Eden's Gate_The Sands_A LitRPG Adventure

by Edward Brody

  Whatever works best for you, Father.

  You can call me, Gunnar.

  You detest ‘Father’ then?

  No, it’s just a little weird is all. But you can call me either.

  Then I will call you both, Gunnar... Father.

  I smiled. What took you so long? You usually show up right away when I summon you.

  My apologies, Father. I was in the middle of relieving myself.

  Relieving yourself?

  I cannot answer a summons if I’m in the middle of urinating.

  I laughed. “So great beasts go to the bathroom too?”

  Bathroom? I am not sure what you mean. But I must take time to relieve myself after substantial eating and drinking.

  “Ehh, nevermind,” I said, shaking my head. I had seen a goblin do his business at an orc camp before, and I sure as hell had the occasional urge to run out to the middle of the forest after food and drink too. It wasn’t as frequent or urgent as things had been back on Earth, but the mechanics were definitely in the game. Maybe every creature and NPC had to ‘relieve’ themselves in Eden’s Gate?

  I took a deep breath and thought about the direction of the Highcastle, urging Sora to head there with only my thoughts. She immediately pushed off to exactly where I wanted her to go.

  “Wait, actually,” I mumbled, urging her to make a ninety-degree turn. “I almost forgot about Conrad.”

  Conrad?

  “Remember the house where I fought the wolves? Let’s go there first. I have something I have to return.”

  Sora gave a subtle nod and made a quick dash in the direction of Conrad’s house. In addition to her growth in size, her speed was notably faster as well. I knew it wouldn’t take long to reach our destination.

  Now that you can hear me, I want to thank you, Gunnar.

  “Thank me for what?”

  For saving me from the skinners that day. I may have been small, but I still remember your efforts to save my mother and your willingness to protect me.

  “You’re welcome,” I said. “But don’t mention it… I should really thank you.”

  “Thank me?”

  “For accepting me as your master. And for everything you’ve done for me so far.”

  You saved my life, so my life is in your hands. I couldn’t have asked for a better master, father, and I look forward to every day that I spend with you.

  “And I look forward to every adventure I share with you, Sora.”

  As Sora sped across the plains, I took a heavy whiff of her strong feline scent. I gave her another gentle rub across her fur and held on tightly so as not to fall off.

  We could communicate, and it already felt like we had known each other for a long, long time. With Sora at my side, I felt like anything was possible.

  What an incredible, strange world that Dr. Winston had created.

  Chapter Five

  1/19/0001

  When we arrived at Conrad’s house, I dismounted Sora and asked her to wait a good distance away. If she had been intimidating the first time we visited the farmer, there was a good chance she’d frighten the old man to death this time around.

  The farm beside Conrad’s house looked completely different than the first item I saw it. The entire plot of soil was covered with green, and while the sprouting plants weren’t fully grown, they were lush, and I could see the beginnings of flowers and fruit starting to form underneath the various leaves. Apparently, killing the howlers that had been pestering him had paid off.

  I walked up to Conrad’s door and knocked a couple times. I could hear a slight rustling and a groan inside before the door cracked open and Conrad peeked outside.

  “Yeah?” Conrad asked. He blinked a couple times and then a wide smile formed across his face. “Oh, hello, Gunnar! Nice to see you again!”

  I smiled. “You too, Conrad.”

  Conrad pulled the door open wide and waved his hand in invitation. “Come inside. Come inside.”

  I walked inside, and his house was exactly as I remembered it. The smell of cinnamon and something pumpkiny filled the air.

  “What brings you here today?” he asked. He quickly shuffled across his house to a pot that was hanging over his fireplace and slowly stirred the contents inside.

  “I figured I would visit and an old friend. Or is it new friend?” I raised an eyebrow. “Whatever the case, I thought I’d just stop by.”

