Rogue Games

by Angie A Huxley

  As he settled back on the bed, Matthew looked up a few lower level dungeons, wanting to know what he was letting himself in for. There were articles that covered everything (from the location of possible mobs, to the loot to be gained), and Matthew sidestepped those – he didn’t want to make it too easy, spoil all the possible fun – and instead focused on those that just gave general information. Some of the dungeons cycled out every couple of days, changing their parameters to make it easier for people to farm them (apparently the act of playing the same dungeon over and over to gain the same items again and again). Matthew had no intention of doing that. One dungeon, going by the maps, would give him enough experience to get up to the required level. Which was, after all, the aim of his time in-game in the first place.

  Looking over the map one last time, Matthew made a point of memorizing all the traps and issues he might run into. He doubted he had the ability to pass all of them, but with his new stats and skills, he could probably disarm a couple.

  [LOGGING ON...

  Alejander’s eyes opened slowly. The sun was peeking through the curtains of the inn, and though he could hear a low rumble from below – other people already up and about – he felt well-rested and ready to face a new day.

  You have replenished: 15 HP

  5 stamina.

  Current Stamina: 35/35

  Current HP: 80/80

  Collecting his belongings from the room, Alejander double-checked his purse, making sure nobody had robbed him in the night. He wasn’t used to be alone, didn’t like not having the protection that his cub had offered out in the forest and plains. He still had all his coin, purse heavier thanks to a couple of stall vendors who had been happy to see his pelts and tusks.

  Total Currency: 25 silver, 30 gold, 5 electrum

  After a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon, and another meat that Alejander couldn’t identify but was tasty enough that he didn’t care, he headed for the stable. The dungeon wasn’t far, and he could probably walk there. Taking Greta into a dungeon was out of the question not only for her own sake, but also for trying to navigate with her through some of the areas.

  The elf was already hard at work, mucking out the paddock. It was empty, so Alejander assumed their owners had come and gone, and he leaned on the fence as the elf held up a hand, asking him to wait. The town was much quieter than it had been before, but though the sun was up, it was still early in the morning. A couple of the market vendors were still setting up – maybe they had not even gone to bed yet.

  “Mornin’,” the elf said, a cheery smile on her face. She leaned her broom up against the fence. “Come to collect somethin’?”

  Alejander nodded. “Both my horse and the wolf cub.”

  “Ah.” The elf snorted. “Your wolf was howling a lot last night. No worries,” she amended at the look on Alejander’s face. “She was fine with a little meat.”

  “Damn,” Alejander cursed. “Do I owe you for that?”

  The elf waved him off. “No need. I had some left over from someone’s hippogriff.”

  Alejander didn’t know what a hippogriff was, let alone what it looked like, but he nodded. Greta’s nose was shoved over the stall door and she let out a whinny as she saw him, shoving her nose against him. “Hey, girl.”

  Peering over the stall door of the wolf cub had her growling low in her throat, though her tail was flicking from side to side in imitation of a dog. Alejander reached in with a hand and the cub pushed up against it, whining happily.

  “Wow,” the elf said, leaning over the stall door next to him. “You’d hardly think she could kill ya out in the field.”

  “Right,” Alejander agreed, and at the same time part of him wondered if she would ever turn on him.

  “What’s her name?”

  Matthew had come up with the name when he was researching the dungeon, having caught an ad in the bottom corner of the screen. “Hera.”

  The elf nodded appreciatively, peering down at Hera. “A Greek mythology lover, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Alejander said, not wanting to let on that an ad for a new car apparently called Hera was on the market and that he’d liked it. He knew of the Greek gods, obviously, but that hadn’t played any part in his selecting it. He had never spent much time wondering, or caring, if people liked him but, in the game, he was trying hard not to alienate people. He didn’t know when he would need them. Besides, he liked this elf, and having someone on his side who owned a stable couldn’t be bad with Hera around.

  “You taking ‘em both?”

  “Could you hang on to Greta for me?” Alejander patted her neck and fed her an apple he’d bought the night before. “I’m headed for a dungeon and I don’t wanna take her with me.”

