The Dragon's Wrath: Shadows in the Flame

by Brent Roth

  If it wasn’t reputation based then perhaps it was territory based… or more likely, settlement based. When I went from a Campsite to a Village, the NPC-Recruiter became available. My current theory was that another list would become known to me when this Village transitions into a Town.

  More options going forward.

  That was my original idea and so far things appeared to be moving in that direction. There were a lot of NPCs that I wanted to recruit, a lot of industry that could still be developed with the right people behind the wheel.

  “Ah, there’s a lot of work to be done,” I whispered to myself as I made my way back to the cabin. Kate had been waiting for me, as she messaged me through the Soul Link an hour prior, curious as to my whereabouts. She was growing a little impatient.

  Well at least there was money coming in with the ship having departed only a few hours after arriving. Currently on route to Ellieby’s paltry village with a different crew and full of goods, I was hopeful that the return haul would be sizeable.

  Ellieby did say that she was able to acquire a few enchanted bags but there was remaining coin left over, the size of which was unknown to be as I had failed to inquire. If the money was of a small amount… then I would need to figure something else out to supplant my income. I needed more money.

  The relic… was an option.

  Chapter 89: Finances

  (Sunday, May 2nd Real Day)

  “Ugh, I’m tired,” I muttered while rolling to the other side of the bed. Leaning over the edge and grabbing the bottle of water placed on the floor, I rolled back over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. There was no female in this comfy bed with me and the painted walls were markedly different from the log cabin that I was used to.

  Taking a quick gulp and emptying the contents of the bottle, I tossed it back onto the floor as I turned my gaze towards the window. Staring out at the field of the military base that was my neighbor, a couple of sailors were running along the edge of the perimeter, getting in their morning run before a day’s work.

  I envied them a little and the sight depressed me.

  “Well, good for you guys,” I said out loud sincerely.

  Turning over onto my stomach, I planted my face into the pillow as thoughts of the game filled my mind. My night’s sleep had been occupied with dreams of the game, as if my dreaming within the game wasn’t enough. Dreams of dragon’s fire… again. A dream that I had had before on a few different occasions.

  I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a subliminal message from the game, images shown in the background repeatedly throughout play. If there was anything to that kind of psychological imprinting or whatever it would be classified as. Or maybe it was pareidolia and the dreams were nothing but fire and I was simply imagining the dragon’s face in the shadows, like some see faces on the moon… or something like that. I really didn’t know and wasn’t sure what to make of the dreams.

  They had been occurring maybe once a month, irregularly enough that there wasn’t any evident pattern. It happened on different days, different times of the month, and appeared to have no correlation with whatever transpired inside the game.

  For all I knew, it was completely random.

  A search on the web provided no clues except that some players had experienced weird dreams in the same manner randomly throughout the continent. They weren’t always filled with dragon’s fire though, in fact mine was the only one with fire. Others had dreams of monsters they weren’t familiar with, of beasts and races we had yet to see in-game. The simple fact that a few players had been having dreams was scary enough though. What exactly could these developers at AIcorps do to us, with placing messages in our heads while we play a game, only to have a dream of it at some point in the future?

  The main connecting factor between us all though, was that we were all lucid dreamers. We were often if not always aware that we were dreaming, subconsciously able to influence the dream while asleep. Cognizant dreaming, that’s what connected us.

  Every dream that I had ever had, was a lucid dream.

  And seemingly, so too were the others with the odd dreams. A query letter was sent to the company but no reply or response was given. Either they didn’t know about it and wanted to keep it hush hush or they did know about and still wanted to keep the lid clamped down. Another odd dream, was all I was left with.

  The Dragon’s Wrath was an interesting name for a game anyways. No one had even seen a dragon yet and any reference to them within the game was somewhat mythical. Sure, we were probably about five, maybe six-percent through the content so it wasn’t that unusual but it did seem strange.

  Well there was the territory directly to the east of the mountain range that had yet to be explored. Access was blocked off during the alpha and beta phase of the game and the circular crater-like mountain range sat directly in the middle of the northern territories, splitting the east and west apart with nearly impassable terrain.

  The trees were thick there and the creatures were strong along the way, with frost trolls guarding the mountain every which way. I could probably make the journey now but a month ago it would have been impossible.

  Curiosity was a curious thing, always nagging and pushing when the mind knew better. I really wanted to explore that region. If there was anything over there it would probably be special. Another relic or two, maybe. Perhaps there might even be rare monsters with magical hides, enchanted weapons, or the one thing that had been stalking my dreams… dragons.

  “Ah it’s time,” I said while checking the clock.

  Months of unemployment while holed up inside The Cube did little for my financial situation as my funds had slowly dwindled to the point of no return. My balances were nearing the red and in the same way that I turned an asset into money for the game, a buyer was here to take another of my cars.

  I had already parted with one car to pay for the game and used the extra funds to pay my bills forward, now it was time to part with a second one. All of the hours put into restoring them, so they would be done right and now someone else would get to enjoy them. Today, I was selling my import.

