by Galen Wolf
I had my new Bow of Stone and I took it from my back and fitted three arrows. I saw the leathery flapping of the dinosaur like birds but they were still too distant to hit. I turned back towards Pennred. I'd got as much information as I was going to from this little reconnaissance trip.
The first raptor came screaming from above in a dive intended to snatch me off the back of the eagle. My three arrows caught it square in the chest and it fizzled in an acid melt of bone and scaly skin, dripping out of the sky. I pivoted right and shot the second raptor. Rapid Shot was on cool down but I still had a 10% chance to crit. It took four arrows before this one fell and still the stone prison effect hadn't procced. They were no match for me one-on-one but there were so many of them. I urged Aquila to fly faster and away from Horrabia.
A raptor swooped up from below turning with claws extended to try to rake Aquila's belly but the eagle's talons snatched the leathery creature and ripped it to shreds.
I heard a clamor from Horrabia below and to the north. The soldiers were aware of me, some throwing spears and shooting arrows, but all useless because I was too high. Even so, the alarm had been raised. The landscape around Horrabia was barren and littered with shattered grey stone, leading into the sharp heaps of dirty slate that made up the Vale of Tears. Very little grew there as if the landscape itself was permeated with the evil that seeped from the red walled city.
More raptors peeled from the defenses but I saw to my dismay the shape of a black cloaked figure flapping up through the air. It was a player. I leaned down low on Aquila to cut the drag so she could fly faster.
I glanced over my shoulder to see the black cloaked figure gaining on me. It was a tall human, muscular with a shock of white blonde hair. He appeared to be wearing black armor of lacquered wood. I didn't recognize him but when a bolt of dark energy shot from his fingers; I guessed this was Attila himself. I put Aquila into a dive and we flew under the energy bolt that hissed through the air above my head.
We were over the Forest of Nightmares now. If I just got to Pennred, I figured I might have a chance. The spindly dead trees below were soaked with a thousand bad dreams and cloaked in a mess of spider web. Ahead, a couple of miles distant, I saw the Great River and grey stone bridge and beyond that the wooden stockade of Pennred.
Attila was gaining on me. At this rate, he would catch me in the air before I got to Pennred. Attila was a level 20 warlock with vast experience. I turned and fired my bow. The acid coated arrows sped through the air. Two missed but one struck the warlock in the shoulder. He reached up with a snarl and snapped off the shaft. His face was twisted in hate, his eyes were red and his teeth were sharpened into snakelike fangs. His eyes were completely black with no iris or sclera.
He raised both hands and shot more dark energy. This time both bolts hit us. Aquila screamed in agony and went into a tailspin. I hung, one hand in her feathers, the other on my bow, as we plunged a hundred feet towards the ground. But I'd been hit too, and I was at 82% health. The stink of gasoline was in my nostrils. The only benefit of us being in an accelerated dive was that we were extremely hard to hit. Attila fired more energy, but missed. Then, just when I thought we were going to slam into the forest below, Aquila, with huge effort, strained and flapped her wings and pulled up, missing the tree tops. I stroked her and whispered how much I loved her. But she was struggling and unable to get full power from her wings. She managed to glide and flap a hundred yards, then two hundred yards. Attila was above, descending rapidly to close within firing distance.
"Just a little way now", I whispered to the eagle.
He fired, but some sixth sense made Aquila bank right and both bolts of negative energy sizzled past to our right.
Then we sailed over the sharpened wooden palisade of the village of Pennred. As we went over I saw the concerned face of Griffin. The young girl, Sinuviel was there too. They raised their bows and fired at Attila who hovered in the air fifty feet above the stockade. The NPC guards looked up and began firing their bows too. They were level 10, but Attila was Level 20. Even so, with the massed power of the guards and the rangers, he backed off, sailing backwards through the air and away from bow range.
I rolled off the wounded Aquila. I took kumquat from my pouch and spat it at her healing her up. I only needed a Hale Fruit to get me to full health. I left her looking a little better and sprinted to Griffin at the north gate.
When I got to the north gate of Pennred, Attila was standing on the bridge.
