by Dean Henegar
Parkins motioned me to stop, paced off ten steps, and pointed at the area Kreston was supposed to start at. Kreston grinned at me as he drew both axes, twirling them in a display of skill before activating some enchantment and the edges of the axes quickly covered in a smoky black haze. I wasn’t sure what the enchantment was, but I knew I didn’t want to get hit by them. I unslung my shield and drew my sword as the AI created a quest prompt.
Quest updated: Retribution. Your entry in the Grand Melee has been rejected. Defeat Kreston to resume your path toward freedom. Reward: 500 experience upon victory, one advantage for your forces in the coming fight, one disadvantage to a foe in the coming fight. Penalty for failure: loss of 500 experience and the need to compete in more smaller tournaments before proceeding.
I did not want to go back to fight in more scummy places like Asif’s. I wanted to finish this thing, restore my name, and start playing again with my friends. Septimus and Parkins stepped back about thirty yards, Parkins holding up a red cloth. Without further ceremony, the cloth dropped and we both sprang into action.
I activated Incite and raised my hand, unleashing the spreading corruption attack. Just before the ability activated Kreston vanished from in front of me. An instant later, I felt both of Kreston’s axes tear into my back.
You have been critically hit by Kreston’s Blink Step attack, 185 damage received. You have lost 4 attack and 4 defense for the next 10 seconds from the Dark Blade enchantment.
You have been critically hit by Kreston’s Blink Step attack, 217 damage received. You have resisted the Dark Blade enchantment.
A stream of acidic sap flew from my hands as my opponent’s axes struck. The sap from the Spreading Corruption attack curved back over my head and then down onto my opponent; the ability from Tessel’s Promise could not be avoided and the sap always flew unerringly toward its victim. Kreston screamed in pain behind me as I rolled away from my opponent. My health was down below ten percent and I watched the level 10 ability I just unleashed drop Kreston to forty percent, with continuous damage slowly ticking away.
“Thank you for the Physically Fit health buff, Clio,” I offered as I backed further from my opponent. Without the health bonus from all our hard work, I would be dead already.
I activated Goon Squad and watched seven prisoners spawn in random places. Each member of the goon squad drew a makeshift prison shank and charged Kreston, the half-orc still distracted by the damage over time (DOT) he was receiving from the sap. The bodyguard tried in futility to wipe away the sticky sap burning his flesh. This only caused his fingers to begin sizzling as the acid transferred, melted the flesh. Kreston dropped one of his axes in pain as the first goon reached him, the makeshift knife slamming into Kreston’s shoulder.
“Accchhh! This is against the rules! You can’t have any additional forces,” Kreston sputtered as he hacked down the first goon.
“These aren’t my forces. They are one of my class abilities, no different than the Blink Step ability you used or the enchantments on your axes,” I taunted. The AI would not have allowed the attack or the ability if it had violated the rules. While he was distracted by the remaining goons I moved further from my foe, waiting to activate the Promise’s last ability if it looked like Kreston would survive the goons. I wanted to save the Summon Corrupted Wolf ability if I could.
The other goons furiously attacked Kreston, but their weak weapons proved insufficient to the task. Kreston’s armor and agility allowed him to avoid most of the damage. The important thing wasn’t the damage the goon squad was doing, though: it was the time it bought me. When Kreston finally hacked down the last goon, I was twenty-five yards away and had already summoned my corrupted wolf. The foul spore creatures were as disgusting as I remembered—decaying skin covering a writhing mass of vines and bulbous plants attached to the wolf’s skeleton.
The wolf charged Kreston, bowling him over and dragging its claws against the chain armor covering Kreston’s body. The creature’s claws penetrated the armor in several places, doing minor damage, but more importantly holding Kreston in place for its next attack. Kreston didn’t give up; he slammed his remaining axe into the side of the beast. Greenish yellow sap flowed from the wound and an overpowering smell of rot filled the air. Kreston gagged and was unable to stop the wolf from opening its jaws and hurtling thick vines from its throat. The vines easily penetrated the compromised chest armor and drove deep into his chest cavity. The wolf convulsed and more of the corrupted sap that filled the creature was pumped into Kreston. Kreston gurgled in pain as his health dropped to zero.
