“Do they get attacked frequently?” I asked.
“There’s no pattern,” Dorn said with a sneeze. “Who knows?”
The road sloped downward ever more steeply, leading us further and further underground.
Chapter Twelve
In which the steamboat sails away from the wharf.
The road soon turned into a narrow path winding between heavy stone walls. On and on we walked…
“Is it much longer?” I asked Dorn.
“Who knows? This is my first time, too,” the dwarf replied quickly. “Probably another half hour or so. What, you bored?”
“I’m not exactly having fun,” I said frankly. “Here I am walking and thinking how perfect it would be if some bastard jumped out at us from the rocks and killed us after we got this far. That would be the worst…”
“Shut up, don’t jinx us!” Dorn shook his head accusingly. “You need to watch that tongue of yours. If we were on a raid with a serious clan right now and you started talking like that, they’d kick you out without a second thought.”
I didn’t bother arguing with him, especially since right then the path opened out into an enormous underground grotto. “Enormous” isn’t even the right word for it. It was simply gigantic. The ceiling was out of view somewhere above us, though the bluish light drifting down must have been coming from it.
“Wow,” I said, spellbound.
“Impressive?” Dorn was as proud as he would have been if he’d created the beauty in front of us with his own two hands. “I’ve heard about this place, though this is the first time I’ve ever seen it.”
It was gorgeous. The stones lining the road (it was an actual road—wide, good-quality, and paved with cobblestones) were hand-ground, and there were stalactites (or stalagmites—I can never remember which is which) between them. The whole scene glistened in a haze of soft blue light.
Nearby there was a city that was one of the most unusual I’d seen in the game so far. It was at once rounded and sloped, attractive and cozy, and, to top it off, incredibly majestic. Those concepts had a hard time coexisting in my little brain, but there it was.
“Beautiful,” Dorn said before turning to me. “Hey, you’re good to go from here, right?”
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” I agreed. “It’s just right there. Thanks, old boy, I wouldn’t have gotten here without you.”
“I should be the one thanking you,” Dorn said, stroking his beard. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have my things or a clan.”
“But you gave me so many great tips,” I persisted, bugging out my eyes.
“And who set up the group? Nothing would have happened without the group!” Dorn was already laughing.
“Anyway, you scratch my back, I scratch yours.”
“Yup, we’re good,” Dorn said when he finished laughing. “I respect you, you respect me, and that’s the way it should be. Oh, there is one more thing I wanted to tell you, though. Back there in the village you took that idiot elf out with your wolf and four summoned warriors. The wolf almost had to be an ability, though I have no idea how you got it before Level 60, but the warriors looked like you got them because of some item you have. Right?”
“And?” I couldn’t tell what he was hinting at.
“Don’t summon them in public or where there are other players around to see you, okay?” The dwarf was deadly serious.
“What’s the matter with that?” I asked, starting to figure it out.
“Don’t pretend you’re an idiot.” Dorn tugged on his beard. “If you have something that can summon warriors like that, it’s probably from a set—just about any player with a head on his shoulders can figure that much out. And they hunt players for less than a set item. Considering your level, which is still pretty low, and the fact that you don’t have a serious clan behind you, you’re not just a target; you’re an ideal target. Low risk, high reward. You might as well just tie yourself up and write ‘gift for the strongest’ on your forehead.”
“Okay, okay, I get it,” I replied with a sigh. “You’re right, I screwed up.”
“It’s not good that the elf saw your warriors.” Dorn scratched the back of his neck with his shovel-like hand. “Even if he doesn’t figure it out himself, he could tell the clan about it—and Gerv or even Elina will put two and two together. Even that idiot Gorotul will realize that he should hunt you down and kill you, and that he can do without worrying about the consequences.”
It was starting to hit me how stupid I’d been by showing off the summoned warriors. It wasn’t even the fact that I might lose the amulet; it was that I’d get chased down and killed from one end of the continent to the other if word got out that I had something worth getting… On the other hand, I didn’t think word would actually get out. The clans didn’t share that type of thing with each other, though even that was poor consolation.
“Okay, okay, chin up,” the dwarf said. “There’s a plus side, too. If you’re really getting pushed hard and decide to look for a clan, you can remember me.”
“Some plus side…” I grunted.
And with that, Dorn and I parted ways. He stepped into a portal, and I walked forward along the road leading to the city.
I’d almost gotten to the wrought-iron gates guarded by a pair of dwarf watchmen when I saw the river gently splashing along.
“Gentlemen, is that the river that leads to the Sumaki Mountains?” I asked, deciding to double-check. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe Dorn…
“Even if it is, what does that matter to you?” one of the guards replied in a voice that was less than welcoming.
“I want to take the steamboat,” I said honestly. “I need to get to the Sumaki Mountains.”
“The steamboat?” the second dwarf guard repeated. “They don’t sell tickets, traveler.”
“I’m aware.” The conversation with the guards was starting to get on my nerves. If everyone down here is this talkative, I think New Year will have come and gone by the time I get to the pier. “But you can serve onboard and get to the mountains that way, no?”
