[Group] ‘What did she say?’ asked Sapentia.
[Group] ‘Oh, she was speaking in Dryad. How cool, I understood her. I must have that language. Something about binding Grythiss.’
And I could see the effect already: seaweed was crawling towards our lizardman as though a hundred dark green snakes were attacking him, already it had accumulated around his legs as high as his knees. This definitely would have an effect on his movement, but Grythiss seemed to have no problem swinging his longsword and also chopping down with the edge of his shield. It seemed to me that he had the upper hand against the two level 8 dryads, who were lashing at him with clawed hands, like branches whipping around in a storm.
You have fired an arrow at a Dryad Priestess and missed.
[Group] ‘It will take me a while to get up to being a useful DPS class. I’m still at archery one.’
[Group] ‘Don’t fret,’ responded Braja, who was casting small heals on Grythiss, ‘that’s why we are here. To grind up our exp and skills.’
As I notched another arrow, somewhat heartened by Braja’s encouragement, Sapentia began to call out Latin-sounding words and sprinkling the air with dust. Incredibly, I actually felt the pressure around me increase, until with a huge bang, a bolt of lightning smashed down on the priestess, dropping our enemy’s hit points by three quarters.
‘Life is fleeting for mortals and I will shorten yours even further!’ The level 9 dryad charged towards us, skirting Grythiss who obviously had been prevented by the seaweed from taking a step to intercept her.
Screaming, Raitha dived down at her shoulders, claws extended, while I drew a breath, held it, and released my next arrow at the heart of the priestess.
You have hit a Dryad Priestess for 4 points of damage.
You have increased the skill Archery (2).
As our enemy staggered on towards Sapentia, who I feared might be in danger from those flailing arms with their sharp fingers, Braja leapt forward and smashed down upon her shoulder with his rusty mace. A cracking sound, like a branch being snapped from a tree, and one arm was broken. The priestess fell to her knees, glaring at us and with thick pale blood pouring from her wounds. This did evoke in me a doubt. Maybe I shouldn’t be killing dryads? Still, as I’d said to Grythiss, it was all exp.
Raising my bow, I shot the priestess in the chest again, the two arrows sticking out, side by side.
You have hit a Dryad Priestess for 6 points of damage.
You have increased the skill Archery (3).
The Dryad Priestess is dead. You gain experience.
Not bad exp either. About 10 per cent of what I needed for level 7.
[Group] ‘Archery three,’ I announced proudly.
[Group] ‘Our enemiesss mussst be trembling.’
[Group] ‘Oh, so Lizardmen can do sarcasm?’
[Group] ‘Out of spirit.’ Braja ran over to where Grythiss was still fighting and began smiting down on the two remaining Dryads. It seemed to me his clumsy-looking mace was ideal for these creatures, whose wooden skin absorbed the sharper blows of the longsword with no obvious sign of damage. When Braja hit them, however, splinters flew everywhere.
No more heals, but Grythiss was fine, one of the Dryads was nearly dead and then, with a tingle running through my body, I felt Sapentia charging up another spell even before I heard her chanting. Bang! Again, the lightning bolt fell and with it came the distinct smell of ozone and burned wood.
The Dryad is dead. You gain experience.
The Dryad is dead. You gain experience.
No sooner had Sapentia blown up one of our opponents than Grythiss had downed the other.
[Group] ‘Stay here and restore your spirit, I’ll find something.’ Raitha beat his wings and climbed heavily into the air. Either side of me, Sapentia and Braja settled down to meditate, Sapentia with crossed legs in the lotus position, Braja on his knees, hands folded together.
[Group] ‘Tyro, there isss sssomething here for you.’ Further up the beach, our Shadow Knight had stepped back to give me room to examine the bodies. On one was a greave labelled ‘barkskin’ and on the other a barkskin armguard. Both were usable by hunters, both were light and they moved my armour on those slots up to 3 from 0. As an added bonus they looked good: so dark green as to be nearly black, they had a coarse texture of unpolished wood.
[Group] ‘Thanks, I hope those Dryads respawn soon, I’d like to get a pair of each of these.’
