by Jason Cheek
‘Well done,’ I mentally sent back to Neysa before I noticed she was moving. ‘Where are you going?’ I nervously sent to the Silver Dire Wolf, once I noticed she was making her way down the outside of the building facing the guard tower. With a couple quick leaps between the building’s stone outcrops, she made her way down to the ground.
The rundown structures stopped fifty yards out from the outer wall as the muddy street turned back into cobblestones. Whoever had designed this part of the city’s defenses had at least known what they were doing, since it kept a clean ‘kill zone’ in-between the actual city and the outer wall. Well, it would have if the wall had actually been manned. Without a concern in the world, I watched Neysa saunter out twenty-five yards in front of the Dread Pack members as if she hadn’t a concern in the world.
“What the hell is a Dire Wolf doing inside the city?” I heard a surprised voice through our shared connection as I forced my legs to run even faster.
“I don’t know, but I hear Dire Wolf kababs are tasty as hell.” The next Dread Pack member said excitedly. “Besides, I’m tired of standing around here doing nothing.”
“Let’s fire that bitch up!” A third player shouted out as he called out “Flame on.”
In the blink of an eye, the rest of the Dread Pack group followed suit as their flame shield shimmered into sight around their bodies, while Neysa slowly made her way further down the ‘kill zone’ away from the guard tower and the street we were running down. A moment later, several flame blasts shot out from the players as they tried to hit the Silver Dire Wolf who suddenly leaped to the side and just out of range. They immediately followed after her, trying to hit her with fire blasts as the group leader suddenly stopped.
“What the hell do you mean, ‘What are we doing’?” the man snapped angrily. “We’re trying to kill a Dire Wolf that got inside the wall.” There was another pause, before the player angrily roared. “No, you can’t come join us. Find your own shit to kill.”
My last view of the entire fiasco was Neysa coming to a stop just out of range of the group. Her laughter echoed through my mind as she turned back to face the Dread Pack players as the shared vision suddenly ended. I staggered as I was harshly dumped back in my body. Swearing as I almost whipped out by tripping over my feet from the shock of the transition. Helgath valiantly managed to steady me under an arm before I plowed face-first into the cobblestone as Zocuth gave us a questioning look. Quickly, I caught him up to speed on the situation as I pushed the group even harder to reach the outskirts of the kill zone.
I knew what Neysa was doing. She’d knowingly put herself in danger to draw the Dread Pack guards away from the defensive door to the tower so that we could catch them by surprise. Even better yet, none of the other guards along the wall would be too concerned if they saw fire blasts coming from the tower as long as we could keep the guys from reporting in. Still, she was playing with fire, literally.
The first sign of trouble that the group of Dread Pack players were aware of, was when we came ripping around the corner and let off a multi-shot volley directly into their back. The PKers’ Fire Shields failed in a spectacular display of sputtering flames as the first arrows of the multi-shots hit with a Sneak Attack bonus, while the two follow-up arrows hit for only Backstab damage. As the intense agony of thirteen hundred and forty points rocked their bodies, the PKers’ reactions were immediate.
Three of the Dread Pack members dropped to the knees whimpering in agony, while the remaining two spun around to attack. Throwing their hands out to blast us with their Fire Shields’ special attacks, they froze realizing their mistake as the front row dove onto the ground while the Shadow Scouts behind us finished the players off with another round of multi-shots in the face. Jumping back to my feet, I quickly raced for the tower door with Fylreh, Helgath, and a group of eight Shadow Scouts at my back, while Zocuth took command over the rest of the troops. As I went running up the steps, he began looting the dead and having the zombies collect the black gravestones that popped up from the players’ corpses.
By the time I reached the top of the wall, I was happy to see that Zocuth had already gotten the troops moving out. The group of nine were already making their way along the shadows at the base of the wall with their zombies in tow, while the remaining eight headed down the middle of the kill zone. Even though they were all using Stealth, you could partially make out the ghostly outlines of the Dark Elves who were creeping forward in the direct sunlight. Still scanning the troops below, I finally found what I was looking for as my eyes settled on the zombies lugging black gravestones at the back of the first formation. Seeing that the gravestones were able to be moved made me breathe a silent sigh of relief.
