by Dante Doom
“Looks like I have a lot of what you need,” Timon replied as he placed a hand on his chin. “If I were to support you, you’d have everything to gain. What could you possibly offer me?”
Elanor smiled widely. “That’s the thing; I’m offering you nothing but the chance to do what’s right by your people. I mean, if anything, my plan ensures things are going to be harder for you in the end. I’m not here to offer riches, power, or anything else like that. I’m here to give you a chance to be the good guy. You can’t pretend like you think this system is fair.”
“It’s not,” Timon said quietly as he looked at the ground.
“And I know you aren’t looking forward to your time on the High Court,” Elanor said.
“Your spies really are well-informed,” Timon said as he looked up at her. She was smiling at him. Her smile wasn’t smarmy or false, either. She seemed genuine about the deal. “How can I know that you’ll actually keep your end of the bargain and put an end to all of this Grind madness?”
“I can make promises, but those are only words. The worst case scenario for you here is that you end up a Noble to another corrupt Queen.”
“The worst case scenario is I get kicked out of the Grind and become a Serf,” Timon replied.
Elanor chuckled at him. “I somehow think you wouldn’t care about that. Of course, you can always just play the good son and do what your daddy wants. Bend the knee, kiss the ring, and… then what? I’m giving you the chance to do some real good in the world. To affect change. Sure, I could be lying, but if I’m not, is it worth the risk?”
Timon was silent for a minute. “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s better than a no,” Elanor said as she climbed off the rock. “Take Fingers and head to the portal. I need to contact a few of my friends in the system, but I’ll catch up with you soon. I’ll need a decision by then.”
“You will have one,” Timon answered. He wasn’t sure what to think of Elanor’s proposal. She was sketchy, and was often the bane of Timon’s family, but then again, all Nobles would run afoul of one another from time to time. She spoke of change, of taking down the Grind for good. How different would the world be if that came to pass?
He had never considered that things could be changed to such an extent as that. All his life, he’d gone along with the system—never agreeing with it, but knowing it was pointless to rail against it. What could one man do against an ancient tradition? But now… now, he had a chance to do something different.
The thought of Savannah came to his mind. She certainly would not like siding with Elanor. The poor girl lived in utter refuse and deserved a better life. At the same time, with the destruction of the Grind, he could just as easily give her some of his own land without worrying about some bureaucrat telling him he wasn’t allowed to. Would she understand? She would have to; after all, she was surrounded by poverty and misery. No doubt, she would jump at the chance to change the world. It was ultimately his decision here.
The biggest question was whether he could trust Elanor or not. If it was some clever plan, it could backfire in a big way for Timon and Savannah. Could he risk that?
Chapter Twelve
“Wait for me!” Savannah cried out as she caught up to Fingers and Timon. The words Your Sprinting has Increased by 1 hovered above her head. Much to her surprise, they were still in Fieros, despite the fact that she had been separated from them for several hours. They were walking across the rocky, arid plains of the Fieros Firelands now, where the heat was scathing. Ten-Thirty was following behind Savannah, unperturbed by the heat, but sweat poured into Savannah’s eyes as she chased after them.
“Oh!” Timon said as he turned around. “You’re back!”
“Yeah, you guys move really slowly,” Savannah said. “I could have been to the Med Center four times over by now!”
“Well, unlike you Grinders,” Fingers said, “us Wild Cards like to take our time and enjoy the sights.”
“Plus, we had to battle some kind of Phoenix Viral, which was gigantic,” Timon added.
Savannah glanced around and paused. “Where’s Elanor?”
“She bailed on us for a bit,” Fingers said. “She said something about wanting to take a detour, or whatever. I’m not sure. I do miss her company, though. She’s the only one who laughs at my jokes.”
“I’m pretty sure your jokes are the reason she took that detour,” Timon said.
Savannah frowned. “She is coming back, right?”
