by Thad Ward
Ike removed the cloth from his ears as well. “I’ll be fine… eventually,” he winced and sagged a little as the adrenaline faded. “The thing hit like a mack truck. Good call on the earplugs. I’m not sure if it was using sonic attacks on us with all the howling or not, but better safe than sorry. Speaking of sorry…,” he trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the knot forming on her forehead.
Ada shrugged. “I never thought I’d consider a bat to the face a favor, but thank you. Good idea playing matchmaker with the cube thingy. It was worth taking so long luring it in here. Although,” she squinted into the interior of the ooze, “I hope it didn’t have any loot on it. On that note, want your mana back?” She held her bow out to him. Ike touched it and cast Harvest Enchantment.
You have recovered 3 mana drain.
Mana: 4 / 7 (-3)
Ike smiled at Ada. “You’re a good person, Ada. I’m sure it was tempting to keep it. Heck, a bow with Curse Lifting might end up being worth more than what you get from the quest.”
“Short-term loss, long-term gain,” Ada said cheerfully. “I’d rather trade for it fair and square. Besides, who knows what juicy enchants you can hook me up with later. I’d rather stay on your good side.” She flashed him a greedy grin.
“Let’s go out and rest,” Ike said. “As much as I want to loot the boss room, we’re in no shape to handle anything else that might pop out at us.”
Ada frowned but followed Ike’s lead. “Fine, fine. I can’t wait to see what’s in there, though.”
Ike crossed the room and knelt to pick up the part of his shield still attached to the handle. He cast Minor Repair as he did, watching it stitch itself back together. Even when the spell was complete, however, deep gouges remained in the wood.
“Durability drain,” Ike said, disappointed but interested. “I guess there’s a cost to repairing something after it’s completely broken.” He turned toward the exit.
“Good to know,” Ada said. “It’s not like it was quality craftsmanship or premium materials, though. You can always just make yourself another one from the wood outside.”
“For now,” Ike agreed. “It’s also good to know that I can repair items and harvest their enchantments even if they’re broken. That said, I need to rethink my combat strategy. I’m not built to be on the front lines.”
The two sat together at their camp, enjoying the sun and wind if not the food. On a whim, they agreed to swap Ike’s cooked rat meat for Ada’s hardtack, both agreeing that Ike’s was the worse of the two.
“Ugh, this health regen takes forever,” Ada said impatiently several minutes later. “Hey, I forgot to ask you, did you complete your quest?”
“One part of it,” Ike said. He sat down with a cord of wood and began using Minor Reshape to craft a new shield and transfer the enchantment. “From the way it read, I’m pretty sure we finished the ‘eliminate the source of the curse’ part. I’ve got a good idea of what I need to do to finish the last part. Don’t worry, though; I don’t think it will involve fighting.”
They returned to the dungeon a few minutes later. “It’s over there,” Ada said, spotting the gelatinous cube effortlessly even though it was transparent again. The remains of the Wailer were nowhere to be seen. “I’m glad Investigation works on that thing. I wouldn’t want to stumble into it accidentally.”
The two walked quietly and carefully as they entered the throne room, relaxing after a few moments when no new threats became apparent.
Ike spotted an identical exit at the opposite side of the room. “Pretty bare in here,” he commented.
“Maybe to you,” Ada grinned. She walked beside the throne, focusing on the seemingly featureless back wall. “But I can see a secret door here.”
Ike’s eyes widened a little. “That’s promising.” He moved up beside her. “Can you open it?”
Ada was carefully scanning the wall and the floor in front of it. “Maybe if I can find a switch or a lever, but I need to deal with the trap first. Give me a minute to work on it.”
Ike stood back and let the party’s trapper do what she did best. He watched as Ada got down on all fours, scanning the floor at eye level. She poked and tapped until she found a stone that seemed to give a tiny bit, then set to work with her karambit prying it up. Examining its contents, she muttered to herself, looking up at the adjacent wall, then began prying gently at some well-hidden holes. “Aha!” she said after a few minutes of work. “Got it!”
