by Shawn Kass
“What happened? How did it just appear like that?”
Knowing exactly what happened from previous game experience, Sam said, “It’s called respawning. It happens sometimes when you kill something.”
“What do you mean?”
“In certain areas, if you kill a creature it will be brought back.” Not knowing how else to explain it, Sam added, “It’s kind of like magic.”
“So that wild boar will just come back again?”
Looking back down the path they had come from, Sam admitted, “Yeah, probably all of the others we’ve killed will, too, if they haven’t already.”
Eyes wide, Anna whispered, “That means we’re going to have to fight through all of them on our way back.”
“Yeah, probably. Plus all of the things we have yet to face on the mountain.” Then coming up with the beginning of an idea, Sam said, “On the other hand, I might have a plan. Hand me the sack.”
Taking the sack from her, Sam withdrew the machete he had purchased and walked a little bit down the path. When he reached the spot where the wild boar had materialized, he knelt down and began digging. After a few minutes of work, he asked, “Can you find me a couple of large stones? I need to be able to prop this up.”
Not understanding what he was doing, Anna walked up the path a bit and eventually came back asking, “Will these work?”
Looking over his shoulder, he saw that she was carrying two giant rocks, each one weighing nearly twenty pounds or so. “Yeah, those will work. Are there any more?”
Dropping them next to Sam, she said, “Yeah, a few. You need more?”
“Just a couple. I just want to brace this on all sides.”
“What are you doing, anyway?” she asked.
“I’m building a trap. I was thinking if we can get this done quickly enough we can watch to see if it works.”
“You’re going to try to catch one?” asked Anna.
Picking up the first rock, Sam said, “Not exactly. Just grab two more of those stones, and I’ll show you.”
After Anna returned, it took Sam an additional couple minutes to finish up, but by the time he was done, there was no question of his trap’s intent. As they backed away, it was clear that Sam had used the stones to brace the handle of the machete and packed the area around them with dirt so that the blade was pointed straight up into the air.
Concernedly, Anna said, “I don’t mean to sound dull, but that looks really unsafe.”
Smiling, Sam admitted, “That’s kind of the point.”
“So you expect these wild boars to just throw themselves on your machete so that we will be able to pass through unscathed?”
“Not exactly. Just stand back a moment and watch.”
Following Sam’s lead, Anna stepped back ten feet from the makeshift trap and took a half step behind a tree. Then seeing that Sam had his sword out and ready, she nocked an arrow in her bow and waited, keeping an eye on the spot where his trap had been laid. A few minutes later, the wild boar began to rematerialize again, and while Sam lifted his sword a few inches higher, just in case, Anna saw that it was forming right on the spot where Sam’s machete was. In the next moment, the animal let out a whimper and then bowed its head as the life it had so recently been granted left its body.
Shocked that the trap had worked so effectively, Anna found herself saying in a detached and almost clinical tone, “That seemed faster, and less traumatic for the creature than the two of us fighting it.”
“It was,” agreed Sam, “And less risky.”
“Do you think you were able to get what you needed from its death that way? I mean, the experience you mentioned.”
Unsure, Sam admitted, “I don’t know. I mean, it should have counted as a rogue skill, if nothing else, since I set up the trap. However, the only way to know for sure would be to have Madame Esmerelda do another of those readings and she’s not here.”
Accepting this, Anna asked, “So now what?”
“Well, I think it would be great if I could set up more traps, but I didn’t buy a sack full of machetes, so I guess that means we either leave this here or take the machete with us to use later.”
“If we leave it here, will it continue to kill them as they come back?”
“It should unless it gets jarred loose somehow.” Pointing to the gold coins on the ground where the boar had died, he added, “And when we come back through this way, there should be a sizable amount of loot to pick up.”
“Okay, what’s the downside?” asked Anna.
Thinking out loud, Sam answered, “We’ll be down a machete which we might be able to put to use elsewhere. I mean, I don’t know how long this trip is supposed to take, but if we were to set up camp, something like this might come in handy to keep us safe.”
Wishing to avoid any unnecessary fighting if possible, Anna asked, “Would you be able to set something like this up without a machete?”
Shrugging, Sam said, “Probably. I mean, on quests like this there are usually chests with weapons in them, or a creature will drop something we could use.”
Choosing not to question him about his strange words, Anna gestured toward the path ahead and said, “Okay, then I suggest we leave it here and continue on our way. If you find additional supplies we can make more traps, but at least this way, we will have one less thing to fight, and as you say, there will be a reward for us when we return.”
Agreeing, Sam picked up the little bit of gold on the ground that the wild boar had dropped and said, “All right then, let’s head out.”
The two of them wound their way through the thick forest for another twenty minutes, stopping only to fight off the wild boars which seemed to materialize every time the path bent or twisted just out of sight. By the time they reached the last turn and were able to see the opening leading out of the forest, it had gotten to the point where the two of them could actually predict when and where their next encounter would be, and they developed a good amount of teamwork in dealing with the beasts. Each time they came across one of the creatures, Anna shot it with an arrow while Sam rushed forward to finish it off with a slash of his sword. It wasn’t until the last fight that they encountered two of the wild boars and had to change their strategy. Even then, as the first boar charged them, Anna was able to take it down with a couple of arrows while Sam took on the second as it attacked from their flank.