“She said she’d meet us at the Med Center,” Timon replied. “Now, let’s get moving. I don’t like having such a small amount of armor.”
Savannah inspected his armor level. He had only 30 points left. “What happened to you?”
“I made the unfortunate mistake of fighting a phoenix without knowing it could regenerate,” Timon replied as they began to walk again. In the distance, Savannah could see the swirling portal that would lead to the Med Center. A crowd of people, heavily armed and armored, were standing in front of the portal.
“What’s with all of those people?” Savannah asked.
“King Leopold’s friends,” Timon whispered. “If they work for him, we’ll have nothing to worry about.”
Savannah shrugged at that. She trusted what Timon had to say.
“Guys like this always make me nervous,” Fingers said as they approached the camp of warriors. They wore golden armor with matching helmets and carried Energy Rifles. “Are you sure we’ll get through?”
“I’m positive,” Timon said. “Let me do all the talking.”
“Halt!” shouted one of the players as he walked up with a company of soldiers behind him. This one was adorned in silver and gold armor, with a beautiful picture of an eagle emblazoned on the breastplate. “What is your business here?”
Timon bowed. “I am here in service of King Leopold.”
“We were instructed that you would be here,” a soldier replied.
“May we pass?” Timon asked.
“I think introductions are in order, first!” the man said. “My name is Baron Kirius. And you are?”
“I’m Timon laRange; this is Savannah, and Fingers, a Wild Card.”
Savannah growled. Barons were the worst types of people out there. Images of the drunken Baron Hauss flashed to her mind. His laughter, his shouts of rage, and the times he’d touched her mother so inappropriately, sometimes in front of Hem… it all played back in her mind now.
She felt her right hand curling into a fist as heat rushed through her. In the real world, Barons were in total control of their land, and doing any harm to them would cause nobility to send guards in to arrest and execute the troublemakers. However, there were no considerations for persons in the Grind. Maybe she should teach this guy a lesson.
“You all right?” Fingers whispered to Savannah. “You look mad enough to bend steel.”
“I don’t like Barons,” Savannah whispered.
“Well, you’ve got more than Barons to worry about; in fact, you’ve got twenty-nine other people to worry about if you do anything rash,” Fingers said. “So just take a deep breath and think about all of the Barons you can abuse when you’re a Noble.”
Fingers’ words broke through her anger immediately as Savannah realized that she would be in charge of Barons, as well. She would probably have at least two or three under her command, and they would have to do everything she said. Maybe if she was lucky, she’d be able to take ownership of Baron Hauss’ properties. Then she’d have some real fun.
Kirius had been eyeing her, but focused back on Timon when her stance relaxed, and without saying a word to her. “Well, Timon, we won’t keep you from your journey any longer,” Kirius said as he bowed. “If you’re looking for work, I have something that I could use your help on.”
“What’s that?” Timon asked.
“We are in search of a shield,” Kirius said. “Leopold has insisted we retrieve it, but my men haven’t been able to find it. They call it the Shield of
Fieros.”
“What do we get if we find it?” Savannah asked as she walked up closer to Kirius.
Kirius shrugged. “I could bear to part with a few thousand points.”
“I’m looking for someone,” Savannah said in return. “Maybe you know where he is?”
“I’m a resourceful man,” Kirius replied. “I could perhaps be of some assistance if you bring me the shield.”
Savannah looked at Timon and then back at Kirius. “I haven’t heard from my father in a while; his name is Hem. Do you think you could tell me where he is?”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Timon shifting a little. His expression grew a bit more concerned, but ever the man of discretion, he said nothing.
“Hem? That name doesn’t sound familiar,” Kirius said. “I can be willing to check around while you search and see what I can come up with, as I suspect that Machina over there might do better searching this place than we have.”
Savannah glanced at Ten-Thirty to see that it stood motionless and expressionless. Most of the group of soldiers, however, were fixated on the android, watching it with curiosity.
