by Tom Gallier
They all stopped and watched Killum's body fade away. His "club" was all that remained. Rand quickly snatched it up as his own.
"I get his purse," Tiana cried, darting forward.
Fergus didn't see a purse. Besides, where would any of them get a coin purse so quickly? But then she moved past the battle-mage's death spot, and climbed up onto the troll's body.
"Be careful, girl. That mob probably has virtual flees and lice," Fergus said. "He's smells rancid."
"Oh my god, you're right! I can actually smell him," Tiana turned delighted eyes back at him. "This realm is amazing." The thief waved her hand before her screwed up face. "He smells worse that one of Rand's battle farts." She reached down to the dead mob's waist and pulled away a leather coin purse. Tiana poured the contents out in her palm. "Yes! Twenty-one copper shekels, and two silvers! I'm rich!"
That was interesting. This realm had trolls interacting with other races similar to how it went down in their previous realm. In cities trolls traded with others, but killed and ate them in the countryside. So it was another lawless realm.
Fergus grinned. This is going to be so much fun.
"Do you think Killum will return to this spot?" Rand asked. "Or go to Oxenbur… I mean Oxenbluff."
"He might come back here, since it's on the way to the town," Fergus said. "But I'm not going to wait. We'll just be wasting our time here if he goes straight to Oxenbluff."
"I agree," Tiana said. "I'm eager to reach any town so I can start leveling up and working on my skills." She turned to Rand. "So, have you or Killum seen Asha?"
"No. She came over first, so might already be in Oxenbluff."
Fergus couldn't argue that point. Her Spawn Site might even be close to that town, or on the other side of the town. After all, his Admin just said everyone was spawned in this valley, not where.
The ranger led the way back into the forest. He quickly found a game trail, making it easier to travel. As best he could tell, he was the only one who looked for game trails. The others just smashed through the forest like barbarians, making a god-awful amount of noise. Only Asha, a fellow elf, seemed able to traverse forests effortlessly. He assumed she was still an elven sorceress in this new realm, so really could already be in Oxenbluff.
I'd already be there if I didn't have first Tiana, and now Rand, holding me back.
The game trail didn't follow the river, but drew close at different points. It was going in the right direction, so Fergus stuck to it. He set a brutal pace for poor Rand, and soon had the dwarf huffing and puffing. Tiana fared a little better.
"Let's take a break next to this creek," Rand called. The creek ran through the middle of a small clearing where a mighty oak had fallen. The remnants of the ancient tree could just be made out in the knee high grass, but it left a nice opening high enough to see for many miles. "Tiana looks tired."
The thief didn't correct him, so Fergus stopped. They all took their fill of the cool, sweet water. Then they sat on the rotting trunk, Tiana in the middle, and studied the land to the west. Hazy purple mountains were off in the distance, with rolling hills as far as the eye could see. They couldn't see the river, but there were a lot of birds of prey gliding above it.
And then he saw it.
Dragon (Lvl 26). Neutral.
"Is that really a dragon?" Fergus asked, rising to his feet. He studied the tiny figure flying in the distance. "That's amazing. And I think there's a rider upon it."
"You're eyes are better than mine," Tiana said. "I can see the dragon, but it's too far away to make out anyone riding it."
"Killum and I came across a giant nest atop a hill," Rand said. "We heard something inside it, so didn't check it out. But it was big enough to be a dragon's nest."
"Do dragons make nests?" Tiana asked.
Fergus shrugged. "The game designers can have them do anything they want, but it does seem odd to have dragons nest like birds."
"Well, maybe so," Rand said. "Killum also said he spotted some guys on a flying carpet following the river northward."
"Wow. We seem to have more than one option to fly in his realm," Fergus said. "Personally, I'd prefer the flying carpet."
"I know. A dragon might eat you," Tiana replied.
"Naw, Fergus is such a sourpuss he would upset the dragon's stomach," Rand said. He winked at Tiana. His eyes looked her up and down, lingering on her breasts. "But I bet you'd be delicious."
