Shadow of the Rogue: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Shadow of the Rogue Book 1)

by Quinn Dallas

I heard a great commotion and knew that others had been drawn by the noise of the our battle with Tolan Gath. The crowd spoke in hushed whispers and shocked tones.

  The gossip about this night would spread like wildfire through the royal court.

  “What about King Alaric?” I asked Varick.

  “Saved by your valiant effort. I imagine he’ll want to speak to you.”

  The king would want to speak to me? I’m not sure what I could say. Whoever this assassin was he was very least boss level. I wasn’t high enough to take him on alone. If the others hadn’t been there he might have very well had killed me and the King.

  But we had succeeded. My group successfully defended the King. That was then that I noticed a mission complete message and XP notification.

  MISSION COMPLETED: PROTECT KING ALARIC

  XP AWARDED: 700

  YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 10. PLEASE CONTACT A TRAINER TO INCREASE YOUR ABILITIES.

  Hot damn another level.

  Perhaps all the pain and frustration had been worth it. We hadn’t defeated Tolan, but we’d come damn close. Now the time had come to rest up and heal.

  Hopefully the palace healers could finish the job that Shauna had started. Once the damned poison DOT was removed from me, we needed to get on the road.

  We had to find Rolf Alehorn. It wouldn’t be easy, but I knew it was possible.

  When we reached the healers wing, I was put on a cot. The healer NPCs went to work on me and soon I felt like new. The poison had been removed from my system. I watched in relief as my hit points built back up to one-hundred percent.

  “Kira,” an elderly healer approached my cot. “There is someone here to see you.”

  I nodded and she then pulled back the curtain. Standing there was King Alaric and Queen Gwendolyn. The King's arm was wrapped in a bandage.

  “You saved me from the assassin's arrow,” he said.

  “Mi'lord,” I sat up.

  “Young rogue,” Gwendolyn smiled gently. “There is no need for formalities.”

  “You were quite brave and Varick has informed me of your teams contributions.” he continued. “What do you wish as a reward?”

  A reward! I didn't know what to say. Two of the highest ranking NPC's in the game were at my bedside. I fought back nausea and prayed I didn't hurl all over the Queen's gown.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Reward!” I didn’t quite know what to say. This could be an opportunity to gain an ally and further our pursuit to find the Rolf Alehorn.

  “I wish nothing but to serve the crown” I answered.

  “Modest and brave,” King Alaric's eyes twinkled. “Know that you have a friend in the King. If you require anything simply ask for my aid.”

  “Thank-you my ’lord,” I bowed my head. While no message appeared I knew that I’d made a wise choice. Being in the King’s good graces would be a valuable asset to us as my team carried on our escape quest.

  “I’ll join you later,” Queen Gwendolyn nodded to her husband. “I wish to talk a little more with Varick’s brave operative.”

  “As you wish,” Alaric turned and left. I wasn’t certain what the queen could possibly want from me. But I was sure I would soon find out.

  “You are from the Shadow Thieve's clan,” she considered me carefully.

  “Yes,” I replied.

  “There is no love lost between the highborn and the Shadow Clan,” she stated. “But the time for old rivalries has long since passed.”

  “You speak of the Dragon… Grymme.” I said.

  “Of course,” she tilted her head. “That ancient dragon seeks nothing but the domination of all kingdoms. He has toppled many and I fear we are next.”

  “How can I help?"

  “I know of your quest,” she went on. “To retrieve the Phoenix Gems.”

  “Did Varick tell you?”

  “I’m quite capable of keeping ahead of that old codger,” she proceeded. “We highborn have many ways to find out what we need to know.”

  “Do you know how to find it?” I asked.

  “Is that the favor you ask of me?” Her eyes widened.

  “I’m sorry my queen I didn’t intend to offend.”

  “Corbin told me roughly what happened in the wine cellar.” she sat on the edge of my bed. “You showed kindness and bravery by standing up to Nazyr.”

  “I don’t like bullies,” I answered. “Whether or not they are born of imperial blood.”

  “You Shadows are masters of unarmed combat,” she folded her hands in her lap. “Poor Nazyr had no idea that you could’ve easily bested him.”

