"What have I done to deserve this? You tell me, what I have done to earn your enmity?" Speedy Pete said. "Why did you not kill me, end my life for the next twenty hours, why don't you finish it?"
"I will, soon, I promise. I'll finish you in a few moments Pete; first I need information. Provide the information and I promise not to kill you when I see you the next time," Toni said.
Speedy Pete thought in the lengthening silence, :Information Natasha needed, wanted even. It could be anything,: he thought as an idea struck him, :I bet it was the new rings someone gave us to wear, rings which players of the JW Killers clan now use for identification. That could be what she wants information on, something new and different.:
"It's the rings you wear, isn't it Pete, they block the system from adding your details to local maps," Toni said.
"How, I never even spoke. How could you know?... I bet it was because those two new players Giant Dick sent up to help guard Circe. They had not joined the clan yet, so they didn't get the ring. What a stupid cow, Giant Dick is. When I see her during our wait, I'll give her a piece of my mind. The stupid person, why did Jason ever pick her to be a leader I don't know."
Those were the last words Speedy Pete said as Toni jammed the same knife into his head, killing him instantly. Toni reached down and tried to pull the ring off his ring finger, it would not budge, it was stuck fast. Toni took her Ari B’Lila and cut the ring finger off, hoping to remove the ring for Bethany to look at back in Bounty. Still the ring stayed put, Toni placed the finger, ring and all into her inventory backpack.
Using the key Sir Hardy carried, Mogastation opened the door to the apartment. A cold wash of fear flooded through Toni, she reached out trying to grab Mogastation as he stepped through the doorway.
A flash of cold blue light filled the small entrance hall, Mogastation disappeared in a circle of light. Toni cried out, "Mogastation you were a bloody fool for not checking before entering. Had your mind gone to sleep," Boostoff told Toni, Moga was waiting for a respawn; he'll be with Nithey later tonight
Boostoff opened the inner door, pushing it open with his gladius revealing the circular room beyond, he stepped into the large clinically bare room. The designers had covered the walls in light oak wooden panels. In the room's centre was a modern hospital bed, upon which was a beautiful naked woman, wearing a blindfold and a pair of white headphones. Now in the room Toni could read her Gamer Tag, Circe.
Toni watched as Boostoff reached out to touch Circe's face with his hand, she shouted, "Don't touch," a fraction late as another circle of blue light flashed into existence, when it disappeared, Boostoff had disappeared too. "Seriously, how many more traps are there, at least those two will respawn together," said Toni.
Toni told the Amazons not to touch the bed nor the beautiful woman. One of the Amazons said the woman was not asleep as her breathing was fast, she was awake.
No sooner had the Amazon spoken than Circe's moved her head as though she was looking directly at Toni, then she spoke. "Can whoever is in charge move me as I desperately need a wee," Circe asked.
[Using your eyes, I scanned the room and can find no obvious release for the bed strapping. I think you could ask Circe], said Rahab. Toni spoke to Circe, who told Toni her captors do something over on the opposite side of the room.
"I can hear them push on something that causes a loud click after which it sounds like they press two buttons. Once they finish pressing buttons, a post descends, I think it is a post as I have never seen it. I can tell the post comes down from the ceiling, while my bed moves over to a side of the room.
"As the bed comes to a stop, the bindings which keep me on the bed unfasten. Since they bound my eyes, I cannot see who it is that manhandles me over to the post which they fasten me to. Once I am fastened, I am forced to go to the toilet hanging from the post, they do not even let me squat.
"After I finish they wash me down with cold water, laughing as they spray me. Then still wet they put me back on this bed, they re-bind me before the bed moves back into the room's centre. How can you have some Amazons with you? The Pirate King had me cast a spell which bound all Amazons into his service, yet these are freely helping you?"
"It is a long, long story," replied Toni as she looked for a hidden panel. "When we came to these lands, someone gave us a quest to visit a temple of the goddess Cybele. Once in the temple she gave us more quests, part of the reward for their completion were at first a handful of Amazons. More quests later and now over four hundred Amazons have pledged allegiance to my husband Joseph."
"Does he hold you in thrall like the Pirate King does me?" Circe asked. Toni laughed as she pushed on the large odd shaped mark on the wood panel.
"No, far from it, we each have our independence and we all work as a team supporting and caring for each other," Toni said as the panel slid to the side revealing a control unit.
There were several buttons and knobs, each one had ancient Greek writing above them. Rahab told Toni what each said. The first button Toni pressed was for turning the bed defences off. Toni was sure the defences were off as one of her Amazons touched Circe, who gave a little squeak at being touched.
"What do you mean each have your independence and caring for each other?" Circe asked. Toni pushed the button to move the bed, which from the writing Rahab said it released the bindings when it stopped its movement. Pushing what Toni believed would be the final button, a hole appeared in the room's centre and another panel open on the opposite wall where a hose nozzle was visible.
"I am Joseph's first wife, he has five others, Dr Emily, Elise McPherson, Susan Strong, Bright Liberty and Myrina. He also has two concubines, Areto and Suzanna, who is the newly-elected mayor of Petrabele."
