Spellcraft

by Andrew Beymer

  “Roll out the cannons and bring her down!” Korsob shouted.

  Yeah, an airship that wasn’t for transportation descending into their midsts bristling with cannons that’d recently been used to blow them up seemed like the kind of thing that would intimidate. And sure enough as the ship set down the crowd parted around us, looking up with a mixture of fear and awe in the case of humans and a mixture of anticipation and awe for the goblins watching us land.

  One of the nice things about working with gems that could defy the in game equivalent of gravity, really just a couple of numbers on some server somewhere that told the game which direction was down, was that the landing was a lot lighter than what I imagined it would feel like to be in a plane or some other mechanical contraption that allowed man to defy gravity.

  Not that I’d know. I’d never been even remotely close to riding on a plane or a helicopter in the real world. my only experience was in Horizon modules, so I had no real world basis of comparison.

  "Lower the ramp," I said.

  "Last chance," Rezzik said.

  "Would you stop trying to second-guess me?" I growled, irritation seeping into my voice.

  “The man’s right! Where’s your sense of adventure?” Korsob asked.

  I’d snapped at Rezzik, but I was more irritated at myself than anything. After all, the more people tried to get me to rethink what I was doing, the more I thought what they were saying was perfectly reasonable. After all, I was about to willingly step into a crowd I’d been doing my best to murder-death-kill for the past few hours.

  To be fair they'd been the assholes who started it, but still.

  Rezzik shrugged. It was a fatalistic shrug. The kind of shrug that seemed to say "your funeral" without coming out and saying it in so many words.

  "Thanks for the vote of confidence," I said, grinning to show him I didn’t mean it.

  The ramp lowered and I walked forward. For a wonder the Horizon Dawn people assembled around the fountain in the central circle of Nilbog didn't try to overwhelm that ramp and take over the ship. If I’d been the one commanding that group I would've tried to take over one of these fantastical new flying machines that had suddenly appeared in the skies this morning and completely upended the player versus payer tactical situation in the game.

  I stepped off and the ramp went up behind me. So much for a vote of confidence from the goblins on the airship. I could feel the thing lifting into the air behind me. There was a slight increase in humming from the levitation crystals and a rush of wind as something very large suddenly ceased occupying the space behind me.

  It was a weird feeling, but I didn't turn around and look at my only potential source of salvation.

  No, I needed to be a cool and confident here. Turning around and looking at my salvation taking off and hovering over the crowd to rain death and destruction the moment it looked like I was in trouble would be the opposite of cool and collected.

  Though it was difficult to feel any of that confidence as I looked out at the crowd staring at me. There were goblins, guards and civilians alike, mixed in with players from both Horizon Dawn and not. None of the Horizon Dawn people were threatening those goblins, not outright, but their very presence promised the potential for violence that I desperately wanted to avoid.

  “Hello there,” I said, grinning a cocky half grin that was my best imitation of a young Ewan McGregor.

  81

  The Duke

  "Let me through!"

  There was a commotion in the crowd. Though nobody seemed to be in a mood to move. I smiled. I recognized that voice, and I took it at as a good sign that no one was listening to that voice for a change.

  "Get out of my way!"

  There was a flareup in the middle of the crowd and some people cried out in dismay. That was followed by a not so subtle explosion and a fireball going off.

  After that people started getting out of the way with all the alacrity of a group trying to get the fuck out of the way of somebody with a gun.

  "That's more like it you insects!" The distinctive and nasally voice of Kravos said.

  I rolled my eyes. These assholes couldn't have played into my hands better if I’d planned it.

  "I still think you're talking crazy," Keia said. "But I’m calling a truce so you can tell me what's going on down there? I can’t see anything in the crowd from my perch.”

  I didn’t look around at the tops of buildings. I was sure there were way more Horizon Dawn stealthers perched up there waiting to see what happened here today than Keia could take care of all by her onesies if it came down to it.

  "I think I'm about to have a conversation with some old friends of yours," I said.

  "Fucking great," Keia said.

  I could hear the eye roll on the other end of the line, but I kept my face schooled to an impassive expression. The last thing I wanted to do was laugh in front of these assholes and make them think I thought there was something amusing about this whole situation.

  Of course there was something amusing about the idea of me standing here in the middle of an army of my enemies with no way to defend myself and still I was acting like I was the one in charge and everyone around me was acting like they were inclined to believe me, but I didn't want them to suddenly realize how ridiculous this all was and turn on me.

  Finally the asshole I’d been waiting for appeared at the front of the crowd, though Torian had to throw some elbows to get there. He looked none too happy when he finally reached me. He stared at me and there was pure malevolence there. But it was an impotent malevolence, even if he didn't quite realize it yet.

  "Well hello there Trent," I said, deliberately using his real-world name to piss him off even more. "Fancy meeting you here!"

  "My name is Torian you asshole!” Trent yelled, spittle flying from his mouth.

  “Say it, don’t spray it man,” I said, taking my time to wipe the spit off my face.

  "I'm going to kill you!" Torian said. He drew his sword and pointed it at me. "Kill him!"