Although we were protected by higher ground all around the beach and the edge of the forest beyond that, it was a windy day and clouds crossed rapidly overhead, bringing their shadows racing over the sand towards us. Every time this happened, I looked up anxiously, just in case it was some huge creature flying overhead. That was one of the aspects of playing a new game that kept you on your toes. You just didn’t know what was in store.
In Epic, all the best camps had been worked so often that players knew to the second when the mobs would respawn and what their loot tables were. Here, we were exploring the unknown. The game had evolved so much from its initial conditions, the guides I’d read on the plane were already mostly out of date.
Raitha called out, [Group] ‘Spirit check? Do we want a level twelve Griffon?’
[Group] ‘Forty-three,’ said Sapentia.
[Group] ‘Seventy-seven,’ added Braja.
I didn’t hesitate. [Group] ‘Pull.’
[Group] ‘Incoming: a Griffon.’
Accompanied by the sound of a large creature forcing its way through the trees, my eagle friend flew from the canopy and very close behind, beating its wings furiously, was a large, grey-and-brown Griffon. Diving behind Grythiss for safety, Raitha laughed. [Group] ‘Being an eagle is amazing.’
Even though Grythiss was only level 9, he still had an impressive ability to gain aggro. After a quick cast of some spell that left a trail of purple mist as it enveloped the griffon, our latest opponent swerved to crash upon our tank’s shield (held up just in time). A flurry of beak and claw, accompanied by a painful screeching, was all I could see of the mob. Firing an arrow from here was hopeless, worse, I was more likely to hit Grythiss than the Griffon. So I ran past the fight, trusting Grythiss (if the Griffon chose to take me out, I wouldn’t have lasted five seconds) and turning I found I had all of a long brown, feathered back to aim at.
You have fired an arrow at a Griffon and missed.
[Group] ‘Doesss thisss beasst have ssspecial attacksss?’
[Group] ‘Not that I’m aware of. Not in Epic anyway,’ I answered, Raitha and I having fought dozens of Griffons on the Iron Mountain back in my gaming youth.
You have fired an arrow at a Griffon and missed.
Letting out a sigh, I notched my next arrow. Really, I needed a macro for this Archery skill, to fire as rapidly as possible. That thought, however, reminded me of the dice rolling cheat and I pushed it aside. By the time my next shot was ready, Raitha had joined the fight and the eagle flapping around the Griffon’s head was a new obstacle to a clear shot. Still, a move to my right and I had a pretty good line on the creature’s rear left haunch.
You have hit a Griffon for 3 points of damage.
A flash of silver, a stunning peal of thunder and the Griffon was no more.
The Griffon is dead. You gain experience.
[Group] ‘Twenty-three.’
[Group] ‘Sixteen.’
These were the spirit reports from Sapentia and Braja respectively, who had immediately resumed their meditation poses once finished with casting their spells.
[Group] ‘I’ll go find another pull, but I’ll wait until we are better prepared before bringing it.’ Again, Raitha flew off over the tree line. It amused me to hear the eagerness in his voice. My old warrior friend was obviously relishing his new role as our scout and equally his new freedom to roam the skies.
‘It’s a shame you are so young in real life,’ said Sapentia as we sat out the downtime. ‘You’re kinda cool otherwise.’
‘Just kinda?’
>
‘About seven out of ten.’
‘Huh. I guess I need to work on that. Did you ever meet a ten?’
‘Lizardman iss sssurely a ten.’
‘I’ll give you eight,’ said Sapentia, ‘it is cool how you stick to role play, whatever situation.’
‘I’m afraid to ask for my score,’ said Braja.
‘Don’t then.’
‘Nah. I’ll ask. How cool am I?’
‘Honestly? I don’t know. First impressions not good. A four maybe.’
‘Four!’ Braja laughed. ‘Damn. Still, there was a “but” coming…right?’
‘Hai. I think perhaps you smarter than you allow people to see. And if so, I will say six.’
‘Six. That’s okay.’
‘Not yet six. Four. I think you are like typical Japanese man who puts head down, works hard, obeys manager and sees very little outside of route to and from his office.’
I laughed and then said, ‘You have Braja all wrong, Sapentia. Do you think he’d be sitting with us now if he was like that?’
