Boost

by Paul Bellow

  “Nope,” she said.

  “Well, he’s harmless enough for now,” I said. “If he doesn’t introduce us to a real ship captain in Fishguard, we’ll know we were played and can send him on his way.”

  “Oh, he’ll introduce us to the other smuggler,” Leena said. “Whether he offers safe passage or not is another matter entirely.”

  I noticed Bernard shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “We’ll figure it out once we get to Fishguard. Hopefully, we won’t run into anything while traveling south, but you never know. If nothing else, we’ll get some extra experience points for the side-quest.”

  “True,” Bernard said. “We still need to find Sarah too.”

  I nodded, wondering if we’d ever find her again.

  Later that evening, I saw the bright lights of Fishguard in the distance. As we floated on the magic platform, I noticed the city had changed as much as the other places we’d visited.

  “You’d be wise to not fly into the city without such an obvious display of powerful magic,” Jeremiah said as we get closer.

  “Why?” I asked. “Did they outlaw magic?”

  “No, but it’ll attract the wrong kind of attention.”

  “He’s right,” Leena said. “Josh, land us over there.” She pointed toward the road below.

  Josh looked at me.

  I shrugged. “Go ahead. Makes sense to me.”

  After Josh landed the floating platform, we unloaded our supplies, each of us carrying as much as possible. He shrunk it and placed it in the sack slung on his back.

  With Boki gone, he might as well have control of it. I walked with the others toward the main gate on the north side of the city.

  Several men in armor stood atop the wall.

  “It’s late, but they’ll let us in with all the undead,” Jeremiah said. “Let me do the talking.”

  “Who’s below?” a guard atop the tower called down.

  “Jeremiah and company. We need shelter from the cold.”

  I heard a chain rattling behind the walls. The gate – twice as high as Josh – swung open slowly. We entered the city of Fishguard as the cold, winter wind bit at our backs.

  Once again, the changes amazed me in some ways. We’d been able to interact with the city three separate times on three different zones of the game.

  “Follow me,” Jeremiah said as he walked through the gateway and into the city. “After I introduce you to Skids, I’ll be on my way.”

  “Skids?” I asked, walking after him.

  “He’s the captain who can offer you safe passage to Gracoria,” Jeremiah said. “You’re not changing your mind, are you?”

  “No, but we can’t leave yet,” I said.

  “That’s no concern of mine,” Jeremiah replied.

  We continued walking through the mostly deserted streets. Dim lights glowed in windows as we passed a variety of buildings. Homes and storefronts were locked up for the night.

  As we reached the docks on the southern side of the city, I took a deep breath. The air smelled saltier.

  “Over here,” Jeremiah said, motioning with a hand. He stopped in front of a ship constructed primarily out of bones.

  Or is it wood made to look skeletal?

  “Ahoy!” Jeremiah yelled.

  I pulled my swords as a skeleton appeared on deck.

  “Hold on.” Jeremiah put his hand on my arm. “That’s Captain Skids. He’ll get you to Gracoria safely. You should be able to trust him.”

  “Who’s this?” the skeleton asked, both bony hands gripping the edge of the ship.

  He stared down, a faint glowing redness where his eyes should’ve been.

  “They’re friends who need passage,” Jeremiah said. “They saved my life. Permission to come aboard?”

  “Granted,” Captain Skids said then yelled at some nearby human sailors.

  A few men threw a rope ladder down the side.

  “He’ll be good to you,” Jeremiah said.

  “You’re not coming with us?” I asked.

  “No,” he said. “You’ll be fine.”

  He turned and walked back down the docks, stopping at a dark colored ship.

  Leena grabbed the rope ladder then climbed up. Bernard and Derringer followed her. Josh looked over at me, hesitating.

  “You first,” he said.

  I shook my head, never able to understand the way he thought. On the climb up, I briefly wondered how a skeleton had been able to dock his ship in the Fishguard harbor without raising concern with all the problems with the undead.

  When I reached the top, I deftly slipped over the railing. Captain Skids, wearing typical pirate regalia, stood a few feet away. He stared at us, not saying a word.

  “Do you offer passage to Gracoria?” Bernard asked.

  “Gar, that I do,” Captain Skids said.

  Main Quest Complete!

  You get 50,000 xp.

  You have 5 party members.

  You get 10,000 xp.

  You have 167,028.

  You need 52,972 xp for Level 12 Rogue -> Bounty Hunter.

  I wondered, briefly, where the captain had gotten the name.

  “You’re the first good skeleton I’ve ever met,” Josh said.

  Captain Skids tilted his head back and laughed, his jaw bone moving up and down.

  I considered him.

  [PC] Captain Skids

  “Nice,” I said, smiling myself.

  He stopped laughing.

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “You’re a player too,” I said.

  “Aye, I’m special,” Captain Skids said. “What about you five?”

  “We need passage to Gracoria,” Leena said. “That’s all.”

  “But not yet,” I said. “We’re looking for a friend.”

  “I see.” Captain Skids stepped forward. “There’s a big side-quest afoot on this level too with all the undead nonsense.”

  “What do you know about it?” Derringer asked.

