by Paul Bellow
"Kong ain't big enough to scare me," he said then rushed forward with a scream.
"Give him space to rage," I said, studying the battlefield.
The five smaller monkey ghouls rushed forward again, attempting to break our line and get to the spell-casters. A volley of golden bolts shot forward, taking two of them down.
"Kill 'em all," I shouted as I rushed forward to meet them.
My sword slashed downward, striking one.
Your slash INJURES the monkey ghoul for 11 damage.
The monkey ghoul is dead!
Your Weapon Craft (Blades) Skill has increased
It is now basic level 10 of 10
With Bernard and Ewen dispatching the final two monkey ghouls, I turned to see how Josh was handling the Kong-sized ape ghoul. He'd dropped his sword and was bear-hugging the beast.
As I watched, the ape bit into his shoulder, ripping out a chunk of flesh. That's gotta hurt.
I rushed forward, screaming to get the ape's attention.
"Look over here, you damned dirty ape," I yelled.
Josh relaxed his grip then stumbled backward.
The monstrous beast turned its attention to me.
It puffed out its chest, beating it with its massive hands.
Several flaming discs of lava shot by, hitting it on the left leg. Its leathery skin caught fire, sending the ape into a rage of its own. It charged me with a look of fire and death in its eyes.
I stood my ground, looking for an opportunity to strike. Before I had a chance, its claws hit my exposed neck. Stinging pain shot through my body as I became paralyzed.
The ape ghoul's claw MAULS you for 25 damage.
You are paralyzed.
You have 79/104 health remaining.
Nooooo...I shouted silently in my mind as I fell backward. Unable to move my head or any part of my body, I stared up at the canopy of trees overhead.
Here lies Drex, killed by paralysis on level one-two.
I prepared to die. Not feeling any pain, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Memories of my partial paralysis back in the real world hit me full force.
Screams and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air as I laid helpless on the ground. Moments passed in anticipation. Would the ape ghoul finish me off?
Even more seconds ticked by with me completely paralyzed from head to toe. Will it wear off? In how long? Were the others doing okay on their own?
I managed to wiggle my big toes. As I regained control of the rest of my body, I heard a final scream from the ape ghoul before it went silent.
Combat is over!
You get 14,000 xp divided by 7 party members
You get +2,000xp
You have 40,384 xp
You need 10,616 for level 8 Rogue -> Bounty Hunter
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked as she crouched over me.
"Yeah," I said. "Paralyzed."
"Here, drink this," she said, putting a glass bottle to my lips.
You feel better!
You have 101/104 health remaining.
"Thank you," I said, sitting up.
"I need help too," Josh said.
He walked over, his neck bleeding.
"I lost fifteen constitution and ten dexterity," he said.
"Everyone else okay?" I asked as I stood.
"I lost points too," Ewen said. "And I hurt."
"Bernard, can you help heal them with your wand?" I asked.
"I'm out of charges," he said.
"Why haven't you been charging it with Sarah's staff?"
He looked me in the eyes.
"I've been busy," he snapped. "Besides, we've got more potions."
"Here," Sarah said as she rose to her feet. "I've got the other potions in my bag."
"We need to save those," I said.
Her eyes opened wide as she patted her bag.
"They're not here," she said.
"You used the last potion on Eric?" Josh asked. "That ape bit a piece out of my neck."
"I know," she said. "I thought I had them all."
"We'll be okay," I said. "All we need to do is get back to the rangers' station. Can everyone make it that far?"
"I'll be fine," Josh said as he tied a sack around his neck to stop the bleeding.
"Everyone else?" I asked, glancing around at the battered members of our party. "We didn't find the dwarf or the sword, but at least we're still alive."
"Maybe someone else needs to be in charge," Josh said.
"We'll talk about it later," Sarah said. "I'm drained too, and we still have to make it out of the forest."
A familiar wailing from the tops of the trees hit my ears as an entire tribe of tree trolls swung from one tree to another, getting closer.
