by Aaron Oster
“Me,” the Crow replied as the big man forced his way into the wagon and took a seat across from him.
Arthur didn’t bother trying to escape, or attack, even though he really wanted to. He knew the ani-human could likely squash him, especially with his hands tied. He had his suspicion confirmed when he checked his status — level 15. His eyes flicked to The Rat next, but found that he was unable to examine the bird.
How odd. The only other person he’d been unable to examine had been Sqwak, the ani-human Raven back at the destroyed village. In fact, if he didn’t know better, he’d have assumed they were one and the same. But they were clearly of a different Race, not to mention gender, and while one was a full-on bird, the other was only part bird.
“How’d you do it?” Arthur asked as the wagon began moving again.
He was in no mood for games right now.
“So, you figured it out. Bravo,” The Rat said, letting out a cackling laugh.
When Arthur didn’t respond, her laughter trailed off, and she shook her head.
“Fine, fine. I guess I can give you an explanation. After all, where you’re going, no one will ever find out.”
Well, that’s ominous.
“It’s an ability of mine, called False Pride. Quite useful, actually. It allows me to fog the minds of those with a low enough Intelligence. I can make them ignore certain dangers or even act a certain way. It was difficult getting that idiot frog under my ability. I’d never have guessed he’d invested so much in that attribute.
But the ant-girl was laughably easy to manipulate. So brash and impulsive. After the attack, it was a simple matter to separate the three of you and lead you into an ambush.”
“What about the other two?” Arthur asked, doing his best to hide his fear.
“Unfortunately, I had to devote my full attention to you once they’d left. But I’m not too worried. You’re clearly the brains of the operation, so with you gone, the other two will be captured in due time.”
Arthur was glad to hear that, though he kept his face blank. Clearly the crow didn’t realize how smart and resourceful Talia could be. Sure, she might come off as a musclebound brute, but she had a tactical mind and had likely realized something was wrong the instant The Rat’s ability was turned on him.
Plus, she had Hopps. He would…Well, he was an idiot, but a loyal one, at least. He just hoped his friends could get him out of this situation before they reached their destination. By the way The Rat had said ‘no one will ever find out,’ he had to assume he was being handed over to the Felines.
That meant his time was limited. This also meant he needed to get as much information out of the bird as possible.
“You set me up. Why?”
“Why? Now, that’s a stupid question,” the crow replied.
“Why is that a stupid question?” Arthur asked with a raised brow. “I completed your quest, found out who was stealing from you, and then you go to turn me over to the very same people? It makes no sense.”
“Clever little frog. I should have known you’d figure out where we were going. Fine, I’ll humor you and answer your questions.
“You see, I already knew that it was the Felines attacking my crew. So, I needed to send a message to…discourage future theft. But I couldn’t exactly have my own men do it, so I needed a fall guy. And as luck would have it, you waltzed in at the perfect time. You had the perfect blend of desperation and gullibility, so I sent you out to take care of it for me.
“Then they led you back here. Now, when I deliver you to the Felines, they’ll have nothing on me. They’ll know it was me, of course, but they won’t be able to prove it. And sure, they could try and take me anyway, but I have so many connections that even Baron Clive wouldn’t dare hold me for long.”
Arthur nodded along. It made perfect sense. He’d been played like a total noob. If he survived whatever this bird had planned for him, he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
“So, basically, you used me. Sent me out on a quest, never planning on telling me anything. Very clever of you,” he said dryly.
A crack of thunder shook the air, and lightning flashed through the small openings in the wagon.
“No, I was planning on giving you all the information, just like I promised,” The Rat said, looking nervously up to the sky.
Wait, what? Arthur didn’t expect that.
Arthur noted the spike of fear that crossed the ani-human thug’s face, even if it was just for the briefest of moments. It seemed that not following through on a quest reward was a big no-no in the Animal Kingdom.
The Rat cleared her throat nervously before continuing.
“I, of course, stated only the truth when I sent you out on the quest. Here’s what I know. A day and a half ago, a war band led by Captain Boris entered the city. With them, they had several prisoners captured from villages all over the surrounding territory.
“Whether the people you’re after were in there or not, I can’t say. But I can tell you that they were all brought to the Kennel, Raya’s prison. Some of them might end up in the fighting pits, others simply executed. The rest could be shipped off to one of the larger Feline cities.”
“This Captain Boris,” Arthur asked, keeping his tone neutral, “whose orders was he following?”
The bird shrugged.
“Beats me. Likely it was the Baron’s, but he could have just decided to go raid on his own. As a Captain, he has that right.”
Arthur’s teeth ground together at that statement.
“Is he strong?”
“Captain Boris? He’s a weakling. Only level 18, last I checked,” the bird replied.
“And the Baron?”
“Sorry, can’t say.”
It seemed that Captain Boris was the one in charge of the attack. But if he was only level 18, then who had been the one to kill Chuck and capture Flora? After all, they were levels 25 and 31, respectively, and therefore way too strong to be taken down by the likes of him. The questions only seemed to be mounting, though as soon as he received the information, a notification popped up.
