Forming the Company (Alpha World Book 2)

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “That is a thank you for getting me in, you stud you.” Karen winked at him then subjected Stacia to the same treatment. “That is so you don't mind me doing it to him,” she said as she broke that kiss, turning to Fluff.

  Fluffball, who had watched the scene with pink cheeks and wide eyes suddenly found Karen coming towards her. Stammering and shaking her head, she backed away slowly like a prey animal who was cornered.

  Karen paused a few steps away before launching herself at Fluff, wrapping her in a tight hug. “Thank you as well, Fluff. My email mentioned that you put a good word in for me, too. I would thank you like I did them, but I think you’re a bit slower paced. Right?”

  Fluff swallowed audibly while nodding, “Y... yeah. You, um, you’re welcome.”

  Karen looked up into Fluff's eyes though her lashes, “If you do want a kiss, though, all you have to do is ask. Any time.”

  Fluff went from pink to scarlet in a heartbeat, “Err... umm...”

  Karen released her with a bright smile, “Well. Now that Alpha Company is all back together, let's get this show on the road.”

  Fluff began to groom her ears again as soon as Karen released her.

  Alburet nodded, Mindstone in hand, “I just sent Gerald and Marysue messages asking if they wanted to hit the Orc Village again to kill the Chieftain. If they get back to me in the next few hours we can do that with you, too.”

  “I see someone wants to double up on the thanks,” Karen chuckled.

  Laughing, Alburet shook his head, “While I wouldn't mind, let's tone it down for Fluff for now, okay?”

  Karen glanced at the still red Lunari, nodding, “Right. I did train my level fifteen ability before heading out here, so if I can hit sixteen today we can see about gnolls tomorrow.”

  “Let's not stand around then,” Alburet said, buffing Tiny up again. “Start the ball rolling, Tiny.”

  The group spent the next two hours scouring the grasslands. Nothing survived in their wake, the patrol groups cut down with brutal efficiency. As the second hour came to an end Alburet reached level seventeen.

  As he was distributing his points he noticed his message icon flashing.

  Message from Gerald:

  Alburet, we’ll be glad to do the Orc Chieftain again. You should have your succubus by now which means the last fight will be easier since you can lock down the healers. Give us thirty minutes and we’ll meet you at the fort, or we can meet you in an hour at the village.

  Alburet grinned as he sent back his reply. “Ladies, we are heading back to the fort to meet up with Gerald and Marysue. We are going to steamroll the Orc Village and kill off the Chieftain for Karen, which should hopefully net you both a level.”

  “I already have the quest to kill him, so we just need to hook up with them.” Karen said eagerly, “I am so looking forward to being able to tackle new mobs tomorrow.”

  They headed back to the fort, taking the time to sell off the loot they had gotten during their slaughter in the grasslands. A few minutes later Gerald and Marysue showed up and Alburet invited them both to the group.

  “Good to see you both again,” Alburet greeted them. “Wow, you guys are seventeen, too,” he whistled softly, “that’s a lot of play time.”

  Gerald shrugged, “Yeah, but I have to go back to work tomorrow. It was nice having the two weeks off at the start but now it’s back to balanced playing again.”

  Marysue nodded, “Family obligations for me. We’ll be on everyday but probably only for a few hours in the evening.”

  “Totally understandable,” Alburet agreed.

  “Wish we could just play for a month or year at a stretch, but Mindblown hasn't even started trials on that yet. I thought they would have been pushing those boundaries by now,” Marysue sighed. “Oh, well. Maybe in five years they will get there.”

  A snort came from Alburet as he tried to hold in his laughter, “You might want to keep an eye on the news over the next couple of days, then.”

  Brows furrowed, Gerald eyed him, “Why do you say that?”

  Karen cut in, “Because Mindblown is starting month long immersion testing in two weeks.”

  Marysue gasped, “Are you serious?”

  “Yes,” Alburet said. “They started sending out emails to people just today apparently. The news will be all over the web soon, if it isn’t already.”

  Gerald and Marysue exchanged a glance before Gerald looked at the trio. “How exactly did you find out?”

  Karen answered, having been ready for that question, “I was invited to test. Fluffball is also invited I’m sure and Alburet, well, he’s already testing it seems.”

  Alburet sighed, wishing she hadn't added that last part, “Those two both got the emails today.”

  “You are already testing,” Marysue said, looking at him with wide eyes.

  “Yeah, but that’s supposed to be on the down low,” Alburet said. “I’d appreciate you keeping it to yourselves. All of you.”

  Gerald pursed his lips in thought, “How does one qualify for the testing phase?”

  “You recall the surveys they sent out at the end of beta? That’s what they based their invitation lists on.” Fluffball added in her normal soft voice.

  Marysue seemed to vibrate in place, “Umm, we should go, Gerald. I can ask dad to look into it for us.”

  Gerald looked at Marysue with a fond smile then glanced at the trio before his lips firmed up. “We agreed to clear a dungeon first, Mary. It would be wrong of us to back out of our obligation now.”

