The Dragon's Revenge

by Conor Kostick

  For a while I studied the graphic. It seemed to me there were some serious bottlenecks. After a while I looked up to find that Watson, Demnayako and Blackridge were all looking at me intently.

  ‘What?’ I asked.

  It was Watson who spoke for them. ‘Can it be done?’

  ‘I think so.’ I glanced at Braja, who nodded. ‘Firstly, Raitha and I will be the hunters who use these arrows. Can we get to level fifty in six weeks? We can. We should be able to manage it with time to spare, in fact. Let’s be conservative and say a level a day, that still leaves us five days.

  ‘Secondly, the Master Bowyer. If we assign, say twenty players to gathering materials and the Bowyer stays at his or her workbench while the items are brought in, that should be no problem. Same with the other craftspeople, except let’s give them ten assistants.

  ‘Thirdly, the rare drops. Like the Ornate Glowing Feather from The Tower of the Jewelled Skull. It suits me to grind indoors, I’ll take a group of six - maybe seven - in there and as we rise in level we should be able to pick up those feathers. We put our highest-level group, thirty-plus, into The Undersea Ruins of Asthraxia to farm there. As soon as they are all into their forties, they move on to the Desert of Endless Screams and by then we should have another group in their thirties to take over farming in the Undersea Ruins.

  ‘Fourthly, we’ll have to raid for the eight Shards of the Smoke God, as often as he pops. This could be a problem.’ I tapped my finger on the box labelled Ziggurat of the Smoke God. ‘Unless we can rescue our high-level characters, it will take us a couple of weeks to have any chance of success here and then your note says he is on a one-to-nine-day respawn timer. Depending on the number of shards that drop each time, this might not suit our timeframe.

  ‘The rest of the items we need don’t look too difficult, just a bit boring to collect. Or am I missing something?’

  ‘No, you’re right, those are the main challenges.’ Watson looked to Katherine, who nodded. ‘Are we all agreed on this plan then?’

  ‘Agreed,’ said Katherine.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Blackridge muttered, ‘Agreed.’

  ‘Good,’ said Watson, putting his hands on the arms of his chair, as if about to push himself up and get on with his duties. ‘I’m putting you in charge, Tyro. We’ll schedule a full team meeting for later tonight and you can explain your plan.’

  ‘That’s funny. I came up here thinking you were going to send me home.’

  No one smiled. Taking the graphic from the table, I got up to leave. So I was in charge now? That thought came with a rush of happiness.

  ‘One more thing,’ said Braja, standing up also.

  ‘Yes?’ asked Watson.

  ‘Blackridge has to be seen to be backing Tyro. At the meeting, I mean. We don’t want a split. When all the players are raiding with Tyro as leader, we don’t want anyone secretly hoping he’ll fail. So “the General” has to put on a good act. Make it clear he backs Tyro one hundred per cent.’

  ‘Quite right.’ Watson peered up at Braja, then turned to his right. ‘Can you do that, Paul?’

  Pale, blinking, Blackridge looked vaguely about the room. Then the heavy block of his head rocked up and down. ‘I can do that.’

  ‘I better get back to the raid,’ I said, ‘we are going to need every single high-level character we’ve got.’

  ‘Go ahead. And good luck.’ With something of a struggle to push himself up out of the soft chair, Watson came around to the office door, to show us out and to shake our hands. ‘We’ll schedule the team meeting for tomorrow morning then, after your raid and some sleep.’

  On our way down in the lift, I looked at Braja. ‘That went well.’

  ‘It really did. You’re the boss now. Make sure to ask for a big bonus if we do take down the dragon.’

  This made me think of home. And something else. ‘Braja.’ I took a deep breath. ‘You remember when I won that Shield of the Dragonslayer for Raitha in the roll after we killed Mikarkathat?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I cheated. I used a macro.’

  His face was unreadable. ‘Why are you telling me this, Tyro?’