  Roughly an hour later, the man had finally arrived.

  Having recently shaved and showered, I went from looking the part of a hobo to a relatively clean young man. The bags under my eyes and the graying hair didn’t quite match my age though. The latter I had no control over anyway.

  “Hey how’s it going?” I asked as the man made his way up the driveway. Extending my hand and engaging in a hand shake, I then turned my attention to the car as the man seemed uninterested in conversing.

  “So this is it?” he asked quickly while walking around the car, checking the exterior and paint for any dents, dings, or scratches.

  “Yeah, this is the one,” I replied with feigned interest.

  “Can I pop the hood, and what all has been done to it?”

  Taking a second to clear my mind as everything had been listed on the ad, the likelihood that this individual had even read the first line was slim to none and unfortunately that was the reality. Two other buyers came by, not having read the ad and when they found that the car was heavily modified, decided to walk away after test driving it. Essentially, they were either blissfully ignorant or they wanted the joyride.

  A waste of my time.

  “Well, starting from the front… a 54mm aluminum radiator to replace the stock 32mm, pulled the stock fans and rewired a single fan plus shroud that’s always on to prevent overheating as the previous fans were operated in stages.

  “There’s an intercooler directly below, you can trace the blue silicone piping from it to that Holset turbo on the exhaust side of the engine there. The engine itself is built, forged everything pretty much and is solid up to around six-hundred horsepower. Ah what else, well, all the basics are there plus a coolant reroute as the stock configuration leaves the fourth cylinder running hot.

  “Engine management is done by a megasquirt unit, everything’s already been programm
ed and the engine is currently tuned down to a mild three-hundred and fifty horses. Momo steering wheel plus Recaro racing seats….”

  After listing off all the details more for the hell of it than for the customer, as he had stopped listening basically after the first mention of a 54mm radiator, I wanted nothing more than to turn around and walk inside the house. To forget the deal and let him drive away as he clearly was not the right customer for this car.

  “So how fast is it?” he blurted out after sitting down in the driver’s seat.

  “As its currently configured, around zero to sixty miles per hour in about four point four,” I replied somewhat nonchalantly. “On a perfect launch.”

  “Can it go faster then?”

  “Sure, could probably get it down to around four seconds flat with what it has… wouldn’t last you very long though,” I replied honestly. “Tranny won’t handle much more than four-hundred foot pounds of torque, at least not for long.”

  “Oh, so it has a bad transmission?” he asked with an idiotic expression.

  Wanting to cover my face with my hands, I refrained and continued on with my blank emotionless face that belied my inner frustration. The only reason I hadn’t turned him away was the fact that he actually seemed to like the car. He might not have a clue but he did seem interested and that was enough for me.

  “Transmission is strong but that’s the factory one, they were designed for different goals,” I tried to explain. “It’s not a new car but it’s just as fast if not faster than most on the road. Drive it reasonably and maintain it, and it will last you awhile. I’ve never had an issue with it as long as I’ve had it.”

  “So it’s reliable, cool I do like the styling, lowered and all with roll bars and the hard top is definitely nice…” he said, rambling on a bit as I stopped listening.

  Thinking about my plans for Dragon’s Breach, I was trying to figure out the best layout for the inn and where it should be placed. The idea of having rooms with a waterfront view seemed like a good one but that meant the building would need to be two stories above ground to see over the walls.

  “So um, can we go for a ride?” he asked, disrupting my thoughts.

  “Ah, sure, quick question though… driven stick before?” I asked seriously in return as there was little interest on my part in replacing the clutch or transmission.

  “No but I want to learn,” he replied.

  Smashing my head into a wall through the use of my vivid imagination, I could only smile and laugh a little as I decided not to care.

  “Well I’ll be driving this time around then,” I explained with no sympathy. “This has a ceramic twin-disc clutch in it which isn’t quite as friendly as the stock one… pedal is a bit heavier, around forty-five pounds versus the eighteen of the stock, and engagement is quick and hard if you aren’t used to it. It might take some getting used to….”

  Getting in the driver’s seat while he occupied the passenger seat, I started the car and quickly pulled out of the driveway as the car had already been warmed up prior to the man’s arrival. Staring at the head unit, I decided to play a little music to set the mood.

  “Any preference when it comes to music?” I inquired with a side glance.

  “Anything electronic, does this have a good system?” he asked with smile.

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  Returning a smile as I turned the head unit on, the mono amp running the ten inch in the trunk was pushing around 800W RMS while the four channel was connected to the two front speakers, running around 180W RMS. To put it in simple terms, it was a powerful system and was balanced for the car.

  Good didn’t do it justice.

  Giving the car a little gas as I headed in the direction of the naval base, the strip of road that ran down the middle of the base was public access and was typically empty and free of traffic. A good place to drag race and it led to a nice area filled with rolling hills and sharp curves, a perfect location to demonstrate what a real sports car could do.

