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by R J Triveri

  With a nod of confidence, the chime of new mail rang true in his ear. The innkeeper had sent him a new waypoint! Opening the mail allowed her point to be marked as the Dungeon of Rodda on his map. A cursory glance produced only a single question. “What kind of a name is Rodda?”

  She shrugged. “No idea, but the boss isn’t supposed to be very hard.”

  Boss? He suddenly grew a little warier. “Isn’t it alive?”

  Again, she shrugged. “She comes back every time someone enters the dungeon, so I don’t think it’s like the other wild ones. Nothing but us truly die in dungeons.”

  “And you’re sure I won’t need someone to watch my back.”

  “Nah, it’s not that hard. I’ve done it, and I haven’t ranked my combat class up since then.” She assured as a smile of passive amusement crossed her face. “The best part is… it isn’t that far away from here.”

  Despite the fact he knew that she was a rank two fencer, her words weren’t the most reassuring. Athos thanked her nonetheless, and after he checked his supplies one last time, the alchemist was out the inn’s door.

  That was two hours ago.

  Close must have been a relative term for Inciperians. Sammi, and to a lesser degree Walt, seemed to think travel time wasn’t that important unless nightfall was near. Thankfully, the sun had just risen, the sky was blue, and the tedium of the past few days seemed to melt from Athos’s soul. The world really was a wonderful place for what it was.

  Ding, ding! Athos, you have new mail!

  To his surprise, the sound of his knighted feline broke the natural silence of the day. The small creature popping into existence pointed to the slowly blinking envelope in the bottom right-hand corner of his vision.

  “Thank you, Nekka.” It seems only appropriate to name it after his first pet, seeing as they were both felines - even if they didn’t look anything alike.

  “You’re welcome, Athos! Do you need to know how to access it?”

  He shook his head. The alchemist already had done it before. “No, it’s fine. Thank you though. I’ve got this.”

  “Okay!” and just as he appeared, Nekka vanished into the recesses of Athos’s code. The enthusiasm that the creature showed for even the most mundane tasks was almost enough to startle him.

  The all too familiar motion of opening his inventory window to check the name of the sender didn’t even break his stride now as he continued to walk along the riverbank. To his surprise, Walter had finally written him. That was as good a sign as any to take a break. With the river to one side, a soft tuft of grass on the other, it also seemed as good a place as any to relax. Firmly planted on the soft mound of grass, Athos folded his leg, clicked the message, and began to read.

  Athos!

  It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Sorry for not getting to you sooner, but the harvest was calling and you know how that is. Well, if you were a farmer, I guess you would. You didn’t really talk much about what you did for work back on Earth. Still, I did promise you a bit of a story, didn’t I? Now, I can’t really say all that much, just what is common knowledge, but the Great Hunt is something you shouldn’t bring up with anyone else unless they do it first. Understand me?

  I’m starting to, Athos thought to himself. There had to be some reason it was the way it was, and at rank one, he was better off not starting a problem he couldn’t finish.

  Now, Inciperians are usually really peaceful, but they are also fiercely loyal to Ellaunum. I mean to the point of fanaticism. When the criminals began to outnumber the legals, well, Ellaunum… something snapped in it, and when your deity tells you to do something, you do it.

  The Inciperians went to war on the Earthers.

  I know you can’t always tell who is who, but they can. Unless you were registered from one of the official channels, you were branded a traitor and put to the Circle for trial. The innocents came back, but… they weren’t the same, Athos. They spoke about the horrors the alchemists would cause. Poisons and potions were what most of them came back with stories about. Truth serums mostly that burned like hell if you tried to lie, but the worst were the punishments that they could extract from the guilty… nothing pleasant, I can tell you that. I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t know if I really could without scaring the shit outta you. Just make sure you keep your head down.

  Anyways, I saw that you had left Oenus. Not really sure what you’re doing out on the plains, but be careful out there. They’re dangerous at night. Don’t get caught outside the city unless you plan to be hunting. You’re still rank one, but I don’t think you’re that stupid to be traveling alone at night.

