by Brian Simons
Coral’s fears started to materialize when Sybil fell to the ground. All Sybil wanted was a chance to provide for her little sister. And what about Sal? He just wanted to be part of the team. If he couldn’t reincarnate, what would happen to him?
Coral kept her arrow aimed at Otto, but couldn’t shake the feeling that letting it fly would be a useless gesture. Sal kept fighting Otto off with his mallet. His attacks were more damaging than Coral’s could ever be at her low level.
Otto was down to less than a fourth of his HP now. He grabbed the mallet from Sal, and Sal bit him until he let the mallet go. Daniel kept stabbing from behind.
Then Otto landed his axe in Sal’s neck. It looked like a very critical hit. He fell to the ground, next to Sybil. The dead bodies were piling up. Otto turned his attention to Daniel.
No one assisted Daniel. Not the players, or the guards, or the other NPCs. Otto alternated between striking at Daniel and striking at Januar. Then Alua’s efforts failed. She collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and Januar’s glow disappeared. He took terrible damage from Otto as Daniel failed to block Otto’s axe from impaling the enfeebled deity. Januar lied on the ground and didn’t get back up.
Coral had no choice. She walked toward Otto with her arrow ready. “Coral!” Daniel yelled, “I’m bleeding to death. I can’t finish this. Run!”
Coral pressed forward anyway. She was tired of running. If she died, so be it. At least she would die defending her friends and the people of Travail. Daniel stuck his sword into Otto’s back one last time before Daniel slumped to the ground. He was breathing, but only barely. Before long, his HP would run out completely.
Otto looked up and laughed. He reached in his pocket for something and lunged Coral. He stabbed her with something small and sharp.
>> You’ve been hit! 470 Damage. [Poisoned]
Coral fell on her back, struggling to keep her arrow from flying.
“You left me in that cave with those bugs so I ripped a fang from a centipede’s face,” Otto said. “I knew it would come in handy. How do you like the feel of venom coursing through your veins?”
Her HP was nearly gone, just like that. A single hit from Otto, and not even with his axe. But Otto wouldn’t let the poison take her. He lifted his axe above her, ready to cleave her in two.
“Otto,” Daniel said weakly. “We’re not your enemy, don’t do this.” As Coral looked up, she saw a faint glimmer in Otto’s eyes. Something golden was growing in his pupils. Daniel kept talking, but Coral didn’t pay attention to what he was saying. It was why he was saying it that mattered. He was trying to confuse Otto to buy her more time. Daniel probably thought she should use the time to get to her feet and run. She had other plans.
She lifted her bow and arrow and took aim. The arrows weren’t high quality and barely seemed to scratch Otto, but she knew her high Dexterity gave her superb aim. And she had an ace up her sleeve, or more accurately, around her finger. She activated her Ring of Force, giving her five seconds of superior strength. She only needed one. She let her arrow go as the venom drained more of her HP.
The sound of metal on metal clanged throughout the field. Her arrow had connected with the fine edge of Otto’s axe blade just as Coral had intended. It hit with such astounding force that it thrust the Soulkeeper Axe backward, arcing it away from Coral and directly toward Otto. It lodged in his head without even a thud.
>> Otto takes 1,862 Damage. Otto dies. You received 120,000 XP.
That was it, she had finished him off. The axe must have hit Otto with his own strength, because Coral could never do that much damage herself, either with an axe or an arrow.
>> Congratulations! You have reached level 29! To apply your 12 skill points now, open your Skills and Attributes screen.
Ha. She had leveled up. Not that it mattered. Her entire body felt like it was burning from the inside as her heart circulated venom to every cell. In another few seconds she’d be dead. She faintly heard the cheers of the crowd behind her. The last thing she heard was Daniel’s voice saying, “You did it,” before he too collapsed in death.
***
Coral’s eyes opened, but all she saw was darkness. Then she saw a blur in the distance. The shape bobbed toward her and she recognized it. It was the shape of the old lady she had met just a week ago. Coral waited patiently in the void for the old woman to come closer.
“Young Seamstress,” she said, “I have watched you with especial interest. You did, indeed, play hard.”
“And look where it got me,” Coral said. “I’m not much of a Seamstress anymore, am I?”
“There were no pretty dresses for you, it’s true. But you do excel at crafting unique wearables.”
“Do? You mean did. I’m starting over again from scratch.”
“That is entirely up to you.”
Coral stared at the old woman for a moment, unsure what kind of a trick this was. “Please explain what you mean,” she said cautiously.
“You come here wearing the Belt of the Psychopomp yet you know not what it does?”
“Yep, that sounds about right,” Coral replied.
“That belt is crafted from Januar’s skin. His is the province of rebirth. That belt permits you to return to Travail after death without being reborn, if you so choose. Such a choice will consume the item, however. It is durable enough only for one use.”
