Somerset

by Aaron Oster

  “When did you get the quest?” Sam asked, surprised by this bit of news.

  “As soon as you told me about it. Didn’t I tell you?”

  Sam shook his head, then turned to Gordon.

  “Exactly how will this work? If we both completed the same quest, will we have to share items?”

  “No. Whenever someone accepts a quest, they will receive whatever items were promised upon completion, regardless of how many people are involved.”

  Sam nodded, then rose from the ground, holding out a hand for Emma and helping her up. He then turned his attention to Sirus, who was kneeling on the ground, clutching the headless corpse of his dead sister, and weeping silently.

  He wasn’t really sure what to say to the man and stood there awkwardly for a few moments before attempting to say something comforting. But as soon as he opened his mouth, Sirus’ head whipped up, and a look of pure hatred entered his eyes.

  “This is all your fault!”

  “How the hell is this my fault?!” Sam yelled back, now feeling a lot less guilty about getting Aoife killed.

  They’d both stolen from him and had both attempted to kill him. Aoife herself had tried to do so twice, and was the main reason for his being tortured by that psycho bondage lady. In fact, they were as much to blame as Millicent was! They could have left at any point in the last year. He was sure that there were times when she wasn’t around, so they had no excuses. They’d both been greedy and Aoife had paid the price.

  He had no remorse whatsoever.

  “If it wasn’t for you, my sister would still be alive.” Sirus got slowly to his feet, eyes burning with madness and hate. “I will be back for you one day, Samuel. Mark my words!” Then he turned and slunk away into the night.

  Sam debated killing the man, just to avoid a potentially dangerous future enemy, but in the end decided that he didn’t have the heart to shoot a broken man in the back, no matter what he thought of him.

  “You sure you wanna let him go?” Emma asked. “I can still easily kill him.”

  For just a moment, Sam debated saying yes, but shook his head.

  He couldn’t ask other people to do what he wasn’t willing to do himself.

  “Is the fight over? Is it safe to come out now?”

  They all turned when the voice of the Princess sounded from behind the upturned wagon and Sam rolled his eyes.

  “Yes, Princess, you can come out now.”

  After a few moments, Willow’s head poked out from behind the wagon, as though to make sure that they weren’t lying to her and the enemy really was gone. As soon as she saw the coast was clear, she emerged from behind the wagon, straightening to her full height, and sticking her nose impetuously in the air.

  Oh boy, not this again.

  “As your Princess, I demand…”

  “Nope,” Sam cut her off right away. “We’re not your vassals, and you can’t tell us what to do. So, you either speak nicely, or we’ll just leave you here.”

  Willow bristled in indignation.

  “Now see here…!”

  “Come on,” he said, completely ignoring the Princess. “We should head into the city to collect our rewards from whoever has taken over for that gnome.”

  Emma nodded, likewise ignoring the Princess and moving to follow him.

  “Wait! I’m sorry! Please just hear me out!” Willow shouted when she realized that they would indeed leave her.

  Sam turned back to her with a cold glare.

  “I don’t know who you are, or what you’re doing here. If I’m being honest, I really don’t care. I have had a very long few days and right now, I just want to get some sleep. So unless you have a real explanation as to who you are, and what you’re doing here, then you can just fuck off!”

  Willow looked shocked at his outburst and bit her lip in indecision as Sam impatiently tapped his foot. Finally, her shoulders sagged, and she nodded.

  “Fine, I’ll tell you everything, but not out here. Do you have somewhere we can talk in private?”

  Sam thought about that for a second, before nodding, and an almost manic grin stretched across his face.

  “I think there’s somewhere we can stay. Besides, I have some payback to dish out.”

  ***

  “You bastard!” Quentin cried out when Sam’s fist crashed into his nose, sending the man to the ground.

  “No, I believe it is you who are the illegitimate child,” Gordon said, earning him a snort from Sam, and a laugh from Emma.

  Gordon definitely had an interesting way of insulting people.

  They were standing in the entryway of The Classy and had garnered the attention of all the patrons currently seated inside.