  ‘Because Watson knows. He has proof. And if things ever go sour, like over money, he’ll use it to try and split us up.’

  ‘Who else knows?’

  ‘Raitha.’

  ‘Not Sapentia or Grythiss?’

  ‘No…not yet.’

  ‘You should tell them.’

  ‘Okay. Are we good?’

  ‘We’re good.’ Braja nodded, holding my gaze just long enough for me to read his sincerity.

  Back in the game, Sapentia handed over the raid leadership to me. It had grown to an extraordinary size, nearly two hundred strong, as large as I’d ever led. With the escape of Onvorg (level 42 druid) and his group from Middlehampton, that added eight players in the high thirties to the raid, which meant a great deal in terms of buffs for the rest of us and debuffs, especially to movement, for the mobs. In theory, the next step, the rescue of five clerics at the Temple of Mov, should be easier than what we’d achieved already.

  As raid leader, I could swap the group memberships around and I did so now, creating groups that were nine or ten strong. In all the odd numbered groups, I made sure there was someone with Haste who could kite, even if the mob’s speed was not reduced.

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘Welcome back, how did it go?’ Raitha was sitting on the crenelated top of the church spire, sharp eagle beak dramatically silhouetted against Sylvania, the larger of the two moons.

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘Surprisingly well, considering Blackridge tried to sack me a few hours ago. They’ve put me in charge of Plan B.’

  As we set off along the path towards Fort Hellsmouth, I explained the new situation to Raitha, including the fact that he was down to stand with me and shoot Mikarkathat with an Arrow of Dragon Slaying.

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘My goodness. This is a big responsibility. I believe you are capable of anything, Tyro. For my part, however, I am concerned I will miss or otherwise fail to deliver upon my responsibilities.’

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘Oh, I’m the same; I worry about that too. What can we do, though, but try our best? And remember, we’ve stood face to face with that dragon and beaten her.’

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘One of my happiest memories,’ said Raitha softly.

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘Mine too.’

  With the moons overhead and the path straight, we hurried northwards at great speed and no risk. Around me were the scents of damp leaves, nettles and gorse.

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘You were injured by the dark elf warrior, I believe?’ Raitha suddenly asked.

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘That’s right, I lost more than half my hit points in one blow.’

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘I wonder how that occurred? Does this mean that if we are above a certain level, then we can overcome immunities in creatures like vampires and werewolves?’

  [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘I hope not, for the sake of the advantages of being a vampire. I was thinking about this too and wondered if it was his sword. Perhaps I’m not immune to certain types or strength of magic weapons.’

  There was no answer from Raitha for a minute and then, [Channel Raitha/Klytotoxos] ‘It is a shame someone broke the kite. We could have looted the sword and tested your theory. Now we shall have to proceed with great caution if we engage with our usual strategy of you as tank.’

  Our path came out of the woods to cross a small, humpbacked bridge and breasting this allowed me to look ahead to where the Temple of Mov stood on the next hill. The church was inspired by classical design, being a circle of widely spaced pillars, on which rested a large dome. As it was built on the top of a modest-sized hill, it reminded me of the much cruder dolmens and other stone monuments of ancient Ireland. Both had the same exposure to the night sky and sense that the stones were looking up at the stars.
>
  Normally, there were cleric NPCs at the temple from whom you could buy spells and get quests and, normally, it was a perfectly safe spot, which was why five of our higher-level clerics had made it their spawn point. Since the dark elf conquest of Fort Hellsmouth, however, they’d also overrun the temple and stationed five dark elves and an iron golem to prevent anyone respawning there.

  Our raiding party were gathered in fields to the west of the hill. These were church lands, recently harvested, and our army was tramping around on the stubble.

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Hi Onvorg. Do you have the spell Earthsink?’ I asked our high-level druid.

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Hi Tyro. I have it but it’s not equipped at the moment.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Please slot it in. I’m thinking we can slow the golem with it.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Good idea. And hey, Tyro?’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Yeah?’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Thanks for getting me out of Middlehampton. The thought I’d have to start over was depressing.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘You’re welcome.’