"I'll poke an eyeball out if you keep leering at me like that," she said.
"But I think we can actually do it in this realm," Rand said. He scooted a little closer, which made Tiana slide away a bit. "Our bodies are perfectly formed, and capable of doing anything here that we can do in real life."
"That sucks for you," Tiana said. "Because I wouldn't sleep with you in the real world, either."
Rand and Fergus chuckled. Tiana gave them both dirty looks.
"I admire your tenacity, dwarf, but one of these days you're going to go too far and Tiana or Asha is going to slay you," Fergus said. "I hope I'm there to witness it."
"At least I'm man enough to try."
"You're not a man," the ranger said. "You are a dwarf."
"Screw you."
"Just like Tiana, I won't sleep with your either," Fergus said. He started laughing, "But thanks for the love."
Tiana burst out laughing. Rand scowled at them, but soon even he couldn't keep from laughing. Then the dwarf lifted a leg and ripped out a loud fart. That sent the other two rushing upwind. Fergus veered back to the game trail, waving for them to follow. They weren't going to reach Oxenbluff before dark by sitting on their butts.
"We need to figure out how we can level up, gain some skills, and get better weapons," Fergus said. "This realm seems to be a little more difficult in those areas."
"I like harder," Rand said. "It makes the game more interesting, but they did go a little overboard on the realistic aspects of this world."
"Right now I'm only interested in something to eat," Tiana replied. "My stomach is growling. Seriously, it sounds like an angry cat."
Fergus slanted a look at her. He was hungry, but not that hungry. But the longer they played, the more realistic that realm seemed. It made him wonder how painful Killum's death was when the troll thrust a huge spear through his heart.
"Maybe not every aspect of enhanced reality is good," he muttered. He checked his map. "The town seems to be just a few miles away. We'll find a pub or tavern, and wait for Killum and Asha. Tiana's buying, since she has money. Once we're all together, then we can set up a time to meet up and start exploring this place."
He was getting tired. Fergus would rather eat in real life than in the Game. Besides, he needed some time to contemplate the new realm. There had to be something on the Internet about it, and maybe he could find some hacks to improve his lot in the Game.
"It'll be epic," Rand said. "The mob bards will be singing my name within a month!"
Fergus picked up the pace. Rand groaned, but said nothing. Even Tiana sounded like she was struggling to keep up. He didn't care. Reaching town was imperative. Hopefully, Asha would already be there. Then they'd only have to wait for Killum to join them.
Less than half an hour later, they walked out of the woods and into farmland. The town could be seen in the distance, atop a bluff over the river. A dark, smoky haze hovered over Oxenbluff.
"Lots of peasant farmer mobs," Tiana said. "Maybe I can steal a few purses."
The ranger didn't answer. None of the farmers were on the road. And what a road. If it wasn't for the ox cart ruts, he'd never call it a road. Also, fields were separated by low stone walls, which also lined the road all the way to town. And it was the crookedest road he’d ever seen.
It was late afternoon when they reached Oxenbluff. Well, technically they reached the suburbs. Really, it was a dirty looking shantytown. All of the structures looked haphazardly thrown together. Nothing was over two stories high, and few even bothered with a second floor. He could see w
ide stretches of blackened ruin where buildings recently burned down. Even the muddy streets were black with ash.
"I swear, every fantasy race is represented here," Tiana said. "I see elves, drows, an ogre, and even a pair of orks."
"Yeah, don't look, but some goblins are following us," Fergus whispered. "I don't think they want to welcome us to town, either."
"I saw them. They were all sitting in a beer garden we passed," Tiana said. "They definitely plan to rob us. I'm missing my enchanted mantle big time."
Fergus studied the streets and the people crowded within those twisting, narrow corridors. It would be hard to run through that packed humanity. He glanced at their pursuit.
Goblin warrior (Lvl 2). -1 Dark.
Goblin hunter (Lvl 7). -9 Dark. PK: 5.