  Still, if you’re traveling along the river, you should stop in. Sandra almost fainted when I said I had met a human alchemist - even with Sally backing me up. I’m sure she’d like to meet you. She’s doing well by the way.

  Take Care, Walter

  Not exactly what he had been hoping for when Walt finally wrote to him, but it was something. Even if he didn’t mean to scare him, it did bother him knowing that alchemists were used so readily against humans. Deep down, he knew that wasn’t him though. He knew what pain felt like, and he wasn’t going to be associated with whatever the Inciperians used them for. Hell, he didn’t even know what he’d be associated with outside of a delivery boy and a forest child yet.

  As the letter lingered open in front of him, Nekka popped back to life with its abnormally large feline smile. “You’ve been looking at that letter for a long time! Would you like to respond?”

  The alchemist smiled. “Yes, I would.”

  A second passed and the letter turned into a blank window with a keyboard similar to the optical model he had installed back on Earth. Topping it off, a bright red button with white lettering that read send finished off the bottom of the screen. Taking a moment to think, Athos’s hands began to move and form a response to his friend.

  Walt,

  Thanks for sending me the message. I’ll keep my head down, don’t worry about that. I’m going to visit one of the low-rank dungeons to look for recipes. I’ve stalled out a bit and need a little bit of a boost. I hope to see you again soon.

  Athos

  Rising from his place, he checked his map, picked up his pace, and continued towards his destination.

  Highway

  After another half hour, a thought occurred to the intrepid alchemist. Next time, he was going to be sure to get a conversation chart from Inciperian to human. Nearby usually meant he could still see some form of civilization. Nearby usually was close by.

  Nearby was not three hours’ worth of walking away, with or without breaks.

  After another ten minutes of strolling on the unbeaten path, a structure came into view. To his eyes, it wasn’t really anything special. The building, and that was being kind to the ruins of what it once was, looked like it was taken straight out of the mind of a crypt-keeper; just a small, one room building made from large, rough cut bricks. Getting closer, he noticed a few open spaces that once held windows, stained glass most likely from the remaining metal bars, but it was largely unsuspecting. Checking again, the map assured him that it was the right place though. Finally, some good news.

  Well, it would have been if it wasn’t for the small group that circled around the building.

  All four were dressed the same way: black suits, white button-down shirts, and a variety of hats from what looked like steam-punk Europe. Unfortunately for the alchemist, one of the four happened to be facing his way and caught a glimpse of him.

  A pair of guns raised towards the young alchemist as a young blond shouted with an authority beyond her years. “Put your hands up please!”

  Though to be fair to him, Athos felt that anyone pointing guns at him had quite a large amount of authority. Doing as he was told, the alchemist quickly came to the decision that this was just not his day. The other three turned to face him before two burst out laughing.

  Not liking his odds at the moment, Athos kept his hands raised.

/>   With goggles over her eyes, a woman walked towards the blond girl and put a hand on her shoulder. “Li, drop the guns.”

  “But isn’t he one of them, Astor?”

  Astor shook her laughs away and pointed. “Nah, he’s as human as you or me. Even if he was, look at the ears, Li. He’s a Child of the Forest, wouldn’t hurt a fly unless you provoked him. Besides, I know the kid.”

  “Nice to see you again too,” Athos sighed looking towards the four as the familiar face of Paul turned around, joining the Li and Astor’s smiling faces. “Can I put my hands down now?”

  Paul seemed to look him over again as he stopped Li from lowering her twin pistols. His eyes drifted between Li and Astor before he spoke. “Once you tell us what you’re doing all the way out here, we can talk about it.”

  “This is the Dungeon of Rodda, isn’t it? Sammi at the inn told me about it,” he explained. “She said it was a good place to get some supplies.”