  Next, I switched to Glarinson to ask him to prepare the clerics we intended to rescue, then I opened the raid channel, which was full of voices, mostly cheerful.

  [Channel Rescue] ‘Hi folks, Tyro here, let’s get ready to clear the temple.’

  There was a slight drop in volume. Then Grythiss came in with a roar again. [Channel Rescue] ‘Raid leader sssspeakss! All mussst lissten!’

  And again, that did the trick. [Channel Rescue] ‘Thank you, Grythiss. Remember our objective is simply to clear the temple long enough for our friends to arrive in-game and run clear. We are not trying to kill these mobs, which is just as well. They are too tough.

  ‘If you are in an odd numbered group, this means you have kite duties. It’s your job to keep those mobs we can pull away from the temple from returning. Pull southwards, it’s all safe in that direction. Even numbered groups two, four, six, eight and ten, you are DPS reserve. Assemble halfway up the west of the hill. Listen for my call as to the target. At Middlehampton, two of the dark elves wouldn’t budge from the town centre. If that happens here, hopefully, I can tank and you’ll be backing me up.

  ‘Even groups ten plus, you are DPS on the kites. Assemble at the foot of the south side. Go easy, don’t confuse matters by getting aggro.

  ‘Finally, Onvorg’s group are on the golem. If you can draw him away, great. If not, we’ll Earthsink the ground beneath him and that should get us a minute or more before he climbs out of the mud.

  ‘Raid buffs on now please, we all need Haste and whatever resistances you have. Starting in five minutes.’

  [Channel Rescue] ‘Wait!’ a woman’s voice, unknown to me. ‘Clathurnia and I are nearly there, we need ten minutes more.’

  [Channel Rescue] ‘I’m sorry, we are on a timer. I can’t do this when dawn comes. PM Raitha when you get here for an invite and instructions.’

  After the flurry of spellcasting died away - it was wonderful to have Haste; I also received a fire resistance and two small cold resistance buffs - I set off for the temple. [Channel Rescue] ‘Let’s move.’

  With a respectable surge of co-ordinated motion, the raid broke roughly in two, the majority moving around to the south side of the hill, the rest following me up the west. We had a paved road to follow and with Haste on, I was moving with incredible fluidity. Halfway up, I paused. [Channel Rescue] ‘DPS reserve stay here. Onvorg with me.’

  [Group] ‘Do we stay here too, Tyro?’ asked Oveidio. I hadn’t changed my own group around, as I was enjoying getting to know them and listening to their chat. It was a fair question.

  [Group] ‘Please do. And you’ll probably be DPS. There are a lot of unknowns ahead though so stay a little south of the main bunch and stay aggro free for now. You have my permission to act on your own initiative if I’m dead and the raid is going pear-shaped.’

  While giving my group this reply, I had been advancing with just the druid at my side and this was the first time I’d gotten a chance to see his avatar. As usual with all these players, he was a patchwork of armour, with a distinctly imbalanced look. On his left arm and leg was some decent-looking black leather, with a neat design of exotic leaves carved upon them. His chest, however, was just a basic brown leather jerkin, tied with black laces, and his right arm only sported the white sleeve of his shirt. Onvorg was a half-elf, whose hair looked silver in this light but was, perhaps, white.

  Moving at a walk, to keep pace with him, we reached a point where first the golem’s head could be seen between the tall, pale stone pillars and then its body, as well as the helmets of three of the five dark elves we had been told were here.

  ‘Can you target the golem?’

  ‘I have him.’

  ‘Good. I’m going inside. Good luck.’

  ‘You too.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘Are you close?’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘Indeed, I am circling above you.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘Here I go. If I die, take over and maybe call a charge of the DPS group. In the confusion our clerics might make it.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘Don’t die. I cannot bear the responsibility.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘Hah, you’re gonna love what I have to say to the raid channel then.’

