The Dragon's Wrath: Shadows in the Flame

by Brent Roth

  “Ye made it Sigurd,” replied the dwarf with a firm handshake as I finally managed to clear a space for the three of us to squeeze in.

  “Good to see ya mate,” said Ethan with a wink and a nod, as he resumed his people watching with a certain interest. There were a lot of males here but there were plenty of females too. If bars and clubs were a place to pick up a date for the night, an in-game bar was a hundred times better. We were all anonymous here… and that meant a lot.

  “This here is Emily and Valerie,” I explained with an upturned palm pointing in each of their directions, introducing them to the crew over the loud noise of the crowd. “They helped me out up North, kind of owe them one. They’re also the ones who helped set me on the correct path.”

  “Nice to meet ya,” said Barik loudly as he shook both of their hands in turn, leaning over the table as his smaller stature didn’t afford him the reach.

  “Pleasure ladies,” said Ethan with a playboy’s smile as he leaned in near their ears to introduce himself. “Friends call me Ethan.”

  Standing slightly off to the side as the four began to interact, I surveyed the crowd and looked for people of interest. This was the watering hole where people gathered, one of a dozen or more in this town. If I wanted to gather information then I needed to mingle with the crowds… local folks with a decent knowledge of the area were what I wanted.

  It was already 11:14 PM local time for me and the gals, while the sun was still setting for the Aussies a day ahead. We would have to play late into the night if we wanted to keep up with them, though what type of play depended entirely on one’s success.

  Noticing a lone female struggling to get a drink at the bar, I figured my opportunity to begin gathering data had arrived. Leaving the girls with the guys at the table without a word, I entered the crowd and began to make my way through to the front. Clever positioning and a little show of strength got me through the worst of the blockades while a polite greeting took me the rest of the way.

  A foot away from the girl that was failing to get the attention of the barkeep as she was blocked by a large man standing in front of her, I slipped in next to her and waved at the NPC running the show. Even with my Reputation stat not quite as influential here as in the North, they still seemed to recognize my importance over the other players despite having no prior interactions. Invisible stats that triggered responses, it was nice to have.

  “Yah wha’ ya want!?” he shouted over the noise of the crowd while leaning over the counter as far as he could. Ignoring the girl to my right who was clearly upset at this point, I figured I would get the standard drink for now.

  “A pint of ale,” I yelled back as I put my index finger up.

  The man nodded as he understood but before he turned and walked away, I interrupted him with an open hand signaling for him to wait. Tapping the shoulder of the flustered girl on my right, I leaned over and asked her a quick question.

  “What are you having!?” I said loudly to her as I turned my head to the side with my ear positioned somewhat in front of her face. In turn she placed her hand on my shoulder as she leaned in and with her lips nearly touching my ear, she replied without hesitation.

  “A lager!” she shouted over the noise.

  Turning back to the barkeep, I put up two fingers as I shook my head.

  “Sorry! Make it two lagers!”

  With the bartender attending to our drinks, I turned my attention to the cute redhead next to me. She was a short one, maybe 5’2” at the most without boots on and had a slightly rounded face to match the curvy yet slim body below. My intention wasn’t to play pick-up artist but if things rolled that way, I wasn’t entirely turned off to the idea. I was a single guy after all and we were at a bar. The whole thing reminded me of old times.

  “Thanks!” she said clearly as she leaned her face in next to mine. “I’ve been waiting forever! I usually don’t have to wait this long!”

  “Yeah, it’s a little crowded today!” I replied while keeping the distance between us as close as possible. Working my way closer as a few guys walked by and bumped her, I used the opportunity to extend an arm around her as I shifted positions with her. Moving her towards the side of the bar with myself on the outside, she no longer had to deal with the other patrons constantly knocking into her.

  “I know!” she shouted back after we had finished repositioning. “Wednesday night is always crazy! I was waiting on my friends but I don’t think they can make it inside!”