“We’ll get it for 10,000 points,” Savannah said. “After we hit the Med Center.”
“I suppose that sounds somewhat fair, but it will only be 5,000 points, plus any information I can find about this Hem of yours,” Kirius said.
“I want the ten regardless,” Savannah insisted. “If it’s important enough for you to be searching for it, then it’s important enough for you to shell out the points,” Savannah said.
“Aren’t you a greedy little girl?” Kirius asked with a chuckle.
“A Baron lecturing on greed? That’s fresh,” Savannah replied as she crossed her arms. “I know where the shield is.”
“You do?” Kirius asked. “Where?”
“I’m not telling. It’s one of those hidden quests. 10,000 points.”
“7,500,” Kirius said, “and not a single point more.”
“Have fun looking for it then. I’m sure the King is going to love waiting,” Savannah said as she motioned for Timon and the others to follow her to the portal.
“Wait, wait!” Kirius shouted, frustration coming through in his voice. “I’ll pay the full ten. Just bring me that damn shield, please.”
Savannah grinned. This had been far too easy. “It’s a deal. We’ll be back in two hours or so.”
They departed from Kirius and approached the portal. As Ten-Thirty and Fingers walked through, shifting and shimmering as they vanished, Savannah felt an arm tug her back. She turned around to see that Timon was frowning.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“You’re looking for your father?” Timon asked. “Is he okay?”
“I have no idea, but I haven’t heard from him in a while. I figured this guy might know where he is. He’s got a lot of people working with him, right? They might have seen someone or heard something.”
“And you don’t think it would be prudent to be searching for him instead of taking me around?” Timon asked. “Time moves very slowly here; we should have been searching for him.”
Savannah couldn’t help but be surprised. He was angry, it was clear enough, but not for the reasons she’d thought he would be.
“Uh, well, if you’ve got to know, Timon,” Savannah stammered, “I’ve been looking for him this whole time. That’s why we were in the Geo-Forges.”
“I knew it!” Fingers interjected. “No one goes to the forges to hunt Virals!”
“I didn’t want you to know because I was worried you’d quit on me,” Savannah said.
“That’s a horrible thing to assume about a person!” Timon said as he crossed his arms. “If you think your father is in some kind of trouble, I would be happy to search for him with you.”
“I didn’t mean to assume, it’s just…”
“What?” Timon demanded.
“You’re a Noble. In my experience, Nobles don’t care about other people’s problems,” Savannah replied quietly.
Timon shifted. “Do you really have such a low opinion of the nobility?”
“How hungry were you during the Famine of ’85?” Savannah asked.
“What famine?” Timon asked back.
“Exactly,” Savannah replied with a sigh, but then she shook her head. “I’m sorry, Timon. I misjudged you and thought you were like the rest of them. But if you’re willing to help me out, then yeah, I need to find my father.”
“Of course I’ll help you,” Timon said. “Goodness, I’m sorry that you think so lowly of me.”
“It’s really not you, Timon!” Savannah said. “It’s your position. I mean, come on… it’s not like anyone sticks up for us peasantry in the real world.”
“Maybe we could change that,” Timon muttered.
“What?” Savannah asked.
“Nothing. Come on—let’s get to the Med Center and grab some gear; we definitely need some serious firepower, and maybe some grenades,” Timon said.
“Oh, good idea. I’m betting some Web Grenades will come in handy.”
“What?”
“Trust me, Timon. Let’s stock up before we go get that shield.” Savannah tugged on his arm.
“You said you know where it is?” Timon asked.
“Yeah, it’s pretty easy to find, actually,” Savannah said. “It’s not in Fieros. The name throws people off all the time.”
“What does it do?” Timon asked.
Savannah shrugged. “It’s a shield, so it blocks damage, but I doubt Leopold wants it to improve his stats.”
“So where is the shield then?” Fingers asked.
“It’s in the Eternal Fields of Flame, Fieros’ next door neighbor,” Savannah said. “Come on—I’ll explain on the way.”
