Towns and Towers: A New Land

by Shawn Kass

  “Yeah, well, they didn’t have to threaten us either,” replied Sam. Then before turning to head for the cave’s tunnels, he added, “At least this way, they know we can protect ourselves and that we’re ready for them.”

  Concerned about the many twists and turns they had traveled along the tunnels on the way down, Sam was pleased to find that they were able to follow the many footsteps on the ground as they made their way out. As they walked, Sam pulled out a new package of rations and ate, intent on refilling whatever hit points and magic he had lost in the fight with the yeti. If things did come down to another fight, he wanted to make sure he was ready.

  Tezukayoshi, for his part, followed the two of them as they made their way back through the dark tunnels, but it seemed to Sam as if the lizard adapted better to this lower level of light than he. For a moment, Sam wondered if that was due to the fact that his familiar was a lizard or if his growth and leveling up process had affected him in more ways than Sam was aware. Either way, he doubted if even the lizard knew the answer, so he kept the question to himself but made a mental note to watch for what other changes the little guy might be going through.

  As it turned out, the trip up seemed to take about half the time, and before too long, they found Mal and Jeva standing before them at a fork in the tunnel. Stepping forward, Jeva bowed his head shamefully and said, “I am sorry for what I did to you two. I have no excuse, but I ask that you hold me responsible and not punish my men. They were only following my orders.”

  Taking the lead as they had discussed while walking through the caves, Sam stepped forward and gave the speech he had prepared, making sure to add a little more to the language than he normally would and to emphasize that this wasn’t all just some big misunderstanding which was being swept under the rug. “Captain, we have heard your story through your man here, and while we can sympathize with your position and desperation, we cannot condone nor forget your choices. We will do what we can for you, but be cognizant that you are starting this relationship from an unfavorable position.”

  Swallowing, the captain lifted his head and said, “I thank you, and so do my men. We will do all that we can to prove ourselves worthy of your kindness.”

  Nodding, Sam dropped the overly pretentious language and introduced the two of them, “My name is Sam Kyoshi.” Pointing to his left, he added, “this is Anna,” and then with a glance to the ground at his right, he said, “and this is Tezukayoshi.”

  Upon seeing him, Jeva’s eyes widened a bit, but he quickly recovered and said, “Thank you, Sam.”

  Not wanting to waste time on any more pleasantries, Sam asked, “Would you please show us to your men so that we can see what we can do for them?”

  With a nod, Jeva and Mal quickly turned and led them down a narrow tunnel Sam didn’t recognize having been through before and then into a small cavern. Inside, the walls were lined with what looked like at least fifty men along with their beat-up equipment. Letting his eyes slide past them, he saw that none had a single weapon on them and assumed that they were ordered to strip off their gear to avoid any trouble. Towards the far end of the small cavern, he spotted two makeshift beds made up of animal furs lying on the dirt floor.

  As they walked further in, passing people on both sides, Sam noticed that several were, in fact, women. He didn’t think that any of them were present when Anna and he had been forced down into the deeper cavern. In the low light it was possible that in conjunction with the dirt and armor they wore and with the hardships of the road, it would be hard to tell anyone’s gender. Either way, seeing them now, Sam knew that Anna was correct in wanting to help.

  Standing up from the where the men lay on the furs, a woman in plain clothes sighed and spoke directly to Jeva. “I’ve done as much as I can. We simply do not have the medicines these men will need to get well again.”

  Grim faced, Jeva placed a hand on her shoulder and said, “Thank you, Mary. I know you have been working tirelessly to help them. Please go get some rest. I’m hoping that these two will be able to help us.”

  As Mary left, she lowered her eyes from meeting theirs, and Sam figured that word of what had happened had reached everyone in here. He wasn’t sure how many of the soldiers were in awe of them defeating the yeti like Mal seemed to be, but it was clear that word of their offer to help after almost being thrown into the abyss had made its way through the ranks.

