Pete nodded quickly. “You got it, boss.”
Once Pete was outside, Jim turned his attention back to John. “That black bandana you have there is a symbol we use to identify some of our…special friends. Do you want to be a special friend of the Black Powder Boys?”
John crossed his arms over his chest. “What do you guys specialize in?”
“Oh, just the usual: bank heists, kidnapping, selling salvaged goods.” Jim gave him a rotten-tooth smile.
The last option caught John’s attention. “I think I can help you with the salvaged goods.”
“Let’s see what you have.”
John was smart enough to know if he showed these guys the compass, they would probably rather kill him and take it than pay him for it. Instead, he simply untied his knapsack and showed them what was inside. One of the other NPC’s that hadn’t yet spoken picked up one of the steamed buns.
His eyes lit up as he raised it to get a better look. “Look, boss! It’s some of that foreign food one of those other factions make. I haven’t had anything but beans in four weeks!”
Jim looked at the food and raised an eyebrow. “It’s not much, but it’s a start. Alright, kid, you’re in. You bring us what you can salvage from our faction and throw in some foreign foods every once in a while. We’ll pay you fair enough. You can earn a little side cash. What do you say? Do we have a deal?” He offered his hand.
John thought for a moment before shaking the leader’s hand. “Deal.” The cowboy that had taken the steamed bun tossed a coin into John’s bindle as soon as he shook Jim’s hand.
“Good. You’ll be needing this.” Rattlesnake Jim handed him a chunk of gold with cogs carved into it. “This’ll help you get past the guards. Think of it like a get-out-of-jail-free card. Keep that bandana, too. It'll let other members know you’re one of them. There’s just one more piece of business we need to take care of.”
Suddenly the other two NPC’s each grabbed one of John’s arms and held him still. Jim grabbed a red-hot poker from the embers of a dying fire. John struggled, trying to wrench himself free. “What are you doing?”
Jim hovered the hot iron over John’s shoulder. “This’ll make sure you can’t tell anyone outside of the gang about us. Some old wizard spelled it for me as part of a ransom. Hold still. It won’t hurt…much. Don’t worry. You’ll heal up nice in a minute. It’s spelled not to take your health.”
The iron seared against his skin. John yelled out in pain. His burning flesh smelled like sizzling pork. As soon as Jim pulled the iron away, the other two NPC’s let him go. John looked at his shoulder, but the mark was already fading. The pain was almost non-existent. His eyes flicked to Jim. It took all of John’s willpower not to be consumed by anger.
Outside of the shanty, they could hear Stub-Nose Pete begin his dialog again. “Howdy. Don’t get many visitors around these parts.”
Jim jerked his thumb towards the back of the shack. “Grab some better clothes from the back, and keep quiet. Slip out the back door when you’re done. See you around, John Smith. If you decide you need some extra muscle sometime, give us a call.”
Rattlesnake Jim and his boys sat back down at their table in the same positions they had been in when John had entered the small building. John scooped up his knapsack and slipped into the back of the shack. A few whiskey barrels were lined against one wall. Locked chests and wooden crates were stacked against another. Some clothes were laid out on a small cot that was wedged into a corner. From the looks of it, everything on the bed was exactly his size. He heard Pete bring another player into the front room. The whole scenario seemed to have reset. John walked over to the cot and quickly started putting on the better garments. He would worry about their stats later. Finally having a full set of clothes was a relief, even if they had come from a gang called the Black Powder Boys.
Profession Unlocked: Smuggler!
Special Profession: Smuggler
Current Professions: 3/3
Primary: Salvager
Secondary: Analyst
Special Tertiary: Smuggler
Minimum LVL: 03
Faction Specific: No
Profession Bonuses: Increased Sell Prices When Selling Salvaged Items to Criminal NPC’s, Increased Street Credit with Criminal NPC’s, Ability to Hire Criminal NPC’s as Mercenaries.
(Bonuses level up as player levels up.)
*Smuggler Profession is not visible to other players or Non-Criminal NPC’s.
Current LVL: 03
Speed: 60/60
Attack: 40/40
Defense: 45/45
You have already accepted this Profession.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m—” Rattlesnake Jim didn’t give have a chance to finish his introduction. Gunshots rang out from the front room.
John had just finished tugging on his new boots when the firefight started. From the sound of things, multiple pistols were going off. He quickly left through the back door and pressed himself deeply into the shadows of the seedy part of Steamgrad. His ears strained to hear anything once the gunshots stopped.
A female voice spoke loud enough for him to hear her through the thin walls. “At least that part of the quest is out of the way. I was hoping for more XP though.”
A male companion answered her. “The pistol is a nice loot upgrade though.”
“For you maybe.” She sounded disappointed by the whole experience.
Her male friend scoffed playfully. “Not all of us are cam girls that have sugar daddies sending us platinum to buy whatever we want.”
John waited until he heard their footsteps fading away before he left the shadow of the shanty. So, the neutral NPC’s he had encountered were part of a quest line. He wondered how many players had managed to unlock the smuggler profession. The black bandana had been a lucky find. How would the encounter have played out if he hadn’t had it? Maybe he was starting to catch a few lucky breaks.