Goblin farmer (Lvl 4). -2 Dark. PK: 1.
And those were just the ones in front. Very Dark, with way too many PKs for such low levels. Not a good sign.
"They're closing on us," he said. Pointing at the town gate. "We have to reach the gate before they catch us."
The path to the gate was not obvious. Time was running out. And with only him having a real weapon, it didn't look good.
Chapter 10
The elfmaid stopped, panting lightly. A smile spread across her face as she looked across cultivated fields. The town of Oxenbluff at last.
"I've never felt so alive," Asha whispered, glancing back into the woods.
To help avoid the goblins that killed her, the elven sorceress tested her elven roots and ran through the forest. Asha might be a Desert Elf, but she loved running through the forest. And her elven body could do it for hours on end. Now she wanted to run everywhere.
The sun was low on the western horizon. She smiled, feeling relief at making it to Oxenbluff before dark. Hopefully, her friends would be waiting for her inside the town.
"I just have to find the pub in which they are getting drunk."
That gave her pause. Could they actually get drunk from drinking in this realm? In the previous realm she'd gotten "drunk" a few times, but she never felt anything. Her character's movements would slow, it would be hard to walk a straight line, and such. In this new improved VR realm, Asha was pretty sure she'd feel the effects of alcohol more profoundly.
"I'll find out soon enough," she said, and took off at a fast trot. "Since I'm stuck here, getting wasted tonight sounds pretty good."
After being killed, Asha spend a good bit of time scouring through her HUD and checking all of her options. There was NO EXIT. Being killed didn't kick her out of the Game, and she didn't have an option to leave it and return to the real world. But she couldn't believe there was absolutely no way to leave the game.
Asha just had to find it.
Just as bad, the HELP option had vanished. She could not ask for help, or talk to that annoying Admin. Asha had a moment of panic when it sank in that she was trapped inside the Game. The long run to Oxenbluff had helped to calm her down.
"I might be in the Game for a while," she muttered. "Customer service is really going to get an earful now."
She approached the town from the east. The river ran north and south, with Oxenbluff on a bluff on the eastern side of the river. Farmland encircled the town, with a village on the other side of the river and more farmland. The elfmaid didn't study agriculture in the real world, but it looked like enough farmland to feed the small town.
The narrow, muddy roads between the farms were anything but straight. And they could easily get crowded, forcing her to a walk more than once. Asha wondered if she was the only one in a hurry in that world.
"My lord, oxen are slow," she muttered as she squeezed past an ox cart.
"Hiya, sweetie. You want a ride?" the peasant up on the cart asked and wagged his brows suggestively. "I'll give you a long, hard ride into town."
Her jaw dropped. Mobs rarely spoke to her in the other realm, except to challenge her to a fight or make some rude comment. Though, his comment was sexual, and rude, it was the first time a mob propositioned her. But he seemed different, so she concentrated on him.
Jarl. Human freeman farmer (Lvl 28). +2 Light. PK: 2.
"You're a player!"
"You know I am, baby, and if you'll – " Jarl stopped, and his eyes narrowed for a second. "Oh, you're an Immortal. Sorry. I thought you were a mob. Elf mobs are generally pretty frisky and always looking for a good time." He grinned at her. "Don't be surprised if you get hit on a lot in town."
"Great," she whispered and sighed. "Maybe this realm is too much like real life."
Asha turned to leave, but something he said registered. "Why did you call me an 'Immortal' instead of a player?"
The farmer shrugged. "The mobs here think all players are immortal, since we come back after death. Mobs just die."
"Are Immortals revered?"
"Ha! The opposite. So be careful. It's only a crime to kill an Immortal if he or she is a citizen of the town," Jarl said. "Fortunately, I'm one of the Founding Fathers of Oxenbluff, so I'm a citizen and protected from random violence. You'll be fair game, though."
"Can mobs in this realm determine if we are Immortals the same way we see who is a player?"
"No, they don't see any of the gaming stuff like us," he said. "It's not a game to them. Hell, it's not really a game anymore for us Immortals. This is our new reality, baby."
