“What is this?” Clarice barked, the severe woman stalking toward the pair from the pens.
Brian gestured at the wagon. “Eliza came back with salve for the sheep.”
“It looks like she must have brought some for every farm in the area,” Clarice groused, sparing a penetrating look at Eliza.
When he saw Eliza fumbling to respond, Brian stepped in, “She figured you could store anything you didn’t use for later. That would probably keep her from having to make multiple trips.”
Clarice snorted in irritation, but she seemed to chew on the idea appreciatively. “Fine, fine,” she said finally. “There’s no sense standing around twiddling our thumbs then.” She gestured to Brian. “Unload the barrels and stack them near the lanolin beside the barn.”
Then the woman turned on Eliza. “While our young buck here is working on that, you can show me how well this salve works.”
“S-sure,” Eliza replied, nodding quickly. She grabbed a small vial of the mixture from the back of the wagon.
“See, you get to handle the animals while I get the joy of undergoing manual labor,” Brian whispered to her when she came close, his hands already tugging at one of the barrels. “I’m pretty sure she just sees me as another farm animal.”
Eliza forced herself to stifle a laugh, but she managed a quick retort. “Well, then you should be a good boy and get this unloaded faster.”
Brian just stared at her in mock shock. “My lady, was that… that a joke?”
“Maybe,” Eliza murmured, her eyes dropping to the ground and her cheeks suddenly feeling hot. She was spared any further embarrassment when Clarice called for her impatiently.
Eliza spent the next half hour showing Clarice how to apply the simple salve to the scratches on each sheep in the pen. The substance had to be applied by hand – not ingested. This was time-consuming, but there didn’t seem to be very many sheep inside the farm, and the pair finished the applications relatively quickly.
Her work complete, Eliza headed back to the wagon. She had been assuming that the process of applying the salve would take longer – buying her some time for the mold cultures to grow. However, the entire process had taken a little less than an hour, and her stomach was in knots as she tried to think of a compelling reason for her to linger at the farm a bit longer.
“Hey, girl,” Clarice called from behind her as she approached the wagon. “A moment?”
Eliza whirled and saw the surly woman beckoning for her to come closer. Brian stood nearby, his chest heaving slightly and his armor looking a little dustier after manhandling the barrels over next to the barn.
“Is there something else?” Eliza asked.
“Actually,” Clarice said, glancing at Brian. “Would you mind helping us administer the salve to the rest of the herd? I’m not sure I trust this one to handle it on his own.”
Brian looked at Clarice skeptically. “I only saw the process from a distance, but I think I could manage. There’s no magic to rubbing some lotion on a sheep’s belly.”
“This coming from you?” Clarice demanded with a raised eyebrow. “I heard James found you at the archery range with an arrow in your foot.”
“T-that was a freak accident,” Brian interrupted quickly, glancing at Eliza nervously.
“Uh huh,” Clarice grunted before turning back to Eliza. “Anyway, would you mind going out into the fields to help administer the salve? It should only take a few hours, and I can add a few coins on to whatever I already owe you.”
Eliza gulped. Leaving the compound hadn’t been part of her plan. She needed to stall, but she wasn’t sure how long the mold would actually take to grow. If they took too long, things could get out of hand quickly. Someone could get hurt! On the other hand, what choice did she have? She couldn’t blow her cover, and this would at least give her an excuse to come back to Clarice for payment.
“S-sure,” Eliza said, nodding quickly.
“Then get to it,” Clarice said, gesturing at the wagon. “I think you’ll only need one barrel if this small group was any indication. I’ll let James know that you’re working for me today,” she added for Brian’s benefit. With that, the gruff woman stormed off, presumably to order someone else around.
“Sorry, she can be a little… intense,” Brian said to Eliza after Clarice had walked off. He must have misinterpreted the nervous look on her face. “Just let me grab a barrel, and we can be on our way.”