"I hate tree trolls," Bernard said, shaking his head. "Maybe we should run."
Three tree trolls dropped to the ground on the path, blocking our way.
I took a deep breath, wondering how we would get out alive.
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 10 ::::>
The Return of the Dwarves
ERIC
The game took an unexpected turn when a dark-skinned dwarf with a bushy mohawk barreled from the woods. He held a well-used battle-ax in both his hands as he ran.
"Into the shrine," he yelled. "Everyone into the shrine."
He whizzed past, a blur of fur and golden glitter.
What the...
Josh looked from the dwarf over to me then back to the shrine where the bulky and muscular half-sized man stood in the entrance.
"Follow him," I said, running toward the shrine. "Everyone inside."
The tree-trolls shrieked and wailed as another dozen or two dropped from the trees and ran toward us. I reached the shrine and stopped, waiting for the others.
I gripped my sword, ready to do battle if needed, but so many tree trolls would overwhelm us.
Sarah, Bernard, and the others reached the entrance.
"Get inside," I said, watching as two tree trolls followed close behind.
After they were in the tiny building, I went in myself. We barely fit into the cramped space.
"What now?" I asked the dwarf as he stood next to a wall.
He glared at me, a nasty and mean look on his face.
"My name's Axelrod," he said. "Now shut-up and learn something."
I studied the dwarf carefully to see if I noticed anything.
[NPC] Axelrod
You suspect this is the legendary Axelrod, the only dwarf left above ground in the Grabisco Isles. He's angry, tough, and doesn't appear to mess around. Gut tells you to trust him.
My gut?
I looked through the opening in the stone building. Outside the shrine, dozens of tree trolls paced back and forth. None of them ventured inside.
Axelrod pushed through the others and stopped beside me."
"Quick, let me join your party," he said. "We may need to fight our way out of this."
I glanced from Sarah to Bernard. They both nodded their heads.
"Everyone agreed?" I asked.
"Can he heal or help us?" Josh asked.
He held the blood-soaked sack over his wounded shoulder.
"Come on, Josh. We all need to agree," I said.
"It's a good idea," Sarah added.
"Fine," he said.
[PC] Axelrod the Dwarven Fighter (Level 10) has joined your party.
"How are you so high level already?" I asked.
"No time to explain now," he said. "Let's get the Sword of Sands and get out of here before they call in some magical help to flush us from the shrine."
"The Sword of Sands?" I glanced around. "There's nothing here."
Axelrod pushed his way through the others to the back wall then pressed a stone.
"Watch out," he said as the stones on the ground in middle of the shrine rearranged themselves.
I stared in amazement as a tunnel opened.
"Climb down," he said. "The sword and a few other baubles are on the bottom. We'll need them if we're going t
o go dragon hunting. That's why you're here, right?"
Stunned, I managed to nod.
"We'll talk more later." Axelrod said. "Let's move."
Evan went down the hole first, calling up the all-clear. We all followed, leaving the wailing and screams of the tree trolls behind as we dropped two or three hundred feet into the earth.
The steps were wide and easy to descend. Dwarven design? I loved the game.
"Did you make this place?" I asked as we descended.
"Yes," he snarled then walked past me. "Hurry up. We don't have much time. Dwarves are being killed or frozen in the game."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked.
He reached the bottom of the stairs and walked briskly to the far wall in a long, narrow room.
After pressing something on the cave wall, a block of stone rose from the floor. Down the opening, I saw a gleaming sword glowing brightly. Light bounced off several crystal skulls.
"That's it," he said. "Take it."
I reached over and grabbed the hilt.
Side-Quest: Find the Sword of Sands Complete
You get 10,000 xp divided by 8 party members.
You get 1,250 xp
You have 41,634 xp
You need 9,366 xp for level 8 Rogue -> Bounty Hunter
Axelrod pulled a chest out of the hole in the floor.
