by Seth Ring
“Yup. Warden said I’m getting out today.”
While the prison guard in charge of the checkout procedure stamped his papers, Thorn took the opportunity to look around once more. There was a little fondness in his heart for this place. Everything in the quarry was simple and clear cut. There was no confusion or indecision, and most of all, there were no messy relationships. “Well, maybe one,” Thorn thought to himself as he spotted Oberlin hurrying over.
The thin thief was panting by the time he got near the administration post. One of the guards gripped his spear tightly, dropping the point in Oberlin’s path. Stopping, Oberlin’s hands went up, and he took a step backward, eyeing the guard warily.
“Are you being discharged, Thorn?” A faint anxiousness could be heard in Oberlin’s tone.
“Yeah, good behavior.” Thorn smiled blandly.
“Well, congratulations.” Oberlin flashed a smile of his own at the giant.
“Thanks. See you around.” Thorn picked up the paperwork the guard was holding out and collected the gear he had been wearing when he was arrested. With a wave, he walked through the quarry’s large gate.
*ding*
Title Advancement: Criminal (parole)
You have been let out on parole. The terms of your release are to complete the quest [Trouble at the Embersplit Mine]. Some of your disabled player features have been enabled.
Accompanying the title update was a storm of notifications as his messaging system was unlocked, practically burying Thorn in messages from his aunt. Grimacing, Thorn flicked through them, before dashing off a message. His allotted solo playtime wasn’t up, but he could not blame his aunt for worrying after not hearing from him for four weeks of in-game time.
After answering messages from Dovon, Jarvis, and Hamm, Thorn continued scrolling through the notifications as he walked. The quarry was a few miles from the nearest town, so Thorn headed that direction. Thankfully, his inventory had been unlocked, so he had plenty of food, as the bread and sausage he had eaten on the way out of the quarry were not very filling.
About to toss a pastry into his mouth, Thorn froze, his eyes locked on a blinking notification. He had not seen it in the initial flurry of messages, but there it was, blinking before his eyes. A message from Mina.
It took a full two minutes before he could react, and when he did, it was just to put away the pastry. Sitting down on the side of the road, Thorn stared at the blinking message, all sorts of feelings trampling across his heart. Hesitating for a moment, Thorn’s eyes hovered over the button to open the message before he sighed and minimized it without opening it.
Lying back, he put his hands under his head and stared up at the cloudless sky, beginning to breathe as his master had taught him. Thorn had assumed that the fading of his negative feelings toward Mina and the others meant that he had gotten over their betrayal. His reaction when he saw the message from Mina indicated otherwise. The tumultuous emotions that rushed back were still quite strong, proving that time had only buried them. After a few moments of calm breathing, the pressure in his chest faded, and Thorn got back up to continue on his way. He would worry about the message from Mina later.
His distance-eating stride carried him over the hills, and he soon saw the towers of a town peeking over the trees. The quarry where he had served his time was due west of Berum in a mountainous area. On his way to the quarry, the prison wagon that carried him had stopped in the walled city that lay before him. Since his map had been disabled, he had not been able to identify it but, according to his re-enabled map, this was the bustling city of Narthil.
The gates of the city were patrolled by guards who looked at Thorn with distrust. Having played Nova Terra for a while, Thorn understood that they were reacting to his [Criminal] title, so he did not take it to heart. Rather than find an inn, Thorn restocked his supplies and looked for a map shop.
After his ignorance had brought him so much trouble, Thorn had taken full advantage of Oberlin’s experience and willingness to talk while they were together. While he could not claim to be an expert, he was not a beginner anymore. One of the things Oberlin had mentioned in passing was that there were shops where maps could be purchased to make travel easier. As Nova Terra did not include any sort of fast travel system, knowing where you were going was essential, so many people sold maps of the places they had been.
Once he found the map store, Thorn purchased a general map of the area as well as a map of Narthil. Looking at it, he soon spotted what he was looking for, and a quick walk found him in front of a beaten-up bar. While he was in jail, he had talked to Oberlin extensively about Nova Terra and had picked up numerous tidbits of information.
One piece of information that Thorn had found very interesting was that most people did not use map stores for unlocking new sections of their world map and, instead, tried to find pathfinders. A Pathfinder was a Utility class that specialized in exploration and discovery. They could share their maps with other people for a price. Often found hanging around bars and other areas players gathered, pathfinders were the best way to get an accurate map.
A faded sign showing a jack of diamonds creaked as it hung from a post, one of the supporting chains hanging limp. Cracked and peeling paint suggested that the bar had once been red, but time and dirt made it hard to tell.
Pushing the door open, Thorn ducked inside. As he straightened to his full height in the bar area, silence spread out from him in a wave. Already an eye-catching figure, the dark armor granted by his ability [Avatar of the Wolf] added an air of danger to Thorn and combined with his [Criminal] title to create an imposing aura, causing those who filled the bar to look at him carefully. Used to such reactions, Thorn did not bother with them and instead walked to the bar. After eyeing the stools that stood in front of it, Thorn rejected the idea of sitting and placed a massive hand on the bar.
