Hero

by W Borne

  Fire Starting – Level 1

  The ability to start fires is a gift straight from Prometheus himself. Higher levels allow you to start fires in adverse conditions. 1% increased chance to start fires.

  Shield – Level 3

  Your chance to block a blow with an equipped shield increased by 3% from an enemy at or below your level. Your chance to land a blow with a shield increased by 3% against an attacker at or below your level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to block and hit by 5%. Agility increases chance to hit and block with shields.

  Stealth – Level 4

  You move silently, grasshoppah! 4% chance to move unnoticed while sneaking around. You are slightly ashamed as a Barbarian shouldn’t be sneaking, but here we are.

  Fortification – Level 1

  You begin to appreciate the value of a well-fortified position. You do 1% more damage and receive 1% less damage when fighting from a fortified position.

  Unarmed Combat – Level 1

  You are a barbarian! 1% more base damage dealt when using your fists in combat.

  1H Axes – Level 1

  You chance to land a blow with a 1H axe is increased by 1% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases the chance to hit with a weapon.

  Blessings

  Apollo’s Light (Cloak)

  +2 to Agility

  +2 to HP regeneration (5 per minute)

  +2 to Stamina regeneration (5 per minute)

  Jaxx smiled. He continued to advance, although he suspected that this quest had been a bit easier than it should have been. He still was a bit suspicious of the way the Gods, or at least Apollo, was taking such an interest in him. But then, this was a game based on ancient Greece mythology, and wasn’t that what happened to Heroes in the stories? The Gods rewarding and, in some cases, punishing the Heroes? Jaxx hoped the latter was held to a minimum here: he didn’t need Hera or Aphrodite after him!

  After enough time had elapsed for his HP and stamina to recover, Jaxx started off towards the village of Triada. He had a lot to think about.

  Coming into the Village, he noted that most people were taking notice of him, smiling and calling out greetings. Having absolutely no recollection of any of their names, he simply smiled back and raised his hand.

  Hwiksos met him at the square, with a pleased look on his face. “So,” he boomed, “You managed not to get dead! Did you kill the wolves that have been plaguing us?”

  Jaxx pulled the Alpha Wolf Skin from his bag – “I did, and here is proof!” He handed it to Hwiksos, whose eyes widened. “Can it be?” he breathed. Straitening, he asked Jaxx, “May I keep this?”

  Jaxx laughed. “Of course, my friend.” Hwiksos bowed, and a notification popped up.

  Quest – Culling the Wolf Packs – Complete!

  Find and eliminate the wolf pack that has been decimating the village goats and sheep. Rumors of a mighty Alpha Wolf could make this a dangerous proposition.

  Wolves killed – 10/10

  +500 xp

  Received 50 silver

  +200 reputation with Triada Village – Reputation Level – Friendly

  Received – Uncommon Bronze Spear

  Bonus! Well done!

  +2000 xp

  Received 2 gold

  See the Priest for your reward

  Jaxx’s eyes widened. He had forgotten about the quest rewards after his encounter with Apollo in the forest. The money and XP were nice, but the real reward was the weapon. He inspected it:

  Heroic Bronze Spear

  Uncommon

  Durability – 30/30

  Damage – 25-30

  Description – A well-made spear meant for a superior 2H fighter. The blade is long and leaf shaped, with a wicked point for piercing along with a sharp double edge. A wavering fuller down the center of the blade allows it to be withdrawn quickly after thrusting into flesh. A 2-inch oak handle capped with a bronze butt completes it.

  Jaxx looked at Hwiksos. “I can’t say how grateful I am, brother,” he said. “This is a magnificent weapon.”

  Hwiksos laughed. “It is what you deserve, and well done defeating the wolves. And now, I must go talk to our friend Acron. Please refresh yourself and meet me at the Temple in the morning.” With that, he walked away hurriedly, carrying the Wolf skin in his arms.

  Jaxx looked after him, shrugged, and made his way towards Spiros’ home. Food and a real sleeping place sounded good.

  The next morning, Jaxx made his way into town. His return to Spiros’ house had been a success, and he spent the evening regaling Spiros, Giorgos, and Agariste with his tales of the wolf hunt, and his battles with the wolves and the Alpha. He did not include his meeting with Apollo.

  Spiros was in obvious awe of his visitor, of course, and even Agariste seemed to have thawed towards him, although she was polite in her insistence that he still sleep outside. Jaxx didn’t mind – the sounds of the livestock comforted him and while the night was cool, the soft hay and the body heat of the animals made his bed cozy enough. He had slept the sleep of the righteous – the trials of the hunt, along with the fights and finally the good food, had put him out easily.

  He made his way to the Temple of Apollo once again, and strode inside. He was not surprised to see Hwiksos waiting, nor Acron, but he was surprised to see the other two councilors, Battis and Duris, awaiting him as well. The three men were seated in a semi-circle around the alter of Apollo.

  The fat one, Duros, was dressed in his normal stained toga, and had a flagon of wine with him that he was drinking from every so often. His fleshy mouth was drawn into a grimace.

