Alex had rolled out of the way, but too late to avoid taking damage. Crouched on her knees, she wiped her hair from her face.
"What the hell?" she muttered to herself. "I didn't think anyone had abilities."
She quickly analyzed him, sucking in a breath at the new information.
Tormane the Tower, Bravebear Clan: Battleleader, Level 26
Ability: Sword Blast
Ability: Steelskin
Ability: Midnight Aura
She knew she'd analyzed everyone before their fights, including Tormane, but no one had come up with anything more than level and clan rank.
Unless, she realized, the analyze skill didn't work on extra information until you stepped into the battle circle. Alex cursed herself for not double-checking on previous fights.
Her contemplation was shattered when Tormane leapt forward, his blade slicing through the air, right over her ducking head. Alex rolled left, then after coming up into a crouch, sprinted to the far side of the circle. Tormane pursued, bringing his weapon after her faster than a man that big should be able.
The next half minute of the fight was not her finest moment. Alex barely stayed ahead of Tormane, who relished her flight with booming laughter. She sensed he could kill her at any moment he chose but was making a show of it to remind the rest of the clan that he was unbeatable.
When he paused on the far side of the circle, Alex shot him with a Cloud Taunt again, which was resisted by his Midnight Aura ability.
If she couldn't put a DoT on him, there was no way she could kite him, not that she expected to avoid him in the small space for that long.
Tormane brought his sword overhead again. Knowing what was coming helped her dodge out of the way of the Sword Blast, but she slammed her shoulder into the ground on her roll, making her regret not putting a few points into Agility.
Alex rubbed her shoulder as Tormane strolled forward, giving her time to run through the mental options.
I can't run and I can't hide. He can hit me from short range and from long too, she thought. There has to be a weakness.
Alex glanced to Nayiri's cage. She had her dirty face pressed against the bars, looking appropriately worried.
"I'm worried too," said Alex.
She flicked her whip at Tormane, but the brutish warrior shrugged off her attack. It'd dealt a few points of damage, but not even enough to move the hit point bar.
"I'm going to beat you, then kick you out of the clan," said Tormane. "And after you're gone, we're going to use your friends as weapons practice. Or maybe I'll hang them over the firepit. There will be no end to their suffering since no one truly dies in Warsong."
While Tormane lectured her on what he was going to do after he won, Alex scoured her mind for ideas. She visualized what it would look like if she were watching the battle circle from Nayiri's cage, hoping to formulate a tactical advantage.
She imagined Tormane's abilities like heat maps surrounding him. Nothing could withstand him from the front or sides, his weapon had too much range and power. And no spot in the circle was safe from his Sword Blast ability. He was the perfect gladiator. His reach covered the entire battle circle.
Except for one small area.
The spot right behind him was vulnerable. He wouldn't be able to attack her with his sword or use his Sword Blast ability to get her.
The only problem was how to get there, but once she did she knew it would give her a chance to beat him.
Alex fired a Dewdrop Orb at his face, and it splattered across his mouth like a water balloon, bringing laughter.
"Is that all you have, little warrior?" he asked as he moved forward, cutting off her escape. "Throwing a mug of water at me? I've had bigger challenges putting on my pants in the morning."
Alex feinted a whip attack before firing a second Dewdrop Orb, but he knocked it out of the air with his sword hilt.
Tormane lifted his weapon, lining her up for a one-hit kill.
Alex twirled her whip in the air, pumping faez into the spell.
Prismatic sparkles surrounded the tip as if it were a fireworks display, mesmerizing Tormane momentarily.
Before it could wear off, Alex dove forward, rolled under his bulky frame, and came up behind him. She wrapped her whip around his neck and hung from his back before he came out of the spell.
Tormane went berserk, spinning around trying to get after her, but she rode the spins like a bull rider. She wasn't strangling him, she didn't have the leverage for that, but he couldn't attack her either.
When he slowed to contemplate his next move, Alex pulled herself further up his back, hitched another loop around his head, then dropped to hang her weight around his neck. At this second effort, spittle formed on his lips and his face bloomed crimson.
The reversal ended when Tormane grunted, and his skin turned to steel, starting with his feet and ascending up his massive body until he was armored from head to toe. This stopped the strangulation, but he still couldn't reach her.
For a few breaths, Alex was vaguely aware that the clan had been cheering and shouting the whole time. Arms gesturing, feet stomping—this fight was for the soul of the clan.
But they could have been fighting in an empty field for all she cared. Once the battle had begun, the world had faded away.
Alex refocused her attention on Tormane, not wanting a moment of reflection to cost her the match.
Tormane tried using his sword to hit her, but the size of the blade made it impossible for him to maneuver it around his back. The tip kept hitting the ground before he could get it near her.
Then he dropped his blade to reach back with both hands.
Alex had been waiting for this moment.
She let go at the same time, the whip uncoiling around his neck like a shy snake. She hit the ground, then lunged forward, grabbing the hilt and shoving it away from Tormane.
His steel skin slowed his reaction.
By the time his arms came back around, Alex had tipped his weapon outside the circle.