Ike approached. “Are we set then? What about the door?”
“Well, I’ve got good news and bad news,” Ada said, turning back toward him.
“I’m a pessimist at heart,” Ike said. “What’s the bad news?”
Ada gave the wall a look of consternation. “The bad news is that the door has an ordinary mechanical lock. We’ll have to find the key or pick it, but I don’t have lockpicks or the skill to use them anyhow. I couldn’t afford it before I left town.”
Ike rummaged around in his satchel, drawing out the old lockpick he’d found earlier. “I can’t do anything about the skill, but I did manage to wing it once. Here, take it. What’s the good news?”
Ada smiled, accepting the pick. “I’m getting more rogue-like by the second. Thank you. The good news is that the trap’s caput and I learned how to make it. I got the materials, too. It’s a dart trap. Practically no damage, but…”
“I bet it would pair nicely with poisons later on,” Ike finished her thought. “Something else for the to-do list. It’d be nice to have an alchemist in the party, anyway. We could use some healing potions.”
Ada cocked her head to the side and smiled playfully. “Why, Ike, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you wanted to keep working together after this is all over.”
Ike was a little embarrassed but went for it anyway. He nodded. “I think we make a good team. It’s more than that, though. Something else occurred to me. If the developers built True Calling to pick the best class and race for every player, wouldn’t it make sense to arrange things so the best party members end up in a group together?”
Ada’s smile vanished as she considered Ike’s words. “You mean, you starting here and my quest bringing me here wasn’t just a coincidence?”
Ike shrugged. “It’s just a theory, but with every quest being unique, it makes sense there may be a deeper, more personal intent in their design.” He winked at her. “Think we were meant to be?”
Ada narrowed her eyes a bit, appearing uncomfortable. “Stop that,” she said, then turned toward the wall and began working with the lockpick. “It’s bad enough this game makes better choices for me than I make for myself. I’m not sure I like the idea that I’m just a puppet in its strings even when I’m the one making decisions.”
Ike crossed his arms as she worked. “I doubt it’s as bad as it sounds. My guess is the game computed some probability that we would party up and enjoy working together, so it gave us a reason to move in the same direction. It didn’t know for certain that we’d do anything. And if we didn’t behave like it expected, it would adjust its next decisions accordingly and we’d be none the wiser. Think of it more like informed guesswork that gets better the more it learns about us.”
“You know,” Ada said, grunting with frustration as she worked the lock, “it’s not much of a compliment to tell a girl you want to spend more time with her because some computer thinks we’re compatible.”
“Sorry,” Ike said. “I’m probably just being paranoid. What if I said I want to party with you because you’re friendly and trustworthy? And I’d have never gotten this far without your help?”
There was a click from in front of Ada. She turned toward him with a smile and leaned a little forward. “Then I’d say I’m happy to stick with you, partner.” She stuck her foot out behind her, causing the hidden door to swing open.
The room behind the throne was small but well-appointed, or at least had been at one time. Along the right side of the room were the partially collapsed remains of a
four-poster bed. A skeleton in a tattered robe lay upon it. A desk sat along the left wall partially covered by books and papers. At the back of the room sat an unopened chest.
“So, which do you think is going to jump at us?” Ike said. “The skeleton or the chest?”
“My money’s on the chest,” Ada said, entering the room with her karambit raised. “If they’ve got gelatinous cubes in this game, you can be sure they’ve got mimics. Besides, if the corruption is cleansed like you said, that skeleton shouldn’t be getting up.” Despite her answer, Ada kept an eye on the skeleton, too.
The two took their time. Ike took the lead, prodding things in the room while Ada aimed her bow over his shoulder. Despite their paranoia, nothing jumped out at them.
“No monsters and no traps, then,” Ada grinned wickedly. “Time to get our loot on.” She moved to the chest and began rummaging through its contents.
