I Am Gamer

by Gabriel L Rathweg

  The group broke up and rushed to their appointed places. The Chief walked up beside me followed by the rest of the reserve group. The howls sounded out louder than ever. They were just below us in the tree line. I could see evil glowing red eyes streaking all around. Damn, this better work, there was a shit load of red out there.

  Shrieks and howls burst out screaming through the night and grating our ears. The Wendigo roared and attacked en masse. I finally got a good look at the monsters as they rushed our position. I had tried to picture the bastards in my mind before this but I hadn’t done the real thing justice. The monsters were hideous. You could barely tell that they had once been humans.

  They were emaciated to the point where you could see the bone, muscle, and tendon though their desiccated skin. Their faces were pulled back in a mockery of a smile as all their extra skin had melted back showing teeth and gums turned black with decay. The teeth themselves had morphed into sharp elongated canines that punched through the skin of their mouths in some places. Viscous black blood oozed and trailed down their multicolored maws. Their skin was the color of ash and transparent almost so the only thing coloring it was blood and gore from their prey.

  “Jesus fucking Christ…” I whispered under my breath.

  TRACK 25 – CRY BABY – JANIS JOPLIN

  I took all this in quickly my brain rapid firing the data and processing it. The monsters rushed up the hill towards the firelight. From my position on the hillock I could see around the whole battle. There were dozens of the monsters and they rushed at us from all sides. It looked like they were going to try overwhelming our position with numbers.

  “Not on my watch you 28 Days Later looking mother fuckers!” I yelled as the monsters hit our line.

  The huge main fire behind us was so bright and the myriad of smaller fires around the hill top while not blinding the Wendigo did a good job of obscuring the pikes and the defenders at each position. I was gambling on the monsters not having any experience with fortified positions. What we had created was a modified defensive perimeter based on an old Roman tactic called a palisade.

  Normally a palisade would have sharpened wooden stakes around the entire perimeter without a break in the line. We hadn’t had that much time so I used a tactic from Sun Tzu’s Art of War and that I had seen used in the book Romance of the Three Kingdoms. They had burned a whole harbor to obscure where their armies had been placed during a night attack. It was a case of kill or be killed so I thought the sentiment apropos.

  Cries of anguish ripped from the mouths of the Wendigo as half a dozen of their number impaled themselves on the wooden pikes. More cries sounded as another dozen were ripped into with hatchet and knife. At least half their number was down but that didn’t stop the rest. The remaining attackers leapt over their fallen comrades and attacked the defenders with renewed fury.

  This was it all or nothing. I sent my reserve forces myself included to all sides of the hill to counterattack the Wendigo’s rush. I was banking on the Chief, his kin, and Shadow Bear being better fighters than the rest of our forces. My reasoning was that in most societies the nobility were better fighters at least historically because they had more time to train and a bit more wealth than the common person. I know that didn’t exactly translate to Native cultures but I was also gambling on the fact that they all looked bigger and stronger than the other fighters respectively.

  It didn’t matter now the die was cast as I rushed to my spot having sent Freak to his own target area. I had chosen the largest nastiest looking Wendigo that appeared for my target. My reasoning was maybe if I killed it quickly the rest of the monsters would retreat and I figured I was the biggest and baddest dude on our side. I rushed it weapons drawn as the monster backhanded the last of defenders around it away. We locked eyes and its info popped up.

  WENDIGO SCION (LEVEL – Unknown)

  The Evil That Devours – Arguably one of the most deadly creatures in North American indigenous folklore, the Wendigo appears in many different tribal legends and the Scion is the worst of them all. Wendigo Scions are the first among packs. They are the first of the pack to turn and then helps create more pack members. Scions are the oldest, strongest, fastest, and most cunning of the Wendigo due to having lived so long and killed so many in its lifetime.

