by TJ Reynolds
— Sir Alysand Rowl Deschaney III
HANA
Our vigorous assault against the platter of food we’d been served had begun to flag. Despite our combined prowess, there were only so many pieces of bacon, muffins, salted eggs, and cups of coffee any warrior could manage.
Madi had outdone herself, perhaps quite literally, and she slumped in her seat nursing a sick belly. “I’m an idiot. Every morena knows not to go all-out at breakfast. I’m gonna be sleepy all day.” She kicked her boots up on an empty chair nearby.
Alysand sat back, hands folded behind his head in satisfaction. “Merrianne’s cafe is not a place for those who lack self-control. It seems that you’ve met your match, young lady.”
“Watch it or I’ll barf on you, Alice.”
He smiled smugly, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face. I looked over and noted that even Pachi and Tejón looked stuffed. They’d each been brought a butchered goat and had finished nearly every scrap.
The waiter came and cleared our plates, and I thought we might be given a few minutes of peace to enjoy our full bellies, but a man walked over to our table and cleared his throat.
It was the mayor.
“Well, if it isn’t our strident heroes. Finished vanquishing your plates, I see. And none too soon. I am afraid that I have some bad news for you all, and possibly a request.” He gestured grandly for an audience that wasn’t there.
Thankfully, Alysand took point on this engagement and responded. “Another deranged god looting and rampaging the foothills? I can’t say I would mind, as the profit seemed quite substantial. However, I am loathe to die, so this time, I would certainly prefer a smaller god.”
The mayor laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. “No, I am afraid not. As I am sure you have heard, a few weeks back, our iron mine was taken from us. It wasn’t the property of Benham proper, but one of our oldest and most prosperous families. And many of our men made an honest living working the mine as well.”
“What happened?” I asked. “We heard the ratkin took it over. Is that true?” My interest perked up at the relevance of the topic.
“They did. Came with some trow goblins and flushed out our miners. A few of the men were killed, sadly, but most did make it back to town. They’ve been helping out on the farms ever since. If you are destined to have empty pockets, better not to have an empty belly as well.” Sherman Hesperine, in all his faded glory, sat down at our table and tried to drop his act. The problem was that even this seemed a show, as if he were trying to let us know he was “getting real” with us. It was cringeworthy.
Though the man had once been handsome, his face was drawn and pale. He looked like he’d been leached of blood somehow, and even though the morning was verging on chilly, a thin sheen of sweat covered his brow.
“Have you sent scouts up to see if the place is still occupied?” Alysand said, maintaining his relaxed pose. “And do you know their numbers?”
“We did at first. Several dozen ratkin and a bunch of miners were seen entering the mines, but eventually, the scout was flushed out and nearly lost his life. We have since kept our distance.”
I nudged my way into the conversation, asking the obvious. “And you want us to get rid of the infestation?” When he nodded, I continued. “We were going to head that way anyhow. We accept.”
“Good, good. We are all quite hopeful to have this blight gone. Do you think you’ll head there straight away?” His tone was suddenly strained. I caught a brief flash of suspicion in Alysand’s eyes as well, but he covered it instantly.
The gunsinger sat up properly and stood. He stretched out a hand and patted the mayor on his shoulder. “Soon enough, Mr. Hesperine. Soon enough. We will of course need to make plans, but no worries, we will be sure to depart within a week or so. There are a great many things I need to do before departing again on another adventure. I am sure you understand.”
The mayor’s face was momentarily flummoxed, disappointed even. But then he recovered, glued on another megawatt smile, and bowed to our table. “Of course, of course. I can’t expect our trifles to bother you overmuch. Please just inform me when you decide to head out, and I will send a few of our heartiest lads with you. The least we could do is make sure you head in the right direction.”
He left in a flurry of coattails and lofty ambition.
“Ew,” Madi said as she pulled herself up off the chair and stood. “The little man is such a creep. I pity his wife. What’s the deal, though? He was hiding something, and so are you, Alysand.”