"Let's divvy up the loot," he said. "We need to move fast. I've got things to do and dragons to slay."
"What do you mean?" Sarah asked. "You're not staying with us? We could use your help."
"I know you could use it, but I'm not offering it," he said.
"The sword's mine since I got wounded so bad and Eric got the healing potion," Josh said.
He stepped forward. Axelrod moved in front of his, crossing his arms over his chest.
"You're the funniest dwarf I've ever seen," Josh said then snickered. "Not that I've seen a lot of dwarves."
"Why? Because I'm black?"
Axelrod shook his head while frowning.
"Typical," he continued. "Can you name me one dwarf of color in any fantasy story or video game of the last hundred years? No, you can't. There's dark-skinned elves, but they're automatically evil too. It's a conspiracy, and I'm done with it and this stupid game."
"We can agree on that," Josh said, backing up. "Tower of Gates sucks. Bigly. Now, give me my sword."
"Can you identify my sword for me, Sarah?"
I walked toward her.
"Hold on, half-human," Axelrod said. "Haven't you been in an adventuring party before? If more than one person wants a sword, they roll bones for it. As the one who created the sword, that's how I want it to go down."
"Fine," I said, setting it down on the stone floor.
"I've got two dice right here," Axelrod said.
He reached into a pouch at his side.
"The high roll wins, ties go again."
Axelrod threw one die at me and the other at Josh.
"Nobody else wants the sword, right?"
"I'm in," Bernard said.
"Great," I said, there goes my fifty-fifty chance.
Axelrod dug out another six-sided die and tossed it to Bernard.
"This is ridiculous," Sarah said. "We should all get along."
"I'm with you," Evan said.
Ewen groaned then said, "Can we do this quickly? I'm not feeling well."
"Don't you guys carry healing magic with you?" Axelrod asked.
"I forgot the rest of our potions," I said, adding, "And Bernard forgot to charge his wand."
Axelrod snorted then shook his head.
"Maybe you aren't the group to help me defeat the black dragon after all."
"We are," I said. "Let's do this."
I tossed the die to the uneven cavern floor.
Four. Not bad.
Josh and Bernard tossed theirs.
The latter won with a six.
"I'll give the sword to you, Eric, because your weapon skill is higher than mine," he said.
Axelrod moved to pick up the dice.
"Don't worry about these," he said in a sarcastic voice. "We'll use the money from the crystal monkey skulls and gems to equip ourselves in Westwood."
I smiled, loving when a plan came together even if it wasn't mine.
"The Mines of Oriam are dangerous, but I know the quickest route," Axelrod continued. "Someone grab the crystal skulls and gems. This tunnel leads to the edge of the forest north of the rangers' station. Did you guys even scout the area or did you blindly follow my map?"
"You made the map?" Sarah asked as she picked up some of the grapefruit-sized crystal monkey skulls and stuffed them into her bag.
Axelrod shook his head derisively.
"Yeah, I made it. How else would I find someone strong enough to come looking for my sword? I've been waiting for a party strong enough for years now. Nobody cares about the dwarves."
"That's not true," I said.
"You gonna tell me you have some dwarven friends now, are you?" Axelrod asked.
"No..."
"Exactly," he said. "It doesn't matter. Once the dragon is defeated, all the dwarves will be able to repopulate the first levels. The game is gonna change when that happens. Guarantee it."
"We're on your side," Sarah said. "And not just because it's the main quest on this level. How long have you been in the game?"
"Yeah," I added. "And how did your NPC levels transfer to PC levels?"
He grinned, stroking his beard.
"Magic."
"Come on," Sarah said. "We're trying to get out too. Aren't you?"
"There's no way out of this game," he said. "Not that I've found in the ten plus years I've been here. Time starts to run together after a while, especially if you die a few times and get stuck as an NPC because there's no new players and everyone's on higher levels doing cooler things."
"You're telling me," Bernard said.