  The elf nodded immediately. “You’re paid up for today anyway, but if you should run over, it might be a little extra.”

  “That’s fine,” Alejander said. Hopefully, after his foray into the dungeon, he wouldn’t be worrying so much about money.

  You have relinquished: 2 silver

  Total Currency: 25 silver, 30 gold, 5 electrum

  “That’ll keep her here till tomorrow.” The elf pocketed the money. “Take the wolf cub when you’re ready and I’ll see you at some point tomorrow.”

  Alejander nodded and as soon as the elf had disappeared, he gave Greta a kiss to the end of her nose. “You’ll get a little bit more rest. Hera and I are gonna get us some money.”

  Greta waited for him to release her head and then dove straight into a hay bag hanging on the side of the stall. Unhooking the door of Hera’s stall, Alejander grinned as Hera immediately barreled into him, not large enough to do much damage, but her claws snagged on his cloak. He released them gently and gave her fur a good ruffle.

  “Gotta earn your keep, girl,” Alejander said, and led the way out of the stable, Hera sniffing and poking at various things as they walked. Alejander had to remember that she wasn’t his, though she had protected him, which was a good sign.

  As the town guards cranked the gates open at the south of the town, Alejander kept an eye on Hera, who was sniffing around one of the guard’s shoes.

  “Sorry.”

  “No worries,” the guard said. “You catch him?”

  “Her,” Alejander corrected. “She just started following me.”

  The guard’s eyebrows raised, but before he could say anything, the doors were open enough for Alejander to leave. Alejander waved a hand awkwardly and slipped through the opening. Hera followed almost immediately, trotting at Alejander’s heels. There were a couple of people headed towards him, clearly aiming for the town, and Alejander kept to the edge of the path, keeping his head low. Hera was sniffing around the grass on the plains and Alejander narrowed his eyes at the other players, making sure they didn’t go for their weapons.

  Thankfully, they passed without incident and Alejander took a left fork in the path. It would lead straight for the dungeon but for a little detour closer to a series of hills that he could already see jutting against the horizon. Hera snarled angrily at a couple of birds flying across their path, trotted around Alejander’s legs and explored the area around them. Her ears and eyes were both alert on the area around them, enough that Alejander allowed himself to root into his pack for a piece of meat. He tossed it to Hera who snapped it out of the air, chewing it down noisily.

  There would be plenty for her to chew on in the dungeon.

  The hills were small, not much of a height to them at all, and Alejander counted three across. There was no obvious path, yet he started up the hill. Hera bounded after him, sniffing along the dirt and grass, and she paused a little way up, back stiff and ears pricked forward. Alejander guessed that she had found the entrance to the dungeon.

  Hera led the way, now that she had found something worth sniffing out, and Alejander followed. It was a harder pace than he was used to but then he had been spoiled with Greta. Eventually he could see what Hera had seen; there was a cave carv
ed into the hill, and though Alejander couldn’t see it, it would have to sink into an underground dungeon given the height of the hill.

  There was a camp outside of the dungeon; a couple of tents, a doused fire, and a horse tied up against a tree. It had a pile of hay and a large water trough, so Alejander assumed whoever was camping was doing so for the long haul.

  “Hera,” he said, and though the cub ignored him for a moment, she turned and cocked her head. “Come here.”

  There was a hesitation and then she slunk over, whining. As she approached, a dwarf ducked out of the tent. He – Alejander assumed it was a male – had a long thick red beard, and red hair that seemed almost auburn in the sun. He was wearing thick furs and had an axe strapped to his back.

  The dwarf looked him over. “You ‘ere for the dungeon?”

  “Yeah,” Alejander said, trying not to laugh. The dwarf had a thick Scottish accent and Matthew had seen enough movies with dwarves in them to know that it was stereotypical. He managed to keep it from his face. “You going in?”

  “I’m the guide,” the dwarf said dismissively. “Just here to give you the rules.”

  Alejander raised his eyebrows. “This is your job?”

  The dwarf rolled his eyes. “Are you sure you’re high enough to take on this level?”

  “Yes,” Alejander snapped.

