by Quinn Dallas
“What do you mean?” Yvir asked.
“The storyline is spinning off on its own. Sure, the quests exist, but the NPC’s are on unpredictable tangents." The GM looked worried. "Which has made tracking them extremely difficult."
“There must be some means to find Rolf Alehorn!” Shauna frowned.
“Pardon me,” the grizzled Dwarf from earlier interrupted us. “Did you say Alehorn?”
“You know him?” I asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” the rough little man responded. “My team hired him for a dungeon run."
“Where is he?” Yvir put her hand on her hips.
“The traitorous thief robbed our party,” the Dwarf spat.
“What happened after that?” I said. “Where did he go?”
“I trailed him to a pub in the Wastelands.” The Dwarf continued. “But I was too late. Somebody else had already gotten to him”
“Who?” Leonidas frowned.
“A female Orc,” the Dwarf said. “Name of Shregun.”
“Is she a PC?” I demanded.
“Nope! An NPC.” Our newly made friend replied. “Tough as hell! With an entire Orc raiding party working for her.”
“Sounds like fun!” I said.
“Only if you're suicidal,” the Dwarf continued. “Shregun and her desert raiders are as bad as they come." He stroked his beard. "I won't be surprised if Alehorn isn’t already dead.”
“We have to rescue him.” I pronounced. “There’s no other choice.”
“Maybe I can help,” the GM interrupted. “Celestia can you create and assign a rescue mission, please?”
The Quest Keeper nodded and then made a series of elaborate gestures. “Please check your mission menus.” she pronounced.
I summoned my HUD and noticed that the progress bar along the mission chain had increased. Also, there was a new mission with a map. That was better news than I had expected. We were finally going somewhere.
“Shregun is an Orc Warlord,” Celestia said. “If you defeat her and rescue Alehorn you will be one step nearer to gaining the first Phoenix Gem.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Yvir said. “Let’s head out!”
“I wish I could be of more assistance,” GM Jason said. “But Grymme has the entire game world on lockdown. This is the only portal I can reach you through.”
“It’s good enough,” Leonidas replied. “Now players have a central place to organize and contact with the outside," he sighed. "Things might calm down a bit in here.”
“What do we do next?” Cairngorm asked.
“We go back to the palace for equipment.” I said. “We’ll need mounts and supplies.”
“The Wastelands are tough.” Leonidas said cautiously. “This will not be easy.”
“We can handle it,” I grinned sarcastically. “I’m confident.”
“Then let’s get moving,” Yvir said. “No time to waste.”
"Good luck team," Jason yelled out. "I'll hold down the fort here."
We exited the Keeper's quarters and worked our way through the busy lobby. Other PC’s were forming parties and gearing up for their newly assigned adventures.
For the first time in a long while I felt hopeful. We just might make it out here alive. Each player now had a part to play and so far we’d faced no resistance.
The palace was a short walk from the Guild hall. We didn’t say much and I could tell each of my companions was deep in thought. Facing off against a regiment fierce desert Orcs, was our first real challenge as a team.
Sure, we’d leveled up thanks to Varick’s XP boost. But none of us had applied our new found skills and equipment yet. There wasn’t time for fear, nevertheless. We had to pull this mission off successfully. It was the first step of many. When we arrived at the palace a plan was quickly organized.
"Yvir and I will requisition horses,” I said. “The King & Queen have promised me anything I need.”
“Good!” Shauna said. “There’s some healing scrolls and potions I want to get from the library.
“I’ll ready rations and travel packs,” Leonidas said. “Then we'll all meet at the stables.”
“Is it wrong that I’m pretty excited?” I said. “I mean should this be fun?”
“Well, it’ is a game after all,” Yvir nudged me. “The stakes have just been raised.”
“We just have to do is beat all the odds!” Leonidas smiled.
“Then we’ve already won,” Shauna looked so cute and perky.
“Why do I have a feeling this is going to be one helluva quest?” Yvir smirked.
“Come on, let’s get those horses!” I patted the barbarian woman on the shoulder.
