glancing blow, cutting a thin line across its arm. Just enough to draw its attention away from Roxhard.
Hall landed between them, back to one, but spear in hand. Grabbing the shaft in both hands, he turned the tip and jabbed backward. The ogre grunted in pain, reaching down to grab the weapon but Hall pulled it away quickly. He flipped the spear, using his body as a pivot, and stabbed out at the other ogre. It had been stepping toward him, reaching down with its large hands, when the spear slammed into its stomach.
The ogre stepped back, roaring.
Using Leap, Hall sprung into the air just ahead of the falling club from the ogre behind him. He jumped over that ogre, landing behind it and slamming his spear into the creature’s lower back. The point dug in deep, and Hall twisted, causing the ogre to roar the loudest yet. The cry echoed through the forest.
With a screech, Pike attacked. The dragonhawk dove down out of the sky, a whistling missile. The ogre’s head was back, roaring in pain, and Pike slashed across the face. The creature lost an eye, the dragonhawk’s talon gouging deeply into the ogre’s face.
It stumbled forward, arms batting uselessly in the sky. Pike circled, flapping his wings to hover in place. He let out a screech, and a bolt of lightning shot out of the dragonhawk’s mouth, striking the ogre in the che
st. Smoke curled up from the burn mark against the dull green skin.
Grass and vines grew around its feet, climbing its legs and across its body. The ogre roared, thrashing about as Pike dove for its face again. The second ogre took a step to the side to try to get around its companion to come at Hall. It roared in pain as Roxhard swung his axe hard into its back.
The closest ogre leaned low, reaching down to tear at the grass and vines. Hall slid to the ground, rolling onto his back and stabbed up with his spear. The tip caught the ogre in the throat, and Hall pushed with all his might. The ogre tried to rear up, to get away from the spear, but the tip was in too deep.
Green blood splashed across the ground as Hall rolled out of the way. The ogre fell forward, its body leaning as the legs were trapped, the spear wedged between the creature’s head and the ground.
Standing up, Hall turned to face the last ogre, which had turned to confront Roxhard. The club swung and hit the Dwarf’s axe, the head embedding in the wood. The ogre pulled, and the axe was ripped from Roxhard’s hands. Dumbly, the creature shook its club, trying to dislodge the weapon. Drawing his short sword, Hall ran the couple feet and slid to his knees. He drew the blade across the back of the ogre's heels, severing the tendons.
The beast roared in pain, turning to swipe at Hall, who dove out of the way.
It slumped to its knees, trying to stand but could not. The club dropped to the ground, and Roxhard pulled his axe from the wood. He got a grip on the axe and swung, taking the ogre in the neck. The creature gave one final roar and fell silent.
SLAIN: Green Flow Deep Ogre
+40 Experience
SLAIN: Green Flow Deep Ogre
+20 Experience
Skill Gain!