  “Not as much as I’d like, but maybe we can make a deal.”

  “How so?” I asked.

  The skeletal captain interlaced his fingers then cracked them with a loud popping noise.

  “My usual fee for delivery to Gracoria is one-hundred-thousand gold per person.”

  “That’s a lot,” Josh said. “We don’t have that kind of money on us.”

  “But you do have it?” Captain Skids asked.

  “We do,” I said. “Somewhere safe. We need to find our friend before we go.”

  “That’s fine.” He waved over at one of the human sailors. “I’ll be shipping out in a month or maybe two. After I finish off Magi Inyontoo and collect that xp and loot, I’ll be on my way. Don’t think for a second I’ll be waiting around for you.”

  “You think Magi Inyontoo is behind it?” Bernard asked.

  A nameless sailor stopped next to his captain. Captain Skids leaned over and whisper into the man’s ear.

  How had he become a skeleton PC? After he finished, the sailor walked back across the deck and resumed mopping.

  “Because he’s the only one who would have the power to pull off something like this,” Captain Skids said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Anything else you want from me?”

  “What’re you offering?” Josh asked.

  Derringer raised a hand like an eager student.

  “Have anything interesting to sell, possibly?” he asked.

  “We need a place to sleep tonight, too,” Bernard added.

  Captain Skids laughed at all our requests.

  “You can’t stay here,” he said. “I’ve got important work to do.”

  “Any help would be appreciated,” I said. “Do you want to join our party?”

  Leena frowned and narrowed her eyes while staring me down.

  I ignored her and focused on the skeleton’s glowing red eyes.

  “Why would I want to join your low-level party when my men and I are going to take out Magi Inyontoo on our own?
” He shook his skull. “You land-loving noobs are always something else. If you wait around, I’ll give you passage to Gracoria for the agreed upon price.”

  “Watch it,” Josh said. “We’re not noobs.”

  Captain Skids laughed again, louder this time. “You’re not being serious, are you?” He shook his bony head. “You’ve never even been to Gracoria before, have you?”

  “I’ve been there plenty of times,” Leena said.

  No one else spoke up.

  “Off with you, then,” Captain Skids said, waving a bony hand. “I’ll see you when I see you. Make sure you have the gold if you want to go.”

  Derringer climbed down the rope ladder.

  “Why did I even climb up here?” Josh asked. He grumbled as he followed the dark knight down.

  I noticed a few more men walk up to Captain Skids as I waited for Bernard and Leena to descend the rope ladder. Could we trust the skeletal captain? I wanted to talk OOC with him, but I resisted the urge.

  After giving him one last glance, I hopped over the side of the rail and nimbly climbed down to the wooden dock below. The others stood in a semi-circle waiting on the dock.

  “Can we trust him?” I asked.

  Leena shook her head.

  “You can’t trust anyone in this game,” she said.

  “I know, but…” My voice trailed off.

  “We should go,” Bernard said. “The docks aren’t always safe at night.”

  “I’m not worried,” Josh said, glancing around. “Bring it on.”

  Leena walked over to Bernard.

  “You know what’s nearby, don’t you?” she asked.

  He took a deep breath.

  “Uh oh,” Derringer said. “Marital problems?”

  “We’re not married now,” Leena snapped. “We were, but not now.”

  Bernard sighed. “Fine, let’s go look,” he said. “It’s probably not here.”

  They both walked down the dock toward the road leading inland.

  I followed along with the others, wondering what they were talking about. Bernard stopped a half-block away from the water’s edge.

  “It’s an inn on this level,” he said.

  Leena stared at the two-story wooden building, slowly shaking her head.

  “We lived here a long time on level one-one,” Bernard said. “When we were both NPCs.”

  “Might as well see if they have any rooms,” I said. “We’re already here.”

  “It’s not weird for me,” Leena said, still staring at Bernard. “What about you?”

  “Fine,” Bernard said then walked around her and approached the front door.

  A wave of sound and smoke spilled out after he opened it. Bernard walked in, leaving the wooden door open.

  I sauntered over, tired, and ready for sleep. A bed would be nice before we continued our quest to find Sarah.

  Inside the common area, a few dozen men and women sat, silently eating bowls of gruel. Every table had at least a few people sitting around it.

  I followed Bernard to the other side of the room. Derringer, Josh, and Leena came in as well.

  A weary man with long, greasy hair stood with his elbow resting on a stained wooden bar in the back. He glanced up as we approached.

  “Can I help you?” he asked in a slow drawl.

  “We need rooms,” I said.

  “How many rooms do you want?”

  “Five,” I said. “We’ll pay upfront for a week.”

  The man behind the counter smiled.

  “Name’s Malone,” he said, sticking out a hand. “Welcome to The Rusty Nail.”

  “The beds better not have rusty nails in them,” Josh complained.

  Malone’s smile faded until I plopped a pouch full of gold in front of him.

  His obviously phony grin returned as he picked it up, weighing the amount.

  “Your rooms are upstairs,” he said. “Next to each other on the north side of the building.”

  “Great,” I said then turned to the others. “Goodnight, all.”

