Playing For Keeps (Alpha World Book 4)

by Daniel Schinhofen

He reentered the tent to find the quartet of women, as Kitten was still out. They stopped talking when he entered, “Something wrong?”

  “Aye,” Stacia replied. “We had been talkin’ about wha’ tonight was supposed to be. We came to the realization tha’ mayhap it be best to put tha’ idea off for the night. Would ya be okay with tha’?”

  Eyes meeting Fluff’s and seeing the same sadness that hung over most of the camp, Alburet asked her directly, “Fluff, is this what you want?”

  She nodded, “I can’t focus on drawing right now. I feel horrible that Gremin died today.”

  “Alright. We can do one of my memories tonight instead,” Alburet suggested. “After dinner we’ll be holding a wake for Gremin. Banthor and his friends will be telling stories. I’ll be dipping into the celebratory drinks for this, as well.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Karen said. “It feels right to hold a wake for him.”

  “Aye,” Stacia and her Copy went to Alburet, hugging him from both sides, “Tha’ be me lovin’ husband. Ya care for us who be native to this world.”

  “All of us care,” Alburet replied.

  “He’s right,” Karen added as she joined the hug.

  “Thank you for agreeing to wait until tomorrow, Al,” Fluff joined the group hug.

  “Let’s change, we need to be out there soon,” Alburet said from the middle of the giant hug after a few moments. “I’ll also need help taking the booze out to the fire.”

  The hug broke up as the ladies let him go to start stripping off their armor and weapons. Alburet changed into the other set of clothing he had brought along, a red silk shirt with black pants. The shirt was the same color as the boots and gloves he normally wore. After he was dressed he grabbed his bag, feeling like an idiot as he realized that he didn’t need help carrying the drink as it was already in his bag. When he turned to face the women, they were in the dresses they had worn a few days before.

  “I actually have all the drink in my bag, so I don’t need help carrying it. You all look magnificent. Shall we?” he asked as he held the tent flap open for them. Karen kissed his cheek as she went by, followed in turn by Stacia and Fluff who each deposited their own kisses on his cheeks. Alburet smiled at each of them as they exited. Stepping out after them, he took Stacia’s arm while Karen offered Fluff her arm.

  Roberto raised a brow as the quartet approached him, “A little fancy for the evening, aren’t you?”

  “Nay, Alburet gave me an idea,” Banthor answered for them as he came over. “We be holdin’ a wake tonight in memory of Gremin.”

  With a nod, Alburet broke out a couple of kegs from his bag. “This is part of the celebration supply, but will be used for a greater purpose today.”

  Roberto’s face seemed to brighten just a touch, “That was thoughtful. I’ll spread the word to my men.” Banthor and Roberto went off in separate directions just as Gerald came over with Marysue on his arm.

  “What’s up with the kegs?” Gerald asked.

  Alburet gave him a brief recap on the plan as he got the kegs situated. “So as soon as dinner is over we’ll be having the wake.”

  “That is a good idea,” Marysue commented. “I had been wondering how to lighten the somber mood that everyone’s in.”

  “Al seems to have hit upon the solution,” Gerald added.

  Dinner was chicken soup with noodles and vegetables, a little on the salty side but still good. As soon as people finished their dinners they gathered by the central campfire where the kegs had been placed. Banthor stood next to the kegs, waiting for the majority to finish their meals. He called out in a deep booming voice, “Me guild, Gold Runners, has been together for close to twenty years now. We have lost some of our numbers over the years, and it always be painful. Today we lost another one of me guild. Tonight, we be holdin’ a wake for that one, Gremin Clawhold, a Lunari Defender. He held the line for us time and again over the years. Today he fell doin’ what he loved, protectin’ others. He would nay want us to mourn him, but to celebrate the lives he has saved over his life here on Alpha World. So tha’ be what we be doin’ now. I will be tappin’ the kegs so we can drink and tell memories of our friend. So come, claim a drink in his name and stay awhile to listen.”

  Banthor turned to tap the first keg. He poured the first mug, sipping it then spilling a few drops on the ground. He turned back to the others, “When ya get ya mug, make sure to share a little with him as I just did. He did so love his ale, after all.” Banthor stepped away from the kegs so others could come forward with their cups to get some. Stepping to the side, he began to tell the story of how he had first met Gremin.

  Everyone got a mug of ale, and most people wandered slowly, listening to stories about Gremin from his guild mates. Most of the tales prompted other stories, and as the night wore on the stories went from heroic tales to funny and bawdy. After a couple of hours Alburet retired to his tent for the night, taking Stacia with him.

  Fluff and Karen were already inside. Fluff had a pad of parchment in her lap and a charcoal pencil in her hand, concentrating intently on the sketch she was making. Karen watched Fluff draw, gently rubbing her back as she worked. Karen looked up at Alburet and Stacia as they entered. Fluff was focused on her art and didn’t appear to notice them. “She wanted to give Banthor something besides just the ring to give to Gremin’s family.”

  Fluff didn’t pause in her drawing, “I can remember him clearly enough right now to do this.”

  They moved around to where they could watch Fluff work on her drawing. Gremin stood in the forefront with others from the raid behind him. He was battling an army of undead in the Dead Lands. He was wounded badly, but still holding back the horde.

  It took another thirty minutes before Fluff set down her pencil. The drawing was exquisite, looking almost like a black and white photograph. “I hope that Banthor will accept it on behalf of Gremin’s family,” Fluff murmured.

  “We should go ask,” Karen said as she rose to her feet, her hand out to help Fluff up.

  “We be waitin’ for ya to get back,” Stacia informed them. “I will get me husband ready for his memory tonight.”

  “I’m sure he’ll love it,” Alburet assured Fluff as she stood up. Glancing at Stacia, he nodded, “We’ll be waiting for your return, though I’ll likely be unconscious.”

  “We’ll hurry,” Karen replied a she guided Fluff from the tent.

  “It be good to see she was drawin’,” Stacia commented as she led Alburet over to the bedrolls. “Mayhap I can convince her to draw just me tonight. She did ask me tha’, after all.”

  “One of you and one of Kitten,” Alburet chuckled. “Maybe a third of the two of you side by side.”

  “Aye, tha’ does sound good to me. Both of me forms on display. Mayhap we can hang them in our room back in Stormguard.”

  “Sounds good,” he finished getting into his pajamas, then getting comfortable in the bedroll. “Don’t stay up too long, though, we still have more miles to cover on the morrow.”

  “Do nay fret yaself,” Stacia murmured gently as she began to sing to him. His eyes fluttered closed even as his hand caressed her knee.

  When Karen and Fluff got back they found Stacia still seated where she had been, with Alburet’s hand draped on her leg. “I half expected you to take him for another spin while we were gone,” Karen smirked.

  “Nay, tonight be nay the night for tha’,” Stacia replied as she motioned them to her. “Come, let us walk in his mind again. We be touchin’ on a moment of his work.”

  The other two settled in at her sides. Once they were ready, she began to sing the song to draw them all into Alburet’s mind.

  They stood in the control room of the jail Seamus had worked at. Seamus was chatting with the person working the boards.

  “Daniel, you aren’t getting it,” Seamus sighed. “All I’m saying is that if they tried to pass that kind of law it very well might start the next civil war.”

  Daniel laughed, “Oh come on,
you can’t really—” He cut off as movement on the cameras caught his eye. Turning, he focused on the camera in one of the housing units, “We got a two inmate fight in Baker pod.”

  Seamus sighed, “Fucking idiots. Why can’t even the Chomos get along? Pop me out, I’ll go break them up.”

  “Copy,” Daniel buzzed the control room door open as he radioed in that a two inmate fight was in progress.

  Seamus used his keys to open the hallway door to the pods, shutting it behind him as he headed for Baker pod. “David three en route, I’ll break them up,” Seamus replied over the radio.

  “Pod advised to lockdown,” Daniel called over the radio.

  “David twelve en route with David Sam one to assist,” Grey radioed.

  Seamus opened the door to the pod to find only the two combatants still out in the dayroom. He called out for them to stop, and was ignored. As he advanced, one of them took a big hit from the other and went down. Taser extended, Seamus ordered the standing fighter to the ground. With a sneer the inmate complied.

  Advancing, Seamus saw that the downed inmate was still breathing but appeared to be unconscious. He advanced on the second one, who complied to his orders to interlock his hands. Holstering the Taser, Seamus knelt to cuff the inmate.

  He felt a prickling on his neck just as the second inmate, who had been feigning unconsciousness jumped him from behind. Unable to react in time, he felt the shiv pierce his side. His elbow came back and up, connecting with the attacker’s nose, breaking it and sending the man backwards.

  He planted his knee into the back of the inmate he had been cuffing, as he had tried to shift away from Seamus. With a hiss of pain Seamus slammed the inmate’s head into the floor, to daze him. He looked back to find the other inmate pushing off one of the tables.

  The crackle of a taser was heard as the inmate advancing on Seamus suddenly faceplanted. Grey stood behind him with his taser discharged. “God damn it, Seamus, you know to wait.”

  “I’ll take the write up,” Seamus coughed, wincing as the shiv shifted. “Daniel, I need medics. I’ve been stabbed by a foreign object.”

  “Medics are en route,” Daniel radioed back.

  Tony cuffed the tazed inmate followed by the one Seamus was pinning. “Well, this was an eventful day.”

  Grey shook his head, “So much fucking paperwork.” He pointed to Seamus, “Sit there and wait.”

  The scene faded to dull grey as time stopped. “That was the first time I got stabbed on the job. Three years into it. It taught me a lot, like listening to my instincts about being attacked from behind.” Alburet shook his head as he looked at the younger version of himself from before he had met David.

  “What happened to the inmates?” Fluff asked.

  “Attempted murder charges and more,” Alburet replied. “Last I knew they were still serving their time in state care. I’d had martial arts training for years before this, but this drove it back into me. I went back to training after that fight.”

  “You fell away from it again, though,” Karen commented.

  “Yeah, I found other things to take my time,” Alburet replied.

  “May I?” Stacia asked softly.

  Shaking his head Alburet answered her, “Not tonight. Maybe next time.”