  I thought the window away as the monster roared and attacked. I screamed back in defiance then dodged to the side lashing out with my kukri and connecting with the scion’s side as it flew passed. Luckily during the run here I had used my Total Recall ability and learned all I could about two handed knife fighting. There was a period in my life where I had read all the Drizzt Do’ Urden books religiously. I had decided that I wanted to learn two handed scimitar fighting. That translated to me finding out everything I could about two handed fighting in general. Me being the avid researcher I am had started with dual knife wielding styles.

  The best one I had found was from the Nepalese Gurkas, a close second was the Bowie knife style. But the Gurkas had used two weapons and it was I my opinion the most effective form of knife fighting I had researched.

  SKILL LEARNED

  NEPALESE GURKA STYLE (LEVEL – 1)

  This two handed fighting style was created by the indigenous Nepalese people using their signature weapon the kukri. Using your natural strength and agility along with your knowledge of the style you can use two blades similar to kukris in this martial style. The skill will change and increase with level and usage.

  I was about to find out if I was right. My attack caused the monster to scream in rage and pain as it attacked again.

  It came in swinging both clawed hands streaked towards my head and I dropped to my knees. The claws barely missing my head as I struck out igniting the fire on my weapons. Flame burst from my weapons and connected with two quick slashes at the beast’s thighs. The monster shrieked as I struck, flesh burning, but took the strikes as it kicked forward I crossed my arms as its kick connected with me knocking me backwards. I rolled with the hit using its momentum and spinning over but coming up on my feet burning weapons ready. Damn that hurt! I luckily got my arms in front of the kick but they were aching like a mother fucker. If it had hit directly I’d have some broken ribs at the minimum. I coughed and spit a wad of blood out, no more direct hits. The monster didn’t give me time to rest and came screeching in once again.

  I dodged and traded blows with the Wendigo leader slowly angling it so the fire was at my back. The beast was fast and strong it’s every attack pushing me to my limit to block, guard, or riposte. A fierce grin overtook my face. I couldn’t help it. My adrenaline was pumping and I had never felt so alive. The rush was intoxicating, better than any drink or drug. This monster was pushing me to the limits of my abilities. We traded blows and accepted strikes here and there. My two blades scoring hit after hit while my body took small cuts from the monsters clawed hands. A particularly vicious exchange ended with me scoring a hit across its chest.

  The Wendigo screamed in pain and gathered itself up then rushed in at me rage and anger radiating from its every being. I smiled as it charged. I had just gotten it into position and I ducked aside at the last second taking a hard hit to my side but plunging both my blades into its back taking it in the kidney and the heart from the rear. Both my weapons tips bursting through the front of its chest but that’s not it. I wasn’t done yet. I followed up my dual strike and kicked it square it the back launching it face first into the giant blaze.

  The monsters papery skin burst into flame as it rolled around in the fire screaming in agony. It was dead in moments the smell of charred rotten flesh smoking in the night air. The sounds of fighting stopped and I looked around the battlefield. The remaining Wendigo having heard their leader’s death cries shrieked in response and turned fleeing the battlefield. Only a dozen remained. We had killed many of them but the win was not without cost. My gaze fell on the many downed warriors of The People and the Jicarilla.

  TRACK 26 – DAMN IT FEELS GOOD TO BE A GANGSTER
– GETO BOYS

  I looked around and caught the eyes of the survivors. No not survivors, winners, the victors. Now was not the time to be sad and defeated. I would honor the fallen later now was the time to honor the victors. I raised my hands high into the air and screamed out at the night sky. All the rage, anger, fear, happiness, relief, all the emotion I had I poured into my shout. It was a primal scream of triumph and victory. The rest began to echo me and soon we were all shouting screams of elation into the night. Finally the shouts tapered off emotions spent.

  “You have won.” I spoke into the sudden silence.

  “No Law. We have won.” Chief Running Hawk said walking up to me and holding out his hand.

