by Brent Roth
"Huh? A new event?" said another.
"Is he getting healed?" questioned a young male.
No, it was none of the above.
Looking at the new system messages that popped up:
[Congratulations! As a member of the first party to conquer the Northern Outcast Goblin Dungeon, you have been awarded a bonus of +50 Reputation!]
[Congratulations! Due to your participation in the Call to Arms, you have received bonus Experience and an extra bounty of +1000 Copper Coins!]
[In response to your exploits, you have also been granted the following Title: First Conqueror of the Goblin Outcasts. All following Titles will not contain the "First."]
Oh.
So, that's how it works.
"Hey man what was that for?" asked the guy standing directly behind me, as eager eyes all around stared and listened intently as to what I would say. I had half a mind to ignore them and walk off, not wanting the extra attention, but that wasn't really a nice thing to do. Ultimately, I gave in to their pleading eyes.
"Ah, I just finished the quest chain for Outing the Outcasts part five and Bringing down the Guard part five," I replied somewhat nonchalantly, trying to play it off as coolly as one could.
"Oh my god how did you clear it!" yelled a girl from somewhere.
"Dude, join my party we're on the third floor," another one chipped in.
"No man, join our party we just entered the fourth, you're a DPS right?" asked the same guy that was standing behind me. "We're a good group, we can clear it fast with you, would be easy farm with your experience and damage."
"Uh," I muttered while looking at all of the faces that were staring at me.
Getting a little nervous at all the attention I was receiving, I was trying to look for an opening to make my escape but the group seemed to sense my indecision and closed in around me. Squeezing me, a dozen different people started calling out to me, some yelling, some pushing, all of them trying to get my attention to join their group.
I didn't want anything to do with them.
"Sorry, but I'm done with the dungeon," I said somewhat apologetically. "I'm kind of tired of the grind, good luck with your runs everyone."
With a quick nod, I started to push my way through the crowd as most backed off dejectedly. A few didn't quit though, as they tried to convince me to help them out, with one cute elf attempting the flirtatious route of winning me over, to no avail. She was definitely cute, but if I was going to be swayed by physical appearances inside the game… well, Katherine would be the first to win that contest.
And, she didn't even win the first time around.
I chose Selene to have fun with… personality won out.
Cutting through a pathway that led behind some buildings, I disappeared into the back alleys and made my way to the clothing store. With my quests turned in, the only thing keeping me in this town were a few errands that needed to be taken care of before I could set out. There were some summer dresses that I meant to buy for the girls, and then there were the saddle bags I ordered from a leatherworker for the cattle. Three heifers and a bull meant I didn't have to personally lug around the couple of hundred swords that been accumulated.
Putting a work animal to work, hell yes!
No more manual labor for me!
Entering the clothing store that I was all too familiar with, the store clerk had moved back inside instead of posting up at the front with a table, but that's because it wasn't really necessary anymore. The store was packed with players looking around, browsing through the goods that littered the shelves and tables all throughout.
Business was good.
Booming, really, and the place had been reorganized a bit as well.
The cheaper goods that generated the most interest were at the front, visible by the door and intermixed with some of the more expensive items, while the goods that were more in the middle price ranges, were all spread in the back. Wearing a mask in the dungeon was now beyond a trendy thing, and most players bought one before entering. It was a suggested item on the forums now, too.
All in all, my hunch was right.
"Ah you're back Sigurd," said the store clerk with a smile while sitting behind the counter. "Welcome, welcome. What can I do ye for today?"
"Well, I'm heading back to the North today," I started to explain as I glanced around at the goods lying about. "So, I figured it was about time I picked out those summer dresses I mentioned a while back, got any suggestions?"
"Hum, I think I have just the thing," he replied with a sheepish grin.
Waving at me to follow him, the clerk walked back towards his more expensive section of female clothing and brought me to a rack that featured some relatively fancy outfits. These weren't outfits that you would find in the dark ages… nor in the renaissance period… they were, modern.
Current age modern… the stuff people would wear now.
"Huh," I said, startled. "New fashion trend?"
"It's popular in the central kingdoms," he answered with a little puff of his chest, clearly proud of his updated selections. "After our last talk about popular clothing, I was able to get some new shipments in. What do you think? It's been a hit with the tourists!"
"Ah, man, I'm shocked, really."
That was the truth.
Modern clothing in this game seemed counterintuitive but, it wouldn't be the first time a popular MMORPG brought in alternate clothing sets for players to wear casually. Not everyone wanted to dress up like some extra in a safety dance video… though I'm sure some preferred it. They could dress however they wanted to and if they didn't want to… well, they weren't friends of mine, so it didn't really matter.
"Ah yeah, these will work," I said with a bit of a laugh.
The plan was to pick up two articles of clothing as a gift, not that I necessarily needed to buy one but, the girls were running the village while I was gone, so it seemed like the right thing to do. Selene had a tendency to try to flaunt what little curves she had, so a tighter fitting dress seemed like a good fit for her. Katherine on the other hand had ample curves that didn't really need to be accentuated, she was a distraction in every sense of the word… for her a loose and comfortable dress would do.
