Wilbur followed Erin into the guild hall while Alburet and Stacia retired to their home. Later, as Alburet stroked Stacia’s hair while they lay in bed he marveled over the game again. Everything seemed so real, he could easily live here happily for the rest of his life.
Chapter Thirteen
After breakfast and a little snuggling, Alburet and Stacia were ready to face the day. “Everything was good, as normal, my little fire kitten. Let’s head out and sell things off before everyone’s ready to try the Langistors.”
“Aye, master,” Stacia murmured, relaxing in his arms. “Ya wanted me to remind ya to talk to Kim about replacin’ me sister.”
“Thank you,” Alburet kissed her head before he let her go. “We’ll stop in there first.”
Erin and Kim were discussing Erin’s dress from the day before. Alburet greeted them both before broaching the topic he had come to talk to Kim about. “Kim, Erin will be leaving us in three days. Do you know of anyone who would be willing to take the second spot as receptionist?”
Blinking, Kim glanced at Erin then back to Alburet, “Perhaps. I do know a couple of people who would do the job happily, but they would want payment more in line with what I get.”
“Okay, we can do that. Pick one and bring them in to start three days from now. If you need to take a day off tomorrow is open.”
Nodding, Kim stood up, “I have to go see them in person. Erin, you have the desk for an hour or so. Also, does this mean I can accompany you and Rolland tomorrow?”
“Sure. I still don’t know if anyone else with me will be allowed to follow once we reach the Dead Lands, but feel free to tag along.”
“I’ll be back,” Kim said as she walked out the door.
“Aye,” Erin said as Kim left. “I can give ya back the coin…”
Alburet waved her to silence, “Not worried about it. We need to go off and sell stuff, just needed to get your replacement in the works first. Have a good day.” Alburet smiled at her as he turned to the door.
“Have fun with ya hunt,” Erin told them as Alburet and Stacia left the guild hall.
“Asthore?” Stacia asked as they walked towards the shops. “I be wonderin’, have ya considered what we can gift to them?”
“Not really,” Alburet replied.
“I will take care of it,” Stacia said simply as they walked.
“As you wish,” Alburet told her with a grin.
“I love ya too, Asthore,” Stacia replied.
They didn’t have any weapons from yesterday’s hunt, so they passed by Grimgar’s shop and went straight to Tanned Hides. “Almira,” Alburet called out as the bell rang, “I’ve got something for you that isn’t armor.”
Almira looked up from her single customer, “What did you bring me, then?”
Setting the Silk Glands on the counter, Alburet grinned, “Spider poop.”
Rolling her eyes, Almira picked up one of the glands, “Widow Silk. It is certainly not spider poop. This makes a very good mid-level armor.” She counted the glands lined up on the counter and handed over two gold for each one. “It’s useful stuff. Been out fighting in the Webbed Woods, have you?”
“Yes. That place sucks,” Alburet replied. “We’re going after Langistors today instead. Heh, one of our friends is a little freaked out over the idea that they drop edible meat.”
“That’s silly. It’s like being upset that a minotaur drops damn good steaks,” Almira laughed.
Lips pursed, Alburet nodded, “Good to know. I hope I get to try one.”
“You did already, for Erin’s celebration. The steak was Minotaur flank.”
“He does nay know just how many monsters can be turned into food,” Stacia stage whispered to Almira.
“I guess I’ll learn,” Alburet shrugged. “Ok, that’s it for us. We’re off to see the alchemist.”
“Poison glands?” Almira asked.
“Aye. Tha poison be the main reason we be goin’ elsewhere today,” Stacia replied.
“Fair enough. You are a little under leveled for the spiders. That poison is what makes them dangerous to fight.”
“Sorry for interrupting you,” Alburet said to the guy in the shop, who had watched the whole interaction.
“How did you get to level twenty already?” he asked, “It’s taking so long to level in this game.”
“Dedication and friends,” Alburet replied as he led Stacia out of the shop. “Off to the alchemist, then to the portal guild I think.”
“As ya wish, Asthore,” Stacia said as she walked with her arm in his.
The alchemist gave him a gold per poison sac and wished them well in fighting the Langistors. The walk from the shop to the portal guild was short. “Should we take the portal and check the inn while we wait?”
“Iffin tha’ be what ya want to do,” Stacia said. “I be fine either way.”
Alburet turned them away from the waiting area and headed up the stairs. When they stepped through the portal, the keep laid out before them was just like the one at the Webbed Woods. The big difference here was that instead of thick woods there was a lake about half a mile away. It was big and wide, stretching for miles in either direction. Out in the middle of the lake sat a ruined keep on a rocky island.
“Good to see you Two-souled making it out here,” one of the guards greeted them. “Makes our jobs much easier with you lot killing them.”
“We try,” Alburet chuckled. “We have four friends that should be joining us soon. Would you let them know we’re at the inn, please?”
“Not a problem at all, sir.” The guard peered intently at the guild symbol on Alburet’s armor. “Are you Alburet Two-souled from Alpha Company?”