  “I wouldn’t have harmed him,” I stammered.

  “No, I’m not accusing you,” she paused. “There are many who don’t approve of humans and elves mixing. My wedding to King Alaric has caused… tensions.”

  “I’m assuming Nazyr feels threatened by the presence of a second heir.”

  “I raised Nazyr like my own son, but he never appeared to return the sentiment.” The Elven Queen shook her head. I sensed both her sadness and regret.

  “You did what you could.” I thought of my own mother. “Sometimes that’s all you can do.”

  “You are wise beyond your years young rogue,” she smiled. “Can I ask one more favor of you?”

  “Anything my queen,” I sat up straight.

  “Corbin has many enemies for one so young,” she stammered. “He needs a friend and an ally. The kingdom can be treacherous.

  “I’m not sure If I can watch out for him,” I bit my lip. “I have a quest to complete...”

  “Yes the gems can grant enormous power to those to seek them.”

  “Now I see, it’s a powerful ally for your son you need,” I took a deep breath.

  “While Nazyr may take the high throne, rule of the lower kingdom will fall to Corbin.”

  “I will do everything in my power to protect him,” I replied.

  “And I will aid you in your quest,” the queen looked pleased.

  “Do you know of Rolf Alehorn?”

  “Aye,” she stated. “Sir Alehorn is a scoundrel and a thief. He’s also one of the few to have ever escaped the underground desert temple alive.”

  “Then he’ knows where it is? “ I sat upright. “That’s good news. How do I find him?”

  “The Quest Keepers might know where he was last,” she drew out her pendant from her cloak. “Here, take this. My royal seal should gain you an audience with the masters.”

  I accepted the pendant and held it in my hands. It was a silver raven, holding a rose in its beak. The raven had a single red ruby for its eye. Golden braid trimmed the edges. It was probably worth a modest fortune.

  “Thank you my queen,” I said.

  “I’ll leave you now my rogue,” she stood. “But know you have an ally and friend in me. Maybe the long distrust between highborn and shadow can come to an end.”

  “I pray that it does!” I told her. I knew she wasn’t entirely real. That the king and other NPC’s were just advanced AI’s. Actors that simply played out their characters.

  Nevertheless, I have liked this queen. She seemed both regal and sincere. While I knew our main mission was to defeat the dragon and escape. I would do what I could to keep Corbin safe.

  The queen left the infirmary and I shut my eyes. It had been a long day and I wanted to catch some Z's. I closed my eyes and did my best to rest.

  Only too many thoughts flooded my mind. The assassin had almost killed me and he was just a boss level foe. How much epic power did Grymme have? I assumed that if my party faced him now, we’d be owned before we could even get out our weapons.

  “There he is!” Yvir’s familiar voice roused me from my daydream. I opened my eyes to see Leonidas, Cairngorm, Yvir, and Shauna bounding towards me. The four of them grinning wide.

  “Your health points are back to one-hundred percent!” Shauna sat on the bed and embraced me. The sweet scent of her hair caught me off guard. My cheeks flushed like a lovesick schoolgirl.
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  “You almost got killed you nut!” Yvir punched me hard in the arm. Which brought me out of the spell cast by my attraction to Shauna.

  Leonidas sat on the edge of my cot. “I should have been with you!”

  “No,” I said. “You were with the king and we needed to keep him safe.”

  “That arrow barely hit him,” Leonidas continued. “I covered him as soon as it was shot.”

  “It caught him in the shoulder,” Cairngorm shook his head. “But Talon was aiming for the heart.”

  “Well, this little adventure got hot quick!” Yvir said. “That assassin was no joke. He smoked us!”

  “If not for Varick-” Leonidas said.

  “Having an overpowered NPC on your side has its perks.” Shauna finished his sentence.

  “The queen was here and she had information on how to find Rolf!” I said.

  “That’s good news..” Shauna took the pendant from my hand. “Did she give you this?”

  “Yes,” I nodded. “It will allow us access to the guild master.”

  Shauna handed the pendant back to me. “That’s nifty, then our quest is proceeding.”

