“I didn't. I looked, but didn't see you.”
“I was there. I was the reason everyone was cheering for you. You should have seen me. I got them all excited about you. Told them it was your first fight and we were cell mates.”
I laughed. I appreciated his support, but I seriously doubted he was the reason for the cheering crowd. “What did you think? How did I do?”
“I was waiting for more. Most players beat another player until they are almost dead. I wanted to see a real blood bath. That's the only part I didn't like.”
“The guy was new to the game,” I replied. “He even told me that he wanted to surrender. What? Was I suppose to just start pounding his head into the ground after that?”
The troll's head flickered up and down. “Yes. That would have been great.”
“I was just happy to win,” I replied while sitting down. “How bad is my face? It's not too bad is it?”
Douglas sat next to me and began to examine my face. “That one might leave a scar,” he said while pointing at my forehead.
A scar? At first, I didn't like the sound of it. But, things were different now. I was on my way to becoming a well respected warrior. Scars were cool when you were a warrior. I rubbed my head. It hurt. I looked around our cell. Man, it was boring in here. “So when do we get to go to FlatFall? I want to buy a weapon and learn some new skills.”
The troll began to shake. “It won't be long. It's about that time of the day. I love to take walks in the sunshine.”
Suddenly, there was a strange noise. Where was it coming from? I began to look around. It almost sounded like flapping wings. “What is that?” I asked.
“Oh, it's nothing. Just ignore it,” Douglas replied while standing up.
My head turned towards the source of the sound. Hovering just outside of the small barred up window, was a strange looking bird. His wings flapped quickly as it seemed he was struggling to remain in the air. I squinted my eyes and realized it was a pigeon.
“Hello Douglas,” his squeaky voice said. “Is it just another day of being locked up for you? I just wanted to drop by and say one thing. It feels amazing to be free. It really does.”
Douglas swatted his hands into the air. “Why don't you leave.”
“I think I might,” the little pigeon replied with a smirk. “I do have that option don't I?”
I examined the pigeon's small face. He didn't look like a normal pigeon. His tongue hung from the side of his mouth and he looked really confused. He was brown and about the size of a golf ball. Why was he so small? Wobbling from side to side, the pigeon struggled to stay in the air. His beady little eyes darted over at me. “This troll will drag you down if you let him. Better be careful. His loser genetics are strong,” the pigeon laughed.
I squinted my eyes. What the hell was this? Did this little pigeon really come down here just to verbally abuse Douglas? Did he have nothing else to do with his pathetic life? Douglas looked irritated and jumped up at the window. “If you are so free then why do you live in a dungeon? Can you answer that?”
“I come here by choice,” the pigeon replied. “I know the way in, and I know the way out. Sometimes I hang out in grassy areas and enjoy bread pieces that players feed me. It's a very free and satisfying life.”
The pigeon began to fly from side to side. He squeezed between the bars and flew into our cell. Then, he laughed while flying over our heads. Douglas jumped up and down while trying his best to grab him. “I'm gonna kill you one day,” he screamed over and over. “Just wait and see.”
The pigeon flew up towards the ceiling and hovered in place. A strange look came to his face. Then, a small black pellet came out of him. It bounced on the ground in front of Douglas. “Enjoy your meal you little loser,” the pigeon said. Then, he flew out of the window and disappeared from our sight.
Douglas stomped on the pellet. I wrinkled my forehead. What a mean spirited little bird. Did he really get a kick out of seeing us locked up? Was this some sort of sick hobby that he enjoyed? Making fun of a small troll who was locked up? I had to admit, that pigeon was a little bastard. “What was that all about? I asked.
“He comes by from time to time,” Douglas replied with fury in his eyes. “I'm gonna kill him. It's one of the things I look most forward to. In fact, I will be looking for him today. I saw his ugly face in FlatFall once before. Next time I see him, I won't let him get away.”
“So how did the pigeon learn how to talk? Is that fairly normal in the game world?”
“Oh someone enchanted him,” Douglas replied with irritation. “Players do it for fun sometimes.”
I sighed. “Hopefully he won't come back.”
“He'll be back. He's always trying to lower my self esteem. He's obsessed with lowering my self esteem because he sees how well I am doing. He watches my fights at the coliseum, I know he does. And he secretly knows I am the next Grand Champion. He's just jealous. Deep down inside, he knows that he is a worthless bird, and I am a future champion. That's why he acts the way he acts.”
It was already depressing enough being locked up, and the last thing we needed was some enchanted pigeon taunting us. For the next hour, me and Douglas didn't say anything. Then, something rattled the bars behind us. “To your feet,” a guard commanded.
I stood up and looked at the armored guard. He opened our door. “It's time to visit FlatFall,” he said.
We exited the cell. I was more excited than ever as we began to leave the dungeon.
