by Dylan Keefer
Valush opens her mouth but closes it as she passes by Neil and sits on the outstretched leg of a Pig. A Frost Pig with tusks the size of a Giraffe’s neck, the body encompassing a small playfield. She takes her time to wiggle herself comfortably on the beast.
"So..." She was pointing at the Fort.
I nod as I lean against a short tree, "Yes we have it."
Right now Killion passed me, he looked deflated. Probably from dodging Valush's attacks, I would be in a bad mood too. All of us were just outside the front of the Fort relaxing mostly. The thick overgrowth that surrounded the right side of the Fort was dense. Trees were tall and dropping deep green leaves.
But from the left, the field was open, rugged earth, blown in puffs of dust dispersing. The grass was sparse and fleeting. A tree was here and there just to not make it look so bare.
"I heard Bain and Opa came to help you?" Neil asked, he was not looking at Valush though, but at me gauging my face with that smile of his.
"Opa and Bain destroyed their boat when the bastards tried to escape my spell." Valush said, then she giggled to herself remembering the misfortune she caused them.
"Boat?" Neil pressed.
"Yeah...Killion?" Valush gestured towards him.
Killon looked surprised for a second, "Hm? Oh right, so I asked around, found out The Witches of Light seem to have a contract with those guys. The Witches of Light work the money while Gallivant Gang enforce their control and protect them."
"Here I thought it was every group for themselves." I say jokingly.
She shrugs, "Yep, well if it was really every man or group for their selves this game would be more like Norurt.”
The place I hate the most, but the main reason I hate it is because I was terrible at Player versus Player situations. That continent was nothing more than players trying to defeat other players, there were no cities, no other life except strange plant life that needed no animals to pollinate.
That place was perfect for the bloodthirsty player.
Soon enough Bain and Opa arrived. Bain was wearing a rather thick white robe. We drifted inside, as Deabush came to me with a sulky face. Wondered if I could loan him the bow for a quest he wanted to do personally, I frowned at him.
“No, the bow was loaned to you that time since my inventory is locked it would automatically come back to me after an hour because that is what I set it at. Considering how things are, I do not want anyone to rob you of that bow, so no honey bunch, you aren’t getting it. Unless we on a team quest, ok…?”
He nodded readily enough.
“Man this place needs an air freshener.” Bain says.
Valush looks at him then sneers, “You sure it ain’t that dirty rag you have over your head?”
Bain got triggered.
“That is rich, look at your hair. It is wilder than the bushes outside.”
I shake my head Neil stepped up to get them to quiet down. Which reminds me, I wonder about that new robe he was wearing.
I silently Identified him.
Great I still was getting blocked. I walk up to him and grasp him on his shoulder. He looked up, I glared hard in his face which caused him to draw back.
“Take off the belt, you still using that Shadowing Belt?”
“Of course, people can plan ahead knowing I am a Warlock, at least with the belt I can fake it like I am powerful Multi Color Mage for a bit until they are unto the ruse. Also stop trying to Identify me.”
I growl at him but purse my lips as I calm myself.
“You still are learning the Paladin skill?”
“Yeah, I am on the fourth tier right now.” Meaning he could do level four attacks, Paladins were specially trained just like Blood Knights. It is not a class you pick up from experience often. Paladins like Warlock and Blood Knights take power from different external sources. All color or Mage magic comes from within, so the more mental influence you have, the higher the power of spells you can use.
“Oh Paladin, you should have been here then.” Medpack uttered.
Warlocks take from the environment around them, which is frowned upon by Mages because it is akin to stealing. Blood Knights reap dead bodies for life essence and use this to cast their own unique set of spells. Paladins take their power from the old Gods.
“He probably would have been creamed.” Valush says.
“How about I cream you?” Bain suggested.
“Alright since you think you are a strong mofo, let us do this, let’s go.”
“Guys!” Neil shouts.
Historically the Gods were very important in Everscape, then with the secrets of color magic were exposed and with the advancement of technology, God worship has supposedly declined. Magic from external source are considered a novelty due to their small selection of spells and they never have the capability to overpower a strong Mage.
But they offer something you would not get with Mages too easily. Powerful hack worthy skills, that one player can create havoc. Warlocks can use weakened color magic infinitely. Paladins had almost broken and powerful anti-Monsters effects and spells. Blood Knights were so hard to kill because of their powerful passives. Some of their passives could continuously raise them from the dead.
I wonder about the others. I look at Killion and check his stats, pretty low as expected of Uta’s, the speed is high but not like it would matter much in a fight. Uta were really good for only scouting and thievery. His classes reflect that with Accomplished Ranger, Accomplished Lockpicker and Brilliant Ninja.
“Hey we should check this hole we found.” Deabush said as he gestured to the group, “a Bugbear grabbed me through it. Maybe it leads somewhere.”
“A hole?” Bourne asked.
“Yeah, it is around that narrow stairway that leads to the prison.” Medpack exclaimed.
Opa was an Accomplished Knight and a Brilliant Mauler, he took my advice and unlearned Yellow magic. It was better he should focus on his martial ability. Let us focus on the magic.
Speaking of magic, I Identified Valush.
“Vanessa what the hell?!”
She stared in my direction with narrowing eyes.
“Ssshhh do not use my real name, it is Valush!” she said in fake French accent, Neil and Medpack groaned at her over confidence.
“You…where is your Red magic?”
“I dumped it. So I could gain the ninth tier of White magic.”
“What? You idiot, the life spells you had in Red magic would have been useful, especially since we have a good size group.”
“Girl, you know me I do not even use that magic at all. So I just dumped it, besides White magic fits me better.”
Of course it does, White magic definitely fits an innately vicious person like you just fine. Though out of everyone here, Valush is the only one with a status as Undisputed. Even if it was as a White mage, she was a player that could wipe the floor clean of everyone here if she went all out from the beginning.
No wonder she destroyed a base of players from the Witches of Light and resisted an attack from another group of players on top of that.
Good thing she was on our side.
Chapter 10
“Hey you get the boat yet?” I asked him.
The sound of hammering drowned out my mental meandering. I focused as I made the headphones comfortable on my head. Trying to be a good teammate required some effort, something Valush lacked.
So I sent her on a criminal bounty quest with Denise and J Ron. It was a high-class quest, which needed one high prestige member. But it should be easy for them, since it was two powerhouses on one team.
J Ron will learn from watching them cream whoever they are chasing. Why was Neil taking so long to answer?
“Hey, you ok? What is the ship too expensive?”
A crackle in my ears, the noise hummed low. I clicked on the screen to bring up the chat program. We can talk through this as long as he kept up the mental connection. He was in the game buying some things that we need.
�
�Oh…ya, I would do that, hey Celina.”
“Mm?”
“Yeah so, with the money we have, we can’t buy a Brig Ship, we can get a Galley though.”
“Ok we can settle with that until we are on better pastures.”
“…a lot of work…”
“Who?”
“No, hmm, you good at rowing?”
“I said I want a ship, not a small boat.”
“The Galley is big don’t worry, but it still has to be rowed.”
“Neil, there is no way in hell where you can make me row a boat, much less a big ship. Isn’t there anything else there?”
My phone buzzes, I look down. Brian Mckay, the caller ID said.
“Well there is this smaller one, it has sails…”
“Take that then, anything about it?”
“Two masts, the sails are straighter but it should work.”
I take up the phone and noted along with the missed call I got two messages. “If you were to guess how many people could hold, like how much weight?”
“Hmm, two if we are carrying things on it?”
That was depressing to learn but I suspected as much. Well we could do some fishing in it and carry some light things. But it would be way better to get an average size ship which could at least hold thirty people.
Maybe we should rent one. One message was from Chester. It said ‘yo’. He was not much a morning person isn’t he?
I sent ‘Ya.’
“Alright, can you hold off on it?” I asked.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, how about renting, I am just suggesting here.”
“No man, I mean…this ship does not cost that much, we should get it.”
A ship that can’t move anything, nope that was not worth it, “Forget it, I will sort something out.”
“So how are we going to transport those goods? We need a ship.”
The next message was from Fiona, I see ‘You and Valush,’ a line of knifes and broken heart emoji. This woman was too over dramatic.
I sent an emoji where I am showing my tongue.
“Look I will sort it out, also you got the other stuff?” I ask.
“It was already bought, so Bourne can start working.”
“Fine…I am going to call someone, see you when I see you.”
“Alright,” I took off the headphones.
I call Brian.
“Hey Celina,”
“Oh great Odin, please inform me of your will and I will fulfill it.”
He burst out laughing, “Ok, I hear you, good to see you are in a good mood.”
“Nah I am stressed right now. Working through all of this right about now, are you well?”
“Yes, things are good over here. Thought I call you and find out how is life.”
“Stressed… or did you not hear me?”
“Ok, I hear you.”
“Oh hey I heard you became a journalist.”
“Ah not really, I am doing that but it’s more of an independent thing.”
“Hey as long as you are doing your thing, just stay the course and you know I am here so we can talk. Oh and Ragnarok’s really going places, it is taking its time but we doing well so far. Even Valush, she joined up, so the power is super high.”
“Hey that is good, I heard about that though. Since I am online and stalking the forums a lot, I am studying the game actually for a work assignment. So I am learning a lot about the company behind the game.
“Hey me too, I am doing a project where I have to start a business so I am trying to use the guys to start one.”
“Let me guess that is the stressful part, good luck with that.” He snickered, snorting dismissingly at the end.
“Yeah, good luck to me. Anyway I got to go.”
“Alright, take care”
“Yeah, bye,”
The next message from Chester ‘What’s up?’
I thought about it, breathed out and typed, ‘nothing much.’
Chapter 11
“No, absolutely not and no, screw that idea.”