The guards exchanged a glance and shoved open the gate.
“Welcome to Malakh-Targak, human,” the first one said. “The riverside city, to translate that into your language. For information about the trip and getting hired, go visit the magistrate—straight, then left, and then straight again.”
The city was just as cozy as it had seemed from the outside, or at least as cozy as a city built deep underground could be—not to mention the fact that it wasn’t built by or for people.
The buildings were squat, very convenient, and high-quality. You could tell right away: they were built by dwarves. Dwarvish craftsmanship was always synonymous with quality. The best even… I wandered through the narrow alleys for five or six minutes, looking around at the local sights and marveling at how meticulous the design was, until I got to a small square. On one side was what looked like the tallest building in the city—the magistrate’s building, I figured. I looked up at the roof and my mouth fell open.
Even from the ground I could see that the rounded dome atop the building had a spire, and an unusual one: the short silver spike was crowned with an enormous green stone. It was an emerald, the size and cut of which defied the imagination—even allowing for the fact that it was a digital element in a computer game. Regardless, it was both impressive and gorgeous.
“Hey there, my friend. You’re visiting the city? A tourist? Would you like some mushrooms? Cheap, with a nice discount?”
I looked to my left, which was where the voice asking the odd question was coming from. Not far off stood a pair of colorful dwarves. One was taller, at least, insomuch as you can refer to a dwarf as “taller,” and wearing mismatched armor. The strange color palette reminded me of the exhibits Elvira had dragged me to once upon a time. The second character was stocky—surprise, surprise—and wearing long, blackened chainmail that had been cut out in the front and back to make it easier to walk. His beard was
long, and there was smoke trailing from the bowl of a pipe he had in his teeth.
“Well?” The owner of the mismatched armor pulled a pair of violet mushrooms out of nowhere—the same ones that had caught Jax’s eyes. “They’re the best mushrooms in the caves, and they’re so good for your consciousness that you can see the sun at night—or even in our caves! They’re cheap, too: three gold for the pair. This year’s crop, gathered and tested by me personally as well as this fine fellow.”
The tall one kicked the stocky one, the latter nodding and adding his agreement.
“Incredible mushrooms.”
Then he smiled, and I noticed that he was missing practically every other tooth.
“Well, what do you say? Want them?” The taller dwarf started winking at me, though he lost the ability to stop after the third wink. His squat friend saw him and smacked him in the head, at which point his eyes rolled backward. At least the winking stopped.
I wasn’t sure what to tell the pair, and all I could do was let my jaw hang open in disbelief. What was there to say? A dealer deep underground in the dwarf city wasn’t just nonsense; it was mind-blowing. His friend nodded understandingly and opened his mouth in solidarity with me. The picture was so ridiculous that it caught the eye of a round-bellied dwarf walking by.
“Dvaly, Snoldy, are you trying to sell your crap again?” He looked at the strange pair wearily. “I’m done, I won’t stand for it anymore.”
“Oh, stop it, uncle,” the taller one said. I guess he’s Dvaly. “We’re not selling anything; we’re just showing this fine tourist around our city. The best city in the wo-o-orld!” He sang the last part in a falsetto.
“Did they offer you mushrooms?” The dwarf looked at me. I was about to just walk away without saying anything when I noticed a large chain complete with a bunch of odd symbols, blue stones, and green gems hanging heavily on his chest. He isn’t just a dwarf; he’s in the local government, maybe even the mayor himself.
“You bet they did,” I nodded. “They said they’re fresh, this year’s harvest.”
“Are you serious?” The taller dwarf was indignant, and his short friend mumbled something to the same effect. “I hope you fall into the water and can’t swim!”
“I’m done with you both once and for all—I can’t cover for you anymore!” the tubby dwarf said harshly. “You’re both going for a full term in the mines.”
“Uncle, what are you talking about?” the tall one whined. “We can’t do that! And what are you going to tell my mom when she hears and starts crying?”
“I’ll explain the whole thing to her. Guards!”
“Snoldy, why is life like this?” Dvaly asked his friend sadly. “Screw it, I can’t take this anymore.”
He tossed a few mushrooms into his mouth, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the pavement.
“And there’s my nephew,” the dwarf said unhappily before giving a command to the guards who had walked up. “Take these two to the Great Underground, but first search them and throw any mushrooms you find into the river.”
“You’re hard on him,” I said, finally getting a word in. “Especially considering he’s family.”
“I’ve covered for him this long precisely because he’s family,” the dwarf explained. “A year ago he and his friend somehow got into the mines above us, even though that’s prohibited, and picked some mushrooms—and it’s been downhill since then. They quit their jobs, since they’re too busy eating that crap and telling everyone else how wonderful it is. If it had been anyone else, I’d have sent them to grind stone a long time ago, but my sister always begs me not to send him off. And I have a soft spot for her. Anyway, who are you?”
“Me? I’m a traveler heading to the magistrate’s building.”
