Encounters

by A O Storm

  "I know," she said. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry, that humans have free will and even if you follow me, your actions are your own? What's that lyric you were just thinking of, 'I'm not your puppet,' right?" Her voice took on a less emotional, more rational tone. Surprised she knows that one, Kano thought, smiling slightly.

  "One more thing," her voice whispered on the breeze. "What if I knew how you could get revenge on the man who killed you and your family?"

  Kano stopped walking. He stopped breathing, looking around at the various buildings, the sacred tree in the distance and the mountains. He paused and then started breathing again, feeling his lungs fill with fresh, clean air.

  Abnoba’s words were a two-fold punch in the stomach. First, he’d been told it was a gas line, and second, he was now just a digital image of his former self. "Killed my family? How would you know? How can I do anything from within this game?" Kano paused, thinking about the arena, Bob and the rest. “If my family was murdered, then you a? damn right I want a piece of them.”

  "You know my price," her voice continued, and Kano strode more anxiously to Thomas's house.

  Her price was either cheap or infinitely expensive, depending on your perspective. On the one hand, Kano did not like the idea of allegiance to any specific deity, even an in game one, without knowing all the facts. On the other, he did not want to look a gift horse in the mouth and if she was right, Kano was almost ready to accept.

  "You need to decide," her voice faded to a barely audible whisper. "Soon."

  Sixteen - Payment Arrangements

  Kano finally approached the door to Thomas's residence and knocked. He pushed Abnoba's voice out of his head and focused on the here and now. He had a fresh desire to find out what happened to his family, but he also had this new reality to deal. Small town politics, Kano thought, wondering what Thomas would want from him since it wasn’t just money.

  A moment later Thomas came to the door and stepped out, clapping Kano on the back.

  "I trust you’ve had a less eventful day today?" he asked, friendly.

  "Sure," Kano said, smiling, “Unless there are other villagers who also were into human sacrifice?” Thomas shook his head negative, frowning. "What was it you needed?"

  Thomas gave him a long, slow look and then patted him on the back again, gesturing with his left hand toward the distance. "Have you seen the mine?"

  Kano snorted, shrugging off the other man. "No, of course not. I just got here yesterday, remember?"

  Thomas laughed. "Fair enough. Listen, my point was the village has far more potential than we've ever achieved." Thomas sighed then, wilting. "The metal ore in the mines produces one of the rarest kinds of steel that's used in enchanting magic items," he said, looking one way and the other, to ensure they weren't overheard. The road was empty, and the closest building was hundreds of yards away.

  "Magic items?" Kano was intrigued, even if the mayor was being cagey. Magic items would be very, very valuable.

  "Wait a second," he said, frowning. "Suppose the mine is so close, you must already have some magic items here right?" Kano smiled, suddenly very enthusiastic. “What kind of magic items do you have? How long do they take to make?”

  Sighing, Thomas shook his head. "There are a few obstacles to overcome," he said. "Clearing out the mine is the first step."

  "The other steps being...?"

  "Second, we'd need a magician or wizard that could help with the enchanting, then we'd need a smith to actually forge the iron into steel, then finally create things which of course would be limited by the wizard’s knowledge of enchanting."

  "Slay the dragon, rescue the princess, and earn the people's favor, that's all?" Kano laughed.

  Thomas was having none of it. "No, it's not a dragon. At least, we're pretty sure, because we haven't seen anything flying around." Then he gave Kano a puzzled look. "What's all this about a princess? And I think you're confused, this is the favor I was referring to yesterday. It’s far more valuable than that pile of coins you paid me."

  Kano chuckled. "Sorry, I was just thinking of a book I read."

  "Well, whatever is guarding the mine has made it so the last few people who tried to collect anything disappeared." Thomas smiled. "I think any man who could take on seven others, with no weapons, could easily survive whatever horror awaits in the dark."

  "Perhaps," Kano said, nodding. "Then again, you're twisting my arm here. That whole thing about back taxes, right?"

  "True," Thomas said. "You don't really have much choice. At least, you don’t have one if you want to stay in the village as the owner of the White Rabbit."

  "So who owns the mine if I clear it out?"

  Thomas gave him a sly grin. "Well, me, of course." Kano gave him a significant look. "I'll happily share enough ore to craft a few personal items when you find a wizard and a smith who can help you. Of course, you’ll also get the inn, free and clear. Is that acceptable?"

  Kano knew that Thomas was not only giving him the short end of the stick, but that the man was hiding something. He could not be sure what it was. When the man had laughed off the dragon comment, Kano had wondered. Dragons in his world, most people believed, were based on stories of dinosaurs.

  However, no dinosaur matching most dragon descriptions had ever been found, if flying was a requirement. A few stories included dragons that did not fly and that had his stomach doing flip-flops. Killing evil men, who had tried to kill him first, was one thing. Kano was not entirely sure he could survive an encounter with a beast strong enough to kill every adventurer who'd tried. The dream from the night before came back to him then, of being chased down a mountain by a huge, flying dragon.

