by Adam Horne
“Junior!” yelled Througar.
He ran to the edge and looked down into the water. Without hesitating, he dove off the platform and disappeared under the surface of the moat. Itrix and his goons laughed, and the two underlings made bets as to whether Througar would come back up and if he would rescue the puppy.
Kelath’s heart pounded in his chest as he searched the surface of the water for signs of his friend. He’d not tried swimming in the game yet, so he didn’t know how it worked. Througar was wearing heavy, metal armor and had likely sank all the way to the bottom. Whether he would become stuck in the mud or could walk to the bank, Kelath didn’t know. He could get caught underwater until his breath ran out and he drowned.
After almost a minute, Kelath was about to give up hope when stringy, red hair appeared in the water at the far side of the moat. Througar trudged through the muck, taking a deep breath when his head rose above the surface. He held a waterlogged Junior in his arms. One of Itrix’s men cursed and slapped a few coins in the outstretched hand of the other. Kelath ran to the edge of the drawbridge and jumped down to where Througar was huddled over the dog.
“Is he breathing?” asked Kelath.
“I don’t know. He’s not moving at all.”
Througar propped the dog up with one hand and slapped its back with the other. After the fifth time he struck it, the animal coughed and spewed out a stream of water. Througar laughed and held Junior to his chest, not caring the pup was still expelling the moat from its lungs. The wheezing sound finally ended, and Junior weakly licked at Througar’s face.
Congratulations to Througar for discovering the Beastmaster class!
Chapter 17
It took a second for Kelath to realize the server-wide message was about Througar, but then he slapped his friend on the back. “Way to go! You unlocked a new class.”
Througar’s mouth hung open. “I can change to the beastmaster class now.”
Itrix, who had been laughing as Througar struggled out of the water, now glared down at them. His two companions looked nervous, neither one saying anything or looking at their leader. With a grunt, Itrix stomped off across the drawbridge into the town.
“I think he’s pissed,” said Kelath. “Serves him right for throwing Junior into the moat.”
“But how did it unlock?” asked Througar. “I didn’t advance any of my skills or anything like that.”
“Let me check.”
Kelath pressed the button to open Genepedia and navigated to the section that described classes. An entry for beastmaster already existed, even though it had only been a minute since Througar discovered it.
The Beastmaster class is a subclass of Fighter. To unlock this class, a player must achieve level 5 in all the Beastmaster class skills (see table below), in addition to aiding an animal in danger. The class was discovered by the player named Througar and is still considered unique.
“This says you have to help an animal as part of unlocking the class,” said Kelath. “There was a special requirement like that to unlock the paladin class too. So far, alchemist is the only class that requires ranks in its class skills with no other special accomplishment.”
Througar collapsed on the ground laughing. “Oh my God! You know what this means, don’t you?”
“No…”
“Itrix helped me discover the class! If he hadn’t thrown Junior off the bridge, I never would have jumped in to save him.”
Kelath chuckled. “You should send him a thank you note.”
“I definitely will,” said Througar as he fought to regain his composure. “In the meantime, let’s go visit the training yard since we’re still here in town. I want to try out beastmaster.”
“Good thinking.” Kelath held his hand out to help Througar stand. “The Genepedia page said shield is one of your class skills, so do you think it’s a tanking class?”
“I hope so. If not, I can keep leveling fighter since we need someone to fill that role, but beastmaster sounds more fun.”
They crossed the drawbridge into the city and returned to the training grounds. As soon as they approached the sparring area, the head trainer stopped what he was doing and began clapping. The players who had been learning from him looked around in confusion.
“We have our first beastmaster,” he said and shook Througar’s hand.
The other trainers cheered, and some of the players even joined in. Througar grinned from the attention.
“Can you train me in the class?” asked Througar.
“Of course. You should know that your abilities will change slightly. Both fighters and beastmasters use the one-handed weapons, heavy armor, shield, and bow skills. You will lose the two-handed weapons skill but gain animal handling instead. Is that what you’d like to do?”
“Yes.”
The trainer nodded and said it was done. Again Kelath was a bit surprised that there was no special event when a character changed classes, but he also thought maybe that was a good thing. For anyone who decided to switch frequently, it would get boring watching a long animation over and over again.
Kelath examined Througar, and a window appeared showing his character information. His class was now listed as beastmaster with a level of one. The four skills inherited from his previous class were all rank ten, while animal handling was rank five. With only one skill different, it wouldn’t take long for him to reach level two again.
“Thanks,” said Througar. “What do I need to know to play this new class?”
“You can use your skills to tame animals you find in the wilderness, although you’ll need to gain some experience before larger or more ferocious ones will follow you. At first, you may only have one pet, but as you grow, so will the number of animals you control. You will still only be able to use one of them at a time, but the others will stay nearby if you decide you want to switch.”
Througar pointed at his puppy. “Can Junior be my pet?”
“Domestic animals generally aren’t ferocious enough for the sorts of tasks a beastmaster’s pet has to tackle. You should look for something a bit wilder.”
