Homeland: Ingame 2

by Kieron Uchee

  I finally came to the square that the Inn and the smithy were located at and stopped and stared. In the middle of the square was a fountain and on top of it was a statue, my God it was me, me as Tor, in combat with the Gods. What the hell has happened here I thought? Walking over to the fountain I observed a plaque. I read,

  In memory of Saint Tor, the bringer of science. Fallen in combat against the Gods themselves who opposed any challenge to their authority. He freed us and we will remember him.

  Well, fuck me.

  Chapter 2 Companion

  As I stared at the plaque I heard a voice behind me speak, “That statue is a big pile of horseshit, Tor did not go up to the Temple Mount to fight the Gods, he went there to capture them.” Turning around to see who was speaking I stared in surprise. It was Sebastian, my little metro male Demon friend. Clearly, something was off; he looked terrible with dirty attire and needing a shave as he was in his human form. Sniffing the air, I could smell the fumes wafting off him.

  He saw me looking at him and perhaps saw the pity in my eyes for his next words were, “And who the fuck are you.” He then stumbled and fell on his face, then rolling over on the ground he began to cry. I looked around, no one seemed to have seen us yet and I did not want to attract attention to myself. Bending down I reached over to help him and said,” Sebastian, get a hold of yourself.”

  Staring at me with bleary eyes he mumbled, “Hey, how do you know my name?” I tried to assist him to stand up but he was clearly past the point of walking on his own. Trusting my advanced Nanobot strength I grabbed him and threw him over my shoulder. Thank God that the Nanobot idea had worked. Holding my breath, I cast Shadows and both Sebastian and I faded from view.

  I quickly made my way through the maze of buildings and alleyways avoiding the streets as much as I could. Finally, I neared my destination, the abandoned park. I observed that BanHammer had followed my secret orders and closed off the entranceway. No one could see into the park, and entry was impossible from the street. Making my way to the shrine BanHammer had built next to the entrance I slipped in and then pushed the ceramic brick that opened the hidden door.

  Once we were through the wall the door closed silently, I had to admit it the dwarfs were great craftsmen. I carried Sebastian over to one of the benches that stood overlooking the little stream. Staring at him I saw the ruin of the person I had known. It made me wonder what the hell had happened. Speaking softly, I said, “Sebastian, I need you now as you were, not like this. I turned to look at the stream wondering what my next move would be when suddenly I heard a soft pop.

  Spinning around I saw Sebastian in his full demonic form and he was looking a little pissed. “Who are you and why have you brought me here?” Sebastian spoke slowly but it was obvious he wanted answers, and he was now cold stone sober. I looked at him, then smiled and asked, “You still don’t know who I am?”

  “Mortal, I am in no mood to play games, I know I do not know you, so explain yourself or I will rip you into little bits.” Seeing that he was on edge and not likely to calm down I spoke quickly. “I once asked you for some advice, on several pieces of artwork of all things; you suggested I acquire three pieces. I left them at my palace in Hell. Do you know me now?” I was feeling a bit on edge myself by now and was louder than I had thought I would be.

  The results of my question to Sebastian were immediate, as he rocked back stunned. Looking at me he said, “Only a few people would know of that, which one sent you? Who are you?” I looked at him and asked, “Do you really not know who I am my friend, I know it has been 6 years but look at the man inside, not the person you see on the outside.”

  He spoke with a trembling voice, “Tor, is that you, are you really back, or is this just more bullshit sent down from Kingstown by the King. “It is me, yes I am really back, and I really want to know what the hell is happening,” I spoke softly but Sebastian had no doubt of the veracity of my words. Rushing up to me he grabbed me in a hug and said, “By the infernal seashores at Abyss lake, I am so happy to see you Tor.”

  “Me too buddy, me too. But what has been happening in the years I have been gone?”I spoke in a muffled tone, being hugged by a demon takes your breath away.

