by Paul Bellow
“She’s real,” he said in a serious tone.
“Don’t be mad,” I said. “You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
Eric didn’t answer. I leaned against him as we walked.
He wouldn’t be upset forever. I could count on him.
I fell asleep as soon as we got to Sylvar’s tree house.
5
Grisly Grizzly Gang Attacks
Eric
* * *
We finally headed south toward High Keep the next morning.
Sarah, suffering from another hangover, kept to herself as we rode next to each other. Sylvar and Monde had the lead position while Bernard straggled behind us. He was also dealing with the effects of too much alcohol the day before.
I felt bad for them.
“We should make it by tonight,” I said to break the silence.
Sarah glanced over and scowled.
I smiled at her misery. “You’re the one who drank too much.”
“Don’t remind me…” she moaned. “I’m never drinking again.”
I chuckled then said, “I’ve heard that one before.”
“Can we stop talking now?” she asked.
“Monde need break,” the gnome said.
Sylvar and Monde stopped their horses ahead of us.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, also stopping.
“Monde need break,” the gnome insisted then got off her horse.
She headed toward—a luckily oversized—shrubbery nearby to relieve herself.
“We should all take a break,” I said, getting down from my horse.
The others did the same.
I avoided looking at the bush as Monde moaned loudly.
Was she acting crazy? Or was she insane in real life and the game?
“Help!” she shouted in her high-pitched voice.
I drew my scimitar and ran toward the high bush. Rounding it, I saw half a dozen adolescent bears lumbering forward. The others ran up behind me as the brown, burly creatures spread out to surround us.
We backed up against each other, facing out.
“I don’t want to spend all my mana on some bears,” Sarah said.
“We’ll take them out the old-fashioned way,” I said. “Monde and Sylvar can prove their worth to the party. Attack now…”
I screamed and ran forward, scimitar raised.
Two bears about my size stood up on their kind legs and growled ferociously.
Your slash INJURES the adolescent grisly grizzly for 12 damage.
As I slashed what could’ve been a bear brother, the other clawed me.
The adolescent grisly grizzly HITS you for 9 damage.
You have [49/58] health remaining.
“A little help over here,” I yelled.
The gang of adolescent bears attacked us from all sides.
“We’re trying,” Sarah said then shot off a lava spell.
A bear screamed as it got hit and caught fire.
“I hope they don’t have an angry mama bear,” Bernard said.
Two of them rushed at him and slashed with their claws. He fell backward—his mace tumbling to the ground.
“Monde no like,” the gnome warrior yelled.
She ran forward and slammed into the nearest bear. It fell over as she clung to its brown, mangy fur.
Sarah sent several Golden Bolts at the other.
Bernard bounced up and looked around for his mace.
“To your left,” I yelled then ran forward. “Die, grisly grizzly!”
I laughed inside at the mob’s name, but I worried about surviving.
A bear felt my cold steel in its gut.
Your slash HITS the adolescent grisly grizzly for 9 damage.
The adolescent grisly grizzly is dead!
I kept running forward like an insane berserker, slashing and stabbing bears wherever I found them. Their age didn’t matter.
“Four more!” Sarah yelled.
I stopped and looked for Sylvar. He stood by the horses, holding them.
Bernard and Monde had two of the cubs cornered. Two other bear sat on their haunches a few hundred feet away. Adrenaline still pumping through my virtual body, I sprung forward.
They stood on their hind legs and growled at the air.
I stopped as I saw mama bear behind them.
Uh oh…I thought and stepped backward.
“Time to go,” I yelled. “Battle is over.”
I heard another of the bear cubs scream as it died.
“Sorry,” Bernard said. “I couldn’t stop.”
The mother bear ran forward on all four feet.
I held my scimitar and clutched my bracer.
Half a dozen flaming lava discs shot by.
The giant grisly grizzly was moving so fast, they bounced off.
“Get out of the way,” Bernard screamed from somewhere behind me.
I held my ground, hoping to dodge at the last moment and get an attack in. But the bear had other plans and dove claws first. Her paws hit my chest, knocking the wind out of me as I fell to the ground like a sack of flour.
She roared above me, then I plunged my scimitar into her soft underbelly.
Critical Hit!
Your slash DECIMATES the giant grisly grizzly for 37 damage.
The bear howled in pain and ran off with my scimitar still buried in her flesh. I stood and drew my backup dagger.
The giant bear kept running.
Sylvar shot several arrows at the retreating beast while Bernard took care of the other two cubs.
We might have a shot, I thought and ran forward.
None of the ranger’s arrows hit the bear, but at least they hadn’t come close to hitting me. The mother bear turned with murder in its eyes.
I stopped and gripped my dagger. Bernard rushed by with his full-size mace and smacked her on the side of the head like a brute. As the gigantic bear turned to take care of him, Sarah hit it with more lava.
This time, the fur caught fire. Burnt flesh smells filled the air.
Bernard hit again, going into a mini-rage of his own.