Toni went over to the unbound Circe, holding out a hand she helped Circe from the bed. For the first time Toni inspected Circe, she had dark brown hair which looked black. Circe's face was long and thin, her nose though was small and cute. Her large eyes were a golden brown, set under long brown eyelashes. She had plump ruddy lips, shaped like cupids bow.
When Circe stood, Toni realised she was as tall as her though slightly wider in the shoulder and hips. Circe had nice pale smooth-looking skin, as though she had not seen the sun for a long time. Her breasts were firm, and the nipples were small, erect, tight and brown; surrounded with a large areola a shade darker than her skin.
"Do you like what you see?" Circe asked. "I can feel your eyes devouring me," One of the Amazons replied saying, "If she does which it looks like then they will add you to our Lords wives or concubines. They all share him and each other, it is a shame he is only one man for we all would lay our lives down for and under him."
"I can't wait to meet your lord," replied Circe. "Though I still need to use the hole, I am bursting here," Toni helped Circe over to the hole and held her while she squatted, emptying her full bladder. One of the Amazons pulled out the hose and turned on the tap, letting Circe wash herself down.
They found a spare set of Amazon clothing for Circe, Toni handed her a spare Athena pendent and one ring. Circe asked, "Do these items bind us to each other?" Toni replied, "No, though maybe it would not be a bad thing if she were to pledge her allegiance to Joseph, Cybele and Athena and me before we leave the room," which Circe did as she followed Toni's words.
Chapter 32
Roundup
Bethany and Lesley led their combined two hundred Amazons through the castle basement, following the orange line on their HUD's map overlay toward the main barracks. Lesley kept the orange line the system had overlaid on her HUD map in sight as her and the Amazons ghosted through large empty storage rooms.
While Cain and his thirty Amazons were clearing the rooms around the balcony on the fourth floor, and Toni was freeing Circe at the top of the tower; Lesley, Bethany and their two hundred Amazons arrived outside the main barrack doors.
Bethany activated her sneak skill, then she slipped inside through one of the two doors. In a short corridor there was an alcove
to her right, poking her head around the corner of the alcove she noticed it hid a doorway. She pushed the door open with her foot, ready for action then realised this door led to the barracks weapons room and armoury. The smell of leather, oil and wood filled the air and Bethany found it relaxing as she checked the room out.
Now fully in the room she looked at the shields hung from wall pegs, while Doru had been stored standing upright on circular wooden stands, each stand holding twenty spears. As she moved around the room, Bethany counted fifteen such circular stands and three hundred Doru. They’d hung swords in scabbards and baldrics in the centre of the room on a room divider, built like a long coat rail.
Leaving the armoury, Bethany moved toward the other door at the far end of the corridor when the door creaked as it began to open. She checked her HUD and noticed there was still thirty seconds of her sneak skill remaining. Returning to the armoury, Bethany stood around the corner and dismissed the skill. The cool down period before she could reuse the skill, was one and a half minutes, checking she had 01:21.
Listening for the person who opened the door, she heard the footsteps of a single person possibly a man heading for the armoury. Bethany quickly removed her clothes and laid down on the seating under the hanging swords, her Ari B’Lila placed under her back.
Pretending to be asleep she heard the man enter the room taking several footsteps then stopped, her HUD informed her she had 00:53 before the sneak skill was ready to use. Bethany could imagine the man standing there transfixed, eyes gazing upon her body. The man's footsteps moved away from her back toward the door, stopping for a second before moving closer again, stopping when the man was right next to her.
She felt the man's hand clamp over her mouth, as he pushed a knee between her legs, forcing them open. Bethany's eyes snapped open, and the man froze in surprise. Bethany smiled as she watched her Ari B’Lila, thrust upwards stabbing him twice in the neck. She pushed the dead man to the floor and wiped his blood from her body, then dressed, her cool down timer read 00:07.
:I don't want to tell Cain how I killed him though the system will have recorded my actions. The vid-feed will be along the lines of, don't creep up on a nude woman or you will get a nasty surprise.:, she thought.
As her skill had practically cooled down while she laid naked on the seating, Bethany activated it again and was soon through the door and into the barracks. Bethany counted the number of full sleeping-cots. She counted thirty cots in each of the six rows, although only one hundred and thirty-four held a guard.
Slipping out of the barracks as her sneak skill expired, Bethany told the waiting Lesley and their two hundred Amazons how many guards were inside. Their plan was for each sleeper to have one Amazon for each occupied cot. On Lesley's command they would kill them in unison, as Cain's message said kill all guards they came across.
Leaving twenty Amazons to guard the entrance to the barracks, Lesley led the reminder inside to kill sleeping guards. Two minutes later and each sleeping guard had an Amazon at the side of their sleeping body.
Each Amazon had a gladius poised over each guard, those who slept on their backs the gladius was over the back of their necks, to sever their heads. Some guards slept on their sides, for those they pointed the gladius down over their carotid arteries. Those sleeping on their backs, gladii were pointed at their hearts.
Each Amazon looked toward Lesley who made a cutting motion with her hand. One hundred and thirty-four guards died within three seconds of each other.