“Why are you going there?” The dwarf looked at me attentively. “Who do you need to see?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied with a shrug. “Whoever’s in charge of sailing down your river. I need to get to the Sumaki Mountains, so I’d like to get myself hired on your steamboat.”
“Got it,” the dwarf nodded. “Sounds good. Well, let’s go—what are we standing here for?”
We walked into the building, I followed the dwarf up the stairs, and then I walked behind him past a cute dwarf girl secretary and into a small oval office.
“All right, allow me to introduce myself: Troffy Steel Wedge, Mayor of Malakh-Targak.” He bowed.
“Hagen of Tronje, Thane of the Western Reaches.” I enjoyed rattling off my title, and why not? I’d named myself “laird,” but I’d earned the title of “thane” for my feats in battle. Well, perhaps not so much in battle, but still. It was a good feeling, damn it!
“A warrior?” Troffy rubbed his hands. “That’s excellent—great! And you want a ride on the Great Underground?”
“If you’re talking about the steamboat, then yes, I very much do. Though it’s not so much that I want a ride, per se; like I said, I need to get to the Sumaki Mountains.”
“But you know that we don’t sell tickets?” the mayor asked smoothly.
“Of course, I know.” The pointless conversation was starting to get to me. “What are the terms for hiring people?”
“What exactly do you want to know?”
“The requirements, how long the trip takes, everything, really,” I replied with a wave.
“The trip takes three days, all stops included; you’re required to stand watch for six hours every day, and then you have to protect the ship and its passengers with no thought for your own safety if there’s an attack. The payment is a free trip to the Crystal Lake in the Sumaki Mountains. We also offer room and board, as well as some gold. That’s pretty much it.”
You unlocked Down the Underground Stream.
Task: Protect the Great Underground if it is attacked.
Reward:
1500 experience
1200 gold
Free ticket to the Sumaki Mountains
Additional information:
If you die heroically, you don’t fail the quest.
If the steamboat is sunk or all its passengers or crew are killed in an attack, you will fail the quest. You will not be able to get it again.
You are required to remain on board the steamboat throughout your entire watch. If you leave for more than ten minutes, you will fail the quest.
Warning: The way you acquit yourself in battle will determine whether you will be assessed penalties if you fail the quest.
Accept?
So it turned out I was forced to hang around in the game doing nothing for six hours a day. That’s going a little overboard, no? Boring… On the other hand, I’d be getting to where I needed to go in just three days—and for free. Dorn, incidentally, had mentioned that it was two days, so I assumed he’d been mistaken. Although maybe he wasn’t including the stops?
“Excellent,” the mayor said, rubbing his hands, when I agreed. “The steamboat is heading out today, it so happens, so we’ll sign the agreement, I’ll give you a copy, and you can head over to the pier where they’re loading up. Monny! Monny, come in here.”
The cute dwarf girl walked into the office and looked at the mayor inquiringly.
“Monny, prepare the standard contract for steamboat security and bring it here,” the mayor said. “Bring some beer, as well.”
It didn’t take long to sign the contract—not even long enough to drink the beer. As soon as we were done, the mayor stuck my copy in my pocket and pushed me out the door.
“Very good, very good. If you ever happen to be back in our city, stop by for a chat and some beer.”
Monny watched me walk past, winked slyly, made a heart with her lips, and headed back into the mayor’s office.
“These dwarves are crazy people,” I said, succinctly, if not quite logically, and went off to find the exit from the building and then the pier.
I was able to find both fairly quickly. When I got to the pier, I found that the steamboat was indeed being loaded with a
ll kinds of cargo. Burly dwarves were hauling boxes, crates, bales, and everything else you could think of into the hold. That wasn’t the entire cargo, however: I watched the guards escort Dvaly and Snoldy onboard, too. A stream of curses was coming from the one, even as he was still high as a kite, while the other was silently and fatalistically accepting his fate.
“Hey, little guy,” a husky bass said. “You have a problem? Or are you just going to stand around staring? You’d better watch yourself!”
I looked around and tried to figure out who was talking to me. It turned out to be an exceptionally short dwarf, though I could only see some hair and a bit of beard through the gunwale. What’s his problem?
“I might be scared,” I replied, “if I could see whoever’s thinking about jumping me. Before trying to intimidate me, you should practice on gophers, hamsters, and maybe a few cockroaches. That way your size won’t be such an issue.”
“What? I’ll smash your teeth in for that!” The dwarf sounded like he was a bit sensitive about his height.
“Frory,” barked a dwarf with an enormous beard as he stepped down from the top deck. “Are you getting into fights again? What am I going to do with you?”
“Captain, he’s a spy, I’m telling you!” A hand appeared over the gunwale to jab a finger in my direction. “Here he is looking around and following everything, and then he’s going to head back to his gang of thieves and tell them the whole story. Look how strange he is—he has strange buttons on his pockets, and there are foreign letters on them!”
The dwarf captain glanced at me. I replied by pulling the contract out of my pocket, walking up the gangplank, and handing it to him.
“Thane Hagen, hired to protect the ship,” I reported. “I’d like to work out watches, plus everything else.”
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