by Matthew Kent
“Not here,” he said as he motioned me down the hall toward a restroom. He slipped in it and I followed. He started to speak even before the door closed, “it's got them all.”
Wait, what? I think. “It? It what?”
“That quest, we were going to take it from you...” He said.
“I knew that,” I said as I broke in and shrugged, “But I told you some fib to get you and the Bolos to let me play in peace.”
“That's just it. There's something to the quest. We went to talk to the elves. I was able to break away and managed to hide long enough to log out.” He said without taking a breath. “The game took the girls. They haven’t logged out.”
“Oh shite!” Was all I can say. “Well, in-game I was heading to Dros Drin to check it out, and see if I could pick up news on the Bolos. Now, I guess I have more people to find.”
“What?” he said as he gave me a dumbfounded look.
“Yeah, I figured if I caused the mess I have to fix it.”
“I get that ,but what are you going to do?”
I shrugged, “Play it by ear, listen for news, skulk a bit, and see what I can find out.” I gave him a self deprecating look. “I’m a level ten True Bard with a journeyman's skills in most things. I’ll come in, ask for training, talk to shop owners, and look for clues. I’ll sit in the taverns, play music and hopefully get an idea of what's going on in a day or two.”
“You aren’t going to ask the elves and dwarfs what's going on?”
“No, because that's what you and presumably the Bolos, did.” I sighed. ”I may ask to use the library or records room, if they have on,e but will emphasize it's for a personal quest. But we have to figure a way out for you. Where in the Dros did you log out?”
“In the latrine,” he said his skin isn’t too dark to hide the blush.
“All right, we get you a disguise and sneak you out. I will be there late tomorrow, by then the search for you should have died down. You know my character’s in-game name so message me when you log in tomorrow, around say five. We’ll get it figured out.”
“Thanks, man. The game devs said it's part of the game, there was nothing they could do.” We both turned as the door opened. It was the guy from the table.
“Hey, there are two people looking for you," he said.
“Which one of us?” I Inquired and he pointed to me.
“They have an old photo and are asking around about you.”
“What?” I said as I went to the door to look. I opened it briefly, and I saw Agent Prentice from EPARD. “Great, that's all I need” I said
“You know em?" He asked.
“Know them? Not really. They showed up at my shop about a week ago, and took everything I owned. They are feddies with EPARD.”
“Shit, what you do?” Malik asks.
“Honestly, nothing. I had old materials my family had been collecting for decades. But it was rare, valuable and, even though it was prescribed, all of it was grandfathered.”
“The feddies don’t just go after people for no reason, ”The guy said who warned me. Malik snorted at those words. I’m was in agreement with Malik on that.
“Sorry, I don’t recall your name," I said to him.
“Thomas,” He replied.
“Thomas, go tell them you think you saw me leave. Malik, I’ll meet you in the Dros as soon as I can.” Thomas left on his mission of distraction. I give them a few minutes, then leave the restroom and head to my cubicle. Instead of the bed I was craving I got into the capsule and logged in for a marathon session. Before I headed out, I left Morngrim a message telling him I had to head on to the Dros. Thank God for Elven night vision, that Wood Sprites shared with their cousins, otherwise I’d have run into a tree by now.
I get into the rhythm of the long distance runner. Running is as much a skill as anything else, it's just that it's not taught outside of track teams in college anymore, and most of those were done away with long ago. The key to running and life is breathing, in through your mouth out, through your nose in a strong, deep, and steady pace. You use economical movements, then breathe with your stomach. Finally, you let yourself zone in to your surroundings, be aware of where you are, and what's around you.
I was in the zone I made my way through the forest, back to the road that Morngrim and I had left. I was able to start making better time once I was on the road. The track had been pounded flat with traffic over the years. There was just a small sliver of moon left but it was more than enough light for me to see by with my Elven senses. Still, it was an arduous journey. It was fortunate that I could place my Ashendarai into my inventory.
In total, without stops or farming, I managed to compress the trip down to four hours. I got a notification that I leveled running to the Journeyman level. I came out of the woods high on a ridge that lead down into a vale. In the dark, it was hard to make out the true distance. At a guess, it was three miles to the gate from the rise I stood on.
I could see the first curtain wall of Dros Drin. It was approximately forty feet wide at the top and ten feet in the back. The front wall varied from thirty to fifty feet high. There were three gates, that I could see, cut into the wall. These gates led into the first Bailey that was around two hundred feet wide, that backed onto the second curtain wall. It stood between sixty to eighty feet high and had two gate. Beyond it was the keep of the Dros.
