As he jogged, Jace thought back to the person who had killed him. He’d never seen them before, but he knew who the person was. Or should he say, he knew WHAT she was. She was an assassin. And she’d assassinated Jace.
When he’d played Mordred, he’d been part of the assassin’s guild. Whenever he took a contract, he was required to bring back their right ear to prove he’d fulfilled the contract. The assassin had cut off his ear, which meant she had been fulfilling a contract. Jace frowned. He started to wonder who would have taken a contract out on him but then realized who it must be. Drakkar.
The pirate must have hired the assassin’s guild to kill Jace. Jace smiled as he jogged. He wished he could be there when Drakkar realized he was alive. He’d love to see the expression on the man’s face.
Finally, Jace made it back to the Twisted Tankard Tavern. Mika was still kneeling over his body, but Diana just leaned against the wall nearby.
“About time you get back,” Diana said. “This one’s been worried you wouldn’t come back.”
Mika looked up, saw him, and dashed forward to wrap him in a tight embrace. Then, she stepped back. “I am glad you are alive! We didn’t know what happened to you!”
Jace gave her a smile and then stepped to his body and looted it. As he did, he gave the girls a serious look. “It was an assassin. Apparently, someone took out a contract on me. Three guesses who that might be?”
“The evil captain!” Mika spat.
“Wait! You can take contracts out on players?” Diana asked. She seemed shocked at the very idea.
Nodding, Jace finished equipping his gear and stood up as his old body faded away. “You can. Obviously, it doesn’t have lasting results like it would with an NPC, but we can be killed and that ends the contract.”
“So, what’s the point?” Diana asked.
“If it’s a player who puts out the contract on another player, it’s usually to annoy them,” Jace said. “Plus, starting at level 10, we’ll get a death debuff when we die. It gets steadily worse, the higher level you are. At 90+, it can prevent you from doing much of anything while you have it and it lasts almost a week. I’ve heard of high-level raiders taking out contracts on other raiders so they could get their spot.”
“That sounds barbaric,” Diana said, not bothering to hide her disdain.
Jace couldn’t help but agree. “Yes, raids are a serious business - literally. If you loot the right item, you could literally make millions of gold by selling it to a buyer who really wants it.”
“That almost makes it more crass,” Diana said and then lapsed into silence.
“Let’s hope that’s the last assassin that comes after Jace,” Mika cut in. “We must be on our guard!”
Jace nodded but he doubted being on their guard would have made any difference. Judging by the amount of damage the assassin had done with their Surprise Attack, he guessed the assassin had been at least level 30. None of them would have stood a chance. Even all of them working together wouldn’t have been able to bring the assassin down.
“Do you still feel like eating?” Diana asked him.
“Fish!” Luna chimed in, causing them to chuckle.
“Yes,” he replied, but then quickly added. “But I think I’ll sit with my back against the wall.”
They went inside the tavern and found a table against the wall. Jace tried to relax, but after the assassin, he was on his guard. He would have liked to downed a few meads or something even stronger, but he and Mika had jobs to do later and the effects of the game-induced intoxication could last for hours.
Once their food came, the three of them ate in silence for a long while. Finally, Mika spoke up. “Will there be more assassins?”
Jace finished chewing a bite of his steak and then shook his head. “I don’t think so. Now that the assassin has killed me, technically the contract is complete. Drakkar will receive the ear and he’ll assume I’m dead.”
“But what if he finds out you’re still alive?” she asked.
“He shouldn’t,” Jace replied. “Both he and his ship are banned from Whitecliff and branded as outlaws and pirates. With any luck, we’ll never see him again.”
“Because we’ve been so lucky so far,” Diana added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Even if he does find out, the most he could do is send another assassin after me and that would just mean respawning. At least, until I hit level 10. Even then, the death penalty at lower levels isn’t so bad and it goes away fairly quickly.”
“We must stay on our guard,” Mika insisted.
“You’re right, we should,” Jace agreed.
They lapsed back into silence as they continued eating. Jace noticed that Luna had finished up her fish and had curled up in the chair next to him and fallen asleep. Absently, he reached over and stroked the cat’s fur. She stirred a little but then began to purr.
“Have you made any progress on getting into the Noble District or the palace?” Diana asked after a few bites.
“Yes,” Jace replied. He realized he hadn’t told them about his deal with the guildmaster. “I made a deal with Webley. He’ll use his contact to get us into the Noble District. But it’s a one-time favor, so we can’t use it until we know for certain how to get into the palace.”
“What about the birthday party you told us about?” Diana said. “Is there a way we could get invited to it?”
Jace shook his head. “Parties in the Noble District, and especially the Royal Palace, are for nobles only. Those types of events are basically a reward for the players who have paid outrageous amounts of money to buy titles. Even in the game, there are have’s and have not’s.”
“So, it’s like a country club?” Diana suggested. “Buy a membership for an absurd price to get access to the golf course. Then, there’s member only activities as well.”
Having never been to a country club, Jace had no idea but it sounded like an apt analogy. “I guess so.”
