by Edward Brody
“Here, let me see,” Jax insisted and held out his hand. I handed him the map and he also scanned the area. He agreed with the assessment, and we headed towards the rock.
When we reached the rock, I again scanned the area for a body of water but didn’t see anything. When I took the map back from Jax and compared the area again, I scratched my head in confusion. “This must be the wrong rock.”
Keysia leaned over my shoulder as I looked at the rock, and then pointed towards an area of the ground several meters away. It was slightly depressed and there were faint, dry cracks in the depression. “Here’s the water,” she said. “Or at least that’s where the water was before. It looks larger on the map, but I’m pretty sure this is it. It’s just been dried up for a long time.”
I looked at the map several times and compared the rock, the water, and the general surroundings. It seemed likely that she was right. I circled the rock until I was on the edge where the ‘X’ had been marked on the map and rubbed a circle into the ground where I thought it should be. “If Keysia’s right, then the treasure should be right here.”
Jax slapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s get to digging, then. We can take turns shoveling.”
I cleared my throat and swallowed hard. I knew before I even asked that I had made a newbie mistake. “Shovel?”
“You brought a shovel, right?” Jax asked. “Or a pickaxe?”
“Ummm…” I snapped my lips and shook my head. “I didn’t realize that we’d need that.”
Rina held her fist up to her mouth and started chuckling. Jax just let out a sigh.
“It’s hard for me to wrap my head around you being a Reborn who came here with no knowledge of how things work,” Jax said.
I lowered my eyes. “I should’ve known after playing other games like this. I knew we were looking for treasure, but I just didn’t consider that we’d dig for treasure.”
“Treasure hunting isn’t a game, Gunnar,” Keysia said. “This can be dangerous.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, back on Earth we had ‘games’ that you could ‘play’, but you weren’t actually in the world or anything.”
All three of the NPCs creased their brows in confusion.
I sighed. “Imagine if you’re watching someone else do something, but you’re able to tell them what to do, and they just do it. On Earth, we were never actually there, but we lived vicariously through characters by taking control of them.”
“Like a god?” Rina asked.
I twisted my lips and darted my eyes to the side. “Uhh… I guess that’s a way you could put it.”
“So before you were a Reborn, you were a god?” Keysia asked.
I snorted. “Of course not. In games, nothing was real. It was just fake and for fun. Roleplaying. But here, everything is…” I grunted and felt like I wanted to pull out my hair. There was no good way I could explain things to them. “Basically, I experienced things like this in the past, but it wasn’t real. Now I’m really here.”
Rina lowered her shoulders and exhaled loudly. “Reborns are so hard to understand.”
“I agree,” Keysia said.
Jax nodded. “I’ve understood most things you’ve told me about Reborns, but this ‘game’ nonsense makes no sense.”
“Never mind.” I shook my head and looked down to the mark I made in the ground. “I guess we need to get a shovel and try this another day?”
Jax took a deep breath then made a short, quick whistle. Fenris moved to him, and he rubbed the wolf behind the ears. “You’re lucky we have Fenris here,” he said. “He might be able to dig up the treasure if it’s not too deep.”
He leaned over and started petting the wolf and making various facial expressions. Having limited experience with Sora, I could tell that he was communicating with Fenris, and judging by the Fenris’ expressions, I could tell the wolf wasn’t happy.
Jax chuckled. “I don’t think he’d be willing to help dig if he wasn’t already covered in mud. He told me that he has standards.”
Standards? I asked myself. A giant wolf who had just ripped apart some mud creature has standards? And they thought Reborns were weird?
Jax pointed his finger towards the mark I made on the ground, and Fenris made a show of stretching his back out before he started clawing at the ground, kicking up loads of dirt behind him. We all watched and waited, and I started to get excited about what we might find.
Keysia and Rina leaned against the giant Rock and started talking. Jax walked a few meters away and leaned against a nearby tree.
