The Road to Red Thorn

by Blaine Hicks

  He tossed the cloak to the side and stepped naked into the pool. The water was cool but not cold and he slowly lowered himself down the steps. He shivered briefly with delight. It felt amazing despite the snowflake icon that appeared at the corner of his vision. He took a deep breath and slipped below the surface. A pair of transparent eyelids instinctively closed giving him underwater sight like goggles give to swimmers.

  For a long time, he sat on the bottom of the murky pool in a meditative state. His body was dense and didn’t float like a human body would, so resting there was easy. Holding his breath consumed stamina but if he didn’t move, the usage rate was slow. In fact, after several minutes his stamina bar had only dropped by two thirds. He began to scrub his face and arms with his hands. The mud and grime from the forest, pieces of wet moss, dust from hiking, blood from battle, and torch soot from Red Thorn slowly dispersed into the pool and floated away. Along with the grime, the last of his fears seemed to disappear as well.

  Four days ago, he had awoken in this world as a total noob in a derelict house feeling scared and alone. He had wanted answers but in his wildest dreams he had never expected what he’d found. He somehow understood now, he wasn’t in a coma or trapped in the game with a glitch fried mind. Somehow, the game had become real. The characters, creatures, game rules, and magic had all leaked out and become mixed with reality. He couldn’t explain why, but this insight helped him to plan what came next. His path would be the same as it was in any game: become the biggest, baddest fella around and kill bad guys. It didn’t mean he had given up on his quest to find answers, just that he knew what rules to play by.

  Radley rose out of the water and sucked in a deep breath of air. It was full of the scents of pleasant food, vibrant city life, and the faintest hint of goblin body odor. He could hear music playing outside which completed the depth of the moment for him. He climbed up the steps and was almost completely dry by the time he reached the top. The moisture drained off him like water from a duck's back. Radley had never seen water fall from the back of a duck, but the expression seemed to fit.

  He pulled on the thick pair of burlap pants and felt fresh and clean for the first time in days. He also felt like a weight had been removed from off his shoulders. In its place was an optimism that the real adventure was about to begin. For a long moment, he considered himself. Not with his eyes, but the way a Tibetan monk might consider eternity. He found in this introspection a resolve to become more than just a lost kid in an unforgiving world. With a smile on his face, he adjusted the pants and picked up the filthy goblin cloak with the edge of his room key and headed back downstairs to ask Jema for a favor.

  Epilogue

  Radley entered the main hall of the inn and was met by the raucous sounds of a packed hall at mealtime. The previously empty room was now filled with an assortment of goblins eating some type of gruel. It looked like oatmeal that had been left out for a few days, but they seemed not to mind it. Goblins of all shapes and sizes packed the long tables, enjoying themselves.

  Jema was attempting to clean another glass with the same dirty rag when Radley approached the bar. The small red goblin glanced up, but his gaze didn’t linger. Apparently, Radley was a lot less interesting with pants on.

  “You owe me two silver for the pants.” Jema said when Radley was close enough to hear him over the chatter of patrons.

  “That’s fine.” Radley replied simply. “but my money’s in my room. I’ll pay you after I get some sleep.” He draped the cloak over the end of the bar, careful not to touch it and asked Jema if he would return it to Ruckus.

  With a nod, the innkeeper agreed then added, “I got somthin’ for you too.”

  The goblin held out a small patch about the size of Radley’s palm. It was a black square of cloth embroidered with a golden fist. “This is King Toan’s mark. It designates you’re under his watch. You won't be bothered by goblins in Eventide if they see it. He slid the patch across the bar and returned his attention to the glass.

  “I need one more thing.” Radley added as he took the patch. He tried to keep the tone casual but Jema could tell the difference and looked up with a serious expression.

  “I need some information.” Radley elaborated.

  Jema leaned forward like Radley was asking for bank schematics and asked quietly “What kind of information?”

  “Historical.” Radley answered cautiously, “Old information from the beginning of Eventide Forest”

  A brief look of confusion crossed Jema’s face then was gone. He looked around to make sure no one was around or listening then said quietly, “That’s a dangerous topic snake. There are powerful creatures who don’t want the past disturbed.”

  Radley nodded but dismissed the warning. “I’ll take my chances,”

  Jema leaned back again and shrugged. “Okay. It's your neck to risk, but such delicate information will cost ya. Consider it an insurance payment for the risk I’d be taking.”

  Radley’s eyebrows raised as he realized this whole act was a shake-down. The information was probably not dangerous, but the clever goblin could now insist on payment. In truth, the information was worth nearly any price to Radley, but he didn’t want the innkeeper to know how eager he was for it. He nodded again. “I owe you two silver for the pants. I’ll make it an even gold for your generous help.”

  Jema shrugged again and began to offer what information he knew. “You will not find anyone in Red Thorn. Compared to other races, goblin lives are short. We are also lazy historians and only pass along knowledge through stories. You will need to travel beyond the borders of Kem Toan’s Kingdom to find the answers you seek.

  Specifically, where? Radley asked firmly.

  Jema’s gaze drifted into empty air as if looking for a memory beyond the inn’s walls. “Before I bought the Tepid Corpse, I was a merchant. My territory took me north to trade with a group of goblin bandits. The small clan raided travelers along the boundaries of the eastern isle. They often gleaned news from the west before finishing off their prey. One night while I camped among them, they spun the story of a satyr they had ambushed a week before. He was on a pilgrimage to Beldorf Dane. The goat’s pack was laden with tomes and scrolls meant as gifts for an oracle. I know no one who remembers the beginning of everything, but if I were dead set on finding it, in Beldorf Dane I’d looked. Find the oracle, and you might find the answers you seek.”

  Radley had hoped for some type of quest prompt, but none came so he opened his user interface and recorded the information manually in his “quest notes” tab. Jema seemed to ignore this and waited patiently for a response.

  “Where is Beldorf Dane?” Radley finally asked with his interface still open.

  “Northward - beyond the goblin lands - a dwarven defense called the Stone Pendant guards the Ogmath Strait. Cross the strait and another three days travel west will bring to you a solitary mountain. This is Beldorf Dane, and you will find the oracle at its peak. But heed my warning little snake. You’ll never make such a torturous journey at your level. The land of light is fraught with creatures that abhor your kind.”

  “That actually doesn’t sound too bad.” Radley said optimistically. “It took two days of walking just to get here and that was through Elderwood. It's got to be easier than that.”

  “Must it?” Jema asked sarcastically as he sat down his rag and the glass he'd been cleaning.

  Radley ignored the skepticism and focused on the business at hand. “How do I get there?”

  Jema scratched his bald red head as he pondered the question. Radley guessed that the goblin hadn't actually expected further interest in the plan.

  “As I said, you’ll never make it at your level, but I guess you could go by either sea or land. Torgus Bay ain't the warmest place to charter passage, but pirates and smugglers are a delight compared to the dwarves of the Stone Pendent. But a boat in those waters will cost ya.”

  How much? Radley asked.

  "Only the craziest smugglers would eve
n try sailing north. From the bay, they'd have to cross the Sea of Adalina which is patrolled heavily by pirate hunters from Corlean. I'd say it'll take a few plat to convince 'em. If you’re caught along the way, the entire crew will surely be killed. There's no tolerance for them in the land of light.”

  Radley nodded, finally accepting the dangerous nature of the quest. The price of passage by sea hurt considering the route by land was free but Radley wasn’t dissuaded. He knew one way or another, he’d go to Beldorf Dane and find the oracle. He had to, for his mom. He thanked the innkeeper and headed back to his room. Now that he was clean, he needed sleep. He would figure out a plan in the morning.