Unexplored - Rise of the Crimson Kingdom: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 0 Unexplored Cycle)

by Alara Branwen

  When he was completely shrouded in darkness, he looked back to see Tatarna watching him walk away. She looked over at her three compatriots enact their passions, then rose to follow the elf. They walked away from the camp, the tiger woman several paces behind Estelar. The elf stopped at a decrepit tree and soon the tiger joined him.

  “Hey,” Estelar said.

  Tatarna looked down and away for a few seconds before she responded. “Hey.”

  Silence grew between them for several seconds before the tiger woman spoke again. “Looks like we’re making some headway into our mission.”

  Estelar sniffed. “Yeah, Larkin has a powerful foothold in this area. Pretty soon the whole thing’s going to be under his control.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me. Seems like he has something big planned.”

  “He mentioned a conquest. Whatever he’s after, I feel sorry for those that stand in his way. Any that ever tried to stop us got trampled in the dirt.”

  “Yep, that’s because we’re the best. Larkin has a good eye for warriors, and he knows how to treat them well, too.”

  “Sex, beer, gold, yep, everything you could want, I guess.”

  “There’s no guessing. You couldn’t get this anywhere else.”

  “You could, given time. Might be the best way to go.”

  “Given a long time maybe. What’s been wrong with you lately? You’ve been really mopey and depressed.”

  Estelar looked up at the tiger girl with hard eyes. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve been doing. The robberies and these schemes. They’re starting to get to me.”

  “Is that why you left that party Larkin arranged for us a couple of days ago?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Padwin told us what you told him after that last caravan set up during the party.”

  Estelar grimaced. “Is that why the rest of the group has been treating me like shit?”

  “They don’t think you’re devoted to the cause.”

  “They’re kind of right. I don’t really feel devoted to all of this. I mean, I do it for all the perks that come with it but, everything we’re doing is pretty shitty.”

  “It is pretty shitty, but that’s the price you have to pay for all the good stuff.”

  The elf slumped against the tree and shook his head. “I think I’m tired of paying that price. I don’t like making other people’s lives hell.”

  “If you’re going to make it to the top, there are other people below you who’re gonna suffer.”

  “That’s true, but I’m tired of being the one who makes them suffer. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

  “Maybe Larkin could put you somewhere else. I’m sure he could place you as a caravan guard or something like that.”

  “I don’t want to be a part of any of this shit I helped cause. I want out.”

  “Of the guild?”

  Estelar nodded.

  “Come on, it’s not all that bad. Just give yourself some time to think it over. You’ll find something else you want to do.”

  “There’s a lot of things I want to do, but none of it involves the Crimson Warriors. After I help you convince this Stinking whatever to lick Larkin’s boots, I’m telling our great and powerful wizard lord to shove it.”

  Tatarna looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Watch your mouth. If anyone else heard you say that, they’d tell Larkin and you’d be up shit creek.”

  “I don’t care.”

  The tiger girl let out a long breath. “There’s still a lot of fun you can have with the Crimson Warriors.”

  “It’s not the kind of fun I want to have.”

  “Come on, don’t leave. You’re the most fun member of the guild. Padwin, Durga, and Poppy are okay, but their too uptight. I don’t know anyone else, and if you haven’t noticed a lot of the Crimson Warriors are assholes. Don’t leave, besides,” the tiger woman placed a hand on Estelar’s chest and pressed against him, “we won’t be able to have fun together if you go.”

  Estelar’s member jumped. His emerging erection brushed against Tatarna’s leg. He wanted her at that moment more than he wanted her at any other time. But, he sadly looked into her eyes, his heart was not into it.

  “Sorry, I can’t do this anymore.”

  “What do you mean you can’t do this anymore? I thought you had fun with me.”

  “I do it’s, all this. I just can’t.”

  Tatarna looked at him for a long, painful moment and pushed away from him. “Fine, whatever. Run away like a coward. The Crimson Warriors are going to do great things, and if you don’t want to be a part of that, I won’t stop you.”

