“You were kind of an ass to me a couple days ago. I have decided to forgive you because I know you don’t have much experience with women, and because you were right. I shouldn’t have freaked out when you got hurt. I’m so… programmed to look out for you, and there was so much blood. My logical brain knew it was stupid, but I couldn’t help myself.” She leaned against him, thinking about what to say next.
“If it helps any, I’m the same way,” Sasha said quietly. “I’ve been playing these games all my life. I know in my head that a death, or the loss of a limb, means nothing. The avatar can be healed, or will respawn good as new. But as a healer, I take it as a personal failure when one of my pet boys dies.” She winked at Alexander. “In the heat of the moment my emotions take over. But you get used to it, and eventually you can limit your reaction to smack on the head and a sarcastic comment for them when they respawn. Your brain learns to separate game life from real life. Though, I admit, with this full immersion, the game life seems SO much more real than before.”
Alexander nodded his head in agreement. He put an arm around Lainey and hugged her close. “I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I think maybe I was feeling some of the same things you were. I was angry at myself for nearly dying in such a stupid way. And you’re right, Sasha, it does feel much more real than before. Especially the pain. I think maybe that level of pain impacts your ability to think clearly, which is not an excuse. I’m just saying that maybe we all have some adjusting to do. Do you think you can manage it?” He looked at Lainey.
“I don’t know. I need some time to think about it. About whether I even want to.”
Leaving it there, they all waited in silence until their car showed up. Once inside, Alexander smiled when a thought occurred to him. “I think Sasha’s got a little crush on Fitz!” he winked at Lainey.
She played along. “Oh, definitely! She keeps teasing him and poking him in the belly. And she feeds him like he’s a cute little bear cub!” she giggled.
“Eww! Stop!” Sasha said. “He reminds me of my grandfather. All rumpled and ornery. In a cute way. And Rufus is adorable! I think that squirrel might actually be smarter than YOU, dork boy!” Based on what he’d seen of the familiar, he thought she might be right.
They arrived at the compound and headed inside to find Bethany grinning at them from behind the reception desk. Brick groaned as he noticed she was wearing a Santa Claus beard, dyed blonde. Laughing, Max took a moment to approach her. “Is it wrong that I think you look sexy in that?” he winked.
“Yes.” She winked back, “Very, very wrong.”
The rest of the morning and early afternoon were taken up with the usual battery of medical and psychological tests. Melanie caused some chuckles as she popped up here and there wearing the same beard as Bethany.
When they were all finished, Richard called them to a conference room for a group discussion.
“So, a few things. First, the videos of your interactions with PWP have gone absolutely viral. The views are in the tens of millions per day. In the last 48 hours we’ve actually seen an uptick in new sales and some renewed subscriptions from players who had stopped playing. Apparently your fighting back against the PK guild has struck a chord with people. Heimdall, please play the holo video clip for us?”
“Of course sir.” Heimdall replied as the holo player on the table whirred to life. After a moment, a video began to play. It was Brick, running up a hill covered in angry bunnies. Richard just sighed as Brick turned red.
“Not that video Heimdall. The most recent PWP video. Thank you.”
“My apologies, sir.” Heimdall didn’t sound apologetic. The video changed to a replay of the group seeming to enjoy a quiet picnic before being attacked by the nine PWP players. It showed the battle from several angles, including the stray bolt that hit Jenkins. Then the three survivors being arrested and charged. There was a brief clip of the crowd in the city waving and chanting “Seee ya!”. Then footage of Henry stalking the gate of their compound, and Alexander going out to confront him. It replayed the entire conversation, and repeated the section where Henry called his guildmates morons. It closed with footage of nearly 60 PWP lined up on their knees, the crowd again chanting “Seee ya!” and Amelia explaining how Henry had taken over the guild.
