by Eden Redd
Thomas laid back as the console powered to life. Closing his eyes, darkness filled his vision. A beep signaled the console was ready. The darkness parted as a tunnel of light formed. In a flash, light streamed by as Thomas felt like he was leaving his body. A moment later, the light parted and Thomas felt his avatar take hold as he stepped into the digital world of Lewd Saga.
***
The guild hall filled with the murmur of light conversation. Edric stood toward the back, arms folded and eyes on the gathered players. The hall was filled with wooden oak chairs, tables, a roaring fireplace at the opposite end and hanging horn chandeliers. Edric often compared it to a hunting lodge filled with fantasy figures. Eyes drinking in his fellow guild mates, they all seemed to be asking the same hushed questions. Edric felt the same confusion for the emergency meeting but stayed silent. He hoped it wasn’t some guild drama or such. The Hyperion guild did have several enemy guilds they had to deal with but hardly the main item to bring everyone together.
The summoner looked around. He barely knew any of his fellow guildies except through reputations. He spent so much time earning gold that he didn’t have any left over to go on adventures with. He knew some by sight and others by name but most were a blank spot in his mind. He knew he had to make friends soon but with the Long Night event over, most players and kingdoms were picking up the pieces. The digital world was in turmoil and it seemed every player grew a little more desperate as trolls and undead swarmed the lands.
Edric looked over and stared as a woman in black sat; her eyes on him. The two gazed at one another for a long moment, neither breaking contact. The name slid over Edric’s mind as he stared at the woman with straight hair combed forward and covering one eye. Her name was Rayna. She had purple highlights mixed in with jet black hair. Her face was a blank mask, black leather covering her from neck to boot and a lute strapped to her back. A dark shadow bled from her exposed eye. Edric knew of her and thought she was beautiful, but the unnerving gaze she often gave seemed to put everyone off. Even now, she maintained that unsettling gaze and Edric was the first to look away. Glancing back, he saw that she turned in her seat and slipped her lute around, fingers caressing the strings with a small melody. Edric fought a shiver bunching up along his spine but couldn’t stop it. With a slight tremble in his shoulders, he crossed his arms to play it off.
The room grew quiet as Caspian and the guild captains emerged from a doorway by the fireplace. Eyes turned to the guild leader as he stood before the roaring fire. Edric stayed where he was, ears open to what their fearless leader had to say.
“Welcome everyone,” Caspian said with a halfhearted smile.
Edric’s head tipped forward, shadows covering his eyes. He had heard before, when Caspian gave a half smile, it was bad news.
Caspian cleared his throat and continued, “I don’t want to waste everyone’s time. Myself and the captains asked you all here to tell you the rumors are true. The Hyperion guild is disbanding.”
Everyone in the room sat or stood up straighter. Small gasps and quick glances filled the hall. Edric let out a silent huff for he had no idea the guild was in trouble. Once the small noises died down, Caspian looked out to his gathered guild, a sorrow creasing his brow.
“Since the Long Night, the guild has taken a beating. Some members have deserted us and our cause to win back the Middle Kingdoms. Others have voiced their displeasure with the war effort. Our coffers could not keep up with the new demands and we have nearly run out of gold. I know many have worked to keep us going but the fight has proven too much. The dragon kingdoms have fallen and the human kingdoms are holding on by a thread. Many are flocking to Valtis to help defend against the troll’s armies. Undead dragons have attacked kingdoms not allied with the troll masters. Even here in Varikk, the city may fall soon and so will our guild hall.”
Edric nodded to himself. Guild halls were the beating heart of the guild. It is why they are often built in cities so there is better protection. If Varikk fell, the guild would be destroyed anyway. Edric wondered if Caspian was simply beating the enemy to the punch. Either way, the guild wouldn’t help him anymore and he was back to square one, finding new allies.
A woman with sage green hair and plated armor stood up, “We can’t just give up.”
Caspian looked down with defeated eyes, “Claudia, it’s over. In a few days, the city will be overrun. We don’t have the gold or manpower to hold off such an attack. It’s a lost cause.
Claudia’s hands clenched at her sides but she said no more. Sitting down, her head tilted forward in silent defeat. The mood in the room turned gloomy as others opened mouths and then immediately closed, knowing in their hearts it was already over. Several guild mates stood up and walked out, the main doors swinging closed behind them. Others looked to Caspian and the captains as if waiting for something. Edric kept his arms crossed, the dreadful feeling of picking the wrong guild circling down the drain of his heart.
Caspian continued, “There is enough gold in the coffers to pay back a little gold to everyone. You should receive a few hundred coins for your service in the guild. I’m sorry we never reached the prestige we were working towards. Take what you want from the hall but it will begin to decay starting tomorrow. I’ll have the servants bring out ale for a last round. As of midnight tonight, the Hyperion guild is no more.”
Caspian turned to his captains and began talking with them. The rest of the hall was filled with disbelief and an air of sadness. Edric uncrossed his arms, watching the crowd as they sat and began discussing their options. Everyone knew without a guild to belong to, their protection slipped down to zero. The PvP areas had grown and players were taking advantage of the chaos. Almost no place was safe and without the backing of a strong guild, they would be prime targets for unscrupulous players or troll sympathizers.
Men and women servants appeared through a side door, large mugs of ale in their hands and smiles on their faces. They dispersed into the crowd, handing a mug to each player in turn before moving to the next one. Some of the players drank while others continued their conversations, setting their mugs down untouched.
Edric eyed the crowd. He hated to admit it, but now was the perfect time to find anyone interested in his own plans. It was only a matter of time before they all moved on and he didn’t want to be caught on the wrong end of a sword point in the wild. The summoner stood up and made his way to the thin crowd of players trying to choose their next moves.
Eyes turned and glanced to the summoner in his green robe and satchel hanging from his hip. Edric had spoken very little to most of his guild mates but he had an idea on who to approach. Looking around, Edric noticed the knight, Claudia, who stood up earlier sitting was now at a bench with a tan skinned elf. The green haired knight leaned forward, elbows on her knees and a sad look in her eyes. The armor she wore was engraved with roses and thorny stems. Edric caught himself staring at her beauty, with pale white skin and gray eyes. The knight looked up and then looked away. Edric shifted his gaze as he stepped closer. The elf sat relaxed, one arm lying on the back of the bench. Brown oval eyes turned and looked up to the summoner as he approached. Long blonde hair was pulled back into a thick pony tail. The elf’s tanned skin signaled she was a wood elf. Her ears pointed up and were an inch or two longer than other elves. She wore a dark blue monk’s tunic with fabric wrapping around her forearms and her shins. Soft sandal like shoes covered her feet.
Edric smiled to the elf as he stepped to her and sat down in an empty chair by the bench, trying to keep his eyes from her above average, ample chest. Sitting down, the words caught in his throat for a long second and he found himself awkwardly silent.
The elf gazed upon the silent summoner and soon the knight turned her gray eyes to him as well, both waiting. A nervous tremble filled the player as he pushed it away and tried to be social.
“My name is Edric Temple. I’m new to the guild and well….soon to be ex-guild.”
The elf nodded slightly, “Fay
e Riverwood.”
“Claudia Pearl,” the knight said simply.
Edric painfully stumbled along the budding conversation, “Do you have any plans for what to do next? I mean, since the guild is disbanding.”
Claudia looked down once again. Faye eyed the summoner before giving him a kind smile.
“We were just talking about that and the answer is no, we have no idea. With Lukken falling further into war, the lands west of the Middle Kingdoms seem to be the best place to explore, away from the fighting,” Faye said simply.
“I really wanted this to work,” Claudia said in a low tone.
Faye reached over and placed her hand on the knight’s shoulder, “We can travel together. You don’t have to do it alone.”
