by Baron Sord
“Justice of the Law. He told me he was busy with some sort of Law business or other. Some big raid or campaign coming up. I don’t know what.” Dad shrugged and smiled like it was all no big deal.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Something like that.”
It bothered me that Reternity Online was constantly distracting me from the pressing issue of saving my sister from real world kidnappers. This place was designed to be addictive, and I was falling victim to it. Made me hate it even more.
I wanted to tell Dad about Emily, but honestly, I’d never seen Dad this happy since his back accident. I didn’t want to take that away from him any sooner than I had to. For now, we could share a few hours of father-son bonding time. We hadn’t done anything this fun in years. Maybe I’d tell him about Emily when we located her here in RO. He would want to help and would be pissed if we didn’t let him.
Dad winked at me, “Forget about what your brother’s doing. This quest’ll be a great way to add some levels for a noob like you.”
“Did you just call me a noob?”
“I believe I did,” he chuckled.
“What the hell level are you, Mr. Badass?”
“Take a look.”
Walter_Simon_Byrne_1978
Level: 12
Health | Stamina: 660 | 570
Mana | Mind: 430 | 300
Size: Medium
Armor: 136
===============
Good | Evil: 111 | 9
Law | Chaos: 48 | 57
===============
-: 22 :- Strength
-: 18 :- Speed
-: 15 :- Accuracy
-: 30 :- Endurance
===============
-: 10 :- Intelligence
-: 20 :- Creativity
-: 15 :- Wisdom
-: 18 :- Willpower
===============
-: 10 :- Beauty
-: 10 :- Charm
-: 10 :- Respect
-: 10 :- Leadership
===============
“Nice name,” I joked as I looked over his stats. “But you forgot to include your Social Security and bank numbers in it too.”
“Smart ass,” he chuckled.
I continued looking over his stats, thinking about the logic of his choices. “Aside from the physical stats, I see you put a bunch of points in Creativity, Wisdom, and Willpower.”
“That was Jason’s idea. He told me it was the best way to get good at magic. Turns out Creativity gives you the most mana, more than Intelligence, if you can believe that.” That was definitely a D&D comment. “Willpower and Wisdom also factor in, but all four count differently, depending what kind of mage you are.”
“Wow.” I decided to throw some old school terminology at him and see how he reacted. “You’re a magic-user?”
“Not technically,” he grinned. “But, yes. Essentially.”
That was the most I’d seen him smile around the topic of D&D since Mom died. I didn’t want to push it, but I did make a D&D joke, “Can you blow a 9th level magic fart that can drop a deer at 100 yards?”
“An entire herd,” Dad laughed. “At a 1000 yards.”
“What’s the spell component?”
“Refried beans.”
Now I was laughing. This was progress. I hadn’t made a D&D joke with Dad in over a decade. Yeah, I was getting a little misty.
He smiled at me, “I’m glad you’re here, Logan. I really am.”
“Yeah, me too. You sure put a lot of points into your physical attributes.”
“Absolutely. I’ve got a healthy body I can move. That’s the real magic of this place.”
“Yeah,” I said, getting increasingly emotional. I pretended to analyze his stats, but I was really trying to hold it in.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Dad chuckled, “You’re thinking I could kick your ass with stats like mine.”
“You wish.” Based on his stats, he probably could. “I could mop the floor with you, old man.”
“Ohhhhhhh really. Care to find out at the Isle of Fight?”
“What’s that?”
“A fight arena back at Skyland. One of the chained islands. The whole place is a giant battleground. They’ve got gladiator arenas, all kinds of terrain, whatever you want to train. We can go there and spar. They also sell healing magic for pussies like you when they start crying.” He nudged me with his elbow. “Anyway, it’s a great way to train weapon skills. We should head over tomorrow.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
For Dad, this was all a vacation, and I was happy for him.
For me, the real quest was still Emily.
—: o o o :—
The sun was a red-orange ball sinking toward the purple horizon by the time we found the mobs Dad mentioned. The humanoid figures were down in the bowl of a small valley a few miles away from Skyland. A narrow stream ran through the middle of it. Maybe 20 or 30 humanoids were building some sort of structure or device near the stream, adding one piece at a time.
“What you think they building?” Ty asked.
From where we crouched behind the trunks of several large ponderosa pines and white fir trees on the hillside, I could see Skyland through a gap between mountain ridges. That’s when I realized this place was a straight shot to the Floating City but it was basically hidden.
“It’s a cannon,” I whispered. “They’re aiming it at Skyland.”
“They’s no gun powder in Reternity,” Ty said.
“Could be a mana cannon,” Qoorie said.
Ty smiled at her, “What you know about mana cannons, girl?”
Qoorie quipped, “More than you, Mr. RTS.”
“Be nice,” Ty chuckled.
“RTS?” I asked.
“Real time strategy,” Qoorie said. “Ty fancies himself an expert at all things games, but he sucks at RTS.”
Ty laughed, “Scuse me, Dr. Starcraft. Didn’t mean to step on your toes.”
I smiled at Qoorie, “Let me guess, you can smoke Ty’s ass at Starcraft?”
“Every time we play,” she said smugly.