  Looking at me Sebastian began to smile for the first time. “Much has happened Tor. When you were gone, the Kingdom fell into anarchy soon after the Gods disappeared from the world. We all knew it was your doing. Then that damned Dragon showed up and twisted the ear of the King. He had his daughter appointed Viceroy under the King. You know her I believe, your friend Reona.” I sat back stunned, that was not what I was expecting.

  “So what else has happened, where is everyone?” I spoke rapidly, I really wanted to see Ama and Raik and Gluzzie, hell I wanted to see all of my friends. Looking at me, Sebastian's voice became sad, “You will not be able to see them, they are not here.” I could feel my voice tightening as I asked, “Where are they?” Dark thoughts filled my mind and worry was overtaking me.

  Sebastian looked at me and with compassion and said, “They went back to the Roundland, to help Oaktree with the children. It was becoming too dangerous to remain so we all agreed to leave. I volunteered to stay, as Ama was certain that you were alive. Your soul link with her never faded. They used the homestones Gaiatoci had given us and left.” I nodded at the news and felt a great sense of relief.

  “There is one more thing that you need to be aware of,” Sebastian said. I nodded at him and asked, “What is that?” He looked at me and then paused for a moment, speaking slowly he said, “I should not be the one to tell you this, but you deserve to know.

  When Ama left, she was pregnant with your child.” I could not breathe for a moment, my mind raced with the thought, how could this be? After several seconds, I regained my composure and asked Sebastian, “How is this possible?”

  Staring at me he gave his head a shake and said, “Did you hit your head or something while you were gone. You and Ama would go to your bedroom and then you would remove your clothes and then you would fu..” I stopped him at this point as I knew how it happened. What I wanted to know was how I, a player could get an NPC pregnant with a child.

  I realized that Sebastian would not know and in fact, would probably think that I was a little crazy if I continued this conversation. “All right, stop I know how she got pregnant, I am just surprised by this.” Sebastian nodded, “We were all surprised, it is very rare for Demons to have children and when we found out it was cause for celebration. This was tempered by the situation happening in the city, and was part of why we chose to leave.”

  Thinking about the situation and what had happened I had to agree this was the best outcome for my friends, for my family. They would be safer there. “So how did the Drawfs take Gluzzie leaving?” I asked. “I bet BanHammer had a conniption, he was so proud of finding the head of his clan.”

  “Not as much as you would think, he was and still is making new things, powerful items. The King and Reona are not liking that so much. That statue I found you at, well they have one in Kingstown and it shows the Gods sacrificing themselves to stop you. You are hated up there, they think you are a Demon and while you may be revered down here if you announce yourself it will cause problems.” Sebastian spoke with a happy grin. “Big problems.”

  This day was not what I had hoped for, being gone for six years had messed things up for me. “Man, I could sure use smoke,” I said. I watched in amazement as Sebastian reached into the pouch he carried on his hip and pulled out a small wooden box, opening it he handed me a smoke. I stared in amazement at the perfectly rolled cigarette and then summoning Dragon fire from my finger tip I lit it.

  “Where did you get these, I asked as I took a drag. They look like they were bought in a store.” Sebastian grinned and said, “They were, Raik and I went into business together, we opened The Fine Herb and Smoke shop. It is pretty popular, even the Kingstown crowd comes down to buy our smokes. The manager has two apprentices who are helping him. I go in for a box of
smokes every now and then and to check out how things are going.”

  “How are things going?” I asked. Sebastian looking proud said, “In the last five years we have made a profit of over twenty thousand gold.” I sat back stunned, that was a huge sum of wealth Ingame. “Everyone likes to smoke, even a lot of the Dwarves down here have put away their pipes and prefer our cigarettes.”

  I nodded, I knew smoking would catch on, I was surprised no one else had thought outside the box and started to roll their own. Opening the business was the next logical step. “I am proud of you, both you and Raik, well done,” I spoke with a smile, glad that my friends had some good things happen while I was gone. “So what happened to the city, You have mentioned Kingstown a couple of times and it is apparent that the two lower tiers of the city are now more a Dwarven district than a Human city?”