The new clothes he was wearing made him more confident in his ability to blend in. John spied a shade tree not too far ahead of him. He made his way to it and sat down. The tree was removed enough from the slums that he no longer smelled the unclean body odor of Rattlesnake Jim and his crew. A few buildings across the street sported signs for a horse supply tack shop and a gambling house. He could hear piano music drifting out into the street. John took advantage of his short break to check out his new stats.
Character Information
Character Stats
Currently Equipped
Inventory: 14/60 Items
Faction: N/A
Class: N/A
Guild: N/A
Primary Profession: Salvager
Secondary Profession: Analyst
Specialist Tertiary Profession: Smuggler
Current LVL: 03
Health: 160/160
Mana: 0/0
Speed: 70/70
Attack: 50/50
Defense: 55/55
Charisma: 40/40
Weapon Skills: 0/0
Chest: LVL 03 Button-Up Shirt
Bracers: NONE
Legs: LVL 03 Chaps and Pants
Boots: LVL 03 Leather Boots
Cloak: NONE
Neck: NONE
Main-Hand Weapon: NONE
Off-Hand Weapon: NONE
Bandana--Black
Dried Plums x 3
Salted Meat x 4
Steamed Bun
Steamgrad Gate Pass
Well Water x 3
Willow Bark
Gold: 01
“Hey, what’s a level 03 doing way out here?” A rough voice made John close his menu and quickly get to his feet. A group of three level 80 players were sauntering over to him. The one who had spoken crossed his arms over his chest cockily.
One of the other players nudged the man next to him. “Think he’s got anything good on him?”
John’s
eyes glanced around the area, looking for anything that might help him get out of this alive. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“If you’ve got some plats, we’ll let you go.” The leader sucked his teeth and smirked.
“Plats?” John tried to come up with an escape plan, but he was coming up blank.
“Yeah, you know plats, platinum, the currency we can convert to real world cash.” The leader stabbed his finger into John’s chest. “You’re just as stupid as you are weak, aren’t you?” They were starting to draw a crowd. A woman with bright red hair and a tall, thin man stopped on the other side of the street to watch.
The redhead started to cross the street, much to her companion’s dismay. “Kate! Kate, get back here!”
Her quick, determined steps quickly closed the distance. “What seems to be the problem here?” John recognized her voice as the girl who had been in the shanty just a few moments ago.
The men bowed their heads and mumbled excuses. “We were just talking to our friend here.”
She stepped between John and the other players. “Really? Because I don’t insult my friends or shove them around.”
“We were just playing. Honest!”
Kate raised an eyebrow at them. “Get out of here before I add you to my shit list.”
The men practically tripped over themselves trying to get away from her. She didn’t look particularly threatening. John only had a second to wonder what would make them act that way before she turned to him with a warm smile. “I’m Kate Briggs. Are you okay?”
John nodded and shook the hand she extended towards him. “Yeah, thanks to you. I’m John.”
Kate’s companion jogged over to them from across the street. “Kate, you’ve got to stop doing that.”
“Relax. Everything is fine. Mark, this is my new friend, John.”
Mark cast a sideways glance at the low-level player in front of him. “Hi.”
Curiosity sparkled in Kate’s eyes. “You’re a level 03? Do you have a guild yet?”
“No.” John shook his head. “I’ve been a bit too busy trying not to die to look for a guild.”
Laughter bubbled out of her mouth. “Well, do you want to join our guild?”
Based on his previous experience in the game, he was suspicious of her kindness. “I’m not ready to settle down just yet. I’m keeping my options open.” He started to walk away from the two of them. It might be better if he didn’t get too involved with anyone. On the other hand, having powerful friends might help him build an in-game network. He hesitated.
“Ha!” Mark teasingly punched Kate lightly in the arm. “Looks like you finally found a man that doesn’t fall at your feet or flee at the sight of you.”
“Shut up!” She hissed at him. “Well, if you don’t want to join our guild, maybe I can help you get to wherever you’re going.”
“Maybe.” John was starting to notice the high quality of her gear. It seemed too advanced for her level 60 character—not that he was an expert in that area yet.
Kate’s eyes lit up. “Great!”
Mark turned his head as if he were listening to someone that wasn’t there. “Hey, Kate? I have to go. Family stuff IRL.”
“Are you going to be back on later?” She frowned at him, a little concerned.
“Probably. If not, I’ll be on tomorrow.”
She nodded as his body disappeared from the game. “Guess it’s just me and you, then. Where are we headed, John?”
John analyzed what he had seen so far of her personality. Kate seemed to be the kind of person that would do something out of spite just to prove someone wrong. He could use that. “You may not want to go where I’m going. It’ll be dangerous.”
She perched her hands on her hips. “Try me.”
Chapter 05
John and Kate walked through the front gate of Steamgrad. John swallowed hard, trying not to draw attention to himself. The NPC guard moved to block him. “I don’t recognize you. Verify faction.”
John glanced at Kate. Her head was tilted to the side in confusion. Remembering the chunk of engraved gold Rattlesnake Jim gave him, John riffled through his bindle. “How’s this?”
