Hearing the challenge from the paladin, the goblins yelled and charged.
Moira cursed. “Fool! Of all the hair-brained things you have ever done.”
Realizing the need for subtly was passed, Tao began calling out orders. “Everyone form up. Cozad guard the flank to the lake. Bjǿrn back up Roland on the other side. Everyone else, pick a side and hold.”
Mathias began firing indiscriminately. Every arrow felled a goblin but on they came. Pixi popped back into view as she completed her spell and a wall of flame appeared in the path of the charging goblins. She hadn’t timed it correctly as the first two ranks of goblins had already passed the wall before it sprang into existence. However, the screams of pain which followed told that many others had felt the spell’s deadly effects.
As the goblins closed from both flanks, the numbers were far greater than any had guessed. Not counting those goblins already down or caught in the blaze they were heavily outnumbered.
Standing near the now blazing campfire, Tariq looked nervously over his shoulder and said to no one in particular. “Eight to one…those aren’t very good odds.”
“Maybe we should let them surrender,” said Mathias as he fired his bow out of reflex.
Once the goblins had started their charge, the half-elf just felt the need to retaliate. Continuing his barrage, the archer drew and fired with easy precision, no rush, no fumbling, no conscious thought. Just pull out an arrow, notch it to the string, raise and draw on his longbow in one motion, sight down the shaft and fire between breaths. Then repeat and repeat and repeat. It was the most natural thing in the world for him. One part of his mind, the Matthew part, wondered what his fiancé was doing at this moment; the Mathias part scanned the horizon for more enemies while continuing to rain death on the goblins.
When this was just a game, Earl would just click on a button on the keyboard which would trigger his transformation from Norseman to Were-bear. But on this side, as the goblins approached and the adrenaline began pumping through his system with the impending battle it was completely different. It was at that moment that Earl realized that he was no longer just a retired police officer enjoying a break from reality; he was Bjǿrn Bluebear, the Norse Berserker. It was a strange sensation as his body began to quiver, as if thousands of ants were running up and down his skin biting him at will. His breathing quickened and his vision narrowed. Gone were his friends. Only the charging goblin horde filled his senses. The urge to feel and taste their blood filled his whole being and the change came over him. His muscles began to swell as his hair lengthened and thickened all across his body, his bones began to pop as they realigned themselves, his nose became a snout and his words were lost as a bestial growl escaped his snout.
Moira also felt strange when she saw the onrushing horde. Somehow, she sensed that these creatures were a blight on nature. Their very footsteps tainted the peace of the land. Feeling the cool earth beneath her feet, she instinctively understood that her powers flowed from the tranquility of nature. Goblins were a bane to her existence and she must destroy them. Reaching out with her mind, she called on the grasses and the roots to aid her. All around the goblins the scrub bushes and tall grasses which they were charging through responded to the druid’s call; reaching up and entangling the diminutive humanoids.
Arieal was completely indifferent to the whole situation. Being inside the game was both a wonderful feeling and totally frightening at the same time. Back home, she had begun playing Lost Lands to escape the reality of her situation; ex-wife, single mom, business manager, taxi driver, et cetera. Real life always threatened to overwhelm her but when the pressures of her life would get too much, Annie would log into the game and become Arieal. Only in the game did she have peace. She could summon undead minions to do her bidding or suck the life force out of attacking mobs to heal herself. Hell, she could even summon an undead horse to ride. But it was only a game. Suddenly, Arieal knew she could do all those things and even worse, she wanted to do them. It was a chilling and sobering thought.
For Roland, the upcoming battle was different. To him, he had acted in character, doing and saying what he believed the holy side of him would do in this situation. But to be truthful, he was scared shitless. The shield lay heavy on his arm, the helmet was stifling and his sword felt awkward. Nothing felt like it should. He had always imagined the calmness that would flow through him, safe and secure in the righteous knowledge of his faith. Of course, since Steve didn’t believe in any higher power than himself, he didn’t know how to act as a paladin.