The giant grisly grizzly toppled over—lifeless.
Combat is Over!
You get + 6,750 xp divided by three party members.
You get + 2,350 xp
You have 17,361 xp
Welcome to level five Rogue -> Bounty Hunter!
I resisted the urge to check my new health total.
“Everyone okay?” I asked, looking around.
“Barely,” Sarah said. “That took everything out of me.”
“Monde fine,” the gnome warrior said and yawned as if nothing had happened.
“The sun’s going down,” Sylvar said. “We should camp here for the night.”
“No way.” I shook my head. “We keep riding for High Keep. I don’t want to be stuck out here in the wilderness.”
“He’s right,” Sarah said, backing me up.
Sylvar opened his mouth to say something then shut it.
“Why couldn’t you control these animals?” I asked.
“Grisly grizzlies are too powerful for me to control,” he replied.
“I’m happy with the outcome,” Bernard said.
He’d probably leveled up too.
“Let’s get moving,” I said. “We ride hard for High Keep.”
“Monde ride hardest,” the gnome warrior said.
I watched as she climbed atop her horse.
After getting on mine, we rode south.
High Keep and the gnomes awaited.
Later that evening, just after the sun went down, we arrived at High Keep.
“Whoa,” I said, stopping my horse a good distance from the massive stone structure. “We need to get our story straight.”
The others stopped and turned to face me.
“We’ve got nothing to hide,” Sarah said.
“You don’t know much about the gnomes of this realm, do you?” Sylvar asked.
“No,” Sarah said. “What’s there to
know?”
I turned to him, also curious about his in-game knowledge.
“There’s a reason they did so well after the Great War.” Sylvar looked off into the distance. “They stayed out of it in their kingdom nestled behind the mountains and flourished while the rest of the realms had to struggle to survive.”
“Sounds smart,” I said.
“You don’t understand,” Sylvar continued. “Without the dwarves to hold them back, the gnomes have become very powerful. Some say they’re biding their time to take over the entire realms.”
“Militaristic gnomes, huh?” I snickered. “Sounds like you’re just afraid of them.”
Sylvar pursed his lips together then shook his head.
“You’ll see,” he said.
“What happened to the dwarves?” I asked, remembering they hadn’t been a choice when we first started the game and picked our characters.
Before he could answer, I heard a war-horn blasting nearby.
Two dozen gnomes riding ponies streamed out of High Keep and headed our way. I glanced over at Sylvar. He frowned, looking frightened.
“Company, halt,” a gnome in silver and black armor yelled.
The others stopped, all crossbows pointed at us.
“What’s your business near High Keep?” he asked.
I raised my empty hands in the air.
“We’re on our way to Westwood,” I said. “We seek Gnomish War Oil.”
“The original recipe,” Bernard added.
“Strange,” he said. “Another party just arrived seeking the same.”
I sat up in my saddle.
Was it the party who’d attacked us near Talbot?
“They’re evil people,” I said.
“Monde not evil,” our gnome said.
The lead gnome rode forward.
“Monde? Is that you, dear?” he asked.
I reached for my sword. A bolt whizzed by.
“Take it easy,” the gnome said. “You’re welcome in our lands, but you must respect our laws. There’s to be no attacking the other party.”
“But they’re evil,” I said. “They follow Magictology.”
“Gnomes rule,” the other soldiers shouted in unison.
Their leader smiled and turned his horse to me.
“Do you accept our terms?” he asked.
“Sure,” I said, not seeing any other choice.
We needed to head south and get the rest of the items on our list before the other party got them. Our quest depended on it.
“You can spend the night in High Keep,” he continued.
“With the other party?” I shook my head. “That doesn’t work.”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “The other party’s left already.”
“We have to leave now and overtake them,” I said.
The gnome commander shook his head. “You can travel to Westwood and ask General Achbark for the oil tomorrow. I don’t want any fighting between you and the other group.”
“That’s not fair,” I said, instantly regretting it.
“We agree,” Bernard said. “We’re tired, wounded, and we welcome your hospitality Field Commander Ersey.”
Bernard knew his name?
He’d been around twenty years, so it made sense. We’d made the right choice finally letting him into the party.
“Monde will be the guest of honor tonight,” the gnome commander said then turned his horse. “Follow us.”
The gnome crossbow crew surrounded Field Commander Ersey as he rode toward the imposing walls of High Keep.
“Be smart,” Sylvar said. “We don’t want any trouble.”
I nodded. As we followed the gnomes, I chose bounty hunter as my rogue specialization then checked my level five stats.
