by Troy Osgood
It looked like they could follow the road north for two days before heading through the forest toward the mountains. It would be about four days of hard traveling to reach the base of the mountains. They could go overland right away but it would be slower going, adding at least a day. Hall decided that sticking to the road made sense for now.
The wagon passed, they had started back on their way, when Pike appeared through the trees. With a screech, the dragonhawk darted down. Hall felt wind against his face, moving his hair and his cloak, as Pike hovered and settled down on his shoulder. He felt the weight of the dragonhawk and the sharp edge of the talons as Pike shifted and sat.
“You’ve got your Companion already,” Sabine exclaimed. “We aren’t supposed to get those until level ten.” As a Witch she would get a familiar as her Companion. It could come as a cat, raven, lizard, or frog.
“I know,” Hall said. “I was surprised. Found him in a box buried in a bunch of stuff some Goblins had stolen from merchants.” He reached up and scratched under Pikes chin. “No quest or training either. Found him and he bonded.”
“I hope that means I get mine soon,” Sabine said, a little jealous. Familiars were different for Witches than other Companions were for the other classes. For a Witch, the familiar acted like a buff for her spells.
“I’m going to be the only one without a Companion,” Roxhard grumbled.
“You can help me take care of Angus,” Leigh said, leaning down and putting her arm around the Dwarf. She gave him a squeeze. Roxhard turned bright red, the part of his face that was not covered in hair anyway. She pointed over at the cow.
Angus was standing in the middle of the road, a large patty dropping onto the dirt.
They all laughed.
The two nights were spent just off the road, sheltered by trees or rocks. Both passed uneventfully. They had managed to sell some of the common items they had been collecting and had taken from the smugglers, getting a decent profit, which had gone into repairing their weapons and armor as well as restocking their supplies. Hall had sold off a small bit of the items they had gotten from the Goblins, keeping Guard Captain Henry’s warning in mind.
That morning, he directed the small group off the road. He set a northeast course, hoping to arrive where the treasure map showed the trail entering the mountains. This part of Cumberland was still heavily forested but had more hills. They rose and fell, the smaller still covered in trees and some that probably should have really been mountains with exposed tops. They heard wolves in the night, other animals throughout the day. Small rivers and brooks flowed through the area, some wide that required finding a place to cross, but most small enough to jump over.
It was peaceful enough, pleasant hiking, but Hall still kept a guard. These woods were wild, unpatrolled, and home to things besides just Goblins.
They found the ruins midway through their second day in the woods.
A single tower was built on the top of a lone hill. Steep sides of exposed rock rose up fifty or more feet above the forest floor, putting it a good distance above the tops of the trees. Only their low angle and the thick leafy canopy had prevented them from seeing the tower. From below, they could just make out a crumbling ring wall around the stones of the building. They never would have noticed it at all if not for Pike, who had spotted it from the air.
Hall used his bond with the dragonhawk and the Shared Vision ability to examine the tower. He didn’t allow Pike to fly too close, not wanting any harm to come to the dragonhawk.
The ring wall surrounded the tower, about ten feet or higher, crumbling in many places that had once been a thick and formidable defense. There was one opening in the wall, wide enough for a wagon, the wood of the gate long rotted away. The wall and the tower were both made of large blocks of a white stone. The tower was fifty feet tall, thick at the base and tapering slightly to the flat and open top. There appeared to be posts along the top of the wall that would have once held up a wooden roof and shingles. While the wall was crumbling, most of it was still in place, and the tower was sturdy-looking with only a couple gaps in the round walls.
Looking down from above, Hall could see what appeared to be a trail cut into the side of the hill, which wrapped around the sides.
Telling the others about the trail, they started walking around the base of the hill looking for it. None of them thought about moving past the tower. They, except for possibly Leigh, knew what a lone tower in the middle of a forest meant. Loot, or at least a quest.
