Desert Runner

by Dawn Chapman

  Desert Runner

  Puatera Online Book 1

  Dawn Chapman

  An NPC’s story

  Inspired by the cover

  created by

  Sarah Anderson

  and set in the game world of

  Puatera Online

  Desert Runner

  Copyright © 2017 by Dawn Chapman

  Published by Dawn Chapman

  A+ Game Engine adapted with Christopher Mayer and

  © 2017 by WoodBine Street Games

  Puatera Online © 2017 by Dawn Chapman

  Manuscript Services Provided by

  Literary Editor, Rogena Mitchell-Jones

  www.rogenamitchell.com

  Cover design by Sarah Anderson

  Ebook Edition

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written consent from the author, except in the instance of quotes for reviews. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the internet without the permission of the author and is a violation of the International copyright law, which subjects the violator to severe fines and imprisonment.

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, and place are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real except where noted, and authorised. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events are entirely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or names featured are assumed to be the property of their respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used.

  The author and editor have taken great effort in presenting a manuscript free of errors. However, editing errors are ultimately the responsibility of the author.

  This book is written in United Kingdom English and includes relative diction.

  For those who inspire me on a daily basis, my closest friends and my family, especially the husband who puts up with everything.

  x X x

  For those who work with me, and put up with me. My Alfa and Beta Readers, cover designers and editors. You’re all awesome.

  For those who talk to me daily, especially the LitRPG Society Discord Crew.

  Blaise Corvin, Stephan and Sam Morse, Michael Chatfield, and Luke Chmilenko. You Rock!

  Thank you, all of you.

  Dawn

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Coming Soon

  From the Author

  Also by Dawn Chapman

  Litrpg Links

  Aleron Kong’s Links

  Chapter 1

  Heat from the outside sun scorched the back of my head as I entered Dresel’s office. He sat with his back to me, his head bobbing up and down as he talked.

  I hated him.

  Well, hate was a pretty offensive word for someone I once dated. I hated the fact he had this hold over me. Dresel managed all the Desert Runners in this vicinity.

  When he turned around to face me, I wouldn’t give him any satisfaction of looking his way. So I sat down in the dog-eared chair I’d rescued out of a bin for him years ago. With a slight huff, pain shooting through my hip, I lifted my boots to rest on the end of his desk.

  Tightening the laces, I listened to the tail end of the conversation and sighed.

  “She’ll be there in a couple of days.”

  He paused, his head still bobbing. “Yes, sir. Maddie’s the best I have. There won’t be any issues. She’ll complete on time.”

  So he was talking about me taking on a quest. I was interested in the conversation even more now. If the pay was right, I’d do just about anything at this moment in time.

  I glanced at my health bar.

  HEALTH – 65%

  Due to my past injuries, it had been steadily dropping over the last week. I needed cash for more potions, or I wouldn’t survive much longer. I had one flask of potions left. That gave me two weeks at best.

  That was when Dresel turned to face me. The greying sideburns did nothing to halt the years I’d known him. I kept telling him they looked stupid, but he never gave up on them.

  I raised an eyebrow in his direction. As he listened into the phone, he mouthed, “Mayor Trellis.”

  My heart sank. Anything the mayor requested was doubly dangerous... no matter how much I needed the cash. My growling belly was a testament to that. I would turn this quest down. I wasn’t the mayor’s gofer.

  The pain in my hip worsened as I tried to heave my feet off his desk. Rummaging around in my pocket, I pulled out a hip flask. The pain relief I had wasn’t going to last a few days, let alone the rest of this month.

  Dresel put the phone down, meeting my gaze as I swigged from the flask.

  With each sip, I prolonged my dropping health problem, but it never moved any higher. I needed regular potions for that. I also tried to stop watching my Health Bar… the more it dipped, though, the more I panicked. It was only natural after everything I’d been through.

  “Hip still bothering you?”

  I knew he cared, but it seemed forced, as if he knew I didn’t have enough potions to keep the pain away and that it would be all the more to his advantage than the growling stomach of mine.

  “You know it does. Don’t be an asshole.”

  “I need you to go to Trox City, pick up a package, and deliver it to Port Troli.”

  “Can’t cross the desert at this time of year, you know that?” I sat forward and glared at him. Everyone knew the desert was out of bounds this time of year, Tromoal breeding season. You’d be stupid to try to get across while they were at it.

  But when I looked into Dresel’s eyes, he slid the quest tag over to me. I looked at it, saw the flickering amount of cash it had to offer—fifty thousand. That was a huge pay-out. I didn’t want to take it, but if I didn’t, it meant I might be surfing the scrub lands for food or more importantly, pain relief, and they were never good places to draw gear from.

