Leshy killed.
+500XP
Great Bear pelt dropped.
Great Bear canine teeth dropped.
Lion pelt dropped.
Fox pelt dropped.
+10% Hunter skill.
+10% Sword skill.
-25% on all Nojus bonuses for using professional avatar.
...........................
“Well, that sucked,” Dale said.
“We’re alive.”
“True.”
They rested, healed, and ate a healthy, refreshing meal.
“Let’s try that stream over there,” Dale said.
“Okay.”
They walked to a small stream that had a waterfall and a little pond. Dale got to his knees and smelled the water.
Erin?
You have a potion.
I do?
Yes, standard issue. In your military pack. I’ll highlight it.
Dale uncapped the potion and dropped one drop of the green liquid into the pool of clear water.
The waters of this pool are safe to drink.
Dale put his mouth to the water and drank deeply.
+100XP
+10% Water magic skills.
After drinking, he filled his extra water bottles and sat to rest.
While sitting there, he saw a beautiful trout jump and splash in the pool.
Erin?
Yes, Dale. You have a small fishing pole in your standard issue military pack. Don’t you ever study?
That’s what I have you for.
Yes, darling, I’m forever at your service.
Dale cast a lure into the pond and sat next to Smith, who was too tired to care about fishing. After twenty minutes the fish bit his line, putting up a bigger struggle than he’d expected.
“Can you get a net?” he asked.
“Sure.” Smith retrieved his net, held it over the water, and Dale guided the fish into it.
A cat appeared and meowed.
...........................
Ji Ba Mao
Level 77
A magical cat. Give gifts. Loves fish.
Attack style: None
Weapons: None
Magic: Strong.
Tech: None
Wiki: Lore Quests Strengths Weaknesses Range Drops
...........................
Smith took the fish out of the net and removed the hook.
He put his index finger to his mouth, motioning Dale to be silent, and set the fish on the ground. He mimed walking away from the fish and pointed to his net, suggesting that Dale should get his out as well.
Smith lifted his net above his head, Dale did the same, and they stood silent and still like statues.
The cat approached slowly with caution, sniffing the air, but when it got close to the fish it leaped and began eating, losing all awareness of its surroundings.
Dale and Smith dropped their nets.
You have captured a Ji Ba Mao Lucky Cat.
+200XP
A Book of Earth Magic dropped.
Congratulations, you have earned Earth Magic Skills.
A 1 Carat Lucky Pearl dropped.
A pet has been dropped: Gingo, a loyal golden retriever, she’ll bring you warm companionship, good fortune, and she is capable of locating and tracking animals.
+10% Healing when fighting canine beasts.
Congratulations, you have found your first pet.
+200XP
Additional pet quests have been unlocked.
...........................
Dale and Smith returned to the village and gave the lucky cat to the elfin leader.
+400XP
+10% Charisma with elves.
Reward: You have been given a Wildebai Mount.
Reward: You have been given a Water Magic Book.
Reward: You have been given a 1 carat rare elfin gem, Vermillion Diamond.
After thanking the villagers for their hospitality, they headed back to the Jabez riding on the backs of their new Wildebai Mounts.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Duty is a debt you owe to yourself to fulfill obligations you have assumed voluntarily. Paying that debt can entail anything from years of patient work to instant willingness to die. Difficult it may be, but the reward is self-respect.
~ Robert A. Heinlein
The chief duty of lesser beings is to worship me.
~ Attributed to various deities
...........................
Dale met Amy for pizza.
“How was your quest?” Dale asked after they sat. He smiled at her, he was happy to be back from the field and on a date.
“Oh, good, but I can’t talk about it.” She smiled back. “Sorry. Guild rules.”
“You’d have to kill me if you told me?”
She frowned.
“Really?”
“Let’s talk about your quest. You and Smith went on a Nojus Quest for animals, right?”
“Yes. No secrets there. We caught a few, nothing super rare, but they count towards the zoo quest the guild has, you know, to try and get every animal in the universe.” Dale laughed. “You’d probably need an entire planet to be the zoo.”
“Maybe that’s their plan,” Amy said.
“You think?”
“Could be,” she said. “There are thousands of planets with undeveloped but evolved life. Like earth was, a few million years ago, or a hundred million years. Even a billion years. Dinosaurs, massive mammals, all kinds of stuff, you know better than I do.”
“Sure. A zoo planet would be awesome. Hey! Speaking of animals,” Dale said as he looked around to see if any officers were present, “look.” He brought out his pet. “It’s Gingo; she’s my new dog.”
“Ooooh. She’s sooooo cute!”
Gingo jumped onto the table, grabbed the pizza, leaped to the ground, and greedily began to eat.
“Hey, you!” Someone yelled. “You can’t have pets in here. Don’t you know the rules?!”
“I’m sorry. She means well, excuse us.” Dale stood up and shouted at his dog. “Gingo, come!”
His golden retriever looked at him.
“Come!” Dale said.
She ignored him and ate another slice.