Somewhere in there were the Valkyries, and the bolo brothers. I let myself rest a few more minutes before I started running again. You may be asking yourself why I was doing this. Some of you will get it, some of you won’t, but I screwed up, and I couldn’t let anyone pay for my pride except for me. “I do not care so much what I am to others as I care what I am to myself.” ― Michel de Montaigne said that, and I agree. I have to live with my decisions, good or bad.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Chapter 17
I was able to get to the front gate of the Dros within an hour. Having the running skill dramatically helped with my energy management. The last hundred yards, I slowed to a walk. “Impressive,” the Elven guard at the gate said as I walked up.
“Thanks,” I replied.
“You must have an important quest to be running so hard.”
“Guest? No quest. I wanted to hit the markets early, and find out if there was a Mage or Bards collage in town. I have some research to do.”
The guard gave me a thoughtful look. “A bard? Been a while since we’ve seen one in the town.”
“Aye, a True Bard.” I stretched to get some limberness. Look, I know it's a computer-generated body, but there's no reason for me to get into lazy habits just because I’m not likely to get a cramp. “Now, about those colleges?”
“There are a few about, but no college. They have a loose guild and a guild house off Angel Street, just past the Cockeyed Cockerel…” I nod as he continues to speak. “Me and the lads get off watch in an hour, might be nice to have somat to listen too as we down a pint.”
“Let me guess, you and the lads favor the Cockerel for your pints?”
“Aye, that we do. The best pint in the city for the price.”
“I could do with a mite to drink myself,” I said. “Mayhap our paths would cross and you can tell me the happenings in the town?”
“Mayhap” He said with a wink.
I got directions to the Cockeyed Cockerel, and found it easily enough. I swear the damned sign was giving me a salacious wink. The inn was open, though the coals in the fire had been banked. “Come in, Come in,” came the garrulous voice of the bartender.
“Good morn to you,” I said. “The guard at the gate recommended your establishment, and I believe has a desire for music when his shift ends.”
“Likely he would, however our minstrel has been gone these past five years. Alas I think he will be music-less today, once again.”
“I’ll take care of the music," I replied. “But if I may slake my thirst before they arrive?”
“Ah, very fine, then,” he gives me an
appraising look. “If you play the morn, I will feed you and a cup of cider. Anything more you have to pay yourself.”
“And I keep any tips,” I said as I stuck out my hand to shake.
“Fair enough,” he said as we shook. Most people would wonder why an Inn Keeper will be willing to give a musician board for playing. Often people will drink more and eat more if there is music to listen to, this may equate to ten or twenty times the cost of the meal.
I set up near the fire, and ate my meal biscuits and chicken. I’ve had better in my life, but I’ve also had far worse. The chicken was salty, another inn keeper trick to get people to drink more, that's the same reason barmen put salted nuts out.
After I finished my meal, I started to play “Arthur McBride” “…me and my cousin, one Arthur McBride/ As we went a-walkin' down by the seaside…” I had always thought the song was more of a confession of wrong doing, than the anti-war tune some call it. The men started drinking as they came in, and I could see a smile on the inn keepers face. I played for an hour or two. More people came in off the street, including a few players. They listened and ate. One even tossed me a gold coin, then gave me an odd look when I presumed he didn’t get a notification of favor.
I ended the set, and then ordered another small cider, paying for it out of my own pocket. The guard came up to talk. “That's well done,” he said as he sat.
“Thank you," I replied, “so, what's the news?”
“Not much, depending on who you ask.”
I nodded, “aye, I can see that. Is there someone I should ask, who might know more?”
“Mayhap the guard captain, but he’s a tight lipped dwarf, not like us at all,"
I sighed. “They always are.” We started to chat amicably. He told me about the goings on of the fort, then started in with the gossip. I avoided asking specifically if there are any players that have been taken prisoner, but he eventually gets to it on his own.
“Then I heard there were four more prisoners taken yesterday."
“Taken for what?” I inquired.
“They were asking about things best left buried…”
“Ah!” I say in dismissal, “there are always things best left unsaid. I’m guessing some humans then, they always want to know what they shouldn’t.”
“Aye, two humans an orc and a drow. They have them in the deep dungeons for interrogation….”
I grunted, “glad it's not me," He nodded in agreement. “Ah, just a thought, what did they say to get sent to the dungeons? or is that one of those things I don’t need to know?”
He laughed. “Hardly. From what I heard, they mentioned the old war with the humans who came before.”
“I remember that," I said. “A bad business we were so close to the end when the fire swept over us"
The guard gave me a startled look “You were there?” He asked in a hushed tone.
“It's how I won my name," I saw him swallow, and I grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll not speak of it again... Now I’m for the Mage guild you have a good morning.” I waved to the inn keeper as I left, he had a very pleased smile on his face. I think he made out very well from my singing.
