Crimson Sands

by J. Arthur Klein

  “That hurt," she groaned. "We should clearly define who gets what side of the wagon from now on.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t even think about that. I should have moved as soon as I logged in. Instead I’m laying here reading lore and being a slacker.”

  She took several deep breaths before we both seemed to realize how close we were and awkwardly extricated ourselves from the wagon bed.

  I sent her a party request and asked, “Do you have a preference to what side of the wagon you want to use?”

  She accepted and shrugged. “I don’t really care as long as I don’t have to experience that again. I never wanted to know what all of those old school mages felt when their teleport spells went awry. Gotta avoid any Ed….ward situations.”

  “Oof”, I said and chuckled at the reference. “I’ll take the right side, oriented with our heads toward the front of the wagon.”

  She nodded and opened her mouth to speak, but instead her jaw dropped as she stared at something behind me.

  I followed her gaze and couldn’t stop my own jaw from joining her's on the floor. At the northern edge of the mesa was what I could only imagine was the Sun-gate.

  A shimmering curtain of golden energy hung suspended between two twenty-foot-tall pillars of stone. Each pillar was intricately carved with ancient hieroglyphs.

  There was one other caravan between us and the gate and they had just started passing through. As each wagon entered the portal it seemed to swallow them whole.

  Ripples spread out from where they entered like those caused by pebbles dropped into a still pool of water. It was a breathtaking sight.

  I grabbed my spear and shield and turned to Kjara. “How about we move up towards the front and get a better view. Maybe learn more on the process of using these in case we need to do so on our own one day?”

  “Sure,” she said and grabbed her own weapons.

  We untied our camels from the wagon and mounted up, riding towards the head of the caravan where I could see Haegir and his kin arguing with a pair of Saa officials.

  Clad in flowing white robes cinched at the waist with broad lapis encrusted belts, they each sported a wide golden usekh decorated with a set of scales.

  Virtual memory kicked in and I recognized the raiment as that of a minister of finance from the Saa Empire’s military which currently controlled the Sun-gate. While the border of the empire was many miles to the east, they maintained a military presence here to maintain control of the gate.

  As we got closer, I could see that things were getting heated between the officials and the caravan leaders. Even Haegir looked about ready to pop a blood vessel if he clenched his jaw any harder.

  The caravan master spoke in his native tongue to Haegir, who translated, “Master Tel’vaar says that he doesn’t understand the problem, Minister Ro'ek. We have already paid our passage fee and are scheduled to use the gate next. What is the issue?”

  I dismounted and moved closer as the official, a portly man with the badge of a slightly higher rank within the ministry answered, “Oh I do apologize good Master Tel’vaar, but there seems to have been a mix up in the schedule and another caravan that arrived this morning was promised this spot. We will need you to move your wagons back to your camp until we can find you a new time.”

  Haegir conveyed the answer to his kinsman, who frowned.

  The official’s grin told me all I needed to know about the situation. I guessed that the second caravan had paid quite a hefty fee for this “mix up”, and the Saa officials were deep in their racial bias against dwarves, so this seemed like the perfect chance for them to make some gold without rousing any anger from those higher up.

  My own answering grin was something different altogether. These were Saa, and for once I thought my race and class combo might be able to be used for something positive.

  *** Quest Offered: Rectify the Mix up. ***

  *** The Saa Officials have concocted a story to delay your caravan. Convince the Officials of their error and enter the Sun-gate as Scheduled. ***

  *** Rewards: xp, reputation with the Tel’vaar. ***

  *** Accept? (Y/N) ***

  I selected yes and moved close enough to enter the conversation, seeing the text above the Official's heads that identified them as Minister Ro'ek and Sa'mel.

  The second official nudged Ro’ek and directed his attention to me.

  The minister turned to me and nodded in greeting. “Greetings to you, traveler, I will be with you in a moment after this matter is settled. I apologize if the dwarven caravan has delayed your approach to the gate.”

  I let my grin slip from my face and answered, “Master Tel’vaar has not delayed my travels, Minister. I believe it is your mix up that is at fault.”

  His own smile faded and was replaced by a brief look of confusion as he replied, “I don’t understand, sirrah. How would this be of any delay to you?”

  I could see Haegir struggling to keep a grin off of his face as he translated the exchanges to his kinsman, and I gestured to the caravan.

  “You see, Minister, I am travelling with Master Tel’vaar’s caravan and it is quite important to me that we make our scheduled travel window. I have business in the north. I have been given an important task and passing through the gate at our appointed time is a critical part of that task.”

  *** Presence check – Sa’mel successful! ***

  *** Presence check – Ro’ek unsuccessful! ***

  The second official, Sa’mel, was frowning, but Ro’ek didn’t seemed phased and continued with his spiel. “I am sorry, sir, but things are quite beyond my control. If you would give me your name, I will be sure to pass on your complaint to my superior. I am sure your employer will understand your delay when you explain to him that it was official Ministry of Finance business, after all.”

  A pair of khopesh wielding guards had been watching the situation develop and upon hearing this moved up to stand behind Ro'ek. The caravan master was listening to Haegir intently.