The two of us walked down the cobblestone path the stables. When we got there a grizzled stable hand stopped us.
“What are you’ doing here young ladies?” he asked, eyeing us with suspicion.
“We have need of five strong mounts,” I said. “For a trip out of the city,”
“And you are? He asked.
“I am Kira Nightwind,” I replied.
“Humph,” the stable hand, grunted and spat. “I heard of you. You don’t look all that special to me. But the King’s orders are to give you ask for. So I’ll give you four very reliable steeds.”
“I just realized," Yvir whispered to me. “Do you have horse riding as a skill?”
“Shit!” I cursed and pulled up my HUD display. “No, it looks like I may have to purchase it.”
“Me too,” she sighed. “That’s skill points I wanted to put in something else.”
"At least basic horsemanship is useful,” I went on.
The Barbarian nodded and waved her hand over her personal Holo-display. “OK purchased it at level two. That should be good enough.”
“What's going on here?” An unfriendly voice interrupted us.
I whirled round to see who had just interrupted us. Nazyr stood there looking even more sinister than when I’d first met him. What the hell was he doing out here?
“My Prince, “ I said, bowing low. Even though showing him such respect made my stomach twist.
“It seems you are much more than you seemed,” he continued. “And who is your sexy companion?" He turned his leering eyes towards Yvir.
“Yvir of the Barbarians,” she replied. The challenge in her eyes, steadfast as she stood straight and tall.
“A Northland's wild cat eh?” his mouth turned cruelly upward.
My face went red, flush with anger. I contemplated teaching this bastard NPC some manners. But an altercation with the King's rightful heir wouldn’t be the most diplomatic move.
No, I would simply brush aside his arrogance. In the grand scheme of things he wasn’t important. Our quest couldn’t be jeopardized no matter what.
“So you lot are setting out on a quest,” he articulated. “What for?”
“A special errand for the safety of the land,” I replied.
“If you want to know more you can ask Varick,” Yvir continued.
“Yes,” Nazyr shook his head. “It’s well known that you are the Wizard’s vassals.”
Yvir stepped forward to challenge Nazyr. But I put a firm hand on her shoulder to calm her. We didn’t need an altercation at this stage. It was obvious that Nazyr had shown up to taunt us. We wouldn’t accept the bait.
“I must say,” I didn’t reckon much of you at first. “Just thought of you as the typical noob, looking for a bit of adventure.” he hesitated. “But recent events have changed things haven’t they?”
“What do you mean?” his question had taken me by surprise.
“You are a slow one aren’t you?” Nazyr laughed. “Haven’t’ figured it out yet?”
“Shit!” Yvir’s eyes widened. “He’s another player!”
“What!” my jaw dropped. “How is that possible?”
“A hack, of course,” a predatory grin spread across his face. “I used an illegal mod to allow me to take over an NPC." He tented his fingers. "I figured playi
ng the King’s heir would be fitting.”
“But back in the wine cellar,” I faltered. “You only had NPC stats.”
“Of course,” he pronounced. “A very deceptive trick, just to help me to blend in." He showed his teeth, "Take a look now.”
Both Yvir and I called up holographic game displays. My jaw dropped when I examined his new stats. He was fitted with several powerful mods and skills. His armor and fighting stats were near Gold tier. He could easily take the two of us in battle.
“Filthy exploiter,” Yvir spat. "Bought your way to power did you?"
“I wouldn’t consider it an exploit,” he said. “My little hack has made our exile here much more enjoyable,” he hesitated. “Besides, you lot are far from innocent." Nazyr spat. "With the all the help you’ve been getting from your GM Friend.”
“He’s helping us get the hell out of here,” Yvir stepped towards him. “I guess you heard about our mission?"
“About the hidden quest line?” Nazyr crossed his arms over his chest. “A fools errand!"
“Don't you want to escape?” I interrogated him.
“Escape!” he shook his head. “Why in the hell should I want to?" Nazyr threw up his hands. "I’m royalty here, the next damned thing to being a god!”