  Laughing in my head at the corny line, I had heard the same thing dozens if not hundreds of times before. There were always guys and girls that came alone but pretended as if they were waiting on others. Sometimes they actually did come with friends but were ditched or abandoned as their friends left to chase their targets. Either way, she was here to socialize and I wasn’t one to judge. Fun came in a variety of ways, anyways.

  Receiving our drinks, I suggested we head outside to the gallery where it was less crowded so we could actually hear ourselves talk. Taking her out, it only took fifteen minutes and three more lagers to gather enough information from her to figure she wasn’t going to be of much use. The only thing of interest was that she mentioned she was part of a large guild that happened to be on my list. She was a member of a guild that was in direct competition with the guild Triumvirate.

  Another fifteen minutes had passed as the girl told me she had to get going while asking if I could walk her back. I knew where this was heading and I gave it some consideration, but then I thought of Katherine and immediately felt guilty.

  Angered by the feeling of guilt over an NPC that didn’t exist, my mood had been ruined as I walked the girl back to her room. She was angling to have me come up with her as I declined with an excuse that my friends were waiting for me at the bar.

  That was the end of that.

  “Man… what the fuck,” I mumbled as I entered the pub that was a mere five minute walk away. Making my way back to the corner table where the four had been sitting and conversing, I now had a new name on my friend’s list for a future meeting. She wasn’t too upset that I turned her down. Maybe my excuse and delivery worked too well.

  “You’re back,” said Emily as she gave me a suspicious look.

  “Alive and well,” I joked with a quick raise of my eyebrows and a smirk.

  “Mm. I bet,” chimed in Valerie as she swirled the remaining ale around in her mug. “Short with red hair and a big bust, I presume that’s your taste?”

  Holding in my laughter, I decided to join in the game and have a little fun. Eyeing the girl in front of me, she really did look the same as when I had last seen her at the meeting. It took a few glances to refresh my memory but she truly was one and the same, only this time she didn’t have large dark sunglasses covering her eyes.

  “Actually, I prefer tall brunettes,” I said with a nonchalance as I grabbed an empty chair and squeezed myself in. “A natural beauty, pretty but not over the top. One that can dress modestly without much makeup and still be presentable. Has a sharp sense of humor, maybe even a dry sense of humor that could compliment mine. Intelligence is a standard necessity along with decent morals and ethics. Hm, what else… oh, green eyes, definitely. Green eyes are a big plus as well.”

  Emily blushed for a split-second as Ethan and Barik both concealed their laughter as the girl I was describing was sitting across from us. As I gave her a wink, she didn’t appear to catch on as the description seemed to go right over her head.

  “Mm. That’s awfully detailed,” she said after a few seconds had passed, pausing to tilt her head while raising her glass. “Best of luck to you in finding someone that matches that description, I believe you’ll be needing it.”

  Bursting out into laughter as her response was perfect, everyone else joined in except for Valerie as she was either playing it off as cool as a cucumber or she didn’t realize she was being funny. Either way, it turned the atmosphere into a happy one as we all enjoyed the moment for what it was.
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br />   “You’re a joke and a half Sigurd,” said Ethan as he leaned back in his chair and resumed his people watching.

  “It seemed appropriate,” I said with a shrug.

  “Uhm, to clue you in on what you missed,” Emily started to explain after clearing her throat, intending to change the topic as she seemed a little uncomfortable with the previous course of discussion. “Everyone here is already familiar with the large guilds that have been fighting over these past months and it looks like the NPCs have finally started to move. They’ve been seeking recruits in the region.”

  “Recruits?” I asked a bit perplexed by the statement.

  “Mercenaries mate,” chimed in Ethan.

  “Hm, well that redhead is a member of Accipe Hoc,” I stated casually as I stared at the center of the table. “It’s one of the largest guilds in these parts and they’ve been fighting with Triumvirate for over a month real-time now.”