  “What is going on out here?!” The small, purple gremlin practically exploded out the doors of the kitchen, waving around a ladle and glaring around at everyone.

  When he spotted Sam and his group, as well as Quentin, his face paled slightly and he quickly rushed over.

  “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” he exclaimed, looking in horror from Quentin, who was pinching the bridge of his nose, to Sam, who was standing over him with arms folded over his chest.

  “I’ll tell you what they’ve done!” Quentin exclaimed, rising to his feet and glaring at all of them. “They have sealed your fate. You and everyone here will pay for the assault on my person! Sirus will raze this place to the ground, starting with you!” His face was flushed with anger, and his voice sounded quite nasally due to his swollen nose.

  “No, I don’t think they will,” Sam replied, then, pulled his foot back and kicked the man right in the family jewels.

  Quentin went down with a high pitched howl of pain and all the gathered patrons winced in sympathy.

  “You see, Quentin,” Sam said, crouching down next to the man. “We had a little run-in with Sirus and his pet elf. Suffice it to say, that you can no longer count on their protection.”

  “Wait, are you serious?!”

  Sam looked up to the gremlin, who was looking both shocked and relieved at the same time.

  “Yes. Quite serious. I know that they’ve been a plague in this city for quite some time, but I can assure you that they are gone for good. Now I know that you’ve probably got a lot of payback planned, but would you happen to have a few rooms we could use for the night?”

  Class Cee nodded dumbly, reaching into his pocket and handing him three slim keys.

  Sam thanked him and motioned the rest of the group to follow. Even as he was walking up the stairs, he could hear the sound of the small gremlin’s ladle impacting something soft and the cries of pain that followed soon after.

  42

  Sam sat in a plush chair, facing Willow across a small table. Emma sat to his right, Baron Von Tweet perched on her shoulder, and Gordon lay on the small rug to his left, gnawing happily on his stick. They were currently sitting in the living area of room number 1, which happened to be a luxurious suite and, what Sam suspected, was the most expensive room in the entire inn.

  Sam stared across the table at the smaller woman, who was fidgeting nervously in her seat. He was silent however, waiting for her to begin. It took a few moments for Willow to begin her tale, and when she did, her voice was shaky and tinged with fear.

  “My name is Princess Willow Pendrackon, and I am the daughter of the King of the West Kingdom, King Ahr Thurr Pendrackon.”

  Fucking hell, really?!

  “My father is a kind man and a just ruler. The kingdom thrived under his rule and the people were happy.”

  Willow’s face fell as she continued.

  “But one day, a woman came to the palace, seeking an audience with my father. After that day, the woman suddenly became his closest advisor and my father began acting erratically, sending out decrees that raised taxes to unheard of levels, forced people into the military, and killing anyone who did not comply. No one knew what had come over him. He refused to see anyone, not his advisors, military leaders, or even his family. All of his order
s were given through the woman.

  Finally, they all came to me, begging me to try and see him, to talk some sense into him. He had always listened to my advice, so they thought that I might have a chance to get through to him. I tried for weeks to gain an audience with him, but every time I tried, the woman would stop me. Finally, I decided against formality and walked to the throne room unannounced. The guards let me in immediately and what I saw when I entered shook me to the core. My father was seated on his throne, eyes dead and lifeless, while the woman whispered into his ear.

  It was then that I knew the truth. When she turned her glowing red eyes on me and smiled. She was an enchantress and had enthralled my father under her power. I fled from the throne room as soon as she saw me, heading straight for the stables to make my escape.”

  Now where have I heard this story before, Sam sarcastically thought as Willow continued.

  “I knew that the enchantress would not allow me to live after what I’d seen, so I had no other choice. I snuck into the first wagon I found and hid behind a few crates. I suppose it must have been headed here, because the next time the wagon was opened, was tonight.”

  Willow straightened in her seat and finally met Sam’s eyes.

  “I was unsure of who to trust, but after your actions tonight, I know that you have the Kingdom’s best interests at heart. So, what do you say brave warriors, will you help me free the Kingdom?”