I walked behind Jax and used the opportunity to take a cue from Aaron. Maybe it was the excitement of the treasure hunt, or maybe I was in a good mood from the night before, but I had the strong urge to be a little playful. I cleared my throat and leaned up against the tree next to Jax. “So, I heard you fucked Rina last night?”
Jax’s eyelids shot open, and he snapped his head towards me. “What?”
“You two were sleeping together last night, right? How was it?”
Jax shifted his back against the tree. “Yeah, we were together, but we didn’t—”
“Yeah, I know.” I gave up the playful act fast. I could see the fun Aaron had with being obnoxious, but I just couldn’t keep the performance up for any length of time. “But I saw you two, so I thought I’d—I don’t know. Just thought I’d see what’s up.”
“Rina’s a great girl,” Jax said.
“You just met her a couple days ago.’
Jax took a deep breath. “Yeah, but there’s something about her.” He shook his head. “I had been in Addenfall for so long that I’d almost given up on ever meeting someone, but when you brought her to Edgewood, she was like breath of fresh air.”
“She was a bitch when I first met her,” I said.
Jax looked at me and snarled. “A bitch?”
I smiled. “She’s been through a lot, but she’s changed since she’s left the Sands.”
Jax nodded.
I straightened my back against the tree and looked at Jax out of the corner of my eye. “Are you guys an item?”
“Item?” he asked.
“Together? A couple or whatever they call it in this world?”
Jax paused and didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he turned to face me and smiled. “I noticed Keysia was with you last night.”
I felt my cheeks flush and immediately forgot that we were supposed to be focusing on Rina and him. “Yeah, but nothing happened. Same as you.”
“I see why you like her,” Jax said. “She’s sweet. She’s beautiful. But, don’t forget that she’s a dark elf, Gunnar.”
A dark elf… I thought. I hadn’t forgotten that she was a dark elf, but hearing Jax remind me of the fact made me remember the fear and uneasiness that everyone, including the High Elf brethren, had towards them. It made me remember the way that Donovan had been treated when we traveled with him to Thorpes. And it made me remember that Keysia didn’t even want to accompany me to Highcastle, because she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary drama.
If I were to ever explore the idea of Keysia being more than a friend and guild mate, I’d have to consider that she was indeed a dark elf.
Fenris made a whining sound, and Jax tilted up his chin to me. “Sounds like he found something.”
We rushed over to the rock, and Fenris had dug a hole roughly a foot deep and three feet wide in diameter. Sticking out of the center of hole was a sharp piece of brass that was attached to a piece of wood. It was clearly the corner of a treasure chest.
“Hell yeah,” I said and clapped my hands.
I heard the same loud shrieking noise that we had heard several times on the trip, but this time it sounded like it was right in my ear, and before I had any chance to react, I felt sharp claws dig into my back, and I was being lifted off the ground.
I cried out as the claws of the harpy pierced deeper and deeper into my flesh, and I saw another harpy below me swoop by swiftl
y and knock Jax to the ground. Three more harpies were flying just over the rest of the group, flapping their wings and looking down as if planning their next attack.
All of the harpies looked like undressed humanoid women, but their skin was covered from head to knee with short, flat white and brown feathers. Where humans would normally have feet, another long segment of scaly birdlike legs stretched out in the same direction as their knees. They had three long, sharp claws at the end of their bird legs, and each of their five hands had thick claws at the fingertips. A fan of feathers rose from the top of their head, and large, sprawling white wings were attached to the backs of their arms.
Name: a harpy
Race: humanoid
Level: 25
Health/Mana/Stamina: 300/150/250
Status: aggressive
Sora and Fenris were both circling the ground and looking up at the harpies, growling and roaring, but otherwise unable to do anything. Rina and Keysia both held their staves in defensive positions.
I reached behind me as I rose further into the air and grabbed the slick leg of the harpy. I squeezed hard and pulled it in an effort for it to let me go, but it maintained its grip on the flesh of my back and ignored my hands. I reached down for my sword, and the harpy jerked hard in the air, once I had it out of its sheath, causing me to lose my grip and the sword to fall to the ground below.