Chapter Twenty Three
When we got to FlatFall, I was pleasantly surprised. The city was much larger than I had expected. Tall stone columns held a long bridge that went across the entrance of the city. Most of the buildings were sand colored and had red roofs. They were constructed with fine stones that glistened under the sunshine. Players were busy running around and there were a wide range of NPCS as well. It was much nicer than I would have expected. Overall, it was beautiful. Not only that, but the city itself sat on a cliff above the ocean. Even from the entrance, you could make out the sound of crashing waves if you listened hard enough.
We walked under the large stone bridge. It was easily a hundred feet high and had people walking across it. The bridge itself connected two large buildings with golden oval roofs. Conversation filled the air as Trolls, Elves and Humans roamed the streets. There were not a ton of players, but it certainly wasn't a ghost town. My eyes darted around as Douglas elbowed me. “I gotta go get some stuff,” he said while walking away from me. “Our time here is limited. Get what you need and don't waste too much time. They usually only give us about two hours out here.”
Douglas ran off into the distance. I was excited to explore the city. Many of the players in the city were prisoners just like myself. I knew this because many wore the same basic outfit that I had on. Where was a weapon shop? I remembered the Emperor had told me to look for the sign with a “star” on it. But, I didn't see it. There were food shops, bakeries, supplies and even a pet store. Cool. I wouldn't mind bringing a pet back to my cell if they allowed it. But, I didn't have time. I continued walking forward and noticed a large fountain. Right next to the fountain, I saw a sign for a tavern. A tavern? I shook my head.
Yes, I would like a beer. I pushed the green door open and walked in. There was some classical music playing and the place was themed with mostly red colors. Red chairs, carpet, wallpaper and even red lighting. In a weird way, it was kinda nice. Several other prisoners sat at the bar and were busy drinking. There were a few good looking girls too. If I had enough drinks, maybe I could talk to some? It was something I kept in the back of my mind. I scanned the room and soaked in the atmosphere. I wondered how much a beer was though. I didn't want to waste much of my gold on a beer, but I still wanted one. I raised my hand into the air and signaled the bartender closer to me. “I'll take your cheapest beer,” I said.
I sat down while the bartender reached below the counter and pulled out a rusty looking bottle. “That will be 0.10 gold.”<
br />
That wasn't too bad. I dropped 0.10 gold on the counter and twisted the cap off my beer. I put the bottle to my lips. Man, it felt good. The beer slid down my throat as a relaxing feeling took over. One part of me just wanted to sit around all day and drink. I knew it would be fun, but I would live to regret it. No, I wasn't going to do that. I was only going to have one beer. I took another sip and looked around the room. It looked like everyone was enjoying themselves. I continued looking until I saw something that made me furious. It was Cosmo. Only a few tables away, he sat by himself with a table full of empty beer bottles.
I took another sip and then another. My blood was boiling. What was stopping me from smashing my beer bottle right over his head? I could do it couldn't I? I could just walk up to him and hit him in the back of his head. I looked around. There was a guard in each corner of the room. Damn. Guess they were here just to make sure something like this didn't happen. I drank the last bit of my beer and stood up. Even though I wasn't going to use it, I still had my beer bottle in my hand. Just in case things got too crazy. Each step I took creaked as I got closer and closer to Cosmo. Then, I was there. I was right in front of his table. He looked up at me. Then, he laughed. I didn't say anything. Instead, I just stared at him. “Take a seat,” he mumbled.
“Screw that,” I replied.
His eyes became smaller. “Are you still upset about that whole situation? About what happened at the bandit village?”
I didn't reply. He was drunk and just trying to be a smart ass. “Why don't you sit down,” he said while kicking the chair out from beneath the table. “Come on. I mean it. I wanna explain to you what happened.”
“There's no need to explain anything. There is nothing you can do or say that will make it right.”
Cosmo flicked a beer bottle off the table. Glass shattered and he laughed. “They always payed me well to bring new players into FlatFall. It was always just too much gold to resist. I feel a little bad for what I did to you. But, you let me do it. Didn't you? So, you really have nobody to blame but yourself.”
“Shut up dude. You are pathetic.”
Cosmo lowered his head. Then, he raised his eyebrows. “How did you like the commitment I put into it all? I was pretty dedicated wasn't I?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know. I really sold the lie. I Got all of the weapons for your crummy army and all of that crap. Pretty impressive isn't it?” he asked with a proud look. ”I Put up with you and your other pathetic friends because I never lost sight of the prize. By the way, your good friend Tommy is a complete idiot. Sorry, I just had to say that. I was thinking about it the other night actually. How does a person become so stupid? It just boggles my mind.”