“She cold, Low.” Ty chuckled. “Don’t be messin’ with that there ice queen, yo. She freeze your balls off if you ain’t careful.”
“I’ll remember that,” I grinned. “So, does anybody here know how big a mana cannon you need to sink a floating city?”
Qoorie said, “I want to say it isn’t large enough to take out the entire island, but it could do a tremendous amount of damage and hurt many innocent people. Definitely some sort of Chaos initiative.”
“Those are Dark Orken,” Layna said ominously, gazing intently at the humanoids below.
I asked, “Are they worse than regular Orken?”
“See for yourself.”
Unlike the Orken I’d met at Cliffside, these were very dark skinned, almost charcoal black. They also wore heavier armor, a mix of jagged random plates and chain, and they carried equally jagged weapons, all of it matte black. Perfect camouflage at night.
Dark Orken
Level: 10
Health | Stamina: 660 | 660
Mana | Mind: 240 | -
Size: Large
Armor: 200
===============
Good | Evil: - | 100
Law | Chaos: - | 100
===============
“They’re bigger and they’re casters,” Layna said, meaning magic.
“Damn,” I said. “Every one of these guys is a badass.”
“And because they’re controlled by someone else, they’re immune to Mind attacks.”
“There goes my advantage,” I said. “How’re we supposed to take them all out?”
“Take ’em in,” Ty said. “We supposed to apprehend ’em, member?”
“Ha. Did you bring a paddy wagon? Or a battle Hummer?”
“Naw, dawg. Mine in the shop,” he chuckled. “Maybe we can ask ’em nice to ride the Levitator back up skyside with us.”
“Back up skyside?” I smirk
ed. “Are you a local now?”
He smiled, “What? I heard people at Landing Ridge say it.”
“Poser,” I said sarcastically before looking back at the crowd below. “Shit. Are those… are those freaking skeletons?”
“Uh huh,” Layna said.
Dark Skeleton Soldiers
Level: 7
Health | Stamina: 300 | 270
Mana | Mind: - | -
Size: Medium
Armor: 110
===============
Good | Evil: - | 70
Law | Chaos: - | 70
===============
Unlike your average living skeletons, the bones of these were obsidian black. They also wore armor, but it tended toward battered and falling apart. Not that I wanted to go head to head with any of them. I could see their hollow eyes glowing smokey red from here.
“Oh no,” Layna groaned.
“What?”
“They’ve got a ghoul. And he’s a big one.”
“That’s what she said,” I quipped, not knowing what she was talking about.
Dad laughed.
Layna frowned at me, “Ghouls are dangerous, Logan.”
“She right,” Ty said. “They drain levels.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I said. “Where’s the ghoul?”
“There,” Layna pointed.
Ogren Ghoul
Level: 13
Health | Stamina: 900 | 600
Mana | Mind: 900 | -
Size: Large
Armor: 165
===============
Good | Evil: - | 130
Law | Chaos: - | 130
===============
Big was an understatement. If those Dark Orken and the Dark Skeleton Soldiers were man size, the Ogren Ghoul was at least 10 feet tall hunched over, taller if it stood full upright. I guessed something that big weighed in at over a ton. Maybe two.
“Jason is insane,” I groaned. “We can’t take all them.”
Layna said, “Maybe we don’t have to.”
“What are you thinking?”
“Destroy their mana cannon and go.”
“I like your style, Layna.” I had to admit, she was an asset to have around. She also had a great ass. Not that I checked. I was remembering from yesterday or the day before when I’d looked by accident about a hundred times. “Okay, people, what do we know about mana cannons? Because I don’t know shit.”
“I’m just guessing here,” Qoorie said, “but it’ll have some kind of magical power source. If we can steal or destroy the power source, they can’t fire it.”
“They can always get another power source,” Dad said. “We need to destroy the cannon somehow.”
“Or kill e’rybody,” Ty said.
“No, Dad is right. They can send reinforcements, new batteries, whatever. We have to ruin this thing so it can’t be used. Anybody got any bombs?”
“Fresh out,” Ty joked.
“I left my cruise missiles back home,” Dad said.
I said, “How about we run screaming down into the valley like berserkers and charge them head on?”
“You go first,” Layna smirked.
I hated it when she was funny. “So, uh, anyway. How smart are these Dark Orken?”
“You mean how dumb,” she said. “Dark Orken usually aren’t this organized. Unless they’re being controlled by a dark warlock.”
“Great. Does that mean Gandalf is around here somewhere waving his magic wand?”
“Gandalf don’t use no wands,” Ty said. “And you thinking of Saruman. He the evil one.”
“Whatever. Is there an evil wizard around here puppet-mastering this crew?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Layna said. “A dark warlock can control the Dark Orken from afar.”
“How far?”
She said, “100 miles? Maybe farther? Depends on how powerful the warlock is.”
To Dad I muttered, “If I ever become an evil wizard, I want to be called a warcock.”
He laughed.
I grinned, “I knew you’d like that.”
We all watched the operation in silence for a couple of minutes. I noticed a pattern. “See how they’re all making trips back and forth from the cannon to whatever is behind that ridge?”