When they finally reached the edge of the forest, Sam noticed that the distinction was just as abrupt as when they entered. The trees around them did not slowly give way to the new area, rather they suddenly stopped along a nearly straight line, and in their place, the ground was covered in snow. Looking out into the distance, Sam saw the looming granite giants which rose into the cool gray sky like jagged teeth on a poorly made saw, and groaned at the thought of having to climb them.
Not taking her eyes from the mountains, Anna admitted, “Yes, they are intimidating, but there is a path we can use which will take us inside the mountain for at least part of the way.”
Watching the snow blow across their route, Sam said, “Good, but until we get there, we are going to have to be extra careful. This weather is going to restrict our visibility.”
“Agreed,” said Anna. “So let’s hurry,” and then without another word, she trudged off through the snow.
Shaking his head at the circumstances, Sam followed his companion out into the white expanse, leaving the relative comfort of the forest behind.
Chapter 12
To Sam’s surprise, he didn’t feel especially cold as he stepped out into the snow. For that matter, he didn’t feel any colder than he had before and realized that this must be another one of the game’s illogical details which the programmers had failed to account for, like they tended to do in most games. Considering that this was a fact which actually benefited him, however, Sam wasn’t about to complain. What they didn’t account for, however, was that the snow on the ground would make it much harder to walk. Trudging through the thick white
fluff forced them to slow down, and from the moment they stepped out of the woods, the air became so thick with heavy, pregnant snowflakes that they could scarcely tell where they were going. Their only indicator now was the looming shadow which lay before them.
Feeling a tug on his leg, Sam looked down and found Tezukayoshi climbing his way up his right pant leg. The little guy didn’t stop, but Sam got the distinct impression through their shared link that the lizard had no wish to deal with the snow which was piled up higher than him. Understanding his predicament, Sam waited for the little guy to burrow his way back into the pocket which he had claimed and then set off towards the mountain.
Staying close to each other, Sam and Anna walked for ten minutes before they came across the first dire wolf. Whereas back in the forest they came across the wild boars as they advanced along the path, this time it was the wolf which greeted them. Stepping out of the curtain of snow, the dark gray wolf looked to be almost equal in height to Sam, but that’s when Sam noticed that the wolf’s giant paws were keeping it from sinking into the snow.
Sam remembered reading somewhere that the average wolf in the real world weighed around a hundred and forty pounds, but looking over the size of the thing in front of him, he figured that this wolf easily weighed twice that. Lifting his eyes, Sam found a grisly muzzle full of sharp teeth and a pair of unblinking yellow eyes staring back at him, perhaps measuring him up as well. The moment passed quickly and before he could ready his sword, the wolf leapt for his jugular.
Startled, Sam tried to quickly take a defensive step backwards but lost his footing in the snow and ended up on his back. This did, however, get him out of the way of the wolf who was already in the air, and with nothing to push off of, the wolf ended up missing him and landed awkwardly somewhere behind Sam.
Scrambling to turn around and get back up, Sam took longer than he would have on regular ground, but luckily so did the wolf. By the time it was ready to attack again, Sam, too, made it to his feet and managed to pull his sword free.
Just off to the side, Anna stood with her bow raised, and before the wolf launched itself for a second attack, she released the arrow and caught it in the side causing it to yelp in a mixture of pain and surprise.
With its head turned towards a new target, Sam used this distraction as his cue and stepped forward to swing his sword. The cut didn’t lop off the wolf’s head like he had hoped, but it did leave a nasty wound in its wake, and the wolf shrank back from Sam in response. Unfortunately, all this did was put the wolf back into a clear line of fire towards Anna, and a second later, it found itself pierced by yet another one of her arrows, this time near its hip.
Trying to make sure he stayed out of Anna’s way, Sam stepped around to the wolf’s other side and brought his sword down diagonally. His aim was to cut off one of its legs and immobilize it, but again, either he was not strong enough yet or his blade wasn’t sharp enough, because he only managed to cut it open at the shoulder. Rather than let this stop him, however, Sam kept his blade moving and as he stepped in for his next strike, he swung it high overhead and brought it down on the wolf’s back. Finally out of health points, the wolf’s body was cleaved in two, and both parts dropped into the snow.
Hurrying through the snow the best she could, Anna came up alongside Sam and asked, “Are you all right?”
Breathing hard, Sam said, “Yeah. I just…wow. That was rough.”
“I thought it had gotten you when you went down.”
With a bit of an embarrassed laugh, Sam said, “No, actually I just slipped. Good thing, though.”
“Indeed.”
After sliding his sword back into the sheath, Sam knelt next to the wolf’s body for a second and looked for the animal’s information. As it had been on the wild boars, Sam found it written in the fur:
Lv: 9 Dire Wolf, Bite, Thrash.
“Does it have writing on it, too?” asked Anna. Standing up, Sam nodded and said, “Yeah, it’s a level nine, so that that means it’s stronger than the boar’s we were facing earlier.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” asked Anna.
