Heart of the Void: Sosaku Online - Book 2

by J. Arthur Klein

  The guard grimaced slightly and responded, “All weapons were confiscated by the temple guard. You will need to obtain them from the quartermaster in the central camp.”

  A small marker appeared on my map indicating the quartermaster, which was back in the “haves” section of Camp Inequality. Joy, I thought, and beckoned Kjara to follow me away from the cage.

  …

  3

  As we left the makeshift prison, I glanced over to Kjara. “How long ago did you respawn? And what happened?”

  She pulled me over to the side and scanned the area to make sure no one else was around as she conveyed her displeasure in a tightly controlled, yet obviously furious voice. “First, I get crushed by a tsunami. Then I respawn up to my knees in the mud. And if that wasn’t bad enough, as soon as I finished going through all of my notifications, I get waylaid by a bunch of thugs and thrown in jail on ‘suspicion of collaboration with the enemy.’ ”

  She clenched her fists as she continued, “And as much as I appreciate you getting me out of there, I really, really, really want to shank some Saa right now.”

  I winced and pulled aside my chest piece, bearing some flesh. “Be gentle, and please, avoid the nipple.”

  She snorted and punched me in the arm. “Damn it, Kheph, just let a girl get her angry on, okay?”

  With a warm smile, I replied, “I’m sure we’ll have more than enough time to shank some fools later on, but for now we need to play this a bit more… diplomatically. The nobles and priests have set up their own little miniature camp in the center of this place and are hoarding everything for themselves. So if we want to get your stuff back without both of us ending up back in the cage, we’ll have to take a rain check on the shanking, okay?”

  She sighed. “Fine. But if I ever see the bastards who jumped me again… I can’t make any promises.”

  “That is perfectly reasonable. Let’s go get your stuff back,” I said and led the way. “Ready to play ‘Deal with the Grand Order of Divine Douches’?”

  Her only response as we headed out was a series of curses that would make a sailor blush.

  The guards at the inner wall let us through without issue, although their expressions said plainly that they didn’t want to admit my moon elven companion to the elite camp.

  I followed the marker on my map to a large, silken tent set slightly apart from the lavish pavilions of the different noble houses. A richly dressed Saa clerk stood behind a large counter at the front of the tent, scribbling away in a ledger.

  He looked up as we entered and bowed low over the counter as he recognized the double stripes on my stole denoting my rank as Adept.

  “How may I help you, my lord,” he said in an obsequious voice.

  I gestured towards my companion and answered, “My friend was mistakenly detained and her weapons confiscated when she arrived in camp. We have come to remedy that mistake. Return them at once.”

  The clerk glanced at Kjara and his expression shifted into a frown as he spoke. “I see,” he said before turning back to me as if to argue the point, but his objections melted quickly under the intensity of my glare.

  *** Presence check successful. ***

  “Hmm… yes. What is your prisoner identification number, hm… miss?” he asked.

  Kjara glared at the man and answered through gritted teeth, “Four, oh, four.”

  The clerk opened his ledger and tapped a quill against his teeth as he read. A brief look of worry crossed his features as he read the entry associated with her number.

  “Hm… It seems that your blades have already been distributed to Lord He’ka for use by his personal guard. Please wait here while I retrieve your bow and dagger from the armory,” he said and then quickly dashed off into the tent before we had a chance to respond.

  “What!” Kjara exclaimed.

  Seeing she was visibly upset I caught her attention and sent her a private message.

  >>>Me: Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out. Going to take advantage of this bullshit social structure as much as I can before we skip this joint.

  >>>Kjara: Fine.

  Several of the guards posted nearby had turned their attention on us and started to approach at her outburst. I waved them off and they saluted and returned to their post. I raised an eyebrow at Kjara and gestured to the guards all around, but she didn’t seem to care.

  The clerk returned a few seconds later and handed the elf her bow and bundle of arrows. She yanked the bow out of his hands and then replaced the arrows in her magical quiver as I addressed the clerk. “Why was her property given to someone else? She was pending trial; her goods should not have been seized.”