Without a weapon and covered in steel, Tormane moved ponderously after her like a metal Frankenstein.
Alex blasted him with Cloud Taunt, which hit without his Midnight Aura. It appeared he couldn’t use it while his steel skin was active.
As the electricity crackled across his metal body, Alex led him around the circle. No weapon meant he couldn't sword blast. His only hope was to catch her with his bare hands.
But she was smaller and quicker.
When he was down to a quarter health, he was finally able to drop his steel skin.
Alex reapplied the Cloud Taunt and hit him with multiple whip attacks before he could put up his magical resistance, but he closed the distance in two long strides. Tormane grabbed her by the midsection, lifted her into the air, and walked to the edge of the circle preparing to throw her out, which would earn him victory.
As he launched her over his head, Alex flicked the whip and the end coiled around his neck. She used the leverage to swing back into the circle, letting go at the last second and rolling to her feet.
The shift in momentum left Tormane off balance, so Alex hit him with Wind Gust, catching his wide body with the brunt of the flow. He teetered at the edge like a cut tree about to fall. Alex cracked him with the whip, catching him in the neck.
Critical hit! You deal Tormane the Tower 90 damage!
You have defeated Tormane the Tower!
You have gained experience: 2,000 XP
You have gained conquest points: 25 CP
You have gained a unique skill point: +1 Cunning Strategist
You have gained a skill point: +1 One-handed Whip
You have gained a skill point: +1 Whip Tricks
Special Achievement Reached: You have defeated a clan battleleader!
You have reached level 22!
You are now Battleleader of Clan Bravebear!
You have gained conquest points: 200 CP
When Tormane hit the dirt, both defeated and knock
ed out of the circle, the clan erupted in cheers. They flooded into the center, surrounding her in victory.
Many hands patted her on the back. She'd never been a part of a sports team, and most of her achievements in game had been solo, so the immediate feedback was overwhelming.
Her whole body tingled with aliveness.
She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience as they lifted her on their shoulders and marched her around the battle circle.
The next few hours were a blur to Alex.
At some point, she remembered announcing a celebration. Ale and wine flowed in rivers past their lips.
The rest passed in a haze until Nayiri found her at the back of the longhouse. After a knee-melting kiss, Nayiri led her into the battleleader's hut, where they fell into the furs.
"Thank you for saving me," whispered Nayiri, her breath tickling Alex's ear.
"That was a first for me," said Alex, fingers buried in her hair, drunk on Nayiri's presence. "Just like this is."
A thought passed across Nayiri's eyes like a stray cloud, but the sunshine returned quickly enough.
"This is your first?" asked Nayiri with a mix of concern and excitement.
Blushing, Alex said, "I've always known I liked girls, but I grew up in a small town. Not a lot of dating options to learn about yourself."
"Oh," said Nayiri, anxiousness in her gaze. "I'm honored to be your first."
She pushed Alex into the furs and with a grin hooked to the corner of her lips, wriggled out of her leathers.
"Firsts are my favorite," said Alex as she pulled Nayiri on top of her.
Chapter Fourteen
Alex woke the next morning expecting Nayiri to be next to her. She'd fallen asleep with her hand on Nayiri's hip, fingers caressing the dimple beneath her smooth stomach. She ached with the memory, wishing Nayiri was still there so she could rouse her for a morning jaunt.
But it wasn't unusual for Nayiri to be gone in the morning. She claimed that she was working out, practicing with her daggers or other such business, but Alex didn't think that was the truth.
In this case, it was probably a good thing because she had much to do as battleleader, and Nayiri's naked body would only distract her.
"Clan battleleader," she whispered to herself as she examined the interior of the hut in the hazy morning light.
It looked like a place out of a Conan the Barbarian set with bear furs hanging on the wall. She almost expected to find a row of skulls resting on the table.
Alex didn’t know what seemed stranger, the fact that she now led a clan, or that she had an NPC girlfriend. Alex had never been much for roleplay in MMOs. She didn't have anything against it, however someone wanted to play the game was up to them, but it'd never appealed to her.
Now, lying in the battleleader's hut—her hut—after a wild night of exploration with her girlfriend, Alex started to understand the appeal. It helped the world of Gamemakers Online was seamless with reality. Except for the weird pop-up messages, she'd never be able to tell the difference.
Warm with remembrances of the long night, Alex touched her lips with her fingertips. She'd always known she liked girls as much as guys, but in a small Kentucky high school, there hadn't been many opportunities to explore that side of herself. She just never expected her first time to be inside a game, and especially not with an NPC.
But Nayiri didn't feel like an NPC. She felt like a flesh-and-blood human being.
A really cute one too.
Alex didn't know if she'd ever reckon with the idea that Nayiri wasn't real, but for now she was content to enjoy the illusion. And she certainly wasn't going to figure it out when she had a clan to manage.
After dressing, Alex opened up her menus to find a listing for Clan Management.
While she was eager to explore her new opportunities, she decided to place her ability points first. It'd been a nice surprise to earn a level for winning the clan. She hoped there were other opportunities like that since straight-up experience grind wasn't going to be possible in the Plains of Warsong.
