Endless Fantasy Online

by Devin Auspland

  Edmund’s face went red. “No, no no. I’m almost two hundred years old.” Luke’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide with disbelief. “What? You’ve never met a half-elf before? Our life spans are typically four or five times that of a human.”

  “Wait a minute, you’ll live to four hundred or more?” Edmund nodded in response. “But… wouldn’t that mean you could level up past one hundred and would know the secrets of specializations?”

  “Ah, good point. But the simple answer is no. It’s true that some elves strive to level up, but when you live for five hundred years, leveling up is the last thing on your mind. Most elves, or half-elves in my case, retire or take on personal projects when they are middle-aged. They retire even younger if they have children. My daughter is already forty, but she looks like a twelve-year-old human. This is one reason you don’t see a lot of elves or half-elves in human cities. It's hard for humans to accept that someone who looks twelve has more life experience and knowledge than they do,” Edmund explained.

  Luke considered what he said and how hard it would be for a full-grown person to be in the body of a child, especially when interacting with others. He was all too familiar with how cruel human kids and adults could be. He used to get picked on and beat up as a child for being a bookworm, a nerd, overweight, or a laundry list of other reasons. That would only compound it if he looked twelve for multiple years.

  “I’m… I’m sorry for what your daughter must have to go through being here.” Luke was genuinely sorry and Edmund could see it in Luke’s eyes.

  “Thank you. Truly, thank you. But that isn’t why I called you back. I wanted to ask if you have given any thought to specializing as a beast tamer?”

  “A beast tamer?” Luke looked puzzled.

  “Yes, a beast tamer. The specialization focuses on becoming one with your animal companion. You borrow each other's strengths to eliminate your own weaknesses,” Edmund said excitedly.

  “Hmm.” Luke paused to think. He’d never played the tamer, hunter, or pet classes in online games before. It was great that he had Ringo but he wasn’t sure he was ready to commit fully with the little wolf. “To be honest, I’m not sure.” Edmund’s smile vanished and Luke rushed his next words. “That's not to say I wouldn’t consider it. I just don’t know what's out there.”

  “Well… It’s wise to review your options I suppose.” Edmund pulled another piece of paper from the stack and began to write. “Tell you what, why don’t you go meet a beast tamer and she can tell you more about the class. It's a rare class and not many people choose it.” Before Luke could ask questions, Edmund continued his explanation. “People are too focused on their own power and forget that there is strength in the bonds we make.” Edmund rolled up the paper and handed it to Luke.

  Quest alert! Passion of Beasts: Edmund, the local owner of Critters and Creatures Pet Haven, has expressed his interest in you becoming a Beast Tamer. Take his letter of recommendation to Ursa the Beast Tamer to learn more about the class specialization. What harm could there be in learning more? Reward: Knowledge of the Beast Tamer specialization and increased reputation with Edmund. Accept / Decline

  Edmund had been so nice to me and took his time to teach and explain things. The least I could do is accept the quest. Luke reached out and grabbed the rolled up letter with a hesitant smile.

  “Edmund? Can I just ask why you are showing such an interest in me?” Luke questioned.

  “That's a very fair question, Luke. Do you know why most people visit my store?” He gazed at Luke but when he received nothing but a shrug, he continued speaking. “They come to buy a flashy pet. Pets differ from animal companions. There isn’t a strong bond right away. You have to work at it much harder and earn it. Most travelers treat their pets as vanity items and usually lose interest after a few days. Do you know how many pet falcons I have had returned just this week?” Again Luke gave him a shrug. “Over twenty. Do you know what all of them ask when they buy the falcon in the first place?” Edmund didn’t bother looking at Luke or waiting for an answer, he just continued speaking. “They ask nothing. Not a one has asked me how to take care of their pet.” His eyes filled with sadness. “No one cares about these animals anymore. Didn’t you notice that no one came in to bother us while we sat and chatted for hours?”

  Luke did find that odd. He had been here for at least a few hours and barely anyone even walked by the front windows. “I can’t be the only one who…” Edmund gave him a serious stare.

