by Jason Cheek
I stayed with Krystal for a half an hour to bring her up to speed with everything going on and my vague plans for dealing with Chaos Storm. We also discussed Jill and her negative attitude towards my companions. In-between talking, we worked together to raise the dead. As far as she was concerned, what I did or didn’t do in-game wasn’t her business. You know, as long as I wasn’t forcing anyone into my bed, which had been Jill’s initial concern. Obviously, that wasn’t what was happening and once Jill calmed down, she assured me that everything would be okay.
On a lighter note, Krystal loved Neysa and couldn’t get over my luck of finding a unique combat mount so early in the game. She said that they’d been hitting all the dungeons that they could find looking for a combat mount, but so far they’d had no luck. With Helgath, it was another story altogether. Krystal was curious in part due to Helgath’s ability to tweak my spells on the fly, but otherwise, she didn’t think too much of her. Although Krystal didn’t say it directly, I could tell that she was shocked that I’d readily accepted the homely Half-Orc as my soulmate.
Whatever, it’s not like I was particularly surprised at Krystal’s reaction. In my experience, women judge one another more harshly than any man ever did. In that way, Krystal was no exception. You could see that in her eyes whenever she looked at Helgath. And, while I enjoyed seeing her Dark Elf persona and how great she looked, I wasn’t interested in her in a sexual way.
Simply put, we had different things we were looking for from a relationship and a different value system. That didn’t stop us from playing together or being good friends. Like most gamers, all that mattered was how well you played and if you were cool or not to hang out with or not.
Finishing up with our talk, I promised Krystal that I’d be back, hopefully with more healers that could use resurrect. By the time I’d climbed out of the pit, the drama seemed to be over, except for a little bit of tension that still lingered in the air. One glance at the thunderous look on Jill’s face and I knew she’d be in a bad mood for a day or two before we were cool once again. Sometimes though, that’s how things went. Better to get that out sooner rather than later. Calling my friends over, I headed over to Jill so we could all discuss the situation.
Unsurprisingly enough, no one wanted to be left behind. By the time we hammered a reasonable plan that I felt comfortable with, only Fylreh, Krishna, and Lyeneru were staying behind. Everyone else in our vanguard was heading in. Basically, that left us with a group of six that didn’t have stealth. Jill confirmed the guys were waiting for us at an inn called The Smoking Red Dragon. While Sir Hemmet had no idea where the place was in the old city, Assault Leader Dell said he was familiar with the establishment. After making sure everyone knew their parts, we got to work.
Fylreh headed back to the forest for the troops, while the rest of us got the zombies busy digging at the base of the wall and got the grappling lines set up. By the time the centauride was heading back with the main force, the rest of us were heading over the wall. That’s not saying Fylreh was happy about being left behind, but even her pride had to admit there was no way she was going to be sneaking over the defensive wall along with the rest of us. Besides, there still was honor in taking command of the forces on this side of the wall.
We split the Stealth group up into teams of three, with Kenzie, Phoenix, Sarka, Tinyr and me leading separate groups. Quickly moving over the wall, we dropped down into the city with Sarka, Tinyr and Kenzie taking up forward scouting positions a block down and the three intersections around us, while my group held position in a defensive arc. As Tinyr’s group kept watch atop the wall for the newfar patrols for the non-Stealthers, I quickly messaged AJ.
Startum Ironwolf: AJ, we’re on our way to your location.
Akrix Ragen: Is that you Jay? Come on down, we’re having a blast. We’ve got some ex-captain of the guard for you to talk too. He has the answers to everything you’re looking for.
Startum Ironwolf: Awesome man, we’ll be there in a half an hour tops. Talk to you then.
Akrix Ragen: I’ll let everyone know you’re on the way.
What the fuck was up with AJ? I thought sourly. He should be keeping his mouth shut about our visit, let alone our arrival. Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck unhappily. The answer was simple enough. He’d been drinking and had diarrhea of the mouth. Hopefully, we weren’t walking into a trap. I’d thought the conversation was over, when a new message flashed before my eyes.
