Chapter 16: Book 1: Chapter 8 (Part 1 of 3)

(Due to a cock up on my part on RR this chapter got released early there. So you are getting a double release today to keep them in sync.)

 

My sleep was filled with an array of XXX-rated dreams featuring myself and a very eager Shana when the hazy bubble of lust was punctured in a most unceremonious manner by Quixbix.

<Torin, you need to wake up!>

My eyes snapped open immediately. There was an edge of urgency and excitement in Quixbix mental communication that seized my attention.

“What is it, Quixbix?” I said, as I propped myself up on my elbows.

Despite my concern with the Quixbix alarm call I couldn’t help but absorb the current bed situation. At some point during the night, Shana had rolled over and her body was snuggled up tightly to me with her head resting on my chest. My penis had breached the inadequately buttoned gap in my boxers and was bobbing in the air at full mast and one of Shana’s hands was loosely wrapped around my length.

No wonder my dreams were so vividly erotic.

My sudden movement disturbed Shana who had also been asleep. Her dainty digits were rapidly withdrawn when she discovered what she had been handling. Her cheeks were reddened with embarrassment, which I realised was odd.

Not that she was embarrassed, but it was still dark. There was some moonlight filtering through the window, but not much, and yet I saw everything clearly. Apparently, Acheronians had very good night vision.

Quixbix had been talking but my thoughts were elsewhere, and I’d missed what he said.

“Sorry, Quixbix. Can you say that again? I was distracted,” I said.

<I bet you were, you horny blighter> he quipped.

He chuckled heartily at his joke so maybe this wasn’t an urgent matter after all.

I looked at my watch, it was four-thirty in the morning.

“Why did you wake me, Quixbix?” I said with a sigh and thought about pulling Shana in close and finding out how she would react if I put her hand back where it had been moments before.

<Oh, yes. The perimeter of the BuyMart has been breached by Redcaps. You might want to do something about that before they murder you in your sleep.>

Any thoughts of happy times in the bedroom fled into the dark of the night and Shana and I got off the mattress and began garbing ourselves.

“For fuck’s sake dude, why are you cracking jokes when we are in danger,” I snarled angrily at the imp.

<Relax, Torin. They’re redcaps, not manticores, and there are only eight of them. I have access to the protection field of the BuyMart. Another glorious benefit of having me around, that you seem to be underappreciating. And woke you when it sent out an alert about the breach. They’ve only just got inside, and you have plenty of time to go after them.>

“What’s a Redcap?” Shana asked.

I had an idea based on the D&D I had played when I was younger and Quixbix confirmed my assumptions.

<Vicious gnomes with sharp teeth. They are about two feet tall and soak their caps in the blood of their victims to give them a red hue.>

“Lovely,” Shana said with mild disgust.

<Redcaps are low-grade creatures; you can handle them. They are basically free XP. They can be fast little buggers, though> Quixbix informed us.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said, and rolled my eyes as I summoned my scimitars.

<I saw that, Torin. I’m hurt. Maybe you don’t want me to give you the good news after all.>

“Sorry, Quixbix. I can be a bit grumpy in the morning,” I lied, trying to make the mercurial imp feel better.

<I can’t stay angry at such a roguish devil like you. You are forgiven. The good news is that the security alert created a quest at the Flint podium which I have accepted on both your and Shana’s behalf.>

As soon as he finished the quest prompt appeared.

Clear the Redcaps from the BuyMart (Y)

Eight redcaps have broken into the Flint branch of BuyMart. Kill or chase them off.

Success: Redcaps killed or forced to flee by your group.

Rewards: 200 XP per person.

Failure: Redcaps leave of their own accord or they are disposed of by a different group.

<There is one downside to this development, though. Anybody else who accepts this quest can pass through the security field. But once you complete the quest their permissions will be rescinded.>

“Understood. Let’s go kill some rabid garden gnomes,” I said.

Shana smiled and I was impressed at how easily she was adapting to this new world. I was left to wonder if that was all on her or if our soulbond had assisted in her acceptance of the radical changes to our way of life.

We left Gareth’s office and went into the manager’s lounge. The noise we’d made had already woken the trio who were camped out in here.

“Hey, man, what’s going on,” Keith mumbled, wiping sleep from his eyes.

To be honest I’d forgotten they were here.

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“We’ve just been alerted by the security field that some monsters have managed to get in,” I said calmly.

I’d almost mentioned Quixbix but remembered at the last second Dean’s advice to keep him a secret except for people I could trust. I didn’t think any of the three would understand the implications or try to kill me for him. But I didn’t trust them, Keith particularly, not to run his mouth in the future to someone who might.