It didn’t take long to find the trail, a few brambles and bushes hiding the starting point. Once cleared, the trail was only about six feet wide, a gentle slope cut into the hill and spiraling around. Not wide enough for a wagon, but no problem for a mount or mounts in single file.
Being so low level, Hall hadn’t even been thinking about a mount yet. Typically, they were available at level 25, for the first one. Expensive, though, in the cost of the mount as well as the training. Mounts were useful, and besides the basic starting one – typically a horse for Humans – there were a lot of special mounts that were available.
As they made their way up the trail, he wondered if mounts had changed at all.
They were shown a spectacular view as they walked past the treetops. Even from this height, not the top, they could see for miles. Cumberland was relatively flat, allowing an unobstructed view. The green canopy of the trees looked like an ocean, spreading out in all directions. The road a couple days away was visible as a thin dark line through the canopy, like a small brook. The tower of River’s Side was barely visible once they reached the top of the trail, coming onto the flat top of the hill.
That was when the Boarin attacked.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The party had crested the top, the trail ending with a slight turn onto the hill. There was ten feet or so of space between the cliff and the base of the wall, the open gate directly before them. Seeing nothing immediate, they had all turned to look out over the forest and the view.
Only the screech of Pike circling in the air saved them.
Hall turned and instinctively leapt into the air. He twisted to face the wall and saw three Boarin rushing from the opening. Large creatures, eight feet tall and heavily muscled, they resembled humanoid boars. Short legs ending in hooves, long bodies and long arms with thick fingers. The head was massive, seemingly out of proportion with the rest of the body. Small and dark eyes, small ears growing off the top of the skull, which was long and thick, ending in a snout and mouth with two tusks. Covered in thick and bristly fur, each Boarin had a ring through the nose and wore leather kilts. Straps crisscrossed their chests, each carrying a large sword and shield.
For such large creatures, they moved silently.
They were too close for Roxhard to use his Battle Rush ability but he managed to get in position in front of the two women. He caught the swing of the closest Boarin’s sword on his axe, grunting as the taller and heavier creature pushed down with all of its considerable weight and strength.
Hall landed behind the rushing creatures and turned, stabbing with his spear. He wished he had managed to train the Leaping Stab ability. He hated knowing he should have been able to attack while in mid-leap and not being able to do it yet.
His thrust caught the trailing Boarin in the side. It had seen Hall leaping, stopped its run, and started to turn. Just in time to catch the point of the spear. Boarin wore no armor but their hide was naturally tough. The tip punched through the hide, doing some damage. The large creature grunted, reaching for the spear shaft, hoping to snap it, but Hall pulled it back out of range quickly.
Leigh moved her free hand quickly, chanting. Beside her, Sabine held her staff in both hands, her mouth moving in a silent chant. Lines of purple energy were climbing up the staff from where her hands gripped it. They reached the stone at the top of her staff, causing it to glow the same purple color.
Roxhard stepped to the side, using his axe to push the Boarin’s sword wide. He shifted his g
rip and swung the axe to the other side, catching the second Boarin’s sword strike. He stepped away from the edge and the two women, giving them some more space. He had no inner conflict about this fight. Boarin were evil creatures, caring nothing for innocents, just caring about gaining strength.
Done her casting, Leigh willed the scrub grass at the feet of the left Boarin to start to grow. She could feel the roots of some long ago cleared trees beneath the surface of the hill. At her prodding, they grew, forcing their way toward the surface. The roots pushed through the hard ground at the feet of the Boarin, spiraling tightly around its feet. The monster roared, trying to shift its fighting stance but could not.
Three thin and straight lines of energy shot out from Sabine’s staff. Crackling like lightning, flickering shades of purple, each bolt slammed into a Boarin. The creatures roared in pain, the Hexbolt dealing damage and dealing a curse to each. Smoke curled up from the creatures' chests where the bolt hit. The curse took effect, causing a debuff to the Boarin’s attack in the form of a loss in Agility. Pain shot through their bodies, spiraling out from their chests where the bolt had struck. As each tried to move, pain would lance down the leg or arm, causing short spasms.
Hall stabbed with the spear, catching the Boarin in the stomach, drawing blood. He swiped the tip, cutting a line across the creature’s chest and stepped back. He swung the spear around, using his body as a pivot and stabbed out again. The Boarin had reached to its right, following the spear and did not get it’s shield up in time to block the second attack. Hall pulled the spear back, planted the butt end in the ground and used it like a pole. He jumped above a thrust from the Boarin’s sword and kicked out. The large creature barely stumbled with the impact. Hall felt it through his body.
He wouldn’t be doing that again.
Landing, he jumped backward, putting more space between him and the Boarin. A purple bolt of lightning slammed into the creature’s chest. It roared in pain and swung again but streaks of purple energy crackled around its body causing it to grunt in pain. Its attack was weaker, missing easily. It tried to avoid Hall’s next attack and couldn’t. The spear pierced its hide, cutting deep.
The Boarin to Roxhard’s left stumbled, stuck by the roots. He stepped away, putting more space between him and it, not wanting to have to pay attention to the things attacks while dealing with the one in front of him. He blocked a sword swing with the handle of his double-bladed axe, swinging at the Boarin’s side and getting blocked by the shield.
With Roxhard out of the way, Leigh cast her Splinter Storm attack. Inch-long splinters shot out from her staff, catching the trapped Boarin in the chest. It growled and tried to run toward her, still trapped. Sabine pointed a finger at the Boarin and cast Shadowbolt. A thin line of solid black energy shot out from the finger and at the Boarin striking it in the chest. Where the energy impacted looked like a wet mark, a spill, but expanding and spreading along the creature’s chest. It clutched at its chest with the shield arm, growling in pain as the spell drained it of lifeforce. It swung its sword at the Witch, too far away to do any harm, its arm twitching as the purple energy encircled it.
Roxhard ducked, using his smaller size to his advantage. He got under the Boarin’s shield and swung up with all his strength. He was small but built like a rock, his Dwarven heritage of centuries of mining granting him great strength. The axe pierced the Boarin’s hide, cutting deep. The creature stumbled backward and Roxhard reversed his swing. The axe swung to the side and into the Boarin’s sword arm. Not a strong attack because of the angle it was still enough to cut nerves and making the Boarin drop its sword.
He set his feet and pushed the Boarin off-balance. It stumbled back a couple of feet. Roxhard used his Battle Rush and slammed into the Boarin. A short distance, not far enough to build up full momentum, it was still enough to knock the already off-balance Boarin to the ground. On its back, unable to attack, Roxhard swung down with his axe striking a critical blow. The Boarin lay unmoving.
Hall thrust again and caught the Boarin in the shoulder. It dropped its sword, its arm going numb. He slammed the butt end of the spear into the creature’s throat. It reached up to clutch at the wound, and the spear stabbed through its chest and out the back. It stumbled forward, lurching more as Hall pulled the spear out. He stabbed up and caught it underneath the chin. The spear pierced hide, bone, and into the brain. It fell backward, the spear pulling out, and landed on the ground.
Sabine and Leigh backed up a couple steps, the roots around the Boarin’s legs falling back to the ground. The spell’s duration had run out. It reached toward them, both backing off, the near constant swing of the sword keeping Angus at bay. They turned their heads as bits of Boarin flew through the air as the spear tip burst out from its throat. The creature reached up, running its hands along the shaft before realizing it was dead. It sagged down to the ground, and Hall yanked the spear out.
“Yuck,” Sabine said, wiping a bit of Boarin blood off her face.
SLAIN: Crush Hold Boarin Warrior
+30 Experience
SLAIN: Crush Hold Boarin Warrior
+10 Experience
Skill Gain!
Polearms Rank 2 +.5
“Aren’t the Crush Hold Boarin level ten?” Roxhard asked, giving his axe a flick to get the last of the blood off the heads. “These should have crushed us, not us them.”