  We clasped forearms and the cheering started anew. After it died down he took over the business of handling the downed fighters. Overall we had done very well. Only five fighters were down between both tribes. Three of the Jicarilla and two of The People, both tribes took it well as it seemed they all had expected to die. They also had gotten used to their friends and family dying so they had become more mechanical about it. They still respected and mourned the dead but they took it as part of life now and didn’t wallow in self pity or depression.

  If anything it was a bit harder for me to take even though I didn’t know any of the deceased, luckily the Chiefs family had all been fine, but still I resolved to not take their deaths lightly. I had been right in my gamble and the Chief, his family, and Shadow Bear were better fighters than the others. When they had joined the battles most of the Wendigo were dealt with handily. The pikes and fire had done wonders and had given us an advantage over the attackers. The five deaths were more due to lucky strikes, a severed artery here or limb loss there.

  Freak had come back and joined me in the center by the fire. I had took a decent amount of damage and needed to sit down. My periphery was flashing and I accessed the screen as I stroked Freaks coat. He had taken damage as well but nothing serious. The first screen appeared.

  ABILITY LEARNED

  STRATEGIST (LEVEL – 1)

  By using knowledge of tactics you are able to plan actions that will add to your ability to defend and attack. The ability will change and increase with level and usage.

  I waved the window away for the next.

  ABILITY LEARNED

  LEADER (LEVEL – 1)

  You are trusted by the warriors under your command. Your natural abilities, coupled with the skills of war and tactics causes those around you to naturally defer to you in times of battle. The ability will change and increase with level and usage.

  That was pretty awesome. I pulled up the next window.

  CRAFTING LEARNED

  BUILDER (LEVEL – 1)

  You have shown the ability to build things with your hands. By using knowledge learned over time you can now create basic structures for either war or peace. By using your Total Recall skill you may access more structures, items, weapons, and armor to build and create. The more things you create the faster your skill will increase and more complex things will become available for you to create. Your crafting ability will change and increase with level and usage.

  No way! I had crafting abilities. This was going to come in handy. I was hoping I’d be able to do something like this. The fact that we were able to get that ramshackle palisade together so fast was a sign. This was exciting. I could draw on all my memories and use them to build anything I could remember. Plans of forges and defensive structures, not to mention armor and weapons danced through my mind. I shook my head checked my ambitions and moved on to the next window.

  SKILL UPGRADED

  SMOOTH TALKER (LEVEL – 2)

  Using your innate ability and charisma you can weave a tale with such an emotional connection that the listener will believe your story with the conviction of truth. The second level extends this ability to those you have just met and to certain animals. Skill will update with increase in level and usage.

  It must have been when I talked the two tribes into uniting against the Wendigo. Hell yeah, that ability would be damned useful if my plans to unite the tribes into a fighting force were to come to fruition. I pulled up the next message

  EXPERIENCE ASSESSED… 300 EXPERIENCE GAINED… 100 EXPERIENCE GAINED FOR PET… WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEVEL UP PET… Y/N?

  I selected the yes option and my character sheet popped up.

  NAME – Lawrence ‘Law’ Wrath

  RACE – Half Human

  ALIGNMENT – Neutral Good

  CLASS – Jack of all Trades

  EXPERIENCE – 475/500

  LEVEL – 2

  HIT POINTS – 13/20

  MAGIC POINTS – 8/20

  FEATURES

  HEIGHT – 6’5”, WEIGHT – 275 lbs, HAIR COLOR – Black, EYE COLOR – Amber, SKIN COLOR – Bronze

  ATTRIBUTES

  STRENGTH – 3

  DEXTERITY – 3

  CONSTITUTION – 3

  INTELLIGENCE – 3

  WISDOM – 3

  CHARISMA – 3

  ANIMAL COMPANIONS

  Familiar - Westley ‘Freak’ Wrath – Level 1 – EXP – 180/100

  Mount – Winston ‘Triumph’ Wrath – Level 1 – EXP – 80/100

  Westley ‘Freak’ Wrath was flashing then when I hit yes the screen disappeared and a new screen appeared.

