Openings

by Thomas Davidsmeier

  There were two lines at the bottom of the scroll. One had a signature on it already that said “Witch King” in Goblin.

  Brother Aleksandr shook his head. “This seems rather vague. What if he starts attacking our people? Or tries to sabotage our production?”

  Chris nodded seriously. “You’re right. We need some sort of protections from him.”

  Chris turned back to the envoy. “This won’t work. It’s too vague. Ask your king if he will allow me to void the agreement if he misbehaves.”

  The envoy stared into space for a few moments, and then he replied, “He does not like it, but he wants to know exactly what you mean by misbehaves before he says no.”

  Sour faced, Chris grumbled a little to himself.“Playing hardball all of a sudden? I don’t buy it. Still, I’m not trying to be cruel or anything. Let’s just says that we’re going to add the following sentence after the first two. ‘This agreement is broken if the Witch King harms any citizens of my lands or if he hampers my production of resources.’”

  After a few moments, the envoy replied, “He counters with a request to add ‘intentionally’ before the word ‘harms’ and to change ‘hampers’ to ‘acts to hamper.’ He also wants to add that you will pay him a hundred gold if the contract is voided.”

  Shocked, Chris raised his eyebrows. “Where’s that coming from? The wording changes are fine, but now we’re adding penalties?”

  Brother Aleksandr hemmed and hawed for a moment. “It does make sense as there are no consequences otherwise.”

  “True, but...”

  Chris suddenly realized something.

  “This doesn’t say anything about what he’s got to do! It’s all about me!”

  Darkly staring at the envoy, Lord Christopher of Fish Guts accused, “Were you in on this?”

  The envoy looked genuinely confused and suddenly very worried. He leaned over in what passed for a bow for someone sitting in a boat. “I am not sure that I am following my future sovereign’s line of thinking. It is only reasonable, I suppose, as I am so much beneath him in station. Would you grant me the mercy of explaining your exalted thoughts, my future lord?”

  “This contract does not include the Witch King’s half of the bargain. He doesn’t promise to abdicate or stop fighting or anything. It’s all about me.”

  The goblin swept off his feathered cap again and bowed as best he could. “Our most sincere and humble apologies, my future lord. I had no idea. Perhaps if I were of a higher station or a quicker mind, I could tell if my current lord had intended this subterfuge. But alas, I cannot. I will check to see if this is an oversight on my side’s part.”

  The little goblin’s face went blank for little while. Chris waited on pins and needles. He really hoped that it was all just a mistake, or at least that the Witch King would play it that way. Maybe he really did feel outmatched and was using this as a last ditch effort gain an advantage and then go on fighting. Now that Chris had seen through the ploy, maybe the Witch King would really give up.

  Finally, the envoy spoke again. “My current lord wishes for my future lord to know that this was an unintentional oversight. As one might naturally understand, he was almost entirely consumed with concern for his own well being as he wrote the original agreement. He suggests that you add the following sentences. ‘This agreement is broken if the Witch King does not immediately vacate the town of Boiling Cauldron and allow me to sit upon the throne and capture the kingdom. If the Witch King causes this agreement to be broken, he will pay me all of his gold and magical equipment. If I cause this agreement to be broken, I will pay the Witch King one hundred gold.’”

  Chris took the uneven sounding penalty to be a sign that the Witch King was indeed quite serious. He looked at Brother Aleksandr.

  The old man shrugged. “I was no lawyer in my day. It sounds good to me now.”

  So, Chris took the quill and the vile of ink and made the changes to the wording of the agreement. He turned back to the envoy. “Here, take this to him and have him sign next to the changes before I sign it.”

  Chris sat waiting expectantly. He looked over at what was soon going to be his new town. What would he do first? Probably research agriculture. Maybe they could grow rice in the fenlands. It was certainly wet enough. He went into the HELP! interface and went down a rabbit hole investigating resource production. Farms, mines, camps, lodges, ranches, the list was longer than he had expected.

