by J R Davis
“If we are lucky, he may come back with friends” Ogma commented with a mental shrug. The bear then straightening and shifting back to human form, promptly stretching out his arms.
Our skirmish with the wolves now assumedly concluded, we steadied ourselves and made the remaining trek to the goblins village. Upon our arrival, it became pretty apparent that the Chief had been busy. A large wooden spiked wall surrounded their would be home. It stood about 8 feet tall with only a single perceived opening for us to go through. The goblins had apparently taken our suggestion for defenses to heart. The wall made for a good line of defense, although much more would need to be done to ensure the village's survival.
After the two guards there ushered us in, we found ourselves all seated in the chief's hut. There was a bit of a wait, but our group mostly just used the time to recuperate from the prior journey and battle. After around 15 minutes of waiting, the chief made his grand entrance as he peeled back the tent flap with a wide grin.
“So, what you think of wood spikes?” the excited goblin asked. His enthusiasm undermined by the stress marks clear on his face. No doubt the chief had been hard at work getting things set up.
“It's a good start, we need to hash out the guard schedule and any potential for setting traps or finding allies though," Okane responded matter of factly. The merchant apparently having a decent grasp on what needed to be done. “We are still finding the details on our end, we guess that that attack will be in about 2-3 weeks from now. Mostly gathering that from the amount of time it'd likely take Ignis to rally his forces, but will let you know the actual date when we do” he reasoned.
“Hmm... fair point as we may have allies in the forest. Will ask for help against attack” Chief Ro responded. The goblin was clearly interested in the idea. “Maybe able to set traps in forest for warning too” he reasoned, then resting his chin into his hand in a contemplative manner. The two of them spent much time shooting ideas back and forth. The rest of us opting to be filled in later used the time to prepare for the tournament. With how things were looking, I would basically be able to log off and have all day prior before needing to be back for the fight. The accelerated time in-game actually helping us knock out things sooner.
Having taken care of all I could, I let my friends know I was logging off. I was planning on doing a bit of research on the guilds in the game and looking for anything I could use to my advantage for the tournament and the upcoming battle. With that, for the first time in what seemed like ages, I went to log off. The world around me fading to black. Moments later, I lifted the visor feeling well rested, which was a given considering I had been out around 12 hours. With that, I got up, showered, got dressed, and headed for the computer to dig up what I could about my second life.
Chapter Six
The World Without
The internet yielded some interesting results. I had Focused my efforts on the enemy guild to get some general numbers down. I had to see what we were up against. Fortunately for me, Hunters Dream was likely the most popular MMO in the world at the moment which made for a lot of guild pages seeking new members and information. That, and people were scouring the net for info on the rare classes people had unlocked. So finding information on the top-ranking guilds in my world and finding their guild Catalyst was not too hard. They did have a members forum, though much of the information there was for members only. That being said, I was able to figure out that Ignis was indeed the leader, given the forums introductory post and rules introductions marking him as such. The introductions were as you would imagine. More or less a meet and greet to my understanding. They even had a rules page setup that definitely alluded to Ignis’s own ambitions.
Rules and Regulations:
Guild members must be in-game for at least 30 hours a week.
Guild members will be respectful towards one another.
We are a PVP/raiding guild, if you join, you will be required to join in any of the above, but will also share equally in the rewards.
We are here to be number 1, so be ready for all that entails. We are the workers, the try-hards, the ones who get the job done.
We are here to help one another and grow as well, so be respectful.
It seemed a bit pushy to me, but hey, at least they admitted to trying hard. The remaining posts I could see were not really offering much information about the impending attack. I still had work to do though. I looked up the information on the Wolf Blood guild while I was at it. Took a bit of digging considering there had to at least be 50 or more guilds listed on the site I defaulted to. Apparently, they were also a big PVP grinding guild. They had a large number of members, the leader being an individual by the name of Lethe.
There seemed to be a lot of hype about the Lethe’s guilds tournament as well. The signup sheet for guild members had 32 entrees and such did not even include the new people applying. At the same time, there were prizes of gold and some rare materials for crafting. This was definitely going to be good.
Back in the game, Okane and the chief had been hard at work planning to fortify the goblins home for the soon to come battle. On top of the spiked wooden fence, the two had agreed upon setting traps in the nearby forest, setting patrols and scouts in strategic locations. They were also attempting to enlist the aid of a close tribe of ogres. Goblins and ogres apparently had a history of cooperation in times of need. This also included some less considered allies as well. Okane had proposed a merger of the two races for future safety and prosperity, which made the call to arms all the more tempting an offer.
“Well, I suppose that’s all we can do for now. I’ll check back in should there be any new developments” Okane said as he rose from the animal mat to a standing position. The chief, too rising with him.
“It take bit of time to set up more traps and get allies,” Chief Ro commented while brushing his hands against his brown hide pants.