Dale walked over and petted her. “Good dog, but you have to go back to sleep.”
“You’re going to get in trouble if you’re not careful, Dale,” Amy said. But she smiled wide. “I like your pet. I’ll have to get one myself, but I’ve been busy with guild business, and, you know…”
She blushed.
Dale blushed.
They ordered a new pizza and a pitcher of Hite Exfeel.
“A toast,” Dale said.
“To?” Amy asked.
“To us?”
“Is there an us now?”
“Why not?”
“That’s not very romantic.”
“You’re right. I’m not good at this kind of thing. Would you be my, like my, I mean, ummmm…”
“You mean your girlfriend?”
“Yeah.” Dale blushed again. “I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”
“It’s okay.”
“Would you be my girlfriend?”
“Yes.”
...........................
Dale and Amy went to the movies after dinner, he felt like a new person being out on a date, and he thought that maybe this war thing, and postponing school, would turn out okay after all.
After the movie they walked, hand in hand, and Amy kissed him on the cheek.
“Do you want to come over to my pod? It’s wonderfully decorated with white walls, white carpet, a computer, a bed…” She smiled. “I guess it’s about identical to yours. I wonder if anyone would care if we hung artifacts or decorations on the walls.”
“They are kind of boring and plain,” he said.
“Hey, you think anyone would know if we let Gingo out in my room?”
“I don’t see how,” Dale answered. “Let’s go find out.”<
br />
...........................
Dale, command is sending you a message marked urgent attention.
Crap.
Sorry, big guy. Duty calls.
Can you read it to me?
No, sorry. Command rules. You have to go to your pod. Alone. I’m not allowed access.
Shit.
Dale explained to Amy what he had to do.
“I’ll message you right away if I don’t have to run off somewhere,” he said.
A bad mood came upon him as he walked to his pod. When he got there, he scanned his eye, and opened his email.
Subject: Private Message
To: Brown, Dale
From: Command
Corporal Brown,
Your presence is required immediately in Section A-234c.
That was it? That was the message?
Dale asked Erin to highlight the way and he headed off to see what kind of trouble he was in.
...........................
Dale followed the path Erin highlighted and wondered what could be so important. Wondering made him anxious.
It doesn’t help to worry.
I know.
Your vital signs are spiking.
You monitor my…
Of course, and you should have seen—
Stop!
Sorry.
Up, there, the door on the left.
Dale opened the door.
A corporal with a name tag that read Cassandraler, Nancy, sat at a large metal desk. She looked up. “Hello, Corporal Brown.” She smiled with one of those smiles that made Dale feel anxious in normal circumstances, in this case, it made him feel sick.
“Um. Hi. I’m here for a meeting?”
“Yes. I’ll let them know you’re—”
A huge man opened a door and yelled. “Goddammit! Private Brown!”
Dale shrunk. He didn’t know what to say. “Um. It’s Corporal Brown. Sir!”
“Goddammit, Brown. Don’t you know better than correct an officer!?”
“Sorry, sir.”
Captain David Beck walked out behind the massive captain.
“Dale, get your ass in here. I’ve heard you let out a pet in a common area. You’re in deep shit, son. Get in here before Justin eats you.”
“Sir?”
“Captain Justin Collins, he’s obviously hungry, Brown.”
Dale looked at the captain who had been yelling at him. His name tag read Captain Collins, Justin. He looked seven foot tall and hungry, too. Dale entered the room, keeping his eyes down, he was visibly shaken and afraid that if he showed even more weakness things would go worse for him. When he looked up, he was staring straight into the eyes of Captain Redding.
“Corporal Brown,” she said. “Sit.”
Dale gulped and blushed. “Yes, sir.” He sat in the lone chair on the side of the table opposite Captain Redding. She was as beautiful as ever and when Dale thought about how good she looked he felt a pang of guilt. He had a girlfriend now. But the captain was so…
“Dale! Goddammit!” Captain Collins yelled at him again. “Get your eyeballs back in your fucking head. We didn’t bring you up here to ogle Captain Redding.”
“Sorry, sir.” Dale sat on his hands and looked down at the table. He heard the door slam behind him.
“Relax, Dale,” Captain Redding said. “You’re not in trouble.”
“I’m not? Sir?”
“No, just a ruse. Nancy out there is a spy for the Declanians. We leave her in place because it’s easier to know where the spies are and we can feed her bullshit information. Your stupid ass dog stunt this evening actually worked out great.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Forget it. Cute bitch, by the way.”
“Oh, thanks. She’s a golden retriever.”
“I didn’t mean the four legged bitch, Dale.” She winked.
“Sir. Ummm. Sir, you’re my superior, but—”
“Redding, enough,” Captain Beck said. “The both of you.” He looked at Captain Collins.
“What?”
“Let’s get down to business,” Captain Beck said. “Dale, we sent your information up to the chain of command. You did good.”
+15% Charisma when working with command.
Congratulations! Your reputation with command has grown +10%.