  [Channel Rescue] ‘I’m going in. If I die, listen for Raitha’s commands. Then Sapentia.’

  On my own now, I walked on up to where the paved path met with the stone floor of the temple. There were indeed five dark elves and they all turned to look at me as I put one paw down on the ground between the nearest columns. Then the other. No one stirred. From the woods to the east came the hoot of an owl.

  ‘Good evening.’ I took another step. ‘I come with orders from Mikarkathat. She needs us all to fall back to Fort Hellsmouth, to defend against an enemy army.’ Inside, the temple was austere, bare other than one large statue of Mov, looking like an Ancient Greek war god, with his helmet, breastplate and greaves. Yet he carried no weapons and was sculpted with a raised, open hand. The floor, too, was an exception to the bare stone effect. It was tiled and there were scenes from the tales of Mov, which might have interested me another time. Now, however, my attention was firmly fixed on the dark elves.

  Two casters, two fighters and a hybrid (probably a hunter, given the bow) stared at me and none of them looked anything other than hostile. Less was probably more in this situation. In other words, I kept my mouth shut, hoping one of them would speak and give me something to work with.

  At last, one of the casters stepped towards me, her boots echoing loudly under the dome. ‘We have our orders. No one must enter the temple. All who do, must die.’

  ‘Indeed and you have carried them out most admirably. Now the dragon changes your orders.’

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘In the north.’ I couldn’t think of a more specific location.

  ‘Leave. If the dragon comes, we will listen. You must go.’

  ‘I see. I understand.’ It’s hard, walking backwards as a wolf. I did, however, manage a couple of steps in reverse.

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘Sweep in from the north side and try to run as many as you can south down to the kiters.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Raitha] ‘I am coming.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Try pulling the golem now.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Onvorg] ‘Okay.’

  As I continued to shuffle backwards, the scowl of the female dark elf deepened. Still, she didn’t start to cast a spell. Then, more or less at the same time, the golem rumbled into life and Raitha came screaming into the temple. Being an iron golem, it looked a lot like a giant robot, three metres tall, flat head with glowing amber eyes and a groaning, screeching motion as though the magician who made him forgot the oil. As it stamped past me, shaking the ground and making me glance up at the ro
of of the temple with some anxiety, I saw Raitha flash across and out the other side.

  Ominously, the dark elves reacted effectively and without alarm. Their hunter already had his bow out and an arrow nocked; both casters were chanting and while the two warriors had moved to the pillars on the south side, they hadn’t left in pursuit.

  [Channel Rescue] ‘Kiters, come up the hill fast and tag the two warriors facing you, try to pull them away. DPS charge the female wizard and push her.’

  [Group] ‘Charge! Target the male caster, he’s a necro I think, and push him.’

  That left the hunter. Agonisingly, I watched him take careful aim. If I attacked him too soon, the other four dark elves would respond to me and that might make a mess of my plan…Perhaps I should anyway. Too late. The arrow flew through the night sky and a moment later, Raitha went grey on the raid screen.

  [Channel Onvorg/Klytotoxos] ‘The golem’s in the mud but he’s lashing around and won’t be in there for long. You need to mobilise the clerics now.’

  [Channel Onvorg/Klytotoxos] ‘Okay, thanks.’

  I immediately contacted Glarinson. [Channel Klytotoxos/Glarinson] ‘Call them in.’

  [Channel Klytotoxos/Glarinson] ‘On it.’

  With whoops and cries, the half of the raid that was the DPS group came charging through the pillars. We were lucky in the set-up, had the wizard’s view not been obscured, she could have landed an area of effect spell like a Fireball with devastating results. Instead, snarling, she raised her hands and from outstretched fingers, ten Frost Shards blasted from her and into the faces of the nearest players, killing several. That wasn’t good enough though and the survivors poured into the temple, slashing, bashing and kicking at her. Their damage didn’t amount to much, crucially, though, the push was established and the wizard couldn’t get her next spell off as she staggered back time after time.