Deserts Of Naroosh

by Bradford Bates

  “Thank you,” Tim called to the old warrior as he walked away, then faced ShadowLily. “We have a private tent and a jug of wine. You know what I’m thinking?”

  “That we need to find someone who can move two bathtubs into the tent so we can spend the rest of the night reading and drinking this fantastic jug of wine by candlelight?” ShadowLily winked at him.

  Tim laughed. “I was going to say get fucked up and do things to each other, but I’m not knocking the bath idea.”

  “Maybe we can save the bath for after we accomplish the task you’ve set out for us.” She took his hand and led him down the path to their tent.

  The morning came and with it the heat.

  It was one thing for it to be ninety degrees in the middle of the day, and another thing entirely to wake up and already have the heat as a constant partner. If it was this hot now, it would only get hotter. Tim needed to get a hat to keep the sun off his face, or maybe a turban.

  Turbans were practical, and if Harrison Ford could pull it off, so could he.

  There was at least one nice thing about the morning heat. It robbed him of his normal inclination to crawl back under the covers and sleep in. When it was cold out, Tim never wanted to get out of bed. All he wanted to do was stay curled up in the warmth forever.

  He prayed for the day he could afford heated tiles, or maybe plumbing that didn’t shoot out icicles for the first three minutes of the morning.

  And what Tim wouldn’t give for a little air conditioning.

  His battle right now was one of deciding if his robe was too hot to wear for their meeting with Khalid. If he chose not to, what in the fuck was he going to wear? ShadowLily appeared as if out of nowhere and tossed a pile of clothes on their bed.

  It didn’t matter where they were or what they were doing. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her. That was how he knew this was the real deal and not a silly infatuation. When that feeling he had every time he saw her never went away it had to mean something. It didn’t matter to him if she was all dressed up for a fancy night out on the town or her armor for kicking ass. ShadowLily was always the most beautiful woman in the world to him.

  Plus she always brought him presents.

  “I picked these up from their supply shed.” She frowned at Tim’s expression. “With Neema’s permission, of course. I’m an assassin, not a thief.”

  Tim let out a nervous laugh. “Good. For a second there, I was picturing Khalid’s face when I walked into our meeting wearing stolen clothes.”

  “Maybe I can stop Neema from telling him first because I’d pay to see that.” ShadowLily pointed at the clothes. “Put those on and get to the big tent for our meeting.”

  She turned and walked out of their tent. “If you hurry, there might even be coffee left.”

  Left, as in it might almost be gone.

  Tim exited the tent a step behind her with his new clothes in place. He was a lot of things, but a guy who didn’t get coffee wasn’t one of them. “So what do you think of our hosts?”

  “Good people with a hell of a fight on their hands.” ShadowLily paused and scanned the oasis. “I don’t see how we couldn’t help them.”

  Tim thought the same thing. “And last night?”

  “My dad always told me if you're good at something, never do it for free.” ShadowLily looked pleased as she recalled the memory. “It sounds harsh, but he didn’t mean it in a don’t help your friends, family, and neighbors kind of way. What he was really saying is know your value and don’t let people take advantage of you.”

  “Solid advice as long as you can honestly assess your value.” Tim laughed, thinking about several people back in the real world who couldn’t even get close to doing an honest self-assessment about whether they owned too many clothes, let alone an actual personality defect. “Most people tend to have an overinflated sense of worth.”

  ShadowLily laughed. “The wise man knows that he knows nothing at all.”

  As they walked toward the larger tent, Tim thought about the context of that quote. It wasn’t that Socrates was saying that he didn’t know anything. He was acknowledging that he didn’t know everything. When he wanted advice on the law, he went to a lawyer. If he needed to know how to build a boat, he saw a shipbuilder. In short, he was saying don’t go to a politician and ask them how to build a ship.

  You’d get a shitty boat.