Akrix Ragen: Btw, why the hell did you have to piss off Jill?
Startum Ironwolf: Piss off Jill?!? You got it all wrong, buddy. She started talking shit about my Companions-
Akrix Ragen: You mean your Harem.
Startum Ironwolf: Dude, really? If you piss them off and they slit your throat for being a dumb ass, I’m not going to bat an eye.
Akrix Ragen: Joking man! Krystal and I tried to explain that to Jill, but you know how she can be when she gets fixated on something. Besides, I already heard the whole thing from both Jill and Krystal. I guess your ladies-
Startum Ironwolf: Companions!
Akrix Ragen: Took offense at her assumptions.
Startum Ironwolf: Later man.
Akrix Ragen: Later man, I’ll tell them to get the beers poured.
I was just ending the conversation when Thomas tapped me on the shoulder to give me the go ahead. Getting the direction we needed to be heading from Assault Leader Dell, I informed the raid as we took off into the older section of the city. While we moved, I updated everyone with the new information I had, getting more than one annoyed look. Not that it was my fault, but the Devil Dogs hated having their operations compromised. Not that I didn’t blame them. It would suck if we walked into a trap after doing everything right on our side. Wordlessly, everyone checked to make sure their weapons were loose in their sheaths.
This part of the city looked ancient. Much of the solid granite was crumbling and cracked with age. There were no trees or vegetation. Everything was blocky, cold stone that seemed to be shuttered up tight. Odd for eight o’clock at night. Even if the heavy shadows from the towering defensive walls made this area of the city almost like night. Not that it affected any of us with our Dark Vision.
Varying colors of magic lights lined the streets, separated by a distance of approximately twenty yards. They glowed atop fifteen-foot high stone columns and looked like will-o-wisps the size of a basketball. While not bright, they stopped the streets from being pitch black and gave the city an otherworldly feel as we crept down the deserted streets. When I asked Assault Leader Dell in raid chat if this was normal for the city, he shook his head, explaining he’d never seen the city in such a state. Nodding to the nearest shuttered windows, he pointed out the lights shining from the cracks, saying that the people here had locked themselves inside as if they were weathering a siege.
In the distance, we caught sight of groups of hooded figured furtively hurrying through the streets. A few times, we even had to duck out of sight as newfar patrols passed by. The patrols made up of ten players each were loud and obnoxious as they complained about being forced to patrol the city or cruelly joked about the people of the city that they’d caught in the streets. Hearing them joke so casually about their brutal assaults on the populous made me want to slit their throats. Instead, I kept my cool and promised myself that I’d make the assholes pay one way or another.
Ten minutes later, we were crossing a wide intersection to a heavy stone inn. With my Dark Vision and the low light, I could easily make out the sign out front of a cartoonish red dragon in the process of tossing back a pint. Unsure now if our mission was blown or not, I had a quick discussion with the raid. A minute later, the raid began moving out as the grappling ropes were tossed up to the inn’s roof.
Thirty seconds later, Sir Hemmet, Assault Leader Dell, Neristhana, Neysa, and Helgath were the only ones standing with me before the iron-bound door. Giving a nod to the two men, I threw the door open and strode into the room with an unconcerned swagge
r as Neysa and Helgath sprinted back down the road to the far side of the intersection, while Neristhana slipped in behind us still in Stealth.
All the heads in the bar swung around to give us the once-over as Sir Hemmet closed the door behind us. It looked like the entire first floor was one massive bar with a firepit in the center of the room. The half-eaten remains of a large hog still hung from a spit over the dying coals as my eyes quickly adjusted to the low light. Long trestle tables filled the entire room where hard-faced men and women looked back at us warily as I studied the room. No reason to be concerned here, I thought with a frown.