  Stepping past Sam, Anna knelt down next to the men and gave them a cursory examination. As she did so, Sam wondered what it was she was looking for and what she could do for them. Had this been Quinn with him in the real world, Sam knew she would have been able to do all kinds of medical stuff as well as race them to the closest hospital. Here unfortunately, things were different, and he didn’t have his Quinn with him to help.

  When Anna stood up, she whispered to Sam, “I don’t know how long they have, but the woman was right. These men have sustained serious wounds and are in need of a doctor.”

  Keeping his voice low, he asked, “How do you want to do this? Getting them all to Anozira is going to be quite a bit difficult, but we also still have to get the flower and bring it to Peter’s doctor. Do you think we can do both in the time they have left?”

  With a look back down at the men, Anna said, “I don’t know, but we have to try.”

  “Agreed,” said Sam.

  Clearing his throat, Jeva said, “I understand that you two came up here to help a sick child in town, and I in no way want you to abandon that mission, but I may have a suggestion. If you were to take some of my men with you, then perhaps you could make your way to your destination quicker and achieve both goals.”

  Uneasy about the idea of being on the narrow mountain path outnumbered by Jeva’s men, Sam said, “No offense, Captain, but we have made it this far, and I’m not sure your men will be able to assist much on the mountain path.”

  Whispering, Anna said, “Sam, I told you we would be able to make our way through these tunnels.”

  “I know,” he whispered back, “but I’d rather not tell them all of our plans.”

  Stepping forward, Mal said, “I could come. I mean, I know the area pretty well, and if it’s just the three of us, it shouldn’t be too bad.”

  Looking him over, Sam couldn’t tell what Mal’s level was, but he did notice that Mal’s equipment seemed pretty banged up. Considering this, Sam asked, “From the look of your armor you’ve either been in quite a few fights, or you’ve simply been hit a lot. Which is it?”

  “I am Captain Jeva’s scout. As such, I have had to, on occasion, fend for myself until either I could find an escape or the rest of the men caught up with me.”

  “Okay, then you can come, but you should be prepared to fight hard. I suggest you check with your group and see if any of them are willing to loan you their best armor and sword.”

  “He can have mine,” said Jeva.

  “Sir?” asked Mal.

  “If it means you are successful in helping these three get what they need so that they can help the rest of us, then please use my blade on behalf of all of us.”

  Accepting the captain’s short sword, Mal saluted and said, “Thank you, Captain. I shall return it to you when we return.”

  Taking two sets of rations from her sack, Anna held them out to Jeva and said, “It’s not much, but it might help.”

  Acknowledging the offer, Jeva asked, “Are you sure? I mean, you may need them while you are out there.”

  Glancing towards the injured men on the ground, Anna said, “I’m sure. Your people need them more than we do.”

  Accepting the rations, Jeva thanked her and passed them to one of his soldiers. Then turning back to them, he asked, “Are you sure there is nothing else we can do to help you?”

  Looking at Mal who was strapping on a better set of armor donated by one of the other soldiers, Sam said, “I think we got it, Captain.”

  “Godspeed then.”

  Chapter 15

  Anna led Sam and Mal thro
ugh the network of cave tunnels with Tezukayoshi following closely behind. As she did, she explained that the narrow mountain path outside would at times become impassable, and that these tunnels were their only guaranteed way through to the summit of the mountain. Mal also began to open up and told them about his years growing up in the distant city of Cloverdale. From the sound of it, the place seemed to have been nice once. By the time he and the rest of the soldiers fled, it had begun to be controlled with a cruel iron fist, complete with curfews, martial law style policing practices, and a corrupted government which mirrored that of the old Soviet Union. Needless to say, by the time they made it to the mouth of the cave, Sam had thoroughly crossed Cloverdale off his list of places to visit in this new world.

  Without pausing, Anna and Mal continued on their way, heading out onto the snowy path where they continued to climb towards the summit. Sam, however, found himself forced to stop in his approach to the threshold by his mental link with Tezukayoshi.