Alburet’s eyebrows went up in surprise and he smiled, “Yes.”
“The sergeant would like to speak with you, sir. We’ve all heard about Alburet the Two-souled. You’re the one who taught us these new ways of fighting we’ve got now.” The two guards came to parade rest, “It is a pleasure, sir.”
“At ease, men,” Alburet told them. “In that case, please let my friends know that I’ll be with the sergeant instead of at the inn.”
“Will do, sir,” the man snapped a salute before turning his eyes back to the lake.
Once Alburet and Stacia had passed through the gates, the other guard leaned over to the first, “You thinking of trying to join them when your term is up?”
“They got a Royal Charter,” the first one replied. “How many have done that? Rumor is he’s a good guy. Down to earth, not like all them hoity-toity nobles. What’re our choices if we don’t reenlist? Not many, is it?”
The rest of the conversation was lost as they walked into the keep. Alburet’s face was thoughtful as he considered what he’d heard. Stacia glanced at him with a smile, knowing he was thinking about other Alpha Worlders asking to join the guild.
“We should,” Stacia said softly, “iffin they ask. Ya can check with Captain Roberto. Iffin there be no issue, then we should allow them the chance.”
“You’re right,” Alburet agreed with her. “We shall see if anything comes of it. I’ve been noticing, the guards always seem to be five levels above the monsters in the area. Is that the way it goes all the way up to the Dead Lands?”
“Aye. Guards sign up for five years at a go. They serve a year at a time in each fort, then they be shifted to the next one they be the right level for. It can take some time, dependin’ on how restless the monsters in any area be. Most times, guards will reach one of these areas before their first term be up. Then they decide iffen they want ta reenlist.”
Alburet looked at her in surprise, “How do you know all that?”
“Guards be visitin’ the inn from time to time. Some of them like ta talk.” Stacia grinned at Alburet.
The inside of this fort was like all the others they had been in so far. A very large, dark-skinned man with a shaved head sat behind the sergeant’s desk. He looked vaguely familiar to Alburet. When they reached the desk, Alburet came to
attention and snapped a salute to the sergeant. “Sergeant, the men outside said you wished to speak with Alpha Company.”
The sergeant sat back in his chair, looking up at Alburet with a broad grin, “Yes, indeed. I was hoping you’d show up out here.” He looked Alburet and Stacia over. “I’m Sergeant John ‘Granite’ Dwayneson, chief Sergeant here at Lang Fort. It is a pleasure to meet you, Alburet Two-souled. I hear that you’ve really been going out of your way to help us out. There’s even a pool going about which area you’d pick next. I’m glad to see you decided that Lang Lake was the choice.”
“Actually, sir,” Alburet interrupted, “we went to the Webbed Wood first and found that the spiders were a bit tough to face with that poison they have, since at this level we have no way to get rid of it. So we decided we should try here, instead.”
The Sergeant grimaced, “Well, hell. That means I lost the pool. How well did you guys do in the Webbed Wood before you pulled out?”
“We killed the Widows and Trappers we were asked to. We didn’t see any of the Mutated and we weren’t going anyway near the Spider Queen at this level.”
“You just scratched the surface of the woods, then. Well. You’ll find the Langistors are mostly clustered into groups along the edge of the lake. Solo Runners move between the groups pretty regularly. Their eyes aren’t great, it’s possible to pick off the Runners between groups. The groups themselves are usually a Brute, two Water Weavers and two Clackers. Out in the middle of the lake in that old fort is where their Queen lives. I got no doubt you and your group will be able to handle yourselves out there. You want the quests now, or wait for the rest of your group?”
“We’ll wait, sir,” Alburet advised the sergeant.
“No need to wait, we’re here,” Gerald called out as he led the others into the main room.
“Very well,” Sergeant Dwayneson, said returning the salutes from the new arrivals. “Go out and kill me thirty Runners, ten Brutes, twenty Water Weavers, and twenty Clackers. I’ll also give you the task of killing off the current Queen at the old fort. We have a portal mage that can send you to the island when you’re ready to tackle that one.”
Quest: Kill ten Langistor Brutes
Reward: Fifty gold and increased reputation with all Stormguard factions
Quest: Kill thirty Langistor Runners
Reward: Fifty gold and increased reputation with all Stormguard factions
Quest: Kill twenty Langistor Water Weavers
Reward: Fifty gold and increased reputation with all Stormguard factions
Quest: Kill twenty Langistor Clackers
Reward: Fifty gold and increased reputation with all Stormguard factions
Quest: Kill the Langistor Queen at the abandoned fort
Reward: One hundred gold, increased reputation with all Stormguard factions and an Item from the Quartermaster
“If you get any Langistor meat, I’ll gladly take it off your hands. I make some mighty good stew with it. I’ll even give you a bowl. Once you smell what Sergeant Granite cooks, you’ll know a good meal.”
Marysue went a little pale while the Sergeant talked about cooking and eating the Langistors. Alburet nodded, though, “We’ll see what we can arrange, sir. If that’s all, we’ll head on out.”
