Sometimes I think about that moment, when I ripped up that letter. It was probably the single most cowardly thing I have ever done. I don’t know what you really would have done if you’d received it. Knowing you, probably drive the 200 miles to the prison to give me a holler. Maybe not. But either way, I regret it. I regret making you feel like you had no choice but to stay.
I try to look at things from your perspective, and I just don’t see it. Why did you love me? How could you have possibly loved me? After all I put you through? After what happened with Molly and the surgery?
If there is some sort of magic space tunnel where the long dead can see the notes of the living, I pray these words somehow get delivered to you. I want to thank you for being there for me, even though I didn’t deserve it. I want to thank you for giving me as much time with Molly as possible. And I want to thank you for loving a wreck like me.
I miss you so very much. So much it burns.
Elijah.
Popper Note 9
With the portal gone, and a shrieking, frothing horde of hobgoblins descending on us, there was only one way for us to go.
“Everybody through the gate,” I called as I pulled myself back up onto Alice. “They can’t follow us in there!”
“Are you sure?” Gretchen asked as we rushed forward. She hopped onto Bruce Bruce, and she pulled the still-dazed and pissed-off Jonah behind her.
“No,” I said. The quest hadn’t said anything about the hobgoblins at all. I didn’t know what that meant, and now that Rochus was gone, I didn’t have anyone to ask.
Jonah fumed, and I didn’t blame him. I never liked Keta much, but I’d never expected anything like this from her. It seemed out of character. What was it? Treason? Part of the game event? Some sort of misunderstanding?
“I need to get back,” Jonah said as we hurried. “She has my map. Jenny and Eli are still there. It’s how I talk to Waldo. I don’t understand why she did it.”
“I know, I know,” Gretchen said, looking over her shoulder. “Do you still have your dragon helmet?”
“Yes,” Jonah said, patting his bag. He never wore the ugly thing. If he’d lost that…
“Why’d she have to bring him,” Alice grumbled, meaning Bruce Bruce the bear. “Poor Jenny and Eli are now all alone and scared.”
We passed through the massive gate.
Entering Castellane. You are the Regent of this city.
Warning! Your city is experiencing multiple problems. See the City Management and Adjustments menu for details.
Warning! Your kingdom is experiencing multiple problems. See the Kingdom Management and Adjustments menu for details.
In the upper left of my vision, a new button appeared. It read 00:00 Send Early.
“Jonah,” I said, surprised at the notifications. “I have the city management menus you do now.”
Jonah looked at me. “Yeah,” he said drily. “I saw the system message. There’s loads of stuff in there. Let me know if you have any questions, though most of it didn’t work for me. The moment I went through the portal, I got a notification I lost access to mine since I’m no longer in Dominion territory. It says as long as I’m in the country of Libri, I won’t be able to see the Dominion menu or receive messages from the Dominion.”
I looked for the menu and couldn’t find it. I typed it into search, and a link tree popped up, showing it was in the Memberships and Guilds tab, which I didn’t normally have access to. I mentally clicked on it, and multiple pages of options popped up.
“Holy shit,” I said, looking at the sheer wall of options and tabs. “No fucking wonder you couldn’t figure anything out. This is like trying to pass your college algebra final while hopped up on Jack and edibles.”
“That’s an oddly specific analogy,” Gretchen said.
I scrolled through the pages, one after another. I could control things from grounds keeping to recruitment for the city guard to dealing with taxes. There was a lot here, and I’d have to explore it later, but my eyes did catch a note at the top of each page.
This menu and its actions are in beta. Options may not work as expected. Layout may change without notice. Please report any bugs to support.
“Wait,” Jonah said. “If you have access to the city, can you control the hobgoblins now?”
I looked through the menus. Jonah walked me through to the War Events tab, and I found the page that listed the possible creatures to turn to your side. The hobgoblins were listed there, but it was clear I didn’t have control of them.
“Weird. I have control of the city now, but not the actual hobgoblin people. I guess I’d still have to defeat the hobgoblin warlord? Or is it because I’m a regent and not a king? I don’t know. This shit is so confusing. What the hell are basis points? Infrastructure expenditures?”