"I see that bastard's back," Griffin cursed. Sinuviel stood beside him. She looked scared, but she wasn't going to run.
The blond-haired giant yelled a challenge. "Which of you brave little Rangers is gonna come up and face me?"
He muttered ritual words, and was enveloped in a boiling mist of dark energy that accentuated the pale of his face, the black of his eyes, and the white blonde of his hair. This was the Blackheart ritual that slowly did negative energy damage and sapped mana.
"Not me," muttered Sinuviel.
Griffin laughed. "No, we'll sit tight where we have the advantage."
Attila began to dance rituals. The warlock class was very location specific. Their general preparation for PVP was to dance several defensive rituals. I saw him dance the Earthquake ritual that caused a pit to open below his feet. In the pit were viciously spiked iron bars. Attila himself levitated a foot above this, but anyone falling into the pit would be severely injured. Then he danced the Gravity ritual that drew anyone into the pit who was standing too close and kept them spiked on the iron bars, draining their health. Then he danced Acid Mist to offer another layer of damage to anyone coming into his location.
Griffin had taken his bow from his back and began to fire arrows at Attila. In his arrogance, Attila had not gone back as far as he should. That arrogance was a weakness, but one we couldn't exploit now. Attila conjured up an Arrow Shield, and the projectiles splintered with a crackle on the blue plasma field that hovered in the area in front of him.
I saw Attila's face contorting in concentration as he extended the Gravity Ritual. He wanted to get it close to us so he could suck us into the pit and all the other evil shit he had conjured in his location on the bridge. I felt the tendrils of power reaching towards us.
The two NPC guards were suddenly snared by the Gravity and dragged into the pit. I saw them fall onto the iron spikes and the acid mist began to eat their flesh. They lasted around twenty seconds. I was fighting its pull. I didn't want to leave our position at the gate but we might have to. I waved Sinuviel back into the village. She hesitated but then stepped away. I looked to Griffin and saw his face twisted with effort as he tried to root himself against the pull of the Gravity. I had my Bow of Stone but my arrows were futile against Attila's arrow shield.
Then I felt the pull of Gravity snatch me and I tumbled head over heels towards Attila's location. I fell into his pit and was penetrated by the iron spikes, losing 27% of my health instantly. Even with the damage reduction from the Ring of the Werewolf, I was still badly hurt. The acid mist began its damage over time effect and it was doing around 2% damage per second. I got a kumquat from my pouch and healed myself up, but I knew if I stayed in this location, I would surely die. I saw Attila pull a flaming sword from his belt. The fiery sword was of black meteoric iron and shifting runes decorated its blade. The Blackheart ritual was draining my mana.
He struck with the sword and I lost another 20% health. One of the runes was a Bleed rune and blood began to flow from my opened wounds. But I now had the Clot Wound skill, and I staunched the bleeding. I snatched more kumquat from my pouch and healed up my health but it seemed a futile effort because if I remained in the pit and did nothing but heal I was surely going to die. A jag of black energy lurched up at me from the Blackheart ritual.
I was inexperienced at fighting warlocks, but I tried to do something. I used my Roll skill to pitch myself out of the pit, but he hit me again with his runesword and the bleeding rune took effect again and though I staun
ched the bleeding he had a Dazzle rune on the sword. I must have saved the first time, but I didn't now. I was blinded by the white light and felt completely helpless as I watched my health and mana drain away.
The next thing I knew, a white horse came in from nowhere and knocked Attila flying out of his rituals. I managed to roll to the side out of the pit, and lay on the ground healing up until I picked myself up onto my hands and knees and waited there panting and healing. I glanced to see my savior. The huge white horse had wings—it was a Pegasus and on its back, was a character I didn't recognize. He was a bard in colorful costume. He had mud brown hair, nut brown eyes and a wispy brown beard. At his lips was a silver flute. He blew the flute, and I saw Attila's movements begin to slow horribly. Once the slowing effect had the warlock in its power. The bard began to act out a great Tragedy. Tears welled down the bard's face and sorrow overcame me. But I was not the target of the bard's magic and I appraised Attila to see that he was losing health because of the bard's dramatics. The Bard put the silver flute to his mouth again, and this time played a different tune. A cloud of little birds appeared and lifted the evil warlock, dangling him helplessly in the air. He was taking damage over time from the Tragedy and his movements were still slowed by the flute.