Honestly, if that hadn’t worked, I had no idea how we would have handled the respawning players. EverQuest had been the first MMO that had given the ability for players to move other players’ bodies, but that had only been allowed when the player in question had given their permission. After EverQuest, games had basically stopped having that level of difficulty up until the release of PVRMMORPGs. Even then, it had been hit or miss, with most game developers deciding to dumb down their games instead of making them more difficult.
I’d hoped with the realism incorporated into The World that this would be allowed, but there was no way to know for certain until we gave it a try, especially since there was nothing on the forums about it one way or another. Worst case scenario, I figured, we could leave a group of zombies guarding each set of gravestones, but honestly, that would have quickly created a headache of epic proportions with our pets literally scattered around the outskirts of the entire city.
With that issue settled, I tucked into the shadowy edge of the chest-high battlement and signaled for the rest of my force to follow me as I triggered my Stealth and ran full out for the next set of guards. The stone was wide enough for us to run four or maybe five abreast, but my Shadow Scouts had reorganized their lines for two abreast so they could stay fully in the shadows. I’d only ran a few steps when I stopped, cringing at the clopping sounds of hooves against stone. Giving Fylreh and unhappy look, I ignored the flattening of her ears as she gave me a withering look as if daring me to say something. Instead of opening that can of worms, I turned back around and sped down the battlement with my bow out and an arrow nocked. Honestly, some things weren’t worth getting into in the middle of a battle.
While Unalia was skilled enough to hit a target at a hundred yards out, I, on the other hand, was not of the same skill level. It was better, for me at least, to let the distance get down to forty to fifty yards before risking a shot. I’m sure my Shadow Scouts and Fylreh didn’t have that problem, but since I was in the lead, I held off our attack to let the distance close between us before attacking. We were just hitting the sixty yard mark when the two guards keeping watch over the wall started jabbering and pointing to Neysa who was racing by below. Crossing my fingers that she was enough of a distraction, I signaled my people to attack as the players’ backs turned towards us while they lit up their Fire Shields.
Instantly, a volley arched over the wall as my people let loose their arrows while I followed suit a split-second later. ‘No sense in having me blow our Sneak Attack by getting my arrow there first only to miss,’ I thought glumly hoping this worked. I’d initially pictured doing this from melee range, but Fylreh’s insistence to guard my back blew that option out the window. I breathed a sigh of relief a second later as the Shadow Scouts in the kill zone below let loose with their own attack from an even closer distance.
The results were immediate. Nearly simultaneously, forty-eight arrows slammed into the two players’ backs as they focused on fire blasting Neysa running past below them. As both players’ bodies immediately collapsed from the massive amounts of damage, I breathed a sigh of relief to see a slightly singed Neysa come into view a moment later. Sending her loving thoughts for a job well done, I once again called for her to come back to me. Instead of obeying like a normal pet would
, she playfully bounded away completely ignoring my commands.
Ugh! The wordless growl of frustration that came from my lips said it all as my hands opened and closed in aggravation while I watched the Silver Dire Wolf’s antics. Sighing out loud at the faint smile that I saw on Helgath’s lips, I looked away from the Half-Orc, refusing to acknowledge the overprotective attitude I had when it came to my girl getting hurt or possibly killed. Feeling the tenor of my thoughts, Neysa took off, racing for the next tower access to the wall.
Unconcerned, one way or another, Zocuth had taken my strategy to heart and had never slowed down his advance. Seeing that his force was nearly to the next target, I quickly dropped the two black gravestones to the ground and commanded two of my zombie pets to pick them up, before taking off at a run while shouting back to Fylreh.
“If you’re going to be making such a racket, you can go ahead and take the lead on calling the shots. Just make sure everyone else can hit at the range you choose.” I didn’t bother looking back at the centauride to confirm my orders. We both knew she was the better long distance shot with the bow and, no matter what was going on between us, I knew I could count on her to get the mission done. I partially heard her serious voice as she had a whispered discussion on the maximum range the Dark Elves could hit their targets’ at consistently.