“Maybe they got a portal back there,” Ty said. “Could be a whole army on the other side.”
Layna said, “Keeping a portal open this long would require too much Mana. It would make more sense for the army to carry everything across the portal as quickly as possible before it closed. Unless the army is sleeping behind that ridge. But I think the twenty or thirty we see is all there is.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded.
I said, “That gives me an idea. If we work our way around to the near side of the ridge down in the valley, we can attack from that angle while most of the Orken are on the other side. We can pick them off as they come around. The rest will have to circle around the edge of the ridge to get at us. It’s too high and too steep to go over. Unless… Dark Orken don’t fly, do they?”
“Not usually,” Layna said. “They’d have to run around the ridge. I think your plan might work, Logan. All that with a 10 Intelligence?” She winked at me.
“Yeah, but my Creativity is 16,” I winked back before I could stop myself.
Layna laughed softly. It sounded damn fine.
Man, I hoped Jason was wrong about her being an ape. I hoped she was real.
“So, who wants to kill some Orken?” I asked.
It took us about an hour to work our way around and down into the valley to the near side of the ridge without attracting attention to ourselves. By then, the sun was down and the sky was twilight. Skyland flickered with lights off in the distance. The Dark Orken flickered too: they had glowing red eyes like the Dark Skeletons, but theirs were smaller and less obvious.
Layna whispered, “See their eyes? That means they’re definitely being controlled by a dark warlock. Everybody keep your eyes out.”
I nodded and said, “Everybody see those rocks up there?” I pointed about 20 yards up the side of the steep ridge. “Layna and Dad, climb up there so you can shoot down at the monsters or mobs or whatever you call them. Spread yourselves out at least 20 yards so you aren’t one target. You’ll be too high up for them to get you unless they get past us, meaning me, Ty, and Qoorie. You’ll have an angle on them so you can pick them off before they get to the 3 of us, and you won’t have to worry about taking one of us out. So rain down those arrows, okay?”
Dad and Layna nodded.
“Ty and Qoorie, our job is to kill anything that tries to climb up after Dad and Layna. We work as a unit. Take out one baddie at a time. Keep circling so they can’t swarm us or separate us. We have to rely on our speed and confusion to get this done. I’m getting pretty fast, but both you guys got me beat in the speed department. So keep your asses moving. Got it?”
Ty and Q nodded.
“I think that about covers it. We ready to rock?”
Everybody nodded.
You have unlocked a new skill: Tactics. Level 1. The best wars are won before the first arrow flies. Increase your Intelligence and/or Creativity to improve your chance of success.
+1 to Leadership!
I smiled to myself. That’ll work.
“Oh, hey, Layna? How do I use the thunder ring with my saber?”
“Easy. Put it on your sword hand. It’ll do the rest for you.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s magic,” she smiled.
“Thanks. Dad, Layna, get into position and watch for my signal.”
Layna and Dad worked their way silently up the sloped wall of the ridge. Dad hopped and bounded almost as silently and fluidly as Layna. They were like a deer and a mountain goat in their element. It was a sight to see. I didn’t think Dad had ever moved that gracefully. And I didn’t look at Layna’s ass in her tight leather pants. Nope, didn’t see a single cheek.
When everyone was situated, I watched the back and forth journey of the Dark Orken and the Dark Skeletons, waiting until most of them trickled back behind the ridge. Then I raised my hand to signal ready. Layna knocked two arrows, both of which glowed gold. Dad knocked a single arrow and his glowed green. I’d have to ask him about whatever magic he used for his bow after the battle.
To my delight and surprise, four Dark Orken came out from behind the ridge lugging a huge component for the mana cannon. Whatever the piece was, it looked like it weighed a ton. Hopefully more.
I couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity.
I let my arm drop, signaling Dad and Layna to let fly.
Let the battle begin.
—: Chapter 16 :—
WHOOMP!
Layna and Dad’s mana charged arrows sank into the back of the nearest Dark Orken carrying the huge metallic mana cannon component. All 3 arrows exploded at the same time, blowing a hole in the Orken as it fell to its knees. It dropped its end of the component in the dirt. Surprised, the Dark Orken on his side holding the front end stumbled and fell beneath the cross-bar which pinned him underneath.
I tightened my grip around my saber, getting ready.
KingFarthurT:> Aim for the one on the ground!
Walter_Simon_Byrne_1978:> On it!
I didn’t message Layna because I hadn’t linked up with her when I linked with Dad, Ty, and Q. And I didn’t plan on it. I didn’t want an AIPC in my head. Wasn’t worth the risk.
Luckily, Layna was smart enough to aim for the downed Orken. More arrows from her and Dad hammered into it. It had been struggling to push itself out from under the cross-bar, but when the arrows exploded, it dropped, smoke pluming up from where its head had been.
KingFarthurT:> Nice shooting, Dad!
Walter_Simon_Byrne_1978:> Just getting warmed up.
Beside me, Ty and Qoorie were getting antsy, wanting to charge into battle.
“Easy, guys,” I whispered. “Don’t engage any sooner than we have to. We’ll have plenty of chances to kick some ass once they figure out what’s going on.”