by C A A Allen
“That’s not good.” Slim gestures behind us. “There are monsters on the way with nothing to stop them. And we’re backed up against a dead-end.”
“Damn it.” My party is falling apart. And so is my plan.
NEW TASK: Take down The Monster Allocation Chamber force shield.
Use Hawkwinds Cadence to take down the chambers force shield.
I lean my back against the wall and slide to floor. “There is no way to get in and save the game without Hans,” I groan.
Bella clasps her hands. “That evil son of a—”
“Hey.” Mack’s voice cracks through my Grimoire. “Take the portal before it closes. Riff, get out of there now!”
Bella skids to the glowing green door, raises a fist, and knocks. Three quick, three slow, and one loud pound. The force shield doesn’t so much as flicker. “Damn you, Hans.” She looks at me with glassy eyes and clenched fists. “There’s got to be another way in.”
“There isn’t.” I stand back up and move toward The DCQ Den portal.
Bella runs to me and wraps her arms around me in a squeezing hug. “Please, don’t give up. I can’t explain right now, but we have to get in that room. There is more at stake here than just a game, Riff. Trust me, please. We must get in there and kill Setan.”
The look in Bella’s eyes reminds me of myself pleading with the school counsel to let me keep my scholarship—only ten times more desperate. What she’s asking for means the world to her.
“I want to save the game too.” I move a piece of stray hair out of her eyes. “But without four party members, it’s impossible.”
Or is it?
Slim takes a defensive stance at the room’s rear archway and looks down the hall. “You need to do something fast or prepare for the onslaught coming this way.”
I hold up my Grimoire and look at Mack sitting in The DCQ Den portal. “Mack, I need you in here. Let’s show this goblin how the brothers Jenkins get down.”
Mack’s lips tighten. “You want me in there? To fight the glitch?”
“We need four questers to open this door.” He has to do this for me. After all the free rent and, at times, free Chinese food I’ve bought him. “This is your chance to be one of the few gamers to experience full immersion virtual reality. We are walking on the moon here, Mack. This is team Jenkins. I need you in here.”
“Go on.” Anton points a finger at the portal. “I’ll take care of things on this end. Bella knows what she’s talking about. There will be portals on the other side of the door you can use to get back here. I’m sure of it.”
“I. Could. Die.” Nonetheless, Mack drops his Grimoire into a gaming station cradle and turns to the portal. I grin at him as he approaches, and he grins back. “I haven’t used my DCQ character for a long time,” he says. “Lucky for you I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.” He jumps into the portal and appears in front of me on shaky legs.
I wrap my arms around him and give him a gigantic bear hug as the portal swirls to a close. “It’s the return of the Mack,” I say. “I knew I could count on you.”
“Bro, why I continue to put my neck on the line for you is beyond my capacity.” He stumbles a bit when I release him, but steadies himself against the wall. He’s handling the teleportation far better than I did.
ADD: Mackaveli Jenkins, Thief.
Thief: Trained in the arts of stealing and sneaking. May only use light to mid-weight weaponry and armor. Primary Ability: Agility
AGE: 21
LEVEL: 1
ABILITIES: 40
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
Bella gives Mack a hug, then stands back with a smile. “I—”
“Your name is Madmartigan.” Mack holds a palm to his forehead and blinks. “I like this version of you way better than your avatar.” He looks down at his leather armor, and careens into a wall as his Grimoire buzzes from its sheath at his belt. “This is weird,” he mutters, pulling it out.
“You have zero time to get used to this,” I say, zoning back in on the mission. “How did you get into The DCQ Den?”
Mack flips over his Grimoire and runs a finger across the back. “Unit number six of six is how. A square kid came into the Spirit & Game with this after you left.” He sheathes the Grimoire and smiles. “He was too scared to enter the den, so I talked him into giving me his Grimoire and coin. I had to see what was up after you were gone for so long. Besides, I was out of drink tickets. And once I got in the server room, Anton gave me a rundown.”