This guy was even a bigger scumbag than I first realized. But, I had to admit, he did put in a lot of effort to sell the lie. I guess it made sense too because he just took everything back that he had bought for us. It was just a temporary investment for him. I towered over him. He was down there, and I was up here. I had the advantage over him. Shit. I was trying to fight the urge. I knew it wouldn't be smart to hit him, but I couldn't resist it. I wanted to slap him. My heart began to beat faster. I was trying to fight it, but I couldn't. I looked around to see where the guards were. One was getting a drink at the bar, but the other had his eyes locked on to me. Crap. It was just too risky. I couldn't do it, and it nearly ate me up on the inside.
The truth was, I would get revenge later. Now was not the time. Leaning down closer to him, I spoke firmly. “I won't rest until you are dead.”
When I said those words, it was almost as if he had temporarily sobered up. His head went closer to mine. “Is that a threat?”
“It's a promise.”
“You won't last a minute with me,” he yelled. “Me and you both know that.”
I slapped a beer bottle off his table. “You have it backwards. It's you that won't last a minute with me. Just wait and see.”
At first, he didn't reply. He bit his lip and itched his nose. A faint chuckle began to emerge before it turned into a full-blown laugh. “I look forward to it.”
I turned around and began to walk away. He yelled back to me. “You're gonna need a lot of training if you ever want to compete with me. We aren't even on the same level. You remember that. Okay?”
I just kept walking. I was going to get revenge, and it would be much sooner than he thought. After leaving the bar, I sat down on a bench next to the fountain. I was so mad. All I cared about was killing Cosmo. But how? How was I to do it? I ran my hands through my hair and got up. Not far from me, I saw Douglas petting a white horse. I was about to call him over, but decided I needed to find the weapon shop. I walked the opposite direction and began looking at every single shop. There were many homes that players were coming in and out of. Were these players prisoners in the past? I walked up to a man wearing expensive fur who was busy locking up his home. “Excuse me,” I said.
“Yes?”
“Did you come here as a prisoner?”
The man looked offended. “Of course not. Living here was an investment choice I made on my own.”
“What do you mean?”
The man finished locking his door. “Nothing,” he replied while hurrying away. “I am one of the permanent residents here. I live here because of my career.”
“But I thought prisoners lived in FlatFall too?”
“They do,” the man yelled while pointing to his left.
I looked over at the buildings he was pointing to. They were not nearly as nice. In fact, they looked crappy. As I walked closer to the homes, I realized they were really crappy. Small wooden boxes with plastic tarps for a roof. What the crap? This was where the “satisfied” residents lived that the Emperor talked about? I knew that guy was full of it. Still, it did look like a big improvement over my dungeon cell. At least I would have privacy. Even though I was starting to like Douglas more, the whole “watching me during sleep” thing was creepy.
I turned back around and began to look for the weapon shop again. Many moments passed until I saw an odd looking building. The building was shaped like a triangle and had a flat roof. I looked up at the sign on top of it. Yes, this was it! The symbol of a star. I ran over to the building and went inside of it. Swords, daggers, maces and all sorts of weapons hung on the wall. Behind the counter, was a totally bald man wearing a white jacket. The brown age spots on his face made it appear that he was around sixty years of age. “Welcome to my shop,” he said.
I took a close look and realized he was probably an NPC. “Thank you.”
He sniffed and examined me with his cold blue eyes. “Did you have anything in particular that you were looking for?”
“Yes. But, what is your name?”
“Henderson. Just call me Henderson.”
“Okay Henderson. I have 15 gold coins. I want the most that my gold can buy me. I really just need a weapon and some good armor.”
Henderson looked like he was thinking. “What do you usually use?”
“A sword,” I replied. “But, I am open to using anything. I just need something with high damage.”
“It's not always about the damage. You gotta make sure it will hold up too.”
He walked back and pulled some weapons off the wall. I examined them:
Sword of Frost
Slot: Left or Right Hand
Level: 2 (Beginner)
Weight:11 lbs
Damage: 16
Cost: 7 Gold
or
Soul Hand Sword
Slot: Left or Right Hand
Level: 5 (Beginner)
Weight: 13 lbs
Damage: 29
Cost:13 Gold
or
Enchanted Iron Moon Sword
Slot: Left or Right Hand
Level: 7 (Beginner)
Weight: 07 lbs
Damage: 29
Enchantment: Reduces Any Magic Damage by 7%
Cost:21 Gold
I want
ed the Enchanted Long Sword. But, the CrimsonBlade also looked really good. I could afford the Soul Hand Sword, but what about armor? I had to have armor. It was too risky to go into my next match without having any armor. “I want the Soul Hand Sword. But, I need some armor too. I only have 15.05 gold though.”
Henderson looked at me with sagging lips. “I can throw in some cheap armor too. I'll do that for you.”
“Thanks,” I replied with a cheerful tone. “What kind of armor?”
“It's pretty basic. But, it's better than nothing.”
He pulled some armor out from under his counter. I examined it:
DragonFrost Armor
Slot: Chest and arms
Level: 4 (Beginner)
BladeDust Online: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 1) Page 19