  “If you both want to dip, we understand, but I don't think an hour or two will make a huge difference,” Alburet added reasonably.

  Gerald nodded, turning to Marysue, “He’s right. We can knock this out then log for the night. I'll come over and we can talk to your dad together. Okay?”

  Marysue pouted, but nodded, “Fine.” She looked over at Stacia, both of whom were in full succubi form, a frown furrowing her brow, “Have we met?”

  Stacia smiled broadly at her, “I am the succubus to me master, Alburet.”

  Gerald was frowning at her now as well, “You look a lot like the maid he brought along last time. What’s your name?”

  Karen laughed, “You read the patch notes on NPCs not being able to become minions, right? This is why.”

  Marysue blinked as she looked at the two Stacias in succubus form. “Oh, so you are the person who grouped with us last time.”

  Stacia looked away from her, “Please don't tell anyone. It would impact me family badly.”

  Gerald stood up straight, “We would never wish to harm another or their family. I promise I will not divulge anything that will negatively impact your family.”

  Marysue nodded vigorously, “I agree with Gerald. God knows we both have had enough of that in our own lives.”

  Alburet gave them both a warm smile, “My thanks to you both. It worries her a great deal, and for good reason. Are we ready to go?”

  With that the group set out for the dungeon at a run as Gerald and Marysue both seemed eager to get it over with quickly. They made short work of all the patrols between them and the village. Gerald was tanking, leaving Tiny a little disgruntled but didn't let it affect his killing of the mobs.

  “Okay, same as last time except this time we have two daze effects from Stacia.” Alburet smiled at his love, “So it should be even easier this time. She’ll daze any casters or ranged by preference. If there aren't two or more casters or ranged, she’ll daze a melee. Tiny, any one that Gerald doesn't have or that Stacia hasn't locked down is yours to pick up.”

  “Yes, master,” Tiny rumbled, his eyes gleaming.

  “As ya wish, master,” Stacia purred from either side of him.

  Gerald nodded, “Works. Maybe we can get this done even faster if Tiny is off tanking every fight. Though he might need to sit out a few fights so he can regen his health, since Mary can't heal him.”

  “Sounds solid,” Alburet agreed. “Everyone ready?”

 
Once everyone gave their assent, they entered the portal into the village. Like last time they stuck to the wall and started looking for the two patrols that did circuits next to it. A minute later, as they were rounding one of the huts they encountered the first patrol. The two orcs both stopped dead as both versions of Stacia began to croon a wordless song. Tiny picked up the warg while Gerald waited for the orcs in the hut to come for them.

  Alburet, Karen and Fluff jumped the warg with Tiny. Gerald was frowning when the warg died as the mobs inside the hut hadn't come out yet. “What the hell?”

  Alburet chuckled, “I think Stacia stopped the patrol from yelling out, which means the alarm hasn't been sounded yet.”

  “Ah, well as soon as we pick one of them up it's sure to yell. I guess a little less damage at the start is a good thing,” Gerald replied. “Okay, you all focus down the two orcs here while I pick up the adds as they come around. Whichever succubus isn't engaged with dazing an orc be prepared to pick up any caster or ranged damage dealer.”

  Stacia nodded, not stopping her song, while the others all moved in closer to one of the orcs. Alburet pursed his lips, “Wait. If we all line up critical attacks against it maybe it will die before it can yell?”

  Karen's eyes went a little wide, “I have a better idea.” She sheathed her blades as she got behind the orc. She then reached out, getting her arms around its neck and applying pressure.

  The attack brought the orc out of its daze, but Karen had its air cut off and was applying a carotid artery choke. As the blood flow shut off to its brain, the orc went limp in her arms. Karen held the choke for a few seconds longer and dropped the now unconscious orc.

  “And now we can brutalize it for a minute or so until it wakes,” she said, drawing her blades and plunged them both into the orc’s eyes repeatedly.

  The others were taken off guard, standing there motionless as the health of the orc vanished under Karen's blades. She stood up, wiping some blood from her face as she looked back at them, “You could have helped.”

  Marysue was pale as she turned away, obviously holding back her bile. Gerald shook his head, halfway between awe and fear. Fluffball just looked on in shock, glancing from the body then to Karen and back again. Alburet whistled softly, “Damn, you are vicious.”

  Karen shrugged, “It's not like I killed a person. It’s just a mob, after all.”

  Bob cackled, “I like her so much. She would make a perfect demon.”

  Tiny rumbled, “She would fit in with the Demon Lords and Ladies.”

  Finally getting his voice back Gerald spoke up, “So now we all do the next one then find the next patrol and repeat?”

  Marysue kept her eyes averted as they did just as Gerald suggested, butchering the last orc. They were just about to move on when the second patrol came around the hut. This time Stacia wasn't prepared and one of the orcs got a warning out.

  “I got the adds from the hut,” Gerald yelled.