Quest Update: Fury and Oppression - I
After traveling to Raya and speaking with a bird calling herself a rat, you have discovered that it was Captain Boris who led the attack. You have yet to discover, however, on whose orders the attack was carried out.
Objective: Find out who organized the attack. Bonus: Find out who killed Chuck
Failure: Fail to find the responsible party
Difficulty: B+
Rewards: 25,000 XP, 50 Gold, 1 Legendary Item
Well, at least now I’ve got something to go off of, Arthur thought as he closed the notification.
He also noted that the Rat’s Nest quest had also been completed, awarding him with 5,000 XP and pushing him over the threshold to level 14.
The wagon rattled to a halt then, and Arthur heard someone shouting from outside.
“Ah, it seems we’ve arrived. And with this, I’ve fully paid off what I owed you.”
“Yup,” Arthur said dryly as the door was pulled open. “You said you’d get me into the Feline quarter, and you did.”
So. Freaking. Cliché.
“Aww, you ruined the punchline,” the bird said, hopping onto her henchman’s shoulder. “Well, I am turning you over to be killed, so fair’s fair, I guess. See you around, frog boy!”
The Crow let out one last cackling laugh before exiting the wagon to talk with the Feline guards, slamming the door behind them.
The thick walls muffled all sound, and Arthur slumped in his seat, letting out a deep sigh. He hadn’t really thought through the ramifications of being captured like this. Sure, Talia and Hopps had escaped, but if he died, he’d never find his brother. Or a way back to his family, for that matter.
Worse, if he died, it would be permanent. And from what that damned crow had told him, death was a certainty.
The wagon jerked, and Arthur’s head smacked into the back wall once again. But he just
couldn’t bring himself to care. He was all alone and being taken into the heart of the enemy territory.
27
The next time the door was thrown open, it was by a Feline guard dressed in gleaming silvery armor. Paws reached in and roughly dragged him from the box, pulling him out into the light of the early morning. It appeared that he’d been out for quite some time, if the sun was already rising.
“Come on, you maggot! Move!”
Arthur felt the sharp end of something jab him in the back, and his HP dropped by a few points. He winced and began moving, not wanting to be attacked again. It did him no good. As Feline guards closed in on all sides, glaring at him, he knew he was in for some rough treatment before he got wherever it was they were taking him.
Arthur did his best to ignore the pain, examining his surroundings as he was force-marched up to a massive stone building. Guards patrolled all around the exterior, and all of them glared daggers at him as he passed.
Finally having enough of all the jabs, Arthur tried to dodge one, only to immediately catch a ringing blow across his forehead that laid him flat.
“Did I tell you that you could dodge, maggot!?” the guard in charge roared in his face. “Beat him until his HP drops to half. I want him black and blue before we bring him before the Captain.”
Arthur curled in on himself as the beating began. He squirmed and twisted, but there were too many guards. He even tried to attack back once, using Spring to get into the air and Poison Touch to knock one of the guards down. He hadn’t made it five feet before lightning coursed through his body, sending him twitching and writhing to the ground.
It was only once his muscles stopped spasming that he saw the head guard held a baton, crackling with electricity. The subtle glow around the weapon told him it was of Epic quality, not that he really cared. He was hoisted back onto his feet and dragged along, the guards continuously prodding and beating him until they made it into the building.
Arthur was bleeding from over two dozen cuts, his left eye was swollen shut, and he was pretty sure he had a concussion. By the time they reached the captain’s office, the guards had added two broken ribs and a punctured lung to the mix.
“Who’s this sorry sack of shit?”
Arthur looked up through bleary vision as he was dragged into the Captain’s office. He was a tall Feline, with solid black fur covering every inch of visible skin. Slivery eyes containing slitted pupils stood out against a short muzzle filled with sharp teeth. He was dressed in fine clothes that did nothing to hide his impressive physique.
This was yet another Feline that looked more like a humanoid cat than a proper ani-human. By now, Arthur was no longer surprised by that. Well, that and the fact that his head was swimming, made him feel apathetic toward the situation in general. He examined the Feline anyway, just to get a better idea of what he was dealing with.
Name: Boris
Race: Black Jaguar (Humanoid)
Level: 18
HP: 560/560
Class: Clawmaster
“This filthy sack of shit killed four guards,” the head guard said, kicking him hard and breaking yet another rib.
Arthur doubled over, blood spraying from his mouth as he coughed, his entire body wracked with pain. At least that explained why the guards seemed to hate him so much.
“Really?”
Boris sounded more curious than angry.
“Are you sure? He doesn’t look like much.”
“We’re sure, Sir. That damned Crow delivered him personally. Said he attacked a shipment of hers while it was coming into the city. And when the guards tried to intervene, he killed them too.”
Boris let out a snort of anger.
“Damned pest is what she is. This city would be better off without her.”
The Captain went silent then, muttering to himself.
Arthur merely hung from the guards as they held him up, wheezing and trying to catch his breath. He was not enjoying this.
“Um…Sir?” the guard asked after another minute of silence.
“Huh? What the hell are you still doing here?” Boris asked, sounding annoyed.
“The prisoner?”
