by TJ Reynolds
I cleared my throat and spit out a ball of yuck in the cup Gita had handed me. He took it away as I called out to my house AI. “Elendil, any news?”
“Good day, Madrigal. I hope your time adventuring was worthwhile. And as to your question, yes, there is very good news indeed. Only a single item has sold so far, but take a look at the numbers and see for yourself.”
A figure appeared on my screen, showing me exactly how much an overcommitted gamer would pay for the gallbladder of a god.
My face spread into a greedy, shameless grin. Hana was gonna flip.
5: “Much have I traveled in the realms of gold, and many goodly states and kingdoms seen.”
— The Nightingale Prince
HANA
When I got back from training, I stripped down and showered. The water here was still one of the best parts of living in the EO facility.
It burned down my body, hot enough to make my skin bright pink. The water was also treated, which had already left my hair and skin softer in the course of my short stay.
“Elendil, how is my dual-wielding?” I asked, hopeful for some sort of encouragement. Using both of the swords at once was completely foreign.
“Much improved, Hana. You are at least twenty-two percent less likely to injure yourself in combat!”
I laughed and thought of the battle with the ratkin lord guards in the bottom of the mines. I’d given in to the urge to use both swords at once, and to good effect. I was able to deflect attacks while striking at the same time, and even used both swords at once to absorb or deflect stronger attacks. Still, my own attacks still felt sluggish and weak in comparison to the two-handed approach I was used to. Despite my relative success, one of my blocked attacks had careened to the side, glancing off my thigh. Had it been a direct hit, I could have killed myself, saving the ratkin a lot of trouble.
“Well, that’s great,” I said. “I’m gonna log back in soon and see if I can finish leveling up my fishing skill before Madi gets back in the game.”
Before I finished my sentence, a new message pinged in my inbox. Speak of the six-foot barbarian devil!
I opened it and I nearly vomited. A brief message filled my screen.
From @Morena_BadAxe: But you can give all that to the birds and bees!
At first, I was confused, but before I could look up the vague reference, I noticed a link below.
Interworld Exchange Vendor: Will you accept funds from @Morena_BadAxe? Total sum of 22,584 gold dragons awaiting confirmation. Confirm transfer?
I stared at the number before me. So much, so fast! I thought I would have screamed, danced, done something spectacular, but instead I sat there and gazed at my screen. Then, of course, I cried.
When I had gathered myself into something close to human again, I asked Elendil for the current exchange rate.
He answered me promptly, “The exchange rate has increased by .013 percent since yesterday. Currently, 2.821 gold dragons can be exchanged for every 1 YD. Would you like me to tell you how much YD you have received?”
“Hatori Hanzo, no! This is the fun part.” One calculator app and a second later, I had an answer. I had 8,005.67 YD! I was freaking rich… well, rich for a broke girl from FlatWorld.
I accepted the transfer and then processed the currency through IE’s website. And just like that, I was flush.
“Elendil, can you make payments for me? That, if you’d like to know, is never the fun part.”
“Of course, Hana. Would you like me to send the 2638.48 YD to AllHands Inc.?”
“Do it!” I yelled, hands in the air as if to push away the foul taint of debt.
“Transaction complete. You know, I was quite worried you would not make the deadline, but it seems luck is on your side!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” A few more clacks on the calculator and… “Now I have 5367.19 YD left. What should I buy, Elendil? Do you want me to buy you a hat?”
His reaction proved predictably delightful. But then he added a more pragmatic comment that really deflated my buoyant ego. “I believe you have an upcoming payment to renew your Eternal Online subscription. I don’t think you can afford a hat right now.”
I rolled my eyes and answered in a groan, “Yeah, yeah. I was just trying to have some fun, okay? I hadn’t allowed that nugget of reality to slip my mind. How much is that going to cost?”
“Normally, a total of 6,000 YD is needed for a month of use, but if you enroll in automatic payment, it is reduced by 20 percent. That is only 4,800 for a month of play time!” His voice carried enough enthusiasm to fuel a marching band for a week.
“And I suppose that if I choose less than a month of payment, the discount is not included?”
“Correct.”
I gave in. “Okay, enroll me in automatic payment.”
A moment later, Elendil chimed, “Finished!”
From my original surplus, I only had 567.19 YD remaining. When added to the balance of my original savings of 132.13, I now had 699.32 YD. Enough to buy a really nice hat…
Still, the infernal loop of debt had been loosened. My thoughts immediately shot to telling my dad. He was always the first one I told about anything big. The despair in his eyes would momentarily lift any time I told him about a passed exam or some cool gadget I’d found on one of my scavenging trips.
My heart fluttered between memories of my dad and when we’d lost my mom. As usual, my emotions plunged immediately toward the stabbing grief that had waited to pounce on me any time I let my guard down. Unlike before, anger rose behind everything like a greedy phantom, and I had to take a few breaths, processing the emotions and letting them go. I was sad and had every right to be. And I was justifiably angry as well.
There were real people in my life again, though, so I moved on to thoughts of my friend. I had spoken with Shin earlier, so I knew he was out in the real world, stomping around and putting down the foundations of his big plan. I would meet up with him again tomorrow.