  NAME – Westley ‘Freak’ Wrath – Familiar

  PET CLASS – Battle Tiger – Purple – Legendary

  LEVEL – 2

  EXPERIENCE – 180/500

  HIT POINTS – 20/20

  WEAPONS – Claws x 4, Bite x 1

  ARMOR – Natural Hide

  There is one main animal companion to Jack-of-all-Trades. The class only allows up to three animal companions and the Familiar is the first of the three. By receiving a portion of his master’s experience the Familiar will level up and gain skills of its own alongside its master.

  New blinking words appeared as the window went opaque.

  SKILL CHOICE: 2 POINTS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION.

  FURRY ARMORED HIDE (Level – 1) – 1 Point needed for upgrade

  The skin of the familiar gains natural toughness allowing it to shrug most normal blows off as if wearing a suit of leather armor.

  FURIOUS ROAR (Level – 1) – 1 Point needed for upgrade

  The familiar roars so loudly that it stuns its target with fear for a period of ten seconds in a radius of twenty five feet in front of it

  I put a point in each skill deciding that my pet would follow the same balanced growth across the board. I watched as Freak literally grew a foot in size. He put on muscle everywhere and just looked more massive. His cuts and matted fur healed and his coat became a pristine grey and white again. Some of the surrounding warriors gasped and began whispering among themselves. I really needed to start being more careful about that. I dismissed the window and stood up.

  The fire had died down enough that I could see my two weapons sticking up out of the charred husk of the Wendigo Scion. I went over reached out and grabbed my blades from the fire. I flared my fire skill on my hands as I reached in and grabbed my two handles. As I thought the fire didn’t burn me when I used my skill that was good to know. The weapons came free from the monster with two wet squelches. I pulled back as the flames flared from the freed blood and stepped away letting the fire on my hands die as I examined my weapons.

  TRACK 27 – THINKING OUT LOUD – ED SHEERAN

  I grinned both the weapons were fine. I was banking on their legendary status and hoped the fire wouldn’t hurt them. The durability hadn’t changed and I rubbed them off on my pants. The handles and blades were fine and I sheathed them at my sides. My HP and MP were recovering and my energy was coming back. Everyone had come up and we started to discuss things now that the wounded and dead were taken care of and the Wendigo bodies were dealt with.

  Chief Running Hawk explained the bodies of those slain by Wendigo had to be burned just in case they weren’t quite dead. They would come back it had happene
d before. Moon Flower came up and we shared a smile as I saw that she was ok, just a few scrapes and bruises. She looked amazing as usual even with her hair messed and dirt marring her perfect smile. Her two sisters were ok as well each just as pretty as their sister and only sporting minor damage. The brothers were fine and were grinning ear to ear as they came each boasting about how many Wendigo they had killed. I could have sworn I heard them shouting ‘Here comes Thunder! You want some lighting!’ during the battle but it may have been my imagination.

  Shadow Bear came up with his people and was grinning widely happy to have survived. They had acquitted themselves well during the fight and accounted for many of the slain Wendigo. His smiled faltered when he and Night Star locked eyes and again when he looked at Chief Running Hawk. He stood up and approached the Jicarilla leader.

  “Shadow Bear I have come to pronounce judgment upon you and your raiders.” The Chief stated solemnly. The boys all straightened up and faced the Chief. “Not only did you attack The People and do us harm you abducted my daughter. Normally we would kill you all and leave your dead bodies for the crows to feast upon.”

  Chief Running Hawk paused to let his words sink in. If anything the Jicarilla bowed their heads even further. He nodded at their reaction.

  “Yet there has been no blood shed except as fighters against a common foe. You stood with us against the Wendigo and that shows you are not without honor. Therefore I decree that you return to your tribe and tell them what has happened here. You will then return and offer yourselves in service to me and my tribe to make up for your lack of honor and transgressions. This is what you will tell your leaders and this is what will prevent war. Show me that the Jicarilla tribe has honor.” Chief Running Hawk finished.