by Michael Ryan
The shopkeepers competed vigorously for business. They called out prices, offered specials, and taunted their competitors. Irkalla had earned a reputation as a city built on commerce, and Dale could see it was true.
When they reached the Palace Guard Tower, he received a notification.
Congratulations!
You’ve completed an important quest: Accompany Princess Jara to Irkalla.
Reward: Book of Fire Magic
Reward: 2-carat Fiery-Red Diamond, Rare Quality
Hint: Uneventful and tedious tasks can be profitable, but sharks swim in peaceful waters, and nature’s most beautiful designs are also the deadliest.
“Well, I guess this part of our adventure is over,” Dale mused.
“We sure pursued that flighty temptress hard,” Rikuto misquoted.
“I’m not sure I understand,” Sanjay whined.
“I think Sanjay’s cute,” Kim opined.
“Aren’t you the sweetest thing,” Galina mocked.
“You guys come very close to breaking the fourth wall,” Smith hammered.
“Well, I think it’s clever,” Lieutenant Brinkmann sang.
“Lizard lovers will be back for more,” Sergeant Dyfrig hissed. “If they know what’s good for them.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
AI isn’t the greatest threat to humanity’s existence; underestimating it is.
~ Iyam Amak
“We have a reception tonight with the House of Talargo,” Lieutenant Brinkmann announced. “You all need to acquire better weapons, armor, and magic. We’re going on a new quest in the morning. Sergeant Dyfrig, do you have anything to add?”
“Don’t get too drunk and try not to get married,” Dyfrig said. “I heard the brothels here are amazing. Dismissssed!”
Dale and Smith walked away together. “What first?” Dale asked.
“I need better armor,” Smith said.
Sanjay called out from behind them. “Hey, guys. Can I tag along?”
“Sure,” Dale answered. He’d been hoping to talk to Smith about Amy, but maybe it would be better if he kept things to himself.
“Where’s Amy?” Sanjay asked. He punched Dale’s shoulder. “You dog.”
“Sanjay,” Smith said. He kept a straight face and spoke in an overly serious tone. “That’s so inappropriate. It’s sexist, and really none of your business.”
“Oh,” Sanjay said. He looked at his feet. “I’m sorry. I was just…ummm. Sorry.”
Dale tried to keep from smiling, but he failed and ultimately laughed so hard he choked on his spit.
“Dude,” Smith said. “Lighten up. I was screwing with you.”
“Oh.”
“Come along Sanjay,” Smith said. “Dale was about to tell us all about last night.”
“No I wasn’t.”
“Dick.” Smith stopped walking. “You seriously don’t know what happened to her?”
“No. She obviously had something important to do,” Dale answered.
“A secret mission,” Sanjay said. “Wow, cool. I need better armor and upgraded spear tips if I can find them.”
“We’re headed to look for armor first,” Dale said. “But I imagine you can find anything in this town.”
“Except Amy, I suspect,” Smith said.
“Asshole.”
They went into shops and compared prices and quality.
Unlike a traditional MMO, the stores on Almaach were all run by different shopkeepers and the items and their cost varied from location to location.
Dale ran his hands over a set of matching armor that caught his eye.
“You have good taste, master soldier,” a handsome elf said.
“What’s the material?” Dale asked.
“Dragonling hide,” the shopkeeper answered. “It’s the strongest and most durable material you can buy in this price range. And it’s capable of being enchanted. Would you like to try it on?”
Dragonling Hide Body Armor
Level 10, Matching Set, +5 Stat Points to Vigor when worn.
Resilience: Medium
Quality: Excellent
Magical attributes: 0/15
Durability: 25/25
Wiki: [Lore] [Strengths] [Weaknesses]
Dale switched from his humant-avatar to his Zuharah character and tried on the armor.
As Dale studied his reflection in a full-length mirror , Sanjay ran his hand down Dale’s arm. “Nice look.”
Dale slapped Sanjay’s hand away. “That’s the kind of shit you need to keep to yourself.”
“Sorry,” Sanjay said. “I was just admiring the—”
“Don’t!”
“Sorry.”
“And quit apologizing so much,” Dale said.
While the armor was expensive, a good offense required a good defense. Besides, Dale wanted to avoid pain as much as possible, so he purchased the set. “I need a new shield, too. A Leshy shapeshifter destroyed my last one.”
“Me, too,” Sanjay said.
After trying on six models, eventually Sanjay found armor he liked. Smith also bought a suit, and the three friends left the shop newly outfitted.
Dale suggested they switch back to their humant-avatars and find an armory.
“I do need a new spear,” Sanjay said.
They found a shop run by an elfin hunter who was willing to take pelts, antlers, claws, skins and other animal products in trade.
Dale and Smith unloaded a stack of pelts and snakeskins.
“These are okay,” the hunter mumbled.
“Okay!” Smith exclaimed.
“Let’s go, Smith,” Dale said. “This trader is a poor judge of—”
“Wait!” The elf smiled and extended his hands palms up. “My friends, you are worthy traders. Please stay and shop. We’ll negotiate a fair value for your fine products.”
They haggled for twenty minutes before landing on an agreeable exchange rate.
Bartering & Trading Skill Increased: Novice Level Achieved.
As you grow in skill you’ll make better deals and be less likely to be cheated.
Hint: Everything is negotiable: goods, services, war, and love. Only true friendship, of all things in the universe, cannot be subjected to barter.
Dale examined the shields, swords, bows, arrows, and knives.
Dark Adder Scale Shield
Level 10, Medium Rondache, +2 Stat Points to Vigor when equipped.
Resilience: Medium
Quality: Most Excellent
Magical Attributes: 0/20
Durability: 25/25
Wiki: [Lore] [Strengths] [Weaknesses]
The shield was round, black, and appeared to be made from a flattened, coiled snake. “How does this shield do on offense?” he asked.
“Nice choice,” the shopkeeper said. “With a bit of enchanting, the shield can uncoil and become a battle pet. When the snake uncoils and attacks, it’s quite effective. Thus the high price.”
Dale negotiated down by throwing in a precious gem.
“Nice,” Sanjay said. “I want one, too.”
“Don’t be a Dale clone,” Smith said.
“I don’t care if you get one too, Sanjay,” Dale said. “Smith’s being a dick.”
“No, you need a pavise, dude,” Smith said. “Better for tanking. Come on, I’ll help you pick something out.”
“I appreciate this so much. You guys are so nice to—”
“Stop!” Dale and Smith said in unison.
“What?” Sanjay asked. “I don’t get it.”
“You’re hopeless…”
Sanjay frowned.
The trio purchased additional items: longbows, arrows, whips, and some silky soft rope.
“Should we get some lotion?” Sanjay asked.
“The fuck! Sanjay,” Smith shouted.
“My hands get chafed,” he said.
“He’s got a point,” Dale said.
They next went in search of a magic shop.
Dale discovered most it
ems were out of his skill range and level, but he was able to buy a few healing potions and one Earth Magic Book.
The shopkeeper explained a few details about the magic on Almaach they were unaware of.
“That’s a lot to learn,” Sanjay said.
“You’ve picked a good avatar for magic,” the shopkeeper said. “So you’d better study.”
Dale picked up a dusty paperback. “What’s this?”
“Brandon Sanderson.”
“Who?”
“Rules of magic,” the shopkeeper answered. “You guys don’t read?”
“Smith reads romance,” Dale said.
“And you bitch about me?” Sanjay said.
“It’s escapism,” Smith said. “Fuck you both.”
“No thanks,” Dale said. “But I can’t speak for him.”
“Tell us more about magic,” Sanjay said to the merchant.
“There are four elemental skills available: Fire, Ice, Water, and Earth. Generally speaking, Fire and Ice are used for damage dealing spells, and poisoning enemies. Water and Earth are for enchanting, healing, protection — that kind of thing.” The shopkeeper picked up a leather bound tome. “Look at this.”