"What about the leaders of these guards? They must sleep somewhere else in the castle," said Lesley, as she checked her HUD for any pointers. Noticing a new broken orange line, which led up a side staircase from the back of the barracks to the second floor. Leaving the room full of dead guards they headed in the direction the HUD map overlay showed.
Bethany's stealth skill, allowed her to kill three guards they encountered while following the broken orange line on their HUD map. Once they reached the second floor, they found the room which the orange line led them to.
One of the Amazons slipped inside as Bethany's sneak skill was on its cool down timer. Returning the Amazon told Lesley, "There are six men fast asleep inside. They have better quality equipment than the guards we killed earlier." The Amazon returned to the room with five other Amazons, one minute later and they all came back, the six leaders of the guards were dead.
Checking the HUD map, the broken orange line had disappeared, Lesley messaged everyone, including the Amazons,
:Enoch, I have checked the local map, zooming in as close as I can, but I have seen no sight of the Pirate King or any players in the throne room. Can you and Rahab take a look and see what I am missing.:
{Yes, although I don't think you are missing anything. Are we sure the Pirate King is in the castle? If we can't see him, maybe he is elsewhere. I have used the system to scan each area in the castle. Rahab and I have found an anomaly. At the rear of the ballroom, there is an area of dead space. I asked Cybele to check the back-system logs for the past four hours of game play.
{We found the dead area, and it did not move around during the time although we noticed several unknown players and NPCs came and went from within it. We counted sixteen players who are somehow shielded from the system reporting, their Gamer Tags are invisible. Cybele says she is working on a code which forces and identifies players Gamer Tags. She said there had been a line inserted into the player code which allowed a player to hide their Gamer Tag,} Enoch said.
Cain headed down to the second floor where everyone headed to meet with him. Toni brought Circe, who was in the middle of the seventy Amazons. Ten minutes later Bethany and Lesley arrived, their team killed another ten guards who foolishly attacked her group of Amazons from the rear. The guards found the Amazons were aggressively defensive, about anyone laying a hand on their rears.
^T^ Cain, why are we not going in? ^
^C^ We can't be certain the Pirate King is inside and there are at least twelve players with him, and something hides those Gamer Tags from the system. ^
^T^ We had the same upstairs, initially something hid Sir Hardy and Speedy Pete's Gamer Tags even though we knew who they were. We could read Boostoff's and Mogastation's tags but not theirs. After I questioned Speedy Pete he let slip they were wearing a ring which prevented the system from reading then displaying their name. ^
Toni handed Cain the ring, still attached to Speedy Pete's ring finger. She told Cain that she tried to take it off but it would not budge. Cain tried and found the same even though it should have slipped off, it held firm.
Taking his Ari B’Lila, Cain peeled the fleshy skin from the bone from the knuckle joint. Once he'd separated the flesh from the bone, the ring slipped free with the now loose flesh. Pulling the flesh free from inside the ring Cain inspected then passed the ring back to Toni. Looking inside the ring, Toni noticed six tiny spikes, three in either direction. :No wonder I could not get the ring from his finger. Once on it can only be taken off when the player is dead,: Toni thought.
Handing the ring to Bethany, Toni spoke out loud saying, "The ring has small spikes which sink into the flesh in both directions. Once a person puts the ring on, it does not come off." In her group chat she asked Bethany to see if there is an e
nchantment upon the ring. Bethany shook her head and handed the ring back to Cain.
Using Cain's eyes Enoch zoomed in and noticed several loops of numbers, ones and zeros. Recording the numbers Enoch contacted Cybele. Relaying the numbers to Cybele she ran a search in the systems base player code. Her search turned up three lines of a code someone had added during the system reboot.
As an AI Cybele used her advanced system admin role, she amended the players code, leaving the three lines in place but adding four more. The addition of her new code nullified a player from exploiting the hide from system options.
The ring code activated the hide function, what the rings will do now when the system refreshes the code it will highlight those players who are trying to cheat. She added a line which will make their Gamer Tags flash repeatedly so other players can see who is trying to cheat.
[Cybele said we need to wait for around twenty to thirty minutes, all active players will have their code refreshed,] Rahab said. Toni messaged the group informing them of the news.
After waiting for twenty-two minutes, Cain noticed on his HUDs local map it displayed the first of the players flashing Gamer Tag. The player was moving around at the rear of the ballroom. After thirty minutes there were seventeen players Gamer Tags visible in the ballroom, still no sign of the Pirate King.
The system also displayed another twelve players in a square to the side of the main room, those were all female names.
^D^ I don't like the look of those twelve female players, why are they stationary? ^
^C^ Remember Suzanna told them about her former husband, how he would have sent their thirteen-year-old daughter to the Pirate King. Perhaps he likes female players too. Maybe they have placed rings upon their bodies to hide them from the system. ^
{[OK, Cybele and Athena are making their attack on the Pirate King's EI in the next minute,]} Rahab and Enoch said.
Ballroom Fight
Before they entered the ballroom, Cain checked his HUD map, he counted seventeen players group together, and twenty-six NPCs around the walls of the throne room.
Forsaken 337 BC Page 40