Tariq didn’t know what was going on but then, he didn’t care either. Somehow Al Shaytan had managed to trick them all into thinking that they were inside the game and this was all real. Brandon knew that it didn’t work like that and he was going to prove it to everyone. Looking around at his companions as they formed up to defend themselves against the pitiful goblins, he thought about who he should take out. In the game, he was ranked third on the game server in Player vs Player (PvP) assassinations. He had actually lost count how many ‘accidental’ assassinations of party members he had completed. The trick was to strike your target in the thick of combat, where the deathblow would actually be assumed from their foes and not a party member.
Tariq’s first inclination was the bossy samurai but judging by his fluid movements, a single strike wouldn’t be a certain kill and he didn’t want to get into a melee contest with Tao. Since he didn’t have any grudge against Cozad or Arieal, it wouldn’t be them but who? Finally his eyes rested on the back of the goody-two-shoes form of Roland the paladin and a grin crept over his face. Slowly drawing his poisoned dagger, Tariq moved in for the kill.
Tao added the weight of his yumi to rain of arrows pouring from Mathias’ bow but the goblins kept advancing. Seeing a charging horde of goblins in game was one thing, actually feeling the ground tremble as their green-skinned bodies scrambled over the fallen to get at you quicker was another thing. The rational portion of his brain that was Mac felt a mixture of revulsion and sympathy at the pitiful creatures. Of course, the logical side that was Tao knew if the goblins could reach them in overwhelming numbers, they would just swarm over them like ants winning the battle by sheer numbers. Once the goblins closed to twenty paces, Tao dropped his bow and drew his swords.
His right hand held his new katana he had received from Al Shaytan last night, part of him regretted having to christen the blade on the blood of goblins but the frost radiating from the blade seemed to increase with their proximity. His left hand held his ever faithful wakizashi which he had created in game after a long drawn out quest to become a Grandmaster Weaponsmith. With a slight grin, he leapt into action. Gone was conscious thought. With the enemy around him, Tao became one with his swords and his every movement became death in motion.
Ed wrestled with the Cozad mindset for all of about ten seconds before giving in. Knowing that the goblins held numerical superiority, the Dreadknight spoke a word of command to summon his pet gargoyle and a hole of darkness opened in front of the foremost goblins as his minion struggled to enter this plane of existence. Unfortunately for the goblins, the gargoyle used their bodies to help pull itself free from the portal in its haste to join its master. Hefting his large axe, Cozad waded into the goblins. Hacking this way and that, anything he hit fell and didn’t move again.
They were only minutes into the battle and nearly half of the goblins were dead or dying. A more intelligent creature would retreat after enduring such a slaughter but not the goblins. They kept coming and coming. So, the companions kept killing and killing.
After the initial charge, Arieal had shaken herself free of her immobility and used her magic to animate several of the dead goblins before sending them back into the fray to fight on the side of the companions.
Pixi had reappeared overhead as she launched another attack, this time a lightning bolt spell which claimed the lives of about ten goblins before she disappeared again.
Bjǿrn was totally and utterly berse
rk. In his were-bear form, he towered close to eight feet tall and wielded the huge claymore like a scythe cutting through wheat. The few goblins which survived long enough to get close enough to strike the berserker, failed to penetrate his thick blue fur which gave him his surname.
Roland stood back and watched as the goblins were decimated by his companions. Somewhere deep inside himself, he was still convinced that this was nothing more than a dream. Any minute he would wake up and be back in Manhattan. Seeing one of the goblins slip past the were-bear and charge at him, Roland raised his sword. His palms were sweaty and his stomach was in a knot but still he paused. As the fear began to overwhelm him, Steve muttered a prayer out of some long forgotten habit.
