Cleave could see flashes of his opponent’s face as they fought. She had orange skin, or perhaps it was fur. A look at the hands confirmed that it was fur, orange with black stripes.
Loud clangs echoed over the sounds of battle coming from the barn. The elf fought as hard as he could against his adversary, but his opponent’s skill with a blade was better than his own. His opponent worked his sword high and stabbed lightly into the elf’s stomach.
Cleave Lvl. 8
HP: 12% (-8%)
Stamina: 72%
Mana: 100%
Character Status
Healthy
Your skill with light armor has increased to 5!
“Die scum,” The figure said, moving in for the kill.
“Rot in hell, Crimson Clusterfuck,” Cleave smiled at what he thought was a clever retort. He was going to die, but at least he got the last word in.
The figure stopped. “What did you say?”
Cleave coughed. He was starting to see red again and hear the heartbeat in his ears.
“I said to rot in hell, you Crimson Kingdom piece of shit.”
“That’s a name I haven’t heard in awhile. Are they your enemy?”
“They’re trying to screw this farm and the entire city of Clearwater.”
“Is that what you’re here to do?” The cloaked figure said.
“No, I’m here to stop you,” Cleave said.
“Then we aren’t enemies.”
The hooded warrior turned and ran into the barn. Cleave picked himself up and grabbed his sword. Damn, he was going to have to bang Tarka a month straight to fully heal himself.
Cleave walked to the door of the barn and saw a battle in full swing. Three of the halfling farmers lay dead. The remaining halflings, Krug, and Tarka fought in front of the pigpen. They fought some warriors in armor and a few cloaked figures.
One of the cloaked figures drew a wand and launched a green beam at one of the farmers. When the farmers didn’t budge, it targeted the animals in the pen behind the halflings. It hit a pig and the creature’s eyes went green. Green crystals grew from its back. It squealed and attacked one of the nearest animals.
There was pandemonium in the animal pen. A few of the pigs fought and the rest ran around frantically. This activity and the heat of battle made it impossible for the cloaked figure to hit another creature. Seeing it’s method of attack negated it drew a sword and joined its allies.
On the other side of the barn, Clearwater guards fought with other Clearwater guards and a few other cloaked figures. It looked like a confusing mess.
A figure toward the middle of the barn in a black cloak raised a green wand and fired it at the warriors closest to the door. These warriors backed away and gave the fighters in the middle the upper hand in battle. Two of the Clearwater guards near the door were slain and on the other end of the barn Krug let out a yell as a cloaked figure slashed his leg with a thin sword.
“Don’t be afraid of the green ray,” Cleave cried out to the warriors near the door, who he hoped were his allies, “it won’t harm you.”
The figure with the wand fired a ray at Cleave’s former adversary. The cloaked person stood as the ray hit, and nothing happened.
“His magic does nothing. Form up and attack,” the cloaked person said. The voice was gruff but Cleave had a hunch it belonged to a female.
The apparent female drew out a javelin and threw it at the wand wielder. A bolt of lightning streaked through the barn and slammed into the wand wielder’s chest and he stumbled back. She threw four more javelins, downing three of her enemy.
The warriors near the door grew bolder and fought in earnest. They pressed in on their opponents and pushed them back. Krug, Tarka, and the other halflings fought hard as well and killed off two cloaked figures.
The farm’s attackers were outnumbered and their forces were split in two. Soon Cleave’s allies had control of the battle, surrounding their enemies and picking them off one at a time. After a few minutes only a few adversaries remained. Cleave’s allies tried to capture these warriors, but they threw themselves upon their weapons, dying instantly.
The person Cleave fought cursed and threw back her hood. It was indeed a her. She had high cheekbones and a slender face. Orange fur with black stripes covered her features. She had an eyepatch over her right eye.
Something about the woman seemed familiar. Cleave recalled a couple of stories Estelar told about a similar person. Then it dawned on him. Estelar told him she’d been in Clearwater doing some kind of investigation. He didn’t know if he would have the chance to meet her.
