by Andrew Novak
A bowstring sang somewhere in the brushwood ashore, and an arrow stuck into the broadside of the Runner.
“To the shore!” bellowed Khao Nai. “That sleazy Bon Vijao prepared an ambush. He’s going to pay for that, and pay plenty!”
“That NPC Bon Vijao would pay plenty for any of his deeds,” Jack thought. “And the ambush was a logical decision”.
Zambal turned the wheel, and the ship drifted through the black still water, towards ‘The Gray Gull’, frozen ashore. The sailors took in the sails and hid behind the shipboard; Khao Nai’s guards got ready... A decisive battle which would put an end to the Hiji quest was fast approaching.
Khao Nai jumped into the water; the soldiers followed him. Black waves were little more that knee-high, and it was easy to get to the shore by wading. Suddenly a fireball appeared from the brushwood and flew towards the Taunites. Sartorius, bending over the gunwale, extended his palms and countered Bon Vijao’s spell with a splash of iridescent sparks – a force barrier. Not reaching the guards, the outlaw’s fire charge got into the alpha’s sparkling cloud, faded and disappeared.
“Move! Before he prepares another one!” Sartorius called.
He wasn’t in a hurry to do so himself, though. Jumping over the main rail, Jack saw that the mage was hesitating. Eloise, on the other hand, wasn’t far behind. Jack knew that the girl wasn’t especially brave, but during her service to Ruger, she had gotten used to in-game death. Jack and Lisa got to the shore right after the guards. The brushwood where their enemies were hiding was already surrounded by smoke – Vijao’s fireball set the bushes on fire. Multiple outlines showed through, one of them very big.
A few more steps – and the two sides entered hand-to-hand combat. Bon Vijao had more than a dozen of people; it wasn’t easy to count with all the smoke. Jack wasn’t wasting time counting anyway; he chose the closest rival and dashed towards him.
Chu Chad, Taunite
Expertise: 40
Health: 50
The Taunite thug, after his habit, began wiggling and swinging a strange weapon that looked like a sickle, but Jack didn’t let the enemy finish the dance and cut him asunder. There was already another outlaw nearby, writhing in the dirt, flashes of green light crawling all over his body – Jack recognized the effects of the Rod of Despair.
Crossbows clicked in the smoke, and Jack twitched, feeling several blows to his body.
You receive damage!
You lose 4 hit points!
You receive damage!
You lose 5 hit points!
After the first salvo of arrows, a new group of outlaws rushed into attack, flying out of the smoke clouds, only to meet the black sword. It took quite some effort for Jack to counter all the strikes – after all, the arrows reduced his health, and he didn’t have time to heal. Even though the Shadow of the King couldn’t protect him from all possible dangers, it provided an undeniable advantage in close combat.
Sartorius was busy fighting nearby. His silhouette was barely visible amidst the bright flashes that enveloped him. He sent outlaws flying, their bodies smoking from the flames. On the other hand, the Taunites, escapees and Khao Nai’s soldiers were truly having a ball, dancing their dance on the battlefield and then stopping, dancing and stopping, again and again. Basically, it was the same nonsense Jack saw before, aboard the Runner on the first day of their trip together. He didn’t let them finish their quaint pirouettes, because just one hit from the Shadow of the King was enough to put anyone out of their misery. Having finished with three crossbowmen, he rushed to help the guards, and the enemies started to drop back, losing one man after another.
“Bon Vijao!” Captain Khao Nai roared. “Face me in battle! Fight me like a man, without your damned magic! Dare you do that?”
He was probably meant to challenge his rival at the most tense moment of the fight, but Jack had already done away with enough prisoners for the victory to be on the side of the law. However, the script rolled on. The beefiest of the outlaws stepped towards the captain and waved an enormous club in a bizarre salute. He was bare-chested, his huge stomach crossed with ringed straps which held throwing knives.
“Try to take me on, you princeling’s rat!” the giant bellowed.