"When a bunch of players decided to erase dwarves from the game completely as a joke, I took it to heart," Axelrod said. "Ever since then, I've been trying to stop them. A couple people tried to help, but they got stuck deeper inside the game."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
The dwarf said nothing.
"Humans only would make this a boring game," Sarah said. "It takes all kinds."
"Do you remember how you got into the game?" Sheldon asked.
I'd almost forgotten he was with us.
"Prison, man. Like most of the other players."
"I'm a developer of the game," Sheldon said.
Axelrod stepped back and said, "Get out of here."
"I'm serious," Sheldon said. "Did you really create that magic sword and side-quest on your own?"
"Yeah," Axelrod said, beaming with pride. "It took a while, but it's the best way to attract the smartest and strongest players to have enough power to get to the higher levels without dying."
"It's amazing." Sheldon stepped forward and stretched out his hand. "Well met, Axelrod. I want to talk with you later about how you constructed them."
"No problem." Axelrod shook his hand. "We need to get back and heal the others first."
"Finally," Josh grumbled.
We followed Axelrod into the tunnel illuminated by Sarah's staff with a light spell cast on it. I gripped the magic Sword of Sands in my hand, amazed at its weight.
"Can you tell me about the sword?" I asked as I walked after the others.
"It's plus five damage and plus twenty-five percent to-hit. When you make a critical blow, it will slow your opponent for one to twenty-minutes some of the time. Mostly for critical hits, but it almost has a mind of its own sometimes."
"Wow," I said. "Cool."
"Yeah," he said. "I wanted to make it more powerful, but the game has a way of messing with things to keep a balance."
"I've noticed," Sheldon said from behind me.
After sheathing my sword, I took one of the crystal monkey skulls from Sarah's bag and examined it as we walked. I figured the
y were each worth 500 gp.
The thirteen rubies would bring 25 gp each.
"We'll be able to purchase everything we need," I said as I handed a ruby back to Sarah.
She stuffed it in her bag as we neared the end of the tunnel. A rope ladder led upward toward the ceiling of the rough-hewn tunnel.
"This is it," Axelrod said. "We'll heal up and leave for Westwood in the morning."
"Sounds like a plan," I said. "Maybe you should lead our party."
"I second it," Josh said.
"Wait, I didn't mean..."
"Good idea," Bernard added.
"I vote yes too," Sarah said.
"Great," Axelrod said. "The last thing I wanted."
"That's why you'll make a good leader," Sarah said.
"Fine, I'll do it, but we have to kill this black dragon and help dwarves back into the early levels of the game before they're all taken out of the game."
"We want to help," I said. "And get out of this game too."
"One step at a time," Axelrod said. "I've got other magic items that'll help us defeat this dragon. You guys haven't got any fantastic magic items from what I can tell."
"We don't," Sarah said, a sadness in her voice.
Axelrod stopped in the tunnel and pressed yet another brick in the wall. It slid open, revealing a perfectly square room. Shelves covered the walls, full of many items.
"What's all this?" I asked as Axelrod walked into the room.
"My stash," he said. "I've been planning this big move for a while now, waiting for the right people."
Sarah stepped in, looking around.
"Did you make all these?" she asked.
"Most of them," Axelrod said. "It's weird for a warrior, but this is not a normal game."
I glanced at a rough-hewn club leaning against a corner of the walls.
"We're learning that more all the time," I said, walking over to pick it up. "What's this?"
"Ah," Axelrod said with a grin. "The Club of Confusion. Every time you deal over five damage with it, whatever you're attacking loses the same amount of wisdom and intelligence for one to twenty minutes."
"Whoa," Josh said, picking it up. "I don't understand all the numbers, but if it helps, I'm all for it."
"It's only a plus one, but I liked the confusion aspect. I've got something for you too," Axelrod said then picked up a black-steel mace. "I forged it with mythreal, the hardest known substance in the game. It's plus two and better than that cheap one you've got now."