  “Then we be done for the night,” Stacia murmured as she began to sing again.

  Alburet was still asleep when the ladies came to their senses in the tent. “What was the question about?” Karen asked her tone full of curiosity.

  “David and his daughter,” Stacia replied before she turned to Fluff. “Ya up for drawin’ me tonight? Mayhap me and me?” Stacia gestured toward Kitten, who came over to stand beside her.

  Fluff gave a small nod, “I would like that.”

  “How about me?” Karen asked.

  “I have one that I’m going to draw with you,” Fluff admitted. “I still recall you standing over Al from the fight the other night. I want to draw that.”

  “Well, we be havin’ time,” Stacia added as she stood up and stripped to her skin. “A nice nude drawin’ be what me be thinkin’. How do ya want me posed?”

  Fluff’s smile widened as she picked up her pad and pencil. “Let’s see what works best.”

  “Wish I had some popcorn,” Karen chuckled as she got comfortable.

  Alburet

  Half-Blood Infernal Summoner

  Level 47

  Strength: 99 (94)

  Agility: 99 (94)

  Constitution: 30

  Intelligence: 164 (134)

  Wisdom: 458 (268)

  Charisma: 129 (94)

  Health: 2,650

  Mana: 6,930

  Spells:

  Demon Skin- Rank 5

  Demonic Retribution- Rank 5

  Summon Imp

  Fire Blast- Rank 5

  Sap Strength- Rank 4

  Demonic Haze- Rank 4

  Summon Destroyer

  Demonic Vitality- Rank 4

  Fire Burst- Rank 4

  Summon Succubus

  Abilities:

  Personal Spells

  Flame Weapon

  Copy

  Infernal Upgrade: (Succubus- Ally)

  (5 Upgrades to be selected)

  Racial Abilities:

  Cast spells without verbal components

  Physical damage reduction 25%

  Magical damage reduction 10%

  Influence emotions

  Fire resistance 50%

  Reputation gains at half value

  Chapter Fifteen

  Waking without having dreamt, Alburet felt mostly refreshed. For once, he wasn’t all tangled up in other people. Sitting up, he found the four women all cuddled together in a pile. His smile faded as he realized he wasn’t hearing the normal noises from the camp. His eyes went to the UI clock, discovering it was good hour before the normal time he had been waking.

  “Food won’t be ready yet,” he murmured softly. “Maybe I should check over my mana output against my spells? I haven’t done that in a while.”

  Stretching as he opened up his spell information, he began to run down the basics of his current spells. He started with Demon Skin, at rank 1 it had been 10 armor for 50 mana. Now at rank 5 it was granted 50 armor and cost 250 mana, but now had the added bonus of allowing it to stack with armor, at half of the spell value.

  “The devs went for a simple increase ratio,” Alburet sighed. “Onto the rest of them.”

  Demonic Retribution had been 5 fire damage not mitigated by armor for 25 mana at rank 1. Now it was 25 fire damage for 125 mana, the same flat upgrade as the armor. Fire Blast had been 20 fire damage for 30 mana, now it was 160 fire damage for 150 mana. His lips pursed, realizing that broke the same flat increase from before. In fact, it now gave him more damage than it cost to cast, which was nice, more so since it was his only real offensive spell.

  “Well, at least the pure damage spells don’t seem to be just a flat upgrade.”

  Sap Strength went from 10 strength for 25 mana to 40 strength for 100 mana, flat again. Sighing, he went on to the next spell, Demonic Haze. Demonic Haze had been a 10 con buff for an ally or 5 con debuff for the enemy at 25 mana. Now Demonic Haze was 70 con increase or 35 con debuff for 100 mana.

  “So the mana cost was a straight increase, but the stat increase or debuff isn’t,” Alburet chewed his cheek lightly as he considered it. “Maybe because of gear already making a difference?”

  Demonic Vitality at rank 1 had been 5 health per second for 100 mana. At rank 4 though, it was now 20 health per second for 250 mana. The health increase was flat, but the cost to cast it wasn’t.

  “I wonder how they figured which way to scale things?”

  Fire Burst at rank 1 he hadn’t used much due to the friendly fire issue outside of his minions, 100 fire damage for 100 mana. He still didn’t use it much due to the control abilities of Stacia and the same friendly fire issue. At rank 4, though, it had increased flatly to 400 fire damage for 400 mana. It would sur
e put out the damage, but guzzle the fuck out of his mana, which made him glad he didn’t use it much.

  Beside his abilities or his minion upgrades he didn’t have any other spells. “Seven spells to use. All the other classes are probably the same,” Alburet murmured. “Wait, no, because Marysue said that she’s gotten new spells from her abilities. Something else Summoners miss out on, it looks like.”

  He let his eyes drift over to the sleeping forms of the women for a moment, his smile coming back again as he watched one of them shift. He started to hear the sounds of people waking and moving about in the camp.

  Shrugging he wanted to see what his dumping all his leveling points into wisdom had done for his mana regeneration. If he had the standard minions out, with Stacia copied and his Flame weapon on he was still losing 60% of his mana before he cast any spells. That would leave him with 2,756 mana to use for whatever he wanted to cast.