  The clerk bowed low once again. “I am sorry, Adept. I could not refuse the request of one of the noble houses. In any case, those weapons are of much more use in the hands of a Saa than some primitive elf.”

  I could sense Kjara tensing next to me but remained calm, leaning forward to glare at the clerk. “This elf stood bravely on the walls of Sehkem against the invaders,” I said in a cold voice. “Can the same be said of whomever you gave her blades to? Her skills were responsible for the death of hundreds of those foul creatures from the sea. Where was Lord He’ka during the siege?”

  *** Presence check successful! ***

  The man sputtered an apology, “I am so sorry, my lord. I am but a humble servant. I must do what I am told.”

  I narrowed my eyes and said, “Good. Now, where is this Lord He’ka?”

  The man seemed to be get a little more panicked and responded too softly for me to hear.

  “What was that?” I said. “Speak up.”

  “He… and his guard are gone… they took a portal back to his estates east of Sehkem to try and retake his land from the invaders,” the man said.

  “They are gone!” Kjara growled, and the clerk cowered once again.

  “The invaders are still in the city then?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Sehkem was almost completely destroyed. The giant wave crashed through the city and destroyed almost everything except the temple. After the waters settled, those creatures returned and slaughtered anyone they could find. The people in this camp were only able to escape because they fled when the alarm sounded, and the evacuation was ordered.”

  “Damn!” I said, and the little man’s eyes widened. “We need to get going… like yesterday. If the Kchil are still in the city, then the clock is ticking.”

  Kjara’s expression wavered between anger and curiosity as she glanced between me and the clerk.

  >>>Me: Another quest in the city, will tell you more after we are done here….

  >>>Kjara: Ooh.

  I turned my gaze back to the clerk. “Go back there and bring me replacements for my companion’s weapons. And if they are not at least as good as what was taken from her, I will be displeased. And nothing that was confiscated from other prisoners!”

  The clerk nodded and ducked into the back. His muttering and cursing as he sorted through the items gave me a little satisfaction as he went about his work.

  Kjara turned to me. “So, what’s the quest?” she whispered, an expression of curiosity replacing that of anger.

  I glanced around and shook my head slightly, motioning to the nearby guards and sent her another message.

  >>>Me: Don’t wanna talk about it here…, but there’s a dungeon involved ��

  >>>Kjara: You tease!

  >>>Me: We’re probably going to need to find ourselves a rogue for this one. It’s an ancient Egyptian tomb so there are bound to be a bazillion traps and the like.

  >>>Kjara: That might make things a bit harder. There were only a few non-human PCs that were in the clink with me and they all logged out or respawned.

  >>>Me: Respawned?

  >>>Kjara: Yeah, if you get locked up you can file a complaint and if the system shows you didn’t actually commit a crime, it’ll spawn you somewhere else and replace your gear.

  >>Me: Why didn’t you do that?

&nb
sp; >>Kjara: I figured we would probably spawn in the same place since we were in a party, and I didn’t want to risk getting split up. If you spawned somewhere else then I’d have been long gone.

  The clerk returned with a bundle wrapped in front of him and a very nervous expression on his face as he placed it on the counter and turned to me. “My lord… the only blades I have that would satisfy your demands are these… but… well, see for yourself,” he said in a shaky voice as he unwrapped the weapons.

  The blades were beautifully crafted bronze khopeshes with handles of carved ivory and gold. Even the sheaths were made of some sort of exotic albino lizard. And if that wasn’t enough, my lore skill kicked in and filled my mind with a much better understanding of why the clerk was so nervous.

  *** Lore (Saa Religion) check successful. ***

  *** Temple Blade—Blessed by the gods, this Khopesh is issued by those sworn to the service of the Temples of the Saa pantheon. The strength of a Temple Blade is a reflection of its wielder’s faith. ***

  “I see…” I said and sent a quick PM to Kjara while I pretended to examine the blades further.