  If everything went right, it would be my last drive too.

  Chapter: 90 Creating an Establishment

  (Tuesday, December 28th Game Day / Sunday, May 2nd Real Day)

  Sitting on top of the mountain ledge that overlooked Dragon’s Breach and ended at the river, I was searching for a good location to place the inn and future spots where I could potentially place the other buildings afterwards. With limited space behind the wooden walls, my planning now would eventually save me some headaches in the future.

  Ah, yes… the future.

  Well at least the future finances of my real life were taken care of for six months at the most if I was frugal. It was more likely to last me four months but I was satisfied with that. The drive actually went surprisingly well, as it turned out the man was a bit of an adrenaline junky and with every heavy-footed turn into a corner or curve, his smile continued to grow larger and larger.

  Why he didn’t buy a new car was beyond me but he had the money and was looking for an older car. For some it was all about the style and the older cars certainly had plenty of that. The newer cars, not so much.

  I was a little sad to see that one go though.

  It was my most valuable car and had been my daily driver for years. Now my classic and import were gone and that left the muscle car and truck left, and a motorcycle too. In four months I would have to sell another and then I would be down to one car and bike… my assets were declining.

  This lifestyle wouldn’t last, that was the reality.

  “Maybe I could fix the car after he breaks it,” I mumbled to myself while scratching my chin. “He’ll definitely break it. Probably soon too. Hmm.”

  “Talking to yourself again?” asked Kate as she snuck up on me.

  “Of course, it helps one think,” I replied. “Come ‘ere.”

  Opening my arms and inviting her in, she sat down and faced the village with me as we relaxed on the mountain ledge with the sun still rising to the east. Clouds and mountain ridges blocking the majority of the light, the cool winter day was surprisingly comforting as the snowfall had temporarily stopped. Only a short respite before the heavy snow would fall once again, it was still a welcome thing.

  “I was visiting Selene’s grave,” she said after some time had passed. “Even after all this time… I still miss her. Sometimes, I wake and think she is still with us only to realize my mistake. In my sleep, she’s still there. I sometimes wonder if she didn’t pass over.”

  “I don’t know,” I said softly while holding her tightly. “There are a lot of things in our world that we don’t understand, can’t hope to understand. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t…. there’s no way for us to know.”

  “Is it the same in your world?” she asked while resting her head back on my shoulder.

  “It might be worse in my world,” I replied, a little confused as she had been so direct in this conversation that I was starting to question if she was self-aware. A self-aware AI was not supposed to be possible at this point… but she was scaring me.

  “What’s your world like?” she inquired while maintaining her position.

  Pausing for a second to think over a response that could turn the conversation in a different direction, I was truly starting to worry that she had developed beyond the expectations of the game’s design.

  “It’s a lot like this world,” I answered quietly. “A bit worse, a bit better….”

  “I see,” she whispered.

  With her questions seemingly answered, silence returned to us as we sat on the ledge overlooking the village. The sun was shining brightly now as the warmth reached my face. Basking in the rays of the sun, I decided to lay back and take a nap with Kate at my side.

  I didn’t want to think of Selene or of Kate’s personal development any longer and hoped that the dream state would carry me to a better place. I needed to get back to work but the mood wasn’t right.

  My mind wasn’t right.

  Waking up nearly an ho
ur later as the sun was positioned directly above me, Kate was still asleep in my arms as the answer to my previous question had finally been answered. Coming to me in a dream that I couldn’t remember or solved subconsciously while asleep, the location of the inn was now solidified in stone.

  Literally in stone, that is.

  The inn would be placed along the northern mountain edge, with windows facing out to the west and to the south. Views of the river and of the village and possibly even the farms and forests further out. Since it would be built along the mountain, there would be no issue with the height as I could make the building as tall as needed. Two stories, three, perhaps even four would do.

  In fact, I wanted it to be more than an inn.

  It would be more than a lodging with a restaurant and bar attached as the definition goes… it would be a holiday inn, or a resort inn. A bath house built into the rocks, connected to the fancy rooms with dinner service nearby and alcohol along with live music not more than a few steps away.

  A nearby second restaurant or lounge would provide variety and spillover in case it ever became packed. Then another bathhouse could be built to be used by the general public, for the inhabitants of Dragon’s Breach. These were amenities that could boost the morale of the work force, to improve the standard of living.

  Oh was I excited now.

  Motivation had found its way. Getting up, Kate pulled on me as if she wanted me to stay while still fast asleep herself. Gently waking her, I gave her a kiss and told her of my plans. She simply nodded that it was a good idea and sat up with a sleepy expression.

  Far too excited to wait for her groggy-self to fully wake up, I immediately flash stepped off the edge and down to the ground level. Breaking into a quick sprint, I ran to the blacksmith’s hut where Enok and Ansgar were likely working.

  “Hey guys, do we have mining picks?” I asked instantly without giving them any warning as to me entering the building. “We don’t, do we?”