  Returning, the envoy was smiling happily. “My current lord was happy to sign and only awaits your signature now before he leaves.”

  Chris looked carefully over the agreement one last time. Nothing jumped out at him. There were no obvious loopholes now. He took the quill and signed the agreement. Waiting for a prompt about the contract turned out to be as useless as waiting for a prompt about the original quest. No confirmation ever came.

  Disappointment slipped into Christopher’s voice as he mumbled to himself, “This game is weird about that sort of thing I guess.” He handed the scroll case back to the envoy.

  After returning the agreement to the man in the mask, the envoy came back and offered to take Chris to his new throne. Suppressing his excitement, the paladin nodded and said, “Lead the way!”

  The envoy’s rowers took all of them up to the shore where they disembarked. The little goblin brought them into the village through the open gates. A few goblins were milling about. Chris could not help but wonder if these goblins should be off doing something productive. Would he be able to get them to work when he took over? Or, were they just waiting for orders from their new leader? Chris decided to assume the best of his new subjects until he had reason to think otherwise.

  Feather bouncing jauntily atop his cap, the envoy lead them up the gentle rise the town was built on. Crowning this rise was the sturdy, upgraded Town Hall. Sitting in the open space in front of the building was a raised, wooden platform. Steps up the front of the platform lead to a rather simple looking throne of carved wood on top. The Witch King’s symbol of cauldron and crown was burnt into the back of the chair.

  The little goblin bowed and held out his hand toward the steps. “Your new throne awaits your regal presence, and I eagerly await the chance to serve as your envoy if you so choose, Lord Fish Guts.”

  “Thank you for the offer of service. I have appreciated your help. You’ve done a fine job.”

  Chris mounted the steps. He stood on the platform facing the throne for a moment, contemplating the magnitude of this moment. Then, he turned around and sat down.

  He and the throne promptly fell through the platform and out of sight.

  Chapter 19

  What was that smell?

  He knew that smell.

  His chest ached at the memories. It was like he could feel the claws plunging into him all over again.

  A shaft of light descended from the jagged hole in the ceiling of wherever he was. It lit him and the jumble of wooden pieces and rubble where he sat in a bright light. Chris struggled to his feet. Standing up, he found himself in a pile of rubble that had just been a throne and platform a few moments before. Nervously peering into the darkness, he searched for the ghoul he could smell.

  His heart was racing, but his mind was frozen in confusion. Like crumpled sea ice, his thoughts were locked together in a chaotic jumble. Was it the chill of the ghoul’s touch acting on him already?

  The feeling of failure from his first death at the claws of the ghoul back in the graveyard were welling up in him. Chris did not know what exactly was happening, but he knew he had failed some how. He had literally fallen for a trap. There was no new town, no new village, no new subjects to rule. Just the stench of the grave filling his nostrils and overwhelming him.

  Jangling chains to his left snapped Lord Christopher of Fish Guts back to reality. He plunged his hand into his inventory pouch and thought of the first thing that came to mind.

  It was not his hammer.

  It was his shield.

  Chris pulled it
out and held it up between the noise and himself. Anything to keep those claws away from him.

  He stumbled backward a step, shield held high.

  Slinking into the light came a rotting corpse wearing a tattered guard’s uniform. If Chris had been able to pay attention, he would have seen his Heraldry skill telling him that the coat of arms on the uniform was from the Village of Pius. He was obsessing over the unnaturally long, sharp fingers that the undead guard now possessed.

  Chris did notice that a chain was looped around the monster’s waist and hanging down to the ground. Trying to think clearly, the paladin could not figure out what the chain was for or where it went. He took another step back and almost tripped over a hunk of wooden rubble.

  The ghoul lunged forward, trying to dart across the heap of broken wood.

  Chris pulled his shield up and ducked behind it, waiting for the force of the ghoul’s impact.

  It never came.

