Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Investigation

Their destination was a large building near the end of the main street.  Jace saw a small queue of players waiting to initiate this module.  As the three of them stepped into the line, a party of four walked up to engage with a burly dwarf who had just exited the building calling for hardy adventurers to help him in his plight.  As they stepped up to the lone remaining player, Esther took one look at him and averted her eyes, pulling her hood to the side and stooping to pet Snowy.  Jace didn’t know if this was because she recognized this Level 9 player or because she didn’t feel like being social.

The man in line did want to be social.  “Well met, friend,” he said, extending his hand toward Jace.  It was pretty evident to the experience RPG player what most of these PCs were supposed to be.  The game allowed endless customization options, but most players fell into old cliches.  This man was human, dressed in half-plate armor with a sword by his side and a shield on his back.  He was a fighter, possibly a paladin.

He looked at Esther’s cloaked form, likely identifying her as a rogue, and turned to regard Jace more fully.  The shaman looked more like a merchant than an adventurer, with no visible armor or weapons.  “My name’s Slicksword,” the man said.  “Slicksword Dragonbane.  Which module are you hoping for today?”

Jace had never heard a more ridiculous name in his life.  He also didn’t have an answer.

“I want the carnival or tower defense,” Slicksword continued, not pausing after his introduction.  “I hear the barmaids at the carnival will reward the winner of the strongman competition, but you can get some pretty neat skills if you help hurl rocks off the castle walls at the invaders.  I definitely don’t want the giants.”

{Jace, you will most definitely get the giants,} Gracie added her two cents.

Gracie had told Jace that there were half a dozen different scripts the game could run.  Some thought it was random, while others thought it was based on the players’ skills.  But since most level 9 characters were all about the same, especially those seeking a boost to their strength score, no one really knew.  Jace and Esther were not your typical level 9 characters, and the game would probably pit them against the most challenging quest possible.

“Name’s Jace,” he replied once Slicksword finished, deciding to keep his last name out of it.  “I’m just looking for something to get me to ten.”  He wasn’t eager to start a conversation with this stranger, but he did want to know more about the mind of a typical player.

“I hear you, man.  The brothels and gaming houses in these safe zones are for the birds.  I need to step up my game and enter the big leagues.  Which city stronghold will you go to first?  Neverspring?  Ironfel? New Paris?”

{Actually,} Gracie spoke into his mind.  {We will be going to Ironfel.  That is where Drescher is.  Don’t tell him that, though.}

Jace shook his head.  “I’m here for the progress.  I’ve got to keep climbing.  I don’t want to revel in someone else’s success.  I need to make my own.”

His new friend nodded his head.  “Truth, man.  I hear you.  But you’ve got to stop and smell the roses sometimes.  Once you get to ten, you need to celebrate.  You need to pop that cherry.  You know what I mean?  Hey,” he suddenly got quiet, “have you heard what’s happening in Portsmith?  Crazy man.”

Jace sensed Esther stiffen beside him.

“I’ve looked it up on my map, and it won’t even let me in anymore.  Level restricted.  Looks like it’s gone full VR and PVP.  People are saying it will be a new stronghold, and half a dozen guilds are fighting for it right now.  Don’t know when it will all shake out, but if it settles down by the time we’re done here, that will be my first stop.  Seeing Esther again in full VR will be a trip, you know what I mean?”

The cloaked figure by Jace’s feet exploded into action.  When she came up, Jace saw she had switched to her armor with her swords on her hips.  Or at least one of the rapiers was belted on; the other was in her hand, the tip aimed for Slicksword’s gut.  The naïve fighter never saw the move coming and didn’t register it as an attack before the game deleted the sword and returned it to her belt.  He only saw Esther rise and extend her hand to him.

“Holy %&^$!  Dude.  No way.”  He stumbled back as if she had just skewered him with her weapon.

Esther looked down at her empty hand in confusion.

“Dude, you lying SOB, you’ve already smelled the roses, bought the flower shop, and are starting your own business.  But,” he glanced up at Jace’s level, “how did you do it?  Unless . . . were you there when it happened?  Were you the one . . .”

“I think it is your turn,” Jace replied, motioning over Slicksword’s shoulder at the dwarf who had reappeared calling for hardy adventurers.

“No.  You’ve got to tell me.  This is major.  Like the biggest thing that’s ever happened.  You can’t just leave me hanging.”

“I’ll leave you hanging from your-” Esther started, having recovered from her vanishing weapon.

Jace put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.  “Either you go, or we will.”

The fighter exchanged looks between the two characters before him, examining Esther’s exotic look in her new armor but returning to Jace’s cold stare.  This man’s exquisite calm as he stood with no weapons or armor at only level 9 with the most sought-after NPC in the game acting as if they were standing in line at the DMV to get their licenses renewed shook him to his core.  “R-r-right,” he finally stuttered.  “It’s my turn.  I, uh, I guess I’ll be seeing you.”