  “Well which is it?” I asked. “Are you going to kill me, or are you going to have your bootlickers do the killing for you again?”

  Gregor raised a dagger. Kravos raised a hand and did that old thing where he let flames dance from his fingertips.

  I needed to act, and I needed to act fast. Before these assholes had a chance to fuck me over and the spell broke.

  "Do you really want to do that?" I asked.

  There must've been something about the way I phrased that question that got through to them. Kravos froze. Gregor was still in the process of throwing a dagger, but a goblin guard in the crowd next to him nudged him as he threw and the dagger went wide. It moved just past my head and slammed against the statue behind me of a goblin being subjugated by a human, then fell into the fountain with a loud plop.

  "What do you mean do I really want to do that?" Torian shouted. "You assholes need to listen! Why aren't you killing him like I told you to?"

  "Let me ask you a question," I said, ignoring Torian and looking at the crowd. "Why are any of you still listening to this asshole?”

  That got the crowd to look at each other for a bit of critical self-reflection. It was a start. Not much, but a start. I was dancing a razor’s edge, and I knew that at any moment everything could go pear-shaped. But I had to try.

  "This asshole has led you to defeat multiple times!" I shouted. "Why do you follow him?"

  "Because we get weapons!" someone shouted.

  "And a town to call home base! It sucks out there for players who aren't affiliated with a guild!"

  "You see that?" Torian said. "You might think you’re something special, but I have their undying loyalty!"

  I put my hands together behind my back and shook my head. I tried my best to look sad. I wasn't sure how well I was doing, acting had always been more of a hobby than something I actually seriously pursued, but it seemed to be good enough to get everyone's attention.

  "That's a hell of a
reason to be loyal to someone," I said. "Especially when all that is about to disappear."

  "What are you talking about?" Torian shouted. "Don't listen to him! I doesn't know what he's talking about!"

  "Has anyone checked the Auction House lately?" I asked. "Has anyone looked to see what's for sale out there? How well Horizon stuff is doing?"

  "It's not nearly as good as the new stuff!” someone shouted.

  "Exactly," I said. “Horizon stuff is selling like shit because I've been flooding the market with stuff I've been creating. All those weapons are mine. I've been putting them up. I've been outselling Horizon. Discounting and killing them by giving you, the players, better shit. What do you think of that?"

  "I think you're a lying piece of shit,” Torian shouted.

  "So are you saying if we join you we get free stuff?" a player shouted.

  I laughed. Shook my head.

  "I'm not going to get any of you to join me for those reasons," I said. "I don't want you to join me. I don't want people who killed goblins indiscriminately, I don't want people who are only loyal to me because they think they can get a better deal, and I sure as hell don’t want people who were willing to swear allegiance to Horizon of all things to get an advantage in the game. No, I don't want your loyalty, but I also don't want Torian and Horizon leaving here with your loyalty either."

  "Why the fuck should we listen to you?" One of the Horizon Dawn assholes shouted. “You were killing us earlier!”

  "That's simple," I said, looking around. "I think it's time for a change in the decoration around here."

  I looked down at a new interface I’d been playing with since the goblin king made me the Duke of Nilbog. I figured it was time to do something with that interface. So I changed the decorations all around town to the nice new banner I’d put together on the trip over.

  I could get custom art done and have it approved, but some placeholder stuff that was already in the game would have to do for the moment. It’s not like anyone else had taken control of a territory, so there was no worry about duplicating someone else’s art.

  Besides, the image of a gem surrounded by an explosion might be cobbled together from premade images, but I figured it summed up my new guild and the new banner for my territory pretty damn well.

  The change was immediate. Banners unfurled. Flags appeared flying over the town as they appeared seemingly by magic.

  I was especially excited to see that the unfurling banners unfurled right over any Horizon Dawn banners that might’ve been hanging from any buildings. That was one hell of a “fuck you” to Horizon Dawn!

  Most importantly, though, were the giant banners that rolled down from the front of the massive keep in the center of Nilbog. The one that opened up right into the town circle. The keep that belonged to the person who ran things around here.

  A gate opened in front and an elderly goblin who looked distinguished despite his age stepped out into the circle. At first it looked like he might have some trouble getting out to me, but then goblin guards were there pushing the human crowd to the side and being none to gentle about it.

  So it wasn’t long before the elderly goblin stood before me and sketched a deep bow. There were a few pops and creaks from his old body as he made the bow, but he made it.

  "Welcome to Nilbog my Duke," he said.

  "What the fuck is this?" Torian shouted.

  "Simple," I said. “I’m the Duke of Nilbog, and I’m coming for Horizon. You can run and tell your bosses I’m going to drive them out of business in this game, and I'm starting by driving you out of the business of running things in this town.”

  I raised my voice as I turned to address everyone in the gathered crowd.

  "I am the rightful Duke of Nilbog and the noble in charge of this region by royal decree of the goblin king! That means this is all my territory now. Not Horizon Dawn’s. You never had a legitimate claim, and you are commanded to either forswear your allegiance to Horizon Dawn immediately, or leave."

