“Well, I’ll wear you down eventually!” the Hippie said, unperturbed by her poor humor. “But, to answer your question, I thought you could use some company on your little hike. It can be lonely walking the road by yourself.”
“How thoughtful of you,” Eliza replied dryly. “And I’m sure you don’t have any ulterior motive…”
“Well, now that you mention it,” the Hippie began with a smile, “You might have noticed that Fluffy is absent today.” He shook his head, his expression suddenly morose. “He has really been in a funk since you pointed out that his wool has gotten a bit – bushy.”
“Technically, you said it first,” Eliza snapped, glaring at the god.
“Hmm, in any event, I want to do something to cheer him up. He can be quite sensitive about his appearance, you know. A bit sheepish, if you catch my drift” he said with a broad smile.
Eliza couldn’t help but groan again. “One more pun and we’re walking in silence for the rest of the trip.”
“Fair enough. But I really would like to do something to help Fluffy get his mojo back. Something to put a little pep back in his step.”
“Or rhyming…” Eliza grumbled.
“Fine! Anyway, I was thinking that we could do something to sort of… bedazzle his collar. Maybe add some bling,” he continued in a distracted voice. Eliza spared a glance at the god, who was rubbing at his chin thoughtfully.
“What do most people put on a collar?” the Hippie asked.
“I don’t know. A nametag or something?” Eliza replied. Leave it to the god of water to be more concerned about his pet’s collar than anything else. “Or maybe a bell?” she offered half-heartedly.
The Hippie perked up at that, his eyes lighting with excitement. “That’s a fantastic idea! A bell would be perfect. It would be stylish – farm-animal-chic even. And we would never lose him in a crowd!”
“Great. There’s probably a ton of bells that you could buy in Falcon’s Hook,” Eliza said quickly. “Do we really need to turn this into a–”
She stopped short as a notification flashed in front of her eyes.
New Quest: Ringing a Bell
Fluffy has become despondent and inconsolable after your extraordinarily harsh and ill-timed remarks. To make it up to him, you should find a bell that would be a suitable addition to his collar. But not just any bell will do! No, you will need to make it up to Fluffy by procuring something special!
Difficulty: A
Success: Acquire a bell for Fluffy’s collar.
Failure: Let down your cutest and most courageous companion.
Reward: Knowing that Fluffy’s mind will be put at ease.
Before Eliza could accept or reject the quest notification, it abruptly disappeared and was automatically added to her quest log. She yet again resisted the urge to smack the Hippie – although, she was skeptical that she would actually be able to hit him with the way he seemed to teleport about. Putting aside the fact that the quest hadn’t explained where she was supposed to find a “special” bell, the whole thing just seemed ridiculous.
“This doesn’t even tell me where I’m supposed to find…” she began, only to find that the Hippie had once again deserted her. Not that she was surprised. This seemed to be his new MO – drop a quest on her and then bolt.
“Coward,” she muttered.
With another exasperated sigh, Eliza kept walking. She was sure the details of the idiot god’s latest quest would be revealed eventually. In the meantime, she could deal with “investigating” this farm for Lord Baen.
It took Eliza several hours to make it to the location marked on her map. Lord Baen hadn’t been lying when he explained that the farm was in the middle of nowhere. The foot traffic on the road leading away from Falcon’s Hook had quickly dwindled, and the forests had given away to rolling hills and plains as Eliza headed steadily north – tall grasses waving in the stiff breeze that drifted through the hills.
As she crested a final hill, the “farm” came into view. Eliza came up short, her eyes darting back and forth between the structure in the valley below and the marker on her map. This couldn’t be right.
“This is a farm?” Eliza asked aloud, her voice incredulous as she tugged her cloak more tightly around her – the wind whipping at the material.