  I picked up the tag, the small item vanishing. Instantly, a screen popped into my view:

  QUEST ACCEPTED

  PICK UP A PACKAGE AND ESCORT TO PORT TROLI

  REWARD - 50,000 CREDITS

  Yeah, this could get very interesting. Almost a quarter of the allotted funds transferred over to my account. At least I could get some supplies in, which meant a quick trip out of town and towards Alstead village.

  I stood to leave, the pull on my hip bearable. If I needed to, I could down the rest of my drugs. I’d manage quite well without any pain today. Sometimes, though, I liked to feel that burn. The injury reminded me not to forget the past. The past and its consequences were what made me who I am today. A survivor.

  “Maddie,” Dresel called after me. I turned to look at him. “Be careful out there.”

  The way his eyes roamed my body made me feel sick. “Always am,” I replied, stepping back out into the heat of our summer’s day.

  First stop, fuel.... and I meant for the groundhog, not me.

  My fuel would have to come later. Much later. First things first. I needed full tanks to get across the desert. I could get whatever else I needed after that.

  I rounded the corner to see the usual horses, ebolos, and patrons milling about the car park. I still called it one, a car park, even though there weren’t many of us around who had working vehicles. The Hog took most of my cash flow, but he was much faster at getting
places than any horse. That meant the larger more attractive quest offers came my way first. If I declined them, and they were okay with a longer trip, the horse jocks got the offer.

  With nothing more than a thought, I strode forwards, a couple of the guys looking my way, one even nodding his respect, but the other turned away from me. I wasn’t well liked despite my prowess. After all, a gal shouldn’t be able to hold power over men, should she?

  I’d earned the right, fair and square.

  Feeling the inside of my wrist, I clicked the tiny button stitched into me. The internal core ran off my biorhythms. The Hog wouldn’t open for anyone else but me, and that was a blessing. I’d discovered many a time some idiot thinking they could steal him away.

  Not now, not ever.

  Magical wards hummed about him when activated and were very notable. After a try or two, most thieves gave up.

  As I approached, one of the guys I knew, Dail, dropped the reigns to his ebolos. Taking his time, he wandered over.

  “Hey, Maddie.” He grinned. “Good to see you.” I noticed the other guys watching him. Had he been baited to say something? I wasn’t sure, so I paused by the trunk of the Hog.

  “Something up, Dail?”

  “We heard a quest came in. A perilous one.”

  I left my face blank. I wasn’t going to give him any answers. Besides, why should I? I owed them nothing.

  He moved a step closer to me, close enough I could smell the fresh leather wax on his skin. I did love that smell.

  “Maddie, if you need backup, you know you can ask me, right?”

  I wanted to believe him. I wondered how many of them would actually come if the price were right.

  “Your ebolos, can’t. You know that.”

  He nodded and blew out a sigh, then reached in his pocket. “Seriously, if you need a friend, call me.”

  He held out a com card. Not unlike the quest tags, this would allow us to communicate internally. I’d removed his com from my system after we split up a good few years back. The system itself was pretty good, but I hated to use it.

  “We’re friends now, right?” Dail motioned to the card once more. “I don’t give them out often.”

  So I reached up and took it. The loud clicks as the info was added to my internal memory banks resounded in my head. “That doesn’t mean I want any late night booty calls,” I retorted with a wink.

  When his face dropped, I knew I’d hit the mark. I don’t think any of the guys here would try to initiate anything bar maybe an arm wrestle or shoot out. I hadn’t been hit by a chat-up line in years. I preferred it that way. If I needed anything, I had the right person to call, and he never refused me, drunk or horny.

  “How is Jade doing?” I asked, turning the conversation.

  I knew Jade had been hit by a Tromoal flare six weeks ago. Her left flank still looked red raw, but she was prancing about with eyes on her master.

  “She’s almost healed.” He grinned at her and pointed to the feed bowl she’d pulled her head out of to look his way. Within a moment, she was munching once more.

  “And what about you?” I looked him up and down. His tattered clothes didn’t do him any favours.

  “Our injuries wouldn’t stop me coming if you needed me. She’d be fine here until I returned. One of the guys would look after her.”

  I snorted. “You’ve no idea what the quest is, and you’re pushing yourself on me. Why?”

  Then I realised the why. Closing the distance once more, I stared into his eyes. They looked gaunt, tired, his leathery sun-kissed face cracking in the heat of the day.

  With a flick of my hand, I opened the side of the Hog. “Get in,” I ordered. Not waiting to see a response, I moved to the other side, sliding into the driver’s seat.

  I didn’t have to wait long. Dail was beside me within a moment, the door closing with a soft click. I kept the Hog nicely oiled, and it showed. Placing my palm on the panel, I started the engine. It roared to life with a splutter, and the tiny red light flicked on the dashboard once, then stayed lit. I really did need this quest. There would be just about enough fuel to get it to the refill station.