The stats of this fellow were something else, too. Jack had a look:
Bon Vijao, Taunite
Expertise: 55
Health: 80
Just as Sartorius had warned, the outlaws’ leader must be superior to the quest participant with the best stats. Not to mention the fact that he was obviously stronger than the Fan-Go guard’s captain.
It was this pair’s time to dance now. Bon Vijao attacked and tried to swat the enemy with his massive club. Khao Nai evaded it all elegantly, ducking, jumping and dodging, and he even pricked the opponent from time to time. Bon got in about half a dozen of jabs and cuts; he was holding on at first, but then clearly started weaken. Meanwhile, his companions, left without their chieftain, were defeated. At the same time, only two of six guards had fallen. The victors stopped and started watching the leaders’ duel.
Khao Nai started to pick up the pace. He began to float like a butterfly, circling round the weakening outlaw. His sword turned into a dimly glistening shadow, that’s how fast the captain’s movements were. He started advancing on the enemy, and it became clear that the lawman’s victory was just a matter of time, and quite a short time, too.
Jack leaned towards Lisa and whispered:
“Remember what I said? Right after this big guy is done, resurrect him. Begin the ritual immediately.”
Lisa nodded and turned Rod of Dispair emphatically in her hands. Khao Nai sped up even more, broke the enemy’s defense and landed three lightning-fast blows – to the rival’s side, to his chest, and to the side again. Bon Vijao’s round stomach started bleeding; he started to stagger. The club fell down into the mud; the outlaw stepped back, doubled over, embracing his pierced torso... froze... and then suddenly straightened up throwing his hands towards the captain. From his hands, red with blood, golden sparks of lightning flew towards the captain. The magical blow struck Khao Nai, he wavered and started to fall backward. All the soldiers left alive charged at the villain shouting:
“Dirty tricks! You cheat!”
Well, yes, Khao Nai did urge him to fight without magic, but the outlaw didn’t give any reply. He didn’t promise to avoid using sorcery. So the guards who charged at him were also tossed away, by a new flash of golden fire.
Jack lingered a little: he also didn’t expect such agility from wounded Bon Vijao. And the latter was already preparing a fireball in his hands. The villain was roaring, twisting his mouth, about to cast the spell.
“Attack!” Sartorius shouted. “I’ll cover you!”
The mage was always in the back, and now he wouldn’t get there in time to fight Bon Vijao up close. He couldn’t use magic, either, because Jack was between him and the outlaw. But he could organize the defense. Jack saw a swarm of iridescent sparks weaving into a translucent cocoon. Surrounded by this protective curtain, he dashed towards the enemy. The sorcerer threw the fireball, but the magical flame just flashed in front of Jack with no effect, being suppressed by the defense.
Bon Vijao changed his tactic; now he was throwing clumps of fire, waving his hands broadly. And even though these charges were not as powerful, Jack was feeling that the flames were impeding his movements, they were resisting, and pushing, and throwing him off pace. Eloise cast a clot of green light at Bon. He staggered and the resistance diminished, allowing Jack to get within melee range.
Pierced with black steel, the villain dropped to his knees and started to fall sideways. Red textures were gushing out of him endlessly. It seemed like the end of the quest. But it wasn’t the kind of a happy end Jack had in mind. He nudged Lisa gently; she nodded and moved closer to dying Bon Vijao. The giant drooped and didn’t move; Eloise pointed the staff at him and started to mutter her spells. She was completely engrossed in the process, her brows knit
ted together, and her hands wrapped tightly around Rod of Despair. From its skull knob, green threads extended towards the dead villain. The corpse started to move.
A message flashed before Jack’s eyes:
Attention! The Stargazer guild has completed the quest “Return the Gray Gull.”
The reward: one-tenth of the cargo value can be obtained from Merchant Hiji at Vincent Harbor.
Surviving guards sat near their captain. He was alive, of course. Just as Sartorius said, he was a multifunctional character, so he wasn’t meant to disappear from the game. He would just lie about on the deck, exhausted, as an injured man should. The soldiers weren’t the slightest bit impressed by Lisa’s resurrection of the dead man: it wasn’t covered in their scripts. But Sartorius was surprised. The alpha was blinking, speechless: it was the first time he had seen a zombie.