You have defeated your foe, 175 experience gained.
Quest updated: Retribution. You have won your fight and secured a place in Shraza’s Grand Melee. Experience received, 500.
I took a moment to catch my breath as I waited for Septimus, Parkins, and Galba to approach. Septimus displayed the usual fake exuberant demeanor he adopted after a win. For his part, Parkins contained his anger at loosing.
“Ahh, well done once again, Raytak. Superb performance. Now, my new friend Parkins, it is time to discuss our advantage in the next fight. What are our options, my good man?” Septimus asked.
“Well done, sir. Congratulations on defeating Kreston. I have to admit, I’m impressed with your performance. Would you be interested in a career as a bodyguard? I could buy your contract out from my friend Septimus here and offer you a considerable wage to take the job?” Parkins asked. Astonishingly the clerk appeared to be the first person I’d met since my imprisonment that didn’t hold a grudge against me for beating them or their representatives.
“I’m afraid my path is set, sir, and I’ll be unable to accept your generous offer. I need to win my way into the Grand Melee at the capitol to clear my name. Thank you for the offer and your graciousness at my victory,” I answered the clerk.
“Never hurts to ask, young man. Should you change your mind just send me a message. I seem to be in dire need of a new bodyguard,” Parkins said, gesturing to the still-dissolving Kreston. The corrupted wolf sat at my side and awaited any other orders. I motioned the beast to a point in the arena downwind from us; the smell coming off the creature was awful. Still, having the beast stay summoned for five minutes gave me more flexibility in a long fight, provided I could keep the creature alive that long.
“Now, as for the disadvantage to your foe and advantage for your own people, I have a few options,” Parkins offered, and several options appeared in my display.
Match Advantages:
Defensive Structures: Each team will start in their own section of the arena. Defensive structures allow protective wooden walls to be inserted in the floor to cover your flanks and for the spike squares to be placed across the entrance to your area, deterring and damaging any attacks against your team.
Delayed Start: Delayed start allows your team to enter one minute after the fight starts, allowing the other competitors to attack each other for a time before your fresh forces start the bout.
Disadvantage Protection: Prevents another opponent from adding a disadvantage to your own team. This choice will only negate one disadvantage. Should other teams or the same team wish to spend multiple disadvantages on you, any disadvantage past the first will be implemented against you.
Opponent Disadvantages:
Bad Position: This disadvantage will force an opponent to start near the center of the arena, making them a more likely target for the other teams.
Angry Beast: During the match, several creatures will be released to attack the participants at random. This disadvantage guarantees at least one beast will be released among a chosen foe.
Pit Traps: Three pit traps are placed around the chosen opponent. The traps will open when enough weight is placed on them, causing the floor to give way and dropping the victims into a ten-foot-deep pit full of spikes. Your team will be given the location of the pits to prevent your own forces from triggering them unless overly careless.
“Raytak, do you have a pr
eference? I was thinking the Defensive Structures and the Angry Beast,” Septimus offered.
“That would be good at first glance, but our battle formations and way of fighting makes our team into its own defensive structure. We may have to maneuver against our foes, and I don’t want waste our advantage on structures if we’re forced to maneuver out of our defensive area. In addition, I believe if one team is turtled up behind walls, the others may be inclined to focus them down first. Normally I would choose Disadvantage Protection, but based on Parkins reaction to our team, I believe the other competitors will dismiss our chances to win and are unlikely to spend precious disadvantages on as poorly a ranked team as ours,” I said. Parkins nodded in agreement with my assessment about the protection from disadvantage.