> Stats
Name: Drexmao (“Drex”)
Race: Human (Special)
Class: Rogue -> Bounty Hunter
Level: 5
Experience Points: 17,361 (5,639 for next level)
Alignment: +85 (Quite Good)
Health: 73(73)
Strength: 85 (+20%) (+10 magic amulet – unknown)
Dexterity: 75 (+10%)
Constitution: 70 (+5%)
Intelligence: 75 (+10%)
Wisdom: 55 (+0%)
Charisma: 44 (+0%)
> Stats skills
Your Current Skills
Black Market Connections – Basic Level 3 of 10
Monster Lore – Basic Level 4 of 10
Weapon Craft – Blades - Basic Level 7 of 10
Climbing – Advanced Level 1 of 5 (+5 basic levels w/Ring of Spider Climbing
Stealth - Basic Level 3 of 10
Create Item - Basic Level 1 of 10
Identify Item – Basic Level 6 of 10
Language: Human, Common
Sense Motive – Basic Level 6 of 10
Bargaining – Basic Level 2 of 10
Not bad, but they could be better.
Our easy quest was getting more complicated.
We ate well with Monde as the guest of honor. I retired early, wanting to get an early start. The other party couldn’t get the items before us.
The next morning, as we rode south, I thought about allowing Sylvar and Monde to join our party. We’d be closer to a normal group of six.
“How does everyone feel about inviting the other two in our party?” I asked.
“Are you serious?” Sarah asked. “I’ve been dying to let them in and talk…you know.”
“Let them in,” Bernard said.
“I appreciate the offer, but I decline,” Sylvar said, confusing me.
“You don’t want to join our group?” I asked. “Why not?”
I wondered if he was a computer-controlled NPC.
“Not now,” Sylvar said. “Maybe later.”
I studied his elvish features, but he hid his emotions well.
“More for us,” Bernard said, not mentioning xp.
I turned to him.
“Do you know anyone in Westwood?” I asked.
“General Achbark and I have met before,” he said. “It’s a long story.”
“Save it for later then,” I said. “We need to keep our eyes open. I think that other party might try to ambush us.”
“They won’t risk it near Westwood,” Sylvar said. “Gnomes don’t mess around.”
“It’s still a good idea to be ready,” I said.
“Achbark,” Monde paused, then repeated. “Achbark.”
She laughed hysterically as we rode.
I leaned over to Bernard.
“We might want to see him without her around,” I said. “Sylvar too.”
He nodded.
“I agree, boss. Never good to trust a man with a weasel.”
“Are we there yet?” Sarah asked in a sullen tone.
“Halfway,” Sylvar said.
We quieted down and rode. I wanted to reach Westwood before sundown and see General Achbark. The other players had likely already done so.
Hours after we’d departed High Keep, we reached the impenetrable stone walls of Westwood—the heart and soul of the gnomish kingdom.
I noticed over a dozen gnomes with crossbows standing atop the wall as we approached. Sylvar stopped his horse and held up his right hand.
“We come in peace with the blessings of Field Commander Ersey,” he said.
Two guards in bronze plate-mail walked over from the open gates.
“Is that you, Monde?” one asked. “And Benji?”
Why doesn’t anyone recognize Sylvar? I wondered.
“It’s me,” Bernard said. “Never thought I’d be around these parts again, but here I am. It’s a small world.”
“That it is, my friend,” the gnome warrior said then turned to his companion. “You’ve heard the stories, haven’t you?”
“I’ve heard them,” the other gnome said, still staring up at us. “But I’m not sure I believe any of them.”
“Good,” Bernard said.
The first guard laughed.
“Welcome to the city,” he said. “Enjoy your stay.”
“I’ll try,” Bernard said.
The two gnomes stepped aside.
We rode into the city through an opening in the massive stone walls; the entire city impressed me.
Inside, a gnome wearing bright blue and yellow clothes ran up. He stopped, bending to place his hands on his knees to catch his breath.
“Everything okay?” Sarah asked from atop her horse.
He straightened up and smiled.
“General Achbark is waiting for you,” he said. “I’ll take you to him.”
“That’s great.” I turned to Bernard. “You’re on good terms with this guy, right?”
“I think so,” he said. “It’s been so many years.”
“Right this way,” the gnome said then turned.
We followed him through the miraculous city. Of all the ones we’d been to so far in the game, Westwood was the most advanced.
He led us to a fancy building on the east side of the city—a private estate. After passing another dozen guards, we went into the palace. The gnome led us to a luxurious throne room.
I stared up at the paintings on the domed ceiling, amazed at the craftsmanship.
“He’ll be right with you,” the gnome said then left.
The five of us looked around the empty room.
“Welcome,” a voice boomed.
I glanced around, not seeing anyone.
“We’ve come to see General Achbark,” I said then added. “Benji’s here too.”
“That rascal isn’t in jail?” the voice asked.
A gnome with a long, white beard walked out of the shadows on the far side of the room. The top of his bald head glistened. He wore a purple suit with gold embroidering; an abundance of jewelry all over his body—shining and sparkling.
“Welcome, old dog,” General Achbark said.
He embraced Bernard, hugging him tightly.
I glanced at Sylvar who shrugged.
“What brings you to these parts?” the general asked.
“Gnome oil,” I answered. “Original recipe.”