“Until Grymme and his armies arrive,” I stated. “He’ll either kill or enslave you!”
“You know what your problem is?” Nazyr stepped closer. “You are a pessimist.”
“Possibly,” I replied. “But we are getting out of here!"
Nazyr huffed and then turned on his heels. “If you want to run a suicide mission, then so be it. Permadeath will be your only reward. As for me, a life of luxury and pampering awaits.” He waved over his shoulder, “See you losers later or not.”
“Well, that was unexpected!” Yvir dropped her shoulders in relief.
“Decidedly,” I said. “We need to tell the others!”
“He’s dangerous,” she sounded out.
“I know and I’m afraid he may already be working to sabotage our quest!”
CHAPTER 15
After Nazyr left the stables Yvir and I set about getting the mounts ready. These were fine royal steeds and ready for a long ride. I was grateful that we’d managed to secure the favors of the royal court. Without them, we’d have faced a long and nearly impossible journey into the Wastelands.
“I see you have the horse’s ready,” Leonidas booming voice broke the relative silence of the stables.
“They are beautiful,” Shauna cooed as she stroked the mane of a docile white mare.
“I usually spook horses,” Cairngorm frowned. “It’s my aura of intimidation.”
“Can you turn it off?” Leonidas asked.
“No, not really,” Cairngorm continued. “It’s a passive.”
Shauna scanned the stable and then smirked. “Try that horse back there.” She pointed to an ebony maned stallion that was kept apart from the others.
”That there is Black Briar,’ the grizzled stable hand cautioned. “He doesn’t like anybody!”
“I can sense alignment,” Shauna continued. “That horse is pure chaos. I’m not sure where you got him.”
“We captured him during a raid,” the stable hand grimaced. “He’s one mean bastard, but that damn Wizard Varick insisted we keep him. Personally, I’d think he be better off as horse-meat stew!”
While the chattering continued, Cairngorm made his way towards the unwieldy beast. It bucked and neighed at his approach. I watched as the dark mage strode towards the beast.
Cairngorm held both his hands in the air, his dark aura faintly visible. The horse seemed to grow calmer as he approached. Then he outstretched his hand and placed it on the beast's forehead. The ebony stallion bowed its head and allowed Cairngorm to stroke him.
“Well I’ll be a horned troll,” the stable master’s jaw dropped. “That mean cuss wouldn’t let anyone touch him before.”
“He’s chaotically aligned.” Shauna nodded. “So he’s drawn to his own kind. He’ll make a perfect mount for Cairngorm.” She paused, “It’s practically vibrating with dark energy. Somebody enchanted the hell out of it!”
”That’s one horse I’ll not be missing for sure,” the stable master shook his head.
“Who was that we saw leaving earlier?” Leonidas pulled out an apple and fed it to his blonde mare.
”The King’s eldest son, Nazyr.” I said. “And he had a bit of a surprise for us.”
“Like what,” the tall Paladin continued to feed his chosen mount.
“He’s a PC!” Yvir blurted out.
“WHAT!” Shauna and Leonidas shouted in unison. The look on their faces bordering on comical.
“Yup,” Yvir interrupted. “Completely shocked the hell out of me too.”
“How is that even possible?” Shauna didn’t bother to hide her concern. “Lore characters are supposed to be unplayable.”
“Some kind of a hack,” I shrugged. “He managed to get himself written in as part of the story.”
”That explains a few things,” Leonidas scratched his mount behind the ear. “Think about it.”
“He’s not supposed to be part of the royal family!” Shauna blurted out.
“Holy Shit!” my jaw dropped. “You’re right; it’s an anomaly in the lore. And that explains why he wants to get rid of Corbin!”
“Yup! The game is seeking to correct things” she continued. “And he knows it.”
“So if he gets rid of Corbin,” I continued. “His path to the Tiberian Throne is free and clear.”
”That’s some ace-level hacking right there,” Leonidas secured his saddle to the honey-colored mare. “It shouldn’t be possible at all.”