Eliza could only stare at his back as Brian walked off for the nearby barn. This hadn’t been her plan at all. She was beginning to suspect that the butterflies in her stomach must have laid eggs or mutated or… something, because she felt like she was going to be sick. Her gaze shifted back to the bell tower that loomed over the farm.
She could only hope that they could finish administering the salve quickly.
Chapter 30 - Conflicted
The cart rumbled and bounced below them, as Eliza and Brian made their way into the fields outside of Tollhouse Farm. The hills in the area seemed to crest and swell like green waves, and the tall grass waved and rippled in the strong breeze. Meanwhile, a cloudless sky lingered overhead, the occasional flock of birds flapping languidly through the air.
Despite the peaceful setting, Eliza’s thoughts were in turmoil. She had set a timer using her system UI, and she couldn’t help but glance every few seconds at the numbers ticking down in her peripheral vision. She’d had to estimate the time it would take for the mold to reach critical mass, and, as best she could guess, she only had a few hours left.
Things hadn’t gone to plan at all.
“Beautiful day today,” Brian said, startling Eliza. She had almost forgotten he was sitting beside her, occasionally tugging on the reins to guide the mare.
“Y-yeah, I guess,” Eliza replied.
Brian glanced at her. “I just realized that I don’t know very much about you. How did you end up becoming an alchemist?”
“It was an accident, I suppose,” she began tentatively. “I met Alma in the market in Falcon’s Hook, and she offered to train me.” She hesitated for a moment. “I guess it’s not a very exciting story when I say it out loud.”
Brian shrugged. “I wouldn’t say that. It’s always fascinating how people came to be where they are. It’s never a straight path,” he said, a small smile upon his face.
“Oh really?” Eliza asked with raised eyebrows. “Well, how did you end up being a guard at the farm?”
“Hmm, so I guess that proves my point. Mine is a rather long story,” Brian said, his eyes distant. “First off, I’m an orphan.” He noticed her expression and waved it off. “It’s not that uncommon, and I don’t dwell on it. I was lucky, actually. I was dropped off on the steps of a church – no idea who my parents were. But the local priest took me in, and he treated me well enough.”
He sighed slightly, adjusting their course as he caught sight of the herd in the distance. “That little town was home, but it was a hard place to find work as I grew older. Besides, I was a bit rebellious as a kid – a hell-raiser actually – so I had burnt some bridges. Like top-to-bottom, there’s nothing left but ashes level burned… Anyway, I ended up traveling to Falcon’s Hook looking for a job.”
“And you found work at the farm?” Eliza asked, watching him more closely now. This was a much more elaborate backstory than she had been expecting from the game’s NPCs. Although, she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised after her interactions with Alma and Lord Baen. It was sometimes difficult to remember she wasn’t talking to a real person.
“That actually took a while,” Brian replied with a shrug. “I worked some odd jobs. Tried my hand at carpentry for a while and then some regular farming. It didn’t work out. Then my dream for a time was to get picked up on one of the crews for the trade houses…”
As he trailed off, Eliza nudged him. “I guess that didn’t work out either?”
“Turns out I get violently seasick!” he said laughing and flipping the reins to bring the mare
back on track as she drifted off to eat some grass. “I couldn’t even stand on deck in the bay,” Brian continued with a self-deprecating smile. “It’s pretty hard to do your job when you’re projectile vomiting every minute or so.”
Eliza couldn’t help but chuckle at the image of Brian reeling on deck, momentarily forgetting her quest and the ever-present timer. “Yeah, that might not be your calling.”
Brian nodded with a wry grin. “Clearly. I always wanted to travel, though. You know? Have epic adventures, see strange lands, kill a dragon! I don’t know. It sounds silly as I say it, but it’s still my dream to venture a little further afield.” He glanced at the hills with a sardonic expression, clearly appreciating the irony of his last statement.
He glanced at Eliza. “What about you? Does our grand alchemist have any dreams?”