“They killed themselves again,” she said in disbelief.
Another cowled figure lowered her hood. She was a middle aged halfling with green eyes and black hair. “Naturally.”
The halflings with Tarka and Krug cheered while Tarka set to binding Krug’s wound. Cleave walked over to his former opponent and she turned her sharp yellow eye on him. Her pupil was slitted and glimmering like a cat’s.
“Who are you?”
Cleave stumbled. His old wounds sending a rain of fire into his body. He shakily raised a hand.
“I’m Cleave, thank you for saving us, hey aren’t you Tatarna?”
The tiger woman took his hand and shook. She had a very strong grip.
“I am,” the woman said a little suspicious, “do you know me?”
When Tatarna let go of his hand, Cleave fell to his knees in front of Tatarna’s dark haired companion. “I’m a member of the Fey wilder. Estelar is a friend of mine.”
The small woman looked up to Tatarna, and the tiger girl nodded to her.
“I’m Vera. What are you and your friends,” she pointed to Tarka and Krug, “doing here?”
Cleave briefly explained their mission in Clearwater.
“You’re in dire need of healing. Sit down and Tatarna will tend to you,” Vera said.
Cleave sat against the barn door and Tatarna pulled out a satchel. There were a few small glass bottles and some herbs inside. Tarka ran over to her. The two got acquainted and worked together to heal the elf.
TWENTY FOUR
Tatarna and Tarka worked on patching Cleave’s wounds, applying healing salves and giving him two strong healing potions. As they worked, the elf’s eyes watched the tiger woman as she worked. Her body held an exotic beauty that he couldn’t ignore.
Her cloak was removed and underneath she wore tight fitting leather armor that showcased her prolific breasts and gently sloping curves. She had wide hips, like Tarka, but her greater statue made the feature more pronounced.
Tarka threw sharp glances at Cleave and he pulled his eyes away from the tiger girl’s impressive body. When the kobold wasn’t looking he would steal glances of Tatarna’s twitching tail and imagine himself caressing its length, all the way up to that large, firm ass.
Cleave was still furtively admiring her when they finished. Tarka wore a minor scowl when she walked away from the elf. When the kobold’s back was turned, Tatarna smirked and gave Cleave a little wink. His body got warm.
Tarka walked to Cleave and Krug and spoke to them as the rest of the halflings examined the bodies of their felled foes.
“You feeling better master elf?” Tatarna said. Her voice was underscored by a small growl that made her seem more mysterious and exciting to Cleave.
Cleave crossed his legs to hide his emerging erection. “I don’t feel like I’m about to die. Let me check my stats.”
The elf opened his character screen.
Cleave Lvl. 8
HP: 83% (+75%)
Stamina: 100%
Mana: 100%
Character Status
Healthy
Cleave moved his arms and legs and there was little soreness. He rose up and stretched. There was only a small twang of pain shooting up the back of his legs.
“I feel amazing, well, in comparison to before,” Cleave said.
“You must’ve been in quite a few battles before you got here
. What have you been doing?” Tarka said.
Cleave gave Tarka a quick rundown of his adventures in the city.
“So you’ve been doing battle against the guard as well.”
“Not directly, and not against all of the guards, just the ones that’ve tried to kill us. Tarka, Krug, and I’ve been trying to find out what’s going on. We tried to capture one of them but they always kill themselves before we can question them.”
“It seems to be a common theme with them. I’ve been here for close to two months trying to find out more about the evils going on in Clearwater, but Vera and I haven’t gotten anywhere.”
The halfling’s name clicked in Cleave’s mind. “Vera. Is she a leathercrafter?”
“That she is. Why do you ask?”
“Estelar wanted me to get in touch with her. I think he wants her to make more bondage stuff for him.”
Tatarna’s chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me. Estelar is always looking for new additions to the Dungeon of Dreams.”
“Maybe you guys could help us with the Crimson Kingdom and Padwin.”