‘Perhaps not. I hope you right. Because I feel this group is my family and Yuno Industries will soon try divide us.’
‘Sister,’ even in articulating that one word, I could hear that Braja was offended. ‘You can mock my intellect and that’s water off a duck’s back to me. But don’t ever question my loyalty to my comrades.’
‘Lizardman isss also loyal to the core.’
‘Hah, so. I apologise. Sincerely.’
‘Apology accepted. Does that mean I get that six now?’
There was a pause. ‘No.’
‘Man, you are a tough one.’
Raitha came in on the group channel. [Group] ‘Can I please get a spirit check and some advice. I’ve spotted a sea hag and her cave to the west of you. Should I pull her?
[Group] ‘Seventy-eight.’
[Group] ‘Ninety-two.’
Sapentia and Braja spoke at nearly the same time. Then there was silence and I realised everyone was waiting for me.
[Group] ‘It’s a risk. Assuming there isn’t much of a change from the Epic sea hag, we will kill her in less than a minute. The problem is that anyone who looks directly into her face is stricken as though under a Fear spell and while in that condition she can kill you with her stare.
‘I’ve fought one before as Tyro and just looked at her – shockingly ugly – feet the whole time. You’ll take more hits than you should Grythiss, but I don’t think you’ll be in danger if you keep your vision directed downwards.
[Group] ‘Lizardman isss ready then.’
[Group] ‘Agreed,’ added Braja, ‘I don’t have to look at her at all. I’ll use my UI to monitor Grythiss and heal that way.’
[Group] ‘Can you look at her back safely? asked Sapentia.
[Group] ‘You can.’
[Group] ‘How about you and I go behind dune and come out when Grythiss is sure of aggro?’ she suggested.
[Group] ‘Right.’
It was only a shallow dune that Sapentia had pointed to, so we had to lie down, side by side, to make sure we wouldn’t be in view. There was something intimate about the moment. Should I raise my eyes to meet hers in the hope she felt it too?
[Group] ‘The sea hag is out of the cave on the rocks again. Can I pull her?’
[Group] ‘Pull!’ I replied.
[Group] ‘Incoming, a sea hag!’
Soon, I heard the angry shrieks of the sea hag coming towards us, from my right. More troll than human, with sharp claws and teeth, I could picture her long streaming hair like seaweed, blowing behind her as she chased the eagle. Not that I was going to peek to check.
The howls were close now and I saw from the group stats on my UI that Grythiss was being attacked. His hit points were going steadily down and Braja wasn’t quite keeping up.
[Group] ‘Lizardman hassss her attention.’
Even more swiftly than me, Sapentia sprang up and began casting (a Lightning Bolt from the feel of the air around me), while I raised my bow. From here, I could see the dark green leathery skin of a monster whose thick, knobbly backbone protruded in an ugly fashion. Able to see the side of her face – keeping my gaze away from the possibility of catching her eye – I felt a wave of nausea and fear. It was extraordinary how the game managed to transmit these effects.
You have hit a Sea Hag for 3 points of damage.
You have increased the skill Archery (4).
Bang! The Lightning Bolt hit at the same time. Either Sapentia had gone too early or the sea hag had some electricity resistance for she still had a quarter of her hit points and turned towards us, fixing me with her burning red eyes. Of course, I looked away at once, but not before a stab like that of a severe headache stung me between the eyes.
Beside me, Sapentia looked horrified and, dropping her staff, turned to run. Throwing myself into her, I managed to trip her up and although she was squirming vigorously and crying that we had to get away, I kept her flat, hoping that the sea hag could no longer see her potential victim.
The Sea Hag is dead. You gain experience.
Good experience too. I was nearly level 7. One more cycle of Dryads would bring me past the mark.
‘You can let me up now,’ Sapentia said in local chat.
‘Right.’ I stood up and brushed away some sand.
[Group] ‘Nothing to ssshow for the fight.’ Grythiss had bent over to loot the dead body.
[Group] ‘Except a level five cleric,’ replied Braja proudly and we all congratulated him.
[Group] ‘I’ll go check that cave while you restore your spirit levels,’ I offered.
