Neverfall: The Dark Path (Book 2): A Gamelit Lit RPG Series

by C. Wintertide

  “Is it really worth facing whatever is in there smelling like a badass--literally--in order to get some mushrooms?” Mack asked. “The quest for the axe and special tools to upgrade Luke’s armor and weapons is a far better use of our resources.”

  “We’re getting the mushrooms in exchange for the health and mana potion recipes. That far outweighs any weapons or tools for the two of you. No offense, Luke, but I’m sure that you see my point. This quest is for the greater good,” Christopher pointed out. “Besides, we promised her.”

  “She’s an NPC, remember? She’s not real, and so she can’t really care if we get her those damned mushrooms now or 20 days from now,” Mack pointed out.

  “Do you think we’ll be in the game 20 days from now?” Cassie suddenly asked. Her expression was unreadable. Everyone had been so positive so far about all of it that Luke hadn’t allowed himself to wonder if they were really feeling something quite different.

  “I would imagine if the only way is for us to defeat the Dark Lord through normal play, then we should expect to be here not only for 20 more days, but… well, quite a bit longer than that,” Christopher answered.

  “I suppose you’re right. I mean what level do you think your dad is, Luke? One hundred? Higher?” Cassie looked a little faint at that.

  “The real question is if he can still progress in levels. He would then always be ahead of us,” Christopher remarked.

  “That can’t be right. He’s supposed to be defeatable, so he must be level-locked. If he were allowed to respawn, I’m betting his level would be higher, but there must be a clear path to defeat him,” Luke assured them.

  That’s if Neverfall is working like any other game. Which it isn’t, and likely doesn’t. But what else can we do? We have to keep going, and have hope.

  “I am more concerned about your father keeping his promise about not sending higher-level Beta players to take us out,” Alicia grunted. “Manon and Gloria--”

  “Marty and May. We should use their real-life names so we remember that they are real live people,” Christopher pointed out.

  Alicia gave him a cool look. “I disagree, because we may have to kill those people if they come after us. Better you all think of them as NPCs or bosses, rather than living human beings.”

  Cassie’s eyes were huge. “You really think that?”

  She nodded. “I do. While May listened to us and left. Marty was practically unhinged. And I am betting they are low-level players compared to the others we will meet.”

  Luke’s heart fell into his stomach. They had to get stronger faster. They needed the best armor and weapons. His sword and Cassie’s bow were a start, but it wasn’t enough by a longshot. They had to do more. Which meant they had to take more risks. He looked over at the stinking cave.

  “Whoa, guys, I didn't mean to be a killjoy!” Mack held up his hands as if in surrender. “I was just saying, we don’t have to do this quest if it looks too hard right now with too little reward.”

  “I don’t think we should skip any quests. We’re here,” Luke said. “Let’s do this thing.”

  “Let me go in first,” Cassie suggested.

  “Cassie, you can’t take what’s in there alone,” Luke cautioned. His sudden desire for them to take risks to get stronger was disintegrating.

  Keep calm. Stop panicking. She’s not stupid. She can take care of herself.

  She held up a hand, anticipating what he would say next. “I’ll stealth in. I’ll grab the mushrooms and then stealth back out again. The quest is just to get the mushrooms, not kill whatever’s in the cave. That’s extra.”

  She had a point. It was a good point.

  “Shame I can’t go with you,” Mack said. “Then I could gauge the level of whatever was in there to see if we can take it.”

  “You clomping around would make that pointless. The thing would be upon us,” she said with a smile.

  “I know. I know.” Mack scratched the back of his head. “I can’t help that I have such big dwarf feet.”

  “It is the only big thing about you,” Alicia said.

  Mack gave her a scowl, but then he broke out into a laugh. “You made a funny! I thought you were constitutionally incapable of that.”

  Luke ignored the banter between the two of them, and searched Cassie’s face. “But is your Stealth Perk good enough against whatever this is, Cass?”

  She shrugged. “Only way is to give it a shot. Luckily, I can run really fast, too.”

  “Let’s hope it can’t run faster,” Alicia muttered.

  That was another good point.