“Padwin. That’s a name I haven’t heard in awhile. He was mainly the reason Estelar and I left the Crimson Kingdom. If his head wasn’t so far up Larkin’s ass, I bet he would have left, too.”
“Who is Larkin?”
“He’s the leader of the Crimson Kingdom. He’s a big scary mage that does all kinds of twisted shit to gain more power. Anyway, what’s this about Padwin?”
“My friends and I think what’s going on in the city involves the Crimson Kingdom. To what degree though, we’re not sure.”
Tatarna fiddled with a tuft of fur on her wrist. “Interesting. Vera and I haven’t noticed any involvement from the Crimson Kingdom. That could explain why things have kicked up in Clearwater. It sounds like we have common goals. Let’s all get together and share what we know. Maybe we can figure out what’s going on.”
Cleave nodded and Tatarna left to meet up with Tarka, Krug, and Vera. The corners of the elf’s mouth turned upward as he watched her swaying rear and flicking tail as she left. Had he not been watching her, he might have noticed the two figures watching their conversation from the farm gates.
TWENTY FIVE
Cleave, Tarka, Krug, Tatarna, and Vera walked among the bodies of their fallen foes. The cloaks were removed from the enemies and they were revealed to be elves. Two of the elves had wands crafted from the druid essence while the rest had elven swords, and a few coins. The party searched the bodies thoroughly, hoping to find a note or something that would give them more information on the attack, but they found nothing.
Some of the elves had buckers, small wooden shields. One wore a cloth gambeson and padded cloth gauntlets and leggings, all of which were thickly woven and in good shape. These were given to Cleave and he found them to be lighter than his old armor and provide better protection. He also took an elven sword, which was much higher quality than his own.
Cleave Lvl. 8
HP: 100%
Stamina: 100%
Mana: 100%
Character Status
Healthy
Skills Known
One Handed Swords: 10
Small Improvised Weapons: 3
Light Armor: 5
Bluff: 2
Spellcasting: 2
Divination Spells: 6
Spells Known
Reveal Magical Properties for Item
Items Owned
Average Quality Elven Arming Sword (Equipped), Average Thickly Woven Cloth Gambeson (Equipped), Average Thickly Woven Cloth Gauntlets (Equipped), Average Thickly Woven Cloth Pants (Equipped) Below-Average Leather Breastplate Armor, Below-Average Arming Sword , Frying Pan
Character Wealth
4sp. 2 cp.
Silver and Ruby Elven Bracelet (Value Unknown)
The group was invited into the little cottage by the family that owned the farm. The halfling mother allowed them to gather in a small room off to the side. She served them bread and fresh water, then left to allow them to talk around a small, cracked wooden table.
The party told Tatarna and Vera about their adventures in Clearwater, the events of the battle between the dryads and the Crimson Kingdom, and the happenings of the Fey Wilder. The tiger girl seemed very intrigued by Tarka’s interest in the Fey Wilder’s theme. They shared a few stories about the art of domination and submission that caused the two women to warm up to each other.
Tarka still showed a bit of umbridge when she caught Cleave eyeing Tatarna, but a little twinkle in the kobold’s eye made him realize that it wasn’t serious.
“All of the cloaked figures found at the scene of the battle were elves,” Tatarna said as she popped the last bite of bread in her mouth. “There’s been an increase in elven activity out on the farmsteads.”
“Any in the city?” Krug said.
“No,” Vera said, “the only problems in the city were instigated by the guards. The halfling guard have always stolen items that weren’t of halfling make from venders. When items from the other realms started showing up in greater quantities, the problem got worse. Even some halfling items are being taken.”
“When did the guard start taking halfling items?” Cleave said.
“About the same time elves and people of a few other races started opening up shops. A few of the shop owners and myself had it pretty rough, but the ones getting hit the worst are those on the outskirts of the city. A lot of those merchants have gone out of business. Coincidentally, that is where a lot of elves chose to open up shop because it was cheaper.”