  ‘Too cold.’ Looking back, Sam spotted his familiar clinging to the walls behind him. He understood that as a lizard, the creature would have to be cold blooded and therefore uncomfortable, if not completely unable, to bear the harsh weather conditions, but at the same time he knew they had a quest to complete. Speaking out loud, he said, “I’m sorry, pal, but we have to go out there if we are to save the boy.”

  ‘Carry me?’ came Tezukayoshi’s question. Smirking, Sam said, “I don’t think you’re going to be able to fit in my pocket anymore. You’ve gotten a little too big for that, and I’m afraid if you’re on my shoulders, I won’t be able to fight very well.”

  Tilting his head at Sam, as if his human had to be playing dumb, Tezukayoshi’s tongue flicked out twice before he suggested, ‘I fit in bag.’

  Not having thought of it before, he had to admit, the lizard was right. The sack he had been using to carry around everything from his money to the equipment and rations he had purchased at the supply store was more than capable of carrying Tezukayoshi. In terms of the game world, the lizard would simply be one more item in the bag, and his weight would be negligible. The only issue Sam could see was that Tezukayoshi wouldn’t be getting in on any of the fighting which Sam hoped for in order to continue leveling the lizard up. Not seeing any way around it, however, Sam reached down and unhooked the sack from his belt before he knelt down. Laying his unsheathed sword to the side, he set the sack on the ground and held it open for Tezukayoshi to step inside.

  Coming down from the side of the cave wall, Tezukayoshi stepped up to the opening of the sack and flicked his tongue out as if inspecting it. Then he looked up to meet Sam’s eyes and spoke through their mental link, ‘Food?’

  Smiling, Sam said, “Sure. I’ll make sure to cut you off a slice of some of our kills.”

  Satisfied, the lizard turned his head to the side and walked over to where Sam had set his sword down. As he flicked his tongue out against the weapon, Sam saw that a thin trail of smoke began to waft up from it, and he asked, “What are you doing?”

  Not bothering to stop, the lizard sent him the words, ‘Acid blade.’

  Sam had played plenty of games in which his characters were able to add status buffs to their weapons and gear, including not only magical spells but also status modifiers which inflicted poison, toxin, sleep, and confusion on enemies they hit. He had never expected his little familiar was capable of doing something like this for him.

  Surprised, he asked, “You’re adding acid to my sword? Awesome! When did you learn how to do that?”

  ‘Always.’

  “Really? Why didn’t you do it before then?”

  ‘Costs blood.’

  Leaning in, Sam saw what the lizard meant. He hadn’t simply been coughing out acid. Instead, he was repeatedly cutting himself against the sword’s edge in order to leave his blood on the weapon. Switching his focus to the sword’s inscription, he saw it change as Tezukayoshi stepped away.

  Lv: 10 Spider Blade, acid. Adds +15 to attack with 50% chance of inducing Burning Blood. Shaking his head in disbelief, Sam said, “Thank you, Tezukayoshi. I’m sure this will help,” and then slid the sword back into its sheath.

  From the ground, the lizard looked up at Sam and gave him what looked to be a nod before he crawled inside the sack and disappeared.

  Carefully drawing the sack closed, Sam stood up and was in the process of reattaching it to his belt when a shadow fell across the floor of the cave. Stepping back involuntarily, he found that his hand was already on the hilt of his sword even before he had time to register that it was just Anna coming back to see what was keeping him.

  Releasing his grip on the weapon, Sam said, “Sorry, the snow out there was going to be too much for Tezukayoshi, so I had to pop him into the sack.”

  Nodding her approval, Anna said, “That’s a great idea. Is he all right in there?”

  “Yeah, he’s good,” responded Sam as Mal returned to the entrance.

  “Are we ready yet? I think I saw something moving out there, but when I turned around to see if you guys had noticed it too, I found you both gone.”

  “Sorry, Mal. I just needed to take care of Tezukayoshi.” Then considering the new group member’s weapon for the first time, Sam asked, “By the way, how good are you with that blade?”