“That’s fine, just do what you can before the battle. I plan to go meet a friend and learn a few tricks to even the odds” Okane responded with a smile. The chief then nodding and they parted ways, they each with many a task to complete so stalling wasn’t exactly a wise decision. While the other members of their group would likely need to log out now and then, Okane, like his namesake, was a bit more prepared. A 35 year old primary care doctor, Okane had been quite well off. Well off enough to secure one of the prototype long term dive chambers for Hunter’s Dream. Such gave him quite an advantage over the common player. For while every 9-12 hours they would need to log off, Okane could stay in his for a real-world week. The pod taking care of all the required needs for the merchant.
After settling things with Chief Ro, Okane found his way over to Zootwick’s shop. He strolled through the entrance door and caught the crafty gnome in the middle of some potion mixing behind the counter.
“Ah, do not mind zee mess, I was keeping myself busy making a new batch of advanced growth potion” the gnome stated while pouring blue liquid from one vile into the green liquid of another. Stirring the two together until the solution bore a sort of turquoise shade.
“Your timing is perfect as always my friend, it’s actually your potion-making skills I have come to inquire about” Okane responded with a broad smile, making his way towards the gnome. “You see, we have a battle coming up, and potion work falls under my available skills, be a shame not to learn what I can from the master” he added with a wink.
“Ah, flattery is it? You may need to try a little harder, maybe tell me what you are looking to do while you are at it” the gnome said while clasping Okane’s hand. “ if you are wishing to wreak some havoc, I may be able to oblige” he said with a grin.
Okane reached into his pocket and pulled out a large folded paper. “So, this is a map of the area we need to defend, I have marked the defensible points with X’s as you can see,” he said, pausing momentarily for effect. Taking a deep breath, he continued “We need traps, things that will thin their numbers and things that will herd them where we n
eed them to go.”
Zootwich listened intently to Okane’s description, nodding as he walked him through. “ What you are asking is doable, but I will need some things…” he said while gathering some ingredients from the wooden shelf to the left. The two of them leaning in close as they planned for a massacre.
Many miles away, Ogma and Morrigan stood at the presently abandoned tournament grounds. The large dirt circle that was the arena being far larger than either of them had been expecting.
Clasping his enormous hands together Ogma said “ So dear sister, how about a warm-up?”
“You do realize the tournament isn't for another few days in here right?” she replied with a smirk, moving into the large circle and lazily took up a fighting stance. She knew there would be no reasoning her brother out of this.
“I just thought I’d offer the chance for you to make good on all those threats, unless you traded in your blades for a career of politics and empty words?” He said with a chuckle, moving to take the position opposite of her.
“Oh, I am pretty sure you are gonna know which one in a minute,” she said and a mock insulted tone. Morrigan then triggering backstab and reappearing directly behind Ogma, daggers poised. But rather than piercing the large burly man's back, her daggers only grazed air. Where the man once stood, now there was only a hawk giving her an incredulous look. The bird quickly flapped its wings, Morrigan assuming it was planning to take off and readied herself to place a dagger in each wing should it try. Ogma, however, did not flap his wings to fly, but rather to push himself directly underneath Morrigan. Losing not a second, he quickly shifted into bear form. The sudden increase in size knocking Morrigan many feet into the air and rendering her breathless.
Despite the pain, Morrigan trooped through it. As she fell, Morrigan triggers her newest skill “Shadow Skip”. Her form grew darker as she fell. While Ogma did manage to swipe at her, the hit passed through cleanly only dealing minimal damage as she phased right into the bear's shadow, gone from sight. For a long moment, there was silence. Ogma didn’t know where his sister had gotten off to. At the same time, Morrigan had but a few seconds to choose an exit point. Her skills allowing her to phase into shadows and emerge at a nearby shadowed exit point, dealing extra sneak damage should a target be nearby. Problem being, there was only one exit point to choose, and that was the same one she entered.
Ogma stood there stoically, the tension in the air calling him to action. There was nothing he could do though, his sister had vanished from sight. So he waited, waited for his sister to make her move. Waited for the blow that was coming. He knew it would likely not be an obvious one either. Morrigan had always been crafty and the class she had chosen matched that flexible mind. So there he stood in silence, half expecting an attack from behind.
That attack never came through, for Morrigan too knew what would be expected. So she did the one thing that Ogma would likely least expect, a frontal assault. Daggers poised, she rose from his shadow from directly under the bear. Ogma’s tall stature and wide stance aiding her in the attack. Morrigan flew through the shadow like a fish breaking water. Her daggers leading in a flurry of cuts to the bear's unguarded joints and neck.
Being caught completely off guard, Ogma could only rely on his own thick hide to dull the cuts if his sister's blade. Faith that only partially held true as her attack took a staggering amount of hp and leaving him staggered. Still, the man that he was, Ogma would not go down without a fight. His sister was close, too close to swipe and too close within his guard to properly retaliate, but Ogma has one option still left to him. As Morrigan made her cuts and chipping away at her brother's hp, Ogma retaliated in the best way he could. The bear lurched forward suddenly, aiming to fall right on top of her.
