“I’m going to go hide and wait until they come after you,” he smiled and paused for dramatic effect.
She gave him a hard look.
“And then stab them in the back,” he finished.
“So, I’m bait.” She looked at the area around the tree and nodded. “That works!”
They both activated their stealth skills and got into position. Jace had just managed to hide behind some particularly dense bushes when he heard Charlena’s bow ring out.
Unsurprisingly, her first arrow, fired from stealth, was a critical hit and the goblin she hit dropped face first in the dirt. The other goblins looked down at their fallen companion and the arrow sticking out of its head and began chattering and pointing around, looking for the bowman - or bow woman in this case.
Her bow rang out again and an arrow appeared in the chest of another goblin. It staggered but didn’t drop. The other goblins looked over to the tree that Charlena was hiding in. This time, the sound had pinpointed her location.
“Elf!” he heard the one goblin scream. “Kill the elf!”
The wounded goblin and two others ran towards the tree while two others stayed behind and poked their spears at the windows, probably trying to keep whoever was inside from leaving.
Another scream came from inside and Jace had to re-evaluate his plan. The roof was blazing by now and two of the goblins were still preventing anyone from escaping. He looked over to the tree to signal Charlena but the elf was already lining up her next shot.
Hoping his companion would hold out on her own, Jace stealthily made his way around the charging goblins with Luna on his heels.
So intent were the enraged goblins, they didn’t notice him at all. He heard two more bow shots as he moved in behind the goblins guarding the house.
When he was right behind the first one, he struck quickly with both his weapons.
You critically stab Firebelly Goblin for 17 damage.
You critically stab Firebelly Goblin for 10 damage.
Firebelly Goblin dies.
You gain 20 experience.
The goblin stiffened and dropped to the dirt. The kill had been silent, but the other goblin saw the motion and turned towards him!
“Me kills you human!” it screamed and charged him with its spear.
Jace was ready for him and used his Vanish ability, side stepping in case the goblin kept running. It didn’t. The thing skidded to a halt and desperately looked around for its quarry.
Obliging him, Jace appeared just as his rapier and dagger stabbed the goblin through the heart and the throat.
You critically stab Firebelly Goblin for 18 damage.
You critically stab Firebelly Goblin for 7 damage.
Firebelly Goblin dies.
You gain 20 experience.
Looking into the window, Jace saw two farmers inside, huddling for protection. “It’s okay. You can come out now.”
The two villagers obviously heard him but they shook their heads. “What about the big one?”
Big one? Jace spun just as he felt pain explode from his side. The villagers were right. The goblin who had stabbed him was almost a head taller than the other goblins had been and broader. He didn’t need to view it in his HUD to realize this was a mini-boss.
Firebelly Raid Leader stabs YOU for 5 damage.
You are Bleeding.
Jace gasped as he felt the barbed spear penetrate his side and something inside him and then gasped again as the goblin yanked it free. He activated his Vanish and stabbed back at the larger goblin.
You critically stab Firebelly Raid Leader for 17 damage.
You critically stab Firebelly Raid Leader for 9 damage.
The goblin raid leader let out a howl of pain but it didn’t die. Jace knew he was in trouble. He didn’t have enough mana for another Vanish. His health was down to 8 so he could take one more strike. The second one would kill him.
The goblin leader seemed to sense that Jace was outmatched and laughed. “You are puny, human.”
“And you are ugly!” Jace spat back at him.
That surprised the goblin and bought Jace a few extra seconds. “You speak goblin tongue? Not as ignorant as other humans.”
YOU Bleed for 1 damage.
Jace had forgotten about the bleeding message. It was a condition that caused you to continue to lose health for a specific time period from a few seconds to a minute. It wouldn’t matter in this case, because he didn’t think he had a minute.
Punctuating his thought, the raid leader struck out, quick as a snake.
Firebelly Raid Leader stabs YOU for but you Dodge.
Your Dodge skill has increased by 1.
YOU Bleed for 1 damage.
His dodge skill had saved him, but it had only just postponed the inevitable. The goblin’s next strike would kill him.
Intent on going down fighting, Jace stabbed out with his thin sword and dagger. Both blades connected.
You stab Firebelly Goblin for 7 damage.
You stab Firebelly Goblin for 5 damage.
But it wasn’t enough to kill the thing. Jace braced for the inevitable and hoped Charlena could finish it off once he died.
“Out of tricks human,” the thing observed. “Now you die!”
“Use mine,” came a voice in his head he recognized as Luna.
“What?” he sent back as he saw the goblin raid leader brace for another thrust.
“Use mine!” came Luna’s voice again.
“Use your what?!” he sent back. Time seemed to slow as the goblin thrust his spear forward, aimed at Jace’s chest. Suddenly, an orange blur darted into the path of the spear, taking the hit meant for him.
Luna uses Protect Master.
Firebelly Raid Leader stabs Luna for 5 damage.
Luna is Bleeding.
Luna howled as the little cat was impaled by the spear. She fell to the side, wounded but still alive. She’d used some special familiar ability to save him. And now she was wounded.