Attila's arrow shield still hung in the air where it had been, but it was useless now to him and he was unable to defend himself from Griffin's arrows. The arrows slammed into him repeatedly. The Warlock was now suffering major damage. He had overreached himself. When he came to Pennred he thought he was following one Level 11 Ranger. But now he found himself confronted with me, plus a Level 20 ranger and a Level 20 bard.
Sinuviel, a Level 8, had also advanced and was firing her bow at the warlock.
Attila reached into his pillbox and placed a teleport pill into his mouth, vanishing as he teleported back to safety in Horrabia. We should have put down an Anchor rune to stop him teleporting out.
Without the Warlock to sustain the rituals, they burned out. I healed myself up, and we walked back into the village. I went up to the bard on his Pegasus reached up to shake his hand. "I owe you for saving my life."
"Think nothing of it. I hate Attila. We have a history."
"And how did you know he was here?"
"I have an Enemy Trace on him." Enemy Trace was a high-level skill in the Survival Skill set. I didn't have it yet.
Griffin clapped the bard on the leg as he sat astride his Pegasus. "Barcud, have you met Romeo El Mejor? He is the most able Bard in the whole of the city of Vinab."
Romeo coughed into his fist. "In the whole of the Greenwood."
I nodded. "I don't know if you saw, but he saved my bacon."
"And I'm glad to do it." The bard dropped from his horse. "And as I'm here, I'd be delighted to look around your new village. It's about time we stopped being scared of provoking Horrabia. I'm glad you built it."
Romeo bowed low with a flourish.
"Take a look around. You can be made a Freeman of Pennred for saving our lives."
Romeo looked round at the NPCs, the working sawmill, the sound of the blacksmith hammering and the rushing of the Corn Mill wheel. "I think you've done a magnificent job so far."
We walked back through the north gate. I saw two new NPC guards had appointed themselves from the militia regiment. There was a big crowd. The whole of the NPC population had gathered at the gates to watch the combat as well as the dwarf blacksmith, Khuzud. He called out congratulations and wishes for my safety and the NPCs joined in. It seemed they considered me their village head man.
"It's a pity that this is going to be sacrificed to Horrabian aggression," Griffin said.
I shook my head. I knew that the plan was that Pennred had only been founded to hinder the Horrabian advance. Everyone thought it was inevitable the village would be destroyed and saw its only purpose as buying time for the armies of Vinab, but I wouldn't have that. I looked around at the faces of the NPCs. They meant too much to me now. I was committed to the village.
I looked at my HUD as I walked around with Romeo and Griffin showing them the sites. I saw we'd accumulated a good amount of stone. I had half thought of doing this before but my sensible head told me it would be a waste of resources and we would be better trading them and turning them into money to use elsewhere within the Rangers’ Guild.
But now I issued the command to build stone walls. All around us the walls rumbled as a foundation layer of limestone drew out the village boundary at the foot of the wooden stockade.
Village workers appeared with tools and hammers and horses, and as we watched, they began to build the stone defensive walls.
Griffin said, "Do you think that's wise, Barcud? It seems a shame as all that’s going to happen is Horrabia's will come and destroy them."
Romeo stroked his chin. "It's not a complete waste. It will buy more time. The stronger the walls the more time we can hold out here."
I said, "It's not a matter of time for me. I am committed to defending Pennred. I believe that we can withstand Horrabia's army." I remembered the hordes I'd seen camped outside the walls of Horrabia and I knew I didn't believe what I'd just told them. But I'd said it as a commitment to this place and these people.
Griffin put his hand on my shoulder. "I admire the sentiment, but you haven't seen the Horrabians in action. I remember their last attack on Vinab. As much as I see that you are emotionally committed to the village I can't see how it will survive."
"I'll have to ensure that it survives," I said grimly. "In fact," I said. "I've decided to set up shop here."