"Yeah, I'll take these two here," I stated after making up my mind, picking two distinctly different dresses off the shelf. "I suppose, they could use a scarf too."
A few minutes passed as I loitered about, thinking of what I could possibly buy while it was still within reach. Once the return journey started, there wouldn't be any shops along the way or nearby… not in the deserted Northern Triangle.
Eventually, I ended up buying a bit more than I had planned.
Basically, two full summer outfits were purchased along with two sets of nightwear… I figured the girls could use something besides their leather and fur outdoor adventuring gear, seeing as that was their only set of clothes.
I couldn't but wonder if it was weird to buy clothes for my NPCs though.
Eh, I didn't know the answer to that question.
"So, how much do I owe you?" I asked kindly with no reservations.
The store clerk looked over the items and then to my surprise, winked and replied, "all paid for, consider us even for the advice and help you showed me."
"Ah, no it's fine, I can pay," I countered immediately, not wanting a handout. "I made some profit off that deal as well, so it was already mutually beneficial. I'll pay for these, they're expensive. Money isn't an issue, it's fine, really."
"You're insane you know," he stated, repeating a line from the first time we interacted. "You don't just help strangers, that’s not normal, and my business is booming now. This is my thanks to you, take it. I don't want to hear another word."
As he was talking, he put everything into a complimentary cloth bag and pushed it to my side of the counter, holding steady with a serious face that conveyed his intent. He didn't want any more hassling from me, so, my battle was lost.
Well, my loss is a
win of free merchandise… so I shouldn't complain.
I wasn't a fan of freebies.
"Alright you win," I said reluctantly with a soft grin, somewhat embarrassed to take the free items. "Thank you for the gift, I appreciate it."
"No thank you," he replied with a loud voice. "You saved my store, this is the least I can do to show my gratitude! Safe travels, I'm sure those girls will be happy to see you."
Leaving the store, there wasn't a whole lot left to do.
My preparation was essentially taken care of, and my shopping was complete.
Heading back towards the inn, the leatherworker was supposed to deliver the saddlebags to the front desk when they were ready, so if good fortune persisted, I would be in and out of the place in a quick minute and be on my way. This town wasn't half bad, but I was tired of the crowds… tired of the noise.
I missed the comfort of my village, the peace and quiet of being surrounded by nothing but the beauty of nature undisturbed. The rolling mountains, flowing river and creeks, bountiful forests, and even the lonely and vast ocean… those were all things that this populated city town didn't, couldn't have.
Sure there were trees, but that was it.
I guess, I was home sick.
The inn itself wasn't too crowded at this time of the day, though the connected tavern was bustling, as it always seemed to be. The food was good, the alcohol was decent, and overall the price was right. I had no complaints there, and if I ever came back I would probably return to this very same inn.
At the end of the trip, I was a satisfied customer.
"Excuse me, I was wondering if anything had arrived for me, under the name of Sigurd?" I asked the lady at the front desk of the inn, as she instantly turned around and checked the board behind her.
"Yes, do you have proof of identity?" she questioned back with a slight smile.
Handing her the inn key that was registered to my name, the process was completed in a matter of seconds. All that was left, was to get a refund on my deposit and to pack.
Then, the nearly hundred mile journey would have to commence.
At least this time, I wouldn't need to carry all of my gear by myself, or use that makeshift sled to drag all of the hides that I was bound to collect on the way. Also, there was no reason to wear a live-kitty bandolier.
They could sit atop the cows.
Or something like that.
Chapter 53: Welcome Home
(Monday, July 19th Game Day / Monday, March 8th Real Day)
A week had passed, a real week, by the time I finally came within viewing distance of Dragon's Breach. It had been a long journey despite the short distance of it all, a hundred miles shouldn't have taken me more than ten hours by myself… the problem, were the bovines. They were slow, unbearably so.
Stopping to rest every so often plus their slow walking pace made for an arduous journey, thankfully it was finally over. In between the rest breaks I hunted small game here and there, but for the most part it was mindless walking, daydreaming or reading the news. Heck, I even had the time to watch videos with the in-game browser… a truly uneventful trip by all accounts.
I had finally reached my destination, and well, it was good to be home.
Opening up my friend's list, there was a secondary window that contained my companions that I could communicate with, as long as a Soul Link had been achieved. Thus far I had only met those requirements with Selene, which left the list rather empty. My friend's list was fairly empty too though, with Ellieby, Barik, Alan, and Ethan the only ones on it. A short list sure, but a quality one.
I preferred quality over quantity, anyhow.
"Hey Selene, are you free to lend a hand?" I messaged telepathically, as it differed slightly from communicating with actual players. "I'm just south of the village now."
A few seconds passed before I heard Selene's voice, as she asked with slight hesitation, "ah, Sigurd is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me," I replied out loud, despite not needing to.
"Um, do you require significant assistance?" she questioned almost immediately.