  As soon as Willow said those words, a screen popped into Sam’s view.

  QUEST AVAILABLE

  Enchanted Kingdom: The enchantress Borgana has infiltrated the palace and enthralled the King. Free King Ahr Thurr to complete the quest.

  Difficulty: Extreme

  Objective: Oust Borgana the Frayed from the palace Rewards: 75,000 XP, 1 Legendary Item, 1 Master Spell Scroll

  Sam closed the quest notification, and he and Emma shared a look.

  “The name of the enchantress is Borgana the Frayed?” he finally asked, turning his attention back to the Princess.

  She nodded, looking very somber.

  “Yes. She is an enchantress of considerable power and if she isn’t stopped, who knows what kind of damage she can inflict on The Four Kingdoms. ”

  “I couldn’t help but notice the difficulty of the quest,” Emma cut in. “Exactly how long do we have to complete it?”

  “I’d say you have about two months,” Willow replied. “But it’ll take you at least half that long to reach the capital.”

  “Will you be joining us?” Sam asked.

  “No. I do not believe I can make such a journey safely. I will go to the guild and ask them to escort me out of The Four Kingdoms. Now that the corruption in this city has been dealt with, I should be safe in their care.”

  “Alright, give us some time to discuss this, and we’ll let you know what we decide,” Sam said, after a few moments of silence. “We’ll come to your room in a few minutes with our answer.”

  Willow nodded, then rose from the chair. Sam walked her to the door, closing and locking the door behind her. Turning back to Emma, he quirked an eyebrow at her, but she just shrugged.

  “You interested in taking down this Borgana the Frayed?” he asked, trying to hold back a laugh at the ridiculous name.

  “I’d kill her just because of that shitty name,” Emma replied with an eye roll. “But the quest difficulty is no joke. If you haven’t forgotten, we almost died taking on that last one. The only reason we’re still alive is because that siren owed you something and couldn’t deliver.”

  “She could have delivered,” Sam replied with a shrug, taking a seat next to her and stretching widely.

  “What about you, Gordon? You got an opinion?” he asked, turning to the dog.

  “If you would like my suggestion, I would recommend accepting the quest. It is not often that quests are offered by nobility, let alone royalty. Aside from the rewards offered by the Princess, the King himself will likely reward you as well. The task may be difficult, but the rewards for such a quest far outstrip the danger involved.”

  “Well, I’m convinced,” Sam said with a grin and turned to Emma with a questioning look.

  Emma stared back at him for a few moments, before finally relenting.

  “Fine. I’ll go along with it, but don’t forget that you still owe me.”

  “For what?”

  “Did you already forget that little deal we made before the fight earlier?” she asked, lips turning up in a self-satisfied smirk. “Whoever kills the most cronies, gets to ask one thing from the other person. At last count, I killed more than you.”

  Sam tallied up the numbers in his head, then grimaced. Even counting the six he’d killed with the trap, he was still behind Emma by at least one, probably more. Now, it was his turn to relent.

  “Fine. What do you want?”

  Emma’s smirk turned upward, curling into a full blown grin.

  “Don’t you worry your cute ass about that. You’ll know soon enough.”

  Sam just rolled his eyes, then rose from his chair.

  “Guess I’ll go and give the Princess our decision then.”

  Walking to the door, Sam pulled it open, only to have Willow stumble right into him.

  He raised an eyebrow, and she flushed a deep red, embarrassed at being caught listening in.

  “So,” she said, clearing her throat and trying to cover her embarrassment. “Have you made up your mind?”

  Sam looked back to Emma, Gordon, and Baron Von Tweet one last time, before giving the Princess his reply.

  “Yes, Princess. We accept the quest!”

  Epilogue

  Sam lay in his bed, staring up at the curtains overhead. It was nearing midnight, and he was completely exhausted from the day’s events, but for some reason, he still couldn’t sleep. Gordon was lying next to him, his sides rising and falling with his deep breathing.