  "And what if we don't want to follow your orders, noob?” Gregor asked, flashing a dagger in between his fingers.

  I nodded once. There was a wet noise and a moment later Gregor was looking down in some consternation at the sword that had been shoved through his midsection.

  Though it wouldn't be entirely fair to call it a sword. No, it had more in common with a large kitchen knife than a sword, but in the hands of the goblin guard wielding it, the one who'd been standing behind Gregor and kept him from throwing his dagger at me, it was deadly enough.

  "What the…"

  Those were Gregor’s last words before he fell. He hit the ground and his body decomposed leaving a chest behind.

  Torian leaned down as though he was going to grab that chest, but I nodded to the guard again. The guard reached down and picked it up and the chest disappeared. Then the goblin raised his weapon to Torian as though daring him to try something.

  "Look around you," I said. "The moment you lost that battle out at the Goblinsteel Mines this town ceased to be your town and it became mine. Mine and the goblins."

  A cheer rose from the goblins. A cheer that was made somewhat menacing by the fact that most of them were brandishing nasty looking cutlery that they looked like they had every intention of using on any of the humans in Horizon Dawn who didn't make the right choice in the next few minutes.

  “As to your question," I said. "I think it should be obvious what's going to happen to anyone who is still in Horizon Dawn livery by the end of the day. Do with that information what you will."

  The assembled players from Horizon Dawn stared at me for a long moment. Players who weren’t part of Horizon Dawn were also looking at them, and there seemed to be more than a little schadenfreude in those looks. As though those people hadn’t cared for getting pushed around by Horizon Dawn all this time, and were glad to see them finally getting their comeuppance.

  It was a sentiment I could totally identify with.

  "You fucking coward!” Torian shouted. "You have no idea what I'm going to do to you. What we're going to do to you!"

  I shrugged. "I'm a lot of things. A master of war. A captain of industry. But there's one thing I'm definitely not, and that's a coward."

  I nodded and several more goblins appeared around Torian as if out of nowhere. Maybe they were using stealth abilities or something. Either way, one moment they weren’t their, and the next moment they were. The important thing was they took Torian by surprise, and it was a moment of surprise Torian immediately regretted.

  The goblins stabbed the asshole in the feet. Like their swords went straight through his armored feet and into the ground. Which was something to behold.

  It took a moment for Torian to realize he'd been stabbed. He looked, looking for all the world like a coyote coming to terms with the fact that he'd run off a cliff and gravity was about to violently reassert itself. Then the pain hit and he threw his head up and screamed. He tried to move, but of course he had a couple of those kitchen knife swords buried in his feet which made it difficult for him to do much of anything other than create an even worse wound every time he moved.

  The goblins smacked Torian in the side and he went down to his knees. He stared up at me with pure fury, but it was an impotent fury. I was well aware there wasn't a single fucking thing Torian was going to be able to do to stop me now. This was my moment of triumph, but I decided I could be a little magnanimous in that moment of triumph.

  So I walked up to Torian. The crowd had gone silent again. There weren’t nearly as many people in Horizon Dawn livery now as there'd been just a moment ago.

  I grinned. At least I was finally getting through to these assholes. It took kicking their asses six ways from Sunday and completely upending their idea of how the game world was supposed to work at sword point, but I was finally getting through to them.

  "I don't want you to think I'm a complete monster, so I'm going to show some small mercy to your former leader here."

  "This is
your idea of mercy?" Torian shouted.

  I shrugged. "In a way it is. I’m going to give you something you demanded from me the last couple of times we met."

  Torian's eyes went wide as I held my hand out and selected a Horizon Syndicate dagger from my inventory. It had the same glowing red runes dancing across it that I’d come to recognize from all Horizon Dawn equipment.

  It disgusted me to carry it in my inventory, but I’d made an exception just this once on the off chance I could make this point.

  "See?" I said, smiling. “You always seemed so upset that I stole your precious gear. You’re constantly carping at me to give your gear back. Never say I'm not generous."

  I raised my voice so that last bit was loud enough that everyone in the circle could hear me. The Horizon Dawn players, both former and current, looked at me with a dawning realization of horror as they figured out where I was going with this. The goblins, as one, leaned forward. Their ears pointed forward as they stared intently.

  I looked down to Torian and grinned just before I finally returned a piece of his precious gear by embedding it against his neck.

  Torian choked and took a long time to bleed out. I couldn’t even feel bad for him, considering the last time I’d been at this fountain watching someone bleed out it’d been Kris suffering.

  Finally Torian's body dissolved into a small chest. One of the goblins moved forward as though he was going to grab it, but I held up a hand to stop him.

  "Leave it there," I said. "A monument to what happens to anyone who supports Horizon within my borders."

  I looked to the crowd. Sure there were still a few pockets of Horizon Dawn supporters here and there, but most of them weren't wearing their tabards and didn’t have the icon hovering over their heads any longer. For a surprise one of those was Kravos. His eyes bored into mine, and he shrugged.

  "I know a losing proposition when I see one," he said. "And I like it around here. I don't want to have to pull up stakes and start somewhere else."