by TJ Reynolds
“Wardahl, you said? I can do that. The next is due tomorrow morning. Should be there in a couple of days. Any other message to send to the man?”
“Yes, tell him to keep the wyvern scales for a special project. Two friends of Alysand Deschaney need some armor. And he is a dwarf, not a man.”
Garren scratched his head as if curious about something. “This is all fine and good, gunman, but Benham town doesn’t have an armory.”
“It does now,” was all Alysand offered before turning to us. “I have called in some rations from our favorite cafe. If it is alright with you two, I’d like to leave for Gilsby tonight. Something is off there, and that town is where my hearth and heart live. I’ll not have it damaged.”
I looked to Hana to confirm, but I knew that no matter what, I would follow this ball of yarn.
Hana nodded, and she turned to Pachi, relaying the news.
We began the process of saying goodbye to Garren and his children. One of the boys came up to me and asked if he could hold my axe. I set the handle on the ground and laughed as the minute boy tried to heft it. He was only four or five. Of course, he failed.
“One day, buddy, you’ll be stronger than me,” I encouraged him, messing up his hair.
“And taller, too?”
I glanced over at his father, who was only around five-foot-nine or so. “Maybe. Maybe. But even if you’re not, you can get as strong as you want. Remember that.”
I saw Hana dealing with a little girl who was in tears. In a short time, the girl had come to adore the aspiring ranger, and no surprise there. Even as I looked on, Hana’s gaze caught me, and I blushed a bit and turned away.
Garren came up to me and gave me another surprise. “Madi, what is that on your back?”
I removed the halberd with its hastily cleaved handle and showed it to him.
“It is incredible,” he said. “I’m sure Alysand already told you, but that isn’t made by any human smith. I believe it is dwarven. Our local weapon smiths couldn’t do much with mithril, but it seems well-fitted to the shaft as it is. Let me have it a minute, okay? Just wait here.”
I watched as the lean man ran away to a shed near his house. A few minutes later, once we had packed up our gear and were finally ready to go, he returned.
“This will make for a fine addition,” Garren said. “Some warriors are so fierce they can learn to dual-wield two-handed weapons. My brother was such a fighter, though he is no longer with us. He was born with more muscle than mindfulness.” He gave me back the weapon.
He had taken a saw to the handle, and cut it so it was a perfect length, matching my other axe. The cut had been sanded down, and he’d even wrapped a worn leather cord around the handle, giving it a better grip.
“Thank you, Garren,” I said, shaking the man’s hand. “I’ll keep it well. And I promise, when I am back in Taelman’s Pond, I will have Wardeen do the honors of putting a finer handle on it.” He was obviously proud of his rapid work.
I quickly inspected the weapon to see if its stats had changed.
The Foreman’s Toothpick
Quality: Epic
Durability 220/220
150-280 damage
+8 Strength, +8 Stamina. +5% Health Regeneration
If dual-wielded, grants an additional +10% Armor Penetration.
Wow, so that had happened. The stats had all been reduced, especially the overall damage, but the addition granted to dual-wielding would be epic. I thanked Garren again and slung the massive axe over my back.
The owner of the cafe gave us enough food for several meals, as well as bacon, biscuits, and even dried fruit. It would make for a nice change to our usual jerky, which we still had plenty of.
Tumsley met us there as well, leading a saddled horse. The odd man was grinning as he removed an oversized backpack. “These should be of use in your travels.” He handed Hana and then me our own newly polished saddles.
I stared at the gift in shock a moment, then glanced over to Tejón. And though I still wasn’t sure he could understand me, I tried another mental message. This is so that I can ride on your back. Is that okay with you? And will you be able to carry my big butt?
Tejón looked at me and chuffed as if annoyed, then pawed at the ground. I amended my thought, hoping he was hearing my words. Of course you are. You are the strongest creature I’ve ever known.
Alysand gave Tumsley a pouch of coins and turned to me. “Don’t worry, Madi. I’ll let you repay me at your leisure. A hundred gold dragons is nothing for such intrepid adventurers as yourselves.”