“That sucks.” Througar bent down and scratched Junior’s ears.
“We fought some wolves yesterday,” said Kelath. “I can take you to their den. Maybe you can tame one of them.”
“Wolves make great pets, depending on your fighting style,” said the trainer.
“What do you mean?” asked Througar.
“Since you only have one pet to start, it’s a good idea to pick your companion based on how you normally fight. If you prefer to fight in melee, you’ll want a fast, aggressive one who will do lots of damage while you hold the monster’s attention. If you like to attack with a bow, a sturdier pet can take the hits while you stay out of range and shoot arrows. A wolf would be a good choice if you’re planning on using your sword and shield.”
“Thanks for the advice.” Througar shook the trainer’s hand again then walked away. He stopped at one of the food stands along the road, bought a couple pounds of steak, and had the vendor chop it into chunks. “Let’s go find those wolves you mentioned.”
They followed the road back to the keep, taking a small detour down an alley. Througar dropped a handful of the treats he’d purchased on the ground, and Junior pounced on them. The puppy looked confused as they walked away and started to follow. Througar told him to stay as they joined the flow of people heading towards the southern gate, and the dog laid down with a whimper when they passed out of sight.
* * *
Kelath had trouble finding the place where they’d left the road to follow tracks the day before. The body of the horse had been removed overnight, and at first he walked past the place he was looking for. When they entered a section of the road he’d not seen before, he looped back until he found landmarks that were familiar. With a little searching, he spotted the place where the horse’s body had lain, the grass around it still squashed into the mud.
“This is where we left the main path.”
Kelath checked the ground on the side of the road closest to the trees and soon spotted wolf tracks. “Follow me.”
Now that he had an idea of where he was, he retraced his steps from yesterday easily. They traveled quickly through the woods, occasionally stopping so he could make sure they hadn’t strayed again. It wasn’t long before they arrived at the clearing where they’d fought the wolves the day before. To his surprise, the mobs hadn’t respawned yet. Their carcasses still lay on the ground where they’d fallen, attracting swarms of flies that scattered when Kelath approached.
“That’s weird,” said Kelath. “I assumed their bodies would disappear and new wolves would replace them.”
“The point of the game is to change based on the actions of the players,” said Througar.
“Monsters respawned in the beginners’ area and at the mines. Why would it be different here?”
“Maybe it was necessary in the early zones with the large number of players concentrated there.”
Kelath thought it over. As players spread across the game world, their actions would permanently change the landscape. He wondered if killing all the wolves at this den would cause repercussions for other animals here. Would the town hall have to give out quests to kill rabbits or deer because there were no predators left to hunt them and they were destroying the crops of nearby farmers?
Througar interrupted his thoughts with a question. “Did you kill all the wolves?”
“All the ones we saw. Our quest was to kill the pack leader, and the other wolves were protecting her. We had to fight them too.”
Througar walked around the clearing and inspected the bodies. He stopped at the cave entrance and examined the ground where they’d buried the skeleton.
“We found the remains of a traveler they ambushed. Galahad insisted we give him a proper burial.”
“That guy takes this game way too seriously.” Througar peered into the cave. “Was there anything inside there?”
Kelath shrugged. “Actually, we didn’t think to go in. Our quest was over, and we had other things we wanted to do.”
“I’m going to check it out.”
Kelath followed him to the cave entrance. The light filtering through the trees wasn’t strong, and even with his enhanced vision, he couldn’t see the back of the cave. Througar marched inside and disappeared from view.
“I wish we had Galahad with us,” said Kelath. “He can cast a spell that creates a glow. I didn’t think to bring any torches.”
“What are you talking about? I can see just fine.”
“But it’s pitch black except for the little bit of light at the entrance.” Kelath could hear his friend stomping around on the rocky floor, moving at a steady walk. “Can you actually see in there?”
“Yeah, dwarves can see in the dark. It’s only in black and white, but I can see everything within about twenty yards.”
Kelath nearly slapped himself on the forehead. The dwarves in this game were based on generic fantasy dwarves, which always had a form of darkvision because they lived underground. “Find anything?”
“I can hear something moving around. I think I’ve pinpointed it.”
“If anything attacks you, run out where I can see you.”
“Will do.”
From the darkness at the back of the cave, Througar began whispering to himself, words too soft for Kelath to make out. Something plopped on the floor of the cave, and Througar took a few steps back. Kelath peered into the darkness but still couldn’t see his friend. The sound of something hitting the ground followed by Througar shuffling towards the entrance repeated every few seconds. Kelath was about to go inside when Througar’s shadowy figure appeared at the edge of the circle of light.
“What’re you doing?” asked Kelath.
Something landing on the floor sounded again, and Througar moved a few feet towards him. “Move away from the mouth of the cave. I don’t want you to scare him.”
