The Dragon's Wrath: Shadows in the Flame

by Brent Roth

  I might as well experience it… I wouldn’t be crippled by fear.

  Ah, it really was dark.

  Chapter 80: All Aboard

  (Wednesday, December 1st Game Day / Friday, April 23rd Real Day)

  “Sigurd, how about a tale to pass the time,” asked one of the crew as we were busy rowing out on the open ocean.

  “Sure, what do you want to hear?” I casually replied, not minding an attempt to help pass the time. As long as it kept one distracted, it would be good enough.

  “Why did you appear in the village stark naked the other day?” questioned another crewmember with a muffled laugh.

  “No comment,” I mumbled as I continued to row in silence.

  A few laughs spread throughout the small boat as the men poked fun at my situation. It was the talk of the town so to speak… a topic of conversation for the day. Everyone wanted to hear why the almighty Sigurd appeared out of the fire buck ass naked with no gear or items to speak of. Ah yeah, because they were all left inside a room, inside a cave, some fifty miles from Dragon’s Breach, that’s why.

  A waste of my expletive expletive, expletive expletive time.

  Ah did that make me angry. I was even moved to comment on the forums that drowning was in fact fairly realistic if one was on Ultra-Realism settings, to which the replies were a curious sort.

  They asked what my source was. They questioned why I would say such a thing to try and mislead the population. Yeah, because I made it up for fun.

  No, I experienced it firsthand.

  Everyone had their fears but I didn’t want any of them. If it took experiencing it to overcome or get used to it, then so be it. I was still scared of the thought but having gone through it… at least virtually, it wasn’t as bad as I imagined it to be. Blacking out underwater saved you the trouble of experiencing the worst of it.

  Bah, that experience was not something I would wish on anyone.

  This game was far too realistic. I could understand why some of the players had quit due to traumatic experiences in-game. There was even a lawsuit I saw in the news over someone developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from playing the game. Seemed frivolous but even if it did happen they would never win in court.

  If they did win… this game was doomed.

  It made sense though, what with people experiencing a first-person account that was nearly one-hundred percent accurate in its depiction of being brutally attacked in simulated melee combat. Some people couldn’t handle the mental trauma of watching someone stab them to death.

  Some couldn’t watch others being hacked to death.

  The more I pondered the brutality of the game, the more I realized that the model wasn’t sustainable. This game would have to tone things down in some way or the future was bleak. People tried it now because it was the hot new thing, the most realistic game ever released. A real representation of what it would be like to have your body transported to a fantasy world mired in conflict.

  It wouldn’t be long until the masses flood in from The Egg being released to the public for purchase and then the clamor for change would follow when those same people realize they can’t handle the gruesome nature of the game. It was a game sure, but if you couldn’t tell the difference between this and real life, what was the difference in experiencing a realistic traumatic experience?

  Everything was statistics based anyways, probability and numbers. The more people that experienced the game, the more likely some would take issue with it. People were a vocal lot when it came to things they disagreed with or disliked, often drowning out the positive voices that aren’t quite as moved to be heard.

  For every hundred calls of complaints, there was probably one call to compliment the service received at a restaurant or in general business. That really wasn’t always reflective of the customer service though. Eh maybe I was disillusioned, making a clouded judgment. Based off my recent failure to acquire the Relic, I could simply be overreacting while in a negative state of mind. It didn’t really matter what I thought anyways… the killing of players didn’t bother me anymore.

  I could separate that reality.

  To a degree, I think I’ve moved on from confusing my attachment to an AI with reality as well. Kate was fun, she existed within the game, and she was as realistic as any person I had met in real life but when the day is over and the game is shut down, she isn’t there.

  That’s what I told myself; whether my words held weight were another matter.

  “We’ve got full sail now,” said Eindride. “All hands at rest.”

  Setting down my oar, I leaned back as I stared out at the coastline that was rapidly being left behind. We still had ten hours or so left before we reached FWB’s location despite the relatively fast travel of the ship. A good wind and good current pushed our speed up to something close to 16 knots or roughly 18.4 miles per hour but that was essentially beyond our proposed maximum speed.

  There was a good chance that our speed would decline slightly and sooner rather than later at that. Either way I wouldn’t be around for most of it.

  It was time to log off for now.

  Chapter 81: Stormy Seas

  (Wednesday, December 1st Game Day / Friday, April 23rd Real Day)

  Logging back in nearly halfway through the trip, my intention was to stop at a local port to conduct some minor trade before heading out on our second raid. Resources that we were otherwise stuck with as Ellieby kept to the fur trade. Though she had been acquiring enchanted bags from the Elven territories for me which would be picked up sometime around the end of the month. I was looking forward to those bags.

  A bag that reduced the weight of the items being carried inside in practical terms, while described as a wind enchantment that aided lift when in use. Whatever the case, they were expensive and I had ordered quite a few them of varying sizes so that I could take them with me on my next trip.