  Tatarna stamped away back toward the glow of the camp sight. Estelar bit his lower lip and shook his head. This felt like the right thing to do, but it still felt shitty.

  THIRTY-ONE

  Estelar logged on at about noon. He’d just taken a really difficult test in one of his college classes, and as daunting as that was, it paled into comparison to what he was about to do. He’d been a member of the Crimson Warriors for about as long as he played the game. Most of the reason he ever logged on was the guild and his friends in it. But that was over now. He lost all of his friends, and the daily sex and booze lost its splendor.

  The elf saddled up his equipment and prepared his horse to take off. The other members of his party were soon logged on, and after a few minutes they were making their way toward Rotten Gut.

  Tatarna wouldn’t talk to him. In fact, no one talked to him on the way there. It didn’t surprise him. From their perspective it probably seemed like he was disowning them and everyone in the guild.

  During the ride, Estelar tried to convince himself to stay. He kept telling himself it was only a game and none of it mattered, yet every time he said it, he felt sick when he thought of the things he did. He tried to think of it from different angles, but that didn’t help. He even tried to convince himself that he couldn’t survive without them, but that wasn’t true. In time, he’d find something else.

  Estelar was still lost in his thoughts when his group arrived at Rotten Gut. The elf marveled at the size of the village. It was easily three times the size of the others they’d been to and had a population to match. Kobolds, goblins, orcs, gnolls, humanoid lizards, and a few other creatures walked the dirty streets taking care of whatever businesses they were on.

  Padwin asked to see Stinking Shiva and brandished his necklace to some of the common folk. They muttered to each other in a language none of them understood and they were pointed to a big hut at the other end of the village. They arrived and after talking to the guards, their horses were taken and they were let in.

  Stinking Shiva’s massive hut was poshly decorated in very expensive looking furs. There was a large bed at one end of the hut draped with baby blue silks. Many tables lined the walls filled with gilded trinkets and other expensive things that looked like they belonged in the mansion of a rich merchant rather than a lowly hut.

  At one end of the living area was a stone crafted from gnarled roots. On it sat a lanky green creature with mangy red hair that fell to its shoulders. It was eight feet in height and had beetle black eyes. It’s nose was very long and a little twisted.

  It looked down at them and a lopsided smile appeared beneath its hideous nose. “Travellers. I see you bear the emblem of my enemy. Why have you come to my humble village?”

  The troll's voice was very scratchy and grated on the party’s ears.

  Padwin bowed, a practice that he seemed to have perfected over the last three days, and smiled. “Good afternoon Sti- uh lady Shiva.”

  “I am Stinking Shiva,” she said curtly, “I take pride in my name.”

  Estelar caught a putrid stench coming from her body. He turned away and took a breath. It seemed like she lived up to her name quite well.

  “My apologies. Stinking Shiva, I come in the name of Larkin, guildmaster of the Crimson Warriors. We have come to present you a proposal.”

  The tr
oll rested her chin in her palm. Her long fingers slowly drummed against her temple. “I’ve heard of you and your activity in the area recently. It seems your guild’s gold has bought you quite a few friends.”

  “And we wish to be your friend as well. Our guild master has specifically mentioned he wants to work with you, and has asked me to deliver a present to you.”

  Padwin withdrew a pearl necklace with a pendant that held several small diamonds.

  Shiva seemed unimpressed. “I thank your master for the gift, but it’s unwanted. Go, leave my sight.”

  “I assure you that a partnership between your village and the Crimson Warriors would be very beneficial to your clan.”

  “And I assure you that if you don’t leave my sight soon, that I will personally flay the skin from your bones.”

  There was a homicidal glint in the troll’s eyes. Estelar took a few steps back toward the door. It was very clear that they weren’t wanted there and he didn’t think there was anything Padwin could say to change her mind.