I sent a quick message then jogged over to my pod and logged back in, excited to celebrate with someone more fleshy than Elendil.
The wide and colorful world of Eternal formed around me. I was laying on my bearskin cloak under the fir tree, and the midday sun burned down on me.
You have returned! Pachi said mentally. I missed you, fang sister.
And I missed you, I said to Pachi, running to her as she stood up from her own nap. Her fur was sun-warmed and smelled like bird feathers and grass reaching for the sky.
Pachi asked me, with concern in her voice, What is it? Your heart beats like a herd of goats. Are you well?
“Goats?” I exclaimed out loud, pulling back to look her in the eyes. “You’re crazy, y’know that? And yes, I’m feeling awesome. Want to do some fishing? Oh, and where is Alysand?”
The fire singer said he was going to scout around and see if he could find any lingering ratkin to kill. I wanted to go with him, but I had to stay in case you came back. Pachi reached her head up and sniffed at my hair.
My God, how did you get so big, Pachi? You look like a pegasus, except, you know… more foxy.
Pachi snorted and shook her head. The pegasus is an abhorrent animal. Terrible hygiene, and their wings are constantly shedding. Too bulky to be a good flyer besides.
Of course, you’re much more beautiful. Hey, did Alysand happen to leave his fishing kit anywhere?
No, but I think he will return shortly.
With little to do, Pachi lay back down and I lounged in the fluffy expanse. No queen had ever felt so pampered as I did then, wrapped in the velvet fur and feathers of my enfield friend.
With time to burn, I decided to check on a few things. The first thing I was curious about was Pachi.
Hey, you got a lot bigger, I said to her. You must have leveled up a bunch, right? Then I inspected her to find out her statistics.
Pachi: Level 22
Light Affinity: Level 5
HP: 8079/8079
Armor Rating 25
Vitality 26 (+10)
Strength 15
Dexterity 28 (+10)
Intelligence 18
Stamina 31
You’ve gotten a lot stronger, Pachi. How do you feel? I hoped my praise would land.
There was little reason for me to doubt it. Pachi replied, her mental voice thrumming with pride, I am nearly as strong as a vardeen warrior now. Oh, and I have access to the Holy Light skill tree now, and I have to choose my first skill. Would you like to see the options?
I told her I would, so she sent me a mental prompt that filled my vision with information.
Holy Light Skill Tree Options:
Searing Touch (Active): Enfield’s talons and fangs are imbued with the fire of light itself. +10% Light Damage to all physical attacks. +50% damage to creatures of darkness. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour. (Damage output increased with each Affinity Level)
Holy Touch (Active): Using the infinite grace of Citlali, healing energy passes through the enfield and into any given target, restoring 25% of total HP lost. Range: 10 yards. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Cannot heal self.
I sat up and faced Pachi, sitting crosslegged in front of her. I know we keep ignoring your lovely talons, but don’t you want Holy Touch?
I do. I just wanted you to be there with me when I make the selection. It is sad that I cannot make my talons more terrifying, though.
I scratched her cheek soothingly. The next time you have a choice, we’ll choose the one that lets you tear through your enemies fast, okay?
This seemed to mollify her somewhat, and I moved on to check my own notifications.
Affinity Skill unlocked: Because your companion pet has achieved Level 2 in their chosen Affinity, you can now choose a skill that aligns with the corresponding element. Light: Choose one of the following Active skills: Blinding Shot, Guardian’s Aura, Lunar Flare.
Blinding Shot: Imbuing an arrow with the light of the heavens, this attack causes no physical damage but may cause Blind or Dazed debuffs. Chance of success dependent on creature’s affinity or elemental alignment as well as level. Debuff lasts for thirty seconds. Charge time: 4 seconds. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Lunar Flare: Invoking the wrath of the heavens, a single attack is imbued with star fire. Attack damage increased by 25%. Burn debuff is applied to target, which reduces 3% of total HP every 5 seconds for a total of 30 seconds. Damage bonus is stackable with other powered attacks or skills. Attack must land in order for Lunar Flare to be activated. Instant cast time. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Guardian’s Aura: By calling upon the benevolence of the goddess Citlali, an aura of protection is placed around your entire party. All incoming damage reduced by 15%. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Pachi was excited to hear that her own progress had begun to improve my own strength as well. We immediately began discussing the benefits of the possible choices.
The hard part was deciding if we should go for extra protection with Guardian’s Aura or the extra damage that came with Lunar Flare. I’d been happy to receive buffs from Madi and Alysand when we fought together, and more than once had felt like I wasn’t pulling my share.
If I had a party buff of my own, it could help out in countless ways. The fifteen percent damage reduction wasn’t huge, but when things got grim, as they had so often, that was enough to spell the difference between victory or defeat.
Lunar Flare was just too cool, though. What really tipped the scale was the stackable attribute. I could use it stacked with my other skills and my damage would skyrocket. That could be enough to take a sizable chunk out of a boss’s HP or fell a lesser mob in a single blow.
I made the selection, then gave the mental command “Character Status” to check my overall progress.