  Battus was dressed in his armor, which Jaxx figured was his preferred mode of dress when not forced to be formal for the council. He gave Jaxx a smile and a when he saw Jaxx looking his way.

  Acron, as always, wore his priestly robe with Apollo’s sun on it. He seemed the happiest of the lot, and bounded over to Jaxx as he entered the temple.

  “Greetings, Avatar, greetings! It is glorious to see you again.” Acron always sounded half-drunk to Jaxx, but there was no denying the man’s glee.

  “Greetings, Acron, and honored Council,” Jaxx replied, bowing to the group. As he straightened, he saw Battus nodding and Duros grimacing even harder, if that were possible. “What is his deal?” Jaxx wondered to himself. “It’s almost as if my being polite makes him more unhappy with me.”

  “Sit, Avatar” invited Battus.

  “Please, call me Jaxx. This Avatar business gets old after a while.”

  “But that is your title,” protested Acron, “It is only fitting we address you as- “

  “The young man has made his preference clear,” rumbled Duros. “Let us address him as he wishes.” He turned to Jaxx. “You have made quite an impression, young Jaxx. It is not often that a Hero of the Ages appears to conquer monsters and solve problems of the common people such as ourselves. We are truly grateful to you. We have a reward for you, and a request.”

  Jaxx smiled at the phrasing. Pretty common quest-talk. “Thank you for completing the quest. Here is your reward. And now I have another, more difficult task for you.” Been the same thing for ever, mostly because it worked to advance the game. But, Jaxx admitted, it was far more inclusive when you had to listen to it and interact rather than simply clicking through the quest menus. Here, in Olympus Online, casual dialogue mattered.

  “I am grateful for your reward, and the trust you show in offering another task to benefit Triada.” Jaxx was really starting to get into the role playing for this game.

  “It is not for Triad- “Duros’ statement was interrupted by Battus.

  “Here is your reward, Jaxx.” Battus cast a meaningful look at Duros as he interrupted him. “We have had the Village craftsman make this from the remains of the Alpha wolf that you returned with.”

  He handed Jaxx a bundle, which when unfolded was a beautiful, snow white cloak that still had the ears of
a wolf on the edge of the hood. The cloak was long, and fit Jaxx well. It snugged around his neck and shoulders with an ingenious strap, that allowed him to either wear it covering him completely, or be swept back like a cape. Jaxx inspected it.

  Cloak of the Alpha Wolf

  Uncommon

  Durability – 40/40

  Armor – 10

  Description – The hide of an Alpha Wolf. This cloak will keep the wearer warm on the coldest night. Will resist most slashing attacks.

  Jaxx bowed to the council members. “Thank you, honored Council.”

  “No, Jaxx, thank you! You have removed the wolf menace from the Village and have stopped the loss of our livestock. You have also removed a mighty Beast that endangered our citizens.” Duros delivered this statement flatly, almost like he didn’t really care to be saying it.

  “Uh, about that…. there is something that I have not told anyone yet about the Alpha.” Jaxx was hesitant to talk about Apollo infesting the wolf, and had considered saying nothing. But his growing sense of…. need?.......to be honest and forthright made him speak.

  Battus straightened. “Yes?”

  “After I defeated the Alpha, Apollo appeared to me from the flesh of the beast. He transformed from the wolf into a man.”

  Acron’s eyes widened. “You say, Lord Apollo was the Alpha wolf? He was the cause of it? Nay, that makes little sense. Impossible.”

  Jaxx flushed. “I know what I saw, and what he said. He said that- “

  At that point, Apollo’s statue seemed to brighten from an internal light, and a sunbeam shown down from above, illuminating it. It didn’t move, but the bright eyes looked directly at Jaxx. “Our conversation was for you alone, Avatar. Nothing we discussed needs repeating here.” With that, the statue powered down to its normal appearance, and the light radiating faded.

  Acron looked flummoxed. His eyes were wide, mouth open, and he stumbled backwards until he hit the low bench with his legs, sitting down hard. His mouth moved, but no words exited in his shock at his God speaking so blatantly.

  “What is Lord Apollo speaking of? What secrets did he tell you?” Duros seemed very agitated. His normal manner of lazy diffidence had vanished: this was a man whose eyes had turned hard as they bored into Jaxx’s.

  “Calm thyself, Duros!” Battus barked. He had risen from his seat and stared at the fleshy man. “You yourself heard Lord Apollo command him not to speak of it! You tread close to blasphemy!”

  Duros leaned back, his animosity and focus seemingly dismissed as his face snapped back to its normal expression. “Yes, of course, you are right. I lost myself there. You must of course follow Lord Apollo’s instructions.” His small eyes, dark inside the folds of his face, stared at Jaxx.

  “What is he hiding?” Jaxx wondered. The man was certainly upset at the idea that Apollo had revealed something.

  Just then Acron, seemingly recovered from his shock, spoke. “You must follow Lord Apollo’s instructions, as we all do here. I have my own instructions that I have been given to follow by the Lord of the Sun.”

