by Dean Smith
As Valiant stepped into the threshold of the town, the jolly background music of the green fields he traversed with Mordoom faded and a jaunty sea shanty replaced it.
‘This is it.’ Valiant stated as he looked out at the boats.
‘Let’s go then, the sooner we boot the royal squatter out of my home, the sooner you can... Do whatever you will do.’
Valiant hadn’t thought what he would do once he reached Vilemire, words hadn’t reached Rita the last time they spoke, and he doubted they would this time around. He placed a hand on his sword. Would he be forced to fight her? He had no idea what she had planned but considering the state she was in it couldn’t be anything good. Could he actually bring himself to fight her? Would it be possible to even stand a chance against her considering her power? These questions and more swirled around his head but before he could consider that, he had another problem to deal with. They had no money and without money they couldn’t hire a boat and without a boat they were stuck. They needed money, and they needed it fast.
‘Planning on traumatising another innkeeper for his loose change?’ Asked Mordoom which made Valiant cringe. No more wanton destruction of people’s property, he had decided. He would earn this money fair and square which meant that....
‘We need side quests.’ He declared. In a town like this there were certain to be plenty. Lost heirlooms to find, vicious monsters to kill, trap filled dungeons to explore, Valetide would have them all, Valiant was certain. It didn’t take them long to find their first side quest as they discovered that NPCs with quests to offer had a large glowing arrow over their heads. The first quest giver they found was a tavern keeper who burst out laughing in joy upon seeing them.
‘Oh thank God! You’re a hero right? Can you do this god damn side quest for me? I can’t get rid of this bloody arrow thing and it’s keeping me up at night!’
A floating box appeared.
'Sidequest: Rat Slayer
Description: Rats have been wreaking havoc in the local tavern's basement! Slay ten of them and report back to the barkeep!
Reward: 500 Gold'
It sounded easy enough, if a little boring but work was work and killing rats was easy money but it wasn’t enough for a boat. They would need do a lot more side quests to have enough to leave Valetide behind them but once word got out about them completing the barkeep’s quest, Valiant and Mordoom were flooded with quests from people desperate to get rid of the quest markers above their heads. They took on many jobs with Valiant taking on anything that required battling and Mordoom gladly taking on the other kinds of quests.
Valiant had just returned to town after slaying ten wolves to find Mordoom in the wash house working on a huge pile of laundry.
‘This is a quest?’ Valiant asked.
‘Sure is! ‘Description: Sort out Muriel’s washing and save her from a sud-related demise!’ Can you believe I’m actually helping people? What a strange concept!’ He giggled to himself as he joyfully scrubbed a pair of bloomers clean. Valiant could only blink in response, it was bizarre to see his former foe reduced to this, it was bizarre to think they were on this journey together. This world had gone mad and all Valiant could do was go along for the ride.
Valiant left Mordoom giggling in bemusement as he was besieged by more NPCs wishing to be rid of their quest markers but he had already secured enough money for his trip with the last sidequest he had been given. It was almost time for him to continue his journey, and when he tried to tell the NPCs that, they booed him.
‘I thought you were a hero!’
‘A real hero would do everything they could to help the people!’
‘If you don’t help me find my house keys, WHO WILL?!’
Valiant acknowledge that they had a point.. He was a hero, he needed to put their troubles above his own needs although he would send any laundry or cleaning tasks to Mordoom, he seemed to like that sort of thing, anyway. So began another day of hunting down lost items and slaying a certain amount of minor nuisance monsters and beasts.
Valiant could feel his patience wearing thin, the NPCs were taking advantage of him but if he wanted to be the hero he was when they were all beholden to the game, he had to help them and keep a smile on his face while he did so. Being a hero was more than just menial tasks like this one, it was playing the part that the people needed him to play. He had to be selfless, but that was proving more difficult now he had the free will to choose his path. If being a hero to the people of Valetide meant helping them be rid of their quest markers, then so be it. Heroism wasn’t just about the be all or end all battles for the fate of the world, it was about being there for people who need help. With that in mind, he put his internal complaining aside and focused on the work ahead of him. A few more hours of this and Valetide would be free from the menace of the side quest marker.
The last quest he undertook involved finding the ingredients to cure a sleeping curse placed upon a young girl and Valiant had secured two of the three ingredients needed and all he needed now was a rare herb that would finish the concoction and save the little girl’s life. He searched high and low for it, he looked throughout the town and in the fields and caves beyond to no avail and he was running out of ideas. Did he have to go farther afield? Maybe he needed to backtrack to the forest or, heaven’s forbid, even further to Wingcrest. Valiant didn’t much feel like explaining to King Theodore what had happened to Rita, not yet.
Not knowing what to do, Valiant returned to the girl’s house to ask her mother if she had any idea where to find the herbs they needed.
‘I’ve been looking everywhere for this ‘Dreamsage’ but I can’t find it anywhere!’
‘Wait.... Dreamsage? I thought you needed Dreamsaffron?’ The mother frowned in confusion.