  >>>Me: Want to join my cult?

  >>>Kjara: What?

  >>>Me: These swords are good, but they're reserved for guardians of the temples, like… priest’s bodyguards and the like. You can be my bodyguard, and I can be your long lost, pa-al.

  >>>Kjara: Hah. Sure, I’m already guarding your ass, Al.

  Giving the clerk a wide grin, I continued “… good thing that Kjara here is my bodyguard, and thus these blades are perfect. Isn’t that right, Ahn’ep Kjara?” using the title that had popped into my brain just seconds earlier.

  I looked towards the moon elf and froze. Her eyes were unfocused and her entire body was completely still. A second later she started breathing again right before the system informed me of my accidental invocation of an ancient rite.

  *** Anpu has accepted your choice of Kjara as Ahn’ep of the Temple of the Restless Dead ***

  *** Kjara has accepted the bond of Ahn’ep to the Temple of the Restless Dead ***

  My expression must have reflected my surprise which only grew when Kjara answered, “Yes, Adept,” and pulled back her sleeves to reveal a pair of intricate tattoos depicting a stylized jackal with a broken chain in its jaws.

  The clerk made a choking sound and then bowed to Kjara, apologizing profusely and offering her the twin Temple Blades. The instant she touched them a glowing light flowed from her body into the blades, causing them to shine for a second before fading back to their normal bronze sheen. She strapped the new blades to her back and made the adjustments necessary to allow her to draw them quickly. Once situated she smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

  “Is there anything else, my lord?” the clerk asked.

  Turning back to the clerk I replied, “Yes. I would like some food. Enough to feed myself and my companion for a three week venture.”

  The clerk scanned through his ledger and then nodded slowly before heading off into the back, returning a short time later with a small bag full of decent quality travel rations.

  “Good,” I said and motioned to Kjara as I turned to leave.

  “Wait! Please, my lord,” The clerk said from behind me. “I need to log everything. What is your name and temple affiliation?”

  I turned back and said, “Adept Kheph Sa’tep of the Temple of the Restless Dead.”

  I watched for any indication that the name meant anything to him, but he just scribbled it down in his book and sat down behind the counter with a long sigh as we left him to his duties. Not wanting to press our luck, we gathered the supplies and made a quick exit from the central encampment.

  …

  4

  “So, what are the supplies for? Last I checked we were pretty well provisioned,” Kjara said as we headed back to the main camp. “And where are we going?”

  “The food’s not all for us, it’s for the refugees. They have some sort of forced labor going on and the folks in the mud tents are eating some nasty looking gruel,” I said as we walked. “I figure I can give back a little to the digital folks whose tax money likely paid for those swords you’ve got strapped to your back.”

  She shook her head and laughed. “You’re such a softie. Okay, lead the way. Hopefully we can get out of this place so we can talk about the quest!”

  “Soon,” I promised.

  As we approached the spawn point, the sound of fighting could be heard coming from the muddied clearing. Kjara and I shared a look and quickened our pace.

  In the center of the clearing two of the blue sash mercenaries were facing off against a small human man wielding a pair of daggers and scaled leather armor decorated in feathers. A third merc was busy tying up a slight robed figure who lay unconscious in the mud.

  As we entered the clearing, one of the guards scored a lucky hit on the man, stunning him and knocking him to the ground where the other pounced.

  Two of the mercenaries led the newly captured PCs in my direction while the other took up position to waylay any newcomers.

  In the front was a dryad woman clad in long brown robes and covered head to toe in mud. She seemed dazed from being cold cocked by the welcome squad.

  Wanting to know exactly who I was dealing with, I scanned both of the respawned players and used my new Analyze ability, trading a small chunk of my endurance pool for a better glimpse into their stats.