Hana Kotoba: Level 24
Class Rank: Novice Hunter
HP: 7344/7344 HP
Armor Rating 106
Vitality 32 (+3)
Strength 17 (+1)
Dexterity 29 (+9 ,+10% total)
Intelligence 18
Stamina 23 (+4)
Excellent! My HP had nearly doubled since the last time I checked, and my other attributes had increased as well.
We were getting stronger, and though our goals seemed to continue to escalate in difficulty, it was hard not to feel up to the task with Pachi at my side.
The sound of approaching steps brought me out of my reverie, and the galant figure of Alysand strode into view.
“Ah, the mighty Hana Kotoba has returned.”
“I have, and the insanely overpowered Alysand of, Old Gil was it?” When the man nodded, I continued, “Alysand of Old Gil had returned as well. Any luck hunting down rats?”
He gave a wicked grin, and not for the first time, I was glad the man was an ally. “Perhaps. A patrol was returning to the mine, and I deprived them of their tails.”
As he came closer, and the sun hit him full in the face, I winced. New lines etched his features, and his sideburns were streaked with silver, though his mustache remained a glossy black.
I asked him the question that had been on my mind, biting my lip. “That battle with the wyvern, with Anwar, it… cost you a lot, didn’t it?”
He also winced a bit, but answered shortly, “Yes. I will not be able to do so again. But please, let’s not discuss it.”
“Thank you.”
“What ever for, Hana?” he asked, his brow knitted together in honest inquiry.
“You did it to save our lives. Marduk was a lot of bear to handle, and that was a miracle we survived. Yet the size of that wyvern! And it could breathe fire, right? There’s no way Madi and I would have survived.”
“I didn’t do it for you. I slew the great Anwar because of a debt I owe his kin. Long ago, some of their number aided my cause. And his departure into evil demanded rectification. And yes, had he a chance to use his flame, we three would have died in an instant.”
I thought about it a moment, then finished the thread of conversation by repeating myself. “Still, thank you. Regardless of why you did it. Thank you.”
“Of course. Now, feel like a little more fishing? I have a special lure I’d like to show you now that I feel confident you won’t lose it.”
“Sure! Sounds fun. Same spot as before?”
“No, I found a huge pool downstream a way, deeper. A few big ones are hiding in there, I can just feel it.”
So Pachi and I left a still-snoozing Tejón to go and find us an early dinner.
Alysand had been right. Not only did we catch more fish this time, but two of them were huge, as long as my forearm and twice as thick. We returned an hour later and set about starting a fire. Since the ratkin were at least mostly gone, we used tinder from a nearby fallen tree—not entirely dry, but enough to light.
As the water finally began to boil, and we deposited more herbs and roots that I’d gathered on the way back, the shimmering form of Madi appeared in camp.
I dropped the stick I’d been stirring the fire with and sprinted to her. I leapt, and though her arms came up to intercept me, I nearly knocked the big barbarian from her feet.
She stifled a laugh and asked me, “What the heck, girl!? What’s the dealio?”
“The money! It was enough for me to pay for another month in Eternal and get AllHands off my back as well! Don’t you get it? For the time being at least, I’m free.”
Her teeth beamed white, and her tawny cheeks stretched in a grin. “I figured it would be enough. Good for you. You don’t deserve to be a slave to those assholes.”
Then I realized that we were still hugging, holding each other at arm’s length like two dancers who had stopped in the middle of a routine.
My face burned, and I looked down at my feet after stepping away.
Madi was quick to cover for me. “Smells good. Fish again?”
Alysand cut in, “Indeed, and we have two large fish for our furry friends. Though Tejón might find himself still wanting when his snack is done. He has grown c
onsiderably.”
And even as we looked on, Tejón glanced up, his paws coated in scales and slime as he licked his jowls.
Pachi and Tejón managed to hunt while we hiked further into the mountains. Carnen’s Rock wasn’t far, thankfully, but the way was steep and treacherous. This time, the benefit of daylight made the travel less dire.
We took a short break, catching our breath on an outcropping that overlooked a vast valley. Below, the flicker of lamps and fires could be seen sprouting up in and around Benham.
I reviewed my progress toward the Pathfinder class rank as we took out some jerky and ate.
Herbalism: Level 9 out of 10
Rustic Cooking: Level 9 out of 10
Animal Harvesting: Level 13 (Complete)
Stealth: Level 9 out of 10
Shelter Mastery: Level 5 out of 10
Fishing: Level 8 (Complete)
Skinning: Level 10 (Complete)
Ranged Weapon: Level 12 (Complete)
Ambush: Level 3 (Complete)
Pet Bond: Level 2 out of 3
Mountain Atunement: Level 3 (Complete)
My progress was commendable. I’d completed Mountain Atunement, Fishing, and Ambush! Everything else was nearing completion as well, but the Shelter Mastery was the one thing that would hold me up. I thought about when I might find the time to work on a shelter for a day or so, but the near future was booked.
We continued our march, and as the day faded to night, a bone-deep chill settled around us. Despite the warmth I was building with each vertical foot we climbed, I resorted to wrapping the cloak around me as I marched. Pachi and Tejón seemed perkier than ever.