  “I see, so Sammi sent you,” Paul shrugged a bit and pulled his gun from the inside of his coat, using the barrel to lower Li’s. “The girl does know her training areas. Then again, it is her job.” Walking closer to him, Paul put a hand on his shoulder. ”Listen, Sammi’s a good kid and all, but her timing can’t be worse for trying.”

  “Do tell…” Athos’s voice lingered longer than he meant it too, but Paul didn’t seem to notice. He seemed so businesslike, so much so that it oozed from his pores… if avatars had pores.

  “The Suits have recently acquired the farming rights to this region for the month.”

  “And that means…”

  “Well, it means that our guild can control who hunts here and what they hunt for. Creatures in the dungeon and the boss fall into this area, Alchemist Athos. If you want to hunt here, you’re going to have to pay the farming tax.” A smirk grew on his face as he began to outline a plan that Athos was sure to make another dent in his already dented spirit.

  “And that would be?”

  “A mere half of what you earn or find down below.”

  He almost choked on the word as it escaped his mouth as his voice rose a few octaves higher than he was comfortable with. “Half?!”

  Paul nodded as if Athos hadn’t said anything he wasn’t expecting. “Half is quite fair with all things considered. I know you’re new here, but as long as we own the farming rights, we must keep the land maintained and safe for those that travel, and I assure you it isn’t cheap. Besides, with us doing so, the creatures continue to spawn in acceptable numbers, and we are paid for our troubles by those that want to use our acquisition.”

  As much as he didn’t want to admit it, it seemed to make sense. Whether he liked it or not. If any of Athos’s distrust had dissipated, it came back full force as Paul’s words sunk in. “And how will half be determined?”

  Holding Athos’s shoulder, Paul put on his best showman’s voice for his answer, “By value of course. Everything has a value in Bytes, my friend. Even if some items can’t be converted, we have more than enough resources to determine what you’d owe from such an item.”

  “That doesn’t seem like a good deal to me.” Half could be anything or nothing. Besides, why would he trust someone basically strong-arming him into an agreement?

  The long barrel of his pistol tapped against Athos’s shoulder as he subtly drove the point home, “We determine the value by the going rate on the marketplace.” His face must have been telling as Paul continued. “Or you can always pay upfront. Might work better for us that way, seeing as you’re a newbie and all. Keeps things simple in case you die. We don’t have to go looking for your corpse later.”

  If he hadn’t seen Paul and Astor shooting before, he might have put running away as a plan, but that pistol had all the weight in his mind of the real thing. Now, he was starting to see why some Inciperians didn’t like Earthers. “How much is enough to get in without giving up half my loot?”

  On cue, the trade window opened between the pair of them, “How much do you think entrance is worth?”

  The gun tapping on his shoulder made the decision all that much easier. Half of everything he would get, or a complete loss of the hard-earned bytes he had amassed. With only a few hundred left to his name after paying off a month in advance to Sammi’s inn, he clicked up the total until it reached just over five hundred. “It’s all I’ve got.”

  In return, a piece of paper transferred to his inventory with a simple picture of a stylized suit and tie on white paper. “And there’s your entry ticket. Hand it to the gatekeeper as you leave the dungeon. It’ll show that you’re all paid up.” A smile grew on his face as he released Athos and walked back to his crew, his gun raising a few moments later in a parting of ways. “Good luck, and don’t die, Alchemist.”

  As the three began to walk back to the waiting fourth, Athos could just make out the youngest, Li, as she turned to Astor. “Fifty bytes that he doesn’t make it back out?”

  He didn’t stick around to listen any further to his odds as he walked to the other side of the building. At least once he got in, he wouldn’t have to worry about other humans again for a while.

  Depths and Flames

  The door nearly matched the size of the building itself as Athos approached it. The material didn’t seem any different, but the polish on it was much more noticeable, like if someone put raw marble next to its polished product. The biggest shock was what was beyond the portal. The entire room was a display of Incipere’s unique digital world. Beyond the entrance, the inside was larger than the outside and looked like it could have fit at least five of the smaller building it was housed in inside of itself. Not wanting to linger around outside, he chalked it up to game logic, went beyond the door, and into the dungeon.