“Yeah, we only just met him, but is he always so…” I trailed off, searching for the right words.
“Like a seller of salt and sand in a port town? Yes. But he has changed. Something is wrong about him. I think we should leave town soon, tonight if it’s possible. My stomach tells me that we don’t want to tell him precisely when we decide to head out, though I’m not sure why.”
I glanced at the quest we’d just received, wanting to see what information was available.
Stop the Rat King Part 1: Epic Quest. A second source, the somewhat shady Mayor Hesperine, has asked that you and your allies investigate the mines. Clear out the infestation of ratkin to complete this quest and resolve any other conflicts you encounter while there. Status: Incomplete. Rewards: Knowledge about The Rat King’s forces, 3000 XP.
We left a few gold coins on the table, enough for a dozen meals, and headed back up toward Garren’s farm. A few of the townsfolk noticed us on our way, and we received a few more waves. Still, our departure was as subtle as it could have been.
When we got there, Garren met us outside of his house and greeted us.
Alysand approached the man. “Garren, I know we just got here, but I believe we will be leaving this night. We will head to the iron mine, but don’t want anyone to know about it. Darkness should help. Heading out through town, regardless of the hour, will give us away, though. Do you know another way?”
“Take the trail behind my house,” Garren said. “It heads away from the cave you all got to know so well and veers up into the hills towards the mines. The passes are dangerous though, especially at night. Still,”—he glanced up at the sky—“it does seem likely to be a clear night and the moon is close to full. With this one here, I’m sure you’ll be alright.” Garren finished pointing to me, and I couldn’t help but run a hand through my hair, my fingers grazing my elongated ears.
“It is decided, then,” Alysand said. “Are you two prepared? I only have a nap to catch and a few children to chase before I’m ready.” He declared this even as he rubbed at the fatigue in his eyes.
“I’m good. With this new weapon, I could take on anything right now,” Madi said as she patted the head of her axe.
They looked at me and I nodded. “I am ready as well. Tumsley was nice enough to buy me new arrows.”
“I’m aware of the odd behavior of travelers,” Alysand said cheerfully. “I am of this world, though, so while you are away, I’ll be on the furs near the fire. If you’ll excuse me, then!” Alysand walked away with Garren to the house.
“I should, too,” Madi said. “Log out, that is. I’ll post my stuff and I promise I’ll get us both rich. See you in… four or five hours?”
“Yeah, I’ll message you if it’s going to take any longer. My friend Shin has been a bit off lately, and I want to track him down and make sure he’s okay.”
We said goodbye with an awkward fist bump, and after telling Pachi when I would return, I logged off.
I opened my eyes and began to stretch out my limbs. Thankfully, the immersion sickness had begun to fade, and I woke now with only a bit of soreness. Still, I ordered Gita to get me the gamer tonic, as Elendil had said it continued to help users “adapt and excel” at gaming. I couldn’t argue with the AI.
Speaking of my favorite non-corporeal friend, I said hello and asked the question that had been on my mind for over a day now. “Elendil… are you good with the Interworld Exchange? I need to sell some ite
ms.”
“Of course, Hana! I would love to assist you. It is more than frustrating when I am told to mind my own business. Truly, there is no entity more suited to help you than I. The entire market is available to me, and I know all the current trends as well as the many items you wish to sell. Do you want to sell all of the items, or save some for crafting?”
I stood up and wiggled my toes on the ground before crossing over to my desk. “I want to sell it all. I need as much as possible, so I don’t mind waiting a bit if it helps.”
“Well, you are in luck, Hana. Currently, there are no other items like it in your realm, so they should fetch a high price. I will set them to Auction instead of Buy Now and get the highest likely price point. Would you like me to take the following items from your inventory: Legendary Bear Meat (20 units), Bone Plates (15 units), Marduk’s Claws (7 units), Swath of Marduk Pelt (4 units), God Bones (50 units), God Bear Ribs (12 units)? Please say confirm, and I will place them in the Interworld Exchange auction house.”