  *** Unknown Dryad Mage, Level 6 ***

  *** HP: 2%, MP: 4%, SP: 1% ***

  *** Conditions: Concussion, Bound, [AFK] ***

  *** Active Spells/Abilities: None ***

  *** Weakness: ???? ***

  *** Highest Statistics: Intelligence, Wisdom ***

  *** Unknown Karillian Warrior (????), Level 10 ***

  *** HP: 60%, SP: 1% ***

  *** Conditions: Bound ***

  *** Active Spells/Abilities: ????, ???? ***

  *** Weakness: ???? ***

  *** Highest Statistics: Agility, Fortune ***

  The three blue sash mercenaries were all level thirteen, but I didn’t bother using Analyze on them as the added info wouldn’t really be useful at this point. When they reached my position, the guards both bowed low and then forced the captives down to their knees.

  The one leading the dryad spoke. “My lord, we have apprehended two more suspected attackers. If you will excuse us, we will bring them to the holding cells.”

  The Karillian spoke up at that, “Listen you stupid bastard, we didn’t attack your damn city. We…”

  The rest of his sentence was lost as the guard cracked him across the jaw and spat, “Silence dog! You are not fit to speak in the presence of a servant of the gods!” He raised his hand again to strike another blow, but I had had enough.

  “Stop!” I said in my most disapproving voice. “Those appearing here have nothing to do with the attack on our cities. Please tell your superiors that those who appear here are no longer to be detained. Escort them out of the camp instead. Understood?”

  The mercenaries seemed uncertain but nodded and then helped the prisoners to their feet.

  Turning to the warrior, I asked, “If we untie you do you promise not to do anything stupid. If you start shanking the NPCs there won’t be anything I can do about it.”

  The warrior grinned and said, “Sure thing man. I don’t have enough time in the pod as it is. Don’t wanna spend any of it in-game jail.”

  I glanced at the dryad who was still doing her best impression of a robot and shrugged before addressing the mercs. “Release these two and return their things.”

  The one leading the dryad responded, “But what about the bounty, milord. Adept Pa’rep promised five gold a head for each foreigner we brought in.”

  “You will have to discuss that with Pa’rep. For now, do as I ask before I need to make it a command,” I said with steel in my voice.

  They bowed once again and removed the bonds from the prisoners and returned their equipment.

  The
Karillian took his weapons back from the guards and started tucking them in all over his person. I think he must have had at least nine daggers sheathed in various places on his short frame. Color me impressed.

  “The quicker I’m out of here the better,” he said, glancing around nervously.

  Glancing at the mercenaries I said, “Please escort these two to the gate. Dismissed.”

  The two men bowed and led the Dryad and Karillian away, leaving only a single guard behind to watch the spawn point.

  Done with the business at hand, Kjara and I moved around the edges of the camp and handed out packets of food to the people camped there. Most had no clue what was going on and just seemed confused, but those few who gave me a genuine smile made all the effort worth it.

  I held on to a few of the rations for Kjara and me as there was no telling how long it would be until we were able to restock if we ran out of food, or ran into more refugees on the road. I still remembered the starvation debuff from my tutorial and wanted none of that.

  Our good deeds done, we made our way to the eastern edge of the camp where teams of workers were busy erecting a defensive barrier. The guards moved to block our way when we reached the gate but one glance at my priestly stole and they backed off, bowling slightly as we passed.

  I led the way east, away from the camp. My minimap showed the area was full of rolling grassy hills, but with the water from the tsunami still hanging around, the valleys between the hills had been transformed into gigantic puddles. There were even a few fish native to the Saa’eth swimming around in one of the pools.

  “Where to?” Kjara asked.

  “Northeast,” I said. “Let’s find someplace dry and far enough away so we talk without any eavesdroppers.”

  Kjara took the lead, her eyes much better able to spot any hidden threats as we made our way along the hilltops. We traveled for several hours, eventually finding a large rocky outcropping that seemed like a great place to make camp.

  The sun was about to set and traveling further in this unknown territory was just asking to be ambushed. It had been one hell of a day and we were both exhausted.