  “You are the only traveler to ever ask how to better take care of their animal.”

  “That can’t be the only reason you’re being so nice… right?” Luke pushed.

  Edmund let out a large sigh. “No, it isn’t the only reason. I was a beast tamer in my adventuring days and, to be honest, it's not a rare specialization by choice, it's more of a dying specialization.” Luke gave him a deadpan face implying he knew he was being set up. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a strong choice. The main problem is the requirements. I don’t remember them all, it was too long ago, but I remember the big two were having a strong bond with an animal companion and having nature affinity in magic.”

  “If that was the case, why aren’t there a lot of Elves who choose the specialization?” Luke continued to press for information.

  “Most elves, especially ones with nature affinity, choose to be mages or spell arrows. Like I said, everyone, even elves, care about personal strength above all else.” Edmund frowned as he gazed around the room at all the caged animals.

  Luke remembered an old phrase that had something to do with absolute power or the search for power. He couldn’t remember the exact phrase, but Edmund’s logic made sense.

  “Well Edmund, I’ll look into it,” Luke stated.

  100 Reputation Gained with Edmund.

  New Status: Liked.

  A small tint of light returned to Edmund’s eyes. “Thank you Luke. If you decide to become a beast tamer, please come back and see me. I will reward you with something special. Even if you don’t become a beast tamer, please visit anyway. I would like to see how you and little Ringo grow.”

  Quest alert! Gift from a Friend: Edmund would like to reward you if you are so inclined to follow in the path of a Beast Tamer. Return to Edmund with Beast Tamer set as your class for a special reward. Reward: Unknown. Exp: 1,000. Accept / Decline

  Note: This is a conditional quest with no time limit. If you choose a different specialization you will automatically fail this quest but see no negative ramifications.

  Luke hit accept and Edmund showed Luke on the map where he could find Ursa, the beast tamer. He encouraged Luke to really consider this as an option and urged him to keep the specialization alive.

  Luke headed for the door and hesitated, expecting Edmund to stop him yet again. When he didn’t hear the half-elf scream at him to stop, he left the store with much more than he went in for.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The Raid

  Leaving the store, Luke wanted to share this new information with his guild. This, in combination with the dungeon, would put their guild ahead of others. Opening his map, he made his way to the marker Shrapnel added for the new guild headquarters.

  It took him almost twenty minutes to get there, still amazed at the vast size of the city. The building was several stories tall with windows evenly spaced every couple of feet. Shrapnel wasn’t kidding about the ideal location either. The building had a clear path to the main city gate and was only a few blocks away. It also appeared to be a much nicer building than the warehouse he had first been introduced in. Frankly, this building wasn’t falling apart like the old one.

  Opening the large wooden door, noise and music assaulted Luke. The grand room was much like their old one. There were scatterings of long tables, benches, and free-flowing booze. The room looked much more organized than the random pattern of furniture they used to have and the quality was top-notch. There were several staircases leading both up and down and behind the bar was
a hallway with multiple doors leading off it.

  “Hey arrow boy.” Luke turned toward the origin of the noise and found Penny approaching with a mug in both hands. She extended one of her arms toward him, offering him a drink. He graciously accepted, sniffed the contents and took a sip.

  He coughed loudly and repeatedly, not expecting the drink to be so strong. “Oh my god, what is this?” he inquired.

  “It’s a dwarven brew and I’m too tipsy to even attempt pronouncing it,” She replied slowly. “Care to join us?” Gesturing with her open hand, she pointed to the end of a long table. Sitting and drinking were Backstab, Nanoc and Shrapnel. He nodded, and the two headed to join their guild mates. The group cheered in drunken bliss upon Luke and Penny’s arrival.

  “Now we can really drink!” Shouted Nanoc as he gestured at the bar for another round.

  “Shrapnel, I have something to tell you and the others.” Luke started before being interrupted by Backstab.