  It was the kind of thing people could do more of today. Everyone thought they were an expert on everything because they could Google it and watch a video on it. There was a huge difference between seeing someone do something and doing it yourself. If there wasn't, Tim was pretty sure he’d be a guitar-playing god. Instead, he was a video game junkie with a business degree.

  When they made it inside the command tent, the smell of food hit him right away. Tim looked over the spread and had no idea what anything was, but it all smelled fantastic. At least there wasn’t a giant snake that when cut open had baby snakes inside or monkey brains. Everything here looked slightly familiar, just not what he would normally eat for breakfast.

  Tim gave the others a half-hearted wave as he moved away from the food and beelined for the coffee. If his favorite morning refreshment was in limited supply, he would make sure he got his fill before any of these other hooligans could snatch any of his delicious liquid away from him. Coffee was his thing. They would have to find their own way to caffeinate.

  “My preccioussss.” He rubbed the top of the coffee pot.

  JaKobi waved him over. “Get over here, Gollum. We have things to discuss.”

  Cassie speared a sausage on her fork. “Khalid was telling us he has a plan.”

  ShadowLily grinned at the old warrior like the Cheshire cat. “And some gold.”

  “When the thanks of a people just aren’t enough,” Neema mumbled.

  The assassin turned on her so fast that Tim saw Khalid reach for the grip of his sword. “Can’t support myself on your well-wishes, and it’s never polite to ask people to work for free.”

  Khalid tossed a fat pouch of coins on the table. “Gold we have, it’s capability and finesse that we lack.”

  ShadowLily picked up the hefty sack and tossed it back to the warrior. “Then let's talk shop.”

  While moving toward a map hanging against one wall, Khalid pulled a knife from his belt and pointed at a spot. “I have two more targets for you to handle.”

  He tapped another point on the map. “Killing Jabari’s remaining generals should be enough to throw the rest of his men into disarray. If you accomplish these two quests, we can move to Phase Two of the plan.”

  “What’s Phase Two?” JaKobi asked as he tossed a small ball of flames between his hands.

  Khalid slipped the dagger back into his belt and turned his full attention to the fire mage. “It’s something we talk about after Phase One is complete.” He noted the young man's frown and continued, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but we have to be careful even here.”

  “Operational security. Got it.” JaKobi extinguished the flames and offered his hand to the warrior. “No offense given, and none received.”

  “Well said.” Khalid shook his hand and pulled JaKobi into a hug, clapping him warmly on the back. After he released the fire mage, he turned to face ShadowLily. “Now we bargain.”

  She tossed him the empty jug of wine from the night before. “I’m sure whatever you offer will be sufficient.” The assassin smiled in a way that said she’d be as happy slitting your throat as carrying out the job. “Providing that bag of gold was as big as I think it was.”

  “I will leave that for you to decide.” Khalid placed the empty jug on the table and sent the quest information.

  Tim always loved getting quest updates.

  Quest Received: Slaying the Zerker

  Helix the Mad was tossed into the fighting pits to die. What emerged a week later wasn’t a man anymore. Jabari had enough men, but he needed a monster, and now he had one. Slay the Zerker, and save the people f
rom his ruthless insanity.

  Reward: Ten gold coins

  The reward wasn’t the greatest, but it was double what they were getting before coming to the desert, and the bosses would have loot. Sometimes the chance for a new piece of armor or a weapon made all the difference when deciding to accept a quest or not. That and the extra experience questing provided. Questing was always the fastest way to gain levels.

  Tim was pretty sure between the experience, potential loot, and gold Khalid offered, ShadowLily would be satisfied.

  Quest Received: Dancing with the Daughters

  Did you really think you’d get to dance? Seriously?

  The dancing daughters were named because their blades weave a tapestry of death so succinctly it almost represents a dance. A dance of death. May you find success where so many others have failed.

  Reward: Ten gold coins

  “I’d start with the Zerker, but you know your business.” Khalid pulled a fresh jug of wine from a cabinet under the map.