A feeling of hope and anxiety filled my belly. I knew that Elendil had a much better chance at making a profit than I could, so that part was easy. But what if it wasn’t enough? The image of the woman from the AllHands Inc. email video entered my mind. Sophia, an obviously scripted puppet, had said it all. “Why wait until the deadline? Join the happy ranks of indent workers here at AllHands Inc. They’ll help you take a bite out of your debt problem.”
“Yes,” I said. “I mean, confirm. Do your best, Elendil. I need to go train.”
I couldn’t help but think of my father as I made my way to the exercise rooms. The debt I’d so luckily inherited did not come itemized. What had he done to rake up so much debt anyhow? And what would he think or feel knowing that I was now stuck trying to pay it back for him? I dismissed the vortex of questions before they began to tug me down under the surface of uncertainties. There was little I could do but try my best. That approach, at least, I knew my father would approve of.
There was no sign of Shin as I made my way to the training rooms. I had hoped to see him in the dining area or playing some game with a buddy. His absence was tangible.
When the door closed behind me, I set the walls to opaque, and spoke aloud to my omniscient friend. “Hey Elendil, I’d like to practice with my new ability before I’m in actual combat. Is that possible?”
“Yes, of course. Are you referring to Blessing of the Bear?”
“Yep! Would you mind reading off the deets?”
“If you mean details, no problem. Blessing of the Bear: Because you landed the killing blow on a Legendary creature, you have been given a special boon. When activated, this ability grows bone plates over existing armor. 80% of all incoming damage received is nullified. Ability absorbs up to 100% of total HP. Duration: 3 minutes. My, I must say this is a fine skill you have managed to acquire. It is exceedingly rare. Only a handful of players per year receive it, as the creature Marduk is not commonly spawned.”
“It does sound awesome. So how does this work?”
“I will set you up with a combat simulation, throw some evil denizens your way, and when you feel it is most appropriate, call out the command Blessing of the Bear verbally. True cerebral integration is not possible in the training room, so you must not rely on mental commands. Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.”
I stood in the middle of the training room and cleared my mind. As my nerves began to settle, I felt the familiar weight of my katana tug at my hip. I pulled free the simulated sword, and took a stance that balanced attack and defense, Chudan no Kamae.
Enemies began to run at me from the corners of the room, their pixilated forms condensing from thin air. This time, Elendil got creative. Some were the forms of ratkin, others squat trow goblins. A few taller trolls appeared and lumbered my way. This first wave was easy, the enemies sluggish, their attacks moving so slow I could easily sidestep them and shatter their forms with my sword.
After a few more minutes, Elendil asked me, “Ready for some advanced training, Hana? Or would you prefer slow and steady?”
“Bring it on,” was all I said before a row of new enemies rose from the floor.
They charged, this time with speed imbuing their movements. I dodged an attack from a sword-wielding ratkin and ducked under a heavy axe swung by an orc. I managed to take one of their numbers down by cutting through a leg as I rolled away, but their numbers quickly pushed me into the corner of the room. I was trapped.
I darted toward them, sword coming down in an overhead strike. Only one thing could turn the tables, and Elendil had known precisely what he was doing. “Blessing of the Bear!” I shouted as my sword crashed down into the head of one of the frontline fighters. As the enemy exploded into fragments of light, I felt rows of bone plating building out from my back and shoulders. It expanded, piece by piece, like some morbid mecha, running down my arms and legs. A few plates even crawled up the back of my neck and wrapped over my head, stopping just over my eyes, with the sides growing around my cheekbones.
The whole process took no more than a second, and it was just in time. Two swords and an axe crashed into me. I felt the force, but everything was muted by the bone armor.
“By Isildur’s Bane—that is so cool!” I screamed to myself, letting two more strikes hack away at me. Then I noticed an icon in my peripheral vision showing a suit of armor. The icon had turned from green to a light yellow. I had to get moving quickly.