  Padwin seemed undeterred. He was about to speak again but Estelar spoke up.

  “Padwin, it seems our welcome has worn out. Let us go and leave Stinking Shiva in peace.”

  “Your friend is wise,” Shiva said. “You should do as he suggests.”

  “He should keep his nose out of business that isn’t his,” Padwin sneered.

  Padwin took hold of the emblem around his neck and held it up. “It would be ashame if clan Big Club heard that you didn’t wish to join us. I’ve been to their home and they seem like very powerful allies to have.”

  Estelar cringed. This was a trick that Padwin used to convince many of the other lesser villages to open relations with the Crimson Warriors. However, Rotten Gut didn’t seem like a lesser village. There were at least twice as many creatures here as there were in other villages, and he imagined they didn’t respond well to veiled threats.

  Tatarna inched toward the door as well. The other women threw back glances and looked like they wanted to do the same thing, but held their place by Padwin.

  “They are also treacherous worms that would stab you in the back the first chance they got. I do not care for an alliance with them and I don’t care for an alliance with you. Leave.”

  Padwin’s face grew firm. He threw up his chest. “I can assure you we-”

  “I’ve had enough.” The troll stood from her throne and picked up a large spiked mace from a small compartment in the side of it. It glowed a bright acid green.

  “I told you to leave and you would not listen. Now, suffer for your insolence. Guards.”

  Estelar threw up his hand and fired a rainbow blast at the troll. Before it connected she closed her eyes and charged forward. She brought her mace down and connected with Padwin’s chest. The human dropped and bounced off the floor from the force of the impact.

  An orc and kobold came through the door wielding spears. Tatarna drew her a lightning javelin from a leather bag on her back. She threw it at him and it connected. He fell back and the missile reappeared in the tiger woman’s hand. Poppy threw her dagger at the four foot kobold but missed wide. The lizard creature snarled and stabbed at Estelar with his spear.

  Estelar hopped to the side and planted a foot in its dog-like head. He fell to the ground and was finished off by Durga’s sword.

  Two gnolls entered the hut and were immediately bedazzled by Estelar’s spell.

  Your skill with illusions has increased to 11!

  Your skill with spellcasting has increased to 7!

  When he cleared the pop up window four goblins had entered the hut. He threw another spell but they dodged it. Durga charged one of the goblins, knocking its short sword aside and stabbing it. Poppy engaged one with a spear and managed to work her way inside its weapon and stab it with her dagger.

  Tatarna battled with two of the goblins. Estelar rushed over and stabbed at one with his sword. It ducked the attack and engaged with him. The small green creature was a skilled swordsman and managed to match the elf’s speed and the ferocity of his attack.

  The creature backed him up against the wall and worked his sword brilliantly against, working Estelar’s weapon to the side.

  The goblin moved to stab but the elf dodged to the side in time. The goblin’s short sword stabbed through the straw. He pulled his weapon out and rushed toward Estelar.

  The elf badly wanted to throw his spell but he didn’t have time. The goblin was on him again, pressing the attack and backing him up.

  Stinking Shiva chased Padwin around the hut with her green mace. He had his shield out and was utilizing it against the troll’s magic weapon, but even his large steel shield provided little protection from her brutal strikes.

  He attempted to fight her toe to toe, but her skill with the mace was too great. She twice connected with powerful strikes against her opponent’s armor, leaving large dents in the plate mail.

  More monsters flooded into the hut. Goblins, orcs, and kobolds pushed forward to get their chance at the insolent fools that insulted their chief.

  Estelar frantically looked around for a way to escape, but the hut was teeming with monsters. All of his friends were backed up against the wall. They each fought off several enemies at once. They started to tire, and their defensive maneuvers were becoming sluggish.

  In desperation, the elf held his sword out and barreled forward. The goblin in front of him was in the middle of a swing. The movement caught him off guard and he fell back into two of his comrades behind him.