“Oh, right. Well, he killed four guards, so that means he’s gotta know how to fight. Throw him in the pits. I’m sure he’ll suffer before he dies.”
“Yes, Sir!” the guard said, sounding way too excited.
Despite the pain wracking his body, Arthur knew he had an opportunity in front of him, one that he might not get again.
“Wait!” he yelled, his voice coming out garbled.
He caught another sharp blow for speaking out, but he’d gotten Boris’ attention.
“What is it, vermin?”
Arthur forced his head up, wincing at the pain, and met the Captain’s silvery eyes. This was the man who’d led the attack on Hopps’ home, the one who had killed so many and burned the place to the ground. But was he the one who’d given the order?
“Why did you attack the villages near the city?” Arthur asked, blood bubbling up and frothing on his lips.
“Is that all you wanted to know?” the Captain asked with a snort. “Take him away and give him a few extra for wasting my time.”
“Wait! I have information on The Rat!” Arthur called out.
“Hold!” Boris yelled, and the haft of a spear stopped inches from his face.
Arthur was then dragged around to face the Captain once again.
“What do you know, filth?” Boris asked. “And whatever it is, it better be good. Otherwise, I’ll have you thrown in the pits as you are now.”
“And if I tell you something useful?” Arthur asked.
He knew he was in no place to negotiate but he really had nothing to lose. Better to try and fail than not try at all.
The Jaguar’s face split into a toothy grin, his sharp canines seeming to reflect the light of the lanterns set throughout the room.
“You’ve got guts for a worm, I’ll give you that. Fine, if you give me some useful information, I’ll have you healed back to full health before you’re thrown into your first fight.”
“And the attacks on the village?” Arthur asked.
“You’re pushing it, kid,” the Captain said, eyes narrowing. “But fine, I’ll tell you who ordered the attack as well. But if I don’t like what you have to say, I’ll kill you here and now.”
Arthur felt a chill run down his spine, but he swallowed down his fear and began talking.
“The Rat was the one who ordered me to kill whoever was stealing her goods. I didn’t know at the time that they were guards. But on the way here, she revealed that she’d known all along and had to send a message without being involved herself.”
Boris snorted at that, waving a paw.
“Is that really it? And here I thought you’d tell me something useful.”
“She also personally insulted you, calling you a weakling,” Arthur quickly said as the Captain’s claws extended with an audible snick.
He started advancing, and Arthur could see death in those eyes. His mind cast desperately for something, anything that could get him out of this alive.
“She said that the Baron wouldn’t dare attack her because he was afraid of her. She said he’d never be able to hold her!”
Captain Boris stopped his claws from delivering the killing blow.
“Did she really say that?” he asked, tilting his head curiously to one side. “A mere Crow said outright that Baron was afraid of her?”
Arthur nodded vigorously despite the pain.
“How very…interesting,” Boris said, straightening and retracting his claws. “You’ve given me much to think about, frog. As per our agreement, you’ll be healed before you’re thrown into the pits.”
“And the attack?” Arthur dared to ask.
“Our esteemed Baron, of course,” Boris said. “He believes that the filth should be mopped up every few years to keep their numbers down. Now, get him out of here.”
Boris t
urned his back on him, seemingly done with the conversation. But Arthur had gotten what he’d needed out of it.
Quest Update: Fury and Oppression - I
After talking with Captain Boris, you have discovered that it was Baron Clive who ordered the attack on the village. However, you are now being taken to the Pits. Can you survive long enough to escape?
Objectives: Escape the Pits, Kill Baron Clive, Bonus: Find out who killed Chuck
Failure: Die
Difficulty: B+
Rewards: 25,000 XP, 50 Gold, 1 Legendary Item
Judging by the quest description and how the fighting pits were built into it, Arthur knew that it was part of the quest. There might have been some other way to reach his objective, but it was too late to go looking for it now.
Arthur was dragged unceremoniously out of the Captain’s office, though he was too preoccupied to even notice. He was snapped back to reality and definitely noticed when the guards began beating him once again. They continuously rained blows upon his body until they arrived at the holding cells for the pits. He was then unceremoniously dumped in, landing hard on the cold stone floor, and the door clanged shut behind him.
“Hope you have fun here, froggy,” the guard said, glaring down at his prone body. “Try to at least survive the first day. This way, we can see you suffer before you die.”
Then he left, leaving Arthur alone and in the dark.
His entire body throbbed in agony as he curled into a ball and tried to go to sleep. There were several icons flashing above his head, indicating broken bones and various debuffs, but he ignored them all. He’d never been so miserable in his entire life and only hoped that Hopps and Talia had avoided his fate.
***
Talia’s hand shot out, clamping over Hopps’ mouth as they stood, crouched in the hallway of the Boarmaid. She’d realized that something was wrong only about ten minutes after stalking away from Arthur, but when she’d tried to backtrack, they had found that he was gone.
She’d immediately assumed that they’d been duped by the damn bird-rat and had made a beeline back to the inn with Hopps to retrieve their items. However, it seemed that someone was trying to take advantage of their absence, likely someone from the bird’s crew, and Talia was going to have none of that.