  Enchanted bags piled on a sled, dragged by some bovine across the snowy grounds of the North sounded like a good way to increase my profit and attainment of raw materials. There was a scarcity of iron, wool, and linen in comparison to the abundance of leathers, furs, fish, and meat. Well, since Ellieby only wanted furs, I needed to dump some of the leathers and perishable items while demand was high.

  Winter was here now and the animal populations had already started to dwindle. My stockpiles back home were considerable with how much hunting my little Vikings were doing, so that left a lot of extra provisions to sell. Money was essential for the growth of Dragon’s Breach after all, and I needed as much as I could get my hands on.

  Money… and an Ancient Relic that couldn’t be used.

  The frustration felt from being denied after all the hard work that had been put into it was real and lingered at the back of my mind two days later. Thoughts on selling the information of the location struck me as blasphemous in a way, seeing how advertising such a thing would only churn the public into a frenzy.

  If news broke that Relics were actually out there and being sold… sure I could make a fortune but then every player in the game would be out looking for them. As of now, the public was largely unaware that they even existed. Of course for those who spent the time to read through the Annals of History of the game, the hints were there.

  A quick internet search while I was offline proved that people were looking. If any of those posters had found one, there was a modicum of doubt that they would actually publicize it. As long as Relics remained myths at large, those in the know could search and map out their locations for the ensuing scramble.

  My version of the gold rush, essentially.

  There was also the idea of bringing Kate down there and seeing if she could use the item. Giving her a Relic that clearly had Dark Magic properties with its color scheme and gravity-related effects, could allow her to train the troops in both Holy and Dark Arts. Though if something went wrong and she died down there… she would be lost.

  And getting in was the easy part.

&nb
sp; Hahhhh, I sighed.

  That was entirely out of the question. Save for destroying the mountain to find it, Katherine wasn’t going down there. Someone else would eventually benefit from it, after I was compensated fairly, that is.

  “Whatever,” I mumbled while staring out at the vast deep blue.

  We were less than twenty minutes from the port town when I initially logged back in but due to rougher than usual seas our forward motion had all but slowed to a stop. Practically crawling over the tops of waves only to drop hard back down the backside, my stomach was reaching its threshold as I barely managed to hold it in.

  In the distance another boat had been making its way towards us in the disturbing conditions as they changed from their original course that was roughly twenty-degrees off. Creeping up on us after what felt like an hour, they slowed their pace and pulled up alongside of our ship for a brief moment.

  Unsure if they were hostile or not at first, we had been on guard and in a defensive position until they finally came within shouting distance. The fishing boat was unarmed for the most part and largely harmless, much to my relief. Naval combat wasn’t something I wanted to partake in. To lose the ship and all the crew on board would be disastrous… if that happened, well, there was no point in thinking about that.

  “Turn back if you value your lives!” yelled a man from the fishing vessel as he waved to get our attention. “Sea monsters are hunting the fishing lane! Be warned, fellows!”

  Freezing for a moment as I tried to comprehend what was said, a quick glance at Eindride told me that he was similarly confused. Sea monsters hunting the fishing lane… in essence, our path to the port town was a perilous one.

  “Thanks be had for the warning!” replied Eindride with a bellow as he stood up and covered his brow with an open hand, attempting to look out in front of us.

  The boat continued to toss in the rough waters as I barely managed to move over to the edge, securing a spot where I could better see the men I was interacting with.

  “Details, friends!” I yelled out to them. “What do you know of these monsters!?”

  “Giants!” he shouted back. “Giant tentacles from the deep, claws too!”

  “They’ve attacked?” I quickly questioned.

  “They have!” he replied as their boat started to drift past, with his second reply falling off so as to be barely understood. “Wait for calm seas!”

  Watching their boat sail off into the distance, I turned and gave a quick look at the worried crew with their faces answering whatever questions I might have had. We couldn’t afford to battle with a kraken-type sea monster right now… we didn’t have the numbers, the size of ship, or even the levels most likely.

  The game’s appendix or game guide had loose details on some of the more popular monsters as part of the advertising campaign. There were numerous kraken-types out in the ocean with the lowest being a simple giant squid around level two-hundred or so.

  Individually we wouldn’t be able to do anything.

  Collectively, we might have stood a chance in this game since the levels weren’t quite as defining as other games. Enough casters and ranged units and we might be able to manage. But to take that chance… no one had killed a [Giant Squid] in game and to take that risk would be foolhardy. It didn’t pay to be impetuous.

  “Beach the ship Eindride,” I said calmly. “We’ll wait the storm out.”

  “Yes Sir,” he replied as all hands grabbed their oars and began to row.

  Another day, another detour… it seemed fate wanted FWB to wait another day for us to play. That was all right with me.

  As long as we got to play.

  Chapter 82: Bergenheim

  (Thursday, December 2nd Game Day / Friday, April 23rd Real Day)

  Six hours later we had finally arrived at the port town of Bergenheim for what was originally intended as a short pit stop to trade and gather information. Instead it would serve as our stopover for the night and would allow the crew some entertainment, nourishment, and eventually rest.