A frown creased Eliza’s lips. She found herself struggling to answer that question. What was her dream? She didn’t even want to think about her real life. In-game, she enjoyed practicing alchemy and helping in Alma’s garden, but she had to admit that a part of her had enjoyed the confrontation with the troll and the players – that sense of power that came with besting an opponent. She had never really felt that before.
“I-I’m not really sure,” Eliza eventually replied. “Maybe I’m still working on it?”
“I can understand that,” Brian said with a nod. “Probably better than changing course every other month like myself! When you do finally make a decision, I expect you’ll be ready to see it through.”
Eliza wasn’t as confident, but she wanted to shift the subject away from herself. “So how did you end up at the farm? You never really got to that part.”
“Oh, you’re right!” Brian said, his eyes sparkling as he glanced at her. “It’s not really that fascinating. I found a notice in town looking for some laborers and shepherds. I wanted to work with the animals, but apparently, I have a knack for combat.” He hesitated slightly. “Or at least I didn’t fall flat on my face during the interview…
“Plus, the farm was willing to train me in melee and ranged combat and give me some experience. Monsters and other creatures do occasionally attack, so it’s a pretty good way to level. One little step towards my dream I suppose,” he said with a sad smile.
Eliza started to respond but stopped as a nearby shepherd raised a hand in greeting. They were getting close to the herd now, and Eliza could make out hundreds of sheep shambling through the hills. Shepherds stood in a loose circle around the animals, their eyes scanning the area while monitoring the sheep. She could feel her stomach lurch again as she saw the huge number of creatures – her original goal returning in a rush.
How long was it going to take to apply the salve?
“Hey there, Joe!” Brian called out to the nearby shepherd.
“Surprised they let you off the wall,” the man said, approaching with a grin on his weathered, tan face. A thick beard clung to his chin, and his fingers ran through his thick hair. Instead of carrying a staff, a bow hung over his shoulder, and a sword swung at his waist – evidence that there was indeed some risk of monster attacks out in the hills.
Brian shrugged. “I think James just got tired of yelling at me. He was nearly hoarse by the end there.”
Joe laughed, a deep rumbling sound that reverberated through his chest. Then his eyes lit on Eliza. “And who’s this young lady?”
“My name’s Eliza,” she said quietly, glancing nervously at Brian.
“She’s a novice alchemist. Clarice asked her to bring back some salve to treat the sheep,” Brian explained. “Which is actually why we’re here. Clarice instructed us to bring out a barrel of ointment and help apply it to the herd.”
Joe grimaced as he glanced back at the hundreds of sheep behind him. “Well, I can’t say that I’m excited to get started. That’s going to take a while.”
Eliza could feel the pit in her stomach clench with a vengeance, and her eyes darted to the timer counting down in her peripheral vision. Did they really have enough time to administer the medicine to all of the sheep? Unfortunately, she was committed now. It wasn’t as though she could afford to blow her cover, and she couldn’t think of a good reason to return to the farm on her own.
“It won’t be so bad if we work together,” Brian said with another shrug. “If you want to call over the other guys, we can set up a little assembly line. Maybe we can move the treated animals further down the hills to keep them separated from the rest of the flock.”
Joe gave a nod, and a moment later, a group of shepherds hung around the wagon. Brian thankfully took charge. He had the foresight to bring containers for the salve and handed them out to each of the men. They then started systematically applying the lotion to each sheep, making sure to cover their stomachs well.
Even working together, the process took quite a while. Eliza couldn’t help but continue to glance at the timer as she worked, her unease growing with each minute that passed. Yet no alarm had sounded from the farm in the distance even as the sun began to drift toward the horizon.
A few hours later, Brian wiped at his brow with his sleeve. “Whew. I think we’re finally done!” he said, sparing a glance at Eliza. At the same time, a notification appeared in the air before her.
Quest Completed: Sheepish
You brought a load of salve to Clarice, although you were actually using your alchemy skills as a way to deceive the poor, gentle woman. She even had the kindness to ask you to help tend her sheep. Yes, kindness! She totally wasn’t pushing off her own work onto you. Now, after spending the afternoon tending to the flock, you have finally completed your task. Of course, whether you will get paid is another question entirely…
Difficulty: D
Success: Return to Tollhouse Farm with a tonic or salve that will fight the infection.