Edric put his full attention to the knight and wood elf. Falling back to his practiced idea pitches, he mentally prepared what he wanted to say. Despite players paying some of their gold to the guild, Edric knew that all players held most of their earnings to themselves. The writing was on the wall for many and he was sure that most took extra steps to horde their gold for such an emergency. He remembered some of the new recruits he set to task with gold farming, talking endlessly about Faye and Claudia. They were expert players in the game and often rushed to the front lines at the Middle Kingdoms to fight the trolls occupying it.
“Do you think that’s a good idea? The western lands are pretty brutal,” Edric said and instantly regretted it.
Claudia and Faye looked to the summoner. Faye’s eyes narrowed while Claudia eyed him in annoyed disbelief.
Edric tried to recover, “What I mean is….Wouldn’t it be better to band together with a few players? Try to recover somewhat from losing the guild?”
Faye kept her eyes thin, “You’re the new recruit, the one that helped with gold farming for the guild.”
The summoner gave a nervous smirk, “I tried. I didn’t know the guild was so desperate for gold. I figured out a simple way to gold farm and Caspian said I could be part of the guild and train the new recruits. I think the Long Night disrupted those plans.”
Faye’s eyes relaxed, “Caspian talked about you a lot. He said with your help, we would have begun to see a surplus. You were in Lythor when the world event happened.”
Edric nodded, “Yea, I was killed not long into it.”
Claudia looked to the summoner, “It must have been awful.”
“It wasn’t what I signed up for but I had to take it as a learning experience. I spent so much time gathering gold that I never had a chance when the city was attacked.” Edric ignored the sudden stab of pain in his heart.
Faye’s brow softened, “You could come with us? There might be a few more lost souls we could travel with. The western lands of Lukken are dangerous but the treasure is above average. Maybe we can return when the war is over.”
Claudia looked to the wood elf, “I thought you wanted to make a difference here?”
Faye’s eyes sagged a little, “I did. We have been fighting the trolls for so long and not making any progress, I feel like I’m done. They beat the dragons and now they will try to conquer the rest of Lukken. In the west, we can start again.”
Edric saw his chance and he took it, “I think I have an idea that might help all of us, if you’re interested?”
Claudia and Faye looked to the summoner with a questioning gaze.
The player continued, “I managed to farm some gold for myself. The Lewd Kingdoms update allows players to buy land and build towns and cities. I managed to use most of my gold to buy some land and I’m looking for partners to help build a city.”
The knight was silent but Faye gave the summoner a knowing smirk.
“So you thought we would be potential investors? Here I thought you just wanted to sleep with us.”
Edric’s face turned bright red. Faye’s smile grew broader while Claudia looked at the player with wide eyes. The air around them burned hot and Edric tried to smile, fighting down the embarrassment.
“Uh…I mean…you’re both beautiful but I seriously was just thinking of..banding together so we could….” Edric trailed off.
Faye leaned in a little closer; eyes containing a wicked gleam, “How long have you been here in Lewd Saga, a few weeks?”
“Almost two months,” Edric said flatly.
“How did you find enough gold to buy land? You would have needed over a million just to do that,” The wood elf studied the summoner.
Edric nodded, “It depends on location. The land to the eastern kingdoms is expensive but the war did open up some property, even if the neighborhood is a little in question.”
The wood elf leaned back in the bench, “Where is the land you bought?”
Edric felt the moment of truth had arrived, “About four days from the Middle Kingdoms.”
Faye’s head tilted forward, shadows covering her eyes. Claudia shook her head and looked away.
“Why would you buy property so close to the enemy? Several players have already tried to lay claim to open lands by the kingdoms and they lost everything. No one will want to go near such a dangerous area. Varikk is seven days from the kingdoms and it may fall any day now.”
Faye let out a long soft exhale. “Edric, you seem like a nice guy but what you’re trying to do is crazy. Building anything out there is inviting trouble.”
