The Dragon's Wrath: Ashes of the Fallen

by Brent Roth

  Drawing my bow, the cat stared at me while I made my motions. It simply watched my actions and made no effort to move, despite the fact that it struck me as fairly intelligent. Those eyes weren't empty… they had purpose.

  I couldn't decide, whether to shoot the cat or not.

  The thought of shooting the cat for its fur jotted my memory; I recalled how certain wild animals could be domesticated, and this one fit the bill. There were numerous creatures in this game and some were considered livestock, while others could be construed as pets.

  This cat, could definitely be a pet.

  I decided to follow it, putting my bow away as it scurried off into the forest. I had never traveled to this part of the continent, nor had I ever been to any of the elven lands a bit further north. The entire area was unfamiliar and unknown to me, yet that only spurred me on. I wanted to explore, to learn the lay of the land and to hopefully discover something new.

  Maybe, I would even find something rare, at least that's what I hoped.

  The cat suddenly burst into a sprint as I gave chase, running through the forest with my eyes barely able to track the swift and nimble movements of the large cat. As it dashed between trees and turned with deft, agile precision, I eventually lost sight of the creature as I stopped to catch my breath.

  "Damn, too fast," I said with a sudden audible exhale following.

  If this were a real body, I would have been outrun at the start.

  Thankfully this was the virtual world.

  I was on par with the fastest human sprinter without the detrimental endurance issues. Here, I could sprint for quite some time, really.

  I thought to myself, what am I even doing?

  Realizing the futility of chasing a wild cat without a purpose, I started to wonder what exactly I was trying to accomplish. A part of me thought it would be fun to chase after the animal, that maybe it would lead me somewhere, yet so far... I was lost in the middle of the woods. Looking up at the sky, the setting sun at least gave me an indication of direction for now. Once the sun had set though, I would be in a bit of trouble. Sure, there were constellations and stars that I could use as markers but I was hardly knowledgeable enough to recognize the right ones, or how to even use them.

  Before I could decide if I wanted to turn around or continue to follow the cat, a loud screech pierced the air, a sound I had heard before. Steadying myself, I swiftly increased my pace to a quiet jog as I struggled to hear noises far off in the distance. The sounds were familiar to me, a low growl, and a higher pitched roar of sorts.

  The kind of noise a cat makes when it's about to die.

  A last ditch effort to attempt to scare off a predator… one I had heard a few times before. The low growl could be heard, muffled, as the loud hissing and screeching had ceased. I was familiar with that growl as well, all too familiar really.

  Increasing my pace, I ran towards the direction I had last heard noises coming from and as I turned the corner around the last tree that was obstructing my view, a wolf, bleeding across its face could be seen with a large cat collapsed before it.

  "Arc lightning," I said softly as I outstretched my right arm and connected the tether between us. In an instant, the channeled electricity poured into the wolf and it violently shook in an attempt to break free. It was no use. In a matter of seconds, the beast collapsed to the ground next to the cat, sharing its fate.

  The scene was a strange one, the cat should have been able to climb to safety. It looked powerfully built, with a larger than normal frame, thick paws, and a very muscular stature. There was little reason for it to die on the ground with all these trees around. Something didn't quite add up, especially its position.

  It looked, as if it were guarding something.

  Well, I couldn't see anything in the surroundings.

  Leaning over and inspecting the corpse of the cat, it was a [Northern Forest Cat]. That made a bit more sense, especially in context. It was a Skogkatt after all… hah. To think, the developers even put in the Scandinavian house cat, but more in the form of its ancestral heritage and the one from lore. The kind of cat that pulled Freyja's chariot… to think they would be roaming the forests here.

  "Too bad little guy, you would have been a fun pet," I said to the cat, as I pulled out my skinning knife. "Sorry buddy, can't let the goods go to waste."

  A few minutes had passed as I finished skinning the cat and started to work on the wolf's pelt when I heard some soft mewing in the distance. At first, I thought it was all in my mind as I had been daydreaming while semi-focused on the task at hand.

  Then the sounds came again.

  "Ah," I muttered to myself. "I get it now."

  Everything made sense, there were kittens.

  Ceasing my skinning of the wolf, I sat still while listening for the next noise as I fixated my view in the direction of the prior mews. Another soft noise followed, of a slightly different tone than before but from the same direction.

  I stood up, lowering my gaze to a patch of long grass at the base of a tree that had rather large roots growing out in a V-shape. Walking towards the location, I was standing nearly on top of it but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The noise though, was certainly there.

  The sounds of kittens moving about, barely audible but there nonetheless, I had found them. Crouching down, I parted the grass that was blocking the tree trunk and almost choked on the cuteness that was in front of me.

  "Oh man," I said while cracking a smile. "Jackpot."

  There was a small den, completely hidden from sight, recessed into the tree trunk and protected from nearly all sides by the roots and tall grass. To think such a nook was here. The sight though, was one that melted hearts… even one as corrupted as mine.

  Seven of the cutest, fluffiest looking balls of fur were snuggled up together, gnawing on each other's paws as if they were waiting for their mother to bring them food. They were awfully large for their apparent age, but damn, they were cute.