  If the village had never seen the beast leave the cave, surely it wasn't a flying dragon. So Kano reasoned that if the mysterious beast could not fly, at least he wasn't going to be descended upon like a helpless ant beneath a boot.

  "I'll need a weapon," Kano said, working out some stiffness in his shoulders. Standing there thinking about his dream made him tense.

  "That means you agree?" Thomas had a glint in his eye that made Kano uncomfortable but he nodded.

  "Yes, I agree."

  "Excellent!" Thomas grinned, his red beard bushing out as he did. "Talk to Paul about a sword and scabbard. I'm sure he has something you could buy. I doubt he's open to lending things, even for a good cause."

  "Right," Kano said, turning to leave. "Drop off whatever paperwork related to the inn and the back taxes while I’m gone. This shouldn't take too long." When Thomas looked at him questioningly, Kano replied, “Uh, documents? You know, whatever paperwork that says the debt for the White Rabbit has been paid. In full.”

  "Are you sure? The walk to the mountain, Seven Ducats, takes a few hours."

  "I'm sure," Kano said, continuing on his way. "See you this evening, let's say sunset."

  "You're brave, I'll give you that. I hope your confidence matches your skills. Good luck, Kano."

  When Kano walked up to the smithy he first returned the shovel and other tools he borrowed in the morning. Then, waiting patiently, he watched Paul, who was hard at work, banging away at something. His massive arms were corded with muscle and Kano thought, even with his enhanced stats, the man could break him like a twig. He stood there watching the metal, red from the fire, as Paul steadily pounded it into shape. Kano couldn't tell what the man was making, but it was interesting to watch. He'd never seen somebody work metal before.

  Eventually, Paul's work slowed and he set the hammer down. Using a pair of tongs, he plunged the hot metal into one batch of liquid, then another. After he set down the piece, Kano realized it looked like a spoke for a wagon of some kind.

  "Wagon wheel?" Kano asked, once he had the man's attention.

  "Yep," Paul replied, smiling. "You know your way around metal?"

  "No, no, just a lucky guess. Do you know why I'm here?"

  "Yep, Thomas told me earlier this morning about his plans, and I agree. After all, if
he gets the ore flowing from the mine, I'm the one who'll be able to use it to make new, better armaments. Though they won't be magic unless we find a wizard, or at least somebody who can cast the spells."

  "Hm, that reminds me. One moment, Paul," Kano said, looking at his character sheet again, focusing on the attribute scores.

  Attributes and Scores

  Physical

  Score

  Mental

  Score

  Strength

  73

  Intelligence

  57

  Speed

  73

  Wisdom

  57

  Endurance

  73

  Memory

  57

  Constitution

  73

  Magic

  57

  Beauty

  61

  Linguistics

  55

  When he did, he noticed that while he had not yet selected a class, magic seemed like something that anybody could do, not just wizards. However, Kano read through the attribute and while it said that the magic attribute was necessary for magic to work, the information was lacking in expressing exactly how it worked. Kano sighed, thinking that if Thomas could not find a wizard, he might not have any luck, unless he went traveling to a larger city.

  Traveling to the near city was something he was reluctant to do for now, considering he still had so much to learn about managing the inn. Then he considered how Thomas was interested in trying to build the village into something larger, bigger. Kano started thinking, after clearing the mine, he would need to learn how to brew at scale. Smiling, he thought that the future looked bright, indeed. He pushed thoughts of crafting his own beer from his mind, realizing that Paul was just waiting patiently for him to finish his reverie.

  "How hard would it be to find a wizard, anyway?"

  Paul shook his head and then frowned. "Look, it's a moot point, unless the mine gets cleaned out. Supposing we did, then supposing that there were sufficient raw materials there, well, we could hire on a wizard, I suppose. But that would get expensive fast. They can't spend all day enchanting stuff for us, as that's not how enchantment magic works."

  “Really?” Kano asked, fascinated.

  "The alternative is to buy some spell books, but that would require finding a wizard too. There's bound to be some of each in the capital city, but the trouble is, wizards have no incentive to come all the way out here to Three Rivers, we can’t pay them enough to compete. I'm sure there are ways of researching the magic involved but that would require somebody to learn magic, again, requiring spell books. Spell books for the uninitiated exist, but they are terribly expensive, and rare. Usually a master will prepare one for an apprentice, so they don't have to sit around casting magic on demand for customers themselves. Finding a wizard willing to sell a beginner book might be impossible."

  "So what use is the mine, then?"

  "Assuming you clear it," Paul said, turning to look around at a rack on the wall, "selling the ore to the city directly is a start. Either a wizard there could use the material, or they can find a market in other cities in distant lands. Once Thomas builds up enough sales in a few years or so, maybe then he could buy a spell book or temporarily hire a wizard to enchant a few items. Those would be worth far, far more than the Mananite ore itself."