“Hello, what can I do for you?” The bartender wiped the bar in front of Thorn.
“I’ll take a double pint of your special.”
“Sure, sure.”
Watching the bartender fetch a tall glass from under the counter and head toward the taps, Thorn looked around the room. As one would expect from a bar in a run-down part of town, the room was filled with a variety of dangerous looking characters. A thought flashed through his mind as he looked around, causing Thorn to smile. If he had walked in here a month ago, he would have been nervous.
But after his experiences in the quarry, Thorn had gained matter-of-fact confidence that put him at ease. Thanking the bartender for the beer, Thorn took a sip and grimaced before putting it down. Truly just as bad as Oberlin had mentioned.
“I’m looking for someone who can show me around,” Thorn spoke to the bartender quietly, causing the rag wiping the bar to pause. Setting the rag down, the bartender placed his hands flat on the bar, his fingers spread for a moment, before picking the rag back up to resume his wiping. Thorn stacked up ten silver behind his tall glass.
“Third table along the wall.” Speaking just as quietly, the bartender did not look up as he smoothly grabbed the coins.
With a nod of thanks, Thorn turned around and took a step before stopping with a sigh, destroying the mysterious air that had just been built up. There was no way he would be able to squeeze through the tightly packed tables, let alone sit in one of the booths along the wall. Helpless, he could only turn around to ask the bartender for help.
Eventually, Thorn found himself in a small back room the bartender lent him, facing the robed and hooded figure who had been sitting at the table along the wall. Catching glimpses of leather armor beneath the robe when the figure entered the room, Thorn was pretty sure this was the person Oberlin had described.
“What do you want?” Despite the roughness of the question, the figure’s voice was pleasant to the ear and pitched higher than Thorn had been expecting.
“Are you a Pathfinder? I need information.”
“Maps or log info? I don’t guide, and I won’t join your part
y. I only take gold as payment.”
“I’m looking for a map and as much information as you have regarding this region.”
“The whole region?” The pathfinder’s voice lightened, showing her surprise. “That’s expensive.”
“Yes. As much as you have.”
“Okay, no problem. Give me a second.” Pulling out a large, blank piece of smooth leather, the Pathfinder held a slim hand against it for a moment. Spreading from her hand, trails of ink curled across the surface of the leather, leaving detailed markings. The whole process took almost seven minutes, and when she was done, the Pathfinder flipped the map over and began to scribe in tight script on the back.
“I’m combining all the log information with the map. That will allow you to highlight a place you have not visited and see the info you have received as a popup. Since you are a big customer, I am also adding some rumors I’ve heard. They are probably nothing, but if you are bored, you can check them out.”
CHAPTER FOUR
His wallet four gold lighter, Thorn left the bar. The map had wiped out his savings, but Thorn did not mind. His long discussions with Oberlin in the quarry had made him realize just how important exploration was in Nova Terra. While it would be possible to stay in one place doing the same thing, in-game character growth relied on learning more about the world. Thorn had caught glimpses of this through his interactions with Ouroboros and his group, but it was not until Oberlin began to describe his adventures that it clicked.
Ouroboros had been right about one thing, knowledge really did equal power in Nova Terra. The more one knew, the more they could do. After all, Nova Terra was just as complex as the real world. The system rewarded players who could creatively apply what they knew about the game world and seemed to adapt itself to those who treated it like the real world.
While the map shop in the city could sell maps of the local terrain, the real prize was the map that Thorn had purchased from the Pathfinder. Her personal experiences with the region would be invaluable as he began to explore. The day was ending by the time Thorn left the city, the wall casting a long shadow that met up with the forest.
A few minutes after he left the gate a small group of strange figures left the city, looking in the direction he had walked. The leader scratched his red beard as he watched the group’s ranger looking around for signs of Thorn’s passing.
“You sure he’s got money?”
“I’m sure, boss.” A nervous-looking warrior rubbed his hands together as he reassured his boss. “He paid in gold coins. I saw Emilia spending one and I know that she didn’t have any before.”
“And you said he is big?”
“Yeah, the biggest guy I’ve ever seen.” the nervous warrior shrank as he remembered Thorn’s imposing figure.
“That’s alright,” the red-bearded warrior spat on the ground, resting his hand on the large axe at his waist. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Oblivious to the danger following him, Thorn walked to the southwest. According to the map that he had purchased, his destination was almost a day’s travel south of Narthil, tucked away in the same mountain chain as the quarry where he had spent the last month. Much like the area surrounding Berum the countryside was forested with rolling hills.
After night fell Thorn set up his camp and rested. Truth be told, he was not tired, and he had been eating on the move, so he was only slightly hungry. Instead, Thorn wanted to take a moment to deal with the messages that had piled up during his jail time. Opening his messaging function, the first thing he saw was the message from Mina. Ignoring it, Thorn answered his other messages one by one. Once he had cleared most of his inbox, Thorn dialed up his Aunt Julia. The call connected almost instantly, a video chat opening in front of Thorn’s face.