  Tim glanced at ShadowLily to make sure the compensation was fair enough, and she gave him a slight nod. They’d never tried to haggle on the price of a quest before, and they hadn’t here either. It was interesting to know that they could. It seemed like a small difference from other games, but it made the situation much more realistic. It was almost like a choose your own adventure story. Would the player choose to squeeze the resistance for every last coin, or would they help for a smaller fee to see them succeed?

  This was a whole new world, and he had to remember while this was a game, it wasn’t like any other he’d ever played before. Tim had to throw all the old rules out the window. Bargaining for increased quest rewards when necessary, maybe even turning them down in certain situations could become beneficial. He would have to spend more time minding his actions outside of combat if he wanted to take things to the next level.

  He accepted the quests. “If you think starting with the Zerker is the way to go, then that’s what we’ll do. This is your land. While in it, I humbly defer to your judgment.”

  Khalid handed Tim a glass of wine. “Then spend the morning relaxing. We leave this afternoon.”

  Neema whispered something in Khalid's ear, and he swore. He shoved the jug of wine into the woman’s chest and stomped out of the tent.

  “We have a small internal issue to handle, but when you’re ready to leave, I will be waiting for you at the stables.” Neema sipped from her glass of wine. “I’ll escort you out to our staging area in the desert. It’s not as nice as this, but it will give us a safe place to rest between encounters.”

  Neema polished off her glass of wine and exited the tent in the same direction Khalid left.

  “Never a dull moment.” Cassie clinked her glass against JaKobi’s.

  The fire mage lifted his drink in cheers and polished it off like it was a shot. “So what’s the plan, boss?”

  Tim didn’t have to think about it for long. They would all be busy going forward so they needed to take the time off where they could. He looked at the in-game clock and decided they could all use some time to themselves. If they met at the stables by three that would give them most of the day to get to the staging area Neema mentioned.

  “Everyone has the day off until three. Be at the stables right on time. No excuses, no bullshit.” Tim looked around the room. “And try not to get into any trouble before then.”

  ShadowLily stood and started to leave. “I’m going back to bed.”

  “I was going to see if they had a forge, but bed sounds better.” Tim took ShadowLily’s hand, and they walked out of the tent together.

  A moment later, he ran back into the tent and stuck his head inside the flap. “That’s three! Don’t be late.”

  “Fuck off, Dad.” Lorelei winked and followed him out of the tent. “If you guys need me, I’ll be at the armory or the range.”

  Tim thought about reminding her of the time to meet, but no one liked “that” guy. At some point, you had to trust people to do what they were supposed to, then respond to the outcome. Lorelei wasn’t a flake. She’d be there at three, no questions asked. On the other side of things, he’d better send someone to find JaKobi a half-hour before the deadline just to make sure.

  The fire mage was great with research but shit with time management.

  ShadowLily tugged at his hand and pulled Tim toward their tent. “Stop that big brain of yours from working right now, or you’ll never fall back asleep.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Tim was surprised to find out the stables were an actual set of buildings and not merely horses tied up under a hemp cloth for cover. It was funny to think that the animals had better lodging than the humans, but the tent had been oddly comfortable. It was almost like a cabin with soft walls. He wondered if it could be called a tent once so much stuff filled it.

  Comfortable, soft, cozy stuff.

  It seemed that even way out in the hidden oasis, there was a little luxury available. Their tent had been amazing, the food delicious, and the people welcoming. After a rough start to their life in the desert, Tim had started to feel at home here. Well, as much at home as he felt anywhere that wasn’t his old room at his parents' house.

  Neema waved them over as they approached. “Lorelei is in the stables right now picking out the best mounts for you.”

  ShadowLily reached out and pulled Neema into a quick hug, shocking the warrior. “She has a way with animals.”

  “People too,” Tim chimed in before he could stop himself.

  The assassin laughed, easing some of the awkwardness out of his comment. “As you can see, some of our party has more charm than the others.”