“If I skip reincarnation, does that mean I keep all of my experience, my gold, my gear, everything?”
“Yes, though you are welcome to make changes before you go.”
“What kind of changes?”
“Your name. Your appearance. Even your race and class if you choose.”
Coral thought about this. She could stay a human Seamstress and try again to open a small shop. All of her skill points and XP would surely help with that. And she liked how she looked. Even if she wasn’t exotic, her appearance was honest. But there was one thing she could stand to change.
“It’s only a minor change, but can we drop the ‘n’ from my name?”
“Of course we can, Coral_Daring. If that’s the only change, I will ask Januar to take you home to Havenstock.”
“So Januar survived?” Coral asked.
“That he did. His old body was tired and crumbling. From the dust of his former skin emerged a rejuvenated young god. He is the only god that ages, but he is also the only one to appreciate the vigor of youth and the wisdom of age equally.”
“I just have one question before I go,” Coral said. “Where did this Otto character come from?”
The warmth left the old woman’s face as she leaned hard on her cane. She seemed genuinely concerned. “I do not know. And trust me when I say that there is little that I do not know.” Coral believed her. This benevolent old woman was hardly the type to send a serial killer after everyone. “But rest assured, Coral_Daring, he is never coming back. Unlike those whom he slew. Januar will start the long process of reintroducing those lost souls to Travail.”
“Thank you,” Coral said. Then she saw Januar to her side. His chest and stomach were a pale yellow green. His sides and back were mostly green and bright, with occasional bands of black. His eyes were dark and alert.
Januar led her away from the old woman, walking on two feet with his tail unfurled behind him.
***
Coral awoke on the battlefield near Havenstock. Players and NPCs were still hugging and cheering. The dead had all vanished, leaving occasional armor and other weapons behind. Otto was gone too, though his Soulkeeper Axe remained.
Daniel stood over the weapon, staring down at it. As Coral propped herself up and got to her feet, she saw him bend down and pick the blade up. “Never to be used again,” he said. Coral saw that he had changed his handle too. He was Daniel_of_Manayunk now. That’s a major improvement, she thought. Daniel_the_Maniel had sounded a little juvenile.
Coral saw that Sal and Sybil were both getting to their feet.
Sal ran over to Coral and gave her a big hug.
Her body was quickly engulfed. “I almost didn’t wear the belt!” Sal said. “It clashed with my green skin, but I said, ‘come on, Sal, she worked hard on this, your image isn’t everything.’”
Coral laughed and pushed herself out of hugging position. “I had no idea Januar’s molted skin would do that. Say, is there any more lying around?”
“No,” Sybil said. “I already checked. Januar is long gone, and any trace of him has disappeared.”
Coral did a double take. This was Sybil alright. Same white hair framing the same heart-shaped face with a small tightly closed mouth. The same reservoirs of strength and duty behind her deep brown eyes. But her skin was pale as parchment.
“The dark elves fantasize about returning to the great forest of Diardenna and reuniting with our brother and sister elves.” Sybil gave a coy shrug. “Time to see what all the fuss is about.”
The Regent walked toward Coral and the others with Alua, his remaining guards, and the court mage. “The dead are returning to life, Coral_Daring. They are respawning and reincarnating throughout the city. Your armor did as you promised, though its power was not infinite.”
“And your guards fought bravely,” Coral said, hastening to add, “Your Highness.”
“As did you all. Here is your reward for finishing the quest as required.”
Quest Complete: Hemming and Hawing
You created armor that protected the royal guards from Otto’s Soulkeeper Axe! The materials were revolting, but that seems to be your style.
Rewards:
Tailoring Skill: Embalmed Armor. Put the finishing touch on your Skinwoven armor to imbue it with additional benefits. Does that make it formalde-hide?
Gold: 100,000
“Your Highness,” Daniel said, holding out the Soulkeeper Axe. “This is a very dangerous weapon. I recommend that we isolate it before it can be used against us again.”
“You are correct. I will bring this to the castle and see that it is neutralized. Havenstock is safer with this weapon out of circulation.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” Daniel turned to walk away but the Regent put a hand on his shoulder and spun him back around.
“Daniel_of_Manayunk,” the Regent said, “you exhibited much leadership when you roused to battle not only my guards, but also the other denizens of Havenstock. You showed wisdom in waiting to fight until you had your opening. You made a great sacrifice in using your dying breath to distract the enemy so that your teammate could finish the fight.”
“Thank you,” Daniel said, blushing.
“On one knee,” the Regent commanded.
Daniel looked confused, but did as the Regent said. The Regent lifted a sword and placed it on Daniel’s shoulder. “Daniel_of_Manayunk, do you vow your loyalty to Regent Harold of Havenstock?”
“Yes.”
“Do you vow to protect Havenstock’s people and its honor?”
“Yes.”
“Do you vow to take always the path of valor and never the path of fear?”
“Yes.”