“I didn’t do it alone. Yingtai is really the one that—”
“You don’t need to explain. We’ve debriefed her and spoken with the Princess Jara. Good job all around.” Captain Redding smiled.
+15% Charisma with Peers.
Congratulations! Your reputation with peers has grown +10%.
“So, Corporal Brown, we have a mission for you,” Redding said.
...........................
System Quest
You’ve been given a quest from Battalion Command:
This is a Platoon Quest.
Accompany Princess Jara to Irkalla.
Meet with the King to deliver news of the Declan Faction’s knowledge of his daughter.
You may accept any quests the King offers.
Accept: Y/N?
...........................
Dale accepted immediately.
He wondered what would have happened if he’d turned the quest down, not that he was about to turn down a chance this big, but it seemed weird to be given the option, this was the military, after all. Sometimes Dale thought that he thought too much.
“Dale, are you still here?” Captain Redding asked.
He quit daydreaming and pondering. “Yes, sir!” He looked up.
“You sure? Justin is really looking hungry…”
Dale looked at Captain Collins, who glared at him. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Okay, Corporal Brown. Get the hell out of here,” Captain David Beck said. “And I don’t want you letting your pets out again, either, just for the record.”
“Yes, sir.” Dale stood and saluted.
“Dismissed, soldier,” Beck said as he returned the salute.
Captain Collins glared.
Captain Redding licked her lips.
...........................
Dale went back to his pod and messaged Amy, but he received an auto-reply that she was not available.
He assumed she’d gone to bed early, but when he tried to fall asleep he couldn’t help but worry that something was wrong.
You worry too much, stud.
Leave me alone.
Good night, Dale. You’re doing well, don’t worry, you’ll give yourself a stomach ulcer.
Dale fell asleep, but his worry followed him, and he dreamt of spiders, death, and broken hearts.
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
The sacred duty of every soul is to fear God.
~ Lailah Gifty Akita
Fear your gods, but pay tribute to the King who protects you.
~ King Talargo
...........................
Dale felt sick heading down the space elevator.
It wasn’t because of gravity, or nervousness about their mission to accompany Princess Jara into Irkalla; it was because Amy hadn’t shown up for the morning’s formation. Neither had Emi Himura. Their platoon numbered ten, instead of twelve, and if command knew why they weren’t saying anything. Dale had tried to message her, but her email auto-responded and her instant text messaging was shut down.
Dale tried to message Emi as well, only to get the same message.
They’d never been friendly, so he dismissed the idea that they were doing something together. It must be a coincidence, he thought, but why hadn’t Amy, at the very least, let him know where she was going. He couldn’t imagine a good reason for not telling him when he could expect her back. If at all. It’s not as if transfers weren’t sometimes granted, even in a war. Hell.
When they exited the elevator, Princess Jara was waiting for them.
“Good morning, friends,” she said. “Shall we begin our journey?”
“Yes,” Lieutenant Brinkm
ann said. “Mount up!”
Everyone had obtained a mount of some kind, Dale mounted his Wildebai, behind him was the Princess, she had a giant toad-like animal mount, a hybrid mix between a desert toad and a reptile. Tom and Kim had the most impressive mounts, earned during one of their hunting quests, ferocious saber-toothed tigers with black armor covered in gold markings. Dale wanted one.
On mounts, the trip to Irkalla took less than two hours. The path was well traveled and heavily guarded, the command base camp provided thousands of new customers for the merchants and traders of the city. At the entrance to the city, they were allowed through without a second glance from the city guards. A large sign informed travelers that mounts were not allowed inside the city and that challenges must be officially recorded and take place in the proper arenas, and not on city streets.
Dale was fascinated by all the shops, merchants, bars, brothels, casinos, banks, and restaurants that competed for business. Irkalla had earned a reputation as being a city built on commerce and peaceful negotiation, and Dale could see why that was true.
Quest Complete: Accompany Princess Jara to Irkalla
Reward: Book of Magic.
Reward: 3 carat rare Fiery Red Diamond.
Reward: 10 bars of gold.
The Lieutenant spoke to the group. “We have a reception tonight with the House of Talargo. 18:00 hours. That’s six bells after noon. You’re all expected to be there. Sergeant Dyfrig and I are meeting with delegates prior to that, in the hope that we can get a quest out of all this business with the… The thing. I’d suggest everyone try to acquire better weapons, armor, and anything you can afford to get stronger in magic. If all goes well, we’ll be heading out in the morning. Sergeant Dyfrig, do you have anything to add?”
“Don’t get drunk and don’t get married,” he said. “We’re not here for RP, but I do hear the brothels are the best on the continent. Dismisssssssssed!”
...........................
Dale and Smith walked off.
“What first?” Dale asked.
“I need better armor,” Smith answered.
“Me too.”
They hadn’t gone very far when Dale heard his name being called. He turned around; it was Sanjay.
“Hey, guys. Can I tag along?”
Nagant Wars: A LitRPG Novel (Nagant Wars Series Book 1) Page 28
