by Prax Venter
Just as Jack was thinking about the old Mage in the blue robes, there he was standing by their table. The Arcane Mage had a sad yet peaceful look on his face.
“I want to thank you again for allowing me to help this Town in any way I can, and I want to wish you both the best of luck in the Tower tomorrow. Also… tell uh-” The old man’s eyes shifted to Ryea, and Jack pieced together that he didn’t want to mention Alt in front of her.
“I will,” Jack said, “but tomorrow, I want you to come with me to the Wall before breakfast. I’m going to assign you as a guard, Thymus. Your turret will be perfect for protecting all these people.” It was then he remembered he had a foot-slot upgrade for the old mage and opened a trade window containing the cloth shoes.
Thymus looked at the window and nodded before hitting decline. The window flashed red, and Jack’s eyebrows came down.
“My current shoes are perfectly serviceable, you feed those to the Town.” The old mage clasped Jack on the shoulder and gave him a serene smile. “I will meet you tomorrow and do what I can to safeguard our home.”
“…Okay. Meet me back here at Three to Close. It’s going to be a busy morning.”
Thymus left the Inn, and Jack and Lex shared a look. Turning down an upgrade was unheard of, and he was now certain that leaving the old mage out of the climb up the Tower was the right move.
The two Heroes waved to everyone before heading up the stairs. Jack’s boots stepped up the dark stairway that led to the second floor, but he was on autopilot again, and his mind raced with plans for tomorrow. Should he wake up even earlier and hit the wharf first? It would make more sense to reassign some of the less proficient fishermen over to guards before-
Lex laced her fingers through his and pulled him into his room, shattering his train of thought.
Without a pause, the shorter blonde woman with pointed ears wrapped her arms around Jack and pulled him close. She squeezed harder than normal and then let out a content sigh as he grazed his hands down her back.
“You were amazing today, Jack. I am so proud of you.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Just doing my best to protect the ones I care about the most.”
She lifted her face to look into his eyes and kissed him deeply but briefly, then she pulled away.
“And I don’t want to keep you up. You’ve got early work before the daily climb. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
He didn’t want to let her go, and because she really didn’t want to go, she stayed for longer than she intended, locked in Jack’s arms. They stood in his rented Heroes’ room at the Eye o’ the Storm, quiet and still, trying to extend the quiet moments they had.
Eventually, Lex disengaged herself and left Jack alone to try and get some sleep.
He sighed at the closed door and began to get ready for bed by removing his boots and shirt. As he lay down, his thoughts turned back to the next day and how he would deal with people complaining that they did or did not want the job they had, but something was bothering him he couldn’t put his finger on. He felt… wrong, like something was missing. He looked over to the wooden door to his room and thought of the beautiful blonde woman probably removing her armor too…
“Okay,” Alt said in his mind. “I was going to wait until you figured it out, but I want to jump in right there and tell you that it’s not Lex that’s missing.”
Jack sat up, his brows coming down ready to demand Alt get out of his head when he realized the motion was easier than it should have been. His eyes shot down to his waist to find his permanent leather belt and scabbard were gone.
Jack jumped out of bed, his hands searching his waist and thighs. It was just gone.
“This is the last feature unlocked from my latest complexity upgrade. I was going to have it vanish before Lex left, but I figured if it was a surprise to both of you… I might be, um, inserting my presence into the mood, despite the fact that I’d actually be removing myself… Psychology can be tricky like that and mental states-”
“Alt,” Jack said, stopping his rambling. “You did good. Thank you. So, what if I need my sword?”
The flash of anxiety lasted for a microsecond before the belt reappeared.
“Its physical existence is completely under your control. It’s not really gone, per se, only altered a bit.”
Jack phased the belt and sword in and out of existence a few times before settling back into bed.
With a deep sigh, he closed his eyes and tried to get comfortable without his permanent belt and long sheath of leather resting against his thigh.
“Thanks again, buddy. This really means a lot to me.”