“Language Chester,” Mom interrupted him.
Bain almost said something and in frustration his mouth moved wordlessly as he looked away, Valush snickering in the background.
I wave my hands in defeat, “Calm down it was just a suggestion,”
Bain continued, “That is a bad suggestion.”
I tilt my head at him as Neil, Alice, Mom, and Valush looked on. All of us were standing in the storeroom, all of our infinity chests were here.
“Is it really, look part of being a business is cooperation and working with other businesses to make sure our business succeeds. I already got a call from a small time fashion house. They are willing to offer us real money to make clothes like the ones they sell and wear them. Joshua already trying to work up the material for Alice right now,”
He cuts in, “I never said I had a problem with that. What I have a problem with is you brokering peace with the Witches of Light.”
“Ah, see you did not listen to me, I never said that.” I gesture towards Valush who just shrugged.
I continued.
”I said we should get Gallivant Gang to work for us, without them, Witches of Light will fall apart. You know, we can just give them an offer they cannot refuse.”
Bain snorts, “What offer is that?”
“Join us or we destroy you.” Valush artfully says.
Bain stares at her, “I remember a time we used to fight you,”
Valush passes me approaching Bain quite slowly, “We can go back to that anytime.”
Neil cuts in, “Guys!”
Valush throws up her arms, “I haven’t done anything yet.”
Neil grunts at her.
“Well what do you guys think?” I ask the others.
Neil shrugs, “I think it is a good idea, cut them deep from the inside.”
“I disagree.” Valush said.
“You just want to destroy them.” I retort.
“Of course I do, but think of it this way, should we keep a potential enemy so close to us?”
“We are planning to just take them up and dump them.” I retort.
Mom says, “That is not very business-like.”
Bain scoffs, “Like she cares, when she is ready she trusts the wrong person.”
“Like how you back stabbed us the last time, I trusted you then.” I reply coldly.
“You still killing me about that…”
“I ain’t kil…hey!” I call after him.
Bain stalks off and I face palm shaking my head.
Neil says, “Let him go, anyways I am out of here, Alice?”
“Oh yes, sure we can go.” Both of them left, Valush instinctively left with them in tow.
“Tough leading them…” Mom utters randomly.
I breathe out, “Him, he just brings problems and depression where ever he goes.”
“Sweetie don’t say that, every opinion has value even bad or selfish ones.”
I look at mys mom, I sigh.
“What value does that opinion have?”
“Chester and Valush are closest to you so obviously they do not want you to fall into danger, that is what I think.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“You sure about that?”
I shot Mom a dense side glance but she just laughs out loud.
“Oh my, well I can tell you one thing, you helped me. So I was never on my own when I was raising you from a baby.”
“How could I possibly help you when I did nothing more than eat, sleep and go to school?”
“You thinking is too narrow…help does not have to be physical or material.” Mom touched me on my nose and left with that, my thinking, narrow?
Chapter 12
“What the hell is this?” Bourne asked powerfully.
Opa shuffled as he came through and ogled the things closer yet. The lightly gray hard rock, it towered upward inside the first room of the Fort. There me, Ne
il, Opa, J Ron, Xavier, and Bain were chilling.
I flex my brow as Neil stepped in, “Well this is the Nonpoth.”
Bourne stared at him before flexing uncomfortably as if something was bothering him. “No, this ain’t, what you have here is half pure Nonpoth.”
Nonpoth was metal used for making heavier study weapons. It was hard to get as you had to go in the Underdark which was a deep cave system in the continent of Riontiff. It went nine hundred levels and you only got this metal by the seven hundredth level.
Hence the price was high when NPC’s and players sell it.
“We can’t use that?” Neil asked.
“Not now.”
I cringe, I intercept out of curiosity, “what do you mean not now?”
Bourne, “We would have to use a purification silo. That baby furnace in the back cannot do it.”
I must have looked confused, he sighed before continuing, “it would use fire to melt it and then we can separate it in the silo using the force of the spinner. You guys should have asked specifically for pure Nonpoth.”
“Wait,” Neil came forward, “but we got a deal on this so…”
“Exactly, pure Nonpoth would be way more expensive.”
“Well ok then, I guess we can take the savings and buy this silo then.” Neil replied.
I nodded though the Mulu looked away morosely.
“Hey what is it?” I ask.
“Nothing I mean…”
“What?”
“That silo is not cheap…”
“Define cheap?”
“Like around five million gold pieces?”
My feet got unsteady for a moment… I almost fainted. Five million!? We could barely buy a proper ship for one million. The hell is going on here? I already got a supply ticket to provide fifty heavy weapons to another group on top of providing gear to Alice to enchant and sell. If we fail our quota they will go elsewhere for business. Why now, why?
“That is…well looks like we have to…” Neil was struggling to say it. We screwed up, it was not like I knew much about this side of the game. Man I should have sent Bourne instead of Neil. But I already had it down in my head that we would deal with everything for Bourne and Alice.