I backpedaled away from the wild swing of the orc’s axe just in time to avoid another blow, then followed its retreat by slashing its throat. Another sword landed in my side, and rather than wait or move back, I pushed forward, cutting sideways through the ratkin’s belly. It too exploded in a shower of light.
I was left facing four more enemies. Suddenly, their silhouettes blazed with a blue light, and their movements sped up once more. They were a blur of motion, and though I blocked one, the other three connected. The icon dropped into an orange color. I was running out of time.
Then it dawned on me. This changed the game. If I faced so many enemies, the only way this skill could help is if I let it block for me. I needed to cut their numbers down, not act like this was a duel.
Another round of attacks flew at me, and rather than block, I counterattacked, running my blade through a trow’s chest, then spinning to hack off the head of a ratkin. My suit was in the red when I slashed through the neck of an orc, then brought my blade down through the head of another.
My bone armor shattered into pieces as a final blow landed on my back, but I swiveled on my heel and sheathed my katana in the ratkin’s chest. Like the others, it too broke apart and faded. I was left gasping, exhilarated, and so stoked to tell Madi all about my new ability. It wasn’t enough to make me into a tank, but at least I had a backup plan when things got bad, and I was sure I could step in to let her recover if needed.
“Okay, Elendil, now for something a lot more difficult. What do you know about fighting with two swords at once?” I caught my breath and felt the digital sword evaporate from my grip.
Elendil’s response was enthusiastic, the question seeming to inspire him. “Well that depends. Many players attempt to master a more European approach to fighting with two blades, mimicking the sword and dagger forms of the medieval era. Another less popular but highly effective style is the Espada y dada form of the Philippines, which embraces sword and dagger as well. Do you wish to utilize the katana along with the wakizashi you have recently acquired?”
“You got it. I get a killer bonus if I do so, but I’m not really keen on winging it. I am pretty sure I’ll just injure myself.”
“Then the two-sword style commonly called Niten Ichi-ryū. It specifically takes into account the long and short swords you have in your possession and was popularized by the historically significant figure of Miyamoto Musashi himself. There are five basic two-sword kata that you can begin to master, and any number of variations that sword masters have adapted since. Does this
sound appropriate?”
I remembered reading The Book of Five Rings a couple years ago, back when my father and I were geeking out about katanas and sword fighting together. It wasn’t a long text by any means, but in many ways, more impactful to me than The Art of War had been. I loved how applicable Musashi’s teachings were, even to someone as nonviolent and common as a baker.
A ripple of excitement ran through my limbs and I answered, “Yes, Elendil. I will bring the ring to the mountain. But you’ve got to be my Gamgee.”
The AI paused for a moment, most likely searching his database for the reference, then proceeded with the lesson. “There are five kata for the long and short sword fighting style: Chudan, Jodan, Gedan, Waki Gamae Hidari and Migi Waki Gamae. Let’s start with the first. Now, place your feet together and hold both swords out and away from your chest, allowing their points to come together. Think of this as a defensive triangle.”
Simulations of both swords filled my hands as brought my feet together and lifted my arms. I watched the hologram of a tiny sword master fall into the stance in the corner of my vision and cleared my mind. Learning curve or no, I had to learn as much of this as I could.
I spent another hour going through the various dual-wielding kata and even ran a few slow-motion scenarios, frustrated with how hard it was. Elendil was encouraging, though, and reminded me that in game, the system would aid my efforts as well.
After I finally threw in the towel, I ate a quick meal and, going on a hunch, printed two Mate Lattes, then headed down the hall. I knocked on Shin’s door, but no sound came from his room. I knocked louder, spilling a bit of one of the drinks and causing a Gita bot to scurry over and clean up the mess.
“Shin!” I called. “Open up, it’s me!”
A moment later, I heard rustling from within. “One second,” his voice called.
I was not prepared for what happened next. Shin opened his door, and I almost dropped the mugs. His face was thin and pale. Dark circles ringed his eyes, and he… well, he smelled a bit.