Keith and Mia hugged one another with obvious fear. Malky took the news stoically and had a look of grim determination. On a whim, I created a broadsword made of ice and handed it to the big man.

“Malky, can you hold the fort while Shana and I deal with the threat?” I asked him.

Malky grasped the hilt of the sword and nodded his head. His lips quirked in a smile as he familiarised himself with the weapon. Before we left, I created two ice knives similar to what I made for the teenager yesterday and handed them to Keith and Mia to protect themselves.

I felt better not leaving them unarmed. I wouldn’t be doing that for the other asshats in the store, though.

Keith had put a desk in front of the lounge door, but I lifted it out of the way easily enough and we stepped out onto the tiled floor. We were both wearing trainers so moved silently, except for the occasional teeth-cringing squeak.

“Damn, it’s almost pitch black, I can barely see anything,” Shana whispered.

We were at the back of the store which was windowless. I could make everything out well enough, but it wasn’t as clear as back in the office when there was a smidge of moonlight to illuminate things.

“Okay, I can see where we are going. Take my hand and we will sweep the front half of the store first; you should be able to see better there. I want to hold off on using any lights until we’ve located the redcaps,” I whispered back.

Stowing the scimitar from my left hand in my inventory I took Shana’s right hand in my own so she could keep her bow in her left. We walked slowly down the children’s toys aisle until we got to where it opened out again. When we got to the end by the checkout tills there was a little moonlight beaming through the grill. The crowd outside had dispersed, but that wasn’t surprising.

I let go of Shana’s hand and gestured to my eyes and then pointed my fingers away, wordlessly asking if she could see. She bobbed her head in the affirmative and I motioned for her to follow me.

We snuck between and past the tills, Shana surveyed the rest of the store while I inspected the glass front doors. There was no sign that they had been forced open or that the security grate outside had been broken. A quick scan of the windows at the top of the walls revealed that none of them had been broken either.

Where had the redcaps got into the building? I tapped Shana on the shoulder, and she followed me back to the tills. We hunkered down behind the closest one and I peered into the gloom up the aisle.

No sign of them in ceramics and pottery.

Staying low we shuffled from checkout counter to checkout counter taking a moment after each to examine if the next aisle revealed the presence of the feral gnomes.

It took us a few minutes to cover half the distance when I first heard them. There was the sound of light banging and a mad cackle coming from the other end of the store. But it didn’t sound like the noise was emanating from any of the aisles. No, what we could hear was coming from the doorway which led to the employee lockers where we came in yesterday evening.

Where I had told Vincent, Constance, and their henchman to fuck off to for the night.

Straight away I knew this wasn’t a coincidence. I shouldn’t have left them to their own devices.

I was angry with myself for the mistake I made, but recriminations could wait until after I had dealt with this threat. I leaned into Shana’s ear to whisper.

“I can hear them in the locker room or the employee break room. We’re going to pick up the pace, okay.”

“Lead the way,” she whispered back as she released the tension on her bowstring.

Keeping low we jogged the rest of the way until we reached the final checkout counter. We were maybe thirty feet from the door which had been wedged open which was unusual, and I kicked myself again for not spotting that earlier.

The random cackling and scrabbling sounds were loud enough that Shana could hear them too. I heard what sounded like a crisp packet being torn open and then the crunching of the crisps, followed by a scuffle between the redcaps as they fought over the snacks.

They were in the break room.

 I made my move, sprinted the short distance from till to the door and pressed my back up against the wall by the doorway. Shana followed me and stood at my side. I craned my neck around the edge to get a quick look. The locker room itself was clear and there was a green glow coming from the break area.

Vincent’s crowd had used and left behind chemical glow sticks. I hadn’t thought to collect any myself and hoped the bastards hadn’t taken the lot. I also got a glimpse of one of our redcap friends.

He was two feet tall as Quixbix said. The one I could see had a grimy white beard and feral eyes. His conical cap was grey, perhaps a sign these little shits hadn’t managed to kill anyone and dye it red in their blood yet. He was wearing scrappy leathers and hobnail boots. And the nasty creature was laughing hysterically at something out of sight.

I used this as an opportunity to analyse my prey.

Redcap Gnomes x8
Grade: Y Level:  1
HP: 60	Value: Very Low
Threat: Low	20 XP each
Redcaps are named for their propensity to dye their grey woollen hats in the blood of their victims. Rarely dangerous unless encountered in large numbers.

 

Before we moved in, I made another ice dagger and passed it to Shana. If we were in such close quarters, her bow might not be of much use. I glanced around the corner again and the same redcap still cackled away in the break room doorway.

“They are in the break area and there is one out in the open,” I whispered to Shana. “Take the shot and then let me rush the room. Then follow me and cover the exit,” I instructed.

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