Even Romeo looked uncertain. "That's a big commitment to see it all go up in Horrabian flames within the week."
I shrugged. "I've got to put my money where my mouth is. My personal money. I can pick poisons and herbs and sell them here. We get a lot of passing trade."
"Until the war comes," Griffin said.
Romeo shook his head. "You might be better off opening the store in Vinab. There it has a chance of surviving."
"Building the store here is my way of showing to the villagers," I gestured with my hand to the NPCs milling around us listening to our every word, "that I won't abandon them."
"Have you ever owned a store before?" Griffin said.
I shook my head.
"Well you need to protect your storeroom from thieves. And that will take runes."
I shrugged. "I suppose there are rune stores in Vinab?"
Griffin nodded. "Yes of course there are. But if I was opening a store, I would want the best runes. And the best Runesmith in the Greenwood is Harald Runestorm."
Romeo said, "You'll find him way east of Vinab. His tower's just to the south of the Icknield Way. Near Salonika. Just at the foot of the Emerald Mountains. A Yellow Brick Road leads to it."
"Yeah, Harald built that." Griffin snorted with laughter.
"Sounds a nice guy." They were trying to control their mirth. There was some joke here I didn't get. "But he's the best?" I asked.
Griffin nodded. "Oh yes, he's the best okay. He's also the most total bastard I ever met."
13
Getting the Runes from Harald
I'd been told Harald Runestorm made the best runes in the Greenwood and as I had plenty of money from doing the Armboth Hall quest, I decided to go pay him a visit and see what he had for sale.
I'd logged out in the village of Pennred, and when I logged back on, I was pleased to see that the stone defensive walls around the village were half built. The NPCs were hammering and lifting blocks with ropes with the aid of pulleys and donkeys. I checked my HUD and saw we were about 60% done. It would take another couple of hours to finish.
I summoned my eagle Aquila. She was fit and well again after the fight against Attila the previous day. I stroked the feathers at her neck and she blinked her big amber eyes at me.
The ranger Gearhart stood guard with the NPCs at the north gate. I was worried that Attila or Loki might come back and I made sure he had backup. He told me Ahn and Ajor
a were around so that made me feel more secure. We had a brief chat about the likelihood of an Horrabian assault, but all seemed to be quiet. I'd seen the Horrabian army massing outside the Gate of Terror but calculated it would take them a good day to march down the Vale of Tears. Now I was satisfied that an attack from Horrabia was not imminent, I mounted Aquila and we were soon soaring through the blue sky.
Instead of heading south towards the Old Stone Cross I cut directly east in the direction of the city of Salonika. Salonika was many leagues away and way out of sight. I crossed the Old Forest and the Midland Hills. Ahead and to the left was the Blue Lake and sparkling in the sunlight, and to the north the jagged peaks of the Iron Mountains. Nestled among their snow-laden slopes was the village of Kanchenjunga whose fire festival I had attended.
Aquila flapped her mighty wings, and we covered the distance rapidly. At times, she would take advantage of up draughts and soar without flapping. The silence was majestic and eerie at the same time. To the right far away I saw the glittering domes of the city of Vinab and beyond it the Ocean of Bones, azure in the morning light.
Below and to the right, I saw the narrow, paved roadway of the Icknield way threading east. Ahead and to the south were the rounded slopes of the Emerald Mountains. They were famous for the deposits of gemstones and ores that were found there.
After a few more minutes I saw the tall stone tower and the yellow brick road that led to it from the Icknield way. As Griffin had indicated, this was the residence of Harald Runestorm. I landed the eagle in front of the tower. A pleasant clearing nestled amid trees whose branches swayed in the slight breeze. Sparrows and finches busied themselves among the leaves. A picnic table was set behind the tower and I thought how Harald must enjoy sitting there on pleasant summer evenings.
Two gnome workers covered in dust from the mines dragged an empty ore box toward the first slopes of the Emerald Mountains where their village was. I could see the tumbledown and poor looking buildings clustered in the woods to the north. I tried to bid them good day, but they ignored me and hurried past as if frightened.