The scene before her didn’t look anything like her mental image of a farm. There was no red barn or simple farmhouse. Instead, she was looking at a miniature town, a few dozen buildings ringed by a tall rough-hewn, wooden wall. Smoke drifted from multiple chimneys, and she could see herds of animals being overseen by shepherds on the hills surrounding the compound.
As Eliza continued inspecting the “farm,” her brow furrowed in confusion. Not only was the compound ringed by a rather impressive wall, but there also appeared to be sentries stationed on the ramparts, each man and woman armed with a longbow. They were attired in matching clothing – which gave them a militaristic appearance.
Her eyes gravitated toward the structure jutting from the center of the compound. It towered over the other buildings, standing at least three or four stories tall. At the top was a giant iron bell that swayed gently in the breeze. Eliza could already feel a heavy weight settle in her stomach as she saw the bell.
“Oh, no,” she murmured, backpedaling quickly.
She wasn’t fast enough to stop the quest update that appeared in front of her.
Quest Update: Ringing a Bell
After arriving at the “farm,” you couldn’t help but notice the gigantic bell in the center of the compound. You immediately knew that this was the bell that Fluffy needed for his collar and absolutely no other bell would do. Despite the monumental undertaking that retrieving the bell would involve, you also knew that it would be worth it to see a smile on Fluffy’s face. Who wouldn’t go out on a lamb for our lovable sheep?
Difficulty: A
Success: Acquire the bell at the “farm” for Fluffy’s collar.
Failure: Let down your cutest and most courageous companion.
Reward: Putting a smile on Fluffy’s face.
“You have got to be kidding me. Can Fluffy even smile?” Eliza asked aloud, looking around for the Hippie. He had apparently decided not to make an appearance – which was probably a good idea on his part because Eliza was ready to strangle him. How the hell was she going to retrieve a giant bell from a compound full of armed guards?
At that thought, her eyes settled back on the farm. She should have known better. Of course, this wasn’t going to be a simple undertaking. Had any of the god’s quests been easy? She also couldn’t help but look back on her recent conversation with the Hippie from a fresh perspective. She wasn’t convinced that this was a coincidence – the god must have known where she was going and that she would find the bell when she got to the farm.
That thought gave her pause, her stomach twisting and churning.
She was only undertaking this quest for Lord Baen because she had also completed the bounty for the Silver Stag – another quest that the Hippie had sent her on. And she had only managed to slay the deer because she had access to the loot in the troll’s cave. How else would she have been able to pay Evan to craft her wands?
The more she thought about it, the more the pieces began to click together in her head. She couldn’t ignore the truth that was staring her in the face – or swinging from an impossibly tall-looking bell tower. She was starting to suspect that the god wasn’t nearly as stupid or erratic as he looked or acted. If she was right, then the Hippie had planned all of this, and he had been pulling the strings – the very intricate strings – from the beginning.
Understandably, that didn’t make her feel any better. Probably because she couldn’t help but ask the next and most obvious question: where was all of this heading?
Chapter 24 - Investigatory
After fuming on the hillside for a moment, Eliza decided that she couldn’t do anything about the Hippie’s stupid nonsense. Besides, the guards on the compound’s ram
parts were likely wondering if she was a crazy person with the way she had been pacing the top of the hill muttering to herself.
Taking a deep breath, she started down toward the farm. As she neared the walls, she realized that they were nearly a dozen feet tall, the barrier constructed of coarse logs that had been embedded into the ground. The top of each pillar had been carved to a point, likely intended to deter intruders. Eliza thought it seemed excessive. She didn’t expect anyone would actually be able to scale the fortifications – at least, not a human person.
A sentry stood on the ramparts above the gate and watched her carefully as she approached. From this distance, she couldn’t quite make out his face or clothing in any detail, but she did notice the bow slung across his back. At least the man made no move to reach for his weapon. Perhaps a young unarmed girl carrying a crate didn’t warrant much caution. She could probably use that to her advantage.
As she neared the gate, the sentry finally came into view. He wore a thick cloak that obscured his face and clothing – the thick material likely intended to blunt the sharp wind that whistled over the hills surrounding the farm.