  Acron placed his hands on the wolf cloak still clutched in Jaxx’s hands. He raised his head and chanted,

  Golden son of Zeus and Leto, Brother of Artemis,

  Lord of Light and Healing, most pious,

  Averter of plagues, giver of foresight

  I ask for your blessing of purity, your shining inspiration

  A glow emanated from his hands as he held the cloak, and it seemed to shimmer with a golden light before fading once more. The cloak seemed to grow a bit thicker, the white of the fur more pronounced.

  Jaxx inspected the cloak again. It had changed.

  Cloak of the Wolf God

  Deific (Scales with Level)

  Durability – Indestructible

  Armor – 20

  Description – The Cloak of the Wolf God, Apollo. This cloak cannot be destroyed, and the wearer shall not know the cold of winter, nor the heat of summer. While worn, it cannot be forcibly removed and shall give Apollo’s Light blessing.

  Wow! Jaxx was stunned. This was an item way, way above what he should have at that point in the game. Deific level? This was unbelievable! Apollo was clearly trying to help him greatly, but why? Jaxx had no idea, but from experience in other games, a huge amount of help early meant that things would truly start to suck for him.

  Jaxx looked up to see Acron again stunned, looking at the cloak. A quick glance showed Battus smiling approvingly, Duros glaring at him with fury, and Hwiksos, who up to now had been silent, looking at the cloak with wistfulness. He looked up and met Jaxx’s eyes, and to Jaxx’s relief he saw congratulations there, not envy.

  “This……. this is amazing!” Acron finally got it out. “I must reflect on these wonders. I have never in my entire life seen such favor from a God.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Jaxx said. At Acron’s inquisitive look, Battus answered before Jaxx could. “He means that he is afraid of what cost the God’s favor will demand from him.”

  Jaxx nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid that such assistance either means that at some point I will pay a terrible price, or that my journey is such that I will need such assistance – either option does not bode well for me.”

  He turned to the unsmiling Duros. “What task did you have for me? You mentioned a request…”

  Duros straightened in his seat, attempting to make his flabby appearance seem regal and imposing. “Yes, we have another request for you, Avatar. Another Village has sent word that they require assistance in much the same way we did before your arrival.”

  “Another monster problem?”

  “They did not send details, just a request for help. I would assume that it would be something like that, however.” Duros was no fool, and probably knew more than he was saying, Jaxx figured.

  “So, there is nothing more for me to accomplish here in Triada?” The question was to all 4 of the men, but he eyed both Battus and Hwiksos as he spoke. Acron was a nice guy, but oblivious to most things, and Duros he just didn’t like.

  “Well, I’m sure we could find something-“ Hwiksos started to speak before being cut off by Battus.

  “No, Avatar, you should not remain here. There is little to challenge you now, and you will not grow here. The Gods obviously mean for you to increase your power in order to follow Their path. You cannot do that in Triada any longer.”

  At these words, a variety of reactions presented themselves. Acron began nodding when the Gods were mentioned, practically screaming his agreement. Duros, at the mention of Jaxx becoming more powerful, glowered, and Hwiksos simply nodded thoughtfully.

  “He is right, Jaxx,” Hwiksos said. “You must make your journey elsewhere. But you will always be welcome.”

  “Yes, yes,” Acron echoed. “Apollo clearly means for you to travel, as his gift is both powerful and practical. You will survive your travels much easier when you can ignore the weather, and his gift cannot be removed. Whatever it is your two spoke of, he should have made clear what he expected of you.”

  Jaxx nodded. “He did.” He glanced at the others. “Honored councilors, I thank you for the shelter and rewards you have given me during my stay here. Please give me the details of the journey I must take.”

  At these words, Battus smiled, nodded, and stepped forward to clasp arms with Jaxx. “An honor to have met and trained you, Avatar. We shall meet again. Until then, farewell.” The leathery old man in armor turned and left the shrine.

  Duros, with a smile that fell a mile short of his eyes, bowed to him. “Our Village thanks you again, Avatar, and you are always welcome here.” His expression gave the lie to this as he handed Jaxx a small, bound scroll. “Inside are the directions to the Village of Delios, who have requested our help.” With that, he turned and left the shrine.

  Looking after him, Jaxx muttered “what the hell did I do to you?”

  Hearing him, Hwiksos laughed. “You succeeded, and in an obvious way that shows Apollo’s favor on
you.”

  “What does that matter to him?”

  “Duros, in his youth, was a fair warrior. I know that looking at him now it is not obvious, but he has used his reputation from his deeds in his youth to gain his position as Councilor. Until you showed up, he was quite popular with the city people. It is most likely just petty jealousy.” Hwiksos dismissed the departed Councilor with a hand wave.

  “My friend, it has been an honor to know you. Come back sometime and regale me with your heroics.” Hwiksos shook his arm, and then departed.

  Acron cleared his throat. “Avatar, thank you for showing me more of my God than I have ever seen before. You are truly blessed to have had him speak to you personally, and bestow both his blessings and gifts upon you. You are truly fated for tremendous deeds in His name.” He bowed to Jaxx. “I will send word to the Priestess in Delios to expect you.”

  “Thank you, Acron, for the assistance and support you have shown. May Apollo bless you and keep you.” Jaxx returned the bow, and turned to leave. He paused, “Will it be another Priest of Apollo there?”