Chapter Thirteen
Savannah took one last breath before she placed the oxygen mask over her face, and then she swept her hair back and pulled it into a ponytail, aiming to keep the damp hair out of her eyes. If Fieros was hot, then the Eternal Fields of Fire would be considered unbearable. The place was so hot that even breathing in the oxygen caused damage to the players’ lungs without extra consideration to gear like oxygen masks. Before them was a large boat, ready to transport her and her team to the next zone. She took a quick look at her and Timon’s character sheets before they all boarded, though, wanting to make sure they were ready.
“Is everyone ready?” she asked as she took a hit of the fabricated oxygen from her air system. The tanks were unlimited, which was a relief. If they were limited in oxygen amount, the mission would be timed, and she hated doing timed missions because she always forgot something important in the rush.
“Ready!” Fingers announced as he climbed into the boat. Timon nodded at her as he clambered in, as well. The boss wouldn’t be too far from Fieros’ shore.
Savannah and Ten-Thirty pushed the boat off, climbing in once the boat began to drift towards the other side of the lake. From here on, the heat would grow more intense, so much so that Savannah already felt like her armor was an oven.
“Ugh, there’s a reason I avoid this place,” Fingers complained. “Anyone else feel like they’re in the middle of a clambake?”
“Miserable,” Timon agreed. “But we need to stay focused. Without Elanor, we’re going to be at a disadvantage against this boss.”
“Hey!” Savannah scolded him. “I resent that remark! Fingers and I are very capable players, mind you.”
“She has more points, higher stats, and is stronger than the rest of us combined,” Timon counted off on his fingers. “So whether we like it or not, we’re at a disadvantage here.”
Savannah shook her head. “We’ll be fine. The Guardian of Flames is a tough boss, but we can handle him.”
“Man, I never fought bosses when I was out in the field,” Fingers said. “It’s kind of refreshing; there’s a whole element to this game I never bothered with.”
“I don’t understand why you stay in here,” Savannah said.
“I mean, this game is great, but there’s got to be more to life than playing a game.”
“Oh yeah, like hunger, famine, and disease,” Fingers replied. “Look, out there, you’re a casualty waiting to happen. Unless you’re like this Silvarspoon here, your life is going to suck. In here, you’re like a king. No hunger. No sleep. No misery. It’s one big party.”
“There’s more to life than having fun,” Timon said with a reverent look on his face. “The world is chaotic, sure, but you could try to help reduce that chaos. That gives life purpose.”
“That sounds so very noble,” Fingers said sarcastically. “But it never works out like that! The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and you can’t do a damned thing to change the system.”
“Have you ever tried?” Timon asked.
Fingers paused. “Uh, no… no, I haven’t.”
“You seem so locked into a belief that you can’t do anything, but you’ve never tried. I hope you’ll pardon my boldness, Fingers, but you seem to be all talk,” Timon replied as he wagged a finger at the Wild Card.
Fingers shrugged. “Well… that might be true, but at least I’m not hurting anyone in here. You leave me to my fun and games and the world still goes on, right, Savannah?”
“I don’t know,” Savannah said. “Timon’s got a point. What are you hiding from if you’ve never tried to fix things in real life?”
Fingers grew deathly silent at her comment, apparently having assumed that she’d be on his side. He lowered his head for a moment, as if he were working things out. “Hey, I’m having a good time out here, and that’s all that matters,” he finally replied, putting on a fake smile. “I’m not required to do anything in Verre. Let it have its own problems.”
“In the end, it’s all about you, isn’t it?” Timon asked.
“I suppose it is,” Fingers replied. “Hey, it’s been going great for me, so why change?”
Savannah shrugged. “I guess you have a point. No reason to rock the boat if things are going well.”
“I would beg to differ,” Timon said, “but I won’t press the point any further.” He glanced up and pointed to the beach they were heading towards. “Is that the guardian?”