“I’m giving you this information because there’s a chance that at least some of the folks joining or rejoining the game are doing so in order to hunt you. You’ve become celebrities, and there’s always that fringe element that want to see celebrities brought down. So we’re making a few changes. First, you will all have security escorts anytime you are not in immersion, and round the clock guards outside your homes. Brick, we will also have very discreet security watching over your family, just in case someone makes that connection and tries to reach you through them. Before you object, this is our responsibility. We generated two of these videos and contributed to the problem.” Brick, who had indeed been about to object, closed his mouth and nodded acceptance.
“As for PWP,” Richard continued, “after the disastrous raid, and the release of several videos, their membership dropped to just twenty eight. Five of those are Amelia and the officers she spoke of. Another seven are in prison in Stormforge. The remainder are holed up in their guild keep for another day until their PK marks wear off. Or perhaps because they have no desire to go out. We have no idea how many of those will continue to follow Henry, and how many are loyal to Amelia’s bunch, but Henry has been recruiting. As I said, those videos attract all kinds, and it seems a few die-hard PK players are joining him for the challenge. So watch your backs.”
Richard opened a file on the table in front of him. “On a different note, we have received offers for each of you from the company marketing the “Seee Ya PWP” t-shirts. They are offering to pay $15,000 to each of you that’s willing to have your Avatar wear their shirt and make a short video clip. If you choose to do so, we can handle the legal contracts and get the clips sent to them for you.”
Brick smiled and raised his hand instantly. “I’m in!” They all laughed, and after a moment, each smiled to the others.
“Looks like you’re all in,” Richard said. “In that case I suggest you do something special as a group while wearing the shirts. Maybe do a little dance, or attend the prisoners’ trials.”
“Next order of business,” he continued, passing another folder across the table to Brick. “Brick, you’ve received another offer. I’ll let you read it for yourself.”
He then slid another folder in Lainey’s direction. “Lainey, there’s one for you, too.”
They all waited while Brick and Lainey read their offers. Lainey’s eyes widened as she scanned hers. Then they narrowed, and she closed the folder. She shook her head no as she passed it back across the table.
Brick cursed under his breath as he read his offer. But after a moment he began to chuckle. “Aw, what the hell! Money’s good.”
“Care to share?” Max asked his friend.
“Company that makes fuzzy bunny slippers wants to pay me to do a commercial wearing their slippers. As my avatar, I mean. Not in real life. And they’ll pay enough for a down payment for a house for my mom.”
Richard slid yet another folder across the table to Brick. “I anticipated your interest, and I’ve taken the liberty of having a list prepared for you. Those are all foreclosed homes that are in good neighborhoods with good schools. All with four or more bedrooms. You can purchase them for roughly 50% of their market value. With your fee from the t-shirt offer as down payment, we are prepared to offer you a mortgage sufficient to cover the amount required to purchase any one of those homes, plus any repairs that may be necessary. At 1% interest.”
Brick sat there, mouth open, staring at Richard. “Thank you, sir. I… you’ve been so generous already. With the job and the apartment. I don’t have the words.”
Richard just reached out to shake Brick’s hand. “No thanks are necessary. You are a valued employee, and have been a loyal
friend to my son. The demands we are putting on you, with longer and longer immersions, are going to make it harder for you to look out for your family. This should help ease that burden, and make you more effective at your job. All we did was a bit of research. We’re not actually giving you anything, really. You’ll be paying us interest on the mortgage, and the discounted interest rate is something we offer all employees. It’s a low-risk loan, as you’ll start with nearly 50% equity in whichever house you choose.”
Brick’s mouth was hanging open again as he processed all of that.
“Your next immersion begins in the morning, and will last one week. If you’d like, we can have a van drive you and your family around to view houses this afternoon. I’ve circled a couple of recommendations that you should look at first. If you see one you want, we’ll take care of dealing with the bank that holds the note, and arrange the purchase. If there are no renovations required, your family can be moved in a month. Maybe less.”
Brick nodded his head in thanks.
“What about you, Lainey?” Sasha asked. “You didn’t seem happy with your offer.”
Lainey shook her head. “It’s from a company that makes leather clothes. They want me to wear my Valkyrie gear in a commercial.”