  As soon as his feet moved beyond the door, the lights began to dim into a somber, soft darkness. Almost without him noticing, the walls that made up the sides of the door melded together as if the portal had never existed. A moment later, soft, flickering blue torches sprung to life but added little additional light as they crackled in the silence that accompanied the alchemist’s breathing. He expected the worst to come, but nothing did. Whatever creatures called this place their home, they must have been deeper in. With only one staircase at the end of the room to follow, it didn’t take a genius to decide where to go next.

  Gathering himself up, he opened his window and checked the map. Though, words would only blink softly in response to him.

  Mapping disabled within dungeons. Manual mapping suggested.

  Well, he thought to himself, what else could I have expected today?

  Looking through his supplies, he was ready for pretty much anything. At least, he felt he was looking at the molten looking bottles of his Pyrothium sitting in their inventory slots. The book had said that there were ten uses in each bottle that could be used to start campfires. A grin spread across his face as he looked over the lids sealed with melted wax. He had bigger plans for them. Pressing on their icon, he tried to equip them to his main hand, but a new message appeared instead.

  Combat Situation Detected - Primary Weapon Equipment Suggested: Flintlock

  Flintlock? Outlined in green was the very pistol he had been given by the man who had just strong-armed him. Not that he had used the gun before, but he wasn’t ready to try it now. Pressing the bottles of Pyrothium again, the same message appeared.

  Combat Situation Detected - Primary Weapon Equipment Suggested: Flintlock

  As his frustrations grew, his inner monologue grew beyond what he could hold within his coded skull, “I don’t want a gun! I have a plan!”

  Combat Situation Detected - Primary Weapon Equipment Suggested: Flintlock

  Damn game logic.

  In an attempt at appeasing the powers that be, he pressed against the weapon’s icon, and, after a soft ping sounded in his ear, his Flintlock materialized in a holster on his hip opposite his bag under his coat. The added weight didn’t seem to bother him as much as the weapon itself did. As if it had in
stantly become second nature, he armed himself proper and studied the silvery appearance and the brushed copper (or was it brass?) inlay that ran throughout the instrument. As he moved with it, the tool seemed to have only enough weight to alert him to its existence in his hand. Pointing it ahead, he took a deep breath and put it away; he wasn’t a gunner.

  Pressing the Pyrothium symbol again, the vial of liquid materialized into his hand as easily as it had at the inn, and, in Athos’s honest opinion, it was about damn time. A stockpile of these, in theory, would be all that he needed to get the job done. In another motion, he made the screen vanish and was left with the simple torchlight of the dungeon and the glowing, digital essence of the vial in his hand. According to everything he had tested, it should work.

  “Well, here goes everything.”

  Raising the vial in his hand like a torch, Athos began to trek forward into the depth of the dungeon. His vial, the torches, and the light that streamed from above the staircase seemed to weaken more and more with each step until the darkness drowned out all other forms of light. In his sphere of illumination, Athos watched each step he took with increasing detail. The dry, almost summer air of the outside cooled the deeper he went down the staircase. Even with the programming of the area keeping the walls of the dungeon stable, water dripped from between the cracked stones into small puddles more and more commonly as the chill deepened and the air clung to him like a winter’s sweater.

  It seemed to Athos that reaching the bottom was almost as much of a task of survival as the dungeon. Twice on the way down, he had almost shattered the vial against the wall to regain his balance. Knowing that he could feel pain, he didn’t want to know what it felt like to burn alive. Those first steps onto the floor of the next level made him all the more thankful he hadn’t fallen. Not three steps into the room, a brazier at least three feet long and just as wide was left burning to give off its otherworldly, crimson glow. Not that it did much, but it was enough to throw the colors of fire just far enough to see a pair of cat-like eyes staring back at him.