  “Is that so?” inquired Valerie with a curious expression. “You mean to say, you weren’t actually playing and were… dare I say it, working?”

  “What’s the name mean?” asked Emily with a confused expression. “I don’t get all the Latin guild names.”

  “Take this, or take that,” I explained quickly as I turned my attention back to Valerie. Bowing slightly as I replied to her, I tried to play it out as best as I could. “I’m always on the job my lady, no opportunity shall be wasted under my watch.”

  “Mm. Lovely,” she retorted as she finished the last of her ale.

  “So do you think we should join up with a large guild?” Emily questioned with some seriousness, as she folded her hands and placed them on the table.

  “Eh I don’t know, I’m liking the sound of mercenary honestly,” I said with little to no emotion showing. “If that’s the correct term… we’ll be paid by the NPC faction to fight this war and we’ll remain anonymous as far as the bigger guilds go. I don’t want to be found out here. The last thing I need is for word to spread that I’m over twenty-four hours away from Dragon’s Breach when I’ve got hundreds of enemies in the North.”

  “Fair point,” said Emily. “Then we’ll do the mercenary route.”

  As we combed over the finer details to prepare for our involvement, the main issue was when the real fighting would begin. According to Emily the system itself was largely automated and would make its own decisions when the time was appropriate. Of course the system was created by game designers… so my line of thinking there led me to believe that preferences were installed into the game’s brain to lean towards a weekend release.

  Purely hypothetical but I was expecting a Friday or Saturday start.

  “Alright! I’m off,” said Emily as she pushed off the table and stood up. “I’ve got work in the morning, see you guys later!”

  Glancing at Valerie, she appeared to be looking at her menu as her eyes were fixated on a spot that didn’t have anything of interest. Usually she would leave when Emily left but this time, she seemed content to stay and hang out.

  “Have either of you guys been to Cleftside?” I asked, as that appeared to be the opposing castle-town that mirrored Wesstown and was the settlement that currently held the forces of the Triumvirate. “Is the layout similar to here, if you’ve been?”

  “Yeh we’ve been,” said Barik after a long period of silence from him. “It’s a… bigger place, larger walls, and more troops.”

  “Large walls,” repeated Ethan as he demonstrated the difference with his hands. “Wesstown is a fort-town compared to Cleftside, that’s a real castle-town. Double the height and thickness with their walls.”

  “And if war does break out with the NPCs launching a major offensive, do you think we’ll be the attackers or the defenders?” I questioned as my knowledge of the situation had been limited due to my sheltered existence in the North. I only knew what little had been shared with me.

  “We’ll be the attackers,” said Ethan with a matter-of-fact tone of voice. “Our side has been losing territory every step of the way, they’re almost to our doorstep mate.”

  “Wouldn’t we be the defenders then?” asked Valerie.

  “Nah, we either push them back to their walls or we lose the region,” he explained with little fanfare. “They’re cashed up with the numbers to back while we’re sittin’ with a shonky lot of players. To say we’ve got the short stick, well it ain’t going to be an easy day.”

  “Too right,” chimed in Barik, in complete agreeance.

  “I’ll need to gather information then,” I stated. “Looks like I’ll have to visit Cleftside before the war officially breaks out.”

  “Not happening,” said Ethan quickly. “Gates locked to outsiders, they aren’t letting anyone in unless you’ve got an issued pass.”

  “Eh and Wesstown doesn’t do the same?” I mumbled as I thought over the situation. “I see why we’re losing already.”

  After another thirty minutes of discussion, we decided to split up from the guys as Valerie and I were logging off for the night. We still weren’t on the friendliest of terms but it had warmed enough where she was now receptive. The short tour through the estuary region before we set out proved to be a step in the right direction, as she enjoyed the area considerably.

  Walking back with her as we headed towards the inn where Emily had reserved the rooms, the crowded streets gave us little freedom to walk or talk along the way. Cutting through an alley between two rows of buildings, the three-story wooden constructs went as far as the eye could see.