  “You do have help,” the dwarf said, looking pointedly at Hera. Alejander let the comment roll off his back and eventually the dwarf cleared his throat, hooking his thumbs in his belt. “I’m gonna need your transportation stone.”

  Alejander didn’t ask why, certain that the dwarf would contemplate not letting him in the dungeon at all. As he passed it over, the dwarf muttered something under his breath and the stone started shining.

  “That will bring you back out here when you’re done with the dungeon.”

  Alejander took the stone back – it felt warm – and put it back in his satchel. “When you say guide-“

  “Okay, first-timer,” the dwarf said with a smirk. “The transportation stone will bring you back here. You’ll go in, my buddy Feralas will be in there and give you anything required for the dungeon. Any mounts can be left out here – though I’m assuming you’ll want your wolf friend in with you. Otherwise, there are six rooms in this dungeon; it’s low level, and should be relatively easy for a sixth level player. If you’re lower, take care.”

  “So, I can just go in?”

  The dwarf nodded. “If you think you’re ready.”

  Alejander scratched his fingers through Hera’s fur. “Come on, then.”

  Hera followed him as he ducked into the cave entrance. The smell was musty and dank, like there was water somewhere in the cavern. It looked daunting, and for the first time since landing in the game, Alejander had a huge sense of apprehension and a little fear.

  “Nothing for it,” he muttered.

  Chapter Twelve

  Just inside the door of the cavern, there was another dwarf sat on a boulder, eating something out of a satchel resting on his lap. He looked like he’d been there a while, at ease and sleepy, and it took him a moment to notice Alejander. He gestured for Alejander to speak.

  “Is there anything I need?” Alejander paused.

  “You’ll wanna steer clear of one of the rooms,” Feralas told him. “It’s flooded and we’re working on it.”

  “How will I know which one it is?”

  Feralas looked him up and down, just like his friend had done. “You got a light?”

  “No,” Alejander said, drawing out the vowel. “I have a way of getting light.”

  “Good, you’ll need it.”

  Alejander had no idea why, but Feralas had turned back to his food and it was clear he wasn’t going to be parting with any more advice. Pulling out a torch, Alejander lit it with one of his matches, and headed deeper into the dungeon. It was eerie, even with the light flickering against the walls, though the cavern widened the further along the path he was. There were a couple of nooks and grooves in the wall, and given that it was a dungeon with hidden treasure, Alejander tried them all. You never know, right?

  He went along as stealthy as he could, given that he had a light, trying to keep his footsteps as soft as possible. He didn’t bother to try and quieten Hera in any way, aware that it was better not to try and manhandle her too much, but he also hoped that whoever they ran into would be suitably distracted by her and wouldn’t be expecting him to come out of nowhere. It would be a sound strategy if Alejander could see in the dark.

  The cavern veered off in two different directions and Alejander chose the main path, remembering the general layout of the map. A few meters down the hall, Alejander could hear scuffing noises further down the corridor. Crouching low, he snuffed out the light, waiting for his eyes to adjust. Hera was snuffling, her nose butting against Alejander’s knee. He touched the back of her neck, talking to her in low tones as she quietened down.

  There was a flickering of light on the walls and the scuffing of feet, along with someone muttering. Alejander wrapped his hands around his daggers and Hera was resting on her haunches, muscles rippling in her shoulders. The light crept along the wall, and Alejander rose a little more onto his feet, rocking to keep his balance.

  A shadow coalesced into a figure that looked like the Forest Goblin, only it was dark-skinned with an oily sheen.

  Daragoblin

  Level: 6

  Description: Born of darkness and stealth, a little creature with a huge appetite for blood!

  Hit Points: {unknown}

  Damage: ? {knife}

  Reach: Close

  There was a sword strapped to the goblin’s back and Alejander felt a little worried about it. He could at least take on the daragoblin and worry about the level of other creatures in the dungeon later.

  Bringing Hera had been a wise choice; as Alejander lunged at the daragoblin, the wolf cub did the same, clamping her jaw around the daragoblin’s leg. It let out an angry shout, slashing down with the torch. It narrowly missed Alejander’s head as he drove a dagger into the goblin’s thigh and plunged the other into the side of the goblin’s neck.