“We could do a hundred and twenty yards in a snap, but I’d recommend keeping it down to a hundred to keep everyone’s accuracy up.” Fylreh called out from behind me as we closed in on the next access point. Giving her a thumbs-up to signify that I’d heard her, I focused on catching up to the groups below as I watched Neysa race past the Dread Pack players out front.
Once again, they did their best to smoke the Silver Dire Wolf out as they ‘Flames Up’ and moved away from the entrance to the tower. The assholes didn’t last a minute as Fylreh called our group to a stop. Taking aim, she gave several sharp commands through our local raid chat and fired as the two other two groups of Shadow Scouts followed suit a second later. This time the five players didn’t even have a chance to realize what had even happened as they all collapsed within seconds of each other. Before all the bodies had even hit the floor, I was off for the next group of guards I figured would be guarding the walls as Zocuth looted the corpses and had the newfar gravestones picked up.
I chuckled to myself imagining the Dread Pack players confusion as they ran in ghost form trying to catch up to their runaway corpses. Did they just run back to where they died or where they even now chasing down their moving corpses as they bitched up a storm? ‘Come on, you had to admit that was funny.’ I silently thought to the imaginary audience in my head as I ran. ‘Well, imaginary for now. Once word got out about this attack, I’m sure there would be plenty of players and Twitch followers watching this attack run.’
Unfortunately, I felt like I had to leave the strategy I was using in, at least to a point. There would be a lot of the small conversations that I’d had with Thomas, Sarka and the Assault Leaders that would be a part of the stream, so people would have to figure out on their own exactly what we were up to. With enough people comparing notes, they’d figure it out. But, while they were doing that, I’d already be on my way to hit the next group of PKers. I thought savagely grinning to myself.
The strategy worked smoothly for another three rounds of wall guards and towers, when the Dread Pack finally figured out something was wrong. Our first warning was when the two wall guards for the section of wall we were working on was clear of players. I gave everyone a heads up in local raid chat just as Neysa was approaching the next tower. Instead of chasing after my girl, the PKers just ‘Flamed Up’ and sealed the door to the tower.
Not that I was particularly surprised. By then, the raid’s command channel was alive with reports of fighting. From what Thomas was reporting, Kenzie and company were egging on the group that they’d initially slaughtered by spawn camping their bodies. So far, they’d managed to take them out four separate times. ‘I wondered which asshole had finally figured out that wasn’t the only front they were being attacked on,’ I thought, chuckling to myself.
From what Phoenix and Sarka were reporting, they had a forty person raid incoming down each avenue that they were getting ready to ambush. Probably support for the group that was being spawn camped, since they probably thought I had my entire team taking them out. That probably meant there was at least another group of forty or even eighty that was probably coming down that central avenue to lock us down.
Basically, that meant there’d be some stiff fighting, but not enough to actually be a threat. Hopefully, they could take a hundred and twenty to a hundred and forty players off the board before The Dread Pack actually realized what it was that they were up against. Pushing away the thoughts of what was going on with my friends, I focused on the task at hand as I came to a stop at the top of the stairwell to the tower. Inside I could hear the Dread Pack players screaming back and forth excitedly.
“No, I don’t know what’s up with the wolf, but we’ve already lost over half of our forces guarding the wall.”
“You think a wolf took out our people?” I heard a near voice shout back incredulously.
“I don’t freaking know, that’s the point!” I heard the other man scream in frustration as he swore up a storm. “Just get your asses topside and tell me what the hell is going on!”
There was no time to explain as I ripped off my backpack and began yanking out the rope I always kept with me. While doing that, I began casting Ice Barrier, Holy Shield, Light’s Blessing and Regeneration on both Helgath and I, before lodging the grapple in place on the wall. Well, the Ice Barrier was only for me, since it was self only, but you know what I meant. Whipping around, I hurriedly began whispering out orders as Helgath jumped on my back like a spider monkey with her eyes wide as saucers. Not that I blamed her, since she already knew exactly what I intended to do.
