They were in no real danger from the creature, so Karen focused on a new spot to see how much cumulative damage the shell could absorb. Fluff tore more armor away before her rage buff wore off. Karen laughed, “You can just wear a section down. Slow, but it works.”
“Are you guys done playing yet?” Gerald called out.
Fluff plunged both hands into the gap she had made and started pulling chunks out of the mob. Alburet and Karen attacked their spots in earnest, and soon the mob succumbed to the combined damage. As the mob collapsed Gerald sighed, “Thank you. I felt like a bloody punching bag.”
“You were only taking minor damage with each hit to your shield,” Marysue told him.
“What did you guys learn during the fight?” Gerald asked.
“Shells are tough, but breakable.” Karen looked over at Stacia, who had been standing back with Marysue. “You didn’t join in?”
“I did nay want to daze or try and friend it since ya was all in battle. Me blades would nay have added much, and ya were all surrounding it.”
“Okay,” Marysue nodded. “We can grab a single again and let her check before we hurry off to a camp.”
“Good plan,” Gerald agreed.
As they moved on Alburet finished telling the story of his quest. “So, I might be up for a race change here,” he finished.
“That is so fucking neat,” Karen looked thoughtful. “I want to pick up vampire or shadow or something similar to help with sneaking.”
“I’ll stay human, thanks,” Gerald laughed.
“I like being a Lunari,” Fluffed added.
“I’m fine with being a basic elf, really,” Marysue said.
“Looks like we’re the odd ones out, Karen,” Alburet laughed.
“Such a shocker, right?” Karen joined him laughing.
It didn’t take them long to find another Langistor Runner. Stacia was able to use both Daze and Ally, which was happy news. Since her Ally ability had a ten minute cooldown they killed a few more solo Runners to add them to their quest total. The camps turned out to be easy for them with all the control Stacia brought to the fight. The group cut down the Brute first, followed by the Clackers, before finally turning on the Water Weavers as they came out of the Ally ability’s control. Stacia would Daze one, letting them focus on just one at a time. They took their time, waiting for the cooldown on Ally to wear off before tackling the next camp.
Shortly after noon they returned to the fort. They stopped at the inn for lunch, a bisque soup made from Langistor meat and served with a cheddar biscuit. To go with it was a light wine whose flavor hinted at some berry Alburet couldn’t place. They were all stuffed by the time they finished. Alburet handed the innkeeper a gold, telling him to keep the change as the group got up to leave.
“What do you think the Waterweed is for?” Karen asked as they walked towards the keep.
“Water breathing and increased swimming speed elixirs,” Fluff told her. “They’re useful in a number of zones in Lunari territory. They would also be useful if we wanted to get to the island out on the lake on our own.”
“Why would we want to?” Alburet asked, “Besides the boss mob, that is.”
“Treasure,” Karen replied quickly. “All the ruins in the game have a chance to spawn treasure chests. They’re always unlocked but usually trapped, plus more traps in the ruins surrounding the chests. It’s one of the things meant to make Trapsmith more appealing.”
“Ironhand will love to hear that. Since we don’t have a Trapsmith with us now, I don’t feel the need to check,” Alburet replied.
“Let’s get what we have turned in,” Gerald said as they entered the fort proper. “Then we can decide whether to stay here for the rest of the day or to move on.”
“Sergeant Granite, sir, we have finished the basic quests for you,” Alburet said, coming to attention before the man’s desk.
The sergeant returned the salute as he looked up, “Very good, Alpha Company. Was it easier than the spiders?”
“My succubus was able to control them, sir, which made it much easier,” Alburet replied.
“Very good. Did you wish to get rid of any of the meat from them or any of the weeds they carry?”
“We would be more than happy to, sir,” Alburet told the sergeant.
“The Quartermaster runs the shop next to the blacksmith. Take all your stuff to him along with this chit. He’ll give you a bonus on everything he buys from you. Also, here are your rewards for completing my quests.” He stacked a bag for each of them on the desk, “Dismissed Alpha Company, but I hope you’ll be back for the Queen when you’re able to take her.”
“Yes, sir,” Alburet said, saluting the sergeant again before leading the way out of the fort.
“Why don’t we hold onto the chit until we are done for the night?” Marysue said. “Sell off everything all at once and get the bonus for it all.”
“Good call,” Gerald chuckled and gave her a one-armed hug.
“I learned from you,” she smiled at him.
“Two hundred gold each, plus what we looted off the mobs. Adds up fast out here.” Alburet shook his head, “I need to see about upgrading my weapon again, and some of my non-set armor pieces. I’m thinking I’m out for hunting tomorrow, but you guys feel free to go out. You need to catch up to me anyway.”
“Sounds good to me,” Karen replied. “I wouldn’t mind closing the gap some. Those four quests pushed me along pretty well.”
“Marysue and I both hit twenty one,” Gerald added.