Bon Vijao slowly stood up. Still covered with red streaks, pale and rigid in his movements, he looked even more appalling that when he was alive.
“Now what?” Lisa asked.
“Ask him where the treasure is. I’m sure the outlaws stole The Gray Gull and came to this wilderness to get some kind of a treasure.”
“Why would you think that?” Sartorius asked, throwing glances at the corpse. It looked like he was afraid the undead villain would attack him.
“Because that would make sense. Why else would you come such a long way, to somewhere full of monsters and overall pretty disgusting?” Jack waved his arm along the landscape before them which was indeed dreary. “Do you often deal with criminals? No? Then just take my word for it – they are not the sentimental type, they wouldn’t go so far without a reason. The reason in this case is, of course, gold. Or something equally valuable.”
“I can’t ask him,” the necromancer complained. “Zombies don’t answer questions; they only repeat after me.”
“Then just tell him to bring the gold. The gold they were going to take away from these swamps.”
Lisa turned to the zombie and, in a stern voice, asked him to bring the treasure. The undead, abrupt and jerky in its movements, went to the bushes which were still wreathed in smoke after his fiery spell. The members of Stargazer guild, in full strength, followed the creature.
A pathway led through the scorched brush away from the shore. It wasn’t easily visible, but with some effort one could see trampled earth and grass, and the broken twigs. The outlaws frequently went this way, leaving the stranded ship. Jack was now completely convinced that his guess was right. The zombie, following the path, went deeper into the grove. Jack recognized the familiar demon architecture. Under a crumbling wall, there was a pile of soil and a freshly dug hole – with a little chest beside it. The zombie stepped towards it, bent down... straightened with the chest in his hands... turned to Lisa and froze. He did what he was told. He brought the gold.
Attention! The Stargazer guild has completed the hidden quest “Find Bon Vijao’s treasure”.
The Stargazer guild is the first to complete the hidden quest “Find Bon Vijao’s treasure”. All players who participated in the quest obtain +1 XP.
You have 44 XP. Earn 6 XP to unlock new skills.
“First again,” Jack thought. “This time as a part of a guild, though.” He threw back his head and looked at the sky. Above the swampy creek of the northern outlet of the Chand, there was a dot moving slowly in the sky – they were still being watched.
Chapter Sixteen. The Wild Lands
IN THE OUTLAWS’ chest there was some gold and several other items. And atop all that, there was a parchment roll. When Sartorius took the document, a message appeared before Jack’s eyes, accompanied by a melodic tune:
A deposit of 1000 gold was added to your account
Would you like to see the details of the transaction? Yes/No
You have 1656 gold in your account
Do you want to perform another transaction? Yes/No
The game split the gold itself, a thousand each. Since there were three winners, the total loot was three thousand.
And what if there had been five of us participating in this quest? - Jack thought. -Or ten? Would the chest give out ten grand, or would the share start to get smaller after a specific number of participants?
Sartorius unfolded the parchment and read:
Greetings to you, brave traveler, who has made it to these wild lands. I am Beor, of the Scand people, and I came to this deadly place to destroy Gezal’s Tomb. Gezal was a demon, one of King Azeroth's most spiteful allies. Even though this dangerous monster was killed and buried in the Mausoleum, this didn’t end its malicious deeds. This restless soul brings harm to the peoples of Stoglav. The whole damned sorcery he created will cease to be, once Gezal’s Mausoleum is destroyed.
I was able to find the Mausoleum, but it turns out that the one and only weapon in Alterra that can destroy it is Gezal’s Hammer. The same hammer which the powerful demon used to slay dragons. What’s more, the Hammer was, by happenstance, discovered by an ugly and fearsome troll that then took it to its lair. This is a dangerous beast, and it can be overpowered only by the Hammer itself. The demon’s weapon tends to return to its owner.
You must call the Hammer by the name of the demon that created it. Shout, “Gezal!” and the Hammer will jump right into your hands itself. Then strike down the troll with it, and destroy the Mausoleum. And remember: a mortal can only use the cursed Hammer thrice, so don’t waste your attempts.
