by Tom Gallier
Bartering (Lvl 2).
Battle skills:
Swordsmanship (Lvl 2).
Hand-to-Hand (Lvl 1).
Spellcasting:
Simple fire.
Fireballs.
Slow as Molasses. Slow foes down for up to one minute.
Hover. 30 seconds.
Possessions: (Click to View/Hide)
Weapons:
Short sword.
Dwarven long knife.
Ork belt knife, single-edge.
Armor: N/A
Magical:
Robes of Concealment.
Dagger of Wrath. A Bound object. Sends victim to Purgatory for one month.
Healing Potion (10). Will heal 20. Cooldown: 15 minutes. Can be used once an hour, up to 5 times in 24 hours.
Mana Restoring Potion (5). Will restore 25 mana points. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Can be used once an hour.
Money/shekels: 0 gold, 1 silver, 30 copper shekels
Wardrobe:
Spawn tunic (Cotton)
Elven Sorceress dress (Silk). Purple. Two piece (Halter and slit skirt).
Player Kills: 3
Deaths: 1
"Does leveling up give me more mana?"
"Yes, at the tens," Lady Isadora replied. "And buying spells usually adds a few mana points, too. Also, just using magic will push your top limit up."
"Oh, I almost forgot." She looked back at the list of spells. "Do you have an inventory spell?"
"Yes, but it's quite expensive," she said. "I have a spell with twenty slots for twenty-five gold shekels, another for fifty slots for fifty shekels, and the biggest with one hundred slots for a hundred shekels."
"Inventory spells cost a gold shekel per slot?"
"I'm afraid so," she said with an apologetic shrug. "The spells are extremely difficult to create."
"Too rich for me," Asha said. "I'll have to start saving my shekels."
Asha thanked the witch and departed. Upon stepping outside, she noticed the day was growing bright. Sunrise was just minutes away, and then the town gates would open. She needed to get to Madam Elise's Inn before Rudolf came charging into town looking for vengeance.
She walked as fast as she dared to avoid others taking too much interest in her. The sorceress didn't want to make it easy for the dark wizard to track her down. The town wasn't very large, so she reached the plaza in front of the main gate as the guard detail arrived to relieve the night watch. The portcullis would be lifted when the bell tolled, which happened when a lookout saw the edge of the sun top the horizon.
Elise's Inn stood close to the wall and across the plaza. As she headed towards it, Asha heard a cry of outrage, and swords being pulled. The guards looked, but seemed uninterested. Odd, that. When she looked that way, a flash of fire-red hair caught her attention.
She checked out the three men backing a young woman against a wall.
Raul. Human Merchant (Lvl 23). Neutral. PK: 6.
Carr. Human barbarian warrior (Lvl 13). -1 Dark. PK: 17.
Sal. Human Soldier (Lvl 11). -2 Dark. PK: 23.
Tiana. Human thief (Lvl 13). Neutral. PK: 1.
"They're going to kill Tiana," she whispered, and almost pulled up a fireball.
Asha reconsidered as she walked quickly towards them. The Robes of Concealment were bundled and tied to the back of her sword belt. She pulled them free of the bindings while she considered her options. As soon as the robes were on her body, she willed herself invisible.
Pulling the ork belt knife, single-edged, she slipped up behind the soldier and thrust into the back of his sword hand.
"Aaiiee! Mother – " he cried, releasing his sword.
Her roundhouse to the face ended his outcry. Asha spun around, and kicked the barbarian's wrist, causing him to cry out and drop the sword. And then she slashed the merchant's robes, and all three took off running.
She hurried over to Tiana, who was staring after the retreating men. "Shhh, Tiana. It's Asha. I'll meet you at the inn."
The bell tolled, loud and vibrating the air. That bell had to be humongous, and close to do that. The portcullis began creaking as it slowly rose up. The night watch formed up to leave, as the day watch started moving into position. Asha didn't waste time getting to the safety of the inn. Tiana was right behind her.
"Come in, Tiana," she called after passing through the door and willing herself visible. The thief ran in and wrapped her up in a big hug and kiss on the cheek. "Well, I guess you missed me."
"Asha! I did miss you. A lot," Tiana said. The thief looked her over, eyes lingering on her breasts. "And may I say, you look amazing. Ten times more beautiful than in the last realm."
"Back at you. I'm actually stunned you took such a beautiful character," she said. Tiana's breasts were large, firm, and rode high. It was hard to not stare. "You no longer blend in like a good thief should."
She blushed. "Well, this was my one chance to be beautiful."
"Yeah, yeah, you're both beauty queens," a tall, handsome elf said. He sounded like Fergus. "Either start making out, or come join me for another morning beer."
"You look and sound like Fergus, but that last comment makes me wonder if you are actually Rand."
Fergus grinned and shrugged. "The runt's a bad influence on us all."
They joined him at the table, and a serving girl brought over two more mugs. After a long drink, Asha looked around the common room.
"Where are Killum and Rand?"
Chapter 15
Oxenbluff sat upon a large hill, overlooking the river. Even though the town walls surrounded the hill, they were still above the shantytown. Killum learned it was to keep them above the flood plain. The serving girl he spent the night with said they were flooded almost every spring.