Hana’s eyes went wide for a second, but then she considered the saddle in her arms and thanked Tumsley and Alysand both. I just grinned at the men.
Tumsley also gave us a satchel full of dried venison. “For the bear,” he said. “Ain’t no beast in this world that should be forced to eat his own.”
I thanked him personally and watched as the small man gave something else to Hana and whispered in her ear, his eyes twinkling.
The mayor came running up as we were about to leave. He was out of breath, and his eyes were wild, as if he’d just had a fright. “Alysand, my old friend! You heading to the mines, then?”
The bard looked at the ruffled mayor, his eyes squinting slightly as if to penetrate the man’s defenses. “The mine is cleared out. I’ve commissioned Garren to outfit the town with armor and weapons enough to defend itself, should further incursions happen. There are a good handful of strapping young men who’d take to a sword as quickly as they would a pickaxe.”
“Cleared out? But, but how? You said—I thought you’d said that…”
Alysand lifted his hand to cut off his words. “I made a deliberate attempt to deceive you, Sherman. It is my great hope that I am wrong about you, but something is not right. If I find that you know more than you are letting on, or if you are in any way dealing with this Rat King, I will personally depose you.”
“That is ridiculous!”
“As I said,” Alysand continued, cutting the man short again. “I hope I am wrong. Good day, Sherman.”
“Would you hear my news, then? I have news from Gilsby.”
“I have had news from the coast as well. We leave to Port Vaya this day. But any knowledge you might add could help my cause. What is it?” His patience was obviously running thin.
“Port Vaya? Oh, well. Gilsby, though. There is trouble at hand. I’ve heard that a man is there who has done much harm, though I do not know his name. I just wanted to warn you.” The mayor’s eyes gleamed with emphasis. His face was yellowing somewhat, and he seemed thinner than before. A bead of sweat ran from his brow and off the tip of his nose.
“Well, thank you,” Alysand said. “Consider me warned. I have a trade with a special collector in Port Vaya. Perhaps I will stop by Gilsby on the way back.”
The mayor excused himself and shuffled away. Alysand watched his retreat with the same piercing scrutiny.
It took nearly half an hour getting the saddles fixed and adjusted to Tejón and Pachi, and when we were done, the beasts stood proud, nearly sauntering as they walked around with their new trappings. Tumsley took Pachi’s old harness, as it was useless now. Barely big enough to accommodate her size, and the bags that it held were no longer needed. She could carry as much as she wanted now, in light of the two new saddlebags that balanced over her ribs.
Tejón’s saddle had even more storage space, and the seat was large enough for my considerable barbarian’s butt.
Hana jumped up on Pachi’s back gracefully, and immediately put her hands against the enfield. They conversed mentally for a while, and Pachi lifted her head proudly. Hana finished their conversation audibly. “I never said you weren’t strong. I was just checking. No need to get moody.”
I laughed and sent another mental nudge to my friend. Tejón, I am going to jump up on your back now, okay? Just let me know if you don’t want me to.
He gave no reply, so I jumped up myself, a bit embarrassed as I struggled to ga
in my seat. When I finally found myself seated on the mighty bear, I was startled at my new viewpoint. It was a lot like riding a horse, though my legs were wedged even further apart. I wasn’t sure what I’d do when he got even bigger—maybe just ride on my knees. The saddle had a small hump on it, but the underside was flat, not contoured like Pachi’s had been. Perhaps that was to allow him to grow to his full size without having to make a new saddle.
Alysand mounted up and led us out of town toward the road to Gilsby. Hana rode to his side and struck up a conversation once we were out of town. “Why did you lie to the mayor? You distrust him that much?”
“Sherman Hesperine used to be a good friend of mine. But he has an ill look to him. He is lying about something. That much I know. Did you notice anything odd about the man?”