“I’m here for you, Jack.”
The muffled noises from the Inn’s common room faded, and yet Jack found himself staring up into the dark wooden rafters above his bed. He tried lying on one side, then the other and only became more frustrated when sleep did not come. He flipped his pillow, straightened the sheets and settled in again to try and lose consciousness.
He felt better and thought it was from achieving the perfect bed arrangement, but his eyes shot open when he realized he’d unconsciously flipped the mental switch to bring back his belt and sword.
With a content sigh, he patted the ornate leather scabbard by his side and promptly fell asleep.
- 8 -
Alt woke Jack up early the next morning, and despite the reduced duration of unconsciousness, he was excited to face the challenges of the day. He reequipped his Tower climbing gear, passed through the empty common room, and stepped outside into the cool, yet sunny morning.
He pulled in a lungful of brisk sea air and slowly let it out. The long walk down to the wharf was one of the first things Jack remembered from his early days in Blackmoor Cove. Then, the houses were dilapidated and covered in moss, now they were repaired and growing in number. The dirt path through the waving green grasses beyond the Townsfolk houses had become broader and well-worn overnight, and the clean, wooden stairs that fit snugly into the cliffside made the tranquil trip quite pleasant. Walking under the shadow of the Tower even felt comforting now. As Jack moved across the sandy cove, he wondered what would happen to his sanity if he suddenly woke up back in the real world and never saw Blackmoor or its people again. A shudder ran through him, and he quickened his strides. There was a lot he wanted to get done today.
Garl met him out in front of the Wharf, and once Jack explained his plan, the old seadog shoved two of his thick fingers in his mouth before sending a deafening whistle out across the waves, signaling everyone to come back to shore. Jack inspected each one as they arrived. There were only seven in total, and all but two of them were over 75% proficient at fishing. Most were right where they belonged.
The other two were a man and a woman he’d seen before, usually at Exit time for dinner. He told them the plan, and both were eager to be reassigned anywhere but fishing. If being a guard didn’t work out, Jack would try and find the best fit for both. He didn’t need to worry, however, as both were around 90% aptitude on the guard scale. Kron was going to be thrilled, and Jack was glad he made this stop first. Including Thymus, he was going to be bringing three powerful defenders up to the Wall with him this morning.
The two Townsfolk he’d liberated from the drudgery of fishing chattered the whole way back up to the Inn, and Jack pieced together that Kev and Irun were a couple. Kev couldn’t wait to get a sword in his hand, and Irun was hoping to master the bow.
Thymus was waiting for Jack outside the Inn, and the Arcane Mage gave him a nod as he joined the group headed to the Wall.
All four of them were excited to start their new day, and it wasn’t long before the heavily armored beast of a man came stomping up to meet Jack near the arch that served as the entrance to Blackmoor Cove.
“Jack, it’s good to see you,” Kron said with a slanted grin on his chiseled jaw. “And to see you bringing me more bodies for the Wall. We’ve had attacks every other day at different spots as if they’re testing for a weak poin
t.” The big man always hid his weariness well, but it seemed like he was more haggard than usual- more ashen.
Jack turned to look at the stone block fortification behind the stalwart defender. After the last upgrade, more parts of its crumbling length stood tall, but there were still many broken gaps left open. His eyes fell to Lex’s father as he came stumbling up from his snoozing spot by a rain barrel.
“Him?” Harrak said. “He can’t cut it in the Tower so you think you can just dump the coward here?”
Jack took three long strides forward and forcefully shoved Harrak’s arm down. With renewed rage building inside him, he shoved his own finger right in the retired Hero’s face.
“You. I’m tired of your bullshit. Thymus is trying to fight for this Town. He’s throwing himself into whatever he can do to make a difference. What the hell do you do all day?”
Lex’s father ground his teeth and turned purple. “Boy, you’ll pay for that…”
Jack crossed his arms and waited. After a few seconds of the old man breathing heavy and rolling up his sleeves, Jack rose a single eyebrow.