  Bergenheim was a small town with a standing population of maybe three-hundred NPCs or inhabitants as the game liked to call them and was primarily made up of traders and sea-going men. Sailors, fishers, and traders… that was this town’s entire existence. Far enough south that they could trade with the middle kingdoms and then serve as the middlemen to the rest of the North, life was good here.

  A cross between the developed town near the Outcast Dungeon Cave and of more typical Dark Age buildings, all save for the inn were one-story rectangular structures constructed primarily of wood and with thatched roofs. Some were dug partially into the ground a few feet as was customary to decrease the amount of materials required and to provide added heat retention and protection from the elements.

  The major buildings were more structures as the docks were by far the fanciest and largest things in town. Docks and piers large enough to accommodate dozens of ships at a time with storage only a few steps away, the entire setup had been catered to the trade industry. A true industry town, it was the complete opposite of any of the villages further north that had nothing else to them, only existing as settlements and nothing more.

  As far as unique buildings went though, there were a few longhouses which was a nice touch but they belonged to the bigger families and were not open to the public, much to my dismay. Instead the more modern two-story inn was where visitors stayed and to compare it to the inn near the Outcast Dungeons… well, in short it was lacking amenities.

  A rough bed with old furs and a provided washbasin made up the living arrangements as I found the quarters a little cramped and in general rather uncomfortable. The thought of sleeping on a dirty bed where hundreds of others had slept was probably the worst of it. The likelihood of it ever being taken out for a thorough cleaning was probably slim to none. If anything it was beaten and dusted… maybe if I was lucky it had been taken out and washed at some point but I doubted it.

  One of the benefits of living near a river was the ability to bathe daily, sometimes twice daily and it was of regular practice up in Dragon’s Breach. Vikings in general bathed often as far as history was concerned and grooming was believed to be of some importance, evidenced by combs and other artifacts found in graves. Thankfully the game already implanted that seed into the population.

  Unfortunately though that practice didn’t extend to the busy inns… the conditions reminded me of cheap, budget motels rather than a three-plus star or diamond hotel. This was definitely a one-star motel if not half of a star. And yet it still cost a pretty penny.

  Oh well, other than the rooms the rest of it appeared to be in order. All in all Bergenheim seemed to be a fairly standard town. Booking every single room at the large inn proved to be a bit costly though as I needed to house thirteen bodies but the goodwill would eventually be returned. They worked hard and never truly complained, so a day of rest and relaxation was worth the expenditure. The only thing it hurt was my pockets.

  Having settled in at the bar that was on the first floor, the majority of my crew were busy intermingling with the locals. Most were sociable and the temperament seemed to be a lively one. Drinks were making their rounds as some folksy live music was taking place on a small stage. The food wasn’t terrible either, a plate of smoked herring garnished lightly with some wild vegetables and served with cheese and a rye, wheat mix flatbread.

  A cup of mead was also provided and seemed to be the drink of choice here. Fermented honey for a drink. People sure came up with strange things. Honey, yeast, and water plus some time and you no longer had to worry about contaminated water.

  Simple living at its finest.

  “All’s well?” asked one of the servers as he passed by.

  “All is well,” I replied slowly with a smile and a nod.

  Hospitality was important in Viking culture and despite the touristy nature of this southern-border town of the North, they made up for it with generous portions and a pleasing atmosphere. It really
wasn’t a bad town. There were even some players about too. If I had any complaints, it would be about the journey to get here.

  A part of me wondered how different life would be if I had chosen this location to start the game instead. It was rated a 4.2/10 compared to the Northern Triangle’s paltry 0.5/10. Close enough to the middle kingdoms to adventure with the rest of the gaming population but far enough that there was still privacy and some semblance of personal space.

  Ah, life would have been good here.

  “Heh,” I chuckled to myself.

  A good life maybe, but then there would be no Relic, no Dragon’s Breach, no Kate and on and on. Sometimes an early sacrifice made for a better future. Yeah, the Northern Triangle was the right place at the right time.

  I had no regrets.

  Enjoying my meal while listening to the conversations of those around me, I couldn’t help but notice a lone female sitting in the corner. A rather large female warrior that seemed out of place in the happy atmosphere with her solemn expression and lack of food or drink on the table.

  A peculiar NPC… or player, it was hard to tell. She looked to be a few inches over six feet in height and had a broad build that was well-developed. The scars on her face and arms told tales of their own as she quietly sat and stared at the wooden post in front of her. An overly seriously NPC sitting at a corner table by herself in a rather carefree town.

  I was intrigued by the oddity.

  If it stood out there was a reason for it. That was one of my mottos in this game and it had served me well so far. Waving over the barkeep that had taken my order, I wanted to ask a few questions before making any moves of my own.

  “What bothers you traveler?” asked the congenial old man.