As Hana answered, and their conversation droned on, I used the distraction to make a decision I’d put off for days. I’d gained my Berserker class rank awhile back, but hadn’t selected the passive skill yet. The choice had been burning away, begging to be made. But I hadn’t wanted to make a mistake.
I brought up the list again and sighed.
Class Skill unlocked: Choose between one of three skills:
Rage of the Reaver (Passive): Grants a permanent +10% combat speed bonus. When Rampage is active, the bonus increases by an additional 5%.
Shivving the Shield (Passive): Mastering the use of shield combat, the Berserker can not only block incoming attacks, but make the shield into a weapon as well. Shield attacks count as blunt weapon damage. Shield Bash or other abilities increase effectiveness by 25%.
Grip of the Gladiator (Passive): Giving up the option to hold a shield, the player chooses instead to have the ability to wield a pair of two-handed weapons at the same time. -25% damage to both weapons. Damage penalty decreases with greater proficiency.
Like every other skill choice before, I wanted them all. But like so many choices I’d made in this world, I needed the one that made me feel strong. The frightened voice in the back of my mind was always there, calling me gimp, useless, broken. In EO, though, in this place that was so very real to me, I was Madi the Berserker, and I had a reputation to make and maintain.
I selected Grip of the Gladiator and smiled like a maniac.
Pulling out both of my oversized weapons, I gave Tejón a nudge and pushed my way through Alysand and Hana’s mounts.
“What is the meaning of this, Madi?” Alysand complained. “My poor horse is already frightened as it is of his travel companions.”
I charged forward and turned back to face my friends. I lifted both of my axes to the sky, my arms feeling stronger than ever as I spun the weapons easily. “It is more than your horse that should fear me, Alysand. I am going to destroy the next foe we face!”
The gunsinger looked at me like I was nuts, but Hana beamed at me with approval. With that single look of confidence, I knew I’d made the right decision.
I gave Tejón a mental command, and he turned. Then, my companions following suit, we raced down the open road side by side, relishing in the wind that combed through our hair as we made our way toward Gilsby.
Part II
Trail of Salt
Relevant Progress of Alysand Deschaney
Status: Gun of the Western Reaches of Mariandor. Nursing a limp. Aging.
Class: Bullet Bard, Gunsinger, Knight of Old Gil.
Items: Two old pistols, a bottomless bag, and more tricks than a port town when the tide comes in.
To Do: Recover. Keep up with the young bloods. File an inquiry.
1: “There will be water if God wills it.”
— Last Knight in the Line of Eld
HANA
The journey to Gilsby was downright pleasant. Ever since Madi had decided upon her skill and surprised the group by brandishing two weapons that I could barely swing, one in each hand, the mood had been set.
Watching the triumph shine in her eyes, Alysand and I had no choice but to laugh and join in her merriment.
With the aid of our mounts, we made tremendous time, the road seeming to streak past us. True, we were probably only going twenty or so miles an hour, but having been on foot since entering Eternal Online, it felt like flying.
Still, I had to ask, How does this feel to you, Pachi? Is it too hard to run with me on your back? My friend would probably run even if it was torment, so I needed to prod.
It is heavier than I am used to, but I do not mind. If that horse can do it, I will have no trouble.
Her stubborn pride was expected. I warned her to tell me if anything changed, and we continued our gallop.
The sun did not last as long as our joy. We slowed to a trot and held it for another hour. Alysand told us we’d be looking for a nice place to camp for the night.
“Somewhere off the road aways, but where we can also keep an eye on it,” he said. “I want to know if anyone comes from Benham.”
After another fifteen minutes, I spotted a hill to the left—it had a copse of trees lit with the fire of the sunset capping it. “How about up there? It looks like we should be able to see pretty far up and down the road.”
Alysand just nodded and prodded his horse off the road, where we climbed a gentle slope around the back of the hill. The road cut through part of the mound, leaving it bald on that side. That would be another benefit, as anyone wanting to come at us could only do so using the way we came.