“That sounds cool!” Sasha said. “I guess they didn’t offer enough? Or are you shy about showing your real life face?”
Lainey looked uncomfortable. “No, the offer was very generous. It’s just that the company makes … adult clothes.”
Seeing that Sasha wasn’t getting it, Max blurted out, “Bondage gear! Kinky leather outfits!”
Both Lainey and Sasha blushed furiously, and that was the end of that conversation.
Richard dismissed them all, and once they’d signed their various endorsement offers, they all headed home, except for Brick, who went to go pick up his family and house hunt.
Alexander awoke in his bedroom in Stormforge feeling energized and motivated. A solid week of immersion ahead of us! Today he planned to check in with the mayor of Whitehall to see if the refugees were ready to head back to their village. He also wanted to get everyone to the stable master and get their mounts. Brick had already spoken to the king about setting a meeting with King Thalgrin, and they needed to make sure that happened before this immersion ended. He also wanted to spend some time with Fitz learning whatever magic he could. Brick wanted some time to work with the crafters on his smithy, and Sasha needed to spend some time training with Lydia in alchemy.
In fact, it would be a good time for all of them to get some work in on their crafting. Max had carpentry, which he used for gathering wood and crafting bows and arrows, before he got the quiver with unlimited arrows, anyway. Alexander had chosen smithing as well when he was a noob, as he needed to repair his own weapons and armor. The friends had joined Io together, but had begun the game in different noob zones. Once he and Sasha had joined up with Brick and Max, he no longer needed smithing. Brick was a much higher level, and had natural dwarven affinities that gave him bonuses Alexander didn’t get. He hadn’t focused on crafting since then. But they were building something here. It was time he contributed. And Lainey needed a crafting skill or two. She was learning some herbology and alchemy from Lydia, but Sasha already had that covered. He would encourage her to develop something else, as well.
Heading downstairs, he found that Thea had already prepared breakfast for everyone. Joining his growing company at the breakfast table, he scooped up a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.
“Thank you, Thea. This is wonderful,” he said. “But you know you don’t have to cook for us.”
“Aye. But ye’ve all been such kind hosts, I wanted to help out a bit,” Thea smiled at him.
“You’re as a good a cook as your grand dame, Thea!” Fitz winked at her while rubbing his tummy.
“Bwahahaha!” the dwarfess laughed. “Me gran could engrave a sigil on the head of a pin, but she were a horrible cook and ye knows it! Me gramps warned me about ye, wizard! Don’t try’n tug me beard!” she winked right back at him.
Breakfast finished, Brick went off with the crafters, while Lainey and Sasha decided to visit Lydia. Max went to modify a couple of the horse stalls in the barn to accommodate their enormous draft horse. Alexander decided to go with Brick, to see if his earth mover abilities would be of any use.
Brick, Thea, and the three crafters were standing near the south wall of the armory. The three crafters were Dvorn and Garen, who were both apprentice stone masons, and Harin, a journeyman smith. Brick was holding up a piece of parchment and attempting to create a diagram of what he wanted. Taking pity on him, Alexander closed his eyes and used his earth mover skill to raise two stone benches with a table in between. Brick nodded his thanks, and they all sat down. Brick sketched out roughly what he had in mind for the size of the structure, and the placement of its components. Harin studied it for a moment, then made a few recommendations that would improve the workflow, and maximize the efficiency of the space. Then they began to discuss the structure itself.
“Bein’ that ye already have two solid walls,” Harin said, gesturing to the armory wall on one side and the outer wall of the keep adjacent to it, “it’d be best to leave the other two as open as possible, to allow fresh air to flow. At the same time, ye need ta be able to secure the building and protect yer work and yer secrets!” Dwarven smiths valued their secret crafting formulas more than their lives. And not just the smiths. The same applied to the brewers, enchanters, and in fact all the trades.
Garen spoke next. “Any dwarven smithy worth its salt be made of stone. Sparks will fly when yer deep in yer work, and wooden walls canna’ contain the heat of a real dwarven forge.”