Slicksword turned and ran to the waiting dwarf.

Jace waited till he was out of earshot and then turned to Esther.  So far, no one had gotten in line behind them.  She looked close to tears.  “Jace . . . I don’t know if I can do this.  This is going to keep happening.  The realms are filled with people I thought were dead.  People I thought I’d used.  People I thought I’d killed.  But it’s like you said, they were using me.  I don’t understand it, but they want to keep using me.  Even knowing . . . what I am . . . what I’ve done.  They seem excited at the opportunity.  It makes me . . . it makes me wish they were dead.  That, if I could do it all over again, I would make sure they died.  It’s a horrible feeling.”

Jace hugged her, not having comforting words at the moment.  Snowy also snuggled up against her side, sensing that her new best friend was in pain.  “We will get through this together.  I promise.”  They stood there until the dwarf returned.

“We are about to go on an adventure,” Jace told her.  “And I promise that no one we meet for the next few hours will know who you are.  Take this fear and uncertainty, and let’s channel it into aggression.  If I know this realm like I think I do, we will get to kill a bunch of monsters.”

“Monsters worse than me?”  A slight smile on her lips let him know she was half-kidding.

“How could any monster be worse than you?”

The game allowed her to punch him in the arm, but she gave him a full smile as they walked up to the dwarf.

 

---

 

“Giants are attacking the village,” the duke said, “and we don’t have the resources to push them back.”

Jace, Esther, and Snowy were in the barracks just inside the castle walls.  The massive estate stood along a rocky shore, very different from the peaceful settings of Kellington and Portsmith.  This locale was much further north on the continent, and the cold wind outside and the rough surf of the ocean below made it feel like they were in a completely different world.  Gracie had explained that this was a MIM, so it didn’t need to abide by the same time or temperature rules of the shared realm, but since you could walk between everything, there needed to be some consistency.

“With vikings out marauding, I need to keep the castle walls guarded,” the duke continued.  “The harvest festival is only a few days away, there are reports of goblins in the mines, the quarry has been cursed with a series of accidents, and now the giants are at it again, no doubt gathering stores for winter, but we need those animals and supplies.”

The castle stood between the shore and the village of Cepton.  Jace listened to the rant as the duke laid out all the possible quests you could have here.  Gracie had told him that he could return to this city as often as he liked and take the time to do all the quests, but he would only get the Strength bonus once.

“I’m grateful that you adventurers have agreed to help us in our time of need.  We have a well-stocked armory that can provide any standard weapons.  And if you are successful, we have the means to reward you substantially.”

The dwarf back in Olympus had not explained the problem but had ushered them into the building, directed them to a travel node, and then they had been standing before the castle gates on a road that snaked south behind them.  Cepton looked to be the northern stronghold of this land, the last bit of civilization before the wild north.  They had been expected and had treated Jace and Esther well, even throwing some leftover meat at Snowy to keep her happy while they discussed business.  Esther hadn’t been mistreated, and, true to Jace’s word, no one had recognized her.  She had kept her armor and weapons on and had a determined look that let everyone know she meant business.

“We will do what we can,” Jace advised.  “But there are a few things we need.  I would like a sword, the longest two-handed sword you have.  Also, upon our return, we will likely need healing and perhaps a curse or two removed.  I am a devout man and will only accept the aid of a priest who follows my god, Dexmachi.  Surely in a thriving city of this size, that will not be a problem.”

Jace was testing Gandhi, but this had to be a common occurrence.  With 27 different alignments and several gods for each one, it would be impossible for players to find a temple for their god in the cities they visited unless the game cheated and kept a temple variable so it would always align with whatever player entered, especially in a MIM designed explicitly for them.

“Certainly,” the duke replied.  “That shouldn’t be a problem.  I will have our chief man at arms fetch you the largest sword he can find.”

“With a sheath,” Jace clarified.

The duke frowned.  “It will be far too long to wear on your hip, but I will see what we can do.”

{What madness are you plotting,} Gracie asked, seeing the now standard techniques Jace used to unravel a module.

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Jace didn’t answer out loud but smiled toward where he guessed the camera was.  Within a few minutes, they had brought the weapon.  Jace could see that if he tried to wear it on his hip, the tip would drag on the ground.  He didn’t bother with it further and put it into his inventory.  The last longsword he had was a level 2 and did 11 damage.  This was a level 6 and did 13 damage.  Still a far cry from his halberd, which did 18, but the halberd couldn’t parry, and he needed to test a theory.

Jace, Esther, and Snowy were led out of the barracks, through the back of the keep, and into the village’s eastern edge.  It was a thriving town of cottages and small stores.  It looked more authentically medieval than the public cities of Olympus and Centerville, with their two-story stone buildings and modern means of entertainment.  The quests here were presented organically, without a scripted NPC shouting for help every 30 feet.

The duke turned them over to one of the village scouts, a human ranger named Trexton.  He had an eye for Esther, but he also paid Snowy a good bit of respect, and as the two walked side by side, he kept his distance.  “What can you tell me?” Jace asked.

