Spells:
Demon Skin- Rank 5
Demonic Retribution- Rank 5
Summon Imp
Fire Blast- Rank 5
Sap Strength- Rank 5
Demonic Haze- Rank 4
Summon Improved Destroyer
Demonic Vitality- Rank 4
Fire Burst- Rank 4
Summon Succubus
Abilities:
Personal Spells
Flame Weapon
Copy
Infernal Upgrade: (Succubus- Ally)
(6 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 Seventeen
After breakfast, Alburet looked around to gauge the mood of the raid as he put his tent away. He noted the numerous smiles and idle chatter about the plays that had been performed last night.
Roberto called out to him, “Alburet, do you have a moment?”
“What’s going on, Captain?” Alburet asked as he joined Roberto, who was standing with Banthor and Gerald.
“We think the Immature Sand Worms won’t be attacking today, which means just the Sand Worms and the Forgotten undead. We’re also far enough into the Dead Lands to start seeing Infernals.”
“The Infernals don’t pop out of the ground, do they?” Alburet asked curiously.
“Nay lad,” Banthor replied to him. “Iffin they were goin’ to be attackin’ us first thing, we would see them staged around the camp waitin’. They do nay do tha’ often, though. It generally be finding groups of them on the walk.”
“All three types?” Gerald asked for clarification.
“Mostly Destroyers and Succubi on the ground. Imps will be in the air, and if we spot them the Succubi will take to the air as well,” Roberto motioned at the cloudless sky.
“Sounds like fun times,” Alburet sighed. “Do they attack as organized groups?”
“Aye, just as if they had a summoner directin’ them, normally,” Banthor answered the question with a frown. “They can be made to act erratically though, iffin ya can upset them.”
“Well the next week shall be interesting, then,” Karen added as she joined the conversation, with Stacia and Fluff close behind her.
“What’s the plan for today?” Marysue asked, her eyes going to Gerald.
“Today we’ll set up like we did yesterday. If no Immature Sand Worms attack us, then we’ll alter the groups tomorrow,” Roberto told her. “Five minutes left until we break camp. If you’ll excuse me, I need to make sure my men are in order.”
“Aye, I need to check in as well,” Banthor added as he headed towards his men.
“Unbound Infernals ahead,” Gerald mused. “You don’t have any binding abilities like necromancers, do you Al?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Alburet shrugged. “I need to summon Bob and Tiny still. Tiny’s become an Improved Destroyer. Ready to see him even bigger and better equipped?”
“Hmm, actually yes,” Gerald replied, very interested to see how the minion had improved.
“Of course,” Karen, and Stacia said in unison, grinning at each other afterwards.
“Can I draw him and Bob tonight?” Fluff asked.
“We can do that,” Alburet replied as he summoned Bob first. Holding his hand to his side, palm down he uttered the words, “I summon Bob the Mighty.”
Smoke appeared with Bob in its midst. Grinning with his pointy teeth visible, Bob bounced from foot to foot, “Time to summon Tiny?”
“Yup. Thought you might want to be here first,” Alburet grinned before he pointed next to Bob. “Come to me Tiny.”
As the smoke obscuring the new version of Tiny cleared, everyone got a good look at the new and improved version of the Destroyer. He now stood fully eight feet tall and was considerably more heavily muscled than before, which became even more apparent when he stretched. His horns were thicker and more curved, and his leather chestpiece had been replaced by a chainmail hauberk. His shield had grown to a kite shield, though it was still emblazoned with the guild logo. An axe made of some black metal threaded with veins of red hung at his waist.
“You have summoned me, master, so I have come,” Tiny rumbled, his voice deeper than before.
“Oh, gods, he is turning into a fucking stud,” Karen grinned. “How do you feel, big guy?”
“Stronger, thanks to master. I am ready to smite his foes.”
“He’s level 60,” Marysue commented. “He goes to the halfway mark between his next upgrade?”
“Aye,” Stacia told her softly so her voice didn’t carry. “Tha’ be the way it works. Same with Bob and meself. Me level be 44 at the moment and Bob be level 51.”
“Huh. You don’t get any new abilities though, unless Al gets you one through his ability choices?” Karen murmured as she considered the implications of that trade off. “Which means he loses the chance to improve himself to give you a new ability.”
“Pretty much,” Alburet replied. “That’s the tradeoff for Summoners. I’ll more than likely be improving them. I want to get Tiny the area taunt, and area damage for Bob, and Stacia will get the healing ability at the very least. I also kind of want to pick up the extra Copy abilities. It won’t let me have three copies of Stacia, but a Copy of her and a Copy of Bob would be really useful.”
“Ugh. We’d need to have them unsummoned when we do any boss fight,” Gerald cringed slightly. “I can just imagine the health pool of some of the bosses otherwise.”