  After Willow had left to retire for the night, he and Emma had discussed when to visit the guild to collect their rewards. After a few minutes of debate, they decided to go the following day. It was probably in turmoil at the moment, as whoever was now in charge was most likely trying to get the word out to everyone that they were finally free of Sirus and his gang, as well as notifying whoever was in charge of the guild as a whole of their predicament over the last year.

  They’d stayed up and chatted for a bit after that, discussing their plans for the coming weeks and how best to accomplish their goals, but after a while, Sam started noticing how tired she really was and had excused himself for the night.

  Emma had offered up her bed, of course, saying that there was plenty of space for the both of them, but Sam had politely declined, leaving the strange girl and going to his own room. Gordon had fallen asleep immediately, but Sam had no such luck. His mind was still racing from all that had happened that night, and it wasn’t shutting up. Finally, he decided to look over his status. He’d been wanting to leave that until morning, but since he was awake anyway, he might as well.

  CHARACTER STATUS

  Name: Sam Race: Human Level: 18

  XP: 2,443/51,000

  AP: 41

  Class: Mage HP: 130/130 (Regen 1.3 Per Second) MP: 450/450 (Regen 4.0 Per Second) STA: 140/140 (Regen 1.4 Per Second)

  ATTRIBUTES

  Strength: 6 (7)

  Constitution: 13

  Agility: 8

  Endurance: 9 (14)

  Intelligence: 42 (45) (+8 Class)

  Wisdom: 37 (40) (+8 Class)

  Charisma: 21

  Luck: 12

  ABILITIES

  Mana Shot: Beginner LV - 19 (31%) Mana Burn: Beginner LV - 17 (5%) Mana Flare: Beginner LV - 15 (10%) Mana Cloak: Novice LV - 10 (93%) Mage Bolt: Novice LV - 5 (67%) Speed Boost: Novice LV - 3 (28%)

  SKILLS

  Sprint: Beginner LV - 16 (84%) Stalker: Beginner LV - 15 (67%) Inspect: Intermediate LV - 22 (19%) Mind Over All: Advanced LV - 40 (41%) Mental Manipulation: Beginner LV - 16 (57%) Browbeat: Novice LV - 9 (12%) Critical Strike:
Beginner LV - 13 (81%) Sucker Punch: Beginner LV - 12 (23%)

  TITLES

  Butcherer of Bunnies Punching Bag You Won’t Like Me When I’m Angry

  EQUIPPED ITEMS

  Clothing Farmer’s Canvas Shirt Farmer’s Canvas Pants Farmer’s Leather Boots Mage’s Sash Total Armor Rating: 10

  Set Bonus: +1 Strength & Endurance Other Items Name: Silver Orb Damage: +5-8

  Name: Pendant of the Novice Mage Effect: +3 Intelligence & Wisdom Name: Ring of Endurance Effect: +4 Endurance Name: Ring of Fortitude Effect: +50% Resistance to Mental Manipulation

  RULE OF THE DAY

  Do not allow your HP to drop below 70%

  Do not eat any stew

  He blew out a long breath, now very much regretting checking his status.

  At least the divine curse had finally worn off. Taking double damage was no joke!

  He looked over his options again, feeling a headache coming on. There were just so many things for him to take care of, not the least of which was assigning his attribute points, choosing a sub-class, and picking an ability from the list he’d been given for reaching level 15.

  Well, he had to start somewhere, and choosing a new spell was the easiest decision to make.

  He’d already turned down the other two last time, so passing them up again wasn’t too difficult.

  CONGRATULATIONS!

  You have gained a new ability!

  Mage Shield: Coat your skin in mana, to protect yourself from all mana based attacks Level: Novice 1 (0%) Effect: All mana based attacks nullified Duration: 8 Seconds Cost: 100 MP

  Cast Time: 1 Second Cooldown: 5 Minutes

  With that out of the way, Sam decided to check up on his sub-class options next, to see if any new ones were available. There weren’t. Closing the tab, Sam debated just choosing one, but decided to ask Gordon beforehand.