I’ve walked half a mile when I realize I’m being followed. The owl hops from limb to limb with each step I take. When I stop, it stops.
“What do you want?” I ask.
The owl lets out a low hoot.
“I’m looking for a fight here. Why don’t you go on before you get hurt? I won’t be able to look out for you once the battle begins.”
The owl responds with another hoot.
“Come on, now. Get going.”
I pick up a rock and toss it at the owl. He jumps to the left and the rock bounces off the tree. He hoots again.
I hear a flutter of wings and notice that another owl has landed behind me. This one is snowy white with black speckles along its feathers. The two owls hoot back and forth for a moment before a third owl joins them, then a fourth. Before I know it, I am surrounded by a dozen owls. They hoot in unison. I focus on their stats. They are all level one, nothing to worry about.
I still feel uneasy by the sudden appearance of so many.
“Fine, just leave me alone.”
They all hoot back in reply.
I continue walking and all around me, I hear the shake of tiny branches as each owl hops from limb to limb.
The path grows narrower the farther up the mountain I go until I am ducking between branches every few steps. The small shuffle of branches behind me lets me know the owls are still there.
Finally, the trail opens and I am in a small clearing overlooking the valley between two mountains. It is odd that I’ve made it so far up the mountain without encountering an enemy.
A deep mist hangs between the mountains. There has to be monsters down inside. I set off to continue my trek when a loud flurry of wings startles me.
All of the owls leave their branches and fly in my direction. They are only level one, but the action is terrifying nonetheless. The thought of a dozen talons digging into my face is not something that sounds the least bit appealing. I take a fighting stance and prepare to kill them.
They fly past me and collide together midair. There is a flash of light and then a tall, lanky man stands before me. His long brown hair is pulled into a pony tail. He carries a staff in one hand and wears a leather gauntlet on the other. When he whistles, the first owl I saw flies down from a tree and perches on his arm.
“What the hell?” is all I can think to say.
The man, who is dressed plainly in canvas robes, lifts his arm into the air and the owl flies away. I focus on his stats to see what I’m up against.
Orel. Guardian of the Hidden Pass. Protector of the Hidden Pass of the Mortican Mountains, Orel has the sight of a thousand birds.
Hmm, he must be an NPC because he doesn’t have a level. I bet he will drop some pretty good loot if I can defeat him, maybe even a new spell.
I clutch my spear close and take a defensive stance, but the man doesn’t move. I take a step closer and he extends his arm, his staff pointed at me.
“You shall not pass.”
That must be it, he’s here to make sure no one goes down into the valley. Alright then, I think I know how to get this fight started. I take another step closer and lunge at Orel with my spear. Just as it is about to pierce his body, Orel disintegrates into several dozen owls and flies into the sky.
The next thing I know, a flutter of wings is the only sound I hear before I’m attacked by dozens of sharp talons. They rip at my body, painting my vision red.
This is how I die, killed by birds. But as quickly as they appear, the birds disappear and a moment later, Orel stands before me again.
“You shall not pass.”
It seems that way.
With half my health gone from the attack, I search my surroundings and look for anything that can help me defeat the bird man. Nothing but trees surround us on all sides. Behind him, the mountain descends into the valley. If I could only find a way to get behind him, then maybe I could attack him by surprise. I can’t turn away. This is too good of an opportunity to turn my back on and I need items and spells for the tournament.
If all I have to use are trees, then that’s what I’ll use. I equip Grappler in my other hand and fire at Orel. The laser beam goes directly for his heart and he morphs into his owl army again.
This time, I don’t wait to be attacked. I use Grapple and shoot it into the top of the nearest tree. It catches and pulls me hard and fast into the air. Branches snap against my body as I soar higher and higher. Thirty seconds until I can use it again.
Just as I am about to come to a stop against the tree, I put Grappler back into my inventory. The force from the pull sends me soaring past the tree tops. For a moment, I can see for miles in every direction. Below me, I hear the flutter of wings.
Gravity takes hold and I begin falling towards the ground just as I see dozens of observant eyes flying in my direction. I cast Resilience and begin swiping at the owls one by one as I fall, knocking them aside. Without having me totally surrounded, it’s easy to pick them off. They fall into trees and tumble to the ground. The high ground definitely has its advantages.
Suddenly, the owls turn and rush together. A flash of light and Orel is before me, falling on his back towards the ground. Now is my chance to end this. Whatever ability he was using, taking out his owls has stopped it.
We crash to the ground and I land on top of him. Immediately, I use Lunging Strike, stunning him on his back. I lift my spear and bring it down with all my might against his chest. It pierces his body and he explodes into hundreds of feathers. They float through the air like tiny sailboats on the wind and my experience bar shoots up.
I search the area for loot but find nothing.
What a waste of time.
The next thing I know, two talons grip hard on the side of my shoulder and the first owl I saw on the trail stares back at me.
Congratulations! You have unlocked a pet.
Great Horned Owl. Special ability: Flyby; The Owl can fly into enemy territory without provoking an attack. Special ability: Increased hearing and vision. Woe befalleth the man who does not heed the wisdom of the owl.
What? That’s awesome! I’ve always wanted a pet. The two special abilities are amazing as well.
Suddenly, the mountains are buzzing with sounds. I can hear bugs crawling through the trees, birds in the air, and a mountain troll sleeping on the other side of the mountain. When I look out into the misty trees, I can make out branches in far greater detail than I could before. It’s like my sight and hearing have been magnified tenfold.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
He clicks his beak and looks off into the distance.
“I think I’ll call you Merlin. Pleased to meet you.”
His head turns at my words and his yellow eyes stare intently.
“What do you say we try out our new abilities?”
I will Merlin to fly into the air and he responds by kicking off my shoulder and soaring out into the valley. When I focus on him, my vision changes suddenly and I am looking down on the valley from above. I can see better than I could ever imagine. From up so high, I can make out squirrels scurrying along the forest floor and hear other gamers talking from the foot of the mountain trail. A group of lizard people wait in surprise behind a boulder for a small party of elves. My head feels like it is about to explode because it’s all so overwhelming. I try to narrow my focus to one thing at a time.
There are wolves, bears, and a centaur nearby. A small band of orcs return from a hunt of their own. Two trolls, both probably out of my league. I know I said only one more monster, but now that I have Merlin at my side, I want to test him out in battle. One more, for real this time. I continue scanning and then I spot my next opponent.
A yeti.
He’s not too far up the mountain. Just where the snows begin melting away.
I focus and my normal sight returns, though I can still feel Merlin’s presence as he flies above me. I’ll have to be careful when switching views in the future because it leaves my body unguarded.
Yeti. Level 20. Though often solitary creatures, these fierce warriors sport natural armor and resistances. Their icy breath can freeze opponents in their tracks.
He has five levels on me, but I think I can take him as long as I don’t get frozen. I clutch my spear close and prepare for battle.
As soon as I enter his range, the yeti tosses the bloody carcass to the ground and stands tall. His white fur blends in with the snowy peaks of the mountains above, but the melting snow from the trees behind him exposes his outline. I cast Resilience, upping my attack speed and move in quickly. I am able to get off three spear jabs before the yeti takes a swing at me. I roll to the right and his fist connects with the ground.
Angered, he lets out a raging howl. His icy breath washes over me and I feel sluggish. Each step is hard to take and my spear moves slowly in my hand.
You have been hit with Frigid Breath, your movement and attack speed are cut in half.
Seven hells! The yeti moves in close and pummels me in the ribs with a hard punch. My vision goes red and I can barely breathe. One hit takes out a third of my health. If I don’t get up soon, I’ll be dead.
The yeti lets out a howl that echoes off the mountains. He stands over me and I can still see scraps of meat stuck between his teeth as he reaches down. No doubt he will bash my brains against a tree and have me for dinner. His hands are inches from my legs when I hear a loud screech and Merlin claws the yeti in the eyes. The yeti swats at Merlin but the owl is too quick and flies off again into the trees.
The distraction buys me just enough time to get out of the yeti’s reach. Frigid Breath wears off and my speed returns. I cast Mud Pits on the angry yeti to no effect. His natural resistances nullify the ability. Lunging Strike will fare no better. My only options are brute force and my wits.
I toss my spear at the yeti and hit him in the chest, dropping him to half health. I switch to Grappler and fire the grappling hook between the yeti’s legs. I focus for Merlin and he flies in, taking the gun in his talons.
“Circle the yeti,” I instruct him.
I equip my axe and try to keep the yeti’s attention on me while Merlin circles him.
The yeti roars and an icy blast pours from his mouth. It misses me by inches, but I can feel the cold against my skin. If I get caught in one of those, I’m done.
Merlin circles the yeti several times and the grappling hook is wrapped tightly around its legs. If I can stay alive a few more moments, my plan will be in place.
I’m not that lucky.
He howls and I’m caught again.
You have been hit with Frigid Breath, your movement and attack speed are cut in half.
I guess this is the part where I die.
The yeti tries to take a step towards me, but his feet catch in the rope of my grappling hook. It’s not completely wrapped around his lower body, but it is enough to trip the yeti, sending him tumbling to the ground. He hits the mushy earth with a splash, sending melting snow and mud in every direction. Merlin drops Grappler and takes flight once more. In my sluggish state, I trudge towards the yeti and attack him with my axe. His health drops to a quarter and he roars another icy blast at me.
This time it catches me full on and I can’t move.
You have been hit with Ice Blast. You are temporarily stunned.
All I can do is watch as the yeti struggles with the ropes around his legs. For the moment, he is more concerned with his freedom than killing me.
With a great display of strength, the yeti rips the ropes from his legs and tosses the frayed fibers to the ground.
My stun wears off and we lunge at each other at the same time. My axe connects with his shoulder at the same time his giant fist catches me in the jaw.
The yeti falls to the ground with zero health. My vision is ten shades of red, but I survive with a sliver of life. My experience bar shoots up almost to level sixteen. I loot the body and find another spellbook.
Item: Spellbook. Requirements: Level 15. Activate Y/N?
I’ll wait and see what I’ve found when I’m not in the throes of death.
Currency: 2 gold.