“It is,” admitted Sam. “But it also means we need to be a bit cautious as well. Stronger animals usually indicate an increase in difficulty, and this one having two abilities listed is a perfect example.”
Looking worried, Anna asked, “We’re still pressing on though, right? I mean, Peter needs us to get him that flower.”
“Yeah, we’re still going to get it. I just wanted you to know that you should be careful.” Pointing to the ground where the wolf was just now disappearing, he asked, “Is that another item for us?”
Following his line of sight, Anna spotted the clump of fur and bent down to pick it up. “Yes, it’s a wolf pelt. If we bring it back to town, we can probably sell it or have it made into clothing.”
Keeping his eye out for more wolves, Sam surveyed the area around them, and then said, “Sounds good, let’s pack it up and get moving. I’d rather not be out in the open in case another one of them comes sniffing around.”
Placing the pelt into her sack, Anna stood up and said, “Okay, follow me. We’re almost there.”
As it turned out, ‘almost there’ was actually closer to thirty minutes of walking and at least four wolf attacks later. The good thing, however, was that during those attacks, Sam began to overcome his fear of them and noticed a pattern. It seemed that each time the wolves were about to leap for his throat, there was a moment where their tails twitched, as if they were purposely telegraphing their moves before they came for him.
It wasn’t much, especially since the snow prevented them from spotting the wolves at a distance, but as they entered into their fourth encounter, Sam was able to use it to his advantage. Watching and waiting for the signal, Sam sidestepped the wolf as it leapt and swung his sword. The blade wound up striking it in the belly and caused the wolf to flip over so that it landed on its back.
Anna, who had her bow ready, sent an arrow into the creature’s exposed underside which distracted it long enough for Sam to step over and plunge his blade into the wound he had already opened. The wolf flinched and let out a yelp of pain as the sword went in, but then laid its head on the snowy ground and stopped moving.
Turning to Anna, Sam excitedly asked, “Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“Right before it jumped, it twitched its tail.”
“So?”
“So, I’ve been watching, and I think they all do it. It’s a glitch or perhaps it’s on purpose, but either way they’re telegraphing their moves. That means if we watch carefully, we’ll know when they’re about to attack.”
“Are you sure?”
“I think so. I didn’t notice it on the first one because I was too busy fighting for my life, but now, after seeing it a few times, I think it’s a pattern.”
“Why do you think they’re doing it?”
Avoiding the awkward conversation about this all being a game world and that he believed the programmers took the easy way out when designing the animals’ parameters, Sam said, “Well, I also noticed they all have the same coloring. I would bet the wolves all come from the same pack and are trained to attack the same way.”
Nodding, Anna said, “I can see how that could be. These dire wolf’s weren’t like this when I came up here last time. I bet they’ve been able to populate the area quite a bit since the town folks stopped coming out this way so often.” Then returning to his previous statement, Anna asked, “So, now that we know what to look for, we should be able to avoid their attacks, right?”
“Better than that. We can use it to our advantage and strike while they’re in midair, unable to defend themselves.” Looking back at the wolf, Sam added, “The first ones took us a few hits each, but I bet, with a little practice, we can get to a point where these will be a one hit kill for either of us, just like how we got better at killing the wild boars in the forest. We can get better at killing these. I think we are both gaining ex
perience with each encounter, and it’s making us stronger and more efficient.” As the wolf’s body faded away, Sam bent down to pick up the canine teeth it had dropped and added, “And look, we’re getting different items now, too.”
“Okay, but we still have to get that flower for Peter.”
“Agreed. Just watch the next wolf when it attacks and tell me if you see it telegraph its moves.”
Nodding, Anna pointed towards the mountain and said, “The path we want should be this way.”
Circling around a particularly large snow drift, the two of them found a path which looked more like a ledge winding its way up along the side of the mountain. From the narrowness of the ledge to the bulk of the snow which hung precariously over their route, Sam had to admit that it didn’t look particularly safe. About the only thing which looked to be in their favor was the fact that the wind had stopped blowing the thick heavy snow into their faces, and they could see more than a dozen feet in front of them. Of course, it was at that moment when they noticed two more wolves appear twenty or so feet ahead of them, and the wolves wasted no time as they began to approach, leading, of course, with their exposed teeth.
Drawing his sword, Sam asked, “Are you ready?”
Drawing her bowstring back with an arrow in place, Anna answered, “Let them come.”
Like a bad kung fu movie or an old school turn-based JRPG, the wolves only attacked one at a time, each one alternating between waiting patiently for its furry counterpart to make an attempt and then giving it a try while the other waited. This fact, coupled with their awareness of what to watch for made the fight go much smoother, and in no time Sam and Anna found that they had defeated both wolves, filling each of them with numerous cuts and arrows.
As the last one fell, Sam said, “Looks like they’ll be attacking us in multiples from here out.”
“Why do you say that? This is the first time we’ve had to face two of them at once.”
“True, but from my experience, that’s how these things tend to go.” Sam didn’t bother to tell her that like in most games, he also expected that before too long, they would find themselves going up against three at once. That, he figured, was something he might as well hold onto while they continued their ascent.