“Xavier! Finally! Where have you been? Why haven’t you been answering my calls? I’ve been going nuts over here thinking something happened to you! Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Thorn rubbed the back of his head. “I’ve just been out of touch for a while.”
“Seriously, what's up with that? What has you so preoccupied you can’t even respond to a message? Wait, why is your tag red? You’re a criminal? You are a criminal!?”
“Uh, yeah. I might have attacked someone in a town accidentally.”
“What do you mean accidentally?” Julia’s eye narrowed as she glared at her nephew. “You have been incommunicado for a full month. Fighting in town is max seven days.”
“Umm, maybe more on purpose, actually.” Thorn scratched his cheek, embarrassed. “And I might have killed him. I’m actually out on parole right now.”
“Wow, I let you start Nova Terra and you go straight for the criminal behavior, huh?”
“Well, a lot of stuff happened.”
Seeing the mixed look on Thorn’s face, Julia’s gaze softened.
“Yeah? Why don’t you tell me about it?”
For the next twenty minutes, Thorn recounted his adventures since arriving in Nova Terra. He told his aunt about how he fumbled around the game at the beginning, and how the trainers at the Training Hall had taken him under their wings. About Mina and Ouroboros, Velin and Jorge. About his encounter with the Blood Hunter, Gargish and battling the elementals in the Elemental Gorge.
His expression heavy, he spoke about the group’s encounter in Hati’s Ascent. How they battled through the dungeon, arriving at the final boss. And how, after beating Karrandras himself, the others turned on him, stripping him of his Destiny points and leaving him for dead.
Julia fell silent as he finished telling her his story. From Thorn’s tone and downcast expression, she could tell how very deeply wounded he was. And no wonder. It made Julia’s heartache to hear about his first friends threw him aside for benefits, and she could only imagine what Thorn must have been feeling.
“Do you want me to find them for you?” While her tone was even and her face calm, Thorn could tell from the cold look in Julia’s eyes that she was furious at what he had experienced. With the fifth strongest guild in the game at her back, finding Ouroboros and exacting revenge on Thorn’s behalf was not out of the question.
“No, thanks though.”
“It wouldn’t be hard, Xavier. The Society of Roses has a great network and it would not take much to find them.”
“I appreciate the intent, but I think I want to handle this on my own.” Thorn shook his head.
“Alright,” Julia fell silent. Despite the heaviness on his face, she could see the quiet resolve underneath it. “Listen, kid. I am so sorry for what you went through, but remember, suffering sucks, but...”
“Suffering is the foundation of success.” Thorn finished the statement she often told him. “You are right.” With a big sigh, Thorn felt the last of the pent-up emotions leaving his chest. The remaining anger, frustration, bitterness, and pain disappeared with the cool night breeze.
“Thanks for listening.” Smiling at his aunt, Thorn felt much better. “Besides, it isn’t all bad. I’m stuck with a single class, but I got a pretty sweet title out of it.”
“That’s right.” Happy to see her nephew perk up, Julia changed the subject. “You never told me what happened after they left you. How did you make it back to the city?”
“Well, I thought I was dead, but it turned out there was a bit of a glitch. I pseudo-died but there was an issue with the pod that they are fixing. So, I did not respawn in the city, instead, I woke up in the dungeon. Anyway, I met Hati, the Moon Wolf.”
“Wait, the god? The god of the night?” Seeing Thorn’s nod, Julia flipped out. “Are you serious!? Do gods still exist? This changes everything! We assumed they had all been killed! If Hati is still around, then I bet there are other gods hiding as well! What was it like?”
“Pretty intense. Hati is a giant wolf, obviously, but by giant, I mean like as big as the world. Anyway, Hati gave me a title, which combined with another title I have, so now I am [Lord Greymane, the Moon Wolf]. I’m the Avatar of the
Moon Wolf and the leader of the Wolfkin, though I think I still have a lot to do before I can assume that position.”
For a moment silence reigned as Thorn’s unflappable aunt stared at him in undisguised shock, her mouth hanging open. Taken aback by her reaction, Thorn could barely resist poking the screen, wondering if it had frozen.
“WHAAAAAT!”
Startled by Julia’s scream, Thorn jumped.
“You are the avatar of the Moon Wolf? And what is with that five-word title?! Titles like that are insanely rare. As in, I only know of two other players in the entire game who have a five-word title.”
“Yeah, Hati said something about sending me down a different path since I could no longer take multi-category classes. After thinking about it, I think they meant that I could use a title to make up for it. The title comes with four different abilities, all of which can grow and get more powerful. As I’ve been considering their application, it seems like the title is a mini-version of a quad category class. The abilities fit under Combat, Support, Utility, and Leadership.”