“I’m over halfway through it,” Alburet told the others. “I think we should hit the other zones when we hook back up. If we do those quests, it should speed us up more.”
“That’s probably how some of the other players have been leveling as quickly as they have been,” Gerald muttered, “skipping around and doing all the easy quests.”
“So, four or five more hours of Langistor farming today,” Fluff said. “Snowblind Hills next?”
“Maybe we should backtrack all the way to the goblin villages,” Marysue said, looking thoughtful.
“That makes sense,” Karen nodded, “make sure we’ve got the guild achievements before we really out distance those areas.”
With a plan in place the group headed back out for a little more than four hours of Langistor farming. When they finally called a halt for the day and headed back to the fort, the bonus chit for the Quartermaster wound up netting them an additional 10% for the loot they sold, an additional 5 gold each on top of everything else. They said their goodbyes, and used their Homestones to return to Stormguard.
Alburet and Stacia spent the rest of the night quietly at home, just cuddling, snuggling and canoodling. They finally fell asleep, exhausted but happy.
Chapter Fourteen
Alburet woke to Stacia leaning over him, “Master, breakfast be ready.”
He snagged her and pulled her into bed, wrapping her up and snuggling her to his chest. “Shh, sleep is good. Comfy body pillow does not talk.”
Giggling, Stacia struggled lightly against his grip, “I do like bein’ ya pillow, but Rolland and Kim will be waitin’ for us iffin ya do nay get up.” She let out a small moan, “Iffin ya do nay get up in a different way than tha’.”
Alburet chuckled, “So my insatiable little kitten is saying no?”
“Let me go and find out,” she said in a throaty voice, wiggling against him.
“Nope. You’ll run away. I’ll keep my pillow a bit longer and dream of what could be.”
She reached back as far as she could and began to tickle him. Laughing and squirming, he tried to hold her, but she slipped free easily enough from his grip. “Without ya gear, I be the stronger of us.” She pinned his arms down gently and gave him a deep passionate kiss then stepped back. “Ya breakfast is waitin’ for ya, go rinse and meet me in the main room. When we get back from the quest later today, ya can pay me back for pinnin’ ya to the bed.” She left him with a wink and a grin.
A
lburet watched her sway out of the room and shook his head. She was pragmatic at times, much more than he was. Other times she was a little ball of sex that demanded more. He just couldn’t seem to figure out which was likely to be which and when. Then again, he mused as he got up, if any man knew that they’d be able to charge a fortune teaching others. Chuckling to himself, he rinsed with cool water and donned his gear. Stacia was just finishing up her bowl of frumenty when he made it to the main room.
He came up behind her and pinned her to the counter, “I think I can pay you back a little right now.” He chuckled as she squirmed, unable to break free now that he had his stat enhancing gear on. He gave her ass five hard swats, getting a yip from each. Her legs slid further apart with each spank, and her ass rose up to meet his hand. He spun her around once he was done and gave her a kiss. When he broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, “Naughty little fire kitten.”
“Aye. Master. I be the way I be. I am blessed ya accept me for who I be,” she laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh. “I be wantin’ more, but ya need to eat and then we need to be off. I do nay think keepin’ the Dark Lord waitin’ be a good idea.”
“As you wish,” he said softly before letting her go.
“Tha’ be the line from the play ya was tellin’ me about? The Princess Bride?” Stacia asked as she followed him to the table.
“Very good memory, Kitten,” Alburet grinned and began to shovel the frumenty into his mouth. She’d put a dash of cinnamon and some honey in it this time. It was cool and had started to thicken up, but it was still tasty.
“Ya do nay have to inhale it,” she laughed, watching him.
“Don’t want to keep anyone waiting,” he said around a mouthful of food.
Shaking her head, she took her cup to the washtub and cleaned it. She glanced back to find him scraping the last bits from the bowl. “Ya are a handful,” she chuckled.
He swallowed the last bite as he brought her the bowl, “So you tell me. A handful, a mouthful, more filling than a...”
Stacia grinned at him as she took the bowl, “Aye, just as I like it. Ya should check an’ see iffin they be waitin’ for us. I’ll be out in a moment.”
He grabbed her, giving her one more kiss, “Your wish is my command, dear Kitten.” Grabbing his bag, he headed out. He found Kim and Rolland over in the guild hall, chatting with Erin. Rolland was wearing soft leather armor in blue, and Kim had dark grey hardened leathers. “Elementalist I get, but what is your class Kim?”
“Trapsmith,” Kim laughed. “I was just telling Erin about one of the chests we found once out in the Webbed Woods.”
“Stacia will be with us shortly. You both sure you still want to go with?” Alburet asked.
“Of course we do,” Rolland replied. “If Sir Jones had known about this, he would be here as well, I do not doubt.”
“Maybe I should have told him and extracted a favor,” Alburet laughed. “Goodness knows having favors from those near the top is always useful.”