I was getting pretty far off the ground and nervous that if I was pulled any higher, I wouldn’t survive the fall if the bird-creature decided to let go.
Shit, I thought, panicking.
I reached one of my arms behind me again and grabbed the bird’s leg, but this time I focused on casting a Fireblast while with its leg firmly in my hand.
Fire swelled in my wrist and it exploded in my palm. The harpy screamed, and I felt the tension of one claw release and then another.
Father! I heard Sora shout in my head, and I prayed I wouldn’t die as I watched the ground grow closer as I fell.
Sora sprinted in my direction, and right before I hit the ground, she jumped so that her body was right under mine, and I thumped hard on her back then ricocheted off and tumbled to the ground.
You are bleeding and require medical attention.
The fall caused dust to kick up in my face, and I coughed as I struggled for air.
Thank you, I thought, knowing that Sora could hear me. Surviving the fall would’ve been questionable without her quick action. In all likelihood, I would’ve died or at least been hurt enough that I’d be out of the fight.
I felt a cool energy, and a light glow emanated around my body. When I looked at my status bars, I was at 80% health, so I didn’t know how hurt I was before Rina healed me.
I pushed myself to my feet and stumbled forward a few paces to pick up my sword then turned around to see Jax crouching beside Fenris shooting arrows in the sky.
The harpy that had attacked me was still hovering high above, but it was missing part of its leg and blood was dripping from the end where my Fireblast had ripped it apart. Its human-like face snarled at me before letting out another deafening screech, and then it started flying down towards me at an alarming speed.
The harpy stopped and reared its body when Sora slid up beside me and roared. I moved closer to Sora and pushed the backside of my body against her for protection.
I looked over Sora’s back to see that Keysia had holstered her staff and summoned her magical fan. She swung it towards the three harpies that were above her, causing a strong gust of wind that forced the harpies upward a little more but didn’t seem to disrupt or damage them at all.
Rina raised her staff and caused magic to fall from above several times, but it seemed as if the harpies could see or hear the slow, falling light before it touched them, and they easily maneuvered out of the way.
I reached my hand out and shot a couple Arcane Missiles and a Fireblast at the injured harpy above me, but it easily dodged each attack. Jax’s arrows were also being dodged.
“Anyone have any ideas?!” I yelled.
“Not yet!” Jax yelled back, still ducking beside Fenris.
“I’m not done yet!” Keysia yelled. She stomped her foot hard on the ground and closed her eyes before pressing her hands together and slowly pushing them out in front of her.
Almost instantly, Keysia’s hair started blowing in the wind, and a strong gust picked up out of nowhere. Within seconds, the gust was so strong that that harpies over her were flapping their wings violently to maintain control. When the wind reached its peak, it howled and shrieked as it passed, and the harpies were turning in different directions, flapping furiously, as if they had lost their orientation.
I recognized it as the Shrieking Gust spell that I bought Keysia from the shop in Highcastle. I was glad it was coming in handy.
Jax shot an arrow towards the injured harpy, and the arrow connected with its back, causing it to tumble violently to the ground. The harpy flapped its wings as it tried to get back to its feet, and feathers were flying everywhere.
I released a Fireblast at the downed harpy, and it connected. Its feathers caught fire, and it screamed and twisted as the fire spread over its body.
The three confused harpies over Rina and Keysia were now taking damage from Rina’s magic, and each time she hit, the harpies screeched, flapped their wings and lost a little height in the air, but it wasn’t quite enough for them to fall to the ground. Jax landed another arrow on the harpy that was above him, but it didn’t prove as effective as the arrow he had landed on the injured harpy.
Keysia’s wind attack suddenly subsided, and while the harpies were still low enough in the air, she held a hand up to the sky, and electricity shot out from her fingertips and spiderwebbed between the three harpies.