  “We just need to find this Alehorn dude, and then get the gem!” Leonidas punched his fist into his palm, “Easy Peasy!”

  “Nothing's ever that easy,” Yvir stroked her chin.

  “What should we do next?” Leonidas crossed his arms.

  “Get in contact with Varick,” Shauna said.

  “Tht no problem” Cairngorm produced a small stone. “I’ have him on speed dial.”

  “What in the hell is that?” Yvir snatched the precious stone from him.

  “A communications crystal,” the dark mage said. “He gifted it to me.”

  “What gives,” Leonidas poked a finger into Cairngorm'’s chest. “You appear to be getting lots of special attention from Varick.”

  “Varick has-” he paused. “A use for me.”

  “Spill it mage!” Yvir closed in on him. “We need to know everything.”

  The dark mage exhaled and shrugged his shoulders. “He’s put me among the royals. They think I’m a Duke.”

  “Shut up!” Shauna gasped.

  “A Duke-” Yvir held her stomach in laughter. “That’s rich!”

  “It makes sense,” Leonidas narrowed his eyes. “Varick would want spies everywhere. The rest of us are now known as his operatives.”

  “Precisely,” Cairngorm continued. “I make nice with the royals, get invited to all the parties. In return I tell Varick what I know.”

  “That old codger isn’t what he seems,” Shauna frowned. “I’m not certain we can trust him.”

  “He’s simply an AI,” Leonidas smirked. “He can only go so far.”

  “True but AI’s are the best chess masters!” Cairngorm arched his eyebrows. “And for now we are Varick’s pawns.”

  “He’s putting his pieces on the board,” Shauna quipped. “He has hidden his Bishop amongst the noblemen. While his Knights and Pawns move up in social standing.”

  “The queen wanted to ask for a pledge to protect her son,” I read.

  “What!” Yvir and Shauna spoke in unison.

  “Her son Corbin,” I stated. “I stopped his older brother and cousin from bullying him earlier.”

  “Affairs are getting very interesting,” Leonidas put his hand on my shoulder. “Tell us more.”

  “I can’t possibly protect him while I’m on quest,” I said.

  “Only you can!” Leonidas smiled wide.

  “How!” I stuttered. “Unless I can be in two places at once.”

  “Your pet!” he cut me off. “Request to have Mahk’ placed as his bodyguard.”

  “That’s brilliant,” I paused. “And very devious.”

  “This game is as much strategy as is it is hack-and-slash.” He pronounced.

  “Then are we playing the game or trying to escape it?” Yvir bit her lower lip in frustration.

  “Both,” Leonidas reassured her. “We have to survive in here and the GM has set us in position to gain powerful allies. We must take advantage of it.”

  I thought about what Leonidas said. Defeating a powerful world boss like Grymme wasn’t a simple Leroy Jenkins job. It would require raid level resources and skill. In other words an army.

  We could gain epic level power from the gem. But Grymme was designed to defeat an entire zone’s worth of participants. Plus, if he had gained true self-awareness. We would need the entire Tiberian Kingdom on our side to defeat him!

  “Leonidas is right,” I said. “We must gather allies, weapons, and power to get out of this alive.”

  “Agreed,” Cairngorm nodded. We must act our parts in the game world. Doing so grants us access to everything we need.”

  “What about the other players?” Shauna spoke up. “Do we let them in on our plans?”

  “We don’t know who to trust,” Leonidas said. “Some of the players have become minor despots and believe themselves gods. ”Then it’s totally up to us?” Yvir gripped her war hammer. "And thus let the games begin.”

  Tiredness overwhelmed me. “Let’s rest then and tomorrow we seek Rolf!”

  “I’m a bit worried about our bodies outside the game,” Shauna frowned. “I know we can sleep and rest inside game, but that has no effect on our physical bodies.”

  “The GM said medical units were being dispatched to our homes.” Yvir placed her hand on Shauna’s shoulder. “They will take care of us.”

  “I hope so,” the young Cleric smiled weakly. “For now let’s grab some sleep

  “Tomorrow we’ll meet up in Varick’s Library to level up. And then to the Guild Hall!”