  Conrad dipped his finger into the pot and then licked the liquid off his fingertip before turning around and looking at me. “I don’t get visitors often, so I’m glad you decided to stop by.” He snapped his lips together as he scurried back towards me. “I’m making pumpkin stew if you’d like to try some. Plenty for the both of us.”

  I took a deep breath and enjoyed the pleasant smell that hung in the air. “It sounds delicious, but I won’t be staying long.” I turned around and looked at the writing desk that was near the door and saw that the scroll that had previously been there was replaced by a blank piece of paper. Other than that, everything inside was still in the same location.

  “Notice something odd?” Conrad asked.

  “Odd?”

  “I don’t know how it happened, but apparently someone thieved me. My fire magic scroll just up and vanished. It was…” Conrad lowered his eyes and shook my head. “It might sound silly, but it was really important to me.”

  I bit the inside of my lip and nodded. I hadn’t even been the one who stole his scroll, but I still had the sense of guilt since it was a guild mate. I flipped open the top of my bag and stuck my hand inside.

  “Do you have time to do another task for me, Gunnar?” Conrad suddenly asked.

  I paused what I was doing and looked up at him. “Another task?”

  “Can you find my scroll? I’ll be happy to reward you greatly for its return. Let’s say… 500 gold. Can you do that?”

  You have been offered a quest: The Stolen Scroll

  Conrad would like you to find his stolen Fire Magic scroll and return it to him for a reward.

  Reward: 2000XP, 500 Gold

  Do you accept this quest? Accept/Decline

  I swallowed hard, feeling a knot forming in my throat. I had Conrad’s scroll in my bag, and there he was, offering me a lucrative quest for its return. I had the natural inclination to decline the quest and tell him that I already had his scroll, but the other part of me couldn’t deny the 500 gold reward that he was offering, and even better, the 2000 XP for completing the quest.

  It was another case of getting rewarded for doing something not completely honest. Morality was a constantly struggle in Eden’s Gate. There were no guaranteed repercussions for doing something bad, so long as you didn’t get caught. But there was the bitter feeling that you were left with after doing it.

  But I hadn’t stolen Conrad’s scroll. In fact, I had made the conscious effort not to steal his scroll, and now I was going out of my way to return it, when I could have just read the scroll and added a new spell to my repertoire. Didn’t I deserve to be rewarded for doing that?

  I cleared my throat. “I can help you with that…”

  You have accepted the quest: The Stolen Scroll!

  “Great!” Conrad smiled. “I have no idea who stole it, but I’m sure if you ask around, you’ll find it. After the way you handled those howlers, I have one hundred percent confidence in you.”

  I cleared my throat again, not sure how things were going to play out after my reveal. I reached into my bag and slowly pulled out the scroll. “Here’s your scroll, Conrad.”

  Conrad’s eyes lit up as I handed him the scroll, and then his brow furrowed as he started inspecting it.

  You have completed the quest: The Stolen Scroll!

  You have gained 2000XP!

  Conrad looked up at me and then back down at the scroll several times, confusion painted across his face. “How did you get this?” he asked. “Is this the same scroll?”

  “I umm…” As much as I wanted to tell him the truth, I was s
till loyal to my guild and wasn’t about to out Ozzy as the perpetrator. “I ran into a group of bandits, and after defeating them, I looted the scroll from one of their bags. I immediately rushed here to bring it you.”

  Conrad looked down at the scroll again for a long moment, squeezed one of his eyes shut and smirked as if he didn’t believe me. When he looked back up, he asked, “Did you steal my scroll, Gunnar?”

  I instinctively straightened my shoulders and did my best not to show the stress that was washing over me. “No, of course not.” Though I wasn’t lying about not stealing his scroll, I felt like I was.

  Conrad’s eyes tilted towards the corner of his home as if he was still unsure if he believed me, but then he finally sighed and smiled. “Well, I’m glad that you were able to defeat those damn bandits.” He reached a hand out towards me and patted me on the shoulder. “Let me get your gold as I promised.”