Ike chose to examine the skeleton first. The robes must have been stately once upon a time, but his Identification skill told him they were worthless now. He found a ring on its hand, an intricate silver band entwining a brilliant sky blue gemstone. A necklace hung around the skeleton’s neck, likewise silver with a rune set in a triangular pendant. A potion bottle lay nearby.
“I think this place was a panic room,” Ike said as he carefully retrieved the jewelry. “This guy was probably the lord of the fortress. When he got trapped in here, he, uh, took a different way out.”
“Anything shiny?” Ada asked without looking. “I’ve got a bunch of coins and gems in here, which is nice, but no items.”
Ike stepped up beside Ada and showed her the options, then used his Identification skill.
“The ring’s just nice, not magical,” Ike explained. “The necklace lets you teleport to your last rest area once a day. Seems pretty handy. You want it?”
Ada whistled. “That is nice. Good emergency item. If you’re careful about setting up camp, it could be useful for getting around, too. You sure?”
Ike opened his enchanting interface and smiled. “The ring’s higher quality, so it can hold two enchantments at once. Let me harvest the enchantment off the necklace to learn it first and we’ll call it even? I’ll put it right back.”
“Deal,” Ada said immediately. Ike enchanted a few coins from the chest with Glow to ensure he didn’t waste any mana before harvesting and re-enchanting the necklace, then harvested the glowing coins. Once he was done, he handed the necklace back to Ada and they donned their new jewelry.
You have learned the enchantment: Safety
“Anything special in the chest,” Ada asked hopefully.
Ike stooped to examine the gems and a few of the coins. “Nothing’s popping out at me. These just look like valuables. I don’t know about you, but I’m flat broke, so that suits me just fine.”
“Yeah,” Ada frowned a bit. “I could use some cash, too. It’s just less exciting, you know?”
Ike rose. “Don’t feel down. There’s still the desk.”
The books on the desk were mostly ruined, though one did stick out, its spine labeled, “Foundations of Alchemy.” Ada picked it up and began flipping through it immediately. There was also a small bird statuette and a letter. Ike began to read.
These are the final words of Lucius Austrin, lord and castellan of Austrin Fortress, loyal servant to King Tervanus III. Long may he reign. May these words find their way to his hands that he might know the truth of my death.
We held the pass as commanded, but the winter snows proved too deep. Unable to send men to the east for supplies, we were forced to mount an incursion into Rilimar to the west. The men grew nervous at the thought of invading, but there was little choice. To bolster their confidence, my son Julius volunteered to lead the troops.
They were gone for three weeks. I had begun to lose hope. Then my son, and only my son, showed up at the western gate. He was haggard, bloody, sick, and deranged, unable to do anything but howl. All the rage and terror on his face… I should have known.
The guards on the wall brought Julius to the apothecary, but there was nothing that could be done. His sickness was not physical but magical. The bastards laid a vile curse upon my own blood, knowing I could not cast him out.
Then the attacks began. Riliman archers picked off our sentries. Those who fell rose again as the walking dead, turning upon the living within the walls. As they did, my son’s curse began to consume him. His flesh bore the faces of the dead men. I thought to end his suffering, but it was too late. Every death made him stronger. There was nothing we could do.
My chamber shall be my tomb. Julius cannot reach me, but I cannot escape. It is only a matter of time before I succumb to thirst, though I fear my son’s ceaseless wailing may claim my mind before that. I go into death now. May the brave men and women who died here find peace. May my son and I be reunited in the next life.
“Wow,” Ike said. “That’s rough. I guess it’s nice to know the story, though.”
Ada looked up from her alchemy book. “What’s that? A farewell note?”
“Pretty much,” Ike said. “Long story short, it was a harsh winter. The lord over there sent some men west into enemy territory to raid for supplies. Only his son came back crazy and cursed. They let him in, then the enemy started sniping guards who turned into undead. The rest writes itself.”
Ada looked thoughtful as she closed her book. “That is rough. It’s nice that the game generated a convincing premise, though. So many games just have dungeons without any real thought put into how they got that way.”