  The elf quickly made a symbol with his fingers and fired a rainbow beam at the top of the hut. It connected and many of the creatures stopped fighting and stared up at the pretty drops of water. Estelar fired four more beams at the ceiling, and by the time the final one hit, all of the monsters, save for Stinking Shiva, were staring upward.

  The Crimson Warriors used this chance to cut down a few of their enemies. Padwin disengaged from the Stinking Shiva and managed to run for the door.

  Estelar didn’t waste any time with the foes in the room. He pushed through the ensorceled enemies and bolted outside. More monsters were coming at him from all sides. The elf fired a few spells off and many that came toward him became lost in the rainbow pattern water drops he created.

  Your skill with illusions has increased to 12!

  More creatures came, and Estelar fired off his spells again and again. Hoards and hoards of enemies came. It was like they were endless. As soon as the elf thought he was in the clear, the spell would wear off on one group of enemies and he would have to cast it again. Then another would wear off. The continued until his mana bar drained to zero.

  With his final spell he could feel his muscles drain of their strength.

  Your skill with illusions has increased to 14!

  Your skill with spellcasting has increased to 8!

  This pop up window brought him no joy. When he closed it, he saw another group of enemies coming toward him.

  This was it. Oh well, he had a good run. His spellcasting skills were nice and levelled because of this encounter. Perhaps they would still be halfway decent when he respawned.

  There was the sound of hoofbeats behind him. Estelar looked back and saw Tatarna riding toward him. As fast as she was moving, the elf figured she would pass him by. However, before a group of five enemies could reach him, she picked him up and tossed him over the saddle in front of her.

  The tiger woman threw her lightning javelins in front of her as she rode forward. Several enemies were downed as she rode at them. After the tenth one fell, the ones that weren’t still bedazzled let her pass.

  Tatarna rode as fast as she could away from Rotten Gut. The horse’s gallops slammed hard into the elf’s stomach every time the horse came down. But he didn’t complain. The discomfort was much better than being stabbed by an enemy blade.

  THIRTY-TWO

  Estelar’s gut was churning by the time Tatarna brought her horse to a halt. He had been riding sideways for longer than he
cared to remember and it didn’t sit well on his stomach. The tiger woman helped him off of her mount and the world spun.

  The elf stumbled and Tatarna held onto his shoulders until he was able to orient himself. Estelar rubbed his temples and took a deep breath.

  “Holy shit,” Estelar said.

  “You said it,” Tatarna said with a sigh, “that was hell.”

  The two stood in silence and looked down at the ground. After a few moments, Estelar looked up.

  “How were you able to get out of there?” The elf said.

  “After you threw your spells in the hut, I saw all of the enemies and knew there was no way I could beat them all. So I killed the ones that were still fighting and escaped. You were holding off the rest of the monsters with your spells so I ran to the stables, got my horse, and got you before an orc split your head with an axe.”

  “What happened to the others.”

  “Don’t know. Durga and Poppy were busy fighting off enemies and Padwin was busy getting his ass handed to him by that Shiva woman when I left. Serves his ass right. We should have just gotten out of there. Instead the stupid bastard put us all in danger.”

  “And likely got most of us killed.”

  “What should we do now?”

  “I don’t know.” Tatarna shook her head. “I was thinking about what you said yesterday, and you know, I think I’m getting tired of it too.”

  “All of the stealing and carrying out shady plots?”

  “Kind of. I’m tired of being used as a damned pawn by our guild master just so he can do whatever it is he’s trying to do. What happened back there really made me see it clearly. I like the beer and the dick but damn, I’m tired doing all this for it.”

  “So you’re leaving the guild, too? Where will you go?”

  “Hell, yes, and I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Right now, let’s just rest.”

  Tatarna pulled out her sleeping bag and they both snuggled together on it. The sun was high in the sky and the heat of the day bore down on them. Estelar slid his arm around Tatarna’s shoulders and held her close.