  Nodding his head Sebastian said, “After Reona became Viceroy she declared the top tiers of the city to be for Humans only, and all the other races were brought down to us. At the same time, BanHammer had sent out a call to his clan and Dwarves began to show up in an every increasing number. At the same time, BanHammer erected Temple of Mechanism and the Shrine of Steam.”

  Holding up my hand I asked, “What is the Temple of Mechanism, and the Shrine of Steam?” Sebastian looked down at the ground for a minute and then spoke, “I don’t really know what they are, the Temple is a huge bloody building, coal and wood go in there and nothing comes out, the fires of the forges are burning all the time but only Hammerytes are allowed past the courtyard into the building itself.

  The Shrine of Steam is a complex that houses a shrine at the front with gardens, it is very pleasant. But to actually enter the buildings behind the shrine, is not allowed. Only Hammerytes are allowed into the buildings.”

  I nodded, it was becoming clearer what BanHammer had done, I was guessing but the Temple of Mechanism sounded like some sort of Industrial age factory, and the Shrine of Steam would probably be the offices and engineering rooms. “So why are the King and Reona unhappy about this?” I asked. “Did something happen?”

  “When word of the building and the changes that were happening on tier two reached the ears of the King he sent a detachment of the City watch down to BanHammer’s sites and demanded BanHammer show them what he was doing.”

  “What happened then,” I asked. “Was there an armed conflict?”

  “Yes and no,” Sebastian replied, “The guards were armed and things did not go smoothly. BanHammer refused and the Watch began to threaten him. Then suddenly a living beast made out of metal came out of the Temple and began to blow fire at the Guards.”

  “The Watch attacked but to no avail. They had to retreat and as they retreated the beast began to shoot metal arrows of great power at the retreating troops. Banhammer must have been prepared for this to happen for suddenly the Hammerytes were everywhere, an army of them. They garrisoned the city gates leading to the upper tiers with troops and we have been in a state of armed hostility since. There has been no detente at all.”

  Yet the city gates are still open and people can still travel between the tiers, I thought. I asked Sebastian about that and he nodded and said, “BanHammer does not seem to be interested In political power, keeping the Kings people out was his only concern. As for the King, he sent someone down to keep an eye on things.”

  “Who?” I asked curiously. Sebastian gave me a grin and then said, “Again, it is your old friend Reona, she has located herself to the Kradula. It was empty of all the young spirits thanks to your efforts, and she seems to be able to control the remaining undead.” I nodded it was a good choice for her, a self-contained instance. Once a person entered they would be at her mercy. I slowly stood and looked at Sebastian.

  “My friend now is the time for you to use your homestone, to let the others know I am back. I have no words to thank you for what you have done, staying and waiting for my return. Thank you.” Sebastian looked at me and then smiled. “Sorry boss, but if I were to leave you alone up here in Topland, well Ama would do things to me that even a Demon would not like. I told you once before I would follow you. I am telling you again, I am your servant and well stay with you.

  Suddenly the ding sounded and the interface opened a window that read,

  You have found a Companion.

  An NPC that will follow your leadership.

  One that will stay and assist you.

  Do you choose to accept this companion

  Yes, or No?

  The answer was clear as I mentally hit the yes button. It was good to have a friend in the game.

  Chapter 3 Cleaning up and Going out

  “Are there any other changes I should be aware of?” I asked Sebastian. I was eager to find out what else had changed. Suddenly my stomach let me know it wanted to be fed by growling at me. Sebastian cocked his head to the side and asked, “Do you have a beast in there because something does not sound happy?”

  I shrugged and said, “I am hungry, I was really hoping for a Gluzzie breakfast.”

  Sebastian brightened up and said, “I know of a great place on the third tier, a little pub that is open day and night, they do entertainment during the evening and breakfast all day. The food is pretty good, and it is a neutral place. It overlooks the ocean where the cable cars used to load to take visitors to the abandoned Island Park.”