  I focused on exuding an aura of authority and answered, “I do not think that solution is satisfactory, minister,” and as his expression shifted towards anger, I continued, “My employer will certainly not understand that I was delayed due to a bureaucrat’s attempt to squeeze some extra coin for himself from honest merchants. In fact, I am sure he will look quite closely at that vice when it is placed on the scales of fate. If there is a problem with my companions and I continuing on our venture in our paid-for and agreed upon time slot, you can inform your employer that Acolyte Kheph Sa’tep, Priest of Anpu would be happy to speak to him about the delay his underlings are causing in the mission given to me by my God.”

  *** Presence check successful! ***

  The look of anger in his eyes was instantly replaced by fear, and even the battle hardened guards behind him looked a bit squeamish. The fear of the priesthood ran deep in Saa culture, and at least in this case it was to my benifit.

  The second minister whispered something quickly into Ro’ek’s ear and Ro’ek gulped and answered, “My apologies, Acolyte. My companion has just pointed out to me that it would be quicker for all involved if your caravan were to proceed now, slightly ahead of schedule. That way both caravans might make their destinations on time. Yes?”

  I nodded and looked to Haegir who spoke quickly to the other Tel’vaar who immediately went off to get the caravan moving.

  Ro’ek continued, “Sa’mel here will accompany you to the gate to inform the guards there of the change in schedule. May the gods watch over you, Acolyte.”

  I nodded and responded with a glare, “They are Minister, and I assure you they are watching you as well,” leaving the officials to return to where Kjara was watching with a giant grin on her face.

  “That was amazing Kheph. I was pretty sure the fat one was going to piss his robes,” she said.

  “Being a priest finally had a benefit. Theocracies, ugh. Well let’s get everything set. We are next going through the
portal.”

  I tried to share the quest with her but got a message saying she was already on it. A likely benefit of the party system.

  We rode alongside our wagon as the caravan moved up to the gate. Before long it was our turn. I shared a glance with Sa’mel as we rode by, seeing him standing near another Minister of some sort who gave me an appraising look as I walked towards the portal.

  I could feel warmth emanating from its surface as I got close, like the sun on a hot day. I held my breath and nudged my camel through the membrane, feeling a tingling warmth spread over my body for a second and then I was through, emerging into the cooler air of Arven’s Folly.

  A tall stone wall surrounded the courtyard where the gate opened up, and on top of the walls I could see a number of archers watching the gate.

  The wagons moved out of the gate enclosure and into the city proper.

  *** Quest Complete: Rectify the Mix up! ***

  *** Your party has gained 500xp! ***

  *** You have gained reputation with the Tel’vaar Dwarves! Neutral → Friendly. ***

  *** Kjara has reached level 5! ***

  Seeing the level up message, I turned to Kjara and congratulated her. She grinned back and her eyes unfocused as she examined her new stats.

  I went back to admiring the city itself. The buildings were the type I would expect to see in a medieval town.

  The buildings nearer the gate were made of stone, with more wooden buildings starting to appear as we moved further from the Sun-gate.

  Looking back, I could see the main keep of Arven’s Folly rising above the city. A true medieval castle.

  Kjara nudged me and I turned my attention back to where we were headed and saw the road opening up into a large staging area.

  The wagons moved over to an open courtyard and soon crates were being loaded and unloaded into the wagons in a frenzy as goods were sold and others procured for the journey to Sehkem.

  “This place looks a lot more like what I’m used to cities looking in MMO’s,” I said to my companion.

  “Yeah,” she replied. “I was quite surprised to be dropped into the land of Arabian nights after the tutorial. I figured I’d be in an elven city of giant trees, or a city like this. But nope. Sand, sand, sun, and more sand.”

  I chuckled, “Well at least we ran into each other. Just think of a city full of sun elves like Fae-bio if it helps.”

  “Oh God, I would probably quit. And yes, I am happy we ran into each other. The game has actually been enjoyable since you wowed me with your literacy,” she replied playfully.

  “I wonder how long we have until we leave the city. Might be able to find some upgrades now that we’ve reached a trading port. Iron, or maybe even steel instead of bronze, maybe some new skills, although I don’t know what I’d learn. I should do some research when I log out tonight and see if anything’s been posted.”

  We tethered the camels and found Haegir, learning that the caravan would be leaving in an hour. There was a little time to do some shopping, so we set out.

  The guards stationed on the periphery of the courtyard directed us to the crafters district where we were able to find a weaponsmith who dealt in iron and steel weapons.

  They were more expensive than their bronze equivalent but held a better edge and were much more durable, and taking MMO mechanics into account would likely do more damage.

  After some haggling, I was able to upgrade my spear to steel in trade for my current spear, the khopesh I had been lugging around, and five gold.

  Kjara looked through their selection but couldn’t find anything better than her current gear. Even her arrowheads were superior, likely due to their elven origins.

  “Sorry you didn’t find anything to upgrade your gear,” I said.

  Kjara shrugged, “Beats bra shopping. If you want torture, try that some time.”