Dale read down the page. The lists and descriptions seemed endless.
Skill Trees: Fire Magic.
Verbti: Fiery torch spells, throwing fire, starting a fire.
Lori: Fireballs, a thrown weapon.
“I’d just as soon stick daggers in my eyes than read all this,” Dale said.
Sanjay frowned. “But, Dale, aren’t you specializing in Fire Magic?”
“Sure,” he said. “But I can pick this stuff up as I go along. Besides, I have Ërin.”
“Who?”
“Never mind,” Dale answered. “Give me a minute alone.”
Dale: Ërin?
Ërin: Yes, dear?
Can you store this stuff for me?
I can, love. As long as you scan the pages, I can see what you see.
Okay, good.
And, by the way, you looked hot in that armor.
Quit.
Kisses.
Dale negotiated a price for the book and scanned the pages.
Amok-Moloch: Dragon’s Breath, a high-level torch that can burn buildings.
Jowang Sin: Dwarf Smelter, a fire magic that defeats ice spells.
Chaac Agni: Rain of Fire.
And so on, for hundreds of pages.
Dale shared the book with Smith.
Sanjay pouted for a moment, but reasoned that he’d better keep up and paid the shopkeeper for his own copy.
“We’re due at the Royal Reception Hall soon,” Smith said. “Let’s find a boarding house so we can clean up.”
The Royal Hall of King Talargo was cavernous and ornately finished. Dale had seen pictures of European churches with masterworks painted on the ceilings, and the hall’s opulence seemed comparable in majesty.
The difference in King Talargo’s castle were that the murals on the walls and ceilings were seemingly alive. Scenes of Almaach appeared in misty windows and clouds on the ceiling frescos swirled and changed colors. Landscapes had rivers with flowing rivers and jumping fish. Meadows contained painted herds, the animals appearing and disappearing in the twinkling of an eye.
Dale and his companions ate so much they could barely move.
“I can’t eat another bite,” Galina said.
“Here,” Sanjay said, handing her a medallion of bacon-wrapped bear. “Try this.”
She tasted the morsel. “I was wrong.”
By the time the speeches began, Dale was too sleepy to keep his eyes open. He forced himself to stay awake and glanced around, and then kicked Sanjay under the table. “Wake up,” he whispered.
Sanjay jumped. “I was asleep?”
“Yes, stay awake,” Dale whispered. “You’ll make us look bad.”
Dale wondered if a magical spell had been cast, but then a hellish chaos broke the monotony.
As King Talargo introduced Princess Jara, an imbued arrow flew over the lasagna table and struck her in the chest. The shaft drove her backward, and she fell to her knees.
Jara clutched the shaft. “It’s poisoned,” she moaned. Her skin began turning green.
The confusion and pandemonium increased when a battle axe sailed through the air, end-over-end, over the dessert and coffee.
At the last possible second Jara ducked behind a heavy oak chair, which deflected the flying axe.
Dale jumped to his feet.
He pushed through the mass of people, who were screaming, shouting orders, and pointing in every direction except the right one.
“Dale!” Smith shouted. “Where are you going?”
“To catch the assassin!”
Dale ran past dozens of painted murals until cold night air hit his face through one of them. He ducked behind it and through an open window, where a figure dressed in black was running down a garden path before disappearing between rows of bushes.
He jumped through the window and entered the sculptured garden maze.
He paused and searched the ground. Noticing faint but discernible tracks to the left, he resumed his pursuit. As he passed a dragon statue, an arrow narrowly missed his head. The magically imbued projectile slammed into a marble sculpture and exploded on impact.
The assassin scrambled up a trellis to a clay-tiled roof.
Dale followed.
He popped his head above the ridgeline, and nearly took an arrow in the face.
The assassin expertly leapt to a neighboring building, and ran along the roofline. The killer was small, light, and fast.