  The goblin, torn between two points of contact, grabbed the sword from its back and stabbed down. Alejander couldn’t see whether it made contact or not, but Hera yelped, and he gritted his teeth. Pulling out one of his daggers, he ducked beneath a slash of a sword, feeling the sting of it across his cheek.

  You have lost: 5HP

  It was a lot of HP to lose for a slash. The goblin was stronger than the creatures Alejander had fought thus far. Hoping his extra points on efficiency would help, he slashed with both of his daggers across the arm and leg of the goblin. It was wearing leathers, and they looked quite tough, but the fabric gave beneath the sharpness of the daggers.

  The goblin drove his sword into Hera once again, who was snapping at the goblin’s leg. There was blood on her muzzle, but he couldn’t focus on that, so he aimed instead for the goblin’s neck once again. He plunged both daggers in. The goblin drove into him with the sword, and Alejander couldn’t dodge quickly enough, feeling it bury itself in his thigh.

  You have lost: 15HP

  The goblin was still moving and tried to pull the sword out of Alejander’s thigh. The light was starting to dim, the torch’s flame being smothered by the dampness of the ground, and Alejander made one last attempt to finish it.

  He grabbed the goblin, slashing the dagger across his arm, and the goblin let out a strangled sound. Hera lunged up, blood coating part of her fur, her jaws clenched around the goblin’s neck. She shook her head, tearing, and the goblin let out a final, strangled yell, and collapsed onto the ground at Alejander’s feet.

  Daragoblin (lv 6) has died

  You have earned 1000 experience points. Congratulations!

  You have lost: 10 stamina

  Current HP: 60/80

  Current Stamina: 25/35

  Alejander rested against
the wall, letting out slow breaths, and gripped the sword still sticking into his thigh. Hera was whining, licking her wounds. Alejander had no way of knowing if she was alright. Frowning, he thought about Hera and her stat points. And that sufficed to open up her info.

  Grey Wolf Cub

  Level: 3

  Description: All teeth and claws, and a dangerous mental aptitude – in miniature!

  Hit Points: 22/30

  Damage: 5 {Bite} 10 {Claw}

  Reach: Close

  It was good to know that he could check up on her. They both had enough points that he didn’t need to sacrifice any of his potions yet. He used one of his bandages to wrap around his leg, stopping the bleeding, and double-checked Hera for wounds. She had a gash in her shoulder, and a puncture wound on her muzzle, but she seemed fine in herself.

  Crouching down beside the daragoblin, he searched through the armor and bag that was tied around the goblin’s waist. There were some coins at the bottom, two bottles, and a key.

  You have acquired: 2 Healing Potion

  Replenishment: 10HP or 10 stamina

  Quality: Poor

  You have acquired: 1 Silver Key

  Quality: Unknown

  You have acquired: Coin

  Inventory: 20 copper, 10 silver, 1 gold, 3 electrum

  Total Currency: 20 copper, 35 silver, 31 gold, 8 electrum

  Current Inventory: Coin Pouch, Satchel, Healing Potions (5), Stag Meat {2}, WaterRepellant Sheet, Cloth Bandages {2}, Teleportation Stone, Bank Credit, Torch. Matches {6}, Lockpicking Tools, Water bottles {3}, Rope, Twine, Map, Lockpicking Tools, Grey Wolf Meat {3}

  The key would be useful, especially given the way the dungeon was set up. Apparently, healing potions were more powerful when they were purchased, but Alejander wasn’t going to turn his nose up at it. Deciding to use one of the goblin’s, he shared it between himself and Hera, giving them both an extra 5HP. It wouldn’t make a lot of difference in the long run, but it was sensible to have every advantage they could.

  “There’s more to come this way,” he said, bending down to rub at Hera’s neck. She let out a soft whine, and Alejander let himself take a moment before pushing on. This was apparently an easy dungeon for anyone of level 6, so he was going to have his work cut out for him. The daragoblin had been proof enough, but his points’ allocation was clearly working in his favor.