Diana looked wistful. “Once we get this all sorted out and I get my money back, maybe I’ll buy a minor title. I’ve always wanted to be a countess.”
Jace and Mika both stared at the woman. Jace wondered just how much money Diana had. If she could really buy a title, she must have millions of dollars. Or maybe she was just joking.
The little group lapsed back into silence then as each of them finished up their meals. Soon they were done, and they split up to do their nightly questing.
Chapter 34
Jace and Mika’s job went well and they each earned an additional 300 gold in stolen loot that they pawned at the Black Market. Like Jace’s previous breaking and entering quests, Luna had been their lookout.
The two of them had broken in, robbed the place blind and then quickly left. Working together, he’d quickly finished both jobs and turned them in back at the guild house. The experience from the quests pushed him into level 5 in Mage. It wasn’t much of a gain, but he didn’t want to outpace Charlena and have to switch to another class.
Mika earned level 3 in Rogue and received the Backstab ability. Jace thought it could be great to see her Backstab something with her katana but then remembered it could only be used with piercing weapons. Jace doubted he could talk her into using a pike or a spear.
Jace took the opportunity at the Black Market to pick up a replacement for his lost grapple and rope. At his suggestion, Mika picked up a grapple and some picks. She hadn’t picked any locks before so he also found a large padlock, he could use to teach her.
They checked back in with Webley, but he had no other jobs for that evening and told them to come back tomorrow night. With nothing else to do in the guild house, they decided to head back to the inn.
After they left the thieves guild, he paid back the money he borrowed from Mika for the gnomish rockets. She’d tried to refuse but Jace was insistent. He showed her that he had plenty of money left from what he’d taken from Drakkar.
What finally convinced her was pointing out the fact that the more th
eir money was spread out, the less they would lose if one of them lost their body. Jace sensed she was a practical person at heart and when he put in those terms, she had relented and accepted the money.
It was just after midnight when they reached the inn. The main dining room was closed so they slipped up the stairs and went into their room. Jace hadn’t really spent any time in the room but found that it was actually decently sized and nicely furnished.
As Diana requested, there was only a single large, canopy bed in the center of the room. At the foot of the bed was an oversized chest to store belongings. To the right of the bed was a small table with two chairs. To the left was a large metal tub that looked large enough to fit two people. Then he remembered, this room was the honeymoon suite.
“Not bad,” Jace commented as he walked in.
“Yes,” Mika agreed. “Diana and I waited up here until breakfast a couple of days.”
Nodding, Jace let himself fall onto the bed. He was surprised at just how soft the mattress. He closed his eyes for a moment but found that his brain didn’t slow down nor did his body feel any need to sleep at all.
“I have tried to sleep,” Mika told him. “Even as a monster. I would try to sleep, hoping I would wake up from this dream. It never worked. It still does not. Now I know it is because I am dead.”
Jace opened his eyes and turned over to face Mika. She had seated herself in one of the chairs at the little table and was looking at him. “How do you feel about being dead?”
“It makes me sad,” she said. “But I think I have accepted it.”
Jace nodded and waited for her to continue. They hadn’t really talked about much since they’d been reunited in Whitecliff and he hoped she’d open up to him.
“I had very few friends. I owned a small fashion shop where I made and sold my own clothing,” Mika continued. “When I wasn’t running the shop, I was making new clothes. Not time or money for going out.”
“You’re a fashion designer?” he asked. Other than programming and gaming skills, like lockpicking, Jace didn’t possess any other real skills. He was intrigued that she could not only come up with the ideas for new clothes, but then make them as well.
“Seamstress,” Mika corrected.
“But you designed your own clothes?”
“Yes.”
“I think that makes you a fashion designer,” he said and then remembering she was from Japan, he added. “At least in America you’d be a fashion designer. Here a seamstress is someone who sews clothes from a pattern and hems or repairs clothes.”
Mika considered that for a moment and then smiled. “Yes, fashion designer sounds better than seamstress too! But I did not make much, like a real fashion designer. I made enough to pay the rent on my shop and to buy more cloth, supplies and groceries.”
Jace nodded. “I was sort of in the same boat. I made enough to get by but that was it.” Suddenly he remembered the armor she’d made him. “Wait. Is that why you worked on your crafting skills?”
“Yes,” she replied. “It is not so different. Just much faster.”
“That’s really neat,” he told her. Other than Poisonmaking as Mordred, he’d never bothered with the crafting skills. If she kept up with her skills, she could actually make some decent in-game money. Player crafted gear became more and more powerful at the end, but she’d need to learn enchanting to make the real money.
Jace realized they’d gotten off the topic of her former life and how she was dealing with being dead. He was about to ask her another question when the door opened, and Diana walked in.
“Oh,” Diana exclaimed, momentarily startled. “I didn’t expect anyone else. Usually, you two show up around breakfast time.”
“We finished early,” Jace told her.
The older woman came and plopped down on the bed next to Jace. Her body was touching his and she turned, their faces only inches apart, to give him a seductive smile. She held his gaze for a moment before gracing Mika a far less flirtatious grin.