Morrigan had no time to think. She was far too close to step back, far too involved in her onslaught to see one critical flaw in her plan. She was too close to escape. Morrigan could not go back and the bear's arms would surely catch her should she try to go to the sides. There was only one option left to her, go forward, go through. Morrigan lunged forward into the collapsing bear. Knowing she could not push him back, the tenacious thief decided to inflict as much damage to Ogma as she could before his play hit true. She drove both daggers into the bear's large chest. The sheer weight of the bear driving them in deeper as he fell onto Morrigan pinning her in place.
Ogma had felt the twin blades pierce his chest as he fell, but the move had already been decided. The slamming of his heavy body to the ground furthering the damage to his body. At the same time, Morrigan now was stuck, pinned under the enormous bear. Truth be told, Ogma knew she, even in her present situation was fairing far better than he. That last maneuver of hers bringing his hp critically low and granting a bleeding status, furthering the strain on Ogma. “Not too uncomfortable down there?” Ogma asked in a mocking tone.
“Bold move, let's see how it plays out for you” she replied with a smirk. Morrigan knew she couldn't do anything more to Ogma, but maybe, just maybe, she had already done enough. She tried to move the knives embedded in his chest, managing only millimeters yet still exacting a wince from the bear. “You mind making it a bit easier to kill you?” She exhaled while trying to wriggle free.
“I really do” wheezed Ogma, seeing his hp hit the single digits. Her bleeding status clearly doing Morrigan’s work for her. At this point Ogma had no strength left in reserve and had only his weight to aid him. His only goal now to force a stalemate for posterity sake. The blinking indicator of his hp draining away sapping his resolve. It was at that moment when Morrigan did something he wasn’t expecting, she bit him! Ogma however just laid there, barely having the strength to wince anymore. He took his sisters attack in silence, holding tightly onto his crumbling dreams of victory.
“If you think I won’t bite, you have clearly forgotten the 4th grade,” she said through clenched teeth. The damage was minimal, 5-10 hp per bite but it was enough to subdue the large bear who was already on his last legs. Within seconds, the victor was decided. Ogma’s entire body had gone slack, moments later disappearing altogether. If that simple notion were not enough of a sign of Morrigan's victory over her brother, she received a message from him at his respawn point in town reading “It’s not over you little shit.”
After spending most of the day researching and running some errands, I was finally back online. Charon rising through a portal in the ground moments after I had logged in. Taking position beside me, I was given a curt nod. It was good to know I wouldn’t need to resummon unless he died or was dismissed. Being the morning of the tournament meant it was time to get the gang back together. I checked my friend's list, showing everyone was online and letting them know that I was going to meet them at the tournament. With that task out of the way, it was time to make our way on down. I issued a mental command to Charon to stay close and we set off.
I met with everyone later that hour at the tournament grounds. We all stood together amidst an ever-growing line for people who were signing up. Seemingly every race was present from Dwarfs to Drau. Ogma’s large stature still placing him above the majority of the other competitors. As I stood there I numbingly tapped my foot on the ground, waiting my turn sign in. Apparently even MMO’s had these damn lines you need to wait in. I noticed something just a bit out of place though, Morrigan was smiling. “Haven’t seen you this chipper before Morrigan, good stuff come your way?”
Her smile going even wider as she responded “Just settled an old score is all” and twirled one of her daggers in her hand. Ogma using the moment to let out an audible exhale and turned his face from view in a clearly sulking manner. Okane and I gave him a studied look for the briefest of moments before simply shrugging it off and scoping out the competition. It seemed like most of the competitor's eyes were darting about, trying to spot potential weaknesses or flaws they could exploit. It was likely not only about the prizes but also a chance for many of the players to strut their stuff.
After a lengthy wait, we
were all signed up and sitting on the nearby bleachers. People were pouring in from the nearby city, seats filling up and food vendors eagerly wheeling and dealing to make some extra coin. Ogma being one of the more hearty eaters having a turkey leg in each hand and a beer clenched between his legs.
“You really think eating before a big fight is a good call there?” Okane asked with an arched brow. The rest of us just waiting on a call to the stage.
“Well, can you even get sick from digital food?” Ogma responded inquisitively. Then proceeding to take another bite from one of the turkey legs.
“Fair point, carry on,” Okane said with a shrug.
“He eat this much in real life too?” I chimed in while elbowing the giant. To which Ogma promptly frowned.
“I’ll have you know it suits a man of my stature. I am actually pretty close to this in real life too you know” he said pointedly.
“And he's this much of a fatty there too” Morrigan added with a smirk, eyeing her brother.
“Don’t start, I could flatten you again” Ogma half-heartedly threatened. He then put down one of the legs only to drink half his large beer on a few quick gulps.
“Because that worked sooooo well for you last time” Morrigan responded with a huge grin, clearly pleased with herself.
I am presuming the two had some sort of spit recently, not sure if I should really ask about that. Ogma continued to eat in silence. A clear feeling of discontent about him. The silence was short-lived though as suddenly an announcement came booming forth from a large elven man standing center stage. It seemed like the brawl was about to begin.
“Alright everyone, we will be commencing in a few moments so ready yourselves! There will be prizes as noted but also to those who do well, a chance to join our guild” he yelled through cupped hands. The crowd going quiet in anticipation.