Alexander raised his hand, “That’s what I’m here for. You tell me what you need, I’ll raise it and move it for you. You can take it from there.”
Both stone masons nodded their approval. That would save them a lot of time quarrying and transporting stone.
“Since ye mentioned the heat o’ the forge,” Harin interrupted, “what type of forge d’ye want?”
Brick thought about it. “Well, I would like a foot pump for the bellows, so I can work alone if needs be. The forge itself should be deep enough to heat a longsword, and wide enough for shield work-”
He was interrupted again, “Aye, aye, we knows the proper sizing. What’s important is, what d’ye want the forge crafted of? Iron? Stone, Ceramic?”
“Ahhh. I see,” Brick said. “Well, let me ask, if ye could be yer dream forge, what material would ye use?”
Harin didn’t even hesitate. “Me dream be to work a dragon forge. The best materials, like mithril, need the heat of dragon fire to be worked proper. But dragon fire melts stone, and iron. The only materials that can take the heat be dragonstone, obsidian, and a skystone-titanium alloy.”
“Skystone?” Alexander asked Brick.
“Aye. Stone found in fallen meteors. Can’t be softened by fire of any kind, even dragon fire. Can only be heated and shaped with magic. Very, very rare.”
“Aye, and dragonstone be the petrified bones of dead dragons. Just as rare,” Harin added.
“Obsidian, which I see’d you found more of than our clan has seen in millennia, was born in fire. Once it hardens, no fire short of dragonfire can touch it. And with a simple enchantment, it will resist dragonfire as well. It also be a good for holding and conducting enchantments to regulate heat, or add properties to a metal. Our smithies in the mountain have obsidian gems embedded in places to assist master smiths with large and difficult infusion spells.”
Alexander had an idea. “How effective would those spells be if the structure itself was obsidian?”
Harin inhaled so sharply it caused him to cough. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he seemed on the verge of passing out. Thea thumped him on the back a few times, and Dvorn handed him a flask. When he breathing normally, he whispered as if afraid to say the words out loud. “A forge and smithy crafted out o’obsidian? It would b
e… never has anyone seen the like. Master smiths from every realm would come to just set eyes upon it. They would pay ye for the honor o’workin’ at the forge. The items ye could create. Me brain canna’ find the words”
Alexander smiled at the wonder in the dwarf’s voice. Brick was looking at Alexander like a kid on Christmas morning. The two stone masons looked terrified. No doubt they’d never worked with obsidian before and were picturing the consequences of damaging the stone. Boy, are they in for a surprise!
Looking to Thea, he said, “Would you mind going next door to Lydia’s shop? Tell Sasha that I need four mana and four stamina potions. Tell her I’m about to do something stupid like Fitz,” he grinned.
Thea laughed, hopping up and heading out the gate.
He looked at the three craftsmen. “I know you like to keep your secrets, but I have some information to share, and before I do so, I need to know if you can accept it. How strong is your stone sense? Can you sense the earth beneath us? And if so, how far?”
All three dwarves looked to to Brick, who nodded, “Ye can trust him. And if ye pay attention, ye’ll learn a thing or two.” Those were magic words for apprentices. Each of them closed their eyes and extended their senses below.
Harin spoke first. “There be a limestone sewer tunnel below us maybe 30 feet. Beyond that, I canno’ tell”. That made sense. His natural ability as a dwarf gave him some sense, but he was a smith, trained to relate to metals, not stone.
The two masons did better, as expected. “Below the tunnel be another hundred feet of granite and igneous rock, and… more tunnels?” Dvorn asked?
“Lava tubes,” Garen corrected, “a maze of lava tubes, and… obsidian!” He gasped. “Tons of it!”
“Aye, lads,” Brick chuckled. “This city sits smack in the middle o’a volcanic crater. When it blew its stack, the explosion made thousands of tons of obsidian.” He reached over to ruffle Garen’s hair, bringing the young dwarf back to reality.
The Greystone Chronicles: Book One: Io Online Page 28