by Tom Gallier
Tilly cringed. "I was afraid you'd asked that."
Asha's blood ran cold. That was not the reaction she was hoping for. Then a wizard at the next table glanced at her, looking more amused than drunk, and chuckled. He turned away and took another long pull off his mug.
"I'm afraid no one has ever figured that trick out, my dear," Tilly said. "That's one of the reasons they call us Immortals. We always come back from death, and we never leave the Game."
"You can't be serious. We actually cannot get out of the Game?" Asha asked. She looked around the common room. Others were looking at her with sad eyes. Her heart started hammering, and it got very hard to breathe. "W-What happens to our bodies in the real world?"
The hedge witch shrugged. "We don't know. Maybe we die. Maybe we continue on, unknowingly leaving a bit of our consciousness inside this realm of the Game. But no one has ever escaped the Game that I know of."
"But there are rumors that some have gone back," the drunk wizard said. He turned around and held Asha's eyes. "Secret dungeons that take us back to where we came from."
"Do you know where I could find such a dungeon?"
"Ignore that crazy drunk. Rudolf is a conspiracy theorist who collects tall tales," Tilly said. She stood and turned away. "Sorry, but I see customers who need assistance."
Rudolf quickly moved over to Asha's table, taking the seat next to her on the short bench. And then he scooted over to press against her. The wizard leaned in to whisper in her ear, and her breath caught with the stench of alcohol on his breath.
"You're very pretty, Asha," he whispered. Rudolf bit his lip as he looked down her cleavage. "I could help you. Help you a lot."
She leaned away from him, while checking him out.
Rudolf. Human wizard (Lvl 39). -7 Dark. PK: 8.
"I'm not sure we are thinking about the same kind of help," Asha said. "I think you're actually trying to take advantage of me, and help yourself to all I have to offer."
"You have a lot to offer," he muttered, eyes still locked on her breasts. His right hand quickly drew a rune on her thigh under the table, and she felt icy cold flow through her body. Asha couldn't move for a long second. "Give me what I want, and I might help you as well."
The elven sorceress leaned toward him, pressing up close as she felt an overwhelming desire to please him. His head tilted, lips parting. She saw the hungry look in his eyes, and felt desire explode within. She mirrored him, offering her lips to the Dark wizard.
"Rudolf!" Naws shouted. "I warned you about bespelling my patrons for the last time!"
Asha snapped back to reality. Heat flushed through her, warming her face up as she realized what he'd done. Rudolf was already backing away, shaking his head.
"You vile little man!" she cried, pulling her sword as she stood and overturning the bench.
Rudolf cried out, snapped his fingers, and a polished staff of ebony appeared in his hand. She dropped into a fighting stance as Naws and Tilly shouted something, and the wizard began chanting. The staff started glowing blood red, so Asha lunged toward her foe and thrust the sword through his heart.
Asha jerked her sword back and watched the Dark wizard collapse to the floor. Rudolf vanished, leaving behind his black robes and staff.
Congratulations! You've earned enough experience points to move up one level. You are now a Level 12 sorceress!
Congratulations! You've earned enough experience points to move up one level in Swordsmanship. You are now Level 2!
"I'm sorry," she said. "He attacked me."
"That's it!" Naws said, turning on his wife. "That was the last straw. Rudolf is banned for life!"
"I agree. He went too far this time," Tilly said. Then to Asha, "Are you okay, my dear? He didn't do anything… Untoward, did he?"
"No, you caught him in time," she said. "I was about to… Never mind."
"Would you like to take your meal in your room?" Tilly asked.
She noticed Naws had a bowl of stew. He was about to set it on the table, but paused for her answer.
"Yes. That would be nice." Asha turned to Rudolf's remains. She picked up his staff.
Congratulations! You have won the Staff of Dark Dominion! Capture your enemies and make them your minions. Must be -5 Dark and level 20 or higher to use.
Congratulations! You've earned 3 Player Kills and won a Dark Object of Power, thus giving you 1 Point to Dark!
"Eww, that is so Dark," she said. "But I can still sell it."
Asha carefully placed the Staff of Dark Dominion on the table and picked up the wizard's black robes. The fabric looked rough, but was soft to the touch. There were several mended holes near where she thrust her blade to kill him, but no blood.
Congratulations! You have won Robes of Concealment!
Her face lit up. She recalled how useful Tiana's enchanted mantle of stealth had been in a fight. She'd test the robes out later. If they were half as good at Tiana's mantle, then she scored big time. Best of all, there weren’t any requirements to use. That mean it wouldn't cost her any mana to use.
"Unfortunately, you earned another kill and took a turn to Darkness," Tilly said. "Sorry."
"So am I," she said. "Every PK digs at my soul. I only want to serve the Light." She paused. "And conquer dungeons, of course. Even Minions of Light like to kill monsters and have some fun." She pointed at the Dark Staff. "If I sell the staff, will that erase my one point to Dark?"
"Yes," Tilly said. "Actually, selling it might earn you a few points toward Light, too."
"Don't forget to take his purse," Naws said, turning away. "I'll take the stew to your room. That's room 25, Tilly."