Even more disturbing, were the pieces of clayware mugs scattered across the floor along with parts of broken tables as if some massive bar brawl had occurred sometime earlier. Bracing myself for the worst, I headed for the path between the tables with my shoulders back ready for anything. I’d barely taken three steps into the room, when I heard my name shouted out in a high pitched squeal from the center of the room.
“Jjjaaayyy!!!” I froze, dumbfounded at the sight before me as a three foot tall Gnome jumped up on top of the table at the very center of the room with his arms held out wide. It was a truly ridiculous pose, especially once I recognized the face that looked back at me with the rough-cut, long-blonde hair, matching goatee, and big goofy grin.
“Hefe?” I asked, knowing the answer but unable to believe my eyes. As if my words had set off some trigger, Hefe angrily put his hands on his hips and glared at me.
“What, you’ve never seen a little person before?” He growled the words out like a challenge.
“You’re not a little person.” I called back with an easy laugh, as I began walking towards my friends’ table with my two companions falling in behind me. My words seemed to set the bald-headed Dwarf sitting at the table next to Hefe off as the little man howled in laughter. I immediately recognized AJ’s round face looking back at me, even as his short-brown beard wagged back and forth there was no doubt it was him. Not that he really looked that much different than he usually did in real life, except the fat had been swapped out for muscle. I decided not to mention that, since AJ had obviously been drinking. In his inebriated state, I had no doubt those would be considered fighting words.
“Like I said, you’re a midget!” AJ yelled out as Hefe’s face began to turn red.
“Dude, you’re not a Human!” I shouted back, laughing with AJ. “You’re a freaking Gnome.”
“Then why are you freaking laughing at me?” Hefe demanded, as his little foot stomped angrily.
“Because, I’ve never seen you with long flowing hair in the entire time that I’ve known you.” I somehow said with a straight face, since he looked like the lollipop munchkin from The Wizard of Oz in that moment.
The hair comment threw Hefe for a loop as his mouth flapped open and closed a few times with nothing coming out, which was when I noticed the beautiful Half-Orc girl at his side begin to laugh. Obviously, this was Bonnie Smash. As she began to snort, that’s when I heard the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard before in my entire life.
“You’re laughing at me, Pookey Bear?” Hefe asked in the most whinny voice that I’d ever heard. Busted, Bonnie tried her best to cover her mouth to hide her laughter, but the three inch fangs jutting from her lower lip made that nearly impossible. Hefe’s outrageous pose didn’t help either. As she giggled her ass off, I couldn’t help but notice how adorable she was. Kind of like the Half-Orc Garona from the World of Warcraft movies, but a thicker bodied version of her. I seriously gagged at the storm of sweet, cutesy baby-speak that came from both of their mouths.
None of the patrons sitting at the other tables seemed to find our back and forth humorous, which set off the alarm bells in the back of my head. For now, I ignored them, trusting to the plan and waiting for the lack of response from our audience to turn into something more. Trying to look relaxed, I came to a stop in front of their table, which allowed me to see the last person sitting with my friends.
The man was obviously a Human, and dressed similar to the other patrons in the inn that were watching us closely. Unlike them, he was smiling at our back and forth. Even so, his bright green eyes seemed to be watching all of us intently. Identify showed him to be a Randel Tericius, a level 44 Swordsman and that was it. None the less, his angular face, muscular build, and long-black ponytail gave him an intangible presence. Looking away from the guest, I faced Hefe head-on-
“Pookey Bear?” I asked with an arched eyebrow. Turning back to face me in a huff, Hefe crossed his arms over his chest as if daring me to say anything.
All that I could do, was think back to the video of him training the rats to his party when he rerolled. You remember, his Hefe Beatudown moment of infamy. When I’d first watched the video, it was like he was drowning in giant rats as he ran down the underground tunnel. They’d truly looked massive from his perspective as they bit and clawed at him in savage fury. At the time, I’d thought they’d been giant rats the size of hundred pound Dobermans, but obviously that was not the case. Seeing the perplexed look that suddenly came to my face, AJ guffawed out loud. Clutching at his belly, the Dwarf belly laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair as Hefe waited for me to say something crass about his height.