Jace felt rage fill him, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. He prepared to stab at the creature when he heard the cat’s voice again.
“Use mana,” Luna told him in a pained voice.
“I don’t have any more,” he shot back, getting ready to strike.
“Mine!” she nearly screamed at him.
Hers? What did she mean hers? Then he sensed it. She had mana too. The mana he’d used when summoning her. Experimentally, he reached for it and found he could touch it. She had 6 mana left of the ten he’d used to summon her. That ability she used must have drained some of it already. But 6 was enough.
Drawing on Luna’s mana, he used Vanish, sidestepped the goblin leader and stabbed both of his weapons into the thing’s back.
You critically stab Firebelly Raid Leader for 15 damage.
You critically stab Firebelly Raid Leader for 9 damage.
And he looked disbelieving as the thing didn’t go down. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
YOU Bleed for 1 damage.
Luna is Bleeding.
The raider leader spun around, about to stab Jace when there was a twang and an arrow appeared in its head.
Almedha Pressalor shoots Firebelly Raid Leader for 16 damage.
Firebelly Raid Leader dies.
You gain 120 experience.
Jace looked over to see Charlena partially behind a tree and smiled. He walked over to Luna, who was lying on her side.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
She gave him that “are you crazy” look. “No. Hurt.”
“You saved me,” he said, stroking the cat’s fur. He felt his eyes moisten and had to blink several times.
“Yes,” Luna responded, her voice still pained.
“What happened? Will she be okay?” Charlena bent down and scratched the cat’s chin.
“She used some special ability to save me,” Jace said, his voice rough. “She took the hit instead.”
“I don’t think she regenerates like we do,” J
ace replied. His pain was already fading as his health and mana regenerated now that combat was over.
“What? So, she’ll die?”
Jace shook his head. Her wound wouldn’t heal and she would be in pain. He had to help her. He knew what he needed to do. Luna seemed to sense it as well.
“Yes,” she said.
Bringing up his HUD, he found the cat icon mentally clicked it.
“Goodbye, Luna,” he said. Choosing Dismiss Familiar, Jace watched Luna fade away.
Chapter 29
“Where’d Luna go?” Charlena asked as the cat faded away.
“I dismissed her,” Jace grunted and fell back, gritting his teeth against the pain as his virtual flesh knitted itself back together.
Charlena winced and gave him a sympathetic look. “That looks like it really hurts.”
“’Tis but a flesh wound,” Jace smiled in his best British accent, but the effect was ruined as a spasm of pain wracked him from the regeneration process.
“At least your arm’s not missing,” she said and winked.
An older man and woman came running out of the house. They were coughing but otherwise seemed to be unhurt. “They… the…” the man started but fell into a coughing fit. “Goblins… gone?”
“We killed them,” Charlena told them gently.
“Thank you,” the woman told them. The two villagers held each other as they continued to cough and watch the flame devour their burning house. He thought he heard the woman softly sobbing.
Jace knew they were just NPCs in a virtual world but he found it difficult not to sympathize with them. What would happen to them without a house? Jace looked around the farm. Most of their livestock had been killed by the goblins or had run off. Would they even have food to eat?
As if reading his mind, Charlena moved closer and bent down and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Are these people going to be okay? Should we… give them money or something?”
Jace thought about it for a moment. Perhaps there was something they could do. The game created quests based on changing events. They might be able to help the villagers and help themselves at the same time.
Groaning as he got to his feet, Jace turned to the couple. His HUD identified them as Aiden and Chastity.
“Aiden, Chastity, I’m sorry this happened to you,” he told them sincerely. They may be artificial people, but they were still people. “Is there anything we can do to help you?”
Both of the farmers spoke up at the same time, stopped, looked at each other and then continued speaking.
“Dem goblins need to pay for what they did!” Aiden demanded. “We’s peaceful folk! They had no right attacking us like that and slaughtering our cows! Especially old Bessy”
Aiden of Sinking Springs has offered you the quest, “Payback for Bessy”
Reward: +100 faction with Residents of Sinking Springs, +100 faction with Aiden.
Accept quest? (Yes or No)
“All of hens done ran off! We’ll need them for their eggs, and maybe for eatin’ if they don’t lay no eggs!” Chastity told them.
Chastity of Sinking Springs has offered you the quest, “A Bird in Hand”
Reward: +100 faction with Residents of Sinking Springs, +100 faction with Chastity.
Accept quest? (Yes or No)
“We’ll be glad to help,” Jace accepted both quests and ignored a pointed look from Charlena.
“Once you finish those,” Chastity said. “I’m sure we can find you more work. If’n your up for it.”
“Thank you, we’ll get right on those,” he told them and then motioning for Charlena to follow him, walked over to the road.
“That’s not what I meant,” Charlena said as soon as they were out of earshot. “I meant, help them rebuild their house or buy them food or give them money.”
“I know,” Jace nodded. “And we can still do that. But this is how the game works. When NPCs need something, they give out quests. Completing the quest helps them and also helps us.”