“We need to keep an eye on that guy,” Shauna patted the back of her dappled mount. “He doesn’t want to lose his power. If the GM’s manage to free everyone and fix the game-”
“He loses his status.” I finished her sentence.
“First things first,” Leonidas interrupted us. “We need to find Alehorn and get started on that quest.”
“Don’t worry about Corbin,” Shauna winked at me. “He’s got Mahk and Varick protecting him.”
“Were you talking about me?” a timid voice took us by surprise. I turned to find young Prince Corbin with Mahk following behind him.
The female Orc looked more intimidating than ever. She was wearing new armor and a heavy two-handed sword was slung over her back.
“Friend Kira,” the big Orc lifted me off my feet with a bear hug.
“It’s good to see you Mahk,” I struggled to catch my breath. “Could you put me down please?” The Orc let go and dropped me to the ground. I appreciated the sentiment but Orc affection could be more than a bit rough.
“I heard a rumor you were off on a grand adventure,” Prince Corbin grinned. “And I wanted to see you off. I didn’t have a chance to thank you properly for saving my father’s life.”
“You don’t need to thank me, Prince,” I bowed low. “Your father and mother have been more than generous.’
“Just call me Corbin,” he said as he scanned the room, taking stock of my companions. “Are these your friends?’
“How rude my Pri- I mean Corbin.” I said. “This is Yvir the Barbarian, Shauna the Cleric, Duke Cairngorm, and Leonidas the Paladin.”
“A hardy team of adventurers!” Prince Corbin looked impressed. “And Duke Cairngorm? I've heard mention of you in court. You are Varick’s young nephew correct?”
I tried my best not to show my shock. He was Varick’s nephew now? Just what was that old wizard up to? And why didn’t Cairngorm tell us this little tidbit beforehand?
“Well, he was wise to send you with this group then!” Corbin grinned once more. “I’m sure they could use a magician of your caliber.”
“Yes,” Cairngorm bowed low. “I’ve been sent here to study magic with my esteemed uncle.”
“Corbin,” I paused. “Is everything well?”
“Of cour
se,” the young Princes eye’s twinkled. “I simply wanted to give you something He plunged a hand into his pocket and produced a purple gem that had been strung on a silver cord.
”This is a teleport crystal,” he stated. “They are rather useful in emergencies Then he held the pendant out towards me. “Will you please kneel friend Kira?”
I did as I was told and knelt before the prince. He held up the gem and fastened it around my neck. Then he spoke, “This crystal is gifted from the royal house of Tiberius to the brave Rogue Kira Nightwind. May it serve her in the hour of greatest need."
The air shimmered and the strange gemstone glowed briefly. Then all returned to normal within a few seconds. I got up and bowed to the young monarch. “Thank-you for this gift Corbin.”
“It is said my mother’s people have the gift of foresight,” he continued. “So perhaps I’ve inherited some small portion of it?" He spoke in a hushed tone. "I know not why you need that item, but I felt compelled to impart it to you.”
“I appreciate the gift,” I said. “And I caution you to please keep Mahk with you at all times. Don’t trust anyone, especially-”
“My half-brother,” he finished my sentence. “I am young, but no fool! And Mahk is more than a match for a hundred men!”
The She-Orc grunted proudly and stood tall. “I’ll crush any who dare lay a hand on my Prince.”
“I’m counting on that,” I told her.
“We’ll leave you then,” Prince Corbin said. “Take care and I can’t wait to hear grand tales when you return!” With that, the prince and Mahk left.
“Well, that was interesting,” Shauna tied a pack to her mount’s saddle.
“You have made some powerful allies,” Leonidas nodded.
“He’s just a boy,” I said.
“A boy who will one day become King,” Leonidas continued. “If the game has anything to do with it.”
“And Cairngorm,” I pointed to him. “Why didn’t you tell us you’ve been masquerading around court as Varick’s nephew?”
“I’d meant to,” but that Wizard has kept me busy.
“Wonder what his long game is?” Shauna mused. “He’s up to something. Sure, he’s helping us, but it’s not entirely out of altruism.”