“Guys, we can figure this out later. Do you think we can just walk through the spiral now?” Gretchen asked, looking around nervously. Behind us, I could still see the horde of hobgoblins rushing right at us. We only had a few minutes.
“I don’t know,” I said. We were in the wide corridor that represented the very beginning of the spiral. Several abandoned streets spread out in front of us, and we could pick any one. They all ended up at the same place, the base of the first castle. In the distance, the menacing form of the Sentinel Tower rose, glinting in the late afternoon sunlight.
Written on a nearby wall in faded red paint were the ominous words: “If you can see it, it can see you.”
The tower usually didn’t start shooting at you until a little later, so I had no idea if the spiral was active or not. We’d find out soon enough.
“Quick,” Gretchen said, “See if there’s a control page for the spiral defenses.”
“Good idea,” I said. I looked in the kingdom menu, but there was nothing. I recalled the War Events menu, searching the titles of the sub tabs.
Jackpot. I found one entitled Spiral Defense Systems. I clicked on it.
You can not access this page unless you are located in the defense cockpit of Castle Riot. Systems currently set to auto.
“Fuck,” I said. “We need to get to the castle.”
“I do not know if these hobgoblins can pass through the gate,” Bingo said. He turned to Jonah, bowing deeply. “Your majesty, it will be my honor to remain here and guard your back while you rush to safety.”
The approaching horde of monsters continued to surge toward the gate.
Gretchen shook her head. “We need to reset our regen as soon as possible. All three of us are without spots right now. I don’t know for sure what the game does to quarantined players who die without a regen in the game, but I suspect it tosses you to an Amity temple. And we can’t let that happen.”
We continued to hurry away from the gate, having chosen the wide main thoroughfare. It would soon swing south, and we’d no longer be able to see the arch.
This well-worn path led to a twisting street I knew very well. The next street over was sandwiched between two walls, and in the old days hobgoblins with poleaxes would stand behind the walls, attempting to strike at you through narrow slits. As long as you kept to the center of the street, you’d be fine. It was the first defense, and it gave you the false sense that this shit would be easy.
“I don’t think they can get in here,” I said. “The thing said the first wave would happen in 72 hours, right? I think they’re going to run into that gateway like it’s a solid wall.”
Our party paused at the curve, turning to watch the horde approach the gate.
The horde was still a good quarter mile away from us, a surging tidal wave of armor and teeth. The Arch of Conquest shimmered slightly as the lead of the hobgoblins rushed up the stairs and approached the marble causeway.
“Wait, no,” Gretchen said. “Did it say there’s five waves?”
“Yeah, why?” I asked.
Wave 1 of 5.
They surged through without missing a step. The gate did not stop them.
“Oh, shit!�
� Jonah said.
“Run!” Gretchen cried.
War Party Admin> Warning! Your city has been invaded by an opposing faction!
War Party> The city is under attack.
War Party> Spiral systems arming.
War Party> All defenders proceed immediately to your assigned towers.
War Party Admin> Warning! You have towers with unassigned defense positions. These towers will remain inactive until you assign a defender.
War Party Admin> Warning! You have cage traps that have not been loaded. They will issue a misfire if triggered.
“What the fuck?” I exclaimed. “This is bullshit!”
“Five waves every 72 hours only makes 12 days if the first wave is right now,” Gretchen said as we hurried down the path. “The first wave is right now, and wave two will be in 72 hours.”
Sure enough, the button in the upper left of my vision turned out to actually be a timer. It switched from 00:00 to 71:59.
“Oh, nice,” I said. “Right out the gate, and they fuck us in the ass.”
A loud, distinctive clicking noise filled the streets. I would recognize that sound anywhere. It was the clang of traps being armed. In the distance, deep in the city, a siren wailed.
“Regent Poppy!” A new voice called. “Which one of you is the new regent?”