Suddenly, a calm sense of peace began to flow through his body as he felt strength return to his arms. Not just any strength, the holy strength of the righteous filled him. Raising his sword high with a smile on his face with the knowledge of faith, Roland began to step forward when a sharp pain filled his lower back. He felt his knees begin to give way. He tried to call out a warning but fear swept over him once more as he realized that he was paralyzed and getting weaker by the second. Without control of his body, Roland fell to the ground just as the goblin reached him and began to hack at him with its blunt sword. A loud rushing noise filled his ears and darkness covered his eyes. Steve’s last thought was ‘what is that light up ahead’ and then he was gone.
Tariq was overwhelmed with elation at his strike. The paladin had been in full plate armor which didn’t leave too many openings but there was a single crease in the plates where the upper torso met the waist, just enough room to slide his dagger between and into the paladin’s kidneys. Judging from the spasms and twitches after his strike, he knew the poison had done its work and the annoying paladin was dead. Stepping out of the way of the onrushing goblin, he let it hack at the fallen paladin for a few moments before dispatching it with a quick slash across the throat. Looking around, Tariq was pleased with himself. Everyone was so busy with the goblins that no one was watching him, a perfect assassination.
Or so he thought.
Gamble had been overlooked by everyone, goblins and companions alike, which was fine by him. As the twin suns had set and the darkness of night had begun to claim the land, the skald was in his element. As a rogue, dusk was his favorite time of the day. The fading light was at an odd angle in the sky casting strange shadows or creating a glare which could temporarily blind someone, which made it a difficult time to see a sneaking rogue. Gamble quickly realized the advantage of the dwarven darksight.
Darksight was the ability of some races to see in the infra-spectrum or the ability to discern varying degrees of heat. Bodies gave off more heat than the surrounding landscape; their campfire gave off more and Pixi’s wall of fire more than that. Gamble could see everyone except Pixi. Somehow her invisibility also masked her body heat.
Since this was a straight up fight, he used his rogue powers which were semi-magical to fade into the shadows. Standing toe-to-toe with superior numbered foes was not within his skill set, not if he could help it. Gamble took up a guard position near Moira the druid, just in case. It was a general rule of thumb when adventuring that the healer must be protected at all cost, everyone knew that. Luckily, none of the goblins had breached the perimeter except one and it was charging the fully armored paladin.
Foolish goblin.
However, the dwarf was stunned when he saw the assassin Tariq take advantage of the distraction and slide his dagger into the back of Roland. From the gleam of the green toxin which coated the blade, he knew that his friend was dead the moment the blade broke his skin.
Gamble glanced back at the others. No one else had seen the act of treachery. They were still busy with the goblin horde. Realizing that it was up to him to capture or contain the assassin, he took stock of his runes.
As a skald, he had access to a specialized type of magic that involved a combination of chanting, praying and the carving of runes into specially prepared stones. Once carved, the runes were stable and able to be used by anyone. Just speak the name of the rune, toss the stone and the spell would go off like the medieval version of a hand grenade. Seconds later Gamble found the rune-stone that he wanted, one imbued with the spell ‘Bands of Gyve.’ If it worked just like it did in the game, it would call forth multiple bands of energy that would wrap around any size opponent, totally immobilizing it.
Gamble watched as Tariq easily dispatched the goblin which had been hacking on the corpse of Roland before the assassin moved back toward the fire. The dwarf wanted to puke when he saw the smirk of satisfaction on the Arabian assassin’s face. Moving as quietly as possible, Gamble slid up behind the assassin and tossed the rune-stone.
Tariq heard the dwarf’s whispered command and turned to block the incoming attack. But he didn’t expect it to be a small stone and it slipped past his guard to strike his chest. A mere fraction of a second later, ten black ribbons of energy exploded out to quickly wrap around him. Tariq struggled with all his might for a moment before realizing that he was trapped. He was trussed up like a lamb being carried off to slaughter and completely at the dwarf’s mercy.
Chapter 5
As the last of the goblins fled into the night, Tao took a deep breath of the cool night air. Even with the stench of burning flesh, the air tasted sweet. From the past near-death experiences he survived during Desert Storm, he realized of course that it was just the euphoria of being alive. Life is never sweeter than those few minutes after facing certain death.