  Looking down at the weapon Captain Jeva had given him, Mal said, “Pretty good, actually. I mean, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but this is very similar to the one my father trained me with when I was just a boy.”

  “Okay, well, I have a suggestion,” began Sam. “What would you say to the three of us working our way up this mountain in a coordinated effort?”

  “I’m listening,” said Mal.

  “So here’s what I’m thinking. What if we let Anna take the lead out there, while you and I work on clean-up? She can get their attention with a few well-placed arrows, and then when they rush in to attack, we can finish them off.”

  “Strategy, I like it.”

  “Yeah, well, the point is that we make it up there and back without getting ourselves eaten by anything furry, you know?”

  Holding up his hand, Mal clarified, “I get you. No, sounds good. I don’t need any of those things taking a bite out of me.”

  “All right then. Anna, after you,” and with that, they followed her lead out onto the path, and their feet immediately sank into the snow once again.

  As they climbed the narrow path towards the summit, they were attacked by several groups of wolves, sometimes as a pair, but mostly, though, it was in groups of threes with the occasional group of four thrown in towards the end. The first attack was a little choppy as they all tried to find their place, and for a second, it seemed like one of the wolves was going to sink its teeth into Anna, but Sam quickly found that he was now strong enough to cleave his way through a wolf in a single hit if needed. He hadn’t meant to do it the first time. It was just that when he saw the wolf attack Anna, Sam reached for his sword and slashed out like a samurai performing a quick draw in hopes of parrying or pushing it away from her. To his surprise, however, he found that it killed the creature in one swipe, and he smiled as he realized how much stronger he must have gotten from leveling up with the yeti.

  From there out, the rest of the encounters fell into a pattern, and the three of them ripped the wolves apart without any problems. They paused after each battle just long enough to collect the loot and items dropped and to feed Tezukayoshi a few scraps of wolf meat. Then they were trudging their way through the snow once again.

  Altogether, the experience felt a lot like grinding out levels to Sam, except for the fact that he was actually here doing the work and not sitting on his couch with a control in his hand. It obviously kept it from feeling boring or monotonous and made him value the effort the three of them were putting in as he knew that it would reflect directly on his overall level and abilities when the next major boss fight came.

  During one of their breaks while they were waiting for the bodies of the lat
est pack of wolves to disappear, Sam considered asking them to follow him up and down the path a few extra times so that they could clear out the wolves as they regenerated, but he let the idea go for now as he didn’t have a reasonable explanation to give them for the extra trips when so many people needed them to finish quickly.

  Eventually, after a half dozen more fights, Anna reported that she was able to see the summit, and the three of them hurried to get to the top. Having played more than a few JRPGs, Sam thought things would play out like they had before, and the flower would simply be right there waiting for them to grab it. Then they would be able to head directly back. Unfortunately, the game developers or creators of this world felt the need to be a little different. Instead of a flower growing in the center of the area, they found nothing but more snow on the ground. Nothing, that is, except for a rickety old rope bridge spanning the distance from the peak they were on to the next one in the distance, all the while swaying back and forth with each gust of wind.

  “What do we do now?” asked Mal.

  Shrugging, Sam said, “I guess we cross over and see if the flower is there.”

  Shaking his head, Mal said, “All of the ropes look pretty frayed, and more of the boards are missing than are present. There’s no way that thing’s safe enough for us to cross. I doubt it could even hold one of us, never mind all three.”

  Stepping up to the edge, Sam peered out over the expanse and tried to figure out what their next move should be. For a brief second he considered the idea of trying to stuff the both of them into the sack and carrying them over himself, but he figured that he probably wouldn’t be able to. Even if he did, it would be just his luck that he would drop them somewhere in the middle where their fates would be patently sealed. Then again, he considered there was always the chance that they might simply respawn somewhere since they were NPCs, but he had no idea if it would work out that way or where their respawn point would be since he had yet to find a save point for himself. Realizing how little he actually knew of this place, he pushed these thoughts of gaming mechanics away and refocused on the task at hand.