A beaver-like creature wearing a red beret stumbled toward us, coming from behind one of the buildings, from off the path. The pudgy creature was just about my height, which made him very small compared to everyone else. He wore brown trousers and a sash across his furry shoulder. His most distinctive feature were his two, bright-orange buck teeth that looked like they could chew through steel. His dot was white on the minimap. The little beaver bent over, breathless. His beret fell to the ground, and he snatched it up and began to furiously wipe it off.
Bingo rushed forward and grasped the creature with his massive hand. He picked it up off the ground as the beaver squealed with terror.
“Do you remember me?” Bingo growled. He squeezed his hand, and the small creature’s eyes started to bug out of its head.
“Stop!” Gretchen called.
“Put him down,” I called.
Bingo hesitated, then let him down. Behind us, the hobgoblins surged toward us.
“I am the new regent,” I said. “Talk fast while we run.”
The creature looked at me with surprise. The thing had a thick French accent. He gave Bingo a terrified look then said, “I am not one to give advice to the new regent, but why don’t you step off the path, monsieur? They can not harm you if you do.” He waved at the alley from which he’d emerged.
Between the two buildings I could see the long, overgrown path that led directly to the island a good two miles down the road.
It had never occurred to me that we’d be able to just leave the spiral. “Well, shit,” I said, directing Alice toward the alleyway. I hesitantly walked forward, approaching the edge of the path. Before, if you got close to the edge, you could feel the barrier’s electric presence. The hairs on your arms would raise up. If you were stupid enough to actually touch the shimmering, blue barrier, you’d be blown halfway across the street.
We passed right through. I felt a quick pop in my ears, and the humidity and temperature rose. It reminded me of passing through a portal.
“It works!” I called to the others, waving them through.
They didn’t need prodding. All of them rushed forward. Bingo held up the rear. He pounded his chest, flared his quills, and roared at the approaching hobgoblins. The front line all stopped dead in the street, just fifty meters away, causing the ones behind them to crash into their backs. Metal clanged as the armored hobgoblins piled up like a train wreck.
Bingo stood to his full height and turned, walking casually into the alley.
A moment later, a dozen spears crashed against the invisible barrier. Coming up beside me, Granger pulled out his bow, turned, aimed, and fired toward the horde, now just 20 meters away. His magical bolt flew to the right of Bingo and dissipated the moment it hit the barrier.
Apparently the defenses worked both ways.
Bingo stopped at the edge of the alley and turned to face the hobgoblins, who continued to disentangle themselves and stand. A group approached hesitantly, their spears lowered toward the gorcupine. Bingo crossed his arms and growled. Winston loped up next to Bingo and bared his teeth at the horde.
“Are we sure they can’t get through it also?” I asked the beaver. If they could rush through the alley, we were fucked.
As if to answer my question, a single hobgoblin screamed and rushed forward. He wore samurai-style plate armor and an odd, pineapple-like helmet covered with tiny spikes. He threw himself toward the alley, thrusting his spear at Bingo, who didn’t flinch. The attacker bounced off the barrier, as if he’d been shot out of a cannon. He blew back toward his compatriots, knocking several over like a damn bowling ball. His helmet rocketed even further back into the crowd.
From within the horde, a cry of frustration rose. A single, enormously-fat hobgoblin pushed his way through the crowd and approached the barrier. This hobgoblin wore armor that was comically too small for him, and he looked like an overstuffed sausage.
“That’s one of the princes,” Gretchen said. “I recognize him from the time I beat the spiral.”
I slid off Alice and walked back into the alley, coming to stand between Bingo and Winston.
“You are a trespasser,” the hobgoblin shouted. One could hear through the barrier, but only barely. “This is my rightful home.”
His voice surprised me. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, I guess maybe a cross between Bingo and a goblin. This voice was more Asian, like the guy who worked at the pho place Juliette always dragged me to.
I regarded the hobgoblin. I’d fought and killed dozens of these things over the years, but I’d never truly spent time looking at one. They were very much like massive, green orangutans, but with sharp, auric-style ears. They averaged about six and a half feet tall, with some of them almost as big as an average half-ogre. This one, Prince Kankan, stood just about seven feet. His large, hairy arms brushed the ground. The prince’s golden, samurai armor gleamed, as if it had seen very little action, but it was splattered with fresh blood. I wondered if that was from their fight with the kappas and the demon.