Turning back to his companions, Tao was confronted with the bittersweet fact of being inside the game. He could see two forms lying prone within the light of their campfire, the still form of Roland and a second one wrapped in black bands of magic which was still struggling against his bonds. The rest of his companions were gathered around them and an argument had already broken out between two party members.
Moira said, “…but he hasn’t been convicted.”
Cozad folded his arm across his chest. “His actions have condemned him.”
Moira turned angrily on Tao as he entered the circle. Thrusting her finger into his chest she glared at him. “What do you have to say about this since you are our fearless leader?”
“What are you talking about?” asked Tao.
Moira pointed at the armored Dreadknight. “He wants to kill Tariq.”
“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” replied Cozad.
Tao waved his hands back and forth. “It would help if someone explained what was going on?”
Gamble stepped forward. “It’s simple. While everyone was busy during the battle, I saw Tariq backstab Roland. It wasn’t a case of friendly fire or accidental injury, it was a deliberate assassination.”
Tao really didn’t doubt his friend but he had to ask. “Are you certain?”
In response, the dwarf just knelt down and gently pulled off the dead paladin’s helmet. Nobody in the group was a forensic expert but most had seen enough crime drama shows on television to recognize that a swollen and distended tongue that was solid black wasn’t normal in death.
Bjǿrn spoke up, the exhaustion from his berserker rage was evident as his voice was just a whisper. “Only poison could do that to a corpse.”
Arieal raised an eyebrow in a silent question but Moira answered for him. “Earl was a detective before he became the police chief. He was on the job for over thirty years before he retired. He’s had his share of murders to investigate.”
Tao stood over the bound form of Tariq and looked down on him. “You attacked one of our own? During a battle? Are you crazy?”
Cozad took a small step forward. “His actions have condemned him.”
Tao held his hand out and the large dreadknight paused. “Wait. Even with my military and law enforcement background, I’m not comfortable being the judge, jury and executioner. It goes against everything that I believe in.”
Cozad looked up. His eyes blazed a brilliant red
. “Then you suggest letting this piece of scum live?”
“Live? Yes. I can kill an enemy in combat without hesitation but not this, not with him trussed up. It would be an execution and I am not alright with that. Not now, not ever.”
Cozad’s eyes had changed to a lighter shade of violet as his rage subsided. “What do you propose to do with him?”
Tao turned to the dwarf and asked, “How long will your spell last?”
“Not sure. Back home, the spell would last two hours.” Gamble shrugged. “What that converts to on this side, I’m not really sure.”
Tao glanced at the dark elf. “How long will your animation of the dead goblins last?”
Arieal cocked her head to one side as she thought. Blowing a stray strand of white hair out of her face she replied, “Up to one full day of game time or until I dismiss them.”
Tao nodded. “Okay. Here’s the plan. Everyone grab our belongings and prepare to move. We are not spending the night here, we’re too exposed.” The samurai changed the tone of his voice as he knelt down over top of the assassin. “Tariq, I don’t know what possessed you to kill Roland. Steve was flawed but he was a friend. He didn’t deserve this but I can’t kill you in good conscience. It might be what you truly deserve but I still think it would be wrong. And two wrongs don’t make a right.”
Tao paused to look around. “But I also can’t let you stay with us. So, you’re being banished from the group. Whatever happens to you once we leave this campsite is entirely up to you. We are getting back home. How or if you ever make it back, I don’t care. However I will give you this one warning; don’t try to catch up with us. Don’t call, don’t write, if you see us on the street, pass us by without a word. If you do ever get close to one of us, I will not try to stop anyone from killing you. Hell, they may have to stop me.”
Tao stood up and turned to Arieal. “Have your minions carry him until the spell releases him.”
Arieal nodded at Tao’s logic and asked, “Which way?”
Lost Lands: The Game - Atlantis Page 4