Well now, I knew that they had been taken prisoner and were in the deep dungeons waiting to be tortured for whatever they knew. I felt like a huge piece of crap for what I had done to all of them, but that's why you fix your mistakes.
I found the Mage Guild; it was five doors down from the inn. The building was a gray stone, almost a Gothic architecture. I knocked on the door, and heard the slow tread of shuffling feet through the plank door. After a few minutes, the door opened and an old man blinked out at me. “Yesh,” he inquired with a tired old voice.
“I wanted to inquire of the Mages Guild?” I replied. “I was wondering if they offered training or had spells for purchase?”
He gave me an odd look, then scratched the tip of one of his Elven ears. “You are an odd one, Traveler.” He bunched up his lips, looked at me, then continued. ”Most of your brethren would have barged in demanding training or spells. You ask politely.” He squinted, then thrust out his head and examined me more thoroughly. “Well, no call for me to be rude come in…” He said as he opened the door wide.
I stepped inside at his invitation, “thank you sir.”
“Think nothing of it. What type of spells are you looking for?” He inquired.
“Mainly, I am a crafter of items and music,” I said “but I find I have a need of spells to either fight more, or get out of fighting all together.”
He dackled at that. “So ,a bard is it? One of those normal musickers?” he said as he went behind a desk and rummaged behind it.
“True Bard” I said and he stopped then looked at me even more intently.
“Well I’ll be. Haven’t heard of one of you in a long time.” He shook his head a few times as if coming to a decision. Then started to walk off before he spoke. “I think we can do better than this usual trash for you.” He said with a smile.
“Oh” I inquired.
“Usually, we sell those to travelers. But a True Bard should have more discernment.," In other words, I was going to pay more.
Still, I followed him to see what he had. We came to another desk, much neater. “Ah, here we go,” he said as he pulled out four scrolls. “I have Invisibility for fifty gold, it will last short term but they can still hear and smell you.” I supposed I was quite ripe from my run. “Lightening bolt as an attack its fifty gold also," he said then plopped down the third scroll. “Stone Skin is sixty gold and will block three attacks." Then he lay the last scroll down. “There is the last scroll Shape-Shift you never know when being something or someone else will come in handy”
“How much for all of them?” I asked.
“What? What, huhm. most people would buy one or two…”
“I’ll take them all, for one hundred and eighty gold.”
He cocked his head at me. “Ok, done.” He said, sticking his hand out to me. We shook on it and I collected the spells. After I asked if there were archives I could research a past event in my life. “I’m sorry the archives are only for the Mages Guild members.”
“How do I become a member” I asked.
“You must gain favor with the guild by performing tasks.” He sighed. ”Usually, most travelers want it all in a hurry. Would you be interested in killing rats for us?”
I sighed. “I’ll be your rat catcher”
"Oh, good, good just go down that hallway, follow the stairs down, and kill the rats in the archive.”
I did an epic face palm and went to the archive… to kill rats and other stuff.
I followed the directions I had been given by the Guilds clerk, at least I thought he was the clerk. Come to think of it, I realized that I had never gotten his name. I shrugged, thinking I could get it after I finished with the rats. Now, I know what you are thinking, that I should spend part of my time looking through the archive for the information I wanted. But I had the feeling that this was all part of a test. What do I mean? Well, say I go in there and riffle the records that I do not have the key for or the cross references and don’t find what I need, piss this guy off or something else. They find out, and I’m banned from the archive altogether. Or I go in kill the rats, and maybe I am given access to the records with someone who can point me to what I need.
Or maybe I’m over thinking things.
I went down the hall, then down the stairs into a sub-basement. There, I found a hallway deep in shadow, and an old wooden door polished with age and the many hands that have brushed the wood. I opened the door and it creaked open on hinges rusty with age and disuse. I thought to myself that this isn’t a horror movie, then I saw the dust-cloaked shadow shrouded room beyond the door. The light from the meager sconces in the hall barely penetrate the doorway, but from what I could see the room was a dusty nightmare of a mess. Large tomes scattered haphazardly around the room, scrolls placed on shelves without sleeves or protection.
In the lit
tle bit of light, I could see thee red gleam of light reflected from the eyes of rats. I reviewed the quest I’d been given. I needed to kill ten rats and would get bonuses for more, but these are large rats. They reminded me of wharf rats I had seen in several ports around the world. The body about a foot long minus the tail. I thought of an immediate strategy and propped the door open wide, then drew my butterfly swords. I cast Magic Missile at two of the creatures I could see about ten feet from me in the stacks. One was killed outright, the other charged at me, but as it was close to the ground, my sight to it was partially blocked. It got to within five feet of me before I was able to see it once more. Then, it lunged at me. I heard its teeth gnash together as it missed. I lashed out with my right-hand sword, striking it and killing it.