by Galen Wolf
'How about now?'
He stands immediately and gives a fist pump. 'Yes! Awesome!'
I think he's going to kiss me in his joy, so I stand back.
'We are going to kick their evil butts,' he says.
I nod. 'Let's go and get the horses.'
'Mine's a mule.'
22
Firestorm
We go see Tye before going out on our raid. I have the horses at the front door with Bernard. We made sure there were no adventurers near the dungeon before we did so, as we still don't want them to associate the Green Knight with the Forgotten Chapel Dungeon. I don't want to make them curious about what might be going on here.
'So, you're going to be okay, here?'
He cocks his head and gives a winning smile. 'Are you going raiding?'
I nod. 'Me and Bernard.'
'Can I come?'
I give him a long hard look. 'You're only Level 4, Tye.'
'Level 5 now. Ding! Thanks to all the adventurers my level killed. I didn't have to do much.'
'Even so...' I'm curious though. 'How far are they getting?'
He thumbs his chin. 'The good ones are getting through the Room of Statues, though it has been a joy to watch it fry so many of them. Then they come to the Fire Dwarf area. So far they've not got as far as me.'
'Boring for you then?'
'No, it's a spectator sport, but I must admit I've stepped forward sometimes and switched off Observation Mode so I can fireball them. Man, I love fireballing bad guys. That's why I want to come with you.'
'What about adventurers who arrive when you're not here?'
'Fitheach says he'll stand in for me while I'm away.'
'You've discussed it with him?'
He nods and smiles. 'I really want to come raiding. It'll be good for my levelling and I can be useful. I know I'm only small still, but I bring fire. Fire is good.'
Without waiting for me to respond, he continues. 'I can light all your camp fires and your torches. You'll never be cold.'
I'm about to say I've got flint and steel but I realize he's joking.
'I don't think so, Tye. Really. I don't want to get you killed. We haven't got our milestone yet, so you'll have to walk miles to get back here. You're bound in Inglewood, aren't you?'
'Doesn't matter where I'm bound. That's my issue. Can I come, yes or no? You won't regret it. '
He's wearing down my resolve not to take him. 'Fitheach will really look after this level?'
He nods. 'I'm lending him some of my robes and an orange wig so he looks like the Fire Mage.'
'You've got an orange wig?'
'Several. You think this is real?' He points to his fiery hair.
'I kind of did, yes.'
He laughs out loud. 'Nearly got ya. Yes, this is the hair I chose at character creation, and I don't really have a wig. I don't think the hair color will matter to the adventurers, even if they get through the Fire Dwarfs.'
'Okay, let me just speak to Fitheach to confirm.'
When I speak to Fitheach, the saint assures me the dungeon will be okay. I give him my personal brass key. Only the dungeon owner can lock and unlock the front door.
He smiles. 'I'll take good care of your key. Send me a dove when you want to get back in.' I think Fitheach is secretly looking forward to the chance to run the level while Tye's away.
Bernard gives a wary glance. He still doesn't totally trust Tye. 'He'll need a horse,' Bernard says.
That's true. But we don't have a spare horse. In fact Spirit is the only horse in the settlement.
Henry says, 'He can ride my fiancée, Bessie.'
I give the mule a long cold stare and raise my finger in warning. 'You be very careful.' He guffaws, but Tye will have to have a mount, so we get Bessie brought. Then we're all mounted and riding over the green hills near Alston Moor, me in my grass green armor, lance upheld, green pennant blowing in the wind, Bernard in brown, with his red and white spotted handkerchief around his neck, ready to pull up over his mouth before we go into action, and Tye, unmistakable in his blue wizard robes and mop of orange yellow hair.
We ride north and away from the dungeon.
The weather holds good but the ground is blackened and sick from the influence of evil. Stinking pools hide vile amphibians that stick out their huge heads and watch us with leprous eyes as we ride past. The black and red haze fizzes and pops in the air.
'We're hitting their supply chain again?'
I nod, then to explain to Tye. 'They send comms and food down from New World Order to Carrionburg to Maligon's troops.'
'So we burn them!'
'We do. I want you to stay back. You're only Level 5.'
'Sure, boss. Whatever you say Mysterious Green Knight, sir.' Then he winks. Something tells me I need to watch him.
We sight the first enemies fifteen later. Tye seems excited. 'So we charge?'
Bernard shakes his head. 'We get round the back of them. Hit the stragglers. Gorrow knows. He's a master tactician.'
'I am?'
Bernard nods.
Tye says, 'Don't call him Gorrow, call him the Mys...'
I put up my hand. 'Green Knight.' I turn to Bernard. 'But he's got a point. We need mission discipline in case someone hears us. Let's just refer to each other by cover names: wizard, alchemist and knight. Okay?'
They nod.
'We're going to cut slightly left off the path so we drop down below that slope and get out of sight. Then we go due east and get onto the road. We can then attack them from the back.'
'See?' Bernard says. 'A master.'
We ride north then when we're several hundred yards on, I give the order to ride east. Bernard pulls up his red and white handkerchief. Tye hasn't got a disguise but it doesn't matter so much, because he'll be way back.