Failure: Ignore this quest?
Reward: You forgot to negotiate for this, yet again.
Eliza was having trouble focusing on either Brian or the notification, the butterflies continuing to flutter in her stomach. Her eyes darted to the timer, noticing that only a few minutes remained. Had her math been wrong? Had she screwed up her experiment somehow? She felt like the residents should have noticed the mold by this point. Which just left her with a single question. Had she missed her chance to destroy the bell tower?
“T-that wasn’t so bad,” Eliza managed to squeak out, realizing that she had been ignoring Brian’s comment. “Are we heading back to the farm now?”
Brian glanced at the sun as it was beginning to crest the hills. “We probably should. They’ll need to bring the herd back before nightfall anyway,” he said, gesturing at the shepherds as they slowly corralled the sheep and began urging them back toward the farm.
As Eliza and Brian retook their seats on the wagon and began turning the mare’s head back toward Tollhouse Farm, Eliza finally heard the sound she had been dreading all afternoon. The deep chime of a massive bell rolled over the hills, echoing slightly but still clearly coming from the direction of the farm.
The whole group froze, many of the shepherds cocking their heads and glancing at each other in confusion. They seemed to be waiting for something. The sound repeated another two times, and Eliza could see many of the men’s eyes widen in a mixture of surprise and fear.
“Shit,” Brian murmured, his expression suddenly serious.
“What? What’s wrong?” Eliza asked.
“That’s the alarm. Three chimes means the farm is under attack,” he said in a dark tone. “We need to get back quickly.”
The shepherds must have had the same idea. They grouped up, talking in hushed tones. A moment later, a few of the men moved back to the flock to continue dealing with the sheep. The others approached the wagon at a brisk jog.
“Hey, Brian,” Joe said, his smile now gone. “We need to hitch a ride with you, and we’re leaving some men to keep an eye on the herd. We need to get back to the farm quickly.”
“Hop on,” Brian replied, gesturing
at the bed of the wagon.
The men promptly piled onto the vehicle, and they took off for the farm, Brian urging the mare to move as fast as possible. The animal was reluctant, but Brian didn’t relent, whipping at the reins every time the horse paused or slowed. Even the irritating animal seemed to understand that something was wrong, and she managed a slow trot. The speed made the vehicle bump and stutter more erratically, setting Eliza’s teeth on edge.
Her anxiety wasn’t helped by the group of men in the bed of the wagon. They pulled daggers and swords from their sheaths and checked their quivers – clearly preparing for a fight. For a moment, Eliza considered leveling with them about what they were facing. It wasn’t like the mold could really fight back. These people had been nothing but nice to her – even if they might be smuggling Lord Baen’s stolen cargo.
Yet she quickly shut down that idea as she realized that this would immediately lead to follow-up questions that she wouldn’t be able to answer. She could already envision the anger and betrayal in their eyes when they realized what she had done.
She also didn’t relish the idea of dying again – even if the game wasn’t real.
So, she kept her mouth firmly shut, her knuckles white as she clutched one of her wands. A few short minutes later, the wagon teetered over the crest of a hill and the farm came back into view. The entire group froze as they witnessed the scene that was playing out in the small valley, the muffled gasps of the shepherds nearly drowned out by the clash of metal and the screams of the farm’s residents.
“Oh…oh, my god,” Eliza murmured. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined the scene that was playing out before her. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth hung open as she witnessed what had happened to the farm – what she had done to these people.
Chapter 31 - Mutated
Eliza gaped as she took in the pure, tumultuous chaos that was now Tollhouse Farm. Even from the hills ringing the compound, she could see men and women running through the makeshift dirt streets – their panicked shouts filling the air. They were all fleeing the center of the farm, and the reason soon became obvious.
Awaken Online (Book 3.5): Apathy Page 23