Alas, I wasn’t able to get close enough to the troll’s lair to call the Hammer, and I hardly made it back alive. The map that had the troll’s lair marked was stolen by savages. You will most certainly find it in the Mausoleum, because savages take everything they find there. As a sacrifice to Gezal.
Avenge me, traveler, and put an end to this ancient evil. I hope my gear will be useful to you.
“Hm... That Hammer seems to have a bit of a hearing problem,” Jack said. “Seeing as you can’t call it from afar.”
A message appeared before him:
Your guild has received the quest “Destroy Gezal’s Mausoleum”.
Reward: varies
Accept/Reject
Meanwhile, Eloise searched the chest and started to take the gear. There were three items, the same as the number of players, so it was logical to assume that each player was to get one artifact.
Beor’s Belt. Level: rare.
Reduces mana costs by 10%.
“A good item for a mage,” Sartorius pointed out. “It would be reasonable for me to take it. What else is there?”
Beor’s Bracelet. Level: rare.
Increases max health by 10%.
Eloise was lacking in this stat, so it was decided to raise her health with the Bracelet.
“It’s not black, though...” Lisa said disappointedly, trying her new accessory on.
And Jack got the last one of the dead man’s gifts:
Beor’s Boots. Level: rare.
Increase speed by 10%.
“Not a bad ending for a quest,” he summarized. “Everyone got a rare item and a thousand gold, right? Aw, if only our guild was bigger... If there had been at least ten of us, the chest would have to put forward 10 grand.”
He checked the map. A red cross appeared, labeled “Gezal’s Mausoleum”.
“Yes, it worked out great with this treasure,” Sartorius admitted. “You have a talent for deciphering hidden clues. It will be very useful on Gaerthon. And now, shall we return to the ship?”
“But what are we going to do next? Who should take the quest? Is it for the Master only, or is it possible for the Deputy, too?”
“You think we should take it?” Sartorius replied doubtfully. “There’s a troll, and the Mausoleum’s guarded... And I’ve already chosen a couple more quests for us...”
“But Beor’s quest is obviously higher level.”
It was clear to Jack that he shouldn’t wait for Sartorius to sort out his doubts. He needed to take the matters into his own hands.
“I take
it in our name... Let’s see... The Quest Journal... All right, we’re in business.”
Sartorius’s only words were:
“At any rate, we have a couple dozen miles up the river to get out of the swamps, and then we’ll be on our own.”
Zambal’s squad had already hooked The Gray Gull with the towing painter and brought it afloat.
The guards, with mournful faces, moved badly wounded Khao Nai aboard. Everything was ready for them to set out. The Runner left the deadly swamps and slowly went south, fighting the Chand’s course. When ancient ruins appeared ashore, Sartorius asked Captain Zambal to drop them off.
“Here, we part ways,” he said to the NPC. “We still have a lot of business in these lands.”
“But why?” the Achaean grieved. “Don’t you want to deliver the ship to the old Hiji yourself? And frankly, it would be a pity to leave such passengers behind.”
Jack felt that he took a liking to the Achaean, too. Strange as it was, this digital character was more likable than many of the people Jack knew in real life. But what could he do? Many things were much better in Alterra than in the ghetto... including people.
Ashore, Sartorius said that in the ruins where he'd asked Zambal to moor, there was a logout point; that’s why he decided to stop the ship there. It was evening already, they couldn’t get far anyway, so it would be better to rest, have a good night’s sleep and dedicate the entire next day to their journey to the Black City. Having agreed to log into Alterra early in the morning, all three of them went offline.
* * *
The next morning, Jack checked the batteries and decided to log into Alterra earlier to train his goblins, while Lisa and Sartorius weren’t around.
The green guys were fascinated with their new toys, zestfully shooting the trees he chose as their targets. Then they went hunting and came back about twenty minutes later, carrying chunks of meat and a wolf’s tail. A shaggy Fasheer wolf with venomous sharp needles on the back of its neck was not easy prey for a little goblin, or even for five of them.