I called ahead to Alysand, “Hang on a second.” Movement in the branches had caught my eye.
Sure enough, as I dismounted and crept forward, the distinct figures of rabbits hopped around beneath the trees. I retrieved my bow and told Pachi to watch for any that might try and escape.
I drew my bow and activated Vital Aim, not for any bonus to damage, but for the slow-motion effect it gave.
The arrow launched from my bow, the subtle twang giving the rabbit just enough time to look towards me as the arrow pierced its skull.
I drew and fired another, but the next rabbit turned suddenly, leaving my arrow sinking harmlessly in the soil.
But even as I cursed my aim, Pachi flashed beside me and snatched it between her jaws, then activated her ability once more and got a third. The rest all found the cover of a burrow they’d dug in the hill itself. In total, there must have been seven or eight of the creatures. That made me feel better about us cutting down their numbers. They were rabbits after all. They would replenish their numbers soon enough.
“This is a fine spot,” Alysand said as he staked his horse near a lush patch of grass. “We can make a cookfire down the hill, so we won’t be visible. Our camp will be under the trees. With each other’s warmth, I doubt any should be cold this night,”
Madi seemed to agree as she dismounted and began the complicated task of removing Tejón’s saddle. I followed suit, then we fell to fixing dinner. There was plenty of tinder and dried wood within the trees, and I had a fire crackling soon enough.
The rabbit was thrown into a stew with some of the bacon to add flavor, and we had biscuits as well. Tejón and Pachi each ate their own rabbits, then shared some of the venison Tumsley had given the bear.
Before it was full dark, our party was sated, the fire snuffed out, and our guard set. I drew third watch, so I found myself trying to get comfortable on the ground, Pachi only mildly irritated by my shifting. She happily lay down to sleep. The day’s ride and the fighting from this morning had worn her down more than she wanted to admit.
I checked progress towards Pathfinder again, hoping to occupy my buzzing mind.
Herbalism: Level 10 (Complete)
Rustic Cooking: Level 10 (Complete)
Animal Harvesting: Level 14 (Complete)
Stealth: Level 9 out of 10
Shelter Mastery: Level 5 out of 10
Fishing: Level 8 (Complete)
Skinning: Level 10 (Complete)
Ranged Weapon: Level 13 (Complete)
Ambush: Level 4 (Complete)
Pet Bond: Level 2 out of 3
My progress was excellent in some areas, and others were beginning to be frustrating. How long would this business in Gilsby take? When would I find the time to build an awesome shelter? The many tedious meals I’d prepared lately had paid off. I’d need to force Madi to share the chore now that I no longer needed the skill. Then again, the thought of eating a burnt chunk of meat did not seem appealing. The warrior did not strike me as someone with the attention to detail it took to cook food properly.
The Stealth still needed a bit more to level up, but one level could be easily gained through an afternoon hunting trip.
Remembering the Rat King quest, I checked to see how it would have changed after the mines and the meeting with the rangers at Carnen’s Rock.
Stop the Rat King Part 2: Epic Quest. Having cleared the mines and the hills around Benham of the Rat King’s minions, and after gaining knowledge of trouble in Gilsby from the rangers, your road now leads to the ocean. Travel to Gilsby and find what has been troubling the gentle seaside town. Convert or destroy all servants of the Rat King. Rewards: Unknown Item, access to further quests in chain, 5000 XP.
There were some interesting hints in the quest description. What did it mean by “convert?” It would be fascinating to find out if we could persuade any of the monsters we were facing to take our side—and certainly more profitable in the long run.
The XP gain had seriously jumped up this time around, but that made sense, considering the levels I’d gained recently. The higher I got, the more I needed to progress to the next level. The “Unknown Item” was also a juicy tidbit. It seemed like every RPG nerd lived for loot. The greaves that Madi had bought for me warmed my legs nicely, yet already I wanted something new and shiny. Speaking of which, I’d need to do some shopping for her as well. Buying and receiving Epic gear was turning into a satisfying pastime.