  “We are looking for butterfly wing mushrooms,” Christopher told her. “Do you need a refresher as to their appearance?”

  “I remember what they look like: butterfly wings,” Cassie deadpanned. Then she turned to all of them. “Don’t worry. I won’t take any unnecessary risks. In and out. If the creature looks like something we can take, I’ll let you know when I get back out.”

  “If you see any other interesting flora in the cave, get that as well,” Christopher added.

  Mack shook his head. “You want her to linger in the stinking cave with the dead animals out front to get you flowers?”

  “Anything in a cave such as this, with a creature guarding it, is bound to be rare and valuable. I know my sister well. She will accomplish her task and get out fine,” Christopher remarked, but then he did look at Cassie. “You will be careful, won’t you?”

  She lifted her chin proudly. “Of course. Like you said, I know what I’m doing.”

  “Don’t get cocky, kid,” Mack told her.

  “Star Wars jokes, really? And, by the way, he’s Luke. He’s the cocky one.” She pointed at Luke. “Not me. Now, I’m off.”

  She saluted them, then she crept back to the cave’s opening. Luke held his breath as she slipped inside and was soon lost from sight. The minutes began to tick by. The waiting was worse than anything. Luke’s ears strained to hear anything. But there was nothing. Just the whisper of the wind through the trees.

  “You know, your dad could have really done us a solid by having some kind of chat within the game so we could keep in touch with one another,” Mack groused.

  “I’m guessing it’s something to do with the immersion. Or maybe they just hadn’t put it in yet,” Luke answered absently as he stared hard at the cave’s opening.

  C’mon, Cassie. Get out of there with those damned mushrooms.

  The silence was split by a bellowing roar. It echoed as it came out of the mountain. It was as if the mountain itself called out. Every inch of Luke’s tattoos burned at that moment as another roar exited the cave.

  Before Luke was conscious of what he was doing, he was running forward, Dragon’s Claw out, and Firestream ignited. He heard the others coming up after him, but he didn’t slow down. His heart was beating so hard in his ears that he couldn’t hear anything else, not if they were calling out to him or if the monster in the cave roared again.

  Luke leaped over the bodies of the dead animals, and dashed into the cavern itself. The smell of blood was replaced by a hot sulfurous scent that nearly choked him. Luke covered his mouth and nose with his arm as he stumbled forward. The light from the opening soon was fading behind him, but there was a red glow ahead. Christopher cast his Night Sight spell and he could see perfectly.

  “Luke, slow down!” Mack hissed and grabbed his shoulder. “Whatever that is might not have seen her.”

  “It roared. It saw Cassie,” Luke whispered back, but he did slow down.

  Ahead of them, the tunnel opened up into a large cavern. Stalagmites thrust up out of the ground like irregular teeth just as the tunnel emptied into the larger space that was suffused with the red light. Luke crouched low, and crawled up behind the stone pillars. The others followed suit. He peered between two of the stalagmites.

  The cavern was large, about 100 feet wide and fifty feet tall from the soaring ceiling to the floor far down below. There was a pathway starting to their ri
ght that wound down in a spiral along the outside edge of the cavern to the floor.

  In the bottom of the cavern here was a pool of dark water taking up half of the space. Clusters of butterfly-wing-shaped mushrooms surrounded the water. In the dry part of the cave, was a raised area covered with a mound of branches, bones, and other debris. It was a nest. But it was not a bird that was meant to inhabit it. Oh, no, this was the nest of a red dragon.

  13

  DRAGON KING

  YOUNG CRIMSON DRAGON

  ------

  Monster Type: Small Draconid

  Level: 13

  Hit Points: 1500

  Habitat: Mountains, Mines, Caverns

  Strengths: Immune to Fire

  Weaknesses: Ice

  Special Attack: Bite, Tail Swipe, Claw, Fire Breath

  Experience Points: 1500

  The dragon had brilliant ruby-red scales, and leathery black wings. Its head was perched on a long sinuous neck. Its claws were over five inches long, and ticked against the stone floor as it moved. Fan-like ridges of bone framed its head. Its body was twenty feet long from snout to the tip of its tail. That tail was waving through the air. The red glow Luke had noticed earlier emanated from its throat. It was a blood-red glow that reminded him of magma.