  “The food sounds great, but tell me more about these cable cars and this abandoned island?” I was hungry, but this sounded pretty interesting. I had not heard of cable cars or an abandoned island before now. There was so much of the city that I did not know about. It was a huge multi-tiered city built on a mountain that was next to the ocean.

  Looking at me and then down at himself Sebastian sighed and then said, “Before we go anywhere we must get cleaned up. I look a mess and well you look terrible dressed in those cheap rags that all the visitors show up in. I know just the spot to get some clean clothing and gear. By the way, what class are you?”

  I smiled it was nice to see the old Sebastian back. I knew that by the time he was done with the shopping I would look good and be presentable. He had great fashion sense and a knack for bringing out the best look in people. I guessed by the time we ate I would be looking like a well to do citizen.

  “I am thinking of a fighter healer hybrid but have not decided yet. A lot depends on the quests I can do and what spells and abilities I find.” I was interrupted during my spiel when suddenly my stomach began to rumble, this time, it did not growl, it roared in displeasure and began to beat my insides, it was time to get some food.

  “Lay on MacDuff,” I said as we made our way back to the wall. Suddenly I frowned as I thought of the last time I had quoted Shakespeare. Archon and I had been walking together; we were heading up to the Temple mount. Turning to Sebastian I asked him, “What happened to the Old Bastards, and to Archon? He betrayed me at the end. He was in collusion with the Unknown God.” The anger in my voice hung in the air.

  “That weasel, he showed up at the Dragons den Inn later that evening with a tale of woe. According to him, he tried to help you but the Unknown God and you both disappeared before he could do anything.” Sebastian sounded irritated.

  I spoke up and said, “That prick did not try to help; he jumped up and accused me in front of everyone of being a Demon. He was clearly following a script between Him and the Unknown God. If he had not spoken up I might not have been killed by the Unknown God.”

  Sebastian looked startled and asked, “You were killed by the Unknown God. What the hell happened, all we heard was that you had banished the Gods and then you portalled out?”

  Taking a breath, I decided to tell Sebastian everything, including about the real world. If I described it as a realm of non-magic I would not have to explain that this realm we were in was a game. Making our way through the hidden gate we slowly walked up through the city as I explained everything to Sebastian, after I was done I waited for him to speak.

  Turning to me he asked
, “This Rebecca mortal, do you love her?” It was a damn good question and went right to the heart of the matter.

  Looking at him I slowly nodded and said, “Yes I do, but it is not the same emotion as I feel for Ama. Rebecca and I, we are like old friends who are intimate with each other. We enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh together but her heart is for lost and abandoned children.”

  Nodding his head Sebastian spoke, “She sounds like an honorable woman, you are lucky to have such a friend.” I nodded, he was right I was extremely lucky, and I knew it. Helping her to set up the summer camp in Nebraska was the least I could do for her.

  I would be giving her a call soon to see how things were going at the camp. One of the modifications I had put into my VRP was the ability to access my PIM’s phone and contact the outside world while being Ingame. It was not Twink and her analytical Google glasses personality but it helped.

  Thinking of that, I opened up the Personal Information Manager software and began the Integration process to the Ingame interface. Strictly illegal but then my whole presence Ingame was illegal. I was a Ghost in the Machine, to quote the title of an old movie that I liked. The PIM would allow me to use my Ingame Interface functions to the fullest.

  It would also bring up a HUD when I selected a target, then it would display health and mana along with energy and any other detectable attributes the player had. It would also warn me of incoming attackers and their class and strength.

  The greatest strength of the PIM was the fact it actively scanned the surroundings around me for stealthed or hidden players or NPC. This scan had a range of about 60 meters. These mods might seem a little OP on the surface, but this was not a game to me, this was my life. I would do anything to give me an advantage and adding the mods to the Interface was the least of what I had tried to do.