“Good point,” Fluff commented. “Can I draw you and Bob later tonight, Tiny?”
“If the master approves,” Tiny rumbled.
“Can I have a copy?” Bob asked. “I want to take it home to show off.”
“I can make you one, yes,” Fluff smiled.
“Everyone ready?” Roberto called out to the raid. Once everyone was in position the Campstones were pulled and the countdown until the attack started.
The sand shifted, revealing ten groups of Forgotten Guards, Forgotten Elementalists and Forgotten Neophytes. The tanks in the mercenary and guard groups shifted to attack them quickly, having expected the undead. Renful dominated two of the Elementalists and one Neophyte, turning them on their compatriots.
The raid was bombarded with area of effect spells, as it took the tanks a few moments to gain aggro on all the casters. The fight took longer, also, because of the Forgotten Neophytes, who seemed to be a mix of Necromancer and Priest in their abilities. They would heal their allies and even bring back some of their fallen allies during combat.
When the fight finally came to an end, a handful of the mercenaries and guards had to be resurrected. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as all of the dead stood back up. The memory of Gremin was still very raw.
Once the raid was rearranged into their normal travel groups, they started further east into the dunes. Alburet handed the loot to Gerald to distribute or sell.
Gerald put the sellable stuff away, then handed Marysue the jewelry. They excused themselves for a bit, going around to distribute what they could to Alpha Company. Gerald was grinning as they returned, “Just two left until everyone’s gotten a piece. We going to double up before we set the rest aside?”
“That is the plan,” Alburet told him, “but if we get enough for everyone to have two I’m thinking we should change it slightly. I’m thinking of holding off at that point until we all have a full set. That way if we don’t make it we can raffle off the extra jewelry at the end.”
“Will do,” Gerald replied. “I’ll be selling off the gear to the mercenaries and guards again tonight. It seems they don’t make it out into the Dead Lands or the other continent’s equivalent zones often. They’ve been very happy to get the gear that’s dropped.”
“Works for us,” Karen laughed. “Not like we can
use it until we get to that level anyway. Besides, with the coin we’ve been getting we can probably afford to buy the best armor for our level when we get back to Stormguard.”
“That will be nice,” Fluffball mused as she looked at her gear. “We’re still in the gear we got from the gnolls, basically. Way under level.”
“Good point,” Gerald agreed. “I’ll be able to afford a little plate to go with the chainmail.”
“So you will be my knight in shining armor,” Marysue giggled.
Gerald’s face split into a broad grin. “For you alone, Mary.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.
Alburet chuckled, “You two are moving along, it seems.”
Gerald glanced back, his uncertainty clear to Alburet. “We are discussing things and seeing how they go. We aren’t rushing anything.”
For a brief moment Alburet caught a wash of regret from Marysue, as if she wished they would. He felt only love and acceptance from her when she turned her gaze to Gerald.
“We are very happy going at our own pace,” Marysue added with a smile.
Alburet smiled at them and changed the subject, “I’m hoping to catch the plays tonight. I missed the production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ someone was doing bits from.”
“I’ll see if they’ll do some more of that one tonight,” Marysue told him, pulling out her Mindstone. After a minute she put it away, “He would be happy to do more.”
“That’s nice,” Alburet said, “who’s doing it, anyway?”
“Ironhand,” Marysue replied. “He’s a theater major and he does small productions around the country. He had Leggylass singing with him last night. It was quite entertaining.”
“Can’t wait to see it, then,” Alburet grinned.
“Be this another one of the plays from ya world?” Stacia asked.
In between the fights they filled Stacia in on the plays that Marysue had lined up for the evening. Fiddler on the Roof was one of them, the other was more scenes from Hamlet.
When the raid finally came to a halt for the night, they hadn’t seen a single Infernal and only two Sand Worms. They had fought wave after wave of the Forgotten undead, though. The sheer number of mobs per attack was still enough to give three levels or more to those in the guild.
“Let’s change up and eat,” Alburet said as he placed the tent. “I really want to see the entertainment tonight before we retire for the evening.”
“Can Bob and Tiny stay in the tent with me for a bit? I want to draw them before the shows tonight,” Fluff asked.
“Bob, Tiny, you are to go when Fluffball has finished your drawings. Understood?”
“Yes, master,” Tiny rumbled, ducking to enter the tent. He had to stoop inside with his increase in stature.
“You’re too big,” Bob chuckled at Tiny. He turned to Alburet, “Understood, master”
“I will bring ya some food while ya draw,” Stacia told Fluff, kissing her cheek as she changed.
“Thank you,” Fluff replied, though she looked away. Her unease at being the one served rose for a moment, then subsided.
“I’ll come join you while you draw,” Karen added. “If that’s okay, Fluff?”