The closeness of her voluptuous body both made Jace uncomfortable and excited. Despite the fact that her mind might be in its 90s, her virtual body was that of an extremely well-proportioned 25-year-old and his own body was reacting to it. He wondered if she’d done that purposefully, just to play with him.
Regardless of the reason, he rolled over a bit to put a little space between them. With more distance between them, he looked over at Diana. “Did you get some quests done?”
“What did you do?” Mika asked.
Diana dismissed her question with a gesture. “More matchmaking. Apparently, that seems to be what her priests do. Matchmaking and relationship counselling. I thought there’d be more sex involved.”
Mika’s cheeks turned slightly pink but Jace just rolled his eyes. “They probably gave the quests parameters, knowing not everyone would be okay with virtual sex. Or maybe those are reserved for Moureva, the goddess of lust.”
“Ohh,” Diana purred. “Now that sounds more up my alley. Why didn’t you tell me about her before?”
Jace grinned. “Because she’s also the goddess of lies, betrayal and jealousy. She’s considered an evil goddess and you won’t find a temple in the good lands.”
Dian pouted. “More’s the pity. Sounds like fun.”
“Probably not as much as you think,” Jace shrugged. “It’s probably just the opposite. You’re probably breaking up relationships.”
Diana looked wistful and lapsed into silence and Mika didn’t seem to want to talk as openly with the other woman in the room. Instead, he reviewed their plan and tried to brainstorm with the girls on ideas to get into the Royal Palace. Unfortunately, none of them came up with anything new.
Hours later, Luna reminded them that it was breakfast time by asking for more fish. They decided to move their conversation down to the dining room and they all ordered waffles. Jace had just taken the first bite of his when a commotion by the door grabbed his attention.
There were three armored men just inside the door of the inn and they were speaking to the very nervous looking dwarf proprietor. As he took in their armor and their tabards, Jace realized they were knights.
“We are looking for Dedrurrurth,” announced the leader of the knights and Jace exchanged a worried glance with Mika. Had the guard somehow found out they’d robbed the houses? The proprietor pointed at their table and Jace swore silently.
Under the table, he produced his sack of coins and shoved into Diana’s hands. She took it but gave him a confused look.
“In case I get imprisoned,” he told her, and she nodded. If this was about one of the jobs, he’d done for the thieves guild they might imprison him. If that happened, he might need to find a way to kill himself. He’d lose his corpse and all of his possessions, except for the Kraken’s Claw, but at least his money would be safe.
The knights stopped in front of the table and looked down at Jace. “Dedrurrurth?”
Jace nodded. “I’m Dedrurrurth.”
“I must ask you to come with me,” the knight ordered him with a deadpan voice.
Jace stood up and scanned the guards. They were each level 40 and Jace realized he had no chance at all to overpower them. He saw Mika’s face go grim and her hand drop down to her katana.
He gave her a slight shake of his head and mouthed the word “No.” Her heart might be in a good place, but these knights were beyond any of them.
“This way,” the knight gestured back towards the door.
“I’ll be back,” Jace told the girls and then turned towards the door. The knights neither contradicted him nor confirm his assertion, so Jace walked to the door. The other patrons stared at him, most likely wondering what he’d done to warrant attention from the Royal Guard.
When they got outside, the men formed up around him. The lead knight moved in front of him, while the other two knights went to either side.
“Where are you taking me?” he asked as they began marching to the south.
The knig
hts didn’t answer him, so Jace tried again. “Come on, don’t I at least deserve to know where we’re going?”
The lead knight stopped so abruptly, Jace almost walked into him but stopped himself just in time. The man spun around, his face inches from Jace’s own. “We are taking you to the palace.”
Jace gulped as he tried to imagine what they wanted from him. Did they need more information about the tiara? Had they found out his real involvement with it? Did they know he was a member of the thieves guild?
The questions hit Jace one after another in rapid fire. The knight spun back around and just before they started off again, he spoke again. “The king would like a word with you.”
Chapter 35
Time seemed to slow down as the group marched towards the west entrance of the Noble District. After the knight had told Jace that the king wanted to have a word with Jace, his imagination began to run wild. He couldn’t understand why the king would want to see him.
He racked his brain, trying to think of any other situation he’d heard of where a king had asked to see a player. Other than ceremonies where they received titles they had bought, he couldn’t think of a single instance.
Jace tried to figure out what that meant for him. He suspected it wouldn’t be anything good. Most likely, they’d uncovered some evidence that the thieves guild was involved and Jace was going to be the fall guy.
He considered using his Vanish skill to simply disappear and then get lost into the crown. At one point, he even equipped his Infiltrator’s Hat, instantly willing it to look like the hood that had been there just a moment ago.
The problem was, if he did run, he’d be branded an outlaw and his faction would drop far into the negative with the guards. Then, even if he died, his faction would remain negative and they’d attack him on sight. His only way to avoid that was to accept whatever punishment they gave him.
If they executed him, he’d lose his corpse and all his possessions, but his faction would stay intact, and his crime would be wiped away. Then, when he respawned, he could pick up as if nothing happened. If they imprisoned him, he’d have to think of some other way to die so he could respawn.
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