“Then by the power vested in me by, well, by myself, I hereby pronounce you a Knight of Havenstock. Rise, Sir Daniel_of_Manayunk.”
Daniel stood, and saw a “Sir” before his name.
>> Congratulations! You have earned the title Protector of Havenstock.
Class Change: Knight
Congratulations! Your class has been changed to Knight. Knights with high enough Diplomacy can hire NPCs to aid them. Knights travel the world on behalf of the Regent. As a Knight you gain an extra +5 to Stamina and +1 Diplomacy per level.
“All of the skills you accumulated as a Scout remain at your disposal. But a new skill tree will open to you now. You are Havenstock’s first Knight in a very long time. I expect you will make us proud.” The Regent turned and walked back toward the castle.
“What about us?” Sal asked sheepishly.
The Regent stopped and turned his head. Over his shoulder he said, “There can be no official recognition of your role in today’s events as non-humans. Politics. I’m sure you understand.” Then he resumed walking away.
“We could absolutely not have done this without you two,” Coral said. “And everyone here knows what you both did, even if the Regent won’t acknowledge it.”
“I wouldn’t expect any different from him,” Sybil said.
“You’ll be happy to know we did get paid,” Coral said, “a whole 100,000 gold.”
“Get out!” Sybil yelled. “That’s $10,000!”
“Yep,” Coral said, “divide it four ways and it’s a pretty good haul.”
“I can’t believe it’s so much,” Sybil said.
“Whatever error spawned Evil Otto, we must have saved the game devs a ton of time and money by just killing him in-game,” Daniel said. “We did Arbyten a major service here.”
“We should celebrate!” Sal said.
“About that,” Coral said. “Am I right that we all live in Philadelphia? If Daniel’s from Manayunk, that’s not too far away. I’m in Fishtown.”
“I’m in West Philly,” Sal said.
“I’m in University City!” Sybil said.
“Would you guys be up for meeting in person?” Coral asked. “There’s a little diner on Frankford Ave that I used to work at. It’s not too expensive, and I’m sure they’ll let us sit and talk for as long as we want.”
“That sounds nice,” Daniel said. Everyone else agreed. They logged off of Travail as dozens of players continued to materialize in beginners’ rags, finally able to start again.
39
Coral opened her eyes from behind her see-through plastic visor and sat up in her bed. She was really looking forward to meeting Daniel, Sal, and Sybil in person, but there was one thing she had to do first. She walked over to the answering machine attached to her landline phone and pressed the play button.
“Hi, this message is for Coral Vipond. You had sent us a resume for a position as a law firm receptionist. We think your customer service experience makes you a good fit, and we promise this job will not become automated. The firm prefers a human touch when clients call the office. Please call me to set up an interview at (215)—” Coral cut off the message and hit the delete button. She had a gig now, and even though it was hard play, it turned out to be really fun work. She grabbed her jacket and walked out the front door.
The Wilkersons’ diner was walking distance from her house in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. She got to the diner first and saw Mrs. Wilkerson behind the counter, handing a plated sandwich to a customer sitting on a round stool.
“Coral!” she shouted and rushed out from behind the counter to give Coral a hug. “I’m so glad to see you, honey. How have you been? Have you found work ok? How are your parents?”
Coral hugged Mrs. Wilkerson back and laughed. She had known the woman for as long as she’d been alive. Her parents used to take her here for burgers and milkshakes as a reward for good grades.
“I’m doing well. I didn’t find a job, so I joined Travail Online. It has been… interesting. A few of my friends are meeting here and I was hoping we could take the booth in the back and stick around a while.”
“You stay as long as you like, sweetie.” Mrs. Wilkerson turned toward the back of the diner. “DARRELL!” she shouted. “Look who it is!”
Mr. Wilkerson hurried to the front of the diner. “Coral, you look well. I’m glad to see you. I still feel awful about how things went. I do miss having you here.” He leaned in close and said, “Your replacement isn’t all she’s cracked up to be.”
A robot walked stiffly toward the front of the diner. Her skin was flawless. Her eyes were lifelike. Her proportions were perfect. But something was a little off. “Hello customer,” the robot said in an artificially pleasant tone. Coral half expected the robot to say, “For English, please press one.”
The robot, however, did not offer additional languages. Instead she said, “Welcome to Welkerzon’s Diner,” struggling with the proprietor’s nam
e. “I will show you to your table and take your order. Follow me.”
Coral followed the robot as Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson got back to work. Soon after she sat, a short Asian girl walked in. Her black hair was styled in the same short feathered bob as Sybil’s. The robot waitress showed the girl to Coral’s table.
“I’m Coral,” Coral said, reaching her hand out.
“I’m Sybil,” the girl said, shaking Coral’s hand. “I’ve never met up with someone from Travail in real life before.”
“Me neither,” Coral said, “but we’ve spent so much time together by now it feels like we’ve known each other forever.”