  "I see."

  "Thomas likes to think long term, and now that Bob's gone, with you seeming to be of similar mind, well, I think his plans are good." Paul picked a sword up off the rack. "Can you handle something like this?"

  Kano looked at the weapon and a message with the sword details appeared in his display.

  Item

  Description:

  Basic Long Sword

  Quality:

  Average

  Attributes:

  Deals 5-15 damage

  He dismissed the notification and thought, that’s pretty handy. Smiling, he looked at Paul. "I just stab them with the pointy end right?"

  Paul laughed at Kano's joke, "Yeah, that, or just slice into them. A slash will give you a lot more power than a stab."

  "Like swinging a baseball bat, got it." Kano knew he had the skill of Sword Fighting, but at rank Initiate, he also knew it was nothing to write home about.

  "What's a baseball bat? We have horned cave bats, here."

  Kano smiled, realizing how that sounded to somebody unfamiliar with the sport. "It's a kind of team based competition where I come from," he said. "Baseball is a game where the player has to swing, really hard, at the right time to hit a ball. The long stick they swing is called a bat."

  Paul frowned, then nodded. "Timing is critical in swordplay, too. But it’s not a competition, well, unless you consider a life and death struggle a competition." He nodded toward the blade. "Good luck with the mine, just return it when you get back."

  "Do you have something to hold this, like a sheath or scabbard?"

  "Right, one minute," Paul said. Kano took a closer look at the sword while Paul went to fetch him something to carry it. Kano could feel the weight in his hands, estimating it was a good ten pounds or so. He could move it, but not that fast. There was room for one hand on the hilt, with a simple cross guard and no ornamentation. A serviceable piece, with a dull shine, but nothing special.

  The smith returned in a minute with a scabbard that would fit the sword, and Kano took it, unbuckling to strap it onto his waist. The leather material was worn and, between the sword and sheath, Kano knew Paul had given him almost the cheapest equipment possible. It felt comfortable in a way, but odd. He'd never imagined himself wearing a weapon before. Carrying a gun had never held any special appeal to him, and the few times a friend had taken him to a firing range, he found the noise distracting and annoying. Using a sword, for some reason, seemed a much better idea, even if the end result was still death. He didn't like the idea of taking more lives, but he had already seen he needed to be ready for anything.

  "You look good," Paul said, smiling behind his beard. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that sword belonged there." Then he laughed. "Just stick whatever you find with the pointy end," he said, grinning. "I'm sure you'll be back in no time."

  Kano clasped the man's arm and then said, "You’re a good guy, Paul. What do I owe you for the sword and scabbard?"

  "Nothing, you seem like a good guy, too. Just try not to die."

  "You got it." Kano walked off and then left the village behind. He was headed for the Seven Ducats Mountain, the mine and whatever horrors waited in the dark.

  Seventeen - A Leap of Faith

  As he walked, Kano listened to the sounds of the smithy and the village fading in the distance. The people there seemed content, and while Thomas, as well as Paul, was eager, he could not fault their thinking. If a stranger showed up, defeated the entire local gang without help or weapon, wasn't he clearly the one that could help solve the big, bad problem?

  Still, he felt weird walking off with a sword, a vague sense of direction and with a simple purpose. "Do this, and all is well," Thomas had promised. Kano knew, from talking with Paul, that it wasn't just the mayor who was seeing financial gains in the future for the town.

  Sometimes, small towns faded away, as younger people moved to the local city, and the village ended up without a new, vital labor force and lacked local enterprise. When that happened, as Kano had read about in the news, the town became unlivable for most and soon was abandoned entirely. Ghost towns from the old west made Kano think about how, without something to spur growth, the Three Rivers might fade into irrelevance.

  There were the rivers, of course, but if any environmental issues happened, those would cease to be the money making resources they were for the village. Kano did not think that the game, with its realism, would exempt players from real-world consequences of poor planning, water contamination or deforestation.

  Almost as if planned, when Kano started thinking about the realism, he needed to stop and water the plants. Feeling relieved,
he re-belted and continued walking.

  He thought back to Abnoba's offer and suspected she might be manipulating him. However, he also knew that if she wasn't and he denied the opportunity, he might never get the chance again. Stuck in a virtual world, if he could somehow recreate himself in the real world, that sounded like motivation enough. On the other hand, he didn't know what life would be like or how society had changed. It was appealing, certainly, but he was honest enough with himself that revenge was the main reason he wanted back. So far, the fantasy world had been brutal, but fun.

  With the mountains ahead of him as he walked, he was confident in a world full of magic he could eventually figure something out. Perhaps even start a new trend. "On screen," he chuckled, attempting to get the display working while he walked. Surprisingly, it worked. "The developers must love Star Trek," he muttered.

  He reviewed his stats and saw that he was progressing nicely:

  Character name:

  Kano

  Profession:

  (Blank)