  Shops and other establishments were on the first floor, the ground floor, while residences were directly above. Hundreds of potential homes within view as notices were posted on street corners, “Rooms for rent available, inquire within.” This was a modern-styled town, more 1800s in appearance than the 1100s the North resembled.

  What set it apart was the attire of the majority of the players and NPCs. Some players wore current clothing styles but most had their equipment on, leathers of all sorts and even a few armors crafted with bits of iron. If one thing truly stood out, it was the amount of money available here. These players all had a little bit of money to spend.

  “I might need to explore the trade options here,” I mumbled as we walked down the dark alley, lost in my own mind and oblivious to the girl next to me.

  “Is it always business or war with you?” she asked, breaking my train of thought as I had almost forgotten about her presence. “Or is business and war the same thing?”

  “Oh they’re all interrelated, so I guess,” I replied without looking her way.

  “What are you scheming then?” she questioned rather abruptly.

  “Always with the negative connotations,” I whispered under my breath as I chuckled and looked up at the changing skyline. “Well to be honest with you, I’m trying to figure out how to best make my mark here with limited resources and manpower.”

  “Perhaps I’ve been sheltered but what drives you to such lengths?” she asked as straightforwardly as possible. “I’ve been wondering, questioning really why Emily cares about any of this. I don’t understand her reasoning but you have some motive.”

  “Do you want the philosophical reasoning or the emotional one?” I replied while stopping to lean against the corner of a wall, wanting to finish the conversation before we reentered the crowd. This was something I had been wondering myself over the past few days and only recently did I come to terms with it.

  “I’m interested in both,” she said with a slight smile. “Maybe this time, you’ll share your opinion… it would be a shame if you decided to skim on the details, again.”

  Turning my head up and leaning it against the wall, the line she used harks back to the first time we conversed. It was a curious line, one that maybe conveyed more meaning under the surface than the words themselves.

  “Well there’s nothing special about the emotional response and motivation,” I began to explain while resting my hands on my thighs. “If someone wrongs you then your fi
rst reaction is to want to get even. The desire for revenge can burn from within as it seemingly provides you with the fuel to carry on through the most difficult of times.

  “Then when it becomes apparent that the ones who wronged you were manipulated by another, that blame was wrongly assigned and innocents had suffered for it, you may regret the actions but it can also serve to push you even further, to cause that rage and fury to ignite an even greater flame. To right the wrongs… to settle the matter once and for all.”

  “That sounds rather juvenile,” she said curtly.

  “In words yeah, but emotions can’t always be defined neatly by words. It’s a feeling that pervades one’s essence and can serve as a great tool to help one get through troubling times. The issue is that emotions can run in the other direction too, dragging one through the mud and into a deeper hole where all hope is seemingly lost.”

  “And what of the philosophical reasoning?” she asked.

  “When an individual or a collective of individuals behind the scenes or from a position of power begin to pull the strings, the little people are the ones who suffer for it. When the pawns are moved and sent into action, the masterminds sit back and watch as it all unfolds. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter to them as they are unharmed. They return to their lives as if everything is normal while the pawns are left to pick up the pieces.

  “When you ask yourself, what if the opportunity one day presents itself where the puppet can usurp the puppet master, would you let the moment pass or take the chance to change the narrative? Are we forever destined to be puppets in someone’s scheme? I would like to think, that the story starts with me.”

  “Pretentious aren’t we, to have the story start with you,” she mocked with a wry smile that gave away her position.

  “You have your own story,” I replied with a wink. “We all have one.”

  Pushing off the wall and standing up, I made my way through the crowd as she followed quietly behind. Separated only by a foot of distance, her demeanor had changed to a more positive one after our short discussion and it caught me by surprise. With every extended conversation, the barriers between us were slowly but steadily being eroded.