The sentry hailed her, “Hey, there. What business do you have here, girl?”
“I-I’m an apprentice alchemist, and I was asked to deliver a shipment of healing potions to this farm,” Eliza called back hesitantly, trying for her best plaintive expression. She looked around in confusion for a moment. “At least, I’m really hoping this is the right place…”
The guard cocked his head slightly in thought, and he watched her carefully. Eliza felt her stomach lurch. She didn’t really have a good reason for visiting the farm, and she was going to have to rely on her “innocent alchemist” persona. She had noticed that this was starting to become a trend.
“I don’t recall hearing anything about a shipment of potions,” the man finally answered in a puzzled voice.
“Really?” Eliza asked, her face falling. “I traveled all this way… Maybe they gave me the wrong instructions? I hope I didn’t make a wrong turn. My master is going to be furious with me for wasting an entire day…”
The guard held up a staying hand as he noticed Eliza getting upset. “Don’t worry yourself. If you’re an alchemist, maybe it wouldn’t hurt for you take a look at the animals. Clarice mentioned the other day that some have taken sick.”
The man began pacing down the length of the ramparts. “Just give me a second.”
Eliza had to suppress a victorious smile as she saw the gate begin to drift open a few moments later. Maybe she was getting better at this whole deception thing. However, she had to quickly school her expression back to something more neutral as the guard appeared in the entrance. He approached her with a carefree step, pushing back at the hood of his cloak. Eliza was forced to do a double take as she saw his face. The sentry couldn’t have been more than twenty years old, with tousled auburn hair and gentle eyes.
“Hey there,” the man said in greeting, offering her a hand. “My name’s Brian.”
Eliza just stared at his hand for a moment, before realizing that she was supposed to shake it. Then she remembered that she was still holding the crate of potions and shifted it awkwardly. “Ahh, sorry. You have your hands a bit full,” Brian said with a smile. “And that looks heavy! Why don’t I give you a hand?”
With that, he gently took the crate from Eliza. She wasn’t expecting the movement, and she fumbled in handing it to him. A moment later, the crate tumbled to the ground, vials scattering in every direction with a loud clatter and the tinkle of glass. Eliza immediately dropped to her knees, grabbing at the vials and trying to turn over the crate. Her enhanced Dexterity apparently didn’t cure her social awkwardness.
“I-I’m sorry,” she muttered.
Yeah, okay. I’m definitely not getting better at this, she thought morosely.
Brian knelt beside her, a rumbling chuckle escaping his lips. “Don’t worry. Mistakes happen.” Meanwhile, he reached for the vials and helped her get everything back in order.
The only saving grace was that the majority of the potions were still intact, the thick glass absorbing most of the impact. As Eliza reached for the last potion, Brian’s hand brushed hers, and she glanced up quickly. She realized that he was close. Much, much closer than she had expected. And his eyes were a brilliant brown – the color reminding her unmistakably of autumn. She caught herself staring, and she glanced down quickly. Hopefully, he hadn’t noticed.
“Well, this was a good way to break the ice,” Brian said with a smile. “But I didn’t catch your name.”
“Ahh, I-I’m sorry,” Eliza murmured. “My name is Eliza.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Eliza,” Brian said cordially, hefting her crate under one arm and offering her a hand up. “Why don’t you follow me inside? We can go visit Clarice and let you take a look at the animals. Even if you don’t have the right place, I bet she’ll need to order some sort of healing tonics. Maybe that way you could bring back some good news for your master.”
“T-that sounds… perfect actually. Thank you,” Eliza replied, tentatively accepting his hand. The skin of his palm was calloused, and she couldn’t help but marvel at the way his skin felt so real – realizing that this was one of the first times that she had actually touched someone in-game.