‘No, I’m sure it was the sage we needed.’ They checked the quest box once again and confirmed that it was Dreamsage they needed.
‘Oh my.’ The mother’s face reddened. ‘This is embarrassing. Excuse me.’ She took off towards the kitchen and returned a few moments later.
‘I didn’t realise it was the sage we needed, it’s been in the pantry all along!’
A brief pang of annoyance flooded Valiant, but he didn’t let it show on his face, he smiled as he always did.
‘That’s great! With that the quest is complete, yes?’
The quest marker disappeared and Valiant felt his coin purse grow heavier. It was over.
‘Thank you so much! I’d hate to take more of your time but could you stay until my Jessie wakes up? I’m sure she’d love to meet her saviour.’
This was a request that Valiant was glad to fulfil. After mixing the cure together, Jessie’s mother administered it to her daughter and Valiant felt his heart soar as the girl groggily woke up from her endless sleep, she was cured and all was well.
Jessie had more energy than a girl recently woken up from a sleeping curse should have and she bounded towards Valiant and gave him a hug.
‘Thank you for saving me.’
‘The pleasure was all mine.’ After so many pointless requests and meaningless endeavours, it felt wonderful to do something that mattered, to help improve this family’s life for the better. It was all worth it for this feeling but Valiant couldn’t help but feel an edge of sadness as Rita crossed into his mind. She never got to experience this side of heroism and if she did, perhaps Princess Violet would still be alive and Rita wouldn’t have gone down such a dark path. An act of kindness can change the world and gratitude was worth more than any amount of gold. If Rita could know that feeling then she could change her direction, she could come back from what she’s done. Valiant could only hope that the next time he saw her, he could get through to her somehow.
After leaving Jessie’s house, Valiant returned to Mordoom who was surrounded by a group of housewives and husbands.
‘The key to getting your whites truly white is persistence and a good soap mixture, I’ve written what I use here so share it among yourselves! Add a touch of j
asmine oil to the mixture and your clothes will smell DIVINE! I never dream of washing my clothes without it!’ The crowd passed his notes around while Valiant waved at Mordoom to get his attention.
‘Ah, I’m sorry ladies and gents but it looks like it’s time for me to go! It’s been a pleasure! Steve, remember to scrub in circular motions and Carole? Be sure to send the invite to your wedding post-haste, it takes an AGE for mail to reach Vilemire! Farewell!’
The crowed sighed as Mordoom walked away from them but they waved him off.
'We'll miss you, Mordoom, come back soon!'.
Mordoom beamed as he joined Valiant.
‘You know what? I think I found my people and my calling. Why did I spend so long trying to take over the world when I could have spent all that time gossiping with my girls and guys and teaching the world the best way to clean their garments? It’s a much nobler cause than world domination, I should have been dominating stains, not kingdoms.’
‘You still can, you can stay here and make a new life for yourself. They love you.’ The idea of the most evil dark wizard that ever lived becoming a housewives’ favourite was another strange impossibility that had become real. His suggestion tempted Mordoom, Valiant could tell as Mordoom looked back longingly at the crowd he left behind.
‘It’s tempting but I need to take back my home first. I was in the middle of a good spring clean when Princess Rita attacked and I hate leaving a job half done!’
Valiant chuckled at the absurdity of it all. His former fiancée had become a villain and his former foe had become a cleaner beloved by the people. How could he ever get used to this new reality when so much had changed? It felt like he was the only constant left in the world but even then he didn’t feel like he once did. The revelation had changed him too but unlike Rita and Mordoom he didn’t want to be anything other than who he was but that was so much harder now that everything was off the rails they had been kept on for so long. He had lost his confidence and his belief and he needed to get them back somehow if he ever hoped to turn things around.
‘Looks like we have enough money to get to Goldharbour now.’ Mordoom said, he seemed to notice Valiant’s downturn in mood. ‘You did well to clear all those quests, you’ve made everyone so happy.’ Valiant could see what Mordoom was trying to do, and he appreciated it. He had done good today and maybe if he kept having days like today, he could get back to who he was, he could be the hero he needed to be. He felt hopeful as they boarded the ferry to Goldharbour, he could do this. He didn’t know how but he would be the hero he had to be and he would save the day like he always had.
They were one step closer to Vilemire and Rita. Valiant knew the journey would be difficult and long, that he would doubt himself like he did today but it didn’t matter how many times he fell as long as he always got back up and tried again. Progress was progress, no matter how slow. Valiant would save Rita, he would save everyone, no matter how many tries it took.
Level 4
On the boat ride to Goldharbour, Valiant kept seeing a mother and daughter that looked just like Jessie and her mother and Valiant wanted to go over and talk to them but given that many NPCs had the same face, Valiant had assumed that they were simply strangers that looked all too familiar. It wasn't until they had nearly reached the end of their journey to Goldharbour that the girl saw him on the deck and ran over to him.
'Valiant!'
She jumped into his arms and Valiant laughed, it was Jessie and her mother.