  Snarling jaws snapping, claws slashing at empty air, the ghoul leaned at Chris. But, its chain was caught up on some of the rubble from the collapsed ceiling and throne.

  Calming down, Chris exhaled a deep sigh of relief and started to reach into his inventory pouch.

  The jingle and blur in the corner of his eye saved him. Chris ducked as another ghoul ripped the air where his head had just been with its claws.

  Retreating again, the paladin found himself exiting the jagged circle of light in the middle of wherever he was. The jingling followed him, but he soon heard the clinking sound of a chain pulling taut. Swiping claws filled the air in front of him, but none of the blows landed.

  Taking another step back from this new ghoul, Chris bumped into a wall. He reached back to feel it. There was rough bark on a rounded surface. Logs. The walls were made of logs. He was in some sort of pit with wooden walls. And, there were at least two ghouls there.

  The Witch King had set him up.

  How did the Witch King have ghouls?

  Did he have a necromancer working for him?

  Was Jeremy closer than he thought?

  Wood snapping ended that line of questioning. A ghoul surged out of the darkness to his right. Chris put up his shield and turned on his Healing Light aura.

  That aura was Journeyman now, and it could cleanse him of some negative effects including paralysis. Plus, it would damage the ghouls with Light damage. On top of all that, it cast a nice, eerie orange glow over the dark parts of the pit. It was a cool atmospheric effect that Chris might have noticed if he had not be fighting for his life against his personal nemesis.

  Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave.

  Chris could not get his shield into place fast enough; the blow slipped past.

  Strong Ghoul touches you. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds.

  All the text disappeared. The familiar sight of the timer filled Chris with dread even though he knew his aura would kick in.

  9 seconds.

  8 seconds.

  You have been cleansed of PARALYSIS.

  Strong Ghoul takes 7 damage from your aura of Healing Light. It resists 4 damage by the spell Dark Embrace.

  Exasperated, Christopher McKnight moaned, “Not this again!”

  The ghouls in the dark pit did not show any signs of responding.

  “All right,” muttered Chris as the freedom of movement rushed back through his body. “That could have been worse. At least that one by the rubble is still hung up...”

  Wood snapped again. The piece of the throne that had hooked the other ghoul’s chain gave way. Foul jaws snapping, the undead monster came bounding into the fight.

  “Seriously?” Chris knew he was in trouble. Now, one ghoul could paralyze him, and the other could crit him before his aura cleansed the paralysis. Could he move past them? Where was the other end of their chain connected? He did not have time for questions.

  Chris readied his shield and took a defensive stance. If a Level 4 Paladin chose, he could take two attacks per combat interval. But, he could only use his shield once if he did that. He had raised his Shield skill to Apprentice at Level 3 exactly because he wanted to have two blocks per round and still get one attack. He was not about to give that advantage back for some extra damage that he could suddenly do now at Level 4. Did he decide on a new skill out of the ones that became available at Level 4? He had been so tired after they got back to the village. And, he had been totally preoccupied by the chance of taking over the Witch King’s territory without fighting anymore. Now was not the time to pop open his character sheet and check.

  One of the ghouls attacked first. Chris tried to dip behind his shield.

  Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave and touches you. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds.

  Chris raged at himself inside his frozen body. The ghoul had just been slapping at him, almost playing tag, and not using a full force blow. Misjudging the strike, Chris had let the monster’s claw graze his shoulder after it had flopped off his shield. He had let himself get distracted with all those unnecessary thoughts.

  Unfortunately, the Icy Hand attack only required touch. Lord Fish Guts swore to himself not to make the same mistake again. He needed to focus more next interval. That was if there was a next interval.

  9 seconds.

  8 seconds.

  7 seconds.

  A sensation of restraint told Chris that he had just missed his spot in the combat order. If he could have moved, he would have rolled his head in a circle and told himself it was all right. Instead, he waited in dread for the pain he knew was coming.