  Leonidas rose. “Get some rest Kira!”

  I nodded and pulled the blanket up to my chin. “Get out of here so I can sleep guys. Catch you in the morning My team left the infirmary and I drifted off. Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day.

  CHAPTER 12

  The newly awakened sun hung low in the Tiberian Sky. It was just approaching dawn as I worked my way towards Varick’s library. The healing mages didn’t want to let me leave. But I reassured them that my recovery from Talon’s poisoned blade was complete.

  It was rather remarkable how much more durable and stronger than most NPC’s I was. I could see why that would tempt some players to throw their weight around.

  We were trapped in a virtual world that in many ways was superior to our outside existences. While my life in the real world may suck, it was nonetheless real. Wasn’t it? I halted at a small garden.

  There were fragrant plants of every variety. A tiny bee flitted from blossom to flower, drawing nectar. Everything felt so alive.

  The buzzing of the tiny bee. Morning dew that dripped from each leaf. This world I now inhabited was beautiful in every sense of the word. Even so it was a clever lie, just lines of code that sent information directly into my cerebral cortex.

  But what was reality if not a series of electrical impulses circling round my brain? Was a flower here any less real than a blossom in the waking world? If the bee stung me would it hurt any less?

  No, these were dangerous ideas. I must not lose sight of my goal. We must finish the quest. The Phoenix gem would grant us power. We would utilize that power and all the resources we could find to defeat Grymme.

  Then we would leave the game world behind us, forever. Why did that thought sadden me? Shouldn’t I want my freedom?

  I quieted my mind and decided that I was over thinking things. We were human beings, player characters. We could outsmart and outmaneuver any NPC. Even a self-aware one like Grymme.

  I made my way to the Varick’s Tower. The stone building stood tall near the edge of the castle grounds. Next, I placed my hand on the heavy wooden door and pushed. The hidden runes on the door glowed and then it swung open. My presumption was that it was locked to anyone that Varick wished to keep out.

  I worked my way towards the library. Inside the rest of my party stood around wooden table. A l
arge map unrolled between them.

  “The Adventurer’s Hall is here!” Yvir pointed at the map.

  “In the Center of the King’s City,” Leonidas said.

  “Hello Kira!” Shauna smiled. I looked away as my cheeks flushed scarlet with embarrassment. The beautiful cleric had a way of getting to me.

  “Great,” Yvir spoke. “So we head there. Kira gives her royal pendant to the Quest Keeper and we find Rolf Alehorn!”

  “Is Varick here?” I scanned the room looking for the aged Sorcerer.

  “Yes, young rogue!” Varick’s deep voice took me off guard. I whirled round to find him standing in the doorway.

  “I have a favor to ask.” I approached him.

  “Only one?” He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

  “My Orc friend, Mahk,” I stated. “Can she please be placed to guard young Corbin.”

  “The King’s son?” Varick stroked his whiskers. “She has had some training and upgrades. But I’m not certain if she’s up to the task.”

  “Can she be given improved training and weapons,” I hesitated. “And better armor?”

  “I can link her experience and growth to you,” he nodded. “But it will slow down your own advancement.”

  “Do it!” I said. “I need her to be a valuable asset to the King and Queen.”

  “I will requisition new equipment for her, and place an experience linking enchantment for you both,” he ended. “Is that all?”

  “It is enough,” I replied.

  “Good then,” the old wizard gestured. “Your Orc friend Mahk will be enhanced to better serve the crown. I’ll prepare the arrangements to have her stationed in the palace.”

  “Thank you!” I grinned wide. “Now about heading to that adventurer's hall!”

  “An easy trip,” Yvir grunted. “We just go in and get the info we need.”

  “There has been much unrest in the adventurer's guild,” Varick interrupted her. “Many warriors and fortune seekers have camped out there lately.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Leonidas strapped on his sword belt.

  “We can handle it,” Cairngorm stood.

  “Ah, dark mage,” the old wizard gestured towards him. “May I talk with you privately.”

  “Of course,” Cairngorm said as he strode towards the sorcerer. The two of them went away among the racks of old books.