  “No! There will be no shop talk while we drink. Listen Lukey boy, we killed a giant goblin today. Let’s just relax and focus on how bad-ass we are, ok?”

  “Lukey boy? Oh god, I hope that doesn’t stick.” He muttered under his breath. “But it’s really important that I…”

  Nanoc pushed another mug in front of Luke while starting to chug his own. He looked expectantly at his fellow guild mates and they started joining in. Luke looked at Penny, the only reasonable one, and pleaded with his eyes for her to listen. She smiled warmly, lifted her mug high into the air, and started to chug. Luke sighed in defeat and joined them in a futile attempt to outdrink their resident barbarian.

  After they had several drinks, they started sharing stories of their lives outside the game. Luke was taken aback. Talking about your out of game life was usually taboo in online games but the group was freely sharing.

  “I was a dealer at a casino,” Backstab shared in between large gulps of his drink. “Made good tips, but I blew most of it on video games. The press conference for the vortex capsule was too great to pass up.” The group nodded, remembering just how great the vortex press conference was.

  “I’m in college and work on the side as a waitress to help pay for my tuition.” Penny added to the conversation.

  “Really? I’m in college too,” Luke responded quickly.

  “What year? I’m a junior in business school,” Penny replied.

  “Just a freshman and I’m in engineering.”

  “Engineering? What are you smart or something?” She teased.

  “He has to be smart because he can’t get anywhere in life with a face like that,” Backstab commented as he threw his arm around Luke and pointed at his head while making a stupid-looking face.

  The group burst out laughing. Luke wasn’t sure if it was the copious amounts of alcohol he had consumed or the fact that it was the first time he had seen Penny in relatively normal clothes but he noticed she had a nice smile. He realized he had been staring at her face too long when he turned around and saw Backstab. He was raising his eyebrows over and over and muttered slowly, “You dog.”

  Luke’s face turned beet read as the group heard a high-pitched hiccup come from the table. Ringo stared up at the group. She was apparently licking up some spilled ale and Luke couldn’t have been happier to have the attention off himself.

  Is this my normal now? he thought. In truth, he thought this was even better than all the magic in the game. Sharing a drink and laughs with good friends isn’t something he did often, or ever, in the real world. He was ok with this being his new normal.

  The door to the guild hall burst open and a guard with the Phoenix Kingdom sigil stamped in his plate armor came rushing in. The guard was covered in green liquid, panting and trying to catch his breath. Luke’s group all looked at each other, well aware of what the green liquid was: goblin blood. Shrapnel rushed to the guard's side with a drink.

  “Here, drink this.” He handed the drink over while helping the guard to a bench.

  The guard drank the liquid without hesitation and began to speak. “Ra… Raid. Gob… goblins everywhere… Help…” The guard could barely get the words out before a system prompt appeared in Luke’s vision.

  Area Event Triggered! Goblin Raid! Goblins are attacking the Phoenix Kingdom. As a city guild of the Phoenix Kingdom, you are obligated to help and cannot refuse this call to action. Stop the goblin raid 0/1. Reward: Increased guild reputation with the Phoenix Kingdom. Exp: 1,500.

  The room erupted in a war cry as members of the guild quickly armed themselves and grouped up. Shrapnel began shouting out orders to parties, assigning them to various spots in the city while tasking the non-combat members with distributing potions and locking up the windows.

  When Penny’s party reformed, they were told to head for the city gate and hold back the invading force as best they could. Having their orders, they all rushed out and Luke looked at Ringo. She was bent over in a pouncing pose and her tail was wagging like crazy. “I guess you’re coming?” Ringo barked. “Let’s get going then.” Ringo jumped to the floor and ran out the door. “Wait for me!” he shouted to his party as they left him behind.

  It didn’t take long for Luke to both reach the gate and realize that fighting while under the influence was incredibly difficult. Luke’s arrows flew feet wide from their intended targets and he ended up hitting a teammate more than once. Luke was just happy that nature’s regrowth didn’t force him to aim in order to work.

  After dispatching a group of three goblins, Luke inspected the next group charging them.

  Inspect Successful!

  Name: Simple Goblin Warrior

  Level: 4

  HP/MP/Stamina: 100/0/50

  Status: Hostile

  “Well at least they’re only level four.” He intended to mumble but the noise of battle made him shout unintentionally. This caused his head to throb in pain. He looked over and his party was fighting normally. His eyes went wide, the debuff for being drunk had vanished from their status bars.

  His party quickly dispatched the next wave and shouted for Luke to add more support. When Backstab turned around, he saw Luke holding his head with both hands and ran toward him. He spoke as softly as he could. “First time drinking in-game?” Luke couldn’t hear him so Backstab shouted directly in Luke’s ear. “Here, take this!” Luke’s head throbbed so hard that he fell to his knees in pain before Backstab took one of his hands and forced him to grip a bottle.

  Weak cleansing potion (uncommon) x1 obtained. This potion cures one minor status ailment.

  Luke drank the potion like someone receiving their first drop of water in a desert.

  Drunk debuff removed.

  Luke got back to his feet and patted the dirt off of his legs. Speaking in a calm monotone voice he asked, “Two things. One, thank you for that. And two,” he shouted the next part in anger. “Why would you shout at me like that you jerk!”

  Backstab grinned before responding. “Those potions cost twenty gold. I was going to charge you for it but watching you squirm around in pain more than paid the price of admission.” Luke gave him a deadpan expression in return before pulling an arrow and pointing it at him. “Oh look at the time.” Backstab gazed at his wrist and ran back to the front lines.

  “Watches don’t even exist yet!” Luke spat out before focusing back on the next wave. Five goblins crashed into Penny as she activated her taunt, shouting and bashing her shield to gain the attention of the enemy. It amazed Luke at how nimble and quick she was without her armor on. With the attack being so sudden, she didn’t have time to don her full metal armor and now, instead of taking glancing blows, she was bobbing and weaving out of the way. She wasn’t nearly as quick as Backstab or himself but she definitely put some points into her agility.

  Releasing a water arrow into one of the attacking goblins, Luke sent his healing magic toward Penny. While the goblins were distracted, Nanoc got behind the remaining four and cut them down with a spinning whirlwind. Just when Luke though
t they were getting the upper hand a fifteen foot tall creature wielding a massive tree stump for a club burst through the wall of the city. Luke tried to inspect the creature.

  Inspect Failed!

  Inspect Failed!

  Successful Intelligence Roll, Inspect Partial Success!

  Name: Hulking Ogre

  Level: ?

  HP/MP/Stamina: ?/?/?

  Status: Hostile

  Interesting. It looks like I can get some information even if they are too high a level. His thoughts were interrupted when the ogre tossed a piece of debris at a nearby building. The building collapsed under the pressure of the ogre’s toss and weight of the debris.

  “What do we do?” Luke asked to no one in particular.

  “We keep the little ones from getting into the city the best we can! We stick to the plan. I can’t even see that thing’s level. It would take us out with one swipe. Stay focused on the task at hand and ignore it,” Penny shouted as she engaged another group of goblins.

  Luke was conflicted. The ogre was destroying whole buildings, and they were going to focus on a couple of measly goblins? He shook the feeling off, ultimately agreeing that there wasn’t anything they could do. Distracted by his thoughts and the sight of the ogre, he failed to notice the goblin sneaking up beside him.

  You are Bleeding. Bleeding debuff added. You will continue to take damage until you are healed or the bleeding stops naturally.

  The bleeding notification accompanied a large slash across his back. Luke spun around, gripping his bow in both hands like a bat and struck the goblin. The goblin staggered back slightly but pressed its attack. Before it could swing its blade again, Ringo pounced, driving the monster to the ground. She opened her maw and bit down hard on the goblin's neck. Blood squirted in all directions as the sharp fangs of an alpha wolf sunk deep and a sickening crunch could be heard as she snapped the neck of her prey.