'Jessie! Show some respect, it's Sir Valiant.' Her mother approached while admonishing her. ‘It’s good to see you again, Sir Valiant.’
‘Please, there’s no need for Sir. Call me Valiant, or Val. I’d prefer it. It’s also great to see you both again. You seem full of energy as ever, Jessie.’
‘I’ve been asleep for who knows how long! I don’t think I can ever sleep again.’
‘Oh and don’t I know it!’ Jessie’s mother smiled before gasping. ‘I just realised, with everything that went on, I never introduced myself did I? How rude of me. I’m Erica, Erica Heartland.’ She held out her hand and Valiant took it. ‘I want to thank you again, Sir- I mean, Valiant. Not only did you cure my daughter, but you also inspired us both. We’ve lived in Valetide for as long as we can remember, we have done the same things time and time again but now we know the truth of our world, now we’ve seen we aren’t beholden to the story that was given us, and because of that we’ve decided to make a home in Goldharbour. I’ve heard so much about it but we never had the chance to see it before. We get to experience new places and remake our lives anew and that’s all down to you. There is no sufficient way of showing my gratitude but thank you. You’ve changed our lives for the better.’ Valiant had goosebumps all over and he could feel his eyes tingle. To hear those words, to think his actions had changed someone’s life for the better was moving. Everything he had done before was just him following a script someone else had wrote for him. He would always save the day but the day was never truly in danger. But this was different, Jessie was in danger and Valiant had done something about it and more than that, his actions had allowed this family to change their lives. It was humbling to hear it. He could foster change, he could touch people's lives and guide them in a way he never could before and that was a huge responsibility to bear but one he would hold on to, regardless of how heavy it was. If he had the chance to improve this world, he couldn’t turn away from it. He was a hero before the change but now he had a chance to become a real hero and he couldn’t let that chance pass him by.
As the sun-touched shores of Goldharbour approached, Valiant was more determined than ever to see this journey through it its end and save Rita from herself.
***
Goldharbour lived up to its name. It was a seaside town comprised of wooden huts and buildings on a tropical beach that was bathed in a golden glow from the sun which seemed huge in the sky. As the boat approached the town, the seafaring background music changed to an upbeat steel drum song that Valiant couldn’t help but tap his foot to.
When it was time to leave the boat, Valiant waved goodbye to Erica and Jessie as they took their first steps towards their new lives. He hoped for the best for them, this town seemed like paradise and he wanted nothing more than for them to build their own paradise here. He wanted others to follow in their footsteps. The awakening was a confusing time, and it only got more bewildering as time passed but Valiant saw the benefits of it when he considered that the NPCs who had never known freedom were now free to seek their own destinies away from the path that was chosen for them.
With every moment this world was becoming more alive and with it came freedom for all but also danger, Rita was still out there with powers greater than Valiant had ever known and who knew what the other kingdoms in Venturis would do with their freedom? Valiant thought of the worst possible outcomes, Rita turning her powers onto Venturis itself and the balance between the kingdoms becoming undone and war breaking out like never before. Their world of order was becoming one of chaos but also freedom and that was both terrifying and exhilarating.
‘Val? They’re gonna take us back to Valetide if we don’t get a move on. You don’t want to be stuck doing side quests again, do you?’ Warned Mordoom. The horror of returning to that town and being besieged by endless requests shook Valiant from his thoughts.
‘My name is Valiant, not Val.’ He said as he exited the boat.
‘We’ll see, I’ll make Val stick in time, just you watch.’ The dark wizard said with jarring optimism.
The harbour was a feast of delights. A troupe of dancers greeted them as they got off the boat and Valiant almost had to pull Mordoom away to stop him from joining in.
‘Boo! Party pooper!’ Mordoom exclaimed as he put on a lei that was handed to him. The flowery necklace clashed horribly with Mordoom’s dark appearance but Valiant supposed that the same could be said for the former villain’s personality.
‘We don’t know what Rita is planning or what she
’s capable of. She’s angry, she’s upset at the world and she has the power to end it. Do you want to risk everything just so you can dance?’ Valiant snapped and regretted it when he saw Mordoom’s face and how it looked like a puppy that had been kicked. He hated losing his temper and he would never have done so before the awakening. He was infallible back then, he always smiled no matter the circumstances, and he was never scared or unsure. He acted with confidence that he would always save the day but now those feelings were replaced with uncertainty and doubt and now he knew fear. He didn’t understand this world and it upset him but that was no excuse to lash out, Valiant knew that. A true hero has patience, a true hero never lets his smile fade. This was just another way in which he did not live up to who he was meant to be.
‘I’m... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to have a go at you, it’s just.... I don’t know what to do.’ Mordoom put his hand on his shoulder.
‘We’ll figure it out. This world has changed a lot but I know one thing that will probably always stay the same, it’ll be all right in the end and chances are you’ll be the one that saves us all.’ Mordoom gave him a supportive smile and Valiant forced himself to return it. Mordoom was only trying to help, Valiant knew that but his words only put more pressure on him. How could he save the world if he was so clueless about, what felt like, everything?