Slim pushes past all three of us to goblin’s door and raises a fist. “You all talk way too much.” He gives the Hawkwinds Cadence knock and the force shield lowers, rising at the rear entrance once again. “Much better.” He nods, glancing at the shield with relief in his eyes. “We’re safe from whatever is coming behind us. For now.”
TASK COMPLETE: Take down The Monster Allocation Chamber force shield.
For completing the task you earned 50 experience points!
I look over my new party. “Mack.” I hand him my dagger. “Acquaint yourself with this quick.”
He grips the weapon and works his wrist left and right. “Nice! Instant thief abilities. I should be good.”
“Bella,”—I turn to her—“nuke the goblin with the best spell you have, but be ready. Once I get a critical hit on him, he is sure to evoke the killer smoke. Dissipating the smoke is your highest priority.”
She cracks her knuckles. “I’m ready.”
“Slim, you know a lot about Setan, so give him your best shot. If Skookum has something nasty for him, that’s all good too.”
Slim raises his cane. “Oh, the beast is about to have a big problem coming his way.” Skookum digs into Slim’s shoulder, steadies herself, and eyes the door, unblinking.
“Here we go then.” I look down at my Bombardment Boots. “I hope the charge in these things has what it takes.” The Keris vibrates, nearly popping out of its sheath. I snatch it into my hand and take a few thrusts, dipping from left to right as a pulse runs up my arm, invigorating my body.
NEW PRIMARY WEAPON: Keris Of Knaud + (4) Charge. Distinguished Hack.
“How does it feel?” Bella asks.
I flip the blade up in the air, spin, and then catch it on the way down. “Feels like supernatural power and extraordinary ability. I’m ready.” But still need one last status check.
NAME: Jareth Goblinmasher
AGE: 22
LEVEL: 5
EXPERIENCE POINTS: 7,093
HIT POINTS: 16/48
ABILITIES: 63
ARMOR CLASS: 4/40
Leather Armor, Small Shield, Bombardment Boots + (1)
GOLD COINS: 0
SILVER PENNIES: 18
SPELLS: N/A
PRIMARY WEAPON: Keris Of Knaud + (4) Charge. Distinguished Hack. (Soulbound)
Executioner’s Sword
POSSESSIONS: Grimoire (5 of 6), Map+3, Heavynessless Bag, Perfect Placement Belt, Small Backpack, Flask of Oil, (10) Single Day’s Rations, Water Skin, The Routier’s Rest Rumor Table Scroll, Emerald Gemstone, *Lute + (7) Charm person. (Soulbound) *Location: Mad Cobblers shop – Cittadella
RACE: Human
CLASS: Fighter
ALIGNMENT: Good
TASKS: Kill the Greater Hobgoblin Warlord Setan Kober.
00:23:04 hours until DCQ server shut down.
Twenty-three minutes and sixteen hit points to get this done. I glance back at my team. Oddly enough, with two dead and one ditched, I feel more confident about the three questers in front of me than I did about the rest of the team I’d been playing with.
Bella, Slim, Mack…they all wanted to be here. And that’s how victory starts.
I step to the door and watch the upper left knocker morph into the grotesque head I have seen numerous times on my computer screen in the dorm. “There it is.” I wrap my hand around the brass ring in the head’s mouth and raise it up, then slam it down with one clobbering boom.
S-w-a-c-k! The peek-hatch immediately snap
s open.
“Woah.” I jump back and hold my breath.
A bloodshot florescent yellow cat-eye appears behind the hatch grill and eyeballs each one of us. “Provide the password, flee, or fight.” The deep croak causes the chamber to rumble.
“Um.” Here goes nothing. “One, two, six, four.”
The eye narrows. “Muahahahaha, that’s not it, boy. But because I’m amused, I’ll give you one more try.”
I take another step back, picture the goblin’s weak spot in my head, and grip the Keris. I already know Setan gives three guesses at the password. At this point I just want to fight. “Can someone here please tell this ugly Norman Osborn-wannabe the password?”
“Bandos.” Bella says flatly.
“Gigglegibber.” Mack says.