Asha nodded, looking all around. That realm was indistinguishable from real life. She felt alive. And from Jarl's proposition and following comments, they could do anything in VR that they could do in RL.
"Not necessarily a good thing," she whispered. Then to the farmer. "Thank you, Jarl. You've been very informative. Good-bye."
She studied the town as she approached. The town of Oxenbluff was difficult to see behind high stone walls. Asha did see wooden palisades and a stone tower in the middle of the town, at its highest point. Other than that, all she could see were the thatch roofs of buildings. Outside the town walls was another problem.
Shantytowns in real life and in the Game are never good places. The one outside Oxenbluff's curtain wall looked particularly dangerous. The dark smoke cloud above the shantytown was thicker than what was above the city.
She slowed to a walk upon passing into the shantytown. Every race represented in the Game was there. Minotaur, goblin, and human street urchins co-mingled as they wove through the street crowd, laughing and shouting as they ran with their barking dogs. Adults of every race swatted and cursed at them. Asha spotted a street vendor selling sausages wrapped in flatbread, making her stomach rumble.
"I'll kill you!" a minotaur bellowed. "You honorless swine!"
The eight foot tall brown and white furred minotaur was squared off with another one. The second minotaur was a mottled gray, with especially wide horns decorated with silver bands. Both of them wore loincloths, with long swords at their hips. But they started out throwing fists.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Asha turned to see a pair of human men in black tunics. They had scary eyes, and then she realized they were looking at her. Before the danger registered, one of them hit her with a right cross to the jaw.
"Uggh!"
Black and white flashed behind her eyes, and pain ripped through her head, and down her neck. Asha felt her body go limp, and then two sets of hands seized her. They dragged her away and into a dark place. The elfmaid was shoved against a rough wall and their hands were everywhere.
"Bitch ain't got no coin," one said.
"Damn," the other said. "Check her out. She's just a level 11. I bet this is her first day here."
"Well that sucks," the other said.
Asha's wits returned, while her head throbbed. She concentrated on the man to her right.
Pawl. Human barbarian warrior (Lvl 23). -7 Dark. PK: 22.
"Please. I just got here. I have nothing to take."
The other mugger grabbed a fistful of her hair. "Wanna bet, elf? Slavers will pay a pretty penny for your sweet round butt."
She
checked him out.
Uthor. Human soldier (Lvl 20). -13 Dark. PK: 29.
"Oh my, you're both minions of evil," she said. They grinned cruelly at her. She gave them a single nod, and then grabbed the hilt of Uthor's short sword. "I kill Dark minions!"
Pawl screamed something in a language she didn't understand, but sounded Slavic. The short sword came out with a scary Zzziiipp. Asha flicked her wrist, sending the keen-edged blade across Pawl's throat. As he stumbled away, clutching his throat, Uthor turned and ran. The sorceress took off after him, and caught him just before he reached the street.
Congratulations! You've learned the Battle Skill of Swordsmanship! Slay your enemies! Conquer the world!
"Ah, bitch," he growled after she thrust the sword through his back, piercing a lung. "My respawn site is just outside town, so I'll be looking for your ass soon enou…"
Asha stared down at him a long moment. It hadn't occurred to her that he could return to town that fast. She glanced at Pawl's body, and he was starting to fade away. And then she had another terrible thought.
"Oh my god, I have two PKs now."
Uthor faded away and she noticed he dropped something: A dark red leather coin purse, the sword's scabbard, and a long belt knife. When she checked where Pawl died, she found another knife and a cloth coin purse.
She pushed Pawl's purse into the one she took from Uthor, buckled the sword belt around her waist, and sheathed the sword. The elfmaid attached one knife at the small of her back, half-hidden by her long hair, and the other opposite the sword. The coin purse hung off the belt next to the buckle.
"Before I leave, I better see what the damage is," Asha whispered, and pulled up her stats. And then opened up Skills and Possessions.
Current status: