“Oh yes. Yes yes. Lord Crimson is one of my best customers. He’s always commissioning new livery for his soldiers.”
“Do they go through it so quickly? What is there for them to fight around here?”
“Do you know … ? I’m not sure,” he says thoughtfully. “Either his soldiers are not too good at their job or he is recruiting more of them.”
“Is this part of Camlan particularly dangerous?”
“Not as such.” He locates the quilt and brings the wrapped package over to the counter for me. “I’ve only noticed the Crimson soldiers guarding the lord’s private estate. But I don’t pay that close attention. Well, here you are, my boy. Charlie’s quilt. It’s already been paid for. Please give her my regards.”
I stow the quilt in my inventory and am greeted with the message:
Charlie’s Errands: 1 of 4 complete
One down, three to go.
“Excuse me, sir?” I stop on my way out the door. “Can you direct me to Bernadette or to the apothecary?”
“The apothecary is closest. When you exit, go to the first street on your right and up one block.”
I thank him as I jog out the door. I have got to get quicker at this. The street the tailor has directed me to is one of the wider thoroughfares in the small town. It looks a little familiar to me and when I reach the apothecary I know why.
I push the door open and find myself back in the bookstore with Mayor Barnaby. Since I had previously entered via the back door, I hadn’t noticed the wall of tiny drawers and jars along the side of the shop near the front.
No wonder he is too busy to follow up with Lord Crimson.
Mayor Barnaby emerges from between two of the tall dusty bookshelves.
“SirAsh3r? You’ve discovered the plot already?”
“No, sir. I am still in the midst of gathering information for you. I am here on behalf of Charlie. I believe she ordered wormwood from you?”
“Oh, certainly.” He smiles indulgently at me as he goes to collect the order. “Glad to see she’s already put you to work, too. You’ll earn enough to purchase that map in no time.”
“I’m surprised to learn that being the apothecary is one of your duties, Mayor.”
“Oh, don’t be. I’m also a de facto professor occasionally as well. There just aren’t that many people in this village.”
“Professor? What do you teach?”
He silently continues packaging the wormwood. I let him think, not pushing my luck. After a beat, he looks up and meets my eyes directly, unflinchingly.
“For a select student, one who has the desire, the inclination and the resources, I’ve been known to teach a spell or two.”
“Spells? Magic?” That excites me. Some games require players to choose all or nothing, either roll a magic user or not. I have always preferred games like Camlan Online is, where any player can develop any combination of skills. I resolve to put my next attribute point into Magic the next time I level up.
“Yes, some magic. I confess I’m not very advanced or fancy, but for a beginner like you I can teach some basics.”
“That’s awesome.” I immediately begin rethinking my strategy.
“Here you are, SirAsh3r,” he says, handing over a small brown paper envelope. “For Charlie. Please be sure to come back as soon as you have learned what we need to know about Lord Crimson’s plans.”
I accept the envelope and save it with the quilt.
Charlie’s Errands: 2 of 4 complete
“Where are you off to now?”
“I have two errands left. Bernadette for eggs and the blacksmith for a cooking pot.”
“The blacksmith’s back through the town square. This time of day he’ll be slow and maybe can tell you something about the work he has been doing for Lord Crimson.”
I thank the Mayor over my shoulder as I exit, hurrying back towards where I came. These errands are taking slightly longer than I anticipated, with each person wanting to talk and running back and forth. That’s always the frustration with the messenger quest. Back and forth and back and forth. Still, I should be able to get back to the inn and resting before midnight.
The blacksmith sits outside his front door drawing on a pipe when I approach.
“Yes?” he growls at me from under bushy red and gray eyebrows.
“Excuse me? I’m here to collect a large cook pot for Charlie Connell.”
“Hrmph.” With his pipe clenched between his teeth, the man is not very conversational. Although I honestly wonder if he ever is. He scratches his neck under his red beard and stands up, towering over me. He cannot be any smaller than six and a half feet.
Without looking at me, without saying another word, he gestures for me to follow him inside. I immediately get a perverse urge to force him to talk, just to see if I can. Not to mention the fact that he might have information about the town that I need.
“How was business today?” I ask brightly, innocently. “You’re the only blacksmith in town, right? You have a lot of regular customers? Or travelers like me just passing through town?”
He glares at me before turning his back again. “Stay here,” he commands without looking.
I obey. There is no doubt he can force me to do whatever he wants just through sheer physical power. I stay standing at the front of the shop but keep talking, and calling after him.
“So what kind of pot is this anyway? Will I be able to stow it in my bag or is it too big? I had stew at the inn earlier today. Does Charlie have another pot she’s been using or was that old?”
“For the love of—do you people ever stop talking?” he says, exasperated from the other room.
I am thrilled to have gotten more than two words out of him, but that doesn’t distract me from what those words are.
“You people? Who else has been here today? What kind of people are you lumping me in with?”
The red-bearded giant reappears, cast iron pot in hand, through the doorway. He hefts his wares onto the wooden table against the side wall and sighs.
“You … travelers. Just before you got here some jackass showed up, chewing my ear off about getting some sword or something from me. Didn’t have the coin to pay for it. Seemed to think I’d fight him for it? Just the most nonsensical, bullying, empty-headed …” He looks at me carefully for the first time. “I don’t like new people.”
I worry I’ve pushed my luck too far, but I have to ask. “What did this other traveler look like?”
“Bigger than you, for starters. Dark hair. Armor with a small bear symbol in the middle of the breastplate.”
Jargonaut. Of course he’d find this village and think he can bully his way to anything he wants. I hope he’s taken off.
“But he left?”
“Yep. Sent him on his way. He can come back when he has the gold to pay for the weapons he wants.”
The blacksmith eyes me cautiously, as though suspecting me of trying the same manipulative maneuver on him. I change the subject.
“So this traveler sounds annoying. All your other customers, though? They make your day pretty easy?”
“Hmph.” He scratches his neck. “Some. I got one big customer that’s trying to rush me. I told him you can’t have that many in just a few days. I ain’t magic.”
“That many?”
He glares at me, picks up the cast iron pot again and shoves it into my chest.
“Tell Charlie I’ll send her my bill.”
“Oh, yes, thanks. I’ll take this. Thanks. Hey, listen.” He is none-too-gently pushing me toward the door, but I have to try one last question. “Can you tell me where Bernadette is? Or at least point me in the right direction?”
He takes my shoulders and roughly guides me to just outside his front door. The door slams behind me. I chuckle. I suppose he did point me in the right direction—out of his sight.
Charlie’s Errands: 3 of 4 complete
I stow the enormous, heavy, unwieldy cast iron pot into my inventory—god bless gaming p
hysics—and walk a few steps into the town square. Just one quick errand left, then back to the inn to collect my XP and begin the rest period before midnight.
Chapter 24
But where is this final errand? I pull out Charlie’s note just to make sure I am remembering correctly: Bernadette for four dozen eggs. So, somewhere that has room for a sizable flock of chickens. Almost certainly somewhere off the main town square. But which direction?
I hear a rooster crow in the distance. Bingo. I set off down one of the couple streets that lead off the square and pray that rooster is feeling vocal tonight. The sun is almost down, so he probably won’t be making much noise soon. I begin to jog, conscious of all I have to do in so little time, all the quests I have open, the leveling up I have to match. Open world games can entertain me for hours, but there’s always so much to remember to do.
About a quarter mile away from the town square, the buildings thin out and are scattered farther apart. I haven’t heard the rooster again, but a low hum of farm birds takes its place. I can’t imagine how many egg-laying chickens Bernadette must have. Once I identify the most likely house, I knock. This doesn’t seem to be a public store front; I don’t want to just walk in as before. There is some lively conversation going on behind the door, but no one comes to greet me.
I knock again, harder this time.
“Coming!” a female voice trills at me from deep in the house.
I still have to wait another several minutes before she opens the door. I resist knocking again, in case she has forgotten me, but eventually I hear the steps heading my way.
“Oh!” A tall, lanky woman with a blue name tag hovering above her head greets me when she swings open the door. Bernadette is dressed from head to toe in red, even with a red scarf covering her copper-red hair. “You’re perfect. You’re exactly what I was hoping for. Could you come help me by chance?”
“I … well …” I am confused. Does she recognize me or would she have greeted anyone who came to the door like this? “Miss Bernadette? I’m SirAsh3r. I’m here— ”
“Oh, honey, I’m sure whatever reason you’re here is noble and good,” she says as she takes hold of my arm and pulls me into the house. “But I have a much greater need right now.”
She pulls me through the dark, nearly empty sitting room back to a kitchen and dining area in the back of the house. Five children sit around the table, ranging in age to sixteen. All five are working on a chore or project, and all five are also dressed from head to toe in red. That can’t be anything but deliberate, but I’m not certain of the exact reason. I resolve not to mention Lord Crimson until my host mentions him first.
The children don’t stop their chatter when we enter the room. In fact, they barely seem to notice our presence. Just as well, because Bernadette is still pulling me through the house, out the back door and down the steps into her back yard. Only a few chickens continue to roam at this time of night. Most of the flock is settling in their coop. The sun will set within the next half hour or so.
“I couldn’t possibly do this myself, what with the children and the animals and all my other responsibilities, you know. I’ve just been waiting for someone like you to show up and come to my aid. Please say you’ll help me.”
Bernadette is still half-leading, half-dragging me across her property in the twilight. We pass the chicken coop, the well, a small stand of fruit trees and she finally stops in front of a tall faded gray barn.
“What exactly is it you need help with?” I’ve played enough games to know you never agree to a quest without knowing at least a little something about what you’re in for.
“Bats.”
“Bats?”
She nods. “The bats that have taken up residence in my barn are getting out of control. As a rule, I don’t mind a couple. Maybe a handful. But they’re taking over and I haven’t been able to use my barn in weeks. I need someone to root them out and get rid of them.”
Quest Offered: Beat Back the Bats
Description: Using the tools at your disposal, kill the colony of Swift Bats that currently live in Bernadette’s barn
Reward: +130 XP, +5 Gold Crowns, Unknown additional rewards
“Yeah, okay. I can do that.” I should have enough time to clear out her barn and get back to the inn. “Where do I start?”
“Oh, bless you!” She plants a wet kiss on my cheek and hugs me tight. “Oh, heavens, thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you! You truly are a Guardian of Camlan.”
I resist rolling my eyes. I’m pretty sure that cleaning vermin out of an old barn is not what Gemma was referring to when she instructed me to protect the kingdom.
Bernadette leads the way to the barn door. Three tools are propped leaning against the wall.
“I have these for you to use. I’m not sure which will be best, but they’re all here for you.” She gestures to the broom, scythe and net left for my disposal. Each has a handle at least six feet long, which I may need to get at the bats flying high up near the ceiling.
“Also, this.” Bernadette darts into the barn’s doorway and pulls an oil lamp off the hook just inside the door. Using a matchbook taken from her apron pocket, she lights the lamp, turns the flame down low and hands it to me. “It’s almost dark, SirAsh3r. Be careful.”
I nod and choose the net, equipping that in my right hand, with the lamp in my left. Bernadette has already started back to the house and her children when I enter the barn. It’s even darker than I expect. Barely any thread of light filters in. I hold the lantern as high above my head as I can to get a feel for the space. I stand at one end of the barn. The little bit of light coming in from outdoors mostly streams through the doorframe on the wall opposite. It’s far, but it appears to be a wide double door filling a large section of that wall. Through the gloom, I see a hayloft above that door as well as running the length of both of the side walls. For half a second I wonder what other rodents and creatures may be hiding in the depths of this barn. There could be a whole extra level of XP here.
But I shake my head. I don’t have time for that. I’m watching quietly but I see no flutter of movement, hear no rustle of wings. All is still within Bernadette’s barn.
I’ll need to go seek them out.
Chapter 25
I don’t know anything about bats in real life, so my best guess is, like most creatures, they have made a home in a safe, dark corner somewhere. If they sleep by day and emerge at night, I should hear them begin to stir any second. If I can surprise them, I’ll have the advantage. I start with the hayloft to my right. Each step forward illuminates the next few steps, but I can’t help wishing I had another lantern. Under the loft, my host stores a miscellaneous collection of hay bales, farm equipment, gardening tools and an empty cart. I give the wheelbarrow a wide berth, not wanting to disturb the spider web I see stretched across the top.
Once I am under the loft, I lift the lantern slowly, cautiously, up to the corner where the beams meet the wall. Back up in there is where I imagine the creatures crawling into, protected while they sleep. I think I see some slight movement. The hole I’ve identified isn’t very large—maybe only six inches across. The harsh shadows cast by my lantern fill the crevice. I raise my net up with my other hand, preparing myself to catch and capture whatever is in there. It occurs to me that if I just capture and remove the bats, they can easily return and I might not get credit for the quest. I’ll need to switch to a more substantial weapon eventually. But the first step is finding the damn things.
There is slightly more of a stirring deep in that dark hole. This must be the spot and they must be on the verge of waking up for the night. I hear scratching, fluttering, more scratching. It gets louder.
A head pops out of the crack; black, cold, beady eyes look directly at me as the bat pulls its body, its leathery wings, out into the open barn.
Oh shit! Oh shit shit shit. My stomach drops to my feet.
This bat is a good three feet across when it spreads its wings.
And it’s not alone. The soft flapping of leathery wings is all around me. I back up hastily, almost falling in my attempt to get away.
Swift Bat: Level 20
Description: Known for living in barns, churches and homes, the Swift Bat is extremely territorial. Watch out for its teeth and claws, as well as the strength of its wings.
Goddamn it. This is not what I expected. Please let there only be a few of them. The Swift Bats keep coming, climbing one by one out of the gap in the architecture. I lose count, but thankfully the flow of bats ends eventually. A couple of them tentatively feel me out, diving at me and nipping but without a full attack. I know that as soon as I attack, though, I’ll get the full brunt of their aggro.
This net isn’t going to do me any good. I leave the lantern on the floor and hurry to the door to equip the scythe Bernadette left me. Hopefully my Clubbing and Slashing skills can both help me wield this new weapon.
The bats fly up into the rafters, up toward the high ceiling of the barn, stretching their wings and preparing to fly out. I only have a short time to dispatch them before they leave, or I’ll fail the quest, lose the chance at that XP and wasted my time. Not to mention possibly irritating my host, who I assume must have some knowledge of Lord Crimson.
I either need to go up to them or figure out a way to bring the bats down here. How do you bait bats? I look around the barn, hoping the game can offer me some kind of clue, some minor glowing object that I can use to complete this quest.
But there’s nothing. It’s pitch black other than my weak lantern. Just me and my wit against the Swift Bats.
Oh god. What am I in for?
I pick up the lantern again to inspect the barn further, and notice a ladder leading up to the loft on the opposite side. The higher I get, the closer I will be to attacking the bats. I can’t climb the ladder with my hands full, but I can save the scythe in my inventory while I am on the ladder. Upon reaching the top I find a level ledge, clear of hay, to place the lantern and reequip the scythe. The bats are flying lower now, but not so low that this will be easy.
Quest for Camlan_A LitRPG Adventure Page 12