“I say we go for the Delayed Start and let the enemies wear themselves out on each other before we join the fight,” I said offering my opinions, hopeful that Septimus would listen. “For the disadvantage, do we get any knowledge of our opponents in advance, Parkins?” I asked.
“Scouting the competition is your lanista’s responsibility. If Septimus failed to do that, I can’t offer any additional information for free,” Parkins said shrugging with indifference to our plight.
“Ahh, well . . . it seems we arrived later than anticipated, being delayed by the Ssarn and that giant scorpion creature. How about this . . . we decide based on rank. I’m assuming the teams are ranked by the betting houses as to which ones are expected to perform the best?” Septimus offered.
“Fair enough. There are five teams entered in the melee and yours is ranked last of course. Which disadvantage do you choose, and which team do you wish to disadvantage, Septimus?” Parkins asked.
“Why, the top ranked team of course, and the beast disadvantage please,” Septimus said confidently.
“Hold up, Septimus, let’s think about this for a minute before we decide. Am I right in assuming that each team has purchased at least one disadvantage or advantage, Parkins?” I asked, not sold on Septimus’ logic.
“I can’t tell you who or what they purchased, but it is normal practice for all competitive teams to purchase both,” Parkins advised.
“In that case, we can logically guess that the first and second ranked teams will try to disadvantage each other. The only team not likely targeted by a disadvantage would be ours and the fourth ranked team. We have no idea of the power levels or composition of the other teams. Why don’t we do this Parkins . . . we choose to do the beast disadvantage to the team on our left,” I offered, figuring to focus on one of the opponents directly next to us in the fight rather than on a specific team.
“Very well, are you both agreed?” Parkins asked. Septimus turned toward me with an “are your sure?” look. I nodded.
“We are agreed, Parkins. When is the match scheduled?” Septimus asked.
“You are scheduled at noon, the day after tomorrow. Good luck to you,” Parkins said, ending the conversation and pointing toward the nearest exit.
“I’ll have Galba take you to upgrade your gear while I see if I can find something out about our opponents,” Septimus said, sighing as he handed Galba the bag of coin he had set aside for upgrades. Septimus was not a man who liked to part with coin.
Chapter 20
“Raytak, I’ll take you over to visit the merchants and see what the coin will buy for your troops. Send the wagon loaded with the spare gear here,” Galba told another guard who hustled off to get the equipment we would be trading in.
“Bring Wrend if you can. I’d like to get his input on our gear,” I called out towards the departing guard as we walked from the arena.
Galba led me through the maze of Shraza’s streets into the merchant quarter. We perused the various shops and stalls before we spotted a shop specializing in military surplus gear. The sign above the old warehouse read “Centurion Surplus.” This sounded like my kind of place. I pushed open the shop’s oversized doors and went inside while Galba waited outside for the wagon with our trade-in gear to arrive.
The shop was dimly lit; only the two small windows in the front let in natural light. Other than the windows, there were a few lanterns hanging here and there, creating a dim, musty atmosphere. Familiar scents of old clothing, oiled steel, and an undertone of leather met me as I walked about the shop. The smell of old surplus gear awoke a memory from my childhood. My father and I had been perusing an old Army surplus store and I stood stunned, in awe of the history surrounding me. Even at a young age, I wondered who had used the gear? What were their lives in the military like?
My thoughts were interrupted by a gruff voice.
“Howdy, anything in particular you’re looking for?” said an old human. The man walked with a cane and had a patch over one eye. Various scars were visible on his arms and there were two fingers missing on his sword arm. This was a man who had seen years of combat and bore the marks that go with those years. His information populated in my user interface.
Ermey, Level 12 Centurion/4 Shopkeeper. Npc.
“Good afternoon, sir. I’m looking for gear to equip my soldiers with. We’re fighting in the Grand Melee the day after tomorrow and are in desperate need of upgrades,” I said, concerned what this veteran’s reaction would be once he saw my disgraced commander class. Sure enough, Ermey looked shocked as he inspected my character info, then he leveled a scowling glare in my direction. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or if that was his default visage, but I doubted it was the latter.