“We have been fighting trolls for a long time. They will tear everything apart,” Claudia chimed in.
A fire boiled under Edric’s skin but he never let it show. Instead, the calm mask of reason filled his mouth, cheeks and eyes. The player knew if he let his emotions get the better of him, he would lose his chance.
“I know it’s dangerous. I don’t have enough gold to buy anywhere else and that is not what I want. When the trolls attacked Lythor, I thought I was safe but I found out, no one was safe. If I can build a strong enough kingdom, maybe I can help push back against the masters. I thought I could do that with the guild but since its being disbanded, I thought I’d reach out to fellow guild mates.”
Edric’s fingers entwined together as he leaned forward, eyes on the wood elf and knight, “I know I’m new but I’m being positive that I can make a difference. In a few hours I’m going to travel to my lands. I was hoping to have some company and maybe build something great. I understand if you’re not interested but I knew I had to try.”
A tremble filled Edric’s fingers as the internal boiling began to show. The player stood up and looked down at the wood elf and knight.
“I wish you the best on your travels. When my city is built, please stop by for visit. It will be called Elora.”
Edric turned and started walking toward the main doors. The anger seethed under his skin but he tried to keep his demeanor cool. Reaching the doors, he pulled one open and stepped outside. Glorious sunlight bathed his skin as he continued to walk and make his way down the stone steps. The small city of Varikk was abuzz with activity but Edric only saw a place where the trolls would conquer. He hated that, despite his plan, he started to lose his cool. It ate away at him, reinforcing the fact that he couldn’t convince anyone his ideas we’re worthy or enticing.
Edric stepped to the street and began walking. A dark cloud formed over his thoughts, wondering if people like his boss were right, that he was just a worker and selling was another person’s game. The player knew deep down he could make this work but the first roadblock was bigger than he thought. Without extra gold to build the basics, he would be a leader of an empty land before it was taken by the trolls. Time was slipping away and he had to come up with alternatives.
An alert popped up in Edric’s vision. Looking off to the side, he could see a few hundred gold pieces transferred to his avatar. The number paled in comparison to the amount he earned for the guild. The player tried to not dwell on the wasted effort. He had a host of new problems he had to tackle. Walking along, the player’s mind moved from idea to idea. The lands he owned would have quest areas he and Leeta could explore. Since he could no longe
r go to the dragon kingdoms, he and the beautiful ogre would have to begin grinding again. It would take longer than before but it could be a start.
Edric’s shoulders sagged as he walked. The monsters around the Middle Kingdoms were tougher. Even with Leeta, they wouldn’t last too long. The undead had been sighted among the forests and Edric did not have enough spells to keep them safe. The more he thought about it, the tougher it seemed to become. The dark cloud spread and the player found it harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The summoner walked through the city market, passing stands selling everything from weapons to potions. NPC’s stood around, ready to pledge their loyalty for the right price. Edric was tempted but soon pushed the thought away, afraid he would grow attached, and if they died… the player didn’t finish the thought.
Pulling gold coins from his satchel, he handed them over to a potion vendor. The vendor handed him four healing potions which Edric took and placed in his bag. Seeing his gold counter go down, it was a painful reminder that he blew ninety percent of his earned gold on land that may not pan out. With the possible attack on Varikk soon, land prices had fallen very low. The player would never recover what he spent for the land.
“Have a pleasant day,” the vendor said with a cheery smile.
Edric barely gave a head nod as he walked away. Strange images clouded his mind of the vendor being hacked to pieces by demonic troll invaders. He hated how vivid they had become and pushed it to the edge of his mind, trying to find something positive to focus on.
You promised me a bottle.
Edric’s eyes widened before looking down at his satchel. Hand diving in, he pulled out a lock stone and began to whisper arcane words. Energy snaked out as a mystic circle formed on the street before him. Black hair rose up with Leeta staring at the summoner. Arms crossed, she reached her full height, looking down on her master.