We go east and come onto the road. They're about four hundred yards south of us on the road to Carrionburg. Within a couple of minutes they've spotted us and I see a ripple of fear and hasty preparations to arm themselves. I sip the Damage 200 potion Bernard gave me.
'Look like a mix of hobs and hill giants. They're hauling beer and wood by the look of it.'
'Okay, let's go.'
I click my tongue and Spirit breaks into a trot. The mules do their best to keep up. Both my companions are looking wildly excited. This should be easy, but not every attack will be.
'Keep back, Tye. When we engage, you stay back. They're a lot bigger than you.'
'Sure.'
I'm concentrating on the enemy. I drop the lance and couch it under my arm, shield up on the left. Arrows fly past our heads. There's a couple of Dwemmers standing on the back cart, drawing bowstrings again. An arrow clatters off my shield, unable to penetrate my armor.
I glance back to check where Tye is. He's keeping up with Bernard. I yell, 'Back, Wizard, please.'
'Sure, knight. Sir.' But he doesn't fall back.
I really don't want him to get killed. Those giants are big. Then an arrow thwacks into him.
He groans. 'Sheesh, that hurt. Took almost half my health.'
Behind me, I'm aware of Bernard handing him a health potion.
'Thanks, man.'
'Don't get used to it.'
Spirit's hoofs are thundering now, hammering the turf beneath us. I hear him snorting. More arrows. Three big hill trolls dismount from the back cart. I see all the wagons have stopped and are forming into a laager, with the archers in the middle and hobgoblin spearmen standing bristling with spears, holding up shields. They've got a Hobgoblin NPC warlock with them. A green ray shoots through the air and hits Tye. I hear him cry out. 'Damn. Why do they pick on the little guy always?'
'Get back, Wizard. Please.'
But we're close now. Two giants lumber at me, swinging their clubs. I see them through the slits in my visor. With my knees I urge Spirit into a final gallop and we close the gap between us and them faster than lightning. I see a scorching ray shoot over my shoulder and clip the warlock.
'Gotc
ha!' It seems Tye can't follow orders.
Then I hit the giant. The crystal spearhead of my lance pierces him and he gives a terrible yell.
I draw my sword, ride up to the stricken giant and chop him down. I put VERBOSE on.
His pal swings his club and slams me across my shoulders.
Then I get the first tick from my bleed rune.
The first giant lunges up with his club, trying to knock me from Spirit, but like his friend he can't hurt me.
I switch off VERBOSE and go back to ULTRA BRIEF combat messages.
I hack right at the second giant and I get a Doublestrike and most amazingly a crit on each of the two hits.
<200xp>
The thing collapses and dies. I almost feel sorry for it. I swing at the first giant and strike off its huge arm. I jab while it swings wildly, panic in its eyes, missing every time.
<200xp>
The middle of the wagon train explodes in a huge fireball. The heat blossoms out along with a smell of charring wood. The wagons rock on their wheels as the fireball hits.
'Strike! Did you see that, man oh man!'
'Wizard, I told you to stand off.'
I spin round to see Tye fire off a double Scorching Ray and incinerate a burly hobgoblin who was aiming to slice off my head. The hobgoblin falls dead.
'Saved ya.'
He wouldn't have been able to land a blow on me, but Tye's enthusiasm makes me smile despite his indiscipline.
The Dwemmers fire a shower of arrows at us. They don't hit me but they do hit Tye and he grimaces and snatches at a health potion. He needs to be careful; he's only got two hundred and fifty health. A few Dwemmer arrows hitting at the right time will kill him.
I turn and urge Spirit to battle. He leaps over the first wagon and we're in the inner circle among the Dwemmers and hobgoblins bringing them an easeful death.
I see flasks of acid spinning through the air and striking the unfortunate minions of evil. The flasks explode with a hiss and the Dwemmers scream and die. The survivors break and run, heading in the direction of Carrionburg. Bernard hurls a final flask at their fleeing backs.
I think they're about to escape when Tye, standing up in his stirrups to get a better view, shoots a fireball. I watch the fiery sphere hurtle through the air and when it hits, it explodes in a storm of flame and heat leaving no more Dwemmers.
'We're supposed to leave some, so they can tell the tale and spread our reputation,' Bernard tells Tye, before I can say anything.
'Sorry,' Tye says, though he doesn't sound so sorry. Then he grins. 'But I got another Level.'
'Level 6!' Bernard claps him on the arm. 'Gratz.'
Then Bernard looks at the smoking wagons. The kegs of beer are charred and leaking. The wood is smoldering nicely.
'Guess we don't have to worry about taking the comms home then,' he says, shooting me a glance.
'Guess not. Let's go.'
'What now?' Tye asks. 'That was fun.'
'We go and wait for the next wagon train.'
As we ride off the road and back into the diseased heather to lurk among the scrub and dead trees, Bernard says, 'But they'll have better guards now they know we're here.'
I tip up my visor. 'Let them. We'll be ready.'
23
The Necromancer
We go some way off the road and find a secluded hollow where we tie our mounts to twisted thorn trees and make a camp fire.