“Mayhap I can help. First, tell me about why you’re in the predicament you’re in,” Ermey asked. I hadn’t felt the need to justify my situation to any other npc, yet I wanted the old soldier to understand why I was considered “disgraced.” The scorn of a civilian is nothing new to a soldier, but it hurt for me to see this Ermey view me in my shameful state.
“I oversaw the garrison protecting a frontier zone called Hayden’s Knoll. Things were going well after we had defeated attacks by those seeking to destroy the town as well as the rise of an undead horde. I was falsely accused of treason and convicted by a Field Inspector Leighton. Now I fight in the arena, trying to regain my good name. Should we win the Grand Melee in the capitol, I will be free and have a chance to right the wrongs against me,” I offered. Ermey considered me for a bit.
“Answer one question for me, Mr. Disgraced Commander. I always wondered what the chow was like in the officer’s mess. Tell me what a typical meal was like and I’ll find you some gear at a fair price,” Ermey offered. It was a strange question, but one I had a little trouble answering.
“I really couldn’t tell you that. As soon as I entered . . .” I almost said “the game” but changed it up a bit, continuing, “. . . the service with my commission, I was directed to command the frontier outpost. The chow I’ve eaten has always been the same as that of my soldiers,” I answered.
“When you’re in the field, the regulations state officers always eat first, correct?” Ermey asked, his face expressionless.
“The regulations say that, but I’ve always held that a good officer has his troops eat before he does. I never believed that the officer should have special privileges like that in the field. How can I know how much further I can push my men if I’m not experiencing the same difficulties?” I answered, not sure what Ermey was getting at. The shopkeeper looked at me for a moment before coming to a decision.
“I don’t know if you’re guilty of treason, but I know a bad officer from a good one. Anyone that takes care of his troops first isn’t all bad. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Higher level nco’s can tell if an officer is lying to them, and that ability doesn’t go away when you retire. You’re telling the truth, or at the least believe the story you’re telling. I also know any officer worth their salt takes care of his men before himself. I’ll get your men geared up and at a fair price. What all are you needing?” Ermey asked. Just then, Wrend arrived and entered the shop alongside Galba and a few guards.
“We have a wagon full of gear t
o trade in. Some is poor quality, yet some of the items should be decent equipment. It’s all gear that doesn’t fit with our fighting style. If you want to look at that while I have a quick conversation with Sergeant Wrend, we’ll decide on what we want,” I offered. Ermey nodded and went outside to check the gear after calling over a sales clerk to keep an eye on us while he was gone.
“Wrend, we have five squads to gear up as well as the new advanced classes. The sagittarii need bows of some sort and plenty of ammunition. This upcoming battle will likely be a longer one against an unknown variety of foes. Do you have any thoughts as to our loadout?” I asked, wanting Wrend’s input.
“We should keep most of our regular troops outfitted with sword and shield. I think maybe one squad equipped with spears and shields to give us some reach from the rear ranks would be best,” Wrend said.
“That make sense. Some extra reach would be welcome if we’re facing any giant-sized foes, and equipping the men with different sets of gear will activate the Unconventional Tactics buff. We’ll do that and try to get the best armor we can after we find out what Ermey has in stock,” I said. I liked the idea of a squad equipped with longer-reach weapons; strategies were forming already in my mind for the coming fight. After a few moments, Ermey came back holding a dagger and a mace from our mass of trade ins.
“That’s a wagonload of scrap metal for the most part,” the grizzled shopkeeper said, shaking his head. “Some of the items are okay for resale. These two are even enchanted. I’m assuming you didn’t have access to a mage or a shopkeeper with the identify ability. The enchantments are basic, but better than standard gear,” Ermey advised. I looked at both items.
Wounding Mace: This simple mace has been enchanted to do extra damage. +2 to attack when equipped. Improved chance for a crippling blow when the wielder scores a critical hit. Item-level 50.