  They were waiting for their mother.

  I looked at the pelt I had finished skinning, the one lying next to the wolf, then back at the kittens that seemed to be staring at me with their pleading eyes. I guess, I was their mother's replacement now.

  They were hungry.

  Well I didn't exactly have fresh milk… if that was even what wild kittens needed.

  All I had on me were rabbit and wolf jerky, though it was rather tough and dried meat didn't seem like the best nutrient. Well, they were only coding so, I wasn't entirely sure if it really mattered what they ate.

  Eh, but this game was notorious for being accurate with even the more minor details, I would be hard-pressed to believe they would skimp on this creature. That would be out of character for the developers.

  My gaze wandered to the corpses of the cat and wolf that were still quite fresh, and the thought occurred to me to let them try raw meat. I wouldn't be so cruel as to feed them their mother, but they could at least try some wolf meat, I suppose.

  It struck me as poetic justice that the wolf would become sustenance for the kittens, not long after it had attempted to make a meal of the forest cat. The flipside was that this wolf was looking to bring food back to its pups.

  Yeah, I didn’t feel like going that far.

  I wasn't really bothered by the cat's death anyways, in the end it was a gift to me.

  The potential of seven domesticated forest cats that I could possibly breed and sell as pets to players… ah, the opportunity for economic success had blessed me with another appearance. Thanks must be given to the Random Number Generator, for it has been quite kind to me lately.

  After a few short steps I found myself cutting off slices of wolf flank for the kittens, it was all I had available at the moment and I was hoping it would suffice. Offering the kittens a slice of raw meat each, they responded well and ate without a fuss, much to my relief. While they indulged in their meal, I decided to browse the internet for player pets in Dragon's Wrath. I was already famili
ar with beast tamers, as Selene had that proficiency and was currently raising and training Barkley, a wolf-pup that they had found. If a wolf could be trained, a dog or cat must be within the range of potential domestic animals.

  As I searched through the various dedicated information hubs that had often served me well, I slowly came to the realization that the majority of the pets found in-game were purchased from breeders. Wild pets were almost unheard of, this early in the game at least. Rather than a light bulb or an exclamation point appearing above my head, I was certain a giant dollar sign was now there.

  Though, my eyes and mind weren't exactly clouded by greed.

  I wasn't out to steal or rob people blind, instead I would offer reasonable pricing but corner markets that lacked supply. Demand is often manufactured by events, so as long as I kept in front of demand and maintained some control over the supply-side of the business, there was steady income available.

  These cute little guys… once they started to breed, I would have the market.

  Well, maybe.

  They were kind of too cute to think of selling, at least at the moment.

  Maybe they could be given out as gifts… that didn't seem too bad.

  Pulling up the map, I marked the location I was in and tagged it for future reference. There was little reason to believe that another [Northern Forest Cat] would take up home here, but the chance existed. This was their area, so it wasn't too farfetched to think another female or male cat was within range. I mean, there had to be a male cat at least, seeing as the female was deceased and there were seven kittens.

  Looking at the map, I was around seventy miles away from the [Liberated Souls] campsite that Ellieby was at, which was too far to consider a visit by foot. Less than a mile to the west was the mountain range that separated my territory from the elven lands I was in now, and it looked like I was about ten miles from the town I had originally set out for.

  Ah, well I still had a long way to go.

  One look at the kittens and my gear and there was an obvious issue. I needed a way to carry them with me, and my current bag wouldn't suffice. The cat and wolf pelt were still wet and wouldn't be usable, so that left my traveling pack.

  Oh well, long term profits.

  Taking my knife and altering my pack, I modified it to resemble more of a wide sling that I could wear across my chest, evenly spreading out the kittens like a bandolier. Picking each one up and placing them inside the sling, by the time I was done I had seven little fluffy and furry balls covering a third of my chest… well at least they were safe and secure.

  I was… certainly peculiar looking though.

  All these partially stained white furs and now on top of that, I'm wearing a live-kitty bandolier across my chest. I could only hope that I didn't run into anyone. Maybe if I had some aviators to fit the image… then it would simply be pure comedy, that wouldn't be so bad, I thought. Well, the sun was setting, so the likelihood of being discovered was slim, that was good.

  By nightfall, I had finally arrived at the outskirts of the town and could see a large fire burning in the distance. The town square with its large bonfire was a bit unrealistic but it added to the aesthetics and served as a gathering spot for players. Much like the small bonfires in the Northern Triangle Villages, this one wasn't too different.

  Heading straight into the inn, I made my way to the counter where I found a middle-aged male working the night shift.

  "Ehm, can I help you?" he asked with a strange look on his face as he eyed the kittens across my chest. It was a little embarrassing, but I did my best to wear it with pride. They were my cute and lovely balls of money after all!

  "I would like a room," I answered quickly while ignoring his strange gaze.

  "Will you need… um, a pen for them?" he questioned, while pointing at my chest.

  "No, that won't be necessary, they'll be asleep just like this," I replied with conviction, even though I was talking out of my ass. I had no clue if they would be rowdy or well-behaved. So far, they had slept peacefully the entire journey which left me somewhat astounded.