“Grrrach.” The eye smashes into the grill and bulges. “Three of you are Compass-Keepers, I see. This smacks of Kurht’s work. I am sure he sent you. Enter my chamber, and the lot of you will be decapitated. I’ll piss in your eye sockets and smash your skulls into pig slop.” He looks past us to the shielded hall. “Your party is not worth my time. I’ll have my minions deal with you.”
The peek-hatch slams shut and the force shield behind us lowers at the arch.
“Not this again,” Slim says.
I look back into the corridor. “How much longer until the mob comes?”
A-a-a-a-a-a! Evons and Liergarnin spill into the hazy corridor at the end of the hall and raise their weapons. They fall over each other, holler, and grunt at the top of their lungs as they kick up sludge toward us.
Slim steps to the arch and wraps a palm around his cane’s head. “Okay, Bella and Mack. I’m gonna need help holding these guys off. Riff, handle that goblin. Quick.”
Go time. I grip the Keris. “Deeznuts!” I sprint at the door, jump in the air, and drive both boots into its center. “Bomb baby!”
Boom! The door crashes down and I jump on it as it slides forward, riding it into Setan’s cell like it’s a snowboard.
When I jump off, he’s staring me down from the center of the torch lit room, his legs spread apart. He is a giant humanoid twice my size wearing shaped plate and leather armor. His face is saggy, with pale olive green-skin, brownish matted hair, and pointy ears.
THE GREATER HOBGOBLIN WARLORD SETAN KOBER
LEVEL: 6 (6000XP)
HIT POINTS: 65
ARMOR CLASS: 14 (Half plate)
FREQUENCY: Error
NO. APPEARING: 1
DAMAGE: By weapon
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Rending
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Parry
INTELLIGENCE: High
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
SIZE: L
TYPICAL WEAPONING: Longsword, Javelin, Greathammer
DESCRIPTION: A large, black-hearted humanoid with olive green skin, brown matted hair, and pointy ears.
The game developers didn’t capture half his ugliness in the on-screen version. This thing is rancid.
Setan picks up a long oak haft with a double spiked iron block on its end from a wooden table and raises it above his head. “Grrrach.” He swings the hammer my direction in a crossing swoosh.
I duck under the blow, raise my blade, and run forward. “Distinguished”—I thrust my blade down across his knee—“hack!” The Keris cuts down to the goblin’s bone and blood spurts everywhere. Didn’t cut all the way through, but at least my blade didn’t snap.
The beast punches me with its left fist, sending me backward and to the ground. The Keris flies out of my hand and slides across the floor to the rear wall.
Setan wraps his clammy fingers around my throat and lifts me up. “Time to die Compass-Keeper.” He tightens his grip and raises the hammer’s iron block. “I sentence you to death by bludgeoning.”
“Jacto Saxum.” Bella plants herself in the doorway and a jagged basketball-sized rock shoots from beyond the door and slams into the upper right section of the goblin’s forehead.
“Grrraaaa.” The monster drops me and steps back, clutching his head. “Bwaaaaa.”
I scramble to my feet, retrieve the Keris, and place a hand against the rear wall to regain my balance. No deadly smoke yet, so that’s an improvement. But what’s the quickest path to another stab at that knee?
“Jacto Saxum. Jacto Saxum.” Bella steps in the room twirling her fingers at Setan. Two rocks whisk out and hurl towards the creature’s cranium.
Setan snatches the first stone in a palm and deflects the second one off with it. He then crushes the rock to bits in his massive fist. “Never a second time.” He places one hand on the wooden table and launches it at Bella. “Break you with the rack, wench.”
Bella dives out of the way just as the table slams into the doorjamb and shatters into planks.
With Setan distracted, I run forward. Come on distinguished. I thrust the Keris back across his blood-soaked knee. “Hack!” This time it slices completely through, cutting muscle and bone, warm blood gushing over my hand.
“Buh-wooo.” Setan bellows and slams backward into the chamber’s rear wall. “Grrr-ach.” He crashes on his rear, causing the whole room to shudder at the impact. “The expansion will never come to life, questing scum.” He swoops the hammer around and snaps his wrist sending it upward where a spike lodges into the ceiling above his head. “Die Compass-Keeper.”