  They fell into the attack pattern they had agreed on before, with Tiny taking the patrol adds while the DPS helped kill them off before switching over to the ones Gerald had.

  Once all the mobs were dead and looted Marysue spoke up. “I can't say I liked the whole slaughtering thing, with them being unconscious.”

  “Life isn't always pretty, so why should this place be any different?” Karen asked, indifferent to Marysue’s revulsion.

  “Mary has a point, that looked more like cold blooded murder than anything,” Gerald added.

  Karen laughed, “Well, I am an assassin after all.”

  “Come on guys. We have free run of the place now, let's go door to door and see about selling them thin mints,” Alburet said to stop the conversation from devolving more.

  “What are these thin mints you keep talking about?” Bob asked, his head tilted slightly.

  Fluffball replied to him, “They are a kind of cookie that are sold by young girls on the other world.”

  “I don't get it,” Bob said, shaking his head.

  Chuckling, Alburet shook his head, “Not everything is going to make sense when we speak of the other world, Bob. This is a culture gap is all, just like I’m sure we won't understand demon society.”

  “We done trying to teach the minions irrelevant things?” Gerald asked in irritation, shaking his head, “Onward.”

  Bob stuck his tongue out at Gerald's back, earning a snicker from Karen, who winked at the imp.

  They proceeded house to house, using Stacia to lock down two adds at a time which made all the trash easy mode. With Gerald tanking and Tiny picking up one to help mitigate damage, nobody else even took any damage.

  “This is even easier now,” Marysue commented as they stood before the Chieftain’s hut. “Two succubi makes it really easy.”

  Gerald nodded, “Maybe Summoners aren't as useless as so many people think.” He looked Alburet in the eye briefly, “You have made many of our runs much easier, thanks.”

  Grin on his lips, Alburet chuckled, “Not a problem. After all, we all want the same thing right? To grow more powerful and see the world.”

  Karen snorted, “I want to kill lots of stuff and take their loot.”

  The group laughed, as that was what all adventurers really wanted. Though some of them wanted a challenge, to feel like they earned it.

  “Okay, we’re going to do this like last time, but with a twist,” Gerald began to explain. “The Chieftain has an area stun and an area interrupt both of which will break the daze effects as Stacia will stop singing. I’m thinking two imps. Use Stacia to lock down one of the healers while you all jump on the second one. Tiny takes the other adds and I take the boss. If he interrupts or stuns to save the shaman, then Stacia switches to the other one as the first will be immune for thirty seconds.”

  Gerald paused, lips pursed, before continuing, “Remember, he will use his damage mitigation ability as soon as one shaman hits half life. No idea how long he might pause before shutting Stacia out. If he uses both of his abilities back to back, then Stacia switches over to the other mobs to keep Tiny up as long as possible. Everyone good with this plan?”

  Alburet nodded and dismissed the copy of Stacia, then pulled up a second Bob, “Okay Bob, time to shine, my small red friend.”

  Both Bobs grinned, showing off their sharp pointy teeth, “I will show you the power of the infernal.”

  Everyone gathered around the door, waiting for Alburet to open it so they could rush in. He buffed Tiny then opened the door just a bit. As soon as Alburet opened the door a fraction, Gerald kicked it in, rushing towards the boss. Tiny went in and left, picking up the adds. Fluff and Karen rushed in to the right to get to the shamans as Stacia entered and stepped left, beginning to sing at one of the shamans, causing its eyes to glaze. Alburet went in next, following Fluff, while both Bobs went in and right to start casting at the shaman that wasn't controlled. Marysue entered last, standing in the doorway as she began to cast heals onto Gerald.

  About five seconds into the fight the Chieftain used his interrupt, freeing the one shaman from the daze. Stacia switched to the other one as the DPS switched over to the one that was now free of the daze. The switch was done smoothly, they had gotten used to working with each other and were expecting the change.

  As soon as the Chieftain noticed his other shaman was now controlled he used his stun ability, which freed the second shaman from the control effect as well as locking down the group. Tiny took a beating as the multiple adds on him took advantage of his being stunned. The Chieftain used his big damage ability, but Gerald had taken advantage of one of the patch additions. Using the Unbreakable ability, he was able to mitigate much of the damage and avoid losing a huge chunk of his life.

  The Chieftain seemed shocked at that development, more so when Gerald came free of the stun with a feral smile on his face. “Not again, you fucker,” Gerald snarled as he slashed with his sword.

  Not long after the first shaman went to half life and the Chieftain used his damage shield
ability to help them. Alburet took advantage like he did last time to dart across the room to rebuff Tiny, as all damage to the orcs was cut in half. He got back in time for the shield to wear off and as soon as it did Gerald used his area stun to lock down the shamans.

  With the shamans locked down and the shield no longer on them, the first shaman fell quickly followed by the second. The damage dealers crossed over to the other adds, taking the one with the shield first while the ranged one got dazed by Stacia.