Brute

by Paul Bellow

  “Are you sure?” Treemore asked.

  I nodded and put my huge green hand on his arm.

  “Think it through, man. I’m just trying to help you out.”

  He nodded, his face contorted as if the act of thinking was painful.

  “You need to do it now, though. There’s not much time.”

  “Okay,” he said then turned. “I’ll do it now.”

  As he walked away, I took a deep breath. With him asking to have the fight line-up changed, the Four Wizards and Tommy Two-Toes wouldn’t have any suspicions about me. And once he died in the ring, hopefully, I would be in a better position. The Four Wizards would need or at least want to work with me again instead of killing me.

  I hated being their possession, but I couldn’t change how the entire city operated, at least not until later. Once I found Eric and Sarah, we might have a chance to change things for the better if we found ourselves still stuck in the game. Until that time, I had to do everything I could to stay alive, even if it meant hurting other players.

  Right before my match for the day, a guard came up to my cage with an irritated look on his face. He stopped in front of me and said, “There’s been a change.”

  “Oh?” I asked as innocently as I could manage.

  “Yeah,” he said. “You’ll be fighting Gringore instead of Tommy Two-Toes.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Don’t you worry about it,” he said then turned and walked away.

  I grinned, loving it when a plan came together. Defeating Gringore without magical enhancements would be difficult but not impossible.

  “Come on,” the guard yelled over his shoulder. “You’re on.”

  I grabbed my sword leaning against the cage then headed toward the ramp leading up and into the arena. Tommy Two-Toes stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

  “What are you up to?” he asked.

  I tilted my head to the left and asked, “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean,” he said. “How did you get the fights switched up?”

  “I had nothing to do with it,” I said.

  Treemore stepped up and said, “He didn’t. That was all me.”

  “What’s your beef with me?” Tommy Two-Toes asked.

  I hoped Treemore kept his mouth shut about his woman.

  “You’ll find out soon enough in the arena,” Treemore said.

  “If you two will excuse me, I’ve got a fight,” I said then walked between them.

  They continued arguing as I headed up the ramp and into the sunlight. Gringore would be coming out of the opposite side of the arena, giving me a bit of time to prepare. After so many battles buffed beyond belief, I hoped I would make short work of the other fighter.

  I raised my hands above my head, my massive sword in one of them. The crowd went wild. For whatever reason, they loved rooting for the half-orc underdog. As the announcer rattled off the rules, I saw Gringore appear on the far end of the arena.

  He held a hatchet in each hand while wearing studded leather armor. Without the Four Wizards’ illegal buffs, I needed to be smart about battling him. He’d be easier than Tommy Two-Toes hopped up on who knows what, but I still needed to be careful.

  “Fight!” the announcer declared, sending the crowd into a fury.

  I lowered my arms as Gringore charged across the field between us. I stooped down and picked up a handful of sandy dirt with my free hand. He continued yelling and running toward me as I straightened up and prepared myself for his attack.

  When he reached me and swung one of the hatchets, I threw the sand into his eyes. He screamed, rubbing his left eye with his left shoulder. I used the opportunity to swing my sword, hitting him on the left bicep.

  * * *

  Your slash DECIMATES Gringore for 34 damage.

  * * *

  He yelled, still struggling to clear his eyes. I felt no mercy as I continued striking him. The crowd got to their feet and cheered loudly as I cut him down. After striking him repeatedly, he fell to the ground, a bloody mess. I finished him off and collected the experience points.

  My fans chanted my name, making me feel good. I soaked it up a full minute before heading to the ramp leading below the arena. Tommy Two-Toes glared as I passed him, but he kept his big, fat mouth shut for once. I hoped Treemore killed him during the next battle.

  Back at my cage, I saw Ferris and Sherlock standing, talking to each other. I slowed down, struggling to hear them over the roar of the crowd the loud talking of the other fighters preparing for the battles. They both turned and stopped talking as I approached.

  “How’s it going?” I said. “They changed my battle today, but I won.”

  “We’re happy,” Ferris said. “We should’ve buffed you this morning.”

  “Yeah,” Sherlock added. “We can’t afford to lose you.”

  “Good to hear,” I said, not meaning it in the least.

  They would pay for making me their slave.

  No matter how long it took, I would get my revenge.

  “We do appreciate you,” Ferris said, shuffling his weight from one foot to another. “We got a bit too drunk last night, and things got out of hand.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. “The fights make me feel good. I like you four.”

  The lies fell from my lips naturally as I fed them what they wanted to hear. I needed to get back into their good graces and regain permission to search the city on my own. Praising them hurt in some ways, but it would all be worth it in the end.

  26

  The Dragon of Truth

  Josh

  One day, while strolling through the streets, I stumbled across a familiar face. When I saw Wiley’s red, scaly head lift up over a crowd, I dropped my rat-on-a-stick.

  He’s not dead? What’s going on? Maybe he can help me.

  I rushed through the crowd, pushing anyone who got in my way. As I reached the center of the courtyard where he sat on his haunches, I stopped and yelled his name. The dragon craned its neck around to see me then dropped closer.

  “Do I know you?” he asked in a gravelly voice.

  “Yes,” I said. “Yorg. Don’t you remember?”

  “I think you have me mistaken for another dragon.”

  A few people in the crowd gathered laughed.

  “You’re Wiley, right? You don’t remember?”

  “Sorry,” the dragon said. “I’m busy telling a story.”

  “Do the Four Wizards know you’re here?” I asked.

  Extra smoke poured out of the dragon’s nostrils as he moved his head closer.

  “Why would my presence in Midgaard concern them?” he asked.

  Had they wiped his memory with their teleportation spell?

  “I just thought…”

  The dragon lifted his head and shot fire into the sky.

  “You thought what, half-orc?” he said after bringing his head back down.

  I raised my hands and took a step back.

  “No offense,” I said. “We were friends at one time...in other realms.”

  I didn’t want to get an OOC penalty, so I was being careful.

  “You’re talking nonsense,” the dragon said. “Are you drunk?”

  The crowd laughed again, eating up the situation.

  “No, we were prisoners together. The Four Wizards…”

  “Enough!” the dragon interrupted with a thunderous voice.

  I kept my hands held high.

  “The Four Wizards are evil,” he said. “I don’t want anything to do with them. They were friends in the past, but no more. Something changed in them. They became too evil for my taste.”

  “Do they know you’re here?” I glanced around. “That might not be good.”

  Wiley laughed deep and hard then said, “I’d like to see them try something.”

  “But what are you doing here?”

  The dragon shook his head.

  “What does any player do when they come to Midgaard?” He glanced to the le
ft. “Party!”

  All the men, women, and children nearby cheered. I noticed several clay jugs being passed around. Wiley moved his massive head to a nearby barrel. He picked it up with his teeth, tossed it in the air, then swallowed all of it. A rush of fire came out afterwards.

  This isn’t the Wiley I remember. What’s going on?

  I stepped back, disappearing into the crowd. The drunk dragon didn’t mind as he interacted with everyone nearby. Were they all players? I stopped at the edge of the courtyard and continued watching. Something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t figure it out.

  A bell rang four times in the distance, announcing the start of the day’s arena battles. I didn’t fight until later in the evening, but I still meandered in the direction of the coliseum, which was in my collar’s allowable range. The dragon roared behind me.

  Was Wiley a prisoner in the real world? I had never asked him before the Four Wizards separated us. The scene of the giant glowing gem shooting a bolt of energy at him had stuck in my mind. I replayed it many times, but I couldn’t see how he survived.

  At the coliseum, I stepped through the entrance for high-level gladiators. We had proven ourselves one way or another, either by killing lots of opponents or other means. I had thought about telling someone they were buffing me a few times, but I never did it.

  The spells they cast on me had become a part of my daily routine. While only a level eight barbarian, I had insane powers on the battlefield for short periods of time. That made me a hero in the city of Midgaard. And who didn’t enjoy being a hero?

  I passed a few fighters I respected, nodding my head. They did the same. Most of us had an unspoken code. All in similar situations, we respected each other in and out of the arena. My new life began to feel natural to me, which was a problem.

  After changing into my arena-gear, what I considered my costume, I walked toward the ramp leading up to the bright arena. The sound of thousands of people elevated my mood. I heard them in my dreams at night. Their cries were music to my half-orc ears.

  The first few fights of the afternoon went as expected. Old Timmy finally died, but everyone had been expecting it for a while. I bowed my head as they carried his trampled body by. Stupid hippos. The range of people and creatures I had fought was stunning.

  I still thought about Eric and Sarah, but they had become even more distant memories with each passing week in the game. Thirty-four weeks after spawning back into the game as an NPC, I sometimes wondered if I would ever go back to a normal life again.

  The crowd cheered as the next match started. I wasn’t sure who was fighting, but I wished them luck. Animal night was always interesting. From hippos to great apes to armored giraffes, the players who owned the coliseum always came up with something new.

  My life still sucked, but the Four Wizards appeared to trust me more than when they had first brought me to Midgaard against my will. Level One-Nine sounded massive with over a dozen city-states stretched across a vast apocalyptic and barren wasteland.

  Years of resource gather and bad magic had destroyed the environment outside the cities. The parties inside the walls of the various city-states continued. I wondered what some of the others were like as the crowd above me laughed at something out of my view.

  Even with only a few weeks as gladiator, I had seen so many crazy things. As one of the top fighters, I only faced a threatening opponent about once a week. The Four Wizards and the owners of the coliseum both wanted to make as much coin as possible.

  A heavy round of applause announced the end of the fight. I rolled my head around to crack my neck. The wizards’ buffs energized my body. Needing bigger daily doses concerned me but not enough to even think about running away or quitting. They had me hooked.

  Crazy Jerry walked down the ramp, covered in blood and feathers. He smiled, two front teeth missing, as he passed me. I nodded my head, wondering when I would face him in the arena. He had a wicked reputation for cheating and doing anything to win his matches.

  I took a deep breath as the announcer called my name. The walk into the brightness above ground always affected me. It was like I was rising from the grave every single time I fought. A large pole with a giant glowing green gem on top stood in the center of the arena.

  On the other side of it, I saw a platoon of monkeys wearing armor and carrying crossbows. Great. This is going to be nuts. As I waited for them to make a move, scrambling for the best way to kill them all, the announcer came back on to tell the crowd, and me, of another surprise.

  “...Wiley the dragon!”

  Every single soul in the coliseum stood and screamed their approval as the red dragon dropped from the sky and landed in the center of the arena. Would I be fighting against him or was it co-op?

  I thought back to when we had first entered the game. So many things had changed.

  Wiley trotted out from underneath the coliseum. After stopping nearby, he turned his long, sinewy neck toward me.

  “A little help?” he asked.

  I smiled and walked toward him with my bastard sword in my hands. He turned back to the monkeys and shot a cone of fire at them. A dozen shrieks filled the air as they all fired their crossbows. I dove under the dragon to avoid getting hit by the shower of arrows.

  Wiley stepped forward, almost knocking me over with his underbelly. He let loose another cone of flames, roasting more of the monkeys. Their piercing shrieks continued as across the arena I saw an even bigger problem—a great ape with another few dozen monkeys.

  “Take the battle to them,” Wiley said then leaped into the air.

  The monkeys fired their crossbows at the dragon as it skillfully maneuvered through the sky. I went into a barbarian rage. Between that skill and all the buffs the wizards had given me, I would be fine. At least I hope I would be okay.

  * * *

  Better Barbarian Rage Invoked!

  +50% to hit bonus

  +50 damage bonus

  You get 2 attacks per round.

  * * *

  “For Midgaard!” I shouted, driving the audience wild.

  Their cheers energized me even more as I dashed across the dirt spotted with blood. I reached a pile of dead monkeys and ran right over them. The great ape pounded its barrel-chest then charged toward me at full speed. I raised my sword in both hands as I ran.

  * * *

  Your slash DISMEMBERS Abe the great ape for 154 damage.

  Your slash EVISCERATES Abe the great ape for 127 damage.

  * * *

  Whatever new spell the Four Wizards had created was working wonderfully. Ape, bleeding, screamed in frustration then jumped forward, slashing with both its claws.

  * * *

  Abe’s claws MAIM you for 53 damage.

  Abe’s claws DEVASTATE you for 42 damage.

  You have [904/209] health remaining.

  * * *

  Having 999 health every battle had helped more times than I cared to admit. I had learned that cheaters were punished to the fullest extent of the law, but I didn’t care. The thrill of defeating monster and other warriors in the arena was too much to give up.

  I also enjoyed the rush of the magic coursing through my veins. While very much addicted to the buffs, I couldn’t see myself ever stopping. They offered me too much of an edge. I parried another attack by the great ape as the dragon roasted more monkeys.

  Behind the last wave of monkeys, I saw a third group stream out onto the field of battle. Three great apes even larger than Abe wandered out with them. I saw them looking around the battlefield and screaming orders as I kept attacking Abe in front of me.

  * * *

  Your slash MUTILATES Abe the Great Ape for 99 damage.

  Your slash DISEMBOWELS Abe the Great Ape for 124 damage.

  Abe the Great Ape is dead!

  * * *

  I wiped my sword on its dark brown fur as I continued to rage. Without thinking too much, I ran toward the latest wave of crossbow wielding monkeys. How many would they throw at us?
Could we kill all of them? The questions piled up like bodies in the arena.

  Wiley swooped low and shot more flames. The audience cheered even louder than they had for me. Was I jealous? A little bit, but I appreciated the dragon’s help with all the simians. Apes and monkeys didn’t sound dangerous, but in large numbers they could be deadly.

  The smell of burnt flesh and hair filled my nostrils, but I fought on, uncaring because of my enhanced barbarian rage. I killed Abu, the first great ape I came across, rather quickly. His two ape companions noticed me and charged, each of them holding a scimitar.

  I fought valiantly alongside the dragon. Four more simian waves hit us. Their bodies littered almost every inch of the arena. I found it difficult to fight while standing on them, but I kept fighting. Even when my barbarian rage wore off, I kept swinging my sword.

  After six rounds of apes and monkeys, the announcer signaled the end of the fight. I raised my sword with my right hand briefly. The weight was too much in my condition. I fell atop a pile of dead monkeys. Wiley walked over, his massive weight crushing their bodies.

  “Good game,” he said.

  I moaned, not getting up.

  “See you around,” he said.

  I watched as he lifted his head and shot fire into the sky. The audience continued to eat it up, loving everything about his performance. I struggled to my feet then carefully navigated my way across the arena. Once underground, I waited for the Four Wizards to show up.

  When they didn’t arrive an hour after my battle, I decided to walk back to their towers on my own. The four tall, round towers were connected at their bases. I loved that I lived in one of the coolest properties in the entire city. Would I be able to see more of it someday?