by Sam Ferguson
[QUEST COMPLETED: ROAD TO PANTERRA]
[+7,000 XP]
[You are now level 14]
[Greencap reputation +20]
The hired companions remained outside to protect the rhiquin while Brian and the others walked through the gate to find a sprawling city with large open spaces shielded from the sun and grand canvas canopies held up by large wooden poles. Houses of stone and thatched roofs dotted the landscape around them. Many satyrs walked around, playing, eating, and playing music with drums and flutes. Aside from the guards and warriors that were streaming in ahead of the group, it seemed most of the satyrs were fully absorbed in whatever made them happy in the moment. Some were painting, others were performing street plays, juggling, or putting on acrobatic shows.
“Next time we play, I’m totally going to be a satyr,” Mike said.
“You’re going to play again?” Augustin asked.
Mike put on a sheepish grin and shrugged. “Or… at least the next time I play something.”
Augustin shook his head.
“Let’s find the alchemy shop,” Rhonda said. “I want to spend as little time here as possible.”
“Oh? I thought you liked your new boyfriend?” Mike jabbed.
“I’m not joking, I’ll dump all of your chocolate powder into the hot tub,” Rhonda threatened.
“Nah, you wouldn’t do that, because then you wouldn’t be able to use the hot tub,” Mike countered.
Brian’s mind was helpless against the suggested imagery. Once again, the image of Rhonda slipping into the hot tub in her bathing suit with her beautiful dark skin and her shapely, athletic figure took center stage in his mind.
Insensitive. Brian thought. Not only was it insensitive to Rhonda, but Barry, the professor, and Meredith all depending on them for help.
“Oh look! The alchemy shop Meredith told us about!” Rhonda said suddenly, pointing excitedly at a shop up ahead. He looked up to see the alchemist symbol, a bubbling potion bottle, painted brightly on a sign at a stone building. “This is the other place where it is possible to buy elixir of moonlight. Maybe the proprietor can also sell me more of the materials for that wine Pan wants. Give me a couple of minutes,” Rhonda said. She disappeared into the building only to emerge several minutes later grinning ear to ear. “I did better than I thought,” she said. “I have my ingredients and made over five thousand gold of profit on the sale of some quickly prepared potions using items I was able to barter off of the fellow.” She looked down and patted Little Man. “I am going to miss the charisma boost he gives me.”
“Did you get all three moonshine elixirs?” Augustin asked.
“Nah, she gave the moonshine to Pan,” Mike blurted out.
Everyone looked at him and he just held up his hands and shrugged.
“Sorry guys, we’ve been playing for a long time, and I haven’t had much sleep. I get a little slaphappy after a while. I can’t help it.”
“I got enough ingredients for two moonlight elixirs. Little Man is now level nine, and I just need one more level to transform him, but it looks like we’ll need to find the ingredient out in the wilderness.”
“Oof,” Brian said. “And since you can’t tell us what we’re looking for...”
Rhonda shrugged. “If we go a little slowly through the forest, I’ll know what to look for. So maybe give me your luck blossoms again when we leave?”
Brian nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.”
Rhonda sighed. “We should probably meet up with Pan so I can give him the rest of the wine. Then we can go.”
Brian held up a hand. “Actually, we should probably find a save point. We have come an awful long way to risk losing progress.”
“Good call,” Mike said. “Let’s find that first.”
Brian opened up his map. Now that they had discovered Panterra, he could zoom into the actual city and look for specific buildings. He didn’t see a single inn, but he noticed there was a fast travel spot directly in front of the palace. He put his map marker on it and then closed his interface. “Ok, so it looks like both Pan and the save point are at the palace.”
Mike grinned. “That makes it easy, then. Lead the way, oh mighty one.”