Killum ate an apple and stared at the shantytown. A lot of poor people lived miserable existences down there, and then went into town to work every day. Just studying the workers waiting for the gate to open, he guessed nine out of ten were mobs. The ones who were players looked even more miserable and beaten down.
Jimu. Human baker (Lvl 16). Neutral.
Jimu was a middle-aged woman. She wore dirty white trousers, tunic, and apron. She was chewing on leaves she kept in a small cloth sack about the size of Killum's fist.
Dang. Human leatherworker (Lvl 22). -1 Dark. PK: 3.
Dang looked Asian, with gray-streaked black hair and slumped shoulders. He was missing an eye and two fingers. He was the most curious, since Killum suspected death always meant a return to default so he could just kill himself and regain those lost body parts.
Annabelle. Human serving wench (Lvl 13). Easy virtue. -2 Dark.
She was a gorgeous brunette, but with hard eyes. Like all serving wenches, and most female players, she owned a killer set of tits that her tight, low-cut outfit displayed with great effect. Like Jimu, she was chewing on small leaves that must be some kind of local drug.
Curtis. Human clerk (Lvl 27). Neutral.
The clerk had the highest level in the Game of them all, but looked the youngest and least beat down. His plain blue tunic and trousers looked clean, but wrinkled. Killum guessed he slept fully dressed.
Why aren't they out playing the Game? Killum wondered. Why accept such soul sucking jobs inside a Game?
Those down on their luck players left him feeling uncertain. Something he'd need to discuss with his friends. Maybe they learned something inside town. There were dungeons around to be conquered. Bambi and the beer garden patrons all agreed on that point, but they were a little hazy on the specifics and locations.
"Did you hear?" a mob asked another. "Dread Ones snuck into Rik's Inn in the middle of the night and killed everyone."
"Yes! I heard they were found dismembered, and all of their blood drank."
"Are the Dread Ones vampires?" Killum asked.
They looked at him like he was crazy. "Some are. Mostly they are zombies and ghouls following Lord Kathro."
Before he could ask about Lord Kathro, anot
her man came stomping up to the gate. A very angry man that everyone avoided even looking at or engaging. Killum studied the newcomer.
Rudolf. Human wizard (Lvl 39). -7 Dark. PK: 8.
He didn't look like a powerful wizard in his brown and tan tunic and trousers. Of course, some players liked to keep it understated. He didn't radiate power, but menace and anger. Still, Killum had no magic, so was no match for the level 39 wizard. The fact Rudolf was Dark and had eight player kills was enough for Killum.
The bell rang, which was an experience. "Holy crap. How big is that damned bell?"
The crowd of poor mobs chuckled and grinned. They were used to it. But before he could press his question, the portcullis began to rise. It made a loud grinding sound, and as soon as it was a few feet off the ground the worker mobs began crawling under.
Killum moved out of the way as the crowd surged forward. He didn't have a boss breathing down his neck, so could stand back and watch.
"Kind of a medieval rush hour," he said, shaking his head. "Rush hour is eternal."
Rudolf also hung back, scowling at them all. At about five feet high, gate guards began emerging from under the portcullis. The Dark wizard hurried over to an older looking guard.
Human City Watch Sergeant (Lvl 19). -3 Dark. PK: 8.
"Sergeant Mack," Rudolf called. He handed the police sergeant a few coins. "There's an elf sorceress inside called Asha. She murdered me in cold blood last night at the Crooked Staff. I want her arrested."
"What does she look like, Lord Wizard?"
"Average height and weight, very beautiful," Rudolf said. "With long black hair and dark complexion. She's wearing a skimpy purple sorceress dress to show off her body and big tits. And she might be carrying my Staff of Dark Dominion, so be careful."
Killum's blood ran cold. That had to be his friend. If she killed Rudolf, then it was for good reason. Asha didn't kill other players lightly. Hell, he didn't like the wizard either.
I have to warn Asha and help her escape being arrested, he thought, heading for the gate.
The battle-mage ducked under the portcullis and found himself in a plaza of sorts. Two heavily armed and armored guards approached him.
"Declare yourself, stranger."
He paused. What the hell does that mean?
"I am Killum. A traveler," he said. "And I'm just passing through."
"Do you have coin?"
He palmed his purse, which was pleasantly full now. The guards nodded and turned away, but he called out to them.
"Excuse me, but could you point me to the Crooked Staff?"
"It's straight up Prince Carl Street, on the corner of Witchers Alley," one of them said, pointing up a steep cobblestone street.
Rudolf and two guards walked by and headed up the street. Killum followed, trying to get around them, but they were walking quickly and the street was crowded with workers hurrying to their jobs. He couldn't get around them in time, and they came to a stop outside the pub. Rudolf looked pleased, and not in a good-for-Asha way.
Killum managed to slip past them and enter the pub. The common room was mostly empty, though there were a few people scattered around the room. One guy was stretched out, wrapped up in a woolen cloak, and snoring against a wall.
A tall, beautiful redhead and a scowling half-hobgoblin stopped and stared at him. Before the battle-mage could speak, Rudolf and the guards stomped inside.