“The giants come at dusk,” the ranger replied.  “Not every night, but a few times a week.  They haven’t killed anyone or destroyed our houses yet, but they are stealing livestock.  We don’t have a lot of grazing land, so we keep just as many animals as we need to last the winter and maintain breeding stock.  We will already need to call on one of the southern cities for food, and the shipping lanes are becoming dangerous with the weather and the vikings.”

“Have you made any attempts to fight them off?”

The ranger frowned.  “Some, but they have a magic about them.  Most guards we put in place run in fear when they arrive.  These are stalwart men, good stock.  The next morning they are ashamed of their actions and promise to stand firm the next time, but they don’t.”

“Have you stood guard?” Jace asked.

“For the last two attacks, yes.  I haven’t run, but my hands shake, and I can’t shoot straight.  I’m no use in a close fight with the monsters, so I might as well have run.”

They had been moving west through the town and were now arriving on the border with fields and hills stretching out toward the distant mountain range.  Sheep, goats, and cattle were scattered as far as the eye could see.  There was no sign of destruction or hint of anything malicious.

“They are smart,” Trexton continued.  “They can step over our fences and pick up the livestock at ten feet tall, carrying one under each arm without harming them.  They make sure not to destroy our farms or fences.  To do so would scatter our flocks and make them harder to catch.  They don’t take too many, either.  But no matter how considerate they might be, it can’t continue, or we will starve.”

<Dog.  Something wrong.>

Jace looked around as the information came to him before realizing it was Snowy.  In the past, her alerts had been simple and one word.  Jace was happy to see that her communication improved as she advanced in levels.  He looked around and saw a large dog cowering just inside a barn a hundred feet away.  It looked like the realm’s version of a rottweiler crossed with a pit bull.  Not the type of dog that usually cowers in fear.

“What is wrong with that dog?” Jace asked.

“Ol’ Vic?” The ranger asked.  “Why, he is just as spooked as the rest of us.  We thought he would give us an early warning when the giants came, but he ran too.  He is so embarrassed about it that he barely eats anymore.”

<Wrong.  Yes, embarrassed.  Not afraid.>

Jace looked at Snowy, wishing the wolf could be more articulate.  As close as Esther was to the animal, Snowy wasn’t her familiar, and she only had a vague notion that the wolf was trying to communicate something.

{Jace,} Gracie asked.  {What are you doing?  The dog is scared.  No walkthrough I’ve seen says anything more about the dog.}

“Did any of those players have Snowy with them?”

Esther gave Jace a strange look, but he smiled at her.  “I’m talking to Gracie.”

{No.  I guess I should know better than to question you at this point.}

Jace turned to the ranger.  “Can you call Vic over here?”

The ranger tried a few times but eventually had to use mana to charm the animal before it came over.  And then it only came because he knew the ranger.

<Conflicted loyalty,> Snowy advised.

Jace knelt before the large animal and gently reached out to stroke him.  His fur was like a sheepdog, growing thick for the upcoming winter.  Fear looked back at him from the canine eyes, and his upper lip quivered over his impressive teeth.  Only Trexton’s gentle hand kept him from attacking.

Then Jace found it.  It was slim and buried deep under the fur along the dog’s neck.  It was a collar.  When he touched it, the dog whimpered slightly.  Jace initiated the Open command, and the collar came off in his hand.  The transformation in the animal was instantaneous.  He was happy, barking and jumping up and down in the presence of new people.  Snowy dwarfed the large dog, and the two became fast friends.

“What is that?” Trexton asked.

“You don’t recognize this collar?” Jace asked, holding it up for the ranger to see.  It had a green gemstone that looked too magical and expensive for a farm dog.

“I’ve never seen it before.”

“Snowy,” Jace said, distracting her from the handsome male dog before the two got any ideas.  “Come here.”  He held the collar out for the wolf to smell.

<Kobold.>

“This is why your dog is scared when the giants come.”

<No.  Not scared,> Snowy insisted.  <Control.>

Jace nodded, understanding.  “The giants have a kobold mage who is . . .”

<No mage.  Shaman.>

Jace looked at Snowy.  “You can smell that?”

Snowy replied with an affirmative bark.

“Anyway,” Jace tried again.  “Your dog isn’t scared.  He was being controlled with this.  He should be more attentive when the giants come.  It might not prevent your guards from running away, but it will help you set your defenses.”

“You are still going into the hills to investigate?” Trexton asked.

Jace nodded.  “Will you guide us?  I’m not good at following tracks.”

Snowy whined, and Jace looked at her to see a hurt expression on her face.  <I track smell.  No need scared ranger.>

Jace smiled at Trexton.  “Never mind.  I think we have it covered.”

He walked over and scratched Snowy behind the ears.  “Sorry girl, no hard feelings.”  Snowy barked and led Jace and Esther out of town toward the hills.

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