Unsure of the ‘him’ being referred to, Kelath retreated to the center of the clearing. Througar continued his slow pace until he exited the cave. He held some of the chunks of meat he’d purchased earlier in his hand. He threw one on the ground and took three steps back. A wolf pup cautiously padded closer, sniffing the treat before snatching it up. He was larger than Junior, coming nearly to Througar’s hip, although still not an adult. Througar flung down another piece of steak, this time closer to where he stood. He repeated this several times until the pup came close enough he could reach out and touch it. He dangled a piece of raw meat in front of the animal. The wolf smelled it but seemed reluctant to actually touch his hand. Eventually, hunger must have won out because the pup took another step closer and ate while Througar patted its neck. The grin on his face when he stood up and looked at Kelath was enormous.
“I found my first battle pet,” he said.
The wolf’s demeanor changed instantly. It padded along at Througar’s side as he walked into the clearing. It was no longer skittish, and the hair at its neck bristled when they drew close. Througar stroked the top of its head and said Kelath was a friend. Now that it was closer, he could see it had mostly gray fur with patches of black on its face.
“Impressive,” said Kelath. “Can you name him?”
“There is an option to rename a pet. What should I call him?”
“It’s your wolf. You’ll think of something.”
Througar bent down and stroked the wolf’s fur while he thought. He whistled softly and the animal focused on the noise so they were face to face. After some time contemplating, he stood up. “I’m going to call him Bandit.”
Kelath thought it a good name but had to ask, “Why Bandit?”
“Because that large patch of black fur around both his eyes reminds me of a mask,” said Througar. “And because his first job will be to help me kill bandits for my quest.”
* * *
They headed north out of the forest and across the plains that spread to the west of Stockton. After a few miles, hills rose up around them, becoming taller as they went along. In front of them was a line of mountains that formed the barrier around the beginners’ area. From the top of one of the taller hills, they could see the road coming out of the northern gate of Stockton. It passed about a hundred yards north of where they stood and skirted around the mountains to the northwest.
Througar pointed out landmarks as they walked. “The quest said the bandits were operating somewhere in these hills. That wooden post by the road is a mile marker, and travelers have been waylaid everywhere along this route between here and where the road heads over that mountain pass. The bandits must have a camp somewhere in these hills.”
“Let’s head to the road and search for clues.”
They continued walking over the hills until they reached the mile marker Througar had pointed out. The road was still mostly stone but gave way to dirt and gravel as it wound farther into the hills away from town. Boot prints and other signs of the passage of people marked the ground nearby, but there was no way to know if they came from travelers or bandits. At least when tracking the wolves, the trail signs had been distinct. They followed the road for a mile without seeing any sign of people entering or leaving the main path.
“Do you suppose there is a skill for tracking people?” asked Kelath as they walked.
“If there is, I don’t have it,” said Througar. “It would be pretty useful right now.”
“Surely there’s a way to figure out where these bandits are hiding.”
“I’m certain there is, and don’t call me Shirley.”
Kelath laughed. “Very funny. I don’t suppose your pet can help with this…”
Througar stopped for a moment, his eyes focused on something in the air Kelath couldn’t see. “There’s a separate tab on my character sheet for pets. Most of his abilities are grayed out, but it does say he has a heightened sense of smell.”
“So if we found something left by the bandits, could he follow their scent?”
“May
be… When I received the quest, the clerk said the bandits were operating a bit farther from the city than normal because of increased patrols within three miles of the gate. Once we get beyond that range, we’ll find something.”
They were mostly quiet as they continued walking, occasionally asking travelers coming from the opposite direction if they’d seen anything unusual. Kelath estimated they’d been on the road for about half an hour when a merchant with a cart and six guards mentioned seeing several broken arrows littering the ground near the road a half mile behind him. They thanked the man and took off at a trot. Ten minutes later, they found the spot he’d described.
A hill rose up to their right, and arrows stuck out of the ground downhill of the road. The dirt was stained red in one place, although if the person it belonged to had succumbed to his wounds the body had already been carried off. Througar approached the blood stain and examined the shafts of the arrows lodged in the dirt.
“This is the place. If the blood hasn’t washed away it could mean there’s still a scent on these arrows.”
He called his wolf over and pointed where he wanted it to search. Bandit sniffed at the fletching on the ends of a few of the arrows then moved away, his nose twitching back and forth as he checked the ground. He wandered over to the blood stain and circled around it twice. He climbed to the top of the hill then turned to look down at them. He growled at them before padding out of sight.
“I’d say he’s found something,” said Kelath.
“It didn’t show me any system messages for what he’s doing, but I think you’re right.”
Througar ran up the hill after his pet. Kelath took a few moments to check his stock of bombs. He’d created some when he logged in, but he wanted to be fully prepared. Througar hadn’t been in a group when he was offered this quest, so the enemies should be easier than the wolves he’d fought yesterday. But who was to say the game wouldn’t increase the difficulty now that there were two of them in the party. After he was sure he had conjured enough bombs to last a few fights, he took off after Througar.