  Many years before, there’d been gears attached to a small stick at the centre of the cab, but with my hip playing up as much as it did, I had the Hog retrofitted. Fully automatic now, it was a case of pointing him in the direction you wanted and keep your foot on the gas pedal. I much preferred this mode to lifting my leg on and off the clutch.

  “Where we headed?” Dail asked. I turned to see the look in his friends’ eyes as I backed the Hog away from the animals. Ebolos didn’t care about the noise, but their counterparts did.

  “Alstead Village. I need fuel, and then we’ll get something to eat. You can decide if you want to join me.”

  “Heck, Maddie, just tell me what the quest is. Can’t be that bad, can it?”

  I wanted to laugh at him, but I couldn’t. “What time of year is it?”

  “Oh crap,” was all I heard. “Seriously?”

  I didn’t need to answer that one, but I noticed he rubbed his hand on his trouser legs, the rip along the seam exposing skin almost as burned as Jade’s had been. “So you need the cash for your potion costs? I need it for fuel and food.”

  “Looks like we’re in the same boat,” he said with a hint of sarcasm.

  “I can’t take you with me,” I said. “But you’ve always looked out for me. I’ll remove the med bills and get you some food on the table. There should be some quests portside before the end of the month.”

  “Maddie, you don’t have to do that.”

  Reaching over, I tugged at the rip in his clothes. “We’ve all had some bad luck lately. So it’s about time someone had a decent pay-out to tide the gangs over.”

  “It shouldn’t be you, though.”

  “Why?” Yet I held up my hand. I didn’t want the answer to that.

  Turning the corner, I pulled into the lot at the fuelling station. The patron walked over, and I rolled down my window to the usual question. “How much?” he asked and held out a reader for the transfer of cash directly to him.

  “Fill him up. Everything he’ll take. This will be a long trip. Pack me two canisters for spares too,” I ordered.

  I ran my palm over his reader, the click of our agreed transfer passed between us. I’d feel comfortable once the tanks were full.

  Dail stole my gaze by placing a hand on my leg, a gesture I might have slapped any other guy for, but we had been lovers—had been more than that. I’d almost married him a few years back.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “There’s only one thing you can do. Keep the peace till I get back. The boys will be restless without someone to pick on.”

  Dail laughed. “Don’t I know it. You really do keep them in line, Madz.”

  Almost full to bursting, the green lights on the dashboard lit. I made sure the patron hadn’t taken more than his share, leaving him a nice ‘paid forward’ amount so on my return, I had another full tank. Always best to spend it on the important things now, and then worry about the next quest after I’d blown half the cash in a local bar drowning my sorrows.

  “When do you leave?” he asked as I parked the Hog next to a tavern. “I have a couple of days to get to the city to pick up the package.”

  “Do you even know what it is? What it’s for?”

  I shook my head. I’d seen many a quest lost because the runners asked too many questions. “No, I never want to know. They’ve their reasons. All I need to know is who is paying and how much.”

  “Must be really important with it being this time of year.”

  “Yes, very much so, especially with cash upfront payment as well as the final amount. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” I met his gaze of concern. “I’ve done this before, you know.”

  He nodded. “But what happened that time might well happen again.”

  I rubbed the side of my hip. I knew it could. I’d not escaped the desert or the Tromoal unsc
athed. They were deadly creatures. Still, nothing compared to the bone shattering dive I’d taken years before and the burns from the Tromoal to them both.

  A shiver ran through me, as did the pain. Popping the door open, I moved to stand outside, sucking in the harsh air from the sun-stroked lands.

  “Summer isn’t getting any cooler,” I added, wiping a sleeve across my brow. “Hope the beer is.”

  The tavern, called Bow-makers, smelled just like any other overripe used alehouse. The sticky floor pulled at my boots. Making my way to the bar, the guy behind it smiled at me. “Madz, happy to see you back.” He looked at Dail last. “Heard you took a rough tumble from Fril’s rock.”

  “The Tromoal are getting earlier each season,” he replied, pointing to the kitchen. “Two of your specials, Val. Two pints of ale, also.”

  Val smiled and was soon in the kitchen. I took a seat at the bar, but Dail tugged my arm and pointed to a more private area in the room. I wondered why until he sat me down, taking the seat next to me.

  “Maddie, I don’t want you to do the quest alone. Please let me come with you.”

  With a finger, I gently ran across the scarring over his exposed thigh muscle. He didn’t flinch at my touch. I’d expected something from him. Instead, he edged closer and wrapped an arm around me. I was tempted to push him off. “People are watching,” I said.

  “Don’t care…” Then he held me close. “Maddie, the last six weeks gave me time to think. I don’t want to lose you again.”

  I spluttered, “I’m not going anywhere.” I managed to shrug out from under him a little. I suddenly felt overwhelmed, emotions flooding my system, feelings I’d pushed back the day I turned him down. The day I’d hurt him, stormed off into the desert, and almost died.