Brian led the group through a wandering series of streets and byways that were far less sensible than the well-organized streets and city blocks in Bohotes or Fezhik. These roads meandered everywhere it seemed, and some of them even had festival canopies set up over long stretches of pavement, impeding traffic with the revelry taking place beneath them. He really shouldn’t have been surprised, given the way Pan had spoken of his disdain for governing, but still, it was a little jarring to the senses to see such a mess of a city.
They found their way to the palace, a large clay tile roof stretched over an open-air structure adorned with marble columns and a few rooms separated with wooden walls. The save point was near a tall fountain where water flowed from a statue of a satyr playing an aulos, a double-reeded instrument similar to an oboe.
Each of the players updated their files. Brian breathed a sigh of relief to see each of their ribbons hanging from the pedestal. They were safe—for now.
“Strange behavior,” Pan called out to them as he emerged from the palace. A shapely satyr with silk robes walked with him, hanging onto his arm and smiling widely. Her ears were flushed pink, and her big, doey eyes seemed transfixed on Pan. “I don’t recall saying you could hang anything on my statues,” Pan said with a frown.
Brian thought quickly. “But you did say we could do whatsoever we found pleasant, so long as we didn’t create wanton destruction or harm any of the satyrs here. We have kept your rules as instructed.”
Pan smiled. “Ah, so I did, and so you have.” Pan turned and kissed the female satyr, then disentangled himself from her to approach the group. “And have you kept the rest of your promise?”
Rhonda stepped forward and began stacking bottles and kegs of wine on the pavement between them. “I believe that should be enough to go around.” She sounded very satisfied with herself.
Pan’s ears flicked again, and his eyes widened. “My, my! I hadn’t really expected you to deliver so quickly.” He greedily ran his hands over the liquid loot and his smile stretched across his entire face. “How lovely. Just look at each of those perfectly round, perfectly delicious kegs of happiness and joy!”
“Would you like to let your wife enjoy some Soobee wine?” Rhonda asked, offering a bottle to the female satyr.
Pan looked back and then frowned at Rhonda. “My sweet, that is not my wife. But, yes, my wife did also enjoy the Soobee wine. We drank half of the first bottle together. I have already shared the rest with my friend Braetha. We met only today.”
Brian looked to Braetha, who was now batting her eyes at him. He quickly looked away and focused his attention back on Pan.
“Now, remember, you promised we could go, no tricks,” Rhonda said.
Pan frowned. “Yes, I did. But you see, it occurs to me that a chance like this only comes once in a great long while.”
“Pan...” Brian started as he prepared his dagger. He was not about to get betrayed to Rored. Not now. Worst-case scenario, they lost the fight and started right back here knowing what to expect.
“No, no, be at ease my young friend,” Pan said patting the air. “What I mean to say is you have treated me so well that I should go with you.”
Brian’s mouth fell open. “Wait... what?”
Pan smiled. “You have more than doubled the value of Rored’s price in only one day,” he lovingly stroked a new bottle of wine before popping it open and taking a long swig. “Imagine the treasure I could amass if I followed you for a week! I will bring my bodyguards. We will work with you to keep you safe and any future product you may feel inclined to produce,” he winked at Rhonda, “you know, protect my investment and all that.”
“I suppose a few extra swords wouldn’t hurt,” Brian said.
“Better than that,” Pan hiccupped, “I can lead you throug
h the forest and across the White Hills without going to Biel Pass. I can show you the way to Bielshire without you getting ambushed by Rored along the way.”
“Well, I suppose...” Brian started.
“No, no,” Pan said. “I don’t think you understand. This lovely woman here made a more accurate guess about my name than she probably realized. You see, this great city is Panterra. Panterra. It’s my city. What I say is law. I said I shall join you, and join you I shall. I said I am an investor, and payment I shall ensure. And along the way when I say we stop for more Soobee wine, then we shall.”
Pan snapped his fingers and several bodyguards in full armor came rushing out to his side. Pan turned back to Braetha and blew her a kiss. “Farewell, little one. It was nice meeting you.” He then turned and approached Rhonda, slipping his arm under hers as he turned her around and started walking. “Now, my sweet, what kind of wine do you like?”