“It would be a bit late now,” Kim told him. “It’s not like any of us have a way to contact him directly.”
Alburet considered it for a moment then shrugged and pulled out his Mindstone. He sent a quick message outlining his plans before putting it away. Kim and Rolland both watched him with raised eyebrows. “I just happen to have his info. I sent him a message. But I really doubt he’s going to just drop everything he had planned today to join us.”
“Who be joinin’ us?” Stacia asked, slipping up to his side.
“Sir Jones,” Alburet told her. “Rolland mentioned he might be interested in joining us, so I sent him a quick message. I was just telling them that it’s very unlikely…” He cut off as his message icon started flashing.
Message from Ioaniss Jones:
Alburet, where and when is your group meeting?
Alburet pulled out his Mindstone again to reply. Jones’s message arrived seconds after he’d sent it.
Message from Ioaniss Jones:
I will meet you there in ten minutes, don’t leave without me.
He sent a one word reply then put the stone away again. “Huh, funny that.”
Rolland blurted out his question that the others were all thinking, “Well?”
“Oh, sorry,” Alburet told them. “Sir Jones will meet us at the Portal Guild in ten minutes, he asked that we wait for him.”
“You are just chock full of surprises, aren’t you?” Kim said, shaking her head. “Well, if the King’s right hand is coming we might want to be there for when he shows.”
Alburet took Stacia’s arm as they exited the guild hall, leaving an open-mouthed Erin staring after them. “The King’s right hand?” Alburet asked.
“Oh yes,” Rolland replied. “The House of Jones is primarily responsible for the establishment of the Crown in Stormguard. They are generally considered to be the least of the Major Houses, but no one dares to cross them because the Crown remembers. Scions of House Jones also tend to run to historians. They’ve done incredible work preserving the history of Alpha World and the Empire.”
“Huh,” Alburet said as he took in the information. “Weird, he seemed like a really easy-going guy.”
“He is oddly focused,” Kim stated. “He only gets interested in history or artifacts. You must have impressed him, for him to give you a direct contact.”
“Aye,” Stacia added. “Sir Jones was most impressed with the way me husband comported himself at the dinner we were invited to.”
Rolland shook his head, “You Two-souled sure do know how to shake up the world.”
They walked the rest of the way in contemplative silence. They lounged in the waiting area for nearly ten minutes, with Alburet starting to get antsy. The door was flung dramatically open, as Sir Ioaniss Jones strode into the lobby. Alburet blinked, finally figuring out where he’d seen the man before. Sir Jones wore a leather jacket with a wide brimmed, high crowned, sable fedora. Strapped to his hip was a whip and a small hand crossbow with a cylinder where the bolts normally were loaded. To finish off the outfit, he had a leather satchel slung over his shoulder.
“Sir Jones,” Alburet called out, to catch the attention of the notable.
Turning Ioaniss smiled at them, “Well, I have to say you certainly caught me by surprise Alburet. I had to cancel lunch with the King, but he’ll understand.”
Resisting the urge to facepalm, Alburet turned to the others. “Sir Jones, you’ve met my wife, Stacia. The other two with us for this journey are Kim and Rolland Magiblood.”
His eyes twinkled as he shook hands with the couple, “I keep meaning to stop by and talk to you about your family’s lineage, but there just never seems to be enough hours in the day.” Ioaniss shrugged, “We should get together soon, though. I’m sure that we could both learn a few things.”
“Yes, please,” Rolland said quickly.
“Now that we’re all here, we should get going,” Alburet cut in. “As my wife reminded me this morning, keeping a God waiting could be bad for your health.”
Ioaniss chuckled, “Keeping them waiting isn’t an issue for the most part. They generally have a problem with the concept of time. It doesn’t seem to mean the same thing to them, or at least to the few I’ve had discussions with.”
“Which Gods have you spoken with?” Kim asked as they began to climb the stairs.
“Justice was the first God I spoke to. Well, it was through a burning sword, but I am fairly confident it was him since it was in a lost temple of his. Bestat was the other. I collected an idol of her in the forests of Lunar. Truthfully, she was much more entertaining to converse with.” Ioaniss chuckled, “She was also quite interested in just how flexible I might be, as I recall.”
The uppermost level of the Portal Guild held six rooms, each for a different segment of the Dead Lands. The Dead Lands stretched from the mountain ranges in the north to the sea in the south, taking up a good chunk of the Eastern part of the continent. “Which room?” Ioaniss ask
ed, looking at Alburet.
“Good question. I was told to go to the Dead Lands. The messenger didn’t specify a specific spot,” Alburet replied.
“Hmm. Then I suggest we take the one closest to the center. Due east of the fort are supposed to be the ruins of one of the Empire’s cities. It’s one of the places my father went in search of information about the Forgotten Prison.”
“Sounds good to me,” Alburet said. “After you, Sir Jones, as I know not which portal that is.”
Alpha Company (Alpha World Book 3) Page 17