Charlena opened her mouth to protest but Jace held up his hand. “If we do all their quests and they still need help, we can decide the best way to help them then. But in the meantime, we can help them AND gain some experience. Deal?”
She considered for a minute and then nodded. “I guess that makes sense. But let’s get the hens first so they’ll have some food…”
“Okay,” Jace agreed. “But let me summon Luna first.”
Jace checked his health and mana and seeing they were both full, he moved off the road and sat behind a tree.
He then summoned Luna, pushing as much health and mana as he could into the summoning. The process was just as painful as the last time and he was left on gasping on his side when she finally appeared.
Charlena bent down and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It really hurts when you summon her?”
“Every time,” Jace said as Luna walked over and rubbed herself against him. “Feeling better?”
Luna purred. “Yes.”
“Thanks for saving me. You’re a brave little cat,” he told her and scratched her chin affectionately.
“Yes.”
It took Jace and Charlena over an hour to find the eight hens that were missing. By the time they returned, almost a dozen other villagers had come to help the couple. Jace and Charlena turned the hens over to Chastity and completed the quest.
“Now we go after the goblins,” Jace said.
“How do we do that?” Charlena asked. “Do you know where the goblins came from?”
“No, but I know where the trail is,” he told her. He’d been using his tracking skill while they were hunting down the hens and had found the goblins trail. They’d come from the south, which Jace found odd. He’d scouted further south after his encounter with Duglas, wondering if there was a tribe nearby. Even after searching for miles around, he hadn’t found any trace of any other goblin. So where had these come from?
“Something wrong?” Charlena asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.
“I found their trail when we were looking for the hens,” he told her.
She looked him in the eyes. “I hear a BUT…”
“But,” he continued as he felt a smile creep across his face. “I searched this area after Duglas, looking for more goblins. I was hoping I could get more armor pieces from them.”
She frowned. “But you didn’t find any did you?”
“No,” he replied. “Which begs the question…”
“Where did these come from,” she finished, looking around. She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Did the game just spawn them?”
“It’s possible,” Jace responded, but he wasn’t convinced. It seemed too convenient. Plus, he felt somehow drawn to the south without quite knowing why. Something just didn’t feel right but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Do you not want to go?” Charlena asked him. “I mean, it’s not like we have to do every quest.”
“No, we should go,” Jace told her. He didn’t know what the strange feeling that was drawing him south was, but he wanted to find out. Perhaps he'd find the answer south. “Yes, let’s go.”
They set off south, following the trail Jace had found earlier. While the footprints were a little older, there were so many of them that it was easy to follow. The trail continued south for what Jace guessed was five or six miles before they came to a river.
Charlena had maxed out her Tracking skill following the trail and she bent down to examine the tracks to get a new heading. Jace felt that odd feeling pulling again but this time to the east.
“East,” she said as she stood up. “The trail turns east along the river.”
Jace felt uneasy. Whatever the feeling was that was pulling him along seemed to be in the same direction the goblins had come from. He looked down at Luna, who had been dutifully following them. “Do you feel like something is drawing you to the east?”
The little cat looked up at him curiously. “Drawing?”
“Do
you feel like something is pulling you in a specific direction?” he tried.
The cat moved it’s head from side to side and then looked back at him. “No.”
“Is that a private conversation or can anyone join?” Charlena chimed in and Jace looked up to see her smirking at him. “You were talking cat language again.”
“Sorry,” he apologized. “Do you feel drawn to any particular direction?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“I have this feeling,” he told her. “That seemed to be drawing me in the same direction as the trail of goblins. Do you have anything like that?”
Charlena seemed to go introspective for a long moment and then shrugged. “Not that I can tell.” Her face suddenly brightened and then her eyes went glassy for a moment.
When her eyes came back into focus, she bit her tongue as she went introspective again.
“Darn. I thought turning my sensory level up might let me feel something, but I don’t feel anything pulling me in a certain direction.”
“Bummer,” Jace said and gave her a head nod. “But that was a good idea. I didn’t even think about that.”
She looked pleased. “Thank you! What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know,” Jace told her. “But I think we should be careful.”
“That sounds like good advice.”
They followed the river east for a few miles until they entered a hilly area. The river weaved in between the hills. The trail followed the river and so did they. All the while, the odd feeling kept growing, and Jace was feeling more and more nervous. He almost felt like he’d had too much caffeine and his nerves were on edge.
Finally, they rounded a bend in the river and realized they’d found their destination. They’d found the goblin village. At least, Jace thought it might be the goblin village. Huts dotted the hillside in front of them. They looked like typical crude huts. All except the large one in the center.
The center hut wasn't a hut. It looked more like a very crude log cabin. But that wasn’t the strangest thing about the village. The goblins had constructed a fence around their village of sharpened sticks and logs driven into the ground. Jace had never seen goblins do that. They weren’t builders. Was there another creature in charge of the goblins?
VEIL Online - Book 1 Page 19