As much as she wanted to sink a few points into agility, she knew that cunning was the way to go. If she could beat Tormane with low agility, then she could get by without it, and hopefully she'd be able to find some magical items that could boost those scores.
Character: Alexandria Duke
Clan: Bravebear
Status: Battleleader
Level: 22
Strength: 1
Intelligence: 7
Cunning: 45
Agility: 2
Endurance: 7
Charisma: 1
Class: Arcane Mastermind
Subclass: Undecided
Health: 375/375
Faez: 295/295
Armor Class: 9
Fatigue: 0%
XP: 2,520,000/2,750,000
CP: 231
Skills:
Analyze: 38
One-handed Slashing: 1
Fire Spells: 2
Devious Device: 8
Sense Direction: 33
One-handed Whip: 23
Water Spells: 9
Cooking: 18
Stealth: 8
Climbing: 3
Air Spells: 32
Unarmed Combat: 2
Unique Skills:
Cunning Strategist: 10
Mastermind: 5
Leadership: 4
Spells:
Dewdrop Orb: 7
Minor Creation: 8
Transference: 24
Cloud Taunt: 51
Misdirection: 18
Wind Gust: 22
Heal Minions: 13
Whip Tricks: 9
Since her Cunning Strategist skill had hit Tier Two, she'd gained a new passive ability.
Heat of the Battle
Passive Ability
+10 to non-main abilities during critical moments in battle
"Sweet," said Alex. It made her feel better about sinking her increases into Cunning. This would help her in those important moments when a little extra agility mattered.
She also figured that her conquest points had gone down when she'd spent them to fight Tormane, but up when she'd won, meaning they were a currency of this zone. This suggested that she was going to have to acquire a lot of CPs, a fact which proved true when she opened the Clan Management screen.
Clan Bravebear
Clan Level: 1
Renown: 0/Unknown
Morale: -155/Poor
Conquest Points: 231
Gladiators: 32
Noncombatants: 31
Notable NPCs:
Blacksmith – Umber Redhold (Level 1)
Armorer – Nadia Alathair (Level 1)
Wisewoman – Zelda Waterhouse (Level 1)
There were other screens after the main where she could drill down into information about the clan: fighters, support team, abilities, levels, etc. Additionally, she could convert the clan into a settlement for the low price of 15,000 CPs, but that was an option well out of reach.
After a quick glance she realized why no one else had abilities and Tormane the Tower was stacked with them. She could use Conquest Points to give herself or members of the clan powers. He'd been assigning them to himself rather than anyone else, which had left the clan poorer.
CPs, she realized, were not just earned through individual battles. As the head of the clan, she received a portion of the CPs from fights with other clans, which was why there weren't many points to go around. They rarely fought, and rarely won, which meant Tormane was the only one who could afford them.
"The rich get richer while the poor eat dirt," said Alex.
The clan level, it appeared, dictated the overall strength of the tribe. They were currently level 1, but if she spent 150 CPs, she could level the clan, which would give them a 5% power boost to all skills and abilities and allow the NPCs and gladiators to level.
Since the clan level dictated the maximum level of everything, she realized that without it, sh
e couldn't increase anything else. There was no point in waiting, so Alex poured 150 CPs into leveling the clan to 2. To get to the next clan level she'd need another 500 CPs.
Then she checked the other screens for where she wanted to place her next points. She could either spend them on her NPCs to make better armor, weapons, and enchantments. Or she could use them to power up her gladiators, or herself.
Alex was pretty sure she wasn't going to spend them on herself, even though some of the higher-level abilities looked sweet. The path forward seemed to go through the other clans, which meant she had to get her fellow warriors leveled up.
It cost 20 CPs to level up a Gladiator, or 50 CPs for an NPC. The higher spend for a blacksmith made sense after she thought about it. One good NPC could make all of her warriors better.
Looking through her friends' information was an odd experience.
Blaze Frostmane - Class: Elemental Scourge
Mancalf - Class: Open-hand Warrior
Sorrow – Class: Pyrrhic Bard
Nayiri Shadowmarch – Class: ????
Sorrow's class name gave her a chuckle even though she didn't completely understand what it meant. Pyrrhic meant to win at great cost to the victor. Was that why he hadn't won a match yet?
But even more curious was Nayiri's lack of a class. Or it was hidden, Alex couldn't tell for sure. Maybe it was one of those things she would discover in time.
Quest Offered: Discover Nayiri Shadowmarch's class (+2,000 XP) [Y/N]
She was surprised when she found that most of the clan—everyone minus Sophia and Tormane—had no class, or if they did, they were the generic base classes that showed up in any game.
Tormane the Tower – Class: Destructor
Sophia Lionheart – Class: Battlemaster
Atticus Laine – Class: Warrior
Andreque the Bold – Class: Warrior
The rest of the clan was listed as "None." It appeared that she could assign them a class for 200 CPs from a list of mage, warrior, rogue, healer, ranged, or unique. The last one, "unique," was grayed out, which suggested it could only be given under special circumstances.
Gladiators of Warsong Page 10