He did not wear a helmet like most of his warriors. His face was that of an orangutan, but his two lower incisors jutted out of his mouth, razor sharp, giving him an almost prehistoric look. His left tooth was pierced with a gold ring. The green-haired monster’s facial flanges framed his already-large face, making him look even bigger, moon-faced. His black, intense eyes glared at me with unconcealed disgust.
“Prince Kankan,” I shouted. “Is that you?”
The large monster stood straighter. “I am.”
“You know,” I said. “You’re not the ugliest motherfucker I’ve ever seen in this world. But you better hope he never dies, because you’re next up.”
It took the NPC a moment to register I had insulted him. “You dare affront me? You are but a human child! Come out here and say that without this barrier separating us.”
“Look, pal, you screwed up and lost your city because you brought these cocksuckers from Orochi in here. They got loose, grabbed the cartographer, and pulled in a powerful-ass demon. Now I’m stuck here cleaning up your mess. You want your city back? Too fucking bad. You lost it. Now turn around and go find a new place to live, because your ass has been evicted.”
“You do not know of which you speak,” Kankan said, looking both bewildered and enraged.
“Oh, I think I do,” I said.
“I am bringing supplies to those who remain. Allow me to transport it in. After, give me back my father, and I will leave you be.”
I paused. Rochus had said Chief Musa still lived, but where was he? H
e couldn’t be in the castle, otherwise I wouldn’t be allowed to occupy it, at least I didn’t think so. If Jonah killed him, like he planned, would he then gain control of the hobgoblins? And what was this about supplies? It didn’t matter, I decided.
“Look, I don’t have anything against your father. Tell me where he is, and I’ll be happy to red rover and send him over,” I lied. “But you assholes have to leave the spiral. The traps are all armed, and if you try to go any deeper, you’re just going to lose all your soldiers. You’re wave one. You know what that means? You’re basically the tutorial level. Whether you know it or not, you’re already dead.”
“Yes,” Kankan said. “The traps are armed, aren’t they? But the towers themselves lay empty.” He made a show of looking over my shoulder. “There’s how many of you? Ten? Fifteen?” He laughed.
I had a sinking feeling. I’d always assumed these guys were dumb, like a typical half-ogre. They were certainly portrayed that way on the forums. Rochus had made this guy sound like an inept doofus, but that wasn’t the vibe I was getting at all. This dude obviously had a brain on him. That made him dangerous.
Before I could respond, Prince Kankan turned away. He waved his arm, and the host of hobgoblins turned south, heading deeper into the spiral.
“Shit,” I said, turning back to the others. “We need to get to the castle right away. They’re running the spiral, and without the towers armed, they’re gonna make it, first wave or not. We need to move our asses.”
Popper Note 10
Besides Dominion of Blades, my second-favorite immersion game had been one called Cibola Raid. It was an odd game, involving mechs and advanced sci-fi technology versus angels in an apocalyptic landscape. While the game wasn’t nearly as popular as DoB, one of the things I liked best about Cibola Raid were the landscapes. Most of the action took place in the abandoned, bombed-to-hell wasteland of a massive city called Cibola.
The streets of Castellane reminded me of that other game as we hurried the two miles to the center of the city, through the abandoned and neglected streets. If I didn’t have Alice to ride, the grass would be over my shoulders. As it was, I had to pull the short-legged beaver thing up onto Alice’s back, lest we lose him altogether. We couldn’t move too quickly. Vern, our only remaining half-ogre mercenary, wasn’t too quick, and Spritz the astound didn’t seem all that fast, either. Gretchen and Jonah both rode Bruce Bruce, who seemed to cringe at the extra weight, but the bear was too macho to say anything about it. Tiatha, Granger, and Nale walked behind us, followed by Winston and Bingo. I needed to keep Bingo and the beaver guy separated until I could figure out what was going on between the two.
The Hobgoblin Riot: Dominion of Blades Book 2: A LitRPG Adventure Page 18