“Kind of paints a dismal picture of what’s going on. Sounds like there's a halfling versus non-halfling conspiracy going on,” Cleave said.
“More like rich versus poor. Were halflings that sold items not made in the city targeted?” Krug said.
Vera nodded. “I nearly bankrupted myself getting rid of all my foreign merchandise to buy things made in the city so I wouldn’t go out of business. Something else that’s interesting, some of the guards working the outer portion of the city aren’t real guards. They wear the armor, but they are mostly just hirelings,”
“How do you know?” Krug said.
“A few cups of wine and some passionate evenings can loosen the lips of even the most uptight guard.”
“We’ve been working with the real guard, those that aren’t buying into the mayor’s ‘elves are bad’ BS, trying to uncover who is behind the operations, but we’ve come up short,” Tatarna said.
“The elves with those dryad essence wands make it pretty clear,” Tarka said.
“We assumed it was just corrupt officials behind the misdoings on the outskirts of town. But this new revelation makes me wonder what’s really going on,” Vera said.
Cleave racked his brain. Larkin, the guildmaster of the Crimson Kingdom, seemed like a pretty smart guy. Assuming he was involved in all of this, why would he be doing it? The elf fit and refit all of the puzzle pieces together. When the events were connected in a way that made sense, he nodded.
“If Larkin is doing all of this, then the only goal I could think that he’d have is wrecking the economy. If he does that, then all of the merchants and other people out of work might start a revolt,” Cleave said.
“Those people would gather together,” Tatarna continued, “and would probably unite under someone. Maybe his plan is to get them to rally around him.”
“Or Padwin,” Krug said. “If some of the guards working the outskirts of the city aren’t real, my guess is that they’re agents working for the Crimson Kingdom. They might find some way to put Padwin or someone he controls at the head of their revolt and take control of the city.”
“That sounds like a classic Larkin move. If that’s what he’s trying to do, he’s doing a pretty good job. There are already rumors of revolt quietly spreading through the city. If the mayor has heard about it, he’s not taking them too seriously. He seems to be focused on hating anyone that isn’t a halfling,” Tarka said.
“It seems like if we want to keep things from getting worse, we’re gonna have to predict the next move of the group that’s behind this. Up to now, all of us seem to be following them around, hoping to stop them. If we just keep following their trail of destruction, it’s gonna be too late,” Cleave said.
“Is there another likely target the group behind this would strike, assuming they’re still bent on wrecking the economy?” Tarka said.
“If it’s the economy they’re trying to destroy, then other than the businesses and local farms, the only other logical target would be the merchants bringing in goods from the docks,” Vera said.
“In that case we need to keep an eye on the docks. With any luck we’ll be able to capture someone alive and they’ll spill the beans on what’s going on,” Cleave said.
The party agreed and set about creating a plan before logging off.
TWENTY SIX
Clint stared bleary-eyed at his computer. Around him, close to five hundred request floated around his desk. As they bounced and shimmied around the surface of his work area, he had to squint. All of the holos were so bright, it made it hard to see the screen in front of him.
Cooper sat with him and stared wide eyed at all of the bouncing requests. He commented that there had to be at least one request from each person that worked at the main office.
Clint continued to tell him about the different mistakes he fixed while he was working on his reports. Three more had come in and they were more difficult than the last five. There were a bevy of emails from the higher ups on vacation about the unfinished reports when he first arrived, so he knew he had to get to work on them immediately.
That was what he did the entire day. He hammered away on his ergonomic keyboard, slinging figures and checking facts, all while passing on his knowledge to Cooper and maintaining his sanity.
He received calls by the minute from people needing help. Clint said that he was sorry but he was working on a large assignment and asked if they could help their fellow coworkers on their issues. A few said they would, but the vast majority gave him an earful of rage.
Crisis at Clearwater - A LitRPG Virtual Fantasy Adventure (Book 2 Unexplored Cycle) Page 13