  “You’re crashing already?” Derringer asked. “I thought we might eat and drink a bit, celebrate that you-know-what is accomplished.”

  “And the fact we’re in a city,” Leena added.

  “No, I’m tired. You guys have fun,” I said, raising a hand. “See you in the morning.” I turned and headed for the stairs before they could attempt to stop me.

  Upstairs, I crawled into a primitive bed and rolled on my side. The sounds from downstairs filtered up through the floor, but I still fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

  Chapter 15

  All New Four Wizards

  Eric

  After breakfast with the rest of the group the next morning, we headed outside to explore the city. I wanted to find clues to Sarah’s whereabouts. The game had to give us something.

  “It’s snowing again,” Josh grumbled.

  “At least it hides all the horse poop,” Bernard countered.

  I smiled, loving his optimism.

  “The sun’s out,” I said. “Things could be worse.”

  “Come on sunshine,” Leena said.

  She headed down the street, heading further inland. I glanced over at Bernard who shrugged and followed her. Had they had a fight the night before or something? Derringer, Josh, and I did the same, walking down the middle of the empty street.

  “Where is everyone?” I asked as we left the dock district.

  “Good question,” Leena said.

  She reminded me of Bernard in some ways. I saw how they could get along well.

  “Maybe they’re all hungover like me,” Josh said, a hand on his head.

  “I hear noises,” Bernard said, pointing to the left. “That way.”

  We continued down the cobblestone street toward the faint noise. The volume increased as we got closer, and I heard a crowd of men and women cheering.

  “The noise is coming from the forum at the city center,” Bernard said. “If that’s even still around on this version of the city.”

  We walked side by side, approaching the area. After reaching the rear of the crowd, we pushed our way through to see what was going on. A terrifying, deep voice boomed from the center of the square.

  “The time is now! We can do this for ourselves!”

  I reached the edge of the crowd and saw a wizard with multicolored robes on a wooden platform. He held a staff at his side that pulsated between several colors. We stood and watched as the terrifying mage pointed a finger in our direction.

  “You have arrived!” he boomed.

  The people around us moved back, isolating our group.

  “Who are you?” I asked, genuinely curious.

  The mage levitated into the air and floated toward us. As it got closer, I realized it was some sort of advanced hologram and not a real person.

  “You’ve made it, Josh,” the mage said then smiled.

  I turned to the half-orc.

  “You know him?” I asked.

  Josh shook his head. “No…”

  “Oh, yes, yes, your memory,” the mage said.

  He raised his staff a few inches off the ground, and a light flashed suddenly.

  “Wait a minute…” Josh said, stumbling backward. “I remember…”

  “Remember what?” I asked, hating being out of the loop.

  “Where I went after I died,” Josh said. “I remember it all. You’re Viz, aren’t you?”

  The mage smiled and nodded his head.

  “Very good,” he said. “You remembering shouldn’t be a problem anymore.”

  “Hold on.” I looked from Josh to the wizard. “Who are you?”

  “I’m the man previously known as the Four Wizards,” he said.

  “Huh?” I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s a long story,” Viz said. “My image will fade from this level soon. I’ve got much more work to do for you and everyone else in here. You need to find Sarah. The Tower of Gates is trying to keep
her from you.”

  “We’re working on finding her,” I said. “Can you help?”

  “No,” Viz said in a deep voice. “You need to find Sarah and make it through the Warp Zone. Find me once you’re on the other side. Certain events have changed the politics of the higher levels, and I need people like you who are new to the game.”

  “Hold on,” Josh said. “Monky told me the only way to get through the warp zone is to clear the roguelike and claim the artefact it gives you.”

  “Two Amulets of Yendro are already in the game,” Viz said. “You should find Sarah first. She can help you locate the people who have the amulets to get you through the warp zone. I believe their names are Alex and Regina.”

  “Monky,” Josh repeated, a faraway look in his eyes.

  “Find Sarah, find the amulets, and find me on the other side of the warp zone,” Viz said. “Hurry. Time is short now that certain things are in motion.”

  “Like what?” I asked, desperate for more information.

  “You’ll find out,” he said. “I must go before he notices I’m here.”

  “Who?” I asked.

  “Goodbye, friends…”

  Viz hit the bottom of his staff on the ground. The vision of him faded away.

  “That was nuts,” Derringer said as the other people wandered off. “Can we trust him?”

  “We can trust him,” Josh said.

  Everyone turned to him.

  “It’s a long story, but I remember everything that happened to me,” he explained. “I’ve been to level one-nine before…”

  His voice trailed off.

  “Tell us more,” I said.

  “I wish we could’ve heard the rest of Viz’s speech,” Bernard said.

  “He told us everything we need to know,” Josh said. “We need to find Sarah.”

  “We should hire a ranger to help us track her down,” I said.

  “Aren’t you supposedly a bounty-hunter?” Leena asked.

  “Give the kid a break,” Derringer said.

  “First off, I’m not a kid. Second, I’ve concentrated on skills other than tracking,” I said. “The game was rough with my starting party.”

  The others, including Josh, laughed and shook their heads.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You’re so naive,” Leena said. “You’re definitely the kid of the group.”