  Lorelei walked out of the stable and tied a horse to the rail before disappearing back inside to get another one.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I kind of like what I’ve seen so far.” Neema pulled her gaze away from the stable doorway with some effort. “We have a long ride ahead of us. Are you up to it?”

  Tim went over to say hello to the first horse Lorelei selected. “I’d rather be able to fly there, but seeing as we don’t have any flying carpets…” Tim watched her hopefully, but it didn’t look like she was going to make his dreams come true. “Well then, these incredibly beautiful and strong-looking horses will be just fine.”

  The horse he stood next to pawed the ground with one front hoof in agreement.

  “So is there anything you can tell us about this Zerker?” ShadowLily deftly changed the subject as Lorelei tied the next horse to the rail.

  Neema took a moment to consider their question in earnest before responding. “He’s dangerous and quick, with no self-regard for his welfare. Sadly, all of what I’m telling you is based on reputation alone. I’ve never seen the man fight.”

  “What are the fighting pits?” JaKobi asked as he and Cassie made an appearance.

  The look on Neema’s face said she didn’t like the question but would answer it anyway. “The pits are fights held for the wealthy’s enjoyment. When a slave or someone arrested by Jabari’s thugs is deemed dangerous, they throw them into the pits. There is no food and no way out. Only one rule exists. Survive.”

  “And the Zerker survived?” Cassie asked in a hushed whisper.

  Tim couldn’t imagine being tossed into a pit full of cannibals to fend for himself. The strength of will it would have taken not only to fight them off but to take a bite of the forbidden meat himself was incredible. Of course, killing and eating people had probably twisted the Zerker into an insane freak. He wanted to feel sorry for what happened to the man, but all he could do was think of him as a problem that needed to be solved.

  “He not only survived, but he thrived. Helix the Mad lasted for three years in the Pits of Naroosh. Ten times as long as any other fighter.” Neema shook her head in disgust. “I heard Jabari lost thirty men just getting the bastard in a cage.”

  “That’s horrific.” JaKobi said the words with awe.

  Neema nodded, not catching his tone. “
No one knows what happened to Helix until he reemerged as Zerker. With such a ferocious monster working for Jabari, the people were too scared to challenge him.”

  “I’m not even going to ask about the Daughters then.” Tim looked at the rest of the group, hoping they felt the same.

  Neema jumped into her horse’s saddle. “It’s best that you don’t. Their story is even worse.”

  “Worse than a cannibalistic pit of despair? I’ve gotta hear this shit.” JaKobi was grinning. “Come on, tell me we can hear it.” He looked at Tim with pleading eyes.

  Tim tried not to laugh as he waved for JaKobi to calm down. “Let’s deal with the Zerker first. Then you can ask Neema if she wants to fill us in on the details.”

  “Neema, don’t let me down.” JaKobi turned his goofy and enigmatic smile on the warrior. “I’m counting on you.”

  The Desert Wolf nodded her head in acquiescence. “If you take care of the Zerker, I will gladly tell you all I know about the Daughters.”

  “Fuck yeah!” JaKobi exclaimed as he jumped into his saddle.

  ShadowLily tried not to look exasperated as she slid onto her horse as effortlessly as she would sit in a chair. “Let’s get going. The desert calls to me.”

  “That’s rather poetic of you, babe.” Tim climbed into his saddle with a small struggle. “I almost feel like we should sing Rawhide.”

  Cassie found her mount. “Wrong people of the desert, dumbass.”

  “I know, but it’s not like I know any Egyptian songs,” Tim pleaded his case.

  Cassie rode past him. “Then maybe singing should be off the table.”

  “And it’s not like you have the best voice,” JaKobi snarked as he joined his girlfriend at the front of the group.

  Lorelei on the other hand took pity on him. “Move ’em on, head ’em up, Rawhideeeeeee!”

  “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Tim grinned from ear to ear. “I’m on a mission from the goddess.”