With that, Brian led her into the compound. Eliza’s eyes widened as she stepped inside. The compound was much bigger than it had appeared from the hillside, multiple barns and farmhouses filling the interior. Dozens of people trod the dusty dirt roads between the building, attending to their chores and work. Her observation from the hillside stayed with her – this place looked more like a small town than a farm.
As they passed the center of the farm, she forced herself not to stare at the bell tower. It seemed even larger when she was standing below the structure, the tower stretching several stories into the air. The structure was built of thick boards and beams, and a heavy rope hung from the center. A ladder rested against the side of the building’s frame, likely providing a way to service the top of the tower. However, even if Eliza could somehow get to the top, she had no way of retrieving the massive bell, let alone take it anywhere. It was as tall as she was.
“Stupid dumbass god,” she muttered under her breath.
“What was that?” Brian asked, turning to look at her over his shoulder.
“N-nothing,” Eliza stuttered. “I was just saying that this is place is huge.”
“Ahh, is this your first time at Tollhouse Farm?”
“Y-yes,” Eliza said. “I’ve never been this far outside of Falcon’s Hook before.”
Brian chuckled. “Well, the distance is a problem. We need to be self-sufficient out here in the middle of nowhere.” He gestured at the walls. “We’ve also been having some trouble with the local wildlife – which is why you found me manning the walls. Some of our flock has gone missing of late, so we’ve been taking additional precautions.”
As Brian spoke, he led Eliza deeper into the compound, heading for the northeastern part of the miniature town. A few of the other farm workers spared her a curious glance, but no one stopped to confront them. She was beginning to wonder what Lord Baen was concerned about. Brian seemed nice, and from what she could tell, Tollhouse Farm looked like a normal farm – not that she had much experience with farms, of course.
However, she was still a bit confused about the size of the operation. As they walked through the compound, they passed what appeared to be a full-fledged smithy. The ring of hammer striking metal echoed through the air and Eliza could feel the heat of the forge as they passed. Why would a farm need a blacksmith? Maybe shoeing the animals?
She realized she had been lost in her thoughts and Brian was now glancing at her expectantly. “I’m sorry, what did you ask?”
“You seem about as out of it as me,” he replied with another chuckle, his eyes flashing with humor. “I swear I was dead on my feet when I took my post this morning. Probably why I don’
t remember any mention of a potion delivery. But I was asking how long you’ve been an alchemist.”
“A few weeks,” Eliza replied cautiously. “I’m not really an experienced alchemist – I’m just an apprentice.”
“Well, I’m just a lowly sentry,” Brian said with a small smile. “So, I won’t hold that against you.”
Eliza wasn’t really sure what to do with that, or how to respond to the friendly smile on the Brian’s face. Her experience with most of the people she met in-game was that they were either only looking out for themselves or they were a little unhinged – or both. The Hippie was a perfect example. She wasn’t really sure what to do with someone who just seemed genuinely nice.
She was saved from having to make small talk with Brian as the pair reached a set of pens along the northern part of the compound. Eliza could see that rough wooden fences had been constructed along the wall adjacent to a massive barn. Crates and barrels had been lined up beside the structure against the fence, and her Inspection ability immediately revealed that these containers held wool and lanolin.
Eliza froze as she saw a flock of sheep milling in the pen and bleating softly. Of course, they were sheep. Should she have expected anything different from the Hippie?
“Hey Clarice,” Brian called out, catching the attention of a woman standing near the pens and talking to a few shepherds. She must have been in her early forties, her skin tanned from long days in the sun and rope-like muscle visible beneath the skin of her arms.
“Brian,” Clarice greeted the man curtly, waving off the other shepherds as she turned her attention to the pair. “Shouldn’t you be at the gate? James will skin you if he finds out you left your position… again.”
Brian grimaced slightly. “Well, this time I had a good reason, at least,” he replied, gesturing at Eliza. “This is Eliza, and she comes bearing potions!”
Awaken Online (Book 3.5): Apathy Page 18