“Any day now, old man, some people have actual work to do.”
“Jack…” Kron said, stepping up to the pair. There were supposedly serious consequences for attacking a Townsfolk in Town, but he was done with this old man’s childishness. Jack pulled in a deep breath and spelled it out the situation as clearly as he could.
“Both you and Thymus have been through horrible nightmares that I couldn’t imagine, but now you need to figure out how to have a life on the other side.”
He then raised his voice and addressed all the guards already rapt by the early morning conflict.
“Our enemy is out there, beyond this Wall. Every last person on this side of it is either helping to hold the Corruption back…” Jack paused and shifted his eyes back to Harrak. “Or they’re holding us back.” The thickly muscled man clenched his huge fists again, and Jack silently dared him to throw the first punch. But it didn’t come, and Harrak’s shoulders slumped from a weight he’d tried to forget was there.
Jack continued to speak to the assembled guards.
“I am done playing games. I am taking this whole world back, and it starts right here. It starts with taking back our home.”
A few of the guards let out a spirited shout while others just nodded. Jack didn’t even pause for a breath before turning from Harrak and quietly speaking to Kron.
“Thymus’ Lightning Turret should take care of anything that gets close with one zap. Give Kev a sword and Irun a bow. They should be much better replacements for Ryea and Sol. I also want to see your worst guards. I’m not going to take anyone else today, and I will ask your advice from now on about who you need to defend the Town, but I will be putting people where they are best suited to make a difference.”
The heavily armored man listened to Jack speak then paused to consider his words. There was a color to the man’s cheeks that wasn’t there before. He turned his horned helmet face to a guard standing by the wall.
“Vig, go relieve Milin and tell him to report to Jack.”
The guard sprinted along the Wall to carry out his orders, then Kron focused his attention on the three newcomers. “Thymus, up by the gate for now. You know what to do. Kev, Irun, get in the Yard and square off. I want to see for myself what you can do.”
The couple turned to each other, and Kev’s face split into a toothy smile.
“Oh, you’re going to get a spanking.”
“If you can catch me,” Irun said over her shoulder as she sashayed to the roped-off dirt patch.
Thymus gave one more glance at his old friend, Harrak, before following Kron to the gate, leaving Jack alone with a visibly defeated Bygone Hero.
He was tempted to ignore the old fool, but Jack knew that wasn’t the right move. Instead, he walked right up to the man and hugged him like he was family. Harrak froze stiff as a board, not knowing how to respond.
“Harrak,” Jack whispered, “I love your daughter, and nothing will stop me from making this world a better place for her.” Jack shoved him to arm’s length so he could look the old man eye to red-rimmed eye. “I learned so much from you in such a short amount of time. Haylee and all the new Heroes that start to come will need someone like you. Blackmoor Cove is so much stronger when you choose to be here with us. Don’t be the reason Lex lost both of her parents that day.”
Lex’s father stared at Jack, his bloodshot eyes wide and his jaw clenched. But he could tell Harrak wasn’t trying to hold back anger. He was trying not to cry.
“I believe you belong here,” Jack began, “at the Wall and near The Yard, but if you could choose your destiny, Harrak, what role would you pick? Choose a job, and I’ll make it happen.”
Lex’s father narrowed his eyes at Jack and then nodded slowly, his throat working to swallow years of foolishness. The stocky old man then reached out one of his meaty hands to Jack.
He took it, and both men squeezed just hard enough to communicate the strength of their will. Harrak looked like he was about to say something, but only swallowed again before wiping his eyes with his arm as he turned back to the Wall.
“Alright, you weak sacks of pus!” he bellowed. “We’ve got work to do!”
As Jack watched Harrak walk toward the small roped-off arena, he caught movement from the corner of his eye and noticed a scrawny kid running up to him.
“Uh, I was told to come s-see you, sir?”
Jack gave him a smile as he inspected the guard Kron had sent him.