The harpies squawked several times, sounding more like dying crows as the energy shook them, and they dropped straight down and hard to the ground.
The two women rushed for the three grounded harpies, and I shot a Fireblast at one of them, causing it to immediately erupt in flames. Keysia slammed her staff in to one of the beasts, and Rina smacked one with hers.
Sora and Fenris ran to join the fight.
I pulled out my sword and ran to help kill the fallen harpies, but as soon as I took a few steps, I heard Jax cry out.
I turned to see the harpy he had been shooting flying right in front of him, scratching and snapping its lower claws. There were three arrows sticking from the beast’s chest, but it was still airborne and didn’t seemed weakened.
“Ahhh!” Jax yelled as sharp claws knocked his bow out of his hand and landed several deep scratches to his arms and chest. He looked overwhelmed by the attack, holding his arms out in front of his face helplessly.
I pivoted and ran for Jax right just as the harpy got a good grip of his shoulder and lifted him off the ground. I stopped and risked shooting a Fireblast and then an Arcane Missile, but the harpy saw the magic coming and managed to dodge, even while carrying Jax’s weight.
Fenris ran for his master and leapt off the ground in an attempt to grab him, his teeth snapping in the air and missing by mere inches.
“Jax!” I shouted.
You are bleeding and require medical attention.
I started to panic as Jax was lifted higher, and I had no idea how I could help him.
“Keysia, the wind spell!” I yelled.
“It’s on cool—!” Her voice was cut off.
I turned around to see that two of the harpies that Keysia had downed managed to fight their way to their feet, and one of them had managed to grab on to Keysia awkwardly with just one claw and was struggling to flap its wings enough to lift her off the ground.
Rina slammed her staff across the temple of the other harpy in front of her, but the harpy rattled its head and leapt off the ground, then started clawing for a grip on Rina while flapping its wings hard.
I reached for my bow in horror, knowing that the harpies were susceptible to fire, but also knowing I couldn’t risk casting
more Fireblasts on any of the birds while they were so close to my guild mates. Archery wasn’t my strong point, but I had to try.
Two daggers flew with a whiz through the air and slammed into the back of the harpies that were attacking Keysia and Rina. The harpies screeched and bucked, and then suddenly they froze still, and from the daggers’ point of impact, a layer of ice seemed to appear and magically wrap around the harpies’ bodies.
Keysia dropped to the ground—from the couple feet she had been lifted—safely, and the harpy fell forward and clacked when it fell frozen to the ground. The frozen harpy that had been attacking Rina also fell hard to the ground.
I turned my head to see a figure running towards us, and when he was close enough, my skin crawled.
Jeremy.
The thief who attacked Edgewood.
He was wearing a set of boring leather this time and a pair of sparkling, black boots.
He slid up to one of the frozen harpies and slammed his foot down on its head, causing frozen pieces of bird to splash across the ground.
Keysia and Rina both looked up in confusion, but then Keysia quickly raised her staff and slammed into the other bird, scattering icy chunks everywhere.
Jeremy reached down and yanked his dagger from the harpy closest to him, rushed to the other and repeated the process. He ran towards me at an abnormal speed, and without putting away my bow, I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword, ready to defend.
“Hey Gunnar!” he said as he ran right past me. “That’s was your name, right?!” He was moving about the same speed that I would move if I had cast Boiling Blood, but he didn’t seem injured at all.
You are bleeding and require medical attention.
I looked to Keysia and the gang and gave them a nod, before we started running after him and Jax.
Jeremy ran straight for Jax, who was quite a few feet off the ground, and then he veered off to the left, where there was a straight path leading up the side of one of the mountains. They were both a good hundred meters ahead of us by then.
When he reached the edge of the path that was closest to where Jax was hoovering, he stopped and took aim. He threw a dagger in his hand at the harpy, and just when it looked like it was going to hit, the harpy veered, screeched, and flew up a bit more.