“Of course,” she smiled at Karen as she sat down with her pad and pencil. “Tiny, if you would please sit we can get started with you first.”
Alburet finished changing just as Stacia returned with plates for Karen and Fluff. Dinner tonight was bread, cheese, and dried meat. It seemed that the stews had come to an end. “Enjoy yourselves,” he told Karen as he and Stacia left the tent.
“We will,” Karen replied with a mischievous grin.
Alburet
Half-Blood Infernal Summoner
Level 53
Strength: 111 (106)
Agility: 111 (106)
Constitution: 30
Intelligence: 176 (146)
Wisdom: 512 (292)
Charisma: 141 (106)
Health: 2,950
Mana: 7,770
Spells:
Demon Skin- Rank 5
Demonic Retribution- Rank 5
Summon Imp
Fire Blast- Rank 5
Sap Strength- Rank 5
Demonic Haze- Rank 5
Summon Improved Destroyer
Demonic Vitality- Rank 5
Fire Burst- Rank 5
Summon Succubus
Abilities:
Personal Spells
Flame Weapon
Copy
Infernal Upgrade: (Succubus- Ally)
(6 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 Eighteen
Alburet applauded as Ironhand finished the song, If I were a rich man, from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’. Ironhand had been on point throughout the entire song.
Ironhand waited for the applause to die down before he cleared his throat. “I’m not fit to do the next part. However, Leggylass has worked with me for the next song. It is three sisters all hoping to be matched with the man of their dreams. So, please, welcome Leggylass for the song, Matchmaker.”
As she ended the song the natives of the planet applauded loudly, with many cheers and whistles. Some of them knew firsthand about arranged marriages. Stacia leaned against Alburet, “I be havin’ me perfect match.”
“Silly kitten,” he whispered back to her as he put his arm around her waist, pulling her snugly against him.
“We will be ending with the duet of ‘Sunrise, Sunset’,” Ironhand said once the crowd calmed down again. “This is the song that is sung during the first daughter’s wedding. The lead character and his wife sing the song.”
The emotional tune about parents watching their child grow and marry moved the crowd. A few people wiped at their eyes at the end of it, knowing how much truth the song held. Bowing, Ironhand and Leggylass thanked the crowd for the applause.
As the duo left the stage area Stacia whispered, “They seem to have started well.”
Alburet looked confused until Stacia pointed out the couple holding hands. He smiled at that, “More people finding something in Alpha World. It makes my heart happy, knowing that I am not alone in that.”
“Aye,” Stacia murmured as she glanced toward their tent. Fluff and Karen came out just then to join them. Fluff was on Karen’s arm, with a small secretive smile on her lips. “Ya both be a little late, but the two plays have nay started yet.”
“Didn’t want to miss Hamlet,” Karen chuckled. “After this play though, we should retire. We still have to walk through Fluff’s memory.”
“Please,” Fluff added.
“Tha’ we can do,” Stacia replied, “after this play.”
Marysue took the stage to introduce the next set of actors of the evening and their production. Alburet, Karen, and Fluff were all eager to see what their guildies could do with the classic play. Stacia was looking forward to experiencing it for the first time. Marysue wrapped up her introduction with a caution, “Hamlet will be abridged. The whole thing as known to our actors runs four hours long. So, tonight we give you a slightly shorter version.”
Ironhand came out with six others who were going to do the play. Each of them had some background in theater. Ironhand introduced each of the actors, and named the roles each would be playing. Alburet was surprised to learn that Ironhand would be playing various minor characters, not a leading role.
“It’s harder to keep everything straight for the many support roles,” Fluff told him, seeing his confusion.
“Ah, good point,” Alburet agreed, lapsing into silence again as the production was starting.
Almost two hours later, the cast took their bows. Fluff chewed her lip, “They did cut out a lot. Nothing that couldn’t be cut, though.”
“It still annoys you,” Alburet pointed out as he stood.
“I just love his plays,” Fluff replied as she stood, taking Karen’s offered arm.
“We know,” Karen replied as she kissed Fluff’s cheek. “Let’s retire for the evening, Lady Fluff. I want to tuck you in.”
“Okay,” Fluff agreed, this time not blushing even a little.
Alburet was a little surprised at Fluff’s lack of color. Stacia took his arm, “Told ya she was comin’ along faster than ya thought.”
“I guess so,” with a smile he followed the other two into the tent. Kitten was kneeling at the back of the tent. Alburet dismissed the Copy with a thought.
“Tha’ will stop me from ambushin’ ya by meself later,” Stacia giggled.
“Exactly,” Alburet told her as he began to strip for bed. His eyes darted to Karen, who was wearing nothing but skin, kneeling next to Fluff. Her knowing smile sent a small shiver through him.
Playing For Keeps (Alpha World Book 4) Page 18