"A hand or two would suffice," I said, realizing that I didn't actually need a hand after all. "I can manage if you're busy, it would just speed things up."
Nothing but silence came from her end as the birds continued to chirp off to the side and slightly above me in the trees. The sounds of the river were quite loud at this time of the year, no doubt related to the rising temperatures and recent rain fall, yet even if that was all I could hear, it was a pleasant thing.
I missed these moments, out here in nature.
Peace and quiet, free of human interference as far as the eye could see… well, so long as you weren't looking at Dragon's Breach. But, that was my territory, and since that was the case, it didn't quite count, it wasn't the same.
Yeah, this was home.
"I'll be right there," replied Selene after a minute or two had passed, much to my surprise. For a moment, I figured she was ignoring me… I had been gone for a while after all, it wouldn't be unheard of for her and Katherine to be upset with me. Leaving them in charge of managing the village while I played at being an adventurer wasn't exactly fair to them, but I was the one in charge!
So, hah!
About half a mile out from the village, the figure of a woman started to develop on my visual horizon. A few minutes later, and Selene was not only fully visible but within shouting distance as well.
Raising my voice a bit, I yelled out, "Selene! Come to welcome me, have you?"
She continued to walk in silence as her hips sashayed from side to side, a feminine walk, clearly practiced to perfection yet one that didn't help her lack of curves. That wasn't to say that Selene had no sex appeal, but flaunting nonexistent curves wasn't the way to do it. Well, that's why I bought her a nice little gift.
I could help her out in that regard.
"Sir Sigurd… to welcome you, you say," she said with a bit of attitude. Tilting her head slightly to the side as she placed her hands on her hips, she offered her rebuttal.
"You were the one that requested assistance, lest you've forgotten, so soon."
As she continued to meander on over, I couldn't help but laugh a little.
"Yeah, I suppose that's true," I said with a grin.
As she stopped in front of me, I reciprocated and slowed my pace to a halt.
She stared at me in an odd way, as if she were expecting something.
Standing there silently, waiting for me to do something.
Ah, maybe.
Taking a step forward and leaning in slightly, I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in, embracing her quickly and planting my lips on hers with a swiftness that denied the possibility of retreat. She had no intention of retreating or pulling back anyway, as she relaxed in my arms and succumbed to my advance.
After breaking off for a chance to breathe, she nudged me as she returned a hug.
She whispered softly, "you sure know how to make a girl wait."
"I'm worth the wait," I replied with a coy smile.
Pushing me slightly, she stepped back and turned to look over the caravan that was in tow. Three cows and a bull, plus seven curious looking fuzz balls of liveliness that could melt any sentient creature's heart. There was also a mound of furs and hides piled high on top of my make-shift sled, though I figured that wasn't very important to her.
The kittens were of course, the singular focus, as they instantly caught her eye. As she focused her gaze on them and forgot all about me, I felt a little jealous.
I wanted to continue where we had left off, but the kittens were winning.
Pulling her back in, I put my arms around her waist and tried to get her attention, but she wasn't having any of it. She didn't break her gaze from the forest cats that were perched on the back of the cows, clearly more interested in what I brought, than me, myself. That was a little depressing, in itself.
"You can wait," she said after pushing me aside. "I'm more th
an worth it."
Ah, I guess my attempt to be coy, backfired.
I laughed, silently in my head, so as to ensure that I wouldn't earn her wrath or dig myself into a deeper hole. The last thing I wanted, was for the gifts to become apologetic in nature rather than as a reward and out of good faith. They were the best companions I could have asked for, and Selene was a little special at the moment.
Even if she was an NPC with an Artificial Intelligence, she was special.
They had grown on me, both of them really.
"What are these things?" she asked as she picked one up and held it in her arms.
"They're Northern Forest Cats, barely a few months old now," I answered without restraint. "Pick one, they're for you and Katherine, and the rest I'll probably breed and give out as gifts, or sell if the price is right."
Selene had started to giggle as the kitten mewed and pawed at her finger, clearly enjoying each other's company. There were a lot of ways to soften a woman's heart, and a cute and cuddly animal was one of them.
The mission, was a success.
"I get to pick one?" she asked, somewhat dubious of me as she raised an eyebrow.
"Did you want to pick two?" I countered with a grin.
"No, no… one is enough," she replied as she turned around and started to walk towards the village. "I think I'll keep him, I'll name him Mewers."
"Ah, Barkley and Mewers," I mumbled a bit as I ushered the bovines to follow. "I think, I'm beginning to understand your naming scheme now."
"Is there a problem, Sir Sigurd?"
"Ah, no, not at all Miss Selene," I said with a bit of a concealed laugh.
Yeah, there was no problem here.
Silence filled the air once more as we began to head towards the village.
"Walk slowly if you will," she said after a minute had passed. "Katherine's request, she wishes for me to slow your advance, so she can tidy up, to be presentable and what have you. It wouldn't do if you arrived too soon now."
"Is that so?" I asked with a feigned innocence. "What is that silly woman thinking."