I’d noticed before that the vision of the half-elf was superior to being a human and this struck me again as I ducked below a shelf of rock and into a briny-smelling cave. Here, there was a sense of quiet. The sounds of waves and gulls had receded. It was not a big cave, not much bigger than my bedroom at home, with a damp, sandy floor; moss and limpets all over the walls; white fish bones strewn everywhere. It didn’t take but a moment for my sight to adjust to the dark and I was fairly sure I could see into every dark crack of the cave walls.
Disappointingly, there was no treasure. If I were a sea hag living here, where would I have my valuables? Dig a hole in the sand? No, because during very high tides or storms, waves would run right up and into this cave, washing away everything on the ground. High up, then? Taking a step up on a convenient protrusion of rock, I looked carefully at the roof area.
And there it was! A natural shelf high off the ground, on which something glinted. The roughness of the cave walls meant I had no difficulty in climbing up and getting an arm onto the shelf and sweeping the contents towards me. The loot consisted of a dozen pearls and a simple silver belt buckle. Curiously, the buckle showed no signs of wear but even in this very dim light, gleamed as new. I’d have to give it to Sapentia to examine.
[Group] ‘My friend, are you safe in there?’ asked Raitha.
[Group] ‘All done. You can line up the next pull, I’m coming out. Twelve pearls and a silver belt or broach buckle that I think might be magic.’
[Group] ‘Interesssting.’
[Group] ‘Do wizards in Epic Two have the Identify Magic skill?’ I asked.
[Group] ‘They do. Mine, I apologise, is merely level two.’
[Group] ‘On my way back to you.’
Outside of the cave, the day felt a lot brighter, even though clouds continued to move quickly overhead. Too quickly for comfort. Out at sea the wind had whipped up the waves to a point that their tops were cascading forward as white foam. Rowing back through those could be really difficult, especially in the unprotected channel between the island and the mainland.
Walking over to Sapentia, who was sat in the lotus position though attentive to me, I handed her the buckle.
After a moment, she looked up from the silver item and passed it back. [Group] ‘Definitely magic. Other than that, I could not tell.’
[Group] ‘Hurray,’ said Braja, ‘o
ur first magic item. Shame we don’t know what it does.’
[Group] ‘I presume we must refit it to a belt,’ offered Raitha, from wherever she was.
[Group] ‘Using some kind of clothes-making skill?’ I wondered aloud. ‘Or magic item-crafting skill?’
No one answered and I could sense their shrugs.
[Group] ‘Lizardman has belt.’
[Group] ‘Well, let’s dangle it from there for now, just in case that will allow the magic to work.’
Holding out his reptilian hand, Grythiss walked towards me and I passed the buckle to him. Sliding it on his belt, he studied himself, tried jumping up and down, swept his sword around and then grimaced. [Group] ‘Lizardman feels no different.’
[Group] ‘It might be a protection or resistance item of some sort?’ I suggested, largely to address the downcast tone of his words.
Despite the fact he probably couldn’t see me, Raitha backed me up. [Group] ‘Perhaps it needs to be set properly in a belt and used in its own right.’
Grythiss handed me back the buckle.
‘No, you take it,’ I said.
‘Lizardman thanksss you.’
With a screech, Raitha swept over the beach, not too far above our heard. [Group] ‘Pop! Dryads. Are we ready?’
[Group] ‘Ninety-one,’ answered Braja.
[Group] ‘Full,’ Sapentia added.
[Group] ‘Incoming! Three Dryads.’
For the next two hours, we settled into a fairly successful grind on the beach. The cluster of the three Dryads spawning every sixteen minutes formed the spine of our efforts between which we always fought at least one Griffon, sometimes two, and Raitha also found a Mantyger (level twelve, which was challenging, but its only weapons were claws) and a pair of Centaurs, who dropped bows and arrows.
Each time the Dryads cursed me accusingly and also when the Centaurs shouted in rage and dismay, I felt a twinge of remorse. If I were role-playing my character the way that Grythiss was, I would treat them as possible friends. Still, there were no ‘faction’ notices issued after the battles. In Epic you would sometimes see: Your standing with x has improved/worsened. In other words, my relationship with Dryads or Centaurs more generally was probably not affected. Probably, this was because we were on a remote island where no other members of their communities were witness to our repeated violence.
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