Asha quickly grabbed the black leather purse and followed Naws up to her room. She'd hoped room 25 was on the second floor, but they didn't use the American system. The three story pub was ground floor, first floor, and second floor. Asha sighed as she followed him up to the top floor, only to learn her room was all of the way to the end.
In the room, she discovered a small bed pushed into the far corner. A jug of water sat upon a small table, with just a pair of chairs. She walked over to look out the lone small window, barely noticing the faint breeze coming in.
"Naws, if you hear of four other Immortals new to town, would you let me know?" she asked. "They would be a human battle-mage, an elven ranger, a redheaded…um, woman, and a dwarven warrior."
He nodded and said, "I highly recommend you leave Oxenbluff at first light, Asha. Rudolf's respawn site is only about an hour from the gate, so he'll be here bright and early looking for revenge. Tilly and I'll do what we can to help, but he's more powerful than both of us together. We're just hedge witches."
"The gate opens at sunrise?" she asked. He nodded. "Thank you. I'll leave before first light."
Asha placed the bar across the door and sat on the bed, pulling up her HUD. There had to be a way to exit the Game. It was just well-hidden and had to be ferreted out.
Chapter 13
Fergus led the way through the shantytown. Tiana followed, with Rand bringing up the rear. The dwarf kept a covert eye on the would-be muggers as they steadily grew closer and closer, while trying to not alert their prey.
People were rushing in and out of the gate as they approached. The sun was about to set, and Rand guessed the gate closed at sunset. The guards were mostly looking west, so they were eager for their long day to end, too. Then he noticed a commotion at the gate. The guards had seized a man and were dragging him away.
"What happened?" the dwarf asked.
A stranger answered. "Vagrant."
Another said, "The Watch will arrest anyone who doesn't have at least one shekel. They check at the gate before letting you inside."
Fergus stopped and looked back at them worriedly. Rand felt a moment's panic, and then remembered that Tiana had money from the troll.
"Tiana, quick, give us each one shekel," Rand said in a loud whisper. He glanced back to see the muggers moving faster towards them. "Hurry."
"I'll
do you one better," she whispered, tossing each of them a small purse with money. Rand gave her a questioning look. Tiana grinned. "I'm already starting to level up on my Cutpurse Skill."
A bell tolled so close and loudly the air vibrated around them. The guards started shouting, as more people raced in and out. Fergus took off running, with Rand and Tiana side-by-side a step behind him. Even the bad guys were racing for the gate.
They passed through just as the heavy portcullis began its slow descent. A couple dozen soldiers stood inside and corralled everyone entering. All they had to do was show a coin purse and they were allowed to continue. Rand noticed the muggers slipped through just in time.
"Those guys over there are chasing us to rob us," Rand told one of the guards.
Several guards headed towards them.
"Let's start looking for Asha," Tiana said.
"No, first we have to make sure we lose those guys," Fergus said, watching the guards speaking to the muggers. "I don't think the guards are going to arrest them. Let's get out of here."
Rand saw the others slip the guards some money, and be released. He ground his teeth, looking around for a better weapon. Then he followed Fergus and Tiana up the steep cobblestone street.
"You were right, Fergus. They bribed the guards," Rand said. "They're still after us."
"And now they're pissed off at us," Tiana said. "What are we going to do?"
Fergus stopped and they gathered around. Rand pointed up the street. The street widened into a market. The vendors were in the process of tearing down their stands and loading their merchandise into carts.
"We make our stand there," Rand said. "There will be things to use as clubs or to throw. But I'll hide back here, and come up behind them. I think they're likely to break and run if hit from two sides."
"What the hell, it's as good a plan as any," Fergus said.
Rand ducked into a cobbler's shop. The shop owner, busy repairing a boot, looked up with a scowl. The dwarf noticed the shelves behind the cobbler were filled with sandals, shoes, and boots, many with very high heels.
"Wow, this is a very modern medieval world," Rand said, and then heard men running out on the street.
He counted five men in dark tunics pass by, and then followed them. They all had hands on knives, and a few carried simple wooden cudgels, and they weren't trying to hide their intentions anymore. He heard the anger in their whispered voices.
"They'll be slowed by the market. We'll drag them into Wilber's Alley to be sliced and diced," a hobgoblin said.
Pakal. Highland hobgoblin warrior (Lvl 23). -11 Dark. PK: 37.
Chuk. Human warrior (Lvl 19). -6 Dark. PK: 9.
Quansi. Goblin witch (Lvl 12). -15 Dark. PK: 2.
The other two goblins were Level 5 hunter mobs with no name displayed. The hunters were out ahead of the others, both carrying recurved bows with arrows notched. Rand realized they could take Fergus and Tiana out fast, leaving him alone to face them all.
Rand made his move as soon as Fergus and Tiana split up, moving to opposite sides of the street. His friends began yanking down anything and everything they could to block the way.
"Where's the dwarf?" Quansi asked. She started to slow. "Ambush."
"You're one smart cookie," Rand snarled, coming up behind her. He seized the back of her head and her pointed chin, and snapped her neck. "One dead witch!"
He snatched up her cudgel and plowed into Pakal and Chuk, both of whom turned to fight. Rand popped Chuk on the knee, and kicked straight out into Pakal's belly. Both muggers cursed. Chuk counterattacked with a cudgel, while Pakal grabbed Rand's leg and held on.
"I got him!" the hobgoblin cried. "Smash his skull in! Kill him!"
Chuk circled around behind Rand, cudgel in his left hand, a knife in the right. "I'm going to hurt you bad for killing my girlfriend."
"Help!" Rand cried. "Cute little dwarf in trouble!"
That made both muggers pause. Then an arrow thunked into Pakal's neck. The hobgoblin looked shocked, and then embarrassed. Before Pakal even began to collapse, another arrow pierced Chuk's heart. The cutthroat tried to pull the arrow out, but his eyes crossed and he fell straight back. Rand looked down at Pakal, and then Chuk, before turning to look up the street.
Fergus and Tiana each stood over a dead goblin, captured bows in hand.
"Thanks," he said. He looked at Tiana. "I knew Fergie could shoot, but well done, Red."
"If you call me 'Fergie' again, I swear I'll put an arrow through your liver."
Tiana, though, winked. "I like it when people call me Red."
Congratulations! You've earned enough experience points to move up one level. You are now a Level 13 warrior!
Rand waited for the prompts to tell him about his weapons, but they never appeared. He frowned. Apparently some things didn't rate a congrats from the Game, but it really was mediocre stuff. Nothing magical that he could see, not even off the witch.
"Here comes the Watch!" someone shouted.
Rand turned his attention to the three dead players. He quickly collected their cudgels, knives, daggers, and purses. By that time he could hear the stamp and jangle of running men-at-arms, so it was time to go. They ran up to a much narrower side street, which he assumed was Wilber's Alley. And then they ran for all they were worth, turning left or right at each opportunity. By the time they were too exhausted to run any more, they were safe and completely lost. So he checked his stats.
Current status:
Name: Rand
Race: Mountain Dwarf
Class: Warrior
Level: 13 (8% to next level)
Alignment: Neutral
Health: 92/100
Strength: 9/10
Endurance: 8/10
Agility: 10
Mana: N/A
Skills: (Click to View/Hide)
Fighting:
Hand-to-Hand (Lvl 2).
Possessions: (Click to View/Hide)
Weapons:
Goblin belt knife
Dagger (2)
Cudgel (2)
Armor: N/A
Money/shekels: 0 gold, 0 silver, 17 copper shekels
Wardrobe:
Spawn tunic (Cotton)
Mountain Dwarf Warrior furs and boots.
Player Kills: 1
Deaths: 0
"What? That's all the money they had?" he said.
Tiana stopped a woman walking with two children. They were mobs and looked very poor.
"Excuse me, but do you know of a shop some down on their luck travelers could sell a few personal effects, like knives and cudgels?"
The woman looked them over warily, keeping her kids behind her. She shook her head, but then pointed up the street. "Two streets up, turn left. Two doors down is Ole Sleepy-eye. He's buys and sells things, but he won't give you much."
"Thank you, very much," Tiana said, backing away. Then in a whisper to Rand, "Do I look that dangerous?"
"No, but I do."
"If I bought you some humility, would you use it?"
"Never!" Fergus said. "That runt is full of himself."
"In his defense, there isn't that much to fill up," she replied and both burst out laughing.
"Ha-ha, not funny," Rand said. It was really hard not to grin, though. "Let's go sell our shit."
"Don't call it that," Tiana said. "You know I don't like that word."
They followed the woman's directions, but found the shop closed and locked up tight. Rand pounded on the door until an ancient dwarf appeared. Ole Sleepy-eye was a graybeard, with his left eye half-closed. He only had one arm.
"I'm closed, you morons," he shouted. "Go away."
"We've got stuff to sell," Rand said.
"I figured that out on my own, dummy. Get."
"Aww, don't be mean," Tiana said all soft and sexy. "Rand's just a little rough around the edges. He doesn't mean anything by it." She bit her lip, sliding into a sexy stance. "Can't we at least come inside and show you what we have to sell?"
Ole Sleepy-eye might've been a mob, but he looked her over and swallowed hard. Then he nodded and backed inside. Tiana wagged her brows at Rand.
"You get more flies with honey than with vinegar," she whispered as she passed by him.
Fergus grinned at him as he passed through the door. Rand looked at the heavens and shook his head. "Chicks get away with too much."
They dumped their meager loot on a trestle table. Rand kept a belt knife. Fergus added the claymore to the loot to sell, but kept the goblin bow, arrows, and a belt knife. Tiana also kept her goblin bow and arrows and a fancy looking elven belt knife, which was long and curved with a single-edge.
Ole Sleepy-eye looked surprised, and then gave them a dirty look. "You disturbed me for this?"
"We're desperate, good sir," Tiana said. "We need enough money to get room and board for the night."
The dwarf thought about it a moment, mostly while staring at Tiana's chest, and then shrugged. "You caught me already into my cups, so I'll give you fifteen shekels for the lot. And I'll regret it in the morning, mind you, but that's enough for room and board for a night for each of you."