  I waved a hand in the air as he sat the scroll on his desk and turned around to walk across his room. “That’s not necessary, really. I wanted to bring the scroll back to you. Just knowing that you have it is enough reward for me.”

  Truth be told, I didn’t feel right taking the gold reward. Getting the free XP for completing the quest was good enough. I would be ripping off the old man by taking the gold as well.

  “No, no,” Conrad said. “We agreed to 500 gold, and I’m going to pay you 500 gold.” Conrad knelt near a drawer in his kitchen area and pulled out a sack of coins. He walked back towards me and immediately handed me the sack.

  You’ve received: 500 Gold Pieces

  “Really, you don’t have to…” I groaned.

  “I wouldn’t feel right without paying you for its return.” He smiled wide. “Aren’t you a fire magic user? I’m surprised you didn’t keep the scroll for yourself when you found it. Are you too low level to use it?”

  I shook my head. “No, I ugh—“

  “No matter,” Conrad interrupted. “You’re a good man, Gunnar. Thanks so much for returning the scroll. I haven’t written a word in my journal since the thing disappeared. I think I might put it in a case to ensure that no one tries stealing it again.”

  I shook my head. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”

  Conrad sat the scroll on his desk and started for the pot that was hanging over his fire. “Pumpkin stew?” he offered.

  “No, I better be going.”

  Conrad lifted a ladle that was sitting near the fireplace and dipped it in the pot, taking a small sip of the hot liquid. He moaned at the taste. “It’s delicious. Really, you should stay and have a bite.”

  “No, that’s okay. I’m heading to Highcastle, so I’ve got a bit of a journey ahead of me. It was nice seeing you though.”

  Conrad took a deep breath. “You too, Gunnar.” He stirred the stew with the ladle. “Stop by again soon, and next time make sure you have a time to stay and chat. I really don’t get many visitors. It would be nice to have you.”

  “Yeah, of course,” I said. Thus far, I spent most all of my time in Eden’s Gate working towards something, whether it be working toward setting up the guild, building the town, solving a quest or trying to gain levels, so most of my focus had been towards progression. At some point, I’d have to take some time to just live. It was my life after all, and I didn’t want to get burned out. Spending time with an NPC like Conrad might prove interesting. “I’m going to head out.”

  Conrad took another sip of the liquid above his fire, then clanked the ladle against the edge of the pot a couple times to free it of any loose liquid. “Alright, Gunnar. Have a safe journey!”

  I smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Conrad..” I turned around with my face towards the door and took a moment to look back down at the scroll that Conrad had returned to his desk. I twisted my neck and saw Conrad was still turned around, facing the pot of stew.

  Funny thing was, I probably could have just stolen the scroll from him again and exited his house with the XP, the gold reward, the scroll, and he probably wouldn’t have noticed until I was long gone. But even leaving with the sack of gold didn’t feel right.

  With his back turned, I tossed up the gold sack he had given me in my hand and then gently sat it on top of the scroll.

  You’ve dropped: 500 Gold Pieces

  I was more than happy to use the game mechanics to my advantage and take the 2,000 XP for completing the quest that I hadn’t intended on getting, but I just couldn’t bring myself to accept the old man’s gold.

  Did it matter? I wasn’t sure. But I knew that I’d feel better about it, knowing that Conrad hadn’t just paid a fortune to buy back something that one of my guild mates stole from him.

  I pushed open the door, and Sora was already perked up, staring ahead, obviously waiting for me. As soon as I got close to her, she lowered herself to let me hop on top.

  Now that that’s done, I thought. Let’s head to Highcastle.

  Sora stood up, let out a low growl, and bolted off into a fast run.

  I was certain that I’d return by to visit Conrad again someday, but next time, I hoped it wouldn’t be to return a stolen item. Maybe I’d even have time to try his pumpkin stew.