Ike rolled the letter up and put it in his satchel. “There’s no item window, but I think I’ll hang onto this just the same. If we end up near the capital at some point, maybe this King Tervanus guy will offer a reward for delivering it.”
“Good call,” Ada said. “Do you mind if I keep this book? I’m pretty sure I can learn alchemy if I spend some time with it.”
“By all means,” Ike gestured graciously. “Now what about this thing?” He picked up the bird statuette for inspection. The bird’s tail had two long feathers sticking out, almost like a peacock.
“Interesting,” Ike said, furrowing his brow. “It can turn into a bird that can talk. The only problem is it’s restricted to mages.”
“Damn. I guess it’s vendor fodder, then,” Ada said. “It’s pretty at least.”
“Hold on a second,” Ike said and tried to activate the statue anyway. To his surprise, the gray stone grew and took on a lifelike appearance. The feathers of the body appeared dull brown while the tail plumage fanned out behind it, with light blue feathers in the center and white feathers tipped with black along the sides.
“Aww,” Ada said, stroking the bird’s tail gently. “I thought you said it was class restricted. Is artificer a type of mage?”
“I doubt I qualify normally,” Ike said. “I’ve got a skill called Magic Item Improvisation. It lets me ignore item restrictions. I just hadn’t had an opportunity to take it for a spin.” Ike gave a thought and made the bird emit an old video game victory flourish.
Ada laughed. “Well, I guess you’ve got a personal noisemaker, then. I can’t use it, so it’s all yours. Give me the first pick on the next pile of loot?”
“Sounds good to me,” Ike said, commanding the bird to deactivate. It shrunk into its statuette form and Ike put it in his satchel, his brain spinning with ideas for how to modify the enchantment.
“Now that the fun stuff’s settled,” Ada said, “let’s divvy up the valuables and go finish these quests.”
Chapter 9
Leveling up
“A
re you sure there’s no other way?” Ada said. She stood well away from the edge of the rope bridge, unwilling to step closer.
“We’ve been through the side passages,” Ike said. He stood with his foot on the first plank and his hand on the rope handle looking back at Ada. “There’s that way to the western exit beyond the boss room, but it doesn’t connect. I’m pretty sure t
his is the only way to get to Idalia and your thief.”
“There are other quests,” Ada said, a touch of hysteria in her voice. “I mean, who wants levels, anyway?”
Ike returned to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were wide and didn’t move off the chasm past him. “Don’t worry. You’ve got your necklace for starters. If something bad happens, just activate it. Look, I even added Safety to my ring for the time being, so neither of us is falling to our deaths.”
“But what if it doesn’t work!” Ada looked Ike in the eyes.
“Secondly,” Ike emphasized the word to interrupt Ada’s train of thought, “it’s just a game. Sure, it’s scary, but the worst case is your VDX detects your shock and does an emergency shut down. Worst case scenario: Your character dies, but you’re level one anyway, so it’s not like you lose all that much.”
Ike hadn’t considered that particular method of logging out until he said it. He turned back toward the bridge and stepped onto it, feeling it sway beneath his feet, sensing the vast emptiness beneath that. The wind whistled past him, rocking the bridge even more. He would not be logging out that way. Not if he could avoid it.
“Besides,” Ike said, trying to keep his tension from showing for Ada’s sake, “you only have to do this once. We get across, we get what we need, and we use Safety. It’s a one-time deal. Come on. You’ve got this, Ada.”
Ada took a few tentative steps after Ike, her hands clasped, shaking her head all the while as if disagreeing with something unspoken. She reached shakily for the rope handle but didn’t step onto the bridge itself. She yelped and closed her eyes when the wind suddenly picked up.
“Just one step at a time,” Ike called back to her, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. His words echoed beneath them.
“What if…,” Ada said. Ike saw that she’d made it past the first few planks and froze. “What if you get the thief’s head for me? I can just… meet you back at camp.”