I lean against a nearby tree to gather myself. My jaw throbs and my head aches. I really need to stop getting the crap beat out of me at some point. Merlin returns to me and perches on my shoulder. I pet him on the head and he nuzzles my fingers. Without him, I would have certainly died. I’m already getting attached to the little guy.
It’s about time to meet up with the princess. I can heal up back at the town square, so I focus on teleporting and my body begins to dissipate before my eyes.
Chapter 17
I push the heavy wooden door open to the Lion’s Head Pub. Inside, the place is packed. A bard stands on top of a nearby table, an ale sloshing in each hand, singing a song of a great battle. I spot the princess and four dwarves sitting at a table towards the back drinking. Ordin and Klink, who both made it to the next round of the tournament, sit on each side of her while Glordin and Tinker sit across from her.
Merlin rides on my shoulder, turning his head in quick succession as he surveys the room.
Several people nod at me as I walk past. I see a few shocked faces of recognition and hear the hiss of whispers. A large woman covered in platemail pats me on the back.
The dwarves stand to meet me when I arrive at the table.
“Greetings, Esil.” Ordin reaches out and clasps his hand around my forearm. His red beard is braided intricately down his chest.
I do the same in turn with each of the dwarves and finally, the princess.
“I’m glad you could join us,” she says. She wears a fiery dress that changes from dark red up top to a bright orange at the bottom. A pendant hangs from her neck with a tiny fire burning inside. “Who is this little guy?” she asks, reaching out to Merlin. He nibbles on her finger and gives a low hoot.
“This is Merlin. I had a stroke of luck in the mountains today.”
“You seem to have a lot of that.” She winks.
“So, how’d you do it?” I ask, cutting right to the chase.
“You haven’t watched the highlights?”
“Haven’t had a chance yet. I had things to take care of outside of Pangea.”
I take a seat at the table and Merlin flies from my shoulder to the wooden chandelier above the table. Dozens of candles burn overhead, casting the room in constant dancing light.
“Apocalyptica was such a strange place for a first quest. I never would have guessed a shooter world. I guess they hoped to weed out the players who weren’t as well rounded. Lucky for us Ryken gave away his location or we could have been searching for ages.
“When I finally got there and noticed the rest of our group wasn’t and that we couldn’t message, I got right to work. Once I found the mob of zombies, I took a risk. Not as big of a risk as you, but still, I wasn’t sure if it would work. I tried to imbue my bullets and it worked. Each shot had the same effect as a spellcast. It was hard, but it all worked out in the end.”
“She doesn’t do herself justice,” Ordin intervenes. “The princess was accurate beyond compare. The undead never stood a chance.” He bangs his fist on the table and the ale he is drinking sloshes over the side of the mug.
“And what about you?”
Ordin sits up straight and puffs out his chest.
“I brought them dwarven hell!” He laughs and raises his warhammer in the air. “It was a glorious fight. I found myself surrounded on all sides. Outnumbered. But we dwarves are a tough bunch.”
“Only two of you made it through?” I counter.
“Some are tougher than others.” He smirks.
Tinker takes offense to Ordin’s comments.
“If I’d had a powerful warhammer, I’m sure I could have smashed the buggers around too. But I became a battle-mage so you lot would have at least
one to watch your back.” Tinker’s gray hair falls in a mess around his shoulders. He wears large, round glasses that make his eyes seem ten sizes too large. The staff he carries is made of a vibrant silver metal and holds a blue stone at the top. “I almost made it out of there, too. If I hadn’t run out of mana, I would have blasted them all to smithereens.”
The others just sit back and laugh. Tinker lifts his beer mug, which is the size of my head, and drains it in one swallow.
“At least two of us are around to compete with the princess in the next round.”
“Aye,” the other three say in unison.
“What are your plans while we wait for the next clue?”
“Same as you, I suppose,” says Aleesia. “We’ll keep leveling and searching for better items. You never know what could come in handy. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like.” She smiles at me and I have a hard time saying no.
“We’ll see. I still have to work. I was meaning to ask you, though, are any of you sponsored? I have a few offers and I’ve been thinking about accepting.”
“It’s a good way to make a little extra cash, if you like what they are offering. Nothing worse than getting stuck with a product that sucks and a contract that forces you to keep using it,” says Aleesia.
Extra cash? How much money does she have if the money from sponsors is just icing on the cake? Well, her dad is a developer, so I’m sure they wipe their butts with gold coins.
“Who offered to sponsor you?” she asks.
“A lot of companies, actually, but the one I was excited about was VR HaptiX. I’ve heard they are the best suits around.”
“That’s great. I think they are the same company that sponsors Ryken. My dad uses a HaptiX suit. I’d take the money. Then you’ll have more time to quest with us.” The others nod in agreement.
We spend the next few hours talking about what quests could be next and all the ways the other dwarves failed the first one. It feels good to just sit, hang out, and relax, even if it is only for a few hours.
When I receive a notification saying I need to power up my box soon, I say my good-byes and head home.
In my home portal, I remember the spellbook I looted from the yeti and pull it up in my inventory.
Pangea Online Book One: Death and Axes: A LitRPG Novel Page 12