  “Where is Cassie? Do you see her down there?” Christopher’s face was white and drawn as he peered down at the cavern floor.

  “The dragon is swinging its tail rather like a cat does when it is outside of a mouse hole. I think I see the hole.” Alicia pointed towards where there was a slender crack in the wall of the cavern. “I am betting that Cassie is the mouse.

  Mack squinted. “I can’t see anyone in there.”

  “The dragon sees someone.” Luke grimaced. “I’m guessing a Cassie-sized someone.”

  “Why would she go anywhere near that dragon?!” Christopher wailed. “She promised to be careful!”

  Mack turned “You do know your sister, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but--”

  “Christopher, there’s loot down there, and the mushrooms we need.” Mack gestured towards the bottom of the cavern.

  Luke saw something glinting between the old dry branches and bones that made up the nest. Perhaps coins or gems or maybe even some armor. Whatever they were, they were bright shiny objects so Cassie would have been drawn to them like a moth to a flame. And on the other side of the cavern, there was a pool where he saw what looked like butterfly-shaped mushrooms.

  Mack continued, “I’m betting the damned dragon was asleep in its bed there, and she thought she could sneak in, grab what she wanted, and sneak out again without the dragon being the wiser.”

  “That does sound like Cassie,” Luke agreed with a shake of his head.

  “The dragon, of course, disagreed with her plan.” Mack snorted.

  “And so we must rescue her. Again.” Alicia let out a long sigh. “If she survives this encounter, I am going to shake some sense into her.”

  “Good luck with that, Alicia,” Mack snickered.

  Christopher sighed. “My sister is very headstrong. If I was honest with myself, I should have known that she would get in trouble in a dragon’s lair. Overall, Neverfall is just full of high-risk, higher-rewards opportunities. That is like catnip to my sister.”

  “And if that idea you had about our class affecting our actions is true, Alicia, that part of Cassie’s personality would be enhanced,” Luke reminded her.

  “What idea are you talking about?” Christopher asked.

  “Yeah, what do you mean?” Mack frowned.

  “Basically, because she’s a rogue she’s addicted to looting, and will end up in situations like this.” Luke gestured to the dragon. “She can’t help herself.”

  “Seriously?” Mack’s eyes went huge and round. “What would I be drawn to do?”

  “To cut things with your axe,” Luke said.

  “I always want to do that,” Mack responded.

  “True, but you’d like doing it even more. Maybe a lot more. The game might be taking those instincts we have and increasing them,” Luke said. “But it’s not my theory, it’s Alicia’s.”

  “And we can talk about it later,” Alicia said. “Focus on the dragon.”

  “Right, right,” Luke agreed. “Mack, tell us what you see.”

  Mack used his Perception Perk to analyze the monster. “Okay, so our red-butted friend has 1500 hit points.”

  “That’s high,” Christopher sounded rather alarmed.

  “And grants--oooh, how spectacular and original--1500 experience points! That’s a tidy sum,” Mack remarked.

  “I have a feeling we are going to earn every single one of those experience points,” Luke remarked dryly.

  And as if to confirm how right he was, Mack continued, “Don’t bother with your fire spell, Luke. That baby is fireproof, but, unsurprisingly, ice can do damage. It has several Special Attacks: Fire Breath, Claw, Bite, and Tail Sweep. Sounds like our friend, Asharoth, though it’s like 1/10 Asharoth’s size.”

  “Luke, perhaps as it is a dragon, and you have connections with dragons, you could reach out to this creature and rescue Cassie without violence,” Christopher suggested.

  There was a pause as everyone took in the insanity of that suggestion. Mack’s mouth fell open. Alicia pinched the top of her nose as if she felt a headache coming on. Luke just stared at Christopher.

  “Are you trying to kill Luke, Christopher?” Mack asked. “Because that plan would about do it.”

  Christopher blinked. “I befriended the wolf! So the game allows for non-violent solutions. Think of how Asharoth fought for Luke. No normal battle mage could accomplish that. So is it so out of the question that Luke could communicate with this dragon?”

  Luke’s tattoos were burning, but unlike with Asharoth, he didn’t feel any connection to the scaly beast below. But what if there was something more to being called the “Dragon Prince”?

  What do I think? That I am the Dr. Dolittle of the dragon world? Please!

  “How about this, I’ll give you all my gold, if you try that animal friendship type spell on the beastie, and it allows you to pat it on the head, Christopher,” Mack chortled.

  Christopher sniffed. “I could attempt Beast Pact--”

  “No, Christopher!” Luke jumped in. “I don’t think a piece of jerky, and some soft talking will win over this dragon.”

  “But--oh my! What is it doing?”

  Christopher’s hand shot out to point at the dragon’s neck. It had turned a brilliant gold. Smoke belched out of its mouth. It was about to breathe fire right into the crevice where Cassie was hiding. The cat had evidently decided if the mouse would not come out into the open to play, then the cat would flush the mouse out with fire. Luke jumped up.

  Nothing needed to be said. It was time to fight!

  The golden light of Shield surrounded him. Luke ignited Ice Daggers in his left hand and drew Dragon’s Claw with his right. The sword’s flames flared up over six inches in the air. He leaped over the stalagmites and onto the circling path that led to the bottom of the cavern below. Alicia and Mack followed after him.

  “Christopher, stay as far back as you can!” Luke cried.

  “Save her, Luke!” Christopher shouted.

  “C’mon, let’s distract this thing!” Luke called to Mack and Alicia.

  The dragon’s throat was nearly as bright as the sun. Luke extended his left hand as he jumped down from one loop of pathway to another. Four glittering daggers of ice formed in the air above the dragon. Luke sent them slamming down onto the dragon’s spine. The glow in the dragon’s throat abruptly went out. It let out a roar just as four red 15s rose from its massive body. A large health bar appeared over its back.

  The dragon swung around, its tail slicing through the air, to face them. Luke jumped down onto the ground of the cavern. Mack and Alicia landed beside him. They were directly opposite the crevice where Cassie was hiding. Luke tried to see beyond the great beast to catch
a glimpse of his friend. But the tail got in the way.

  “I think we got its attention!” Mack laughed.

  “Yeah, and it looks ready to play.” Alicia slapped her cudgel against her palm.

  “Let’s get this party started!” Mack dashed forward with Cutter held high.

  The dragon’s head reared back as Mack approached. As fast as a viper, it struck out at him. The dragon snapped those jaws together right where Mack had been. But Mack had rolled out of the way at the last second.

  “Mack, you okay?” Luke called.

  “Brilliant!” Mack waved Cutter.

  “I am more worried about our rogue. Why is she not exiting the crevice?” Alicia asked him.

  “I don’t know. That can’t be good. CASSIE!” Luke cried. “Cassie, we’re here!”

  There was no response. Maybe she was injured badly, and had dragged herself inside the crevice, too far for them to hear her response over the dragon’s roar. Sour fear for her flooded his mouth. They would get to her. They would save her.

  He saw Mack chop at the dragon’s right foreleg and a red 25 rose up. He struck again and again for over 100 hit points in damage. They’d chipped off 160 hit points of 1500. It was barely a dent. But none of them had been injured yet. That was one plus.

  Except that plus soon became a minus.

  When Mack went back for another whack at that leg, the dragon had decided it’d had enough. It swatted Mack with that same foreleg. This time Mack didn’t get out of the way in time. He slammed against the cavern wall. He slid down into a heap, and sat there stunned for a moment. It seemed forever before Mack shook his head, and began to get to his feet. But he wasn’t quick enough again. The dragon whipped its tail around, and caught him in the stomach, sending him flying once more. Mack landed with a clang of armor on the floor. This time he did not get up.

  “MACK!” Luke screamed. “Christopher, heal Mack!”

  “Done!” Christopher called back.

  Alicia jumped over to Mack’s prone body, and used her own to protect him. She swung her cudgel wildly through the air, keeping the dragon’s massive maw at bay.