  I would have to put my faith in them.

  A short conversation followed and a room was reserved for the night, with some details on the state of the town. It seemed the town was primarily a pit-stop on the way to the Outcast Goblin Dungeon. As for the naming scheme, that's what all of the players called it, so the game had adapted. There wasn't a whole lot going on here, so once I concluded my business with the herder, I would be on my way.

  Dropping the kittens off in the room, I decided to mingle with the crowd that had gathered in the tavern. All of them were NPCs, enjoying their evening drinking and eating in relative peace. Well, unfortunately I had business to take care of, so that peace would be temporarily disturbed.

  There was an older man that looked to be in his mid-forties, with a sun-kissed face from all the time he had spent outdoors. He was hard to miss, and was the one that the inn's clerk informed me of. According to the intelligence I received, he was the one that managed the local farm and livestock.

  "I'm told you're the man to see when it comes to acquiring cattle?" I asked as I calmly walked over to the bar where he was sitting. Settling into a chair with enough space between us, I relaxed as I ordered a drink for myself.

  "That's right, what are you looking for stranger?" he replied casually as he sipped his ale. It may have been late in the evening, but that didn't mean we couldn't strike a deal, or at least gather some information for a future transaction. There was always time for business, especially if it walked right up to you.

  "Well, I arrived in town not more than a moment ago," I started to explain. "So my knowledge is a bit lacking here, what all do you have available for sale or trade?"

  "I have eighteen milk cows, twelve heifers, two breeding bulls, five bulls, and four oxen that I can part with," he stated with a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

  He knew his business and didn't even break his sipping motion to explain it all to me. Half of what he listed was useless to me though, I had no use for an ox at the moment seeing as my farm was puny. As far as the cows were concerned, I didn't have the luxury of buying them for their meat, not yet at least so that ruled out the five bulls and the older milk cows that would be ready for slaughter.

  I suppose in a way, it simplified things for me.

  "I imagine you price them by age and condition, how much are you looking to get out of the milk cows?" I asked sincerely. My knowledge of livestock was limited, but I knew enough to get me by. All the free time to think while doing manual labor in-game, when I was building up Dragon's Breach, let me explore and learn a bit about farming and livestock. Even if I wasn't an expert, I had gathered enough information to start off on the right foot. The rest, would be up to my NPCs.

  He took a moment to finish his glass before he turned slightly towards me, looking as if he had a lot to explain. "The conditions of the cows that I keep are all about the same and pricing is done by age. I ask for eight silver coins per heifer that is under thirteen months old; sixteen silver coins for milk cows over twenty-two months old but less than forty-eight months old."

  Those prices seemed reasonable, but were still high considering how hard it was to earn money at this point in the game. Inflation was a real thing in The Dragon's Wrath, so in time these cattle would go for much larger sums… it was, essentially, in my best interest to spend now. While others spent their money on gear that would be replaced in weeks if not days, I'll invest every copper into infrastructure, ensuring a strong foundation.

  "And what are you asking for the bulls that can breed?" I inquired.

  Pushing his empty mug off to the side, he straightened up as he made eye-contact with me. Then, he leaned back as he started to explain the details, "all of the breeding bulls I keep are between thirteen months and forty-eight months old, I also have bulls that aren't mature yet and are under twelve months. I only keep the best for breeding, so those that are over thirteen months are t
wenty silver coins. If you want one that's less than twelve and not a sure thing, then I ask for ten silver coins."

  There was a lot to consider here, especially in relation to the age of the cattle. A milk cow was a cow that had already bred once and was able to produce milk, they were mature around thirteen months and would take about nine months to have a calf.

  Though, after four years of age the quality of the milk would deteriorate to the point where the cow was often sent to the slaughter for its meat. Bulls matured around thirteen months of age and could mate for years, but the bulls with bad genetics would often turn into veal or oxen after being castrated.

  That was how the industry worked.

  If I had enough cattle, I could potentially serve up beef at my local tavern.

  In addition to the excessive amount of seafood I had available thanks to the location of Dragon's Breach, plus the game meats of local wolves, rabbits, and potentially goats… well, I may be able to indulge in some rather delicious delicacies. Only time would tell, though. There was still a lot of work to be done.

  "I'd be interested in three heifers and a bull, all under thirteen months of age," I finally responded, after giving it some thought. "I would like to inspect them though before purchasing, if that's possible. I've travelled a long way to get here."

  "Of course," he replied without any hesitation. "Meet me at the large barn near the eastern edge of the city at sunrise, and I'll show you the stock."

  "Perfect, I look forward to tomorrow," I replied as I offered a hand.

  With a handshake to seal the deal, I turned my attention back to my drink and ordered a plate of food as well. Entertaining the locals with the hope of gathering some information, I bought some drinks for the few that had gathered around and I spent the better part of two-hours indulging with the NPCs.

  It only cost me some copper in the end, so it was worth it.

  I was able to learn about horses and their prices, which were outrageous… but at least I was informed now. It would be a long time before I ever purchased a horse as a mount, to the point where I was starting to wonder if I could capture one instead. If there were wild pets to be had, maybe there were wild mounts to be had as well.