“Fylreh, keep watch topside. Gykac,” I pointed to the Dark Elf that had taken Zocuth’s place as Team-Lead when we split forces, “take everyone else and get your asses to the bottom as quickly as possible to save my ass.” I urgently hissed as his eyes widened in surprise. Surprised or not, the man had brains. As I threw the rope down the center of the tower’s stairwell and dived after it, he was already moving with the rest of my Shadow Scouts.
“What the hell?” The lead PKer said as he saw me dive past him in free fall. I was past them before any of the four players could even think about blasting me with their weird Flame Shield as I dropped like a rock towards the shadowy bottom of the tower. The group of four were still watching me fall, when Fylreh and the rest of the Shadow Scouts leaned over the top wall and fired multi-shots at point blank range into their backs, heads and chests, depending on the angle. As their Fire Shields failed from the mass of damage, Gykac drew his dagger and launched himself at the lead newfar without hesitation,
Not that I was paying any attention to the goings-on above, since I was having my own problems. I was in the process of learning the important lesson that even though I felt like a super man at times, I most definitely wasn’t as I struggled to flip my body around and find the rope below with my booted feet. Sounds easy with a hundred and fifty agility, right? Wrong, sometimes things look much easier in your head then they actually are in real life.
Luckily, Helgath came to my rescue. Seeing the problem, she spun around and pressed my boots around the rope that I couldn’t feel through the armor. All, might I add, in a split-second, before clamping onto my back once again as I basically stood-up on top of my boot with my other one with the rope in-between. Braking actually worked like a charm, albeit maybe not as easy as the two o’clock in the morning PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, ‘Repelling Special’ had made it out to be. That’s all that I could think at the time as I watched the stone floor come rushing up to greet us, I most emphatically didn’t feel like I was braking fast enough.
Laugh all you want. I can honestly say that the shit looked a hell of a lo
t easier than it was. Thankfully, my landing was nicely softened by two of the Dread Pack players who were just glancing up to see what the shouting from above was all about. I will say that if this hadn’t been a game and I didn’t have enhanced stats, I probably would’ve died right as we crashed to the stone floor in a chaotic mass of arms and legs.
Burning flames momentarily surrounded us as I began blasting both PKers at point blank range with Flurry Blasts. Immediately, the jokers Fire Shields’ fizzled out as I kneed the first guy in the balls and punched the other one in the throat, while Helgath leaped from my back to plunge one of her daggers into each of their eyes. Not that either one of them took much damage from the attacks, but the pain of having an eye poked-out was no joke. Not to mention, it was the perfect distraction. As both players clawed at their faces’ shrieking in agony, Helgath leaped away diving to the far side of the room. I was right behind her. Releasing a Frost Nova, I pushed myself away from the two men and rolled across the floor as the room exploded into violence and flames.
Whatever the hell that Flame Barrier spell was, it could seriously put out some damage as both PKers on the floor howled in agony as their friends blasted them with flames. As the blackened skin began to melt from their faces, I crashed into the legs of one of the players spewing fire. He had a second to shout out a warning to his buddy, before the force of my impact sent him tumbling to the floor. Rolling to my feet, I saw the guy’s partner on the other side of the room swinging his fists around to bath me in flames.
My hands raised up first as I plastered the asshole with a double Flurry Blast to his face. Immediately, the PKer’s Flame Shield popped in a sizzling cascade of fiery lights as his Flame Strike fizzled out to nothing. Another double Flurry Blast dropped the man’s Hit Points by a third and sent him scrambling for cover. Seeing the man I’d knocked down earlier getting back to his feet, I stepped forward and booted him in the face like a Kicker going for a punt. Not that the hit did any appreciable damage, his Flame Shield insured that as my Ice Barrier absorbed his Flame Shield’s contact damage, but the force of the blow at least sent the asshole sprawling across the room.