  Chapter Six

  1/19/0001

  When I approached the outskirts of Highcastle, I immediately felt tense. Though the trip through the Freelands hadn’t attracted much attention, nearly everyone who had seen me nearing the city with Sora turned their eyes in my direction. I saw no other large, exotic animals in the vicinity—just horse caravans, the horses that soldiers rode on, and a few stray dogs roaming around.

  I dismounted Sora and gave her a quick rub behind the ears. “Don’t get too comfortable. I’ll probably summon you again today.”

  Sora bobbed her head, turned, and ran off over the hills of the Freelands. I watched a moment as her large frame shrunk into the distance, expecting her to say something before she left, but she remained silent.

  It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that I could freely talk to her. On Earth, people could only verbally communicate with other humans. For the most part, humans treated other humans like they wanted to be treated. While I had never owned a pet on Earth, I assumed that pet owners took care of their pets… but still treated them like pets for the most part.

  Sora wasn’t just a pet. She was a friend who I could communicate with just like a human, and that set her apart from anything possible on Earth. And there were lots of other species in Eden’s Gate who I could interact with like a human as well. I had already given elves, dwarves, and even keemus the same kind of respect that I’d give any human. But at the same time, I had killed orcs, goblins, and demons that could communicate without much consideration.

  Why? I wondered.

  Orcs were humanoids just like elves, and maybe they had suffered the same kind of mistreatment that the dark elves had. Was I choosing sides based on appearances or preconceived notions that I had from playing games back on Earth? I wasn’t sure.

  In any event, Sora wasn’t even a humanoid, but I cared for her as more than a pet. I had been in Eden’s Gate for a while, but the complex mechanics and extraordinary relationships I experienced still felt new and strange.

  I took a deep breath and shoved my muddled thoughts to the side. I cautiously walked towards the city on the dirt road that gradually faded into gravel and led into the city boundaries. Two guards were stationed at the city’s entrance, but they barely took notice of me as I passed. With good reason, I supposed. Without any walls or barriers, there was little preventing me from sneaking in from an unguarded direction.

  Outer Highcastle—the part of the city that wasn’t behind a wall—was composed primarily of small, simple brick and wooden houses neatly packed together with weathered stone paths winding between them. Men, women, and children were bustling in every direction—all NPCs I supposed—going about their everyday tasks of trading, mingling, or walking to wherever they needed to be. The occasional person wore full leather armor or a mix of chain and leat
her with bows or basic weapons strapped to their back, but most people were dressed in cloth attire—women wearing ruffled blouses and long skirts and men wearing fitted pants and long-sleeved shirts.

  There were the occasional soldiers who trotted by, sometimes on horseback and sometimes on foot, decked out with plate armor, relaxed and more interested in their conversation between each other than whatever was going on around them. The lion’s insignia etched onto their breastplates was also stitched onto small blue flags that were randomly raised around the area.

  “Hot loaves of bread! Hot loaves!” a man with a brown apron stretched tightly across his belly yelled as he raised a basket in his hand. “Only 2 gold!” His loud voice carried over the chattering that was heard all around.

  A few small kids bumped into my leg as they ran by giggling.

  Though Outer Highcastle wasn’t much different than the previous cities that I had visited—other than it being larger and more densely populated—the people gave it a much warmer, safer vibe.

  Almost all the buildings in Outer Highcastle were the same size, but there were the occasional larger buildings that had been built between the city paths, all of which appeared to businesses. The smaller structures were mostly residences, I presumed.

  I walked deeper and deeper into the city, stopping at each of the larger buildings to look at their signs. I saw a leatherworker, a general goods store, and a tailor, but I saw no signs that indicated a cartographer.

  There was a light tap on the side of my leather leggings, and I looked down to see the source of the touch.

  Standing below me was a young girl who couldn’t have been older than five or six years old. Her short blonde locks were somewhat tangled and speckled with dirt. Her face was smeared with what appeared to be soot, and she was wearing a small, cloth dress with one of the straps dangling off her shoulder.