Dark smoke billows down from where the hammer’s spike pierces the ceiling. It completely envelops the goblin and continues to fill the room, rolling my direction.
I step to the rear wall, and glance back through the door. Mack and Slim are double-teaming the last standing monster in the room, a large Evon, while stepping over numerous dead bodies on the floor. “Bella, it’s time!” I call.
She stumbles to the doorjamb from the right. She’s out of breath, but she drops to a knee and raises a hand, chanting, “Patet in dregs aer.” A bolt flashes from her finger into the dark smoke. “Discutio vapos, discutio vapos, discutio vapos.”
The cloud flashes white and collapses in on itself, leaving the room clear of everything but a pile of tattered rags where the goblin last sat.
“You did it.” I almost don’t believe it. I help her up and look into her eyes. “We killed Setan.”
She nods her head and points to the back of the room. Six evenly-spaced iron jail-cell doors appear along the rear wall.
“What the—” My Retina display interrupts my view.
TASK COMPLETE: Kill the Greater Hobgoblin Warlord Setan Kober
The Greater Hobgoblin Warlord Setan Kober has been killed! For killing the monster each survivor earned 1500 experience points.
Liergarnin (2) has been killed! For killing the monsters each survivor earned 100 experience points.
Evon (4) has been killed! For killing the monsters each survivor earned 240 experience points.
A WEAPONS STATUS HAS CHANGED: Your weapon ‘The Keris of Knaud + (4) Charge’ has been changed to ‘The Keris of Knaud + (2) Charge’
IN-GAME MODERATOR (» - MOD) MODE UNLOCKED!
You have been granted access to technical details and special tools. ( » )
You were hit for 8 damage. Status: 8/48
NEW TASK: Enter The Kingdom of Broxington.
The DCQ expansion ‘The Kingdom of Broxington’ is now open for play! Enter at your own risk.
PARTY STATUS: Multiple members’ status has changed.
REORDER THE PARTY: Yes/No?
Slim limps into the room. He has a bloody slash in his trousers running from hip to knee. “You got him.” He stands over the pile of rags. And blinks once. Twice.
“Someone got you.” I move his direction. “Are you okay?”
He nods and waves me off. “It’s nothing, and well worth seeing Setan killed. I’ll be fine.”
Mack follows Slim into the room and hands me my pack. “You should have seen me out there, Riff!” He slaps me on the back. “I ended three of those Evon monsters. I leveled up too. There’s a player sheet in my vision. This is amazing!” He wipes b
oth sides of his dagger on his pants, leaving a smear of blood, then sheathes it and looks around the chamber. “What happened in here?”
I toss the pack over my shoulder. “Well.” I step to the pile of rags and flatten it out, feeling a small solid lump under one pile. “I just whooped ol’ boy up, that’s what happened. I told you there was a way to kill the greater goblin.”
Mack twists a lock of his hair. “I guess I’ll eat my words then. You’ll get no more glitch talk from me.”
“What do we have here?” I dig under the rags and pull out a Grimoire. “How did he get this?” I check the back. “It says unit one of six.”
Bella takes the Grimoire from my hand. “This was not Setan’s.” She runs to the first cell door on the right and looks between the bars. “He stole it.” She moves to the next cell, grips the bars and looks inside. “Hello?” She steps back and raises a hand. “Aperire cincinno.”
The cell door swings open, and she runs in.
Skookum hops across the floor, dives between the bars of the first cell, and disappears into the darkness.
Slim pulls a small twisted pick from his belt and fast limps after Skook to the first cell door. He works the tool into the lock, twists it, and swings the door open.
The three cell doors to the left slowly twist and morph into colorful portal swirls.
I tap Mack’s shoulder and step in close to inspect them. “Bella and Anton were right about portals being in here. But what’s the extra one?”
The first portal shows The Stag and Hen Tavern in Chittor. Inside, Hans stands with his brunette lady friend. They both raise drinks in a circle of smiling NPCs.
I barely resist the temptation to jump through and strangle him.
The next portal shows The DCQ Den at the Spirit & Game. Anton is pushing a man in a black sport coat away from the DCQ world server.