Dale was able to keep up only because he wasn’t wearing armor or carrying any weapons. He pursued his quarry across the roof, and at the end of the building, the assassin jumped to a tree and dropped to the grass below.
Dale followed into the branches. An arrow struck the one he was gripping, and he fell to the ground. He took a moment to recover his senses, and then ran down an alley, hunting for signs of the runner.
The area was deserted.
It seemed everyone had been invited to the reception. But he soon spied another set of eyes watching him from the base of a wall. The assassin turned and climbed a drain spout that led to the roof of the castle.
Dale followed, and grabbed the assassin’s leg.
Someone grabbed his, and pulled him to the ground. A second assassin stood over him with a needle-sharp rapier.
A familiar voice shouted from above. “No! Don’t hurt him.”
“We can’t allow him to pursue us,” Emi said.
Dale felt a confused blend of betrayal and loss.
Apparently the Japanese warrior Emi, and his lover Amy, were partnered in assassination quests. Emi stood above him with her rapier point on his chest while Amy looked down from the edge of the roof with pleading eyes.
A lone figure in black silently approached Amy on the roof and opened her throat in one slice. Blood gushed down her arms, and she dropped in surreal slow motion. Her corpse hit the ground with a thud and her dead black eyes stared into Dale’s.
Dale screamed in anguish and Emi, who had her back turned to the building, spun. A bright red arrow slammed into her chest. She dropped her rapier and whispered, “Take this,” with her final breath, and then died with a gurgle.
Dale closed his eyes and anticipated his own death. Instead, Yingtai’s voice drifted from the roof.
“Never trust a Korean, Dale. Or the Japanese, for that matter,” she said. “Both of these bitches were assassins sent to kill the Princess Jara.”
“No,” he whispered, although he’d seen the truth with his own eyes.
She slid down the drain pipe and dropped catlike to the flagstone alley. “We need to head back to the platoon before anyone comes. You can mourn your loss later.”
Dale reluctantly stood and followed her.
“But, she…”
“You need to grow up.”
Dale picked up the rapier Emi had
left behind. PCs don’t drop loot, but Emi had released the weapon before she’d perished.
Thuban Guild: Assassin’s Special Rapier
Level 10, Espada Ropera
Resilience: High
Quality: Extremely Fine
Magical Attributes: 7/30
Durability: 29/35
Wiki: [Lore] [Strengths] [Weaknesses]
Chapter Thirty-Four
Mae-do meon-jeo maj-neun ge nas-da. It’s better to get beaten by the whip first.
~ Amy
In the war room of a fortress on the northern coast of Almaach, an admiral reported to his superior, Iyam Amak, the Lord Commander of the Fourteenth Declan Division.
“My Lord,” he said. “Two assassins failed to kill Princess Jara.”
“Interesting,” Amak said. “Is there more to report?”
“Princess Talargo and Princess Jara are both still alive. With the discovery of the assassins our plans have become even more complicated, my Lord Commander.”
“Indeed,” Amak said. She walked to the picture window and contemplated the ocean. When considering complex problems, the apparent emptiness of the sea reminded her that for everything she saw, an invisible complexity lurked beneath the surface.
“The gulls, Admiral,” Iyam said. “Watch them.” She motioned to him. “Join me at the window. Do you see how small and fragile they are?”
“Yes, my Lord,” he answered as he approached.
“And yet they fear neither the shark, nor the dragon,” she said. “I imagine even the gods give them no pause.”
“I suppose that’s true, my Lord.”
“Do you consider their ignorance a blessing…or a curse?”
“I envy their freedom, my Lord,” he answered. “But I live to serve.”
“As do I.” The Lord Commander turned away from the window. “Continue as planned, Admiral. Locate Princess Talargo and secure the Jewel of Sartozel.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
What is unforgettable is unforgivable.
~ Princess Jara
While most of the platoon praised Yingtai for her cunning, Smith attempted to comfort Dale, who was still stunned. Sanjay had the good sense to be quiet.