  The second ghoul did not waste time taking away Chris’s shield like the one on the first day did. Instead, it attacked from a crouch and punched up into his ribs. Burning agony shot through Chris’s mind as the claws dug into him.

  He fought to hold off the memories of his first failure in the Divided Lands. He was fine. He had 48 Health. Well, max, but less actually after that strike. Crits by ghouls could not get that high. He had researched them thoroughly in the Bestiary.

  You have been critically hit by the Strong Ghoul for 18 damage. Your armor absorbs 2 damage.

  Was the Game making fun of him? It was the same exact damage that had killed him the first time.

  You have 32/48 Health.

  Both Strong Ghouls takes 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.

  You have been cleansed of PARALYSIS and healed for 7 health and have 39/48 Health.

  Chris should have been happier. The last time he had taken a crit from a ghoul while paralyzed, he had died instantly. This time, he was only down 20% of his health.

  But, he was horrified by the effects of the Dark Embrace spell. It was just like the skeletons in the river. Who had cast it? Jeremy had not sent these ghouls to him, had he? They had to have been here, waiting in the darkness.

  It did not really matter now. Down in this dark pit other things were important. The Strong Ghouls had around 42 health each. They had only taken three damage from his aura.

  At this rate, they could last thirteen more rounds.

  Lord Christopher of Fish Guts could last maybe four.

  Still, he had missed his block that time. Maybe if he could block the Icy Hand and get an attack or three in, he might manage to take down one of the ghouls. That would even up the odds. Then, maybe he would not fail everyone he loved most in the world. Images of his sister and parents rose to mind unbidden.

  Chris tried to clear his mind and get ready as the next combat interval started.

  Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave.

  You successfully block the attack.

  That was more like it. He had put the shield squarely in the path of the attack and give no chance of deflections.

  But, he was not getting percentage chances in the text. It was probably that setting he had changed last night fighting the goblin troop near Fenton. There was no time to change it back. He would just have to react to results. Ugh, what a mistake not to t
urn it back on. How likely was he to block these attacks? How likely was he to hit these ghouls now?

  You hit Strong Ghoul for 15 damage. Its Strong Hide absorbs 3 damage. It resists 4 damage by Dark Embrace.

  Eight damage was better than no damage. That knocked the one ghoul down to 28/42 health or so. Annoying randomize monster traits. Four more blocks and four more hits like that, and it would be even Steven, assuming this ghoul was not way above average. Right? Doing math during combat was confusing. Chris wished he had a calculator, or at least a pencil and paper. That and maybe about ten minutes to think it out. That would help.

  Strong Ghoul hits you for 8 damage. Your armor absorbs 2 damage.

  You have 31/48 Health.

  Both Strong Ghouls takes 7 damage from Healing Light. Both resist 4 damage by Dark Embrace.

  You are healed for 7 health and have 38/48 Health.

  Good round for the good guys! Chris had dealt eleven damage to one of the ghouls, three to the other, and gained one health back in the process. Awesome sauce!

  Strong Ghoul attacks you with Icy Hand of the Grave and touches you. You are paralyzed for 10 seconds.

  A flash of light had flown over the opening where the throne had collapsed

  through the ceiling. Chris had let himself be distracted by it. The ghoul had feinted one way, and Chris had over committed. Trapped in a frozen body again, Chris lamented his lack of focus.

  The other ghoul took revenge for Chris’s success against its compatriot the last round. The undead tried to rip Chris’s leg off like it was a drumstick and Chris was a rotisserie chicken.

  You have been critically hit by the Strong Ghoul for 21 damage. Your armor absorbs 2 damage.

  You have 19/48 Health.

  Rivulets of blood streamed down from Chris’s thigh.

  He fought off lightheadedness and images of failure.

  Christopher McKnight loved his sister. He loved his parents. He did not want Jeremy to go back to Earth and shoot up the cafeteria. But, thinking about all that right now was not helping anyone.