"Where's the elf sorceress Asha," the Dark wizard demanded.
"We rented her room 25," the hobgoblin said.
The wizard raced up the stairs, followed by the guards. Killum started to panic. He was no match for any of those guys, and yet his friend was about to get killed. She'd respawn, but he still couldn't just stand by and let them kill her.
"Is there a back way up?"
"Why?" the redhead asked.
"Asha is my friend," he said. "I have to help her."
The woman smiled. "She's not up there. Asha left well before sunrise."
"Are you one of her two friends?" the hobgoblin asked.
"Yes. No. What?" Killum said, glancing up when he heard Rudolf's cry of rage. "There are five of us, not two or three."
They both smiled. "Good answer. Asha went to Madam Elise's Inn down by the main gate after we heard that strangers matching her friends' descriptions were there."
"Thanks." He pointed up. "Don't tell them."
The battle-mage raced out of the pub and back down Prince Carl Street. He was moving against traffic, so it was slow going. And then Rand stepped out onto the street in front of him. The dwarf sighed and grinned, looking so self-satisfied.
"Rand!"
"Killum. You made it," Rand said. "Dude, you got to check this place out."
He stopped and looked at the door. It was open, but there was a big red heart painted above the door and the establishments name in bold letters: Naughty Cock. A half-elf blonde beauty stepped into the doorway and gave him a come-hither look. She was topless, with only a wisp of silk covering her nether regions.
Charissa. Half-elf human prostitute (Lvl 36). -2 Dark. PK: 3.
"A brothel?"
"Yes, and that's Charissa," Rand said, voice dropping an octave. "She's amazing in bed."
"Oh my god, what did you do?" Killum asked. "You might've just caught virtual VD."
"Hey, I'm clean," Charissa said. She pulled a knife. "Take it back or I'll cut you."
Next thing Killum knew, he was being chased down the street by a crazy hooker. Rand ran beside him, laughing. Fortunately, Charissa gave up after only a moment. But they didn't stop running until they reached the main gate plaza.
"Whew!" Rand said. "That short run kicked my butt. I might actually have to get into shape in this realm."
"What you need is to stop doing stupid shit like hiring hookers," Killum said.
"Dude, we can have sex!"
"Um, you're not my type," Killum said. "I like girls."
"No, no, no, I mean we can have sex with girls in this realm. And I swear, it is better than in real life," Rand said. "Charissa was a wildcat in bed, and she – "
"Too much information," he said. "Hush, you horny little dwarf. Whatever you do, don't tell the others you hired a hooker. They already think you're a perv."
"There's nothing wrong with hookers," Rand said. "Besides, you're just jealous because I got laid and you didn't."
"Wrong. I scored with a serving girl down in the shantytown last night," he said.
"How much did she charge?"
"Nothing."
"Did you buy her drinks?"
"Well…"
"You paid."
"Dammit." He scowled at the grinning dwarf, and after a moment he couldn't help but grin back. "Yeah, we both got laid. And you're right. It was incredible."
"Chicks in this realm are crazy in bed," Rand said. "I wonder if that applies to Tiana and Asha, too. Hmmmm."
Killum shook his head. Rand played a dangerous game there. Tiana and Asha might like Rand, but if he pushed them too far…
"Listen, we've overstayed our welcome here in Oxenbluff," Killum said. "I found a Dark wizard who claims Asha murdered him, so has the local cops after her. I think he's going to kill her when he finds her. So we have to find her and get out of town fast."
"Then you know she's in town?"
"You don't? I was told she went down to Madam Elise's Inn first thing this morning to meet up with you guys."
Rand shrugged. "Maybe so. I went exploring last night, and actually spent the night with Charissa. It cost extra, but was well worth it."
The sound of armed men trotting down the street reached them. Killum glanced that way, and then across the plaza. "Is that Madam Elise's Inn?"
"Yes."
"I hear soldiers coming. They might be looking for Asha, so we have to get out of here now," he said, taking off running. "Hurry!"
Chapter 16
The common room was dark and cool, still smelling of the morning meal. Asha didn't really care for the sm
ell of bacon. The fresh baked bread was another matter, but she'd already eaten and she had a bad suspicion players could get fat in that realm.
"I love they have morning beer, lunch beer, and dinner beer," Fergus said. "Screw waiting until after five to drink. This is my kind of place."
Tiana clinked mugs with him, and Asha shook her head. The morning beer tasted "thick" to her, and was low alcohol content. She would've preferred a nice wine that early in the day. Or a Mimosa.
"Shouldn't we be out looking for Rand?" Asha asked.
She wanted them all together before springing her news that they were trapped in the Game, maybe with no way out. Just thinking about it left her feeling a little queasy.
"No," Tiana replied. "I tried, but the town's too big to find him."
"The runt's probably somewhere a pair of innocent young women shouldn't enter," Fergus said.
The thief punched the ranger in the arm. "Then why did you let me go look for him earlier?"
"I didn't. You just did," he said. Asha smiled when the redhead rolled her eyes. "I'm not your daddy. I don't own you. If you want to go bust your butt looking for Rand, then go. I'm going to keep my butt in this chair and wait for Killum."