“It’s like the Ogres,” Hall said as he looked up into the sky and the circling Pike. The dragonhawk was seeing no more monsters, these three having been hidden in the shadows of the wall before. If there had been more, then they would have attacked by now. “What should have been higher level creatures were lower level.”
“What are you talking about?” Leigh asked.
Hall looked at Roxhard and Sabine, wondering how to explain it to Leigh when he didn’t fully understand himself. You’re a computer program in a game that we’ve been playing for years, only now we’ve been reset to low level again and are apparently computer programs ourselves. That sounded nice and sane, he thought. Surprisingly, she saved him the trouble.
“The Crush Hold Boarin have always been around level four, some getting up to eight or nine, and only the chief’s at level ten. Those ogres were only level three.”
The three players exchanged shocked expressions.
“You know about levels,” Sabine asked.
“Of course,” Leigh answered, her tone wondering just what kind of idiots she had attached herself to. “Everyone does. Everyone has levels, including monsters. Most just end up around three or four, but there are some that get up to the maximum of twenty.”
Hall was shocked. Even though NPCs had levels, it was always for game mechanics only. Their levels only meant how strong they were and remained unchanged.
“You mean, everyone can level up?” Roxhard asked.
Leigh rolled her eyes. “That’s what I said.”
“The only NPC that I’ve heard could level was Bastian,” Sabine said.
“Don’t say that name,” Leigh shouted, surprising them all.
“Why not?” Sabine asked, exchanging confused glances with Roxhard.
“Because,” Leigh started to say before Hall interrupted.
“Wait, you said maximum level of twenty?”
He had been level one hundred in the game, with NPCs in the zones relatively the same level as the Players. One hundred was the maximum level a player could get at that time. Not twenty. That was so low, and most players could get that in a week or two easily. Even casual players could reach twenty in a month.
“Yes,” Leigh said slowly and patiently, like explaining to a child. “I have heard of some getting to level twenty-five but that is extremely rare. I’ve never met anyone higher than twenty and that was only the Great Elder, the leader of the Druid Order.”
Hall tried to digest what he had just learned. The maximum level was twenty, or twenty-five for a select few, and only a few people ever got that high. That part made sense. Most people l
ived somewhat unadventurous lives. They didn’t quest or fight monsters for experience so they would naturally level slowly. Even guards and others that engaged in combat didn’t do it often enough to really level fast. Only adventurers would do that, and that didn’t seem to be an occupation that many chose in this new world.
“The zones were always set up in level ranges,” Sabine protested. “How does that work?”
“What’s a zone?” Leigh asked, looking at Sabine like she was speaking a foreign language.
“This,” the Witch answered, spreading her arms to indicate everything around them. “Cumberland.”
“This is a realm, not a zone,” Leigh clarified. “Realms don’t control levels.”
Hall saw that Roxhard and Sabine were having a hard time dealing with this new information. Each looked like they wanted to protest, to argue. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t. He’d always been pretty easy going, not letting surprises disrupt his life. There were so few things he could control so he tried not to worry about the things he couldn’t. This was something he couldn’t. It was what it was.
He glanced up at the sun, seeing where it was in the sky. They still had a couple hours of sunlight left before they would need to call it a day. He wanted to explore the tower. There was always a reason a lone tower existed in a forest, and he doubted that aspect had changed. The levels and associated changes were a mystery for another day. It had no bearing on what they were doing or would be doing in the near future.
“Let’s finish what we came up here for,” he said, pointing at the tower behind them.
Sabine looked like she wanted to say something else but just shook her head, motioning for him to lead the way. Hall could tell that she wasn’t satisfied and not done with the questions, but she’d put it off for now. He worried that Roxhard would start to get overwhelmed again, but a glance at the fourteen-year-old in a Dwarf's body showed acceptance. It didn’t appear to be bothering him.