The group gave the sergeant a return salute before they left the fort. “Anyone know what these guys are liable to have as attacks?”
“Brute are the tanks, they have a taunt, an interrupt and a stun,” Fluffball said softly.
“A taunt?” Alburet asked puzzled. “How does that work?”
“Any damage you do to any other mob will only be at 10% effectiveness. It doesn’t make you target them like it does the mobs, but it does make it useless to attack anything else,” Karen replied before Fluff could.
“Huh. Interesting mechanic,” Alburet mumbled.
“The Clackers do bleed damage and can attempt to pin you in place with their claws. If you don’t get free you take increasing damage and the bleed starts stacking. Water Weavers are healers for the others, along with having a damage mitigation buff for their allies,” Fluff finished.
“Okay. Sounds like we should be fine if Stacia can control them with Ally or Daze,” Alburet concluded.
“If not, there’s one more choice for zones at this level,” Gerald added. “It isn’t a favorite due to the cold. The Snowblind Hills have mobs that look like stunted yetis, a lot more humanoid than these guys.”
“Oh, I remember them,” Marysue added as they went by the gate guards. “They looked like white furred dwarves.”
One of the guards snorted at her description, shaking his head as he held back his laughter. “Snowblind Yetis could be described that way,” the guard added in a choked voice.
“Maybe we should swing by in the next few days just to see them and pick up the easy quests for the area.” Alburet paused, “Why haven’t we been jumping zones and getting the easy quests for each of the three zones in our level range, anyway?” He summoned Bob and Tiny, then Copied Stacia as they walked.
“It’s just easier to get into a groove than it is to change up mobs,” Gerald replied. “We can do that if you want, though. If we do, we should drop back down a tier and do the other zones we bypassed as well. Maybe get those dungeons knocked out at the same time.”
“I’m fine with that,” Karen added. “The quest XP is nice, and if we can clear out the dungeons while we’re at it, then that would be a bonus, right?”
“We should do it. The guild has been getting achievements for clearing dungeons with a guild group. The reputation bonus isn’t much from the achievement, but if we do them all then our base reputation should be really nice. It might give us a nice extra perk and be a good recruiting point for later testing phases,” Marysue said.
“I’m okay with the idea,” Fluff added.
“Well, seems unanimous,” Alburet chuckled. “Let’s do the three kill quests here first, since we’re already here. Spend today farming Langistors, then depending on my quest tomorrow we can decide where to go from there.”
“What quest?” Karen, Fluffball, Gerald and Marysue asked in unison.
“Oh, yeah, about that,” Alburet coughed. As they drew closer to the lake he explained the quest from his armor set bonus. He was interrupted near the end by a Langistor Runner approaching them along the shore.
Alburet’s head tilted sideways slightly as he took in the appearance of the creature. Gerald and Tiny both closed with it with no hesitation. The creature looked like a giant langoustine that had been bent just behind the head so the front part of its body was upright. The tail splayed out behind, steadying the creature as it scuttled along on six legs. The front claws were held aloft before it, long narrow pincers lined with saw teeth along the inside edges. The eyes were perched on short stalks at the very top of its head, and two long antennae sprouted from between them. It was covered pinkish-orange segmented chitinous plates.
“Not human looking at all,” Alburet muttered.
“It does look mostly like a giant prawn,” Marysue sighed. “I don’t feel bad about people saying we can eat them now.”
Laughing, Alburet shook his head and trotted forward to get into melee while Bob began to cast his Fire Blasts. Gerald and Tiny were already engaged with it. Karen and Fluff joined in a moment before Alburet got there. Fluff growled as her claws skidded off the outer shell on her first swing. Karen saw that, and took a moment longer to line up her blades, sinking them in between the small gaps between the plates of the shell.
“Take aim,” Karen told her as she withdrew her blades for another attack.
The two tanks mostly huddled behind their shields as the creature’s two main claws bounced off the blocking metal surfaces. The claws rebounding off the shields made a noise like a steel drum. Gerald and Tiny attacked as best they could, hacking at the head of the monster when it pulled its claws back for another go at them.
Alburet had to slide around to find a free spot where he could g
et in on the melee. As he moved in, Fluff dug her claws into a joint between the shells and pulled. Alburet watched the shell flex up before it slipped off her claws and slapped into the Langistor’s back. “I think your strength is just a touch low,” he told her. “Looked like you almost had it there.”
“Fine,” Fluff’s voice was a rough growl as her body began to glow red. She slammed her hands back into the same spot and with a roar ripped upwards. A six inch piece of shell went spinning away from each hand, leaving a foot wide gap exposed on its back.
“Woohoo!” Karen yelled, sinking her blades into the exposed flesh. “Free shots, way to go Fluff.”
Alburet focused further back on the monster and hammered his axe into the Langistor’s tail. The damage was minimal since he hadn’t taken the time to aim between the plates, but a piece of the shell flaked away where he’d hit it, and there was a network of cracks visible. “Pure damage can strip the shell off as well,” he called out.
Alpha Company (Alpha World Book 3) Page 16