'Camping increases rates of healing and mana regeneration, in case you need it,' Bernard says. I didn't know that, but Tye smiles. 'Yes, I got a bit depleted with all those fireballs and stuff.'
Bernard says, 'Mind if I log off for a bit?'
'We could all log off, I guess. My mana will regenerate if I'm camping even if I'm not logged on, right?,' Tye says but Bernard points to the mules and Spirit. 'It will. But who'll look after them? They can't log off so if enemies come upon the camp, they'll kill them.'
Spirit, as if he understands us, snorts. Henry, who definitely does understand says, 'Yeah, you gotta stay, ginger. It's your duty to protect me and Bessie.'
Bessie rolls her eyes in delight, clearly adoring the fact her fiancée is speaking up for her. Tye looks affronted, he's about to remonstrate with Henry, but I put up my hand for peace. 'It's okay. I'll stay. It's not like a I have a real life anyway.'
Bernard nods. 'Okay, Gorrow. But I'll be back in a few hours. I've got stuff to do in real life. Maybe four hours actually.'
'That's fine. I'll occupy myself.'
'I gotta go too, boss.' Tye winces apologetically.
'Sure, don't worry.'
And then they vanish, not even leaving a bump in the grass.
'Just us then,' Henry says. 'What do you want to do? Play cards?'
'I'll re-arrange my inventory, read some of the forums.'
'Sounds boring.'
I ignore him and he eventually goes to snuggle Bessie.
About twenty minutes pass and the mules both flinch and try and squeeze under thorn trees, staring up at the sky, eyes wide in alarm.
'What's up?' I ask, shielding my eyes so I can look up. But I see it before they answer. It's a wormling, a baby dragon. Evil in alignment, but probably not formally allied to Satanus and his armies. It's heading south-west in the direction of our Secret Valley, but it's high and I still have no points in archery, so I can't shoot it down. I have to let it go and hope the eagles can deal with it. I don't want it escaping and letting people know we have a settlement down there. I send a dove to Fitheach.
Me: Just for info. You've got a dragonling heading your way. Tell Armand to get extra eagles up there and get what archers he has on standby.
Fitheach: Will do. How's the raiding going?
Me: Fine. How's things going back there?
Fitheach: Population's up to 72.
Me: Cool! Not long now.
Fitheach: Given Level 1 of the dungeon is dug, Thorvald was asking if he should begin on Level 2. It's Bernard's level but we can start with the stairs down and first few rooms at least.
Me: What about settlement buildings — bakery, tannery, mill, etc?
Fitheach: All done. Jason's got it in hand. We'll soon have bread. And leather.
Me: Okay, tell them to cut some stairs down to Level Two. Have you had any adventurers?
Fitheach: Lmao. Absolutely. It's been great fun masquerading as the Fire Mage. I bet they were surprised when they got their ass handed to them with Holy Light rather than Scorching Ray, but we'll figure out an explanation in case anyone ever asks.
Me: Which they won't. Anyway Fitheach. Sounds like things are in good hands. We'll be back soon.
I'm feeling pretty excited about the developments at Silver Drift and in the dungeon. Too excited just to sit here and wait, I decide to do some raiding on my own.
I consider leaving Henry and Bessie, but the point about any enemies finding them remains, so they'll need to hitch along. I mark this little hollow on my game map so I can come back later then I cut a damp turf and place it over the fire to put it out. I don't know how that will affect Tye's m
ana regeneration. We'll just have to see.
I find a small deer trail and use that rather than the main road to head north. Then I'm on a small hillock and can see for miles both north-west and north-east. This is well within the enemy zone of control and the haze flickers and fizzes. A long way to the east, over the blasted heather and sick reeds of the moor I see a lone figure. He or she is making their way down the road from New World Order. The distant battlements of New World Order lurk on the eastern skyline. We're a long way from there, but probably closer than we are to Carrionburg, or even Silver Drift. I watch the figure come closer down the track. It's almost certainly one of them. Almost certainly a player. I decide to take a closer look.
With a click of my tongue, Silver starts forward. Bessie and Henry are a little way behind. He's not giving me lip for once, so the presence of Bessie must be a good thing. He doesn't complain either as we cross the rough moorland, skirting black pools and marshes, inching closer to our prey.
There's precious little cover here, so whoever it is will see us soon. Not that that will help them unless they can fly because they can't outrun Spirit. I'm still curious to see who it is.
The figure stops. They've seen us and they have realized we're not on their side. My green pennant flutters atop my lance. I nudge Spirit to go faster. Turning, I say, 'You two stay back.'
Henry shows his big slab teeth and gives a bray. Bessie waits with him, big eyes fixed on her big boy.
I'm about three hundred yards away now. It's a lady. Or at least a woman. She's dressed in black with red marks indicating she belongs to the Fangs of Koth. She has straight jet black hair with Asian features. But it's her armor that is remarkable. She's wearing a skin tight black leather cuirass that certainly reveals she is a lady. Black leather thigh high boots and long leather gloves, black naturally, that come to her elbows. A soft black cape flutters at her back and she's watching me with dark eyes.
The Laws of Chivalry don't allow me to attack women, so I slow up. I'll just warn her off and give her the chance to retreat.