The NPC examined the item and then handed it back to him. “On your way.”
Once they were out of earshot, Kate whispered to him. “You have a gate pass? How did you get that?”
For a moment, John felt his tongue grow as heavy as a brick when the thought of telling her about his deal with the Black Powder Boys crossed his mind. He hadn’t planned on saying anything, but even just the thought seemed to trigger the enchantment he had been branded with. “I found it.”
“Really? I thought they were soul-bound.”
John tried to worm his way out of her line of questioning. “Maybe the owner didn’t have a chance to equip it yet before I found it.”
“Maybe.” She didn’t sound convinced, but she dropped the subject. “Now that we’re outside of the city, are you going to tell me where we’re headed?”
Ever since he had made his deal with Rattlesnake Jim, a plan had been forming in his mind. Being a smuggler for one faction was good. Being a smuggler for all three would be the quickest way for him to make his fortune. “I need to go to a city controlled by the Empire of the Seven Paths.
She cocked her head to the side. “Okay…which one?”
“It doesn’t really matter. Preferably a big one.”
Kate paused for a moment to think. “Bastion of Noble Absolution is the largest city, I think.”
John stretched his arms over his head. He was still feeling a little sore from stowing away under the stage coach. “Any chance you know the way?”
Kate pulled out a map from a pouch strapped to her thigh. “Yes, I can get us there.”
“Great.” John looked over her shoulder and started walking in the direction of the city.
“Wait, what are you doing?”
“I’m walking to the city, what do you think I’m doing?”
Kate laughed and pulled a silver whistle hung around her neck by a chain out from her blouse. “It’ll take ages if we walk. Hold on.”
Her lips pressed to the silver opening and blew. A dainty, high-pitched whistle pierced the air. John heard a horse neigh loudly. A bronze, mechanical horse appeared from just out of sight. It trotted towards them and nuzzled Kate’s hand. She motioned for John to step closer. He could hear the mechanisms whirling and clicking inside the beast. Two thin jets of steam huffed out of its nostrils. Kate pressed her hand to the horse’s metal side and gestured for John to do the same.
“This is a little trick I learned. Since the horse is my mount, it will come when I call it with the whistle. When it’s just me, I usually don’t have any issues. It can be a bit temperamental with extra passengers though. Touching it like this lets it know that you’re a friend. Most players just treat them like machines.”
The metal thrummed under John’s hand like a heart beating in a metal cage. “Well, it is a machine, isn’t it?”
The horse huffed angrily and eyed him with one, glowing red eye. Kate stroked its nose to calm it down. “Yes, it’s a machine, but it’s more than that, too. Look at its eyes. You can almost see its soul. If you treat the game with respect, it will do the same for you.”
John fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t have time for hippy-dippy crap. The thought of being able to ride rather than walk outweighed his sarcastic desire to correct her. Machines were machines. Programming was programming. The creature didn’t have a heart or feelings or a soul. It was just programmed to act a certain way. He needed to pick his battles carefully, and upsetting the one person that had been kind to him so far was not a battle he wanted to fight. “How do we get on?”
A metal stirrup jutted out of the horse’s side. Kate placed one foot on the small, metal platform and hoisted herself up. She swung her feet forward so that John could follow her example. It wasn’t his first time on a horse
, but it seemed more difficult this time. The bronze exterior was harder to mount than a horse of flesh and blood. It took a few times for him to be successful.
Kate chuckled as he struggled. Once he managed to climb up, she clapped happily. “Yay! You did it.”
“Yeah. Yay.” John’s voice was flat and void of any real joy. “How are we supposed to stay on this thing?”
Metal ridges slid into place around their thighs and lower backs. It was as if a metal saddle fitted personally for each of them had been constructed out of the horse’s metal skin. Kate punched in coordinates into a small touch screen on the back of the horse’s neck. “Does that answer your question?”
“I guess so. I’ve never been on a horse like this. I’ve actually never been on any mount in this game.”
Her voice was a little distant. “That’s not really surprising. This is a fairly rare item. I would be more surprised if you said that you had ridden a mount like this one. It’s one of the best that plats can buy.”
“Do you come from a wealthy family?” He had heard what Mark had said about her having a sugar daddy, but she didn’t know that.
Kate chose her words carefully. “Not exactly. Let’s just say I have some very generous friends.”
“Wish I had some friends like that.” He smirked. He would let her keep her secret.
“So, why are you wanting to go to an Empire city?” It wasn’t a subtle subject change, but then again nothing about Kate Briggs had been subtle.
“I want to see as much of the world as I can.”
She scoffed. “I don’t think that’s it, but okay. No faction. No guild. How did you get so far from the starting zones with so little experience?”
The horse’s hooves were pounding steadily across the wasteland. John considered what to tell her. He felt the truth tumble out before he could formulate what to say. “There was a glitch when my character was loading. The AI dropped me in the Eternal Battlefield with only a pair of briefs.” At least he was able to keep some of the truth from her. The truncated portion was embarrassing enough. No need to go spilling international secrets to a stranger.
Merchant of Death Page 6