If you didn’t have anything to compare him to that was regular sized, Hefe looked like the ultimate Barbarian. He wore a sleeveless brown leather vest with white fur lining around the arm openings at the shoulders. A fang necklace hung around his neck, adding to his fierce look. Looking at his wide shoulders and toned arms that rippled with muscles, he looked like a Conan the Barbarian wannabe.
Not one of those new crappy films, but the original one with Arnold Schwarzenegger. You know, the first one when Arnold was at the top of his weight-lifting career. Hefe’s outfit matched the character’s look to a tee, especially with the leather-wrap around his waist, knee-high brown boots, and the large bladed hand-axe across his back. His small stature made the one-handed weapon look more like a two-handed great axe. Deciding that I wasn’t going to laugh at his shortness, Hefe finally turned around to introduce me to his new friend.
“Jay, this is my girlfriend, Bonnie Smash.” Hefe stated proudly, sticking his chest out as she gracefully rose from the wooden bench to tower above me at what had to be a good six-foot-six. If I wasn’t mistaken, this was the first girlfriend Hefe had ever had. At least, during the time that I’d known him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Pookey Bear.” I said warmly, giving her a wink. Hefe glared at me unhappily as she flushed red. “Please call me Star.”
She was genetically an Orc-Dark Elf with a brutal, comely face. Don’t ask me how she carried that off, since she was built sturdy like a brick shithouse. Her features fit in well with her grayish-black skin, green eyes and pitch black shoulder-length hair. How they did the horizontal dance, I didn’t even want to consider for fear of scarring my mind. As soon as I released Bonnie’s hand, AJ stood up to cut Hefe off before he could play jealous boyfriend and introduced the new man.
“This here is Randel Tericius.” AJ announced as he stood to his wobbly legs, swaying like a tree in the wind from the excessive amount of alcohol he’d consumed. “He’s the ex-guard Sub-Leader for the lower city and says that he has the information you’re looking for.”
There was a tightening around Randel’s eyes as he stood up to shake my hand. He definitely had the look of a veteran warrior with his rough, scarred hands. Around the room, I noticed the looks the men and women were giving us. Almost as if they were holding their breaths as to the outcome of our meeting.
“Randel, this here is my good friend Jay-“ AJ began to say as I cut him off.
“Lord Ironwolf of the House of Kayden.” I announced, meeting the man’s serious green eyes as my friends looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “I hope you can be of assistance. I’m here to help Princess Reeva ascend to her rightful place on the throne of Kader and, if possible, remove the Chaos Storm from power.”
Releasing the ex-Sub-Leader’s hand, I made room for my companions as the laughter died down. Before I’d even opened my mouth, I saw Randel take a concerned step back as I spoke loud enough to be heard over the conversations still going on around us.
“I’d like to introduce the rest of my party, Sir Hemmet of the Royal Guardian Knights.” My words brought an instant hush to the room. I immediately noticed Randel’s eyes narrowed in dislike as he met the older man’s gaze. Without pausing, I pointed to Dell. “And the commander of my Kayden Troopers, Assault Leader Dell.”
I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I expected from my little show, but having the entire room snap to attention wasn’t one of them. The only person who didn’t was Randel, but you could tell he wanted to as his face took on a stern look of adoration. Ignoring the rest of us, he bowed to Assault Leader Dell who stepped forward to take the other man’s hand and pull him into a brotherly hug.
The two men talked like long lost companions. From what I could pick up, Assault Leader Dell had been basically a general in the Royal Army, until a noble had charged him with dereliction of duty and dropped his rank. Princess Reeva had taken him into her forces to keep him alive, but she couldn’t protect him from the political backing his enemies were able to bring to bear. The men in the room were all from his last unit.