“Something tells me this will be more trouble than it’s worth,” Mike said.
Brian gave a single nod and grunted. “Hopefully the trip will be over soon, or he’ll drink himself to sleep one day and we can move on without him.”
18
Ivory Spine
Brian and the others found their rhiquin at the front gate. Pan insisted on riding with Rhonda. The three bodyguards who had accompanied Pan out of the city rode with Atheron, Krestin, and Freya. One had attempted to ride with Shuggra, but she put a sword to the satyr’s throat and tried to persuade him that it would be most unpleasant to try and ride with her.
The rhiquin, being as large as elephants, were perfectly capable of carrying three or five people at a time. As it was, none of the satyrs needed to sit particularly close to their riding companions to find comfortable positions. They were quite happy to stretch out along the animals’ long, muscular backs and recline while someone else led the animal.
Pan would sit up from time to time as he directed Rhonda and the group as they traveled in a southern fashion toward the snow-covered peaks beyond the trees. True to his word, Pan led them through a path that kept them safe as they exited the forest. Perhaps it was his nose, as he claimed it was, or perhaps it was the rhiquin with their supersonic harmonies, but either way, they encountered zero predators until they reached the edge of the forest.
Rhonda stopped as the trees began to thin out and some of the streams and small ponds were showing signs of frost.
Pan sat up and yawned. “Why are we stopping? I didn’t say it was time for a break. Tell the beastie to keep going,” he said.
Rhonda turned around and shushed him with a finger to her lips.
Pan laughed. “Oh, I do love the feisty ones.”
Rhonda didn’t respond to him this time. She just searched the ground for something. Brian figured she must have been looking for the final ingredient to make the last moonlight elixir. She dismounted and walked to a nearby pond, pushing aside the reeds and searching the cat tails.
Brian dismounted and joined here.
“If I knew what to look for...”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
He shrugged. “Well, then at least I can make sure no croc jumps out of the ponds.”
She frowned and glanced back to him. “You think?”
“No crocs in these ponds,” Pan said, coming up alongside them. “I said I was going the safest route, not the suicidal path. Have you ever heard of a satyr getting along with a crocodile? I should think not.” He paused and bent low to examine the waters. “These are some interesting minnows here though. They produce a mildly hallucinogenic toxin on their body. It makes for an interesting wine additive.”
“That sounds great,” Rhonda said flatly. “You look for that and I will go search the next pond over.”
Pan giggled to himself and started stalking around the edge of the pond, humming a little tune as he searched for the minnows.
“He’s ridiculous,” Brian said.
“He’s a satyr,” Rhonda corrected in a whisper. “This is what they do.” She turned and put a hand on his chest. “Now, go on back and let me search for what I need. The less distraction I have, the faster we can be on our way.”
Brian wrinkled his nose and frowned, but she didn’t see his expression. She was already walking away. He went back to his rhiquin and climbed atop the thing. He alternated between searching for Pan and Rhonda through the trees as they both hunted their quarry. After a few minutes, Rhonda came back from a far pond smiling ear to ear.
“I have what I need,” she said.
“Well, I don’t,” Pan called out. “I haven’t managed to bag any of my minnows.”
Rhonda mounted her rhiquin and shrugged. “Well, you either join me or walk, but we’re leaving now.”
Pan frowned. “There is a fine line between feisty and rude,” he said.
Rhonda shrugged again. “How would you know the difference?”
Pan climbed up to sit upon the rhiquin. “My sweet, you are beginning to sour...” he smiled then and leaned toward her. “Or are you only playing difficult?” Brian watched as Rhonda turned around and leaned in close to Pan. At first he thought they might kiss. It was obvious Pan thought the same thing, as his ears flicked and his lips puckered, but instead she whispered something into his ear. Whatever it was, the satyr leaned back, cleared his throat, and then scooted back again while crossing his legs.