  After that we headed to a general store and restocked on essentials. I picked up a new bread recipe, enough ingredients to make it a couple times, and replacements for the ingredients I’d used on my prior cooking escapade.

  Unfortunately, no one had a clue what a spatula was, so making travel cakes was still going to be a challenge.

  We finished up our business and headed back to the caravan, arriving just as preparations to leave were complete.

  I mounted up on Spitz, taking my place in the caravan as we exited Arven's Folly and started the next step of our journey.

  ...

  Chapter 19

  With the city behind us, all eyes were now on the road ahead. I grabbed a travel cake from my pack and tossed one to Kjara as we continued along.

  We made some small talk as we munched on the granola-esque substance, chatting about our game experience so far.

  She had some general questions about crafting which I tried my best to answer, but since my only experience so far was with cooking, I wasn't sure how much would apply to her own skills.

  I finished my travel cake, and smiled as the associated buff appeared next to my health gauges.

  *** Travel Cake: +1 Constitution, +2% in combat hp regeneration. Duration (4 hrs). ***

  The road followed the hills just in sight of the shoreline. From the information I had dredged from the depths of my virtual memory, this stretch of the coastline was a favorite target of the Njord raiders.

  Our caravan was a small one and our guards were likewise small in number, making us a prime target. I was also pretty certain that Master Tel'vaar was not the type to attempt to pay off any potential raiders.

  Our caravan consisted of seven wagons in total, each packed with trade goods and driven by a skilled dwarven teamster. Six armed and armored dwarven guards acted as our security and were backed up by a small team of lightly armored scouts.

  Kjara and I outleveled all of the NPCs who ranged from levels two to four. Except for the caravan master and Haegir, who were both level five.

  The first half of the journey was uneventful, but the scouts seemed on edge. I could see that something was bothering them and when I spotted Nolan riding nearby, I decided to see what was going on.

  “Hey Nolan,” I called, waving him over. “How is everything going?”

  He returned my greeting and answered, “As well as can be expected on this cursed coast. Did you need something?”

  I nodded. “The scouts seem a bit on edge, and I wanted to know if I should be worried.”

  “One should always be on their guard when taking this road," he replied. "The only thing the Njord love more than raiding is drinking the mead they purchase with the money they earn raiding.”

  ***Perception check successful! ***

  I got the feeling that it was more than that and decided to press him.

  “It seems like more than normal jitters, Nolan." I gestured back to where Kjara was riding, speaking with one of the drivers. “If we know what’s coming we can help, but if we’re caught by surprise there won’t be a lot we can do.”

  He sighed and looked me in the eyes. “This goes no further than you and your elf friend, agreed?”

  I nodded and he continued, “There should be locals on the road travelling to the city and in the hills to the south, but so far my men haven’t seen a soul."

  He made a gesture to ward of bad luck. "My instincts are telling me to expect an attack, but we can’t panic the entire caravan. Master Tel’vaar is already on edge after the stunt those Ministry bastards tried to pull.”

  I nodded. “Understood. I’ll let Kjara know and we’ll be on guard.” I turned Spitz and headed back towards where Kjara was just finishing up a conversation with our wagon's driver.

  The driver gave me a respectful nod, confusing me for a second until I remembered that my rep with his clan was now friendly. Returning the gesture, I asked him to excuse us as I led Kjara out of earshot of the wagons.

  “What’s up, Kheph? You have that look that says you’re up to something.”

  “The scouts are worried that something is up. They don’t want to
panic the caravan if it turns out to be nothing, but Nolan says we should be on guard,” I whispered.

  She looked over to where Nolan was speaking with another pair of scouts. “What did he say?”

  I filled her in on what the scout had told me and we began to prepare ourselves just in case.

  I quietly cast Jackal’s Tooth on my spear and Kjara’s bow and swords, prepping for the worst. The spells would last for a while, and my mana would easily regen while we were outside of combat.

  Kjara made sure her bow was ready, and her arrows were loose in her quiver. We moved to the southern side of the caravan, scanning the hills for any signs of movement.

  As we travelled further east, the terrain became more rocky as the flat sandy coastline was replaced with the foothills of a small range of mountains that split the coast.

  Eventually the road left the coastline behind and entered the pass that would see us through to the other side.

  As we neared a particularly narrow part of the pass one of the scouts came racing back from the east, sounding an alarm.

  When he arrived back at the caravan he was bleeding from a deep gash in his forehead and another on his thigh.

  Nolan took his report and then handed him a potion and directed him off to the side to deal with his wounds while the alarm was called.

  The dwarven guards loaded their crossbows and made ready while Nolan let loose a series of blasts from a hunting horn, calling the rest of the scouts back.

  From the snippets of the scout’s report that I overheard, a group of Raiders had blocked the road ahead with some sort of barricade.

  Their own lookout had gotten a jump on our scout, but luckily he was able to escape and warn us.

  The caravan was currently in a pretty bad spot for us, and ideal for raiders. The terrain was impassible to the north, and the rolling hills to the south would eventually turn to rock as well. Not to mention the wagons could never make the journey.