Milin - Townsfolk: Guard | 17% Proficiency
[Health: 5/5]
Relationship –
[Disposition: Intimidated]
“Yes. Hello, Milin,” Jack said, extending his hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Jack.”
The dark-haired twenty-something who wore a large leather slab of armor like a turtle wore a shell grinned and took Jack’s hand. He seemed enthusiastic enough.
“If you could work any job in Town, which would you chose?”
He answered instantly, “Lumberjack.”
“I see,” Jack said after a pause. “Well, I’m not reassigning any other guards just yet, and I don’t think there are any openings…”
Then it hit him that he’d never inspected the quiet man currently holding that position, or even seen what a Lumberjack did in this world.
Jack directed a mental question to Alt.
“Yes, if you hurry, you could swing by and still make your Rest bonus breakfast.”
“That’s okay,” Milin said, pulling Jack’s attention back to the young man. “You shouldn’t even be able- I mean, I never expected to do anything else anyway.”
“Hang tight,” Jack said. “This Town is growing, and I expect there to be more jobs opening up as it does. See you around.”
Jack caught Kron’s eye before he jogged toward the forest and got a curt nod. He’d never really gone this way and resolved to make a circuit around the Town more often… if he could squeeze it in when he wasn’t fighting for his life in an infinitely high Tower. The trees grew thicker as he approached the river and before he found the Lumberjack’s home, he heard a child’s laughter faintly echoing through the trees.
Jack slowed his pace and tried to pinpoint the slightly disturbing and out-of-place sound. Moving carefully and quietly, he crept toward the last place he’d heard it. When he spotted Haylee and Pan between the trees, sitting on two stumps near the river, he froze.
The large man was holding two crudely constructed figures made from sticks and clacking them together while Sol’s daughter watched with delight. Haylee giggled again as she thrust her own stuffed doll into the mix, and it reminded Jack of the action figure battles of his childhood.
He’d finally found where the young girl disappeared to during the day, and after watching for a minute, Alt spoke in his mind.
“If you don’t leave soon, you’ll be late for breakfast.”
Jack willed his ra
ndom +1 Sneak to work overtime as he backed away. There was nothing wrong going on here and only appeared to be two damaged people finding quiet comfort in each other’s company.
He hustled back to the Inn and caught his breath before he pulled open the door. It felt like he had worked a whole day and he hadn’t even had breakfast yet.
With a sigh, Jack yanked open the wooden door. Lex was waiting for him at the counter, but motion on his right drew his eye to a tall owlish gentleman in a white smock, sweeping the cold stone floor of the common room.
“You love this, don’t you?” Sol muttered as Jack looked his direction.
Although seeing the arrogant curmudgeon performing menial labor did strike a vaguely pleasant chord within Jack, it wasn’t nearly as amusing as it would have been a week ago.
Jack shrugged. “Honestly? No, you’re wasted here. And you picked it, remember?”
Without waiting for a response, Jack turned to join Lex. And then it hit him like a bolt of lightning from Thymus’ turret.
Choice. Somewhere along the line in his distant past, Jack read something or watched a movie where he heard a specific nugget of wisdom. A good leader inspires people to do stuff because they want to, not because they are told to- or something close to that…
He shook his head and stored the bit of wisdom in the leadership section of his mind to think about later. With a short hop, he landed next to the petite blonde at the counter.
“Hey, good lookin’, what’s cookin’?”
That earned him a broad smile, and his heart instantly began to beat twice as fast under Lex’s bright, golden gaze.
“Breakfast, presumably,” she answered.
Shortly after, Demi came spinning out from behind the curtain with their meals, assuming Jack was going to have his regular. Despite losing Thymus as a heavy hitter, Jack was looking forward to spending the whole day in the Tower alone with Lex.
They finished as Jack told the two women about the cute couple that went from fishing to guarding and how perfect they were for each other. As Jack finished his story and his plate, he caught Sol pretending to clean a nearby table, trying to look like he wasn’t listening intently.