“Onward,” Pan said, though his voice was much less confident than it had been in the past. “Straight out across the frozen plains and over the White Hills.” The group emerged from the forest’s edge, traveling over frosted grasslands and past scattered ponds where ice was beginning to grow around the shallow edges.
A few more miles to the south brought them to snow-covered plains. They had another twenty miles or so before they reached the tall, snow-capped peaks that separated the more temperate lands of northern Prirodha from the frozen tundra of the southern portion of the continent. The map showed the actual Antarctic was another hundred miles or so across the sea from Prirodha’s coast, but the frigid winds drove northward until they collided with the White Hills, as the southern mountain range was called by some. Others called it the Ivory Spine, the divider between the harshest parts of Terramyr and the rest of civilization. Brian couldn’t help but wonder what kind of monsters would be lurking in the mountains, or in the southern tundra beyond.
There was a natural break in the range to the east, a pass formed by Terramyr herself when the Ivory Spine had been born, but given that it was the only common route used by travelers, it would be easy for Rored to lay an ambush there. As he thought about it, he realized how Rored always seemed to be ahead of them. The AI didn’t know the world was really just a game, and he didn’t seem to have the ability to use save points, so he couldn’t fast travel. What he could do, though, was resurrect in whatever spot he was slain, just like he had back in Fezhik. It took some time after Brian had killed him of course, but he had managed to rise up again apparently without some secluded save point. That meant he could always take the most direct route. If a monster killed him, he would simply awaken a few minutes later and continue walking. All Rored needed was information about what quests the group would likely try to accomplish.
Road to Bohotes had been easy to overhear, but the others would need a spy at some point.
Brian allowed his rhiquin to follow Rhonda on a sort of autopilot so he could open the quest log. He read through each one and whistled through his teeth. They needed to collect four keys, each held by a different natural race, and then use them to open a metal chest guarded by an ancient monster in a forgotten cave. If they could beat the monster, then the four keys would open the metal chest and give them one of the Crystals of Power. It was one of a dozen or so crystals formed during—or by—the creation of the world itself. This particular crystal held an immense power that could control all of the natural races, not only on Prirodha, but all of Terramyr. The quest log explained that the wielder of the crystal could use its
power to control, set free, or destroy all that Terramyr had created eons ago when it first gave birth to Prirodha and its inhabitants.
Brian closed his quest log and moved closer to Mike so the two could talk softly between themselves.
“Mike, what do you know of the Crystals of Power?”
Mike shrugged. “Probably more than the developers. I know about one found in the Dryden Range, and I know about one found north of the Murkle Quags.”
“No, I don’t mean where they are, I mean what they do,” Brian clarified.
“Oh, yeah, I know about that too. There is a silver one that controls the astral plane. It was said that one could achieve immortality if...”
“I get it,” Brian said. “I read that series too. But do you know about the one we’re after?”
Mike frowned and shook his head. “I didn’t know there was a crystal in Prirodha. I mean, I suppose it makes sense. After the wars where the gods clashed against each other and the forces of Hell were unleashed across Terramyr, the world had to defend itself, right? So it took one of the crystals and used its power to create the natural races. It makes sense, really. That’s probably why that particular crystal is the ultimate object of this game. Ruling it will allow for the rule of Prirodha and all that.”
Brian nodded and leaned in closer. “But what happens if Rored gets to it first?” Brian asked.
Mike blinked. By his expression, Brian could tell Mike hadn’t thought of that possibility before. “Do you think he knows about it?”
Brian shrugged. “He seems to know an awful lot about us, where we go and what we do. Maybe Meredith isn’t as secretive as she thought. Maybe the AI knows what we’re doing.”
“Maybe he has admin powers too?” Mike asked. “That’s a scary thought.” He shook his head. “But Rored isn’t part of our party, so if he obtains the crystal, then all will be lost. We’ll lose the game, and we’ll be the ones stuck in limbo.”
