The Dragon's Wrath: Shadows in the Flame (35 page)

Chapter 109: Preparing for a Trip

(Sunday, February 6th Game Day / Sunday, May 16th Real Day)

“I see you’re on early,” I said as I entered the dining area of the inn.

“Mm,” she replied without bothering to look my way.

“If you’re waiting for Emily she popped in earlier,” I whispered as I sat down at a table across from her. “She said she had something come up and would be on later tonight.”

“I see, thank you,” she said rather coldly.

Smiling to myself, her ears were truly exceptional. She appeared to be capable of hearing the slightest of noises from relatively long distances without any trouble. I could only imagine how good her sense of smell and touch were when considering her hearing.

She was an interesting one.

Nodding at the waitress for my usual meal, the daily special of generic stew with whatever game meat happened to be available was more than good enough for me. With nothing else to do while waiting, I decided to entertain myself a little at the girl’s expense. She wasn’t very friendly and it made sense as to why but Emily had shared a little bit of information with me before logging off.

Valerie was social but generally kept to herself and Emily felt it would help if she was more open. After all the time she put into the game in the alpha and beta phases plus the four and a half months of the live phase, she only had one real friend in Emily. She simply didn’t care to befriend strangers that she didn’t know in person.

Why Emily was trying so hard to make our friendships work was beyond me but she had apologized on a few occasions for her involvement and wanted to make it up to me. I apologized a few times for my actions too and now things were normal… though normal wasn’t really the right word. It was a strange situation that seemed a little fake at times.

I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all.

“Have you eaten?” I asked as I turned to face her, wanting to start a conversation as she was the only real person in the area.

“No, I have not,” she stated plainly.

Standing up and walking over to the kitchen that was connected by a hallway, I grabbed two wooden bowls and filled them with stew as the waitress was busy helping some of the other NPCs. Heading back to the dining room, I set the bowls down on her table and decided to join Valerie for lunch whether she wanted me to or not.

“Here you go,” I said as I placed a bowl in front of her.

“What is this called?” she questioned immediately as she began to poke the meat that was protruding out of the stew.

Hesitating for a second, the scene brought back memories of another strange incident inside a tavern by the Outcast Dungeon. One where a female in a hooded cloak poked her food and wondered what each ingredient was, going so far as to ask the man tending the bar to clarify her order. A situation where the female seemed familiar.

“Ah, so you’re the girl from the bar,” I mumbled as I shook my head, upset with myself for forgetting another detail. “You’re right, we had met twice… though that time I couldn’t see your face or hear your voice. I’m not sure if that counts, does it?”

“Is that so?” she said sarcastically.

“Meh well that’s a chunk of dire wolf,” I explained as I pointed at it. “No clue if that’s what it tasted like thousands of years ago but I imagine its close enough to how a wolf tastes. Though these dire wolves are a bit bigger than historical records... so yeah, make of it what you will.”

“I see, thank you.”

As we both began to eat our generic stews, Roald and Kaia entered the room as they sat down a few tables away. Needing to have a short discussion with Roald, I excused myself from the meal and walked over. Joining the two at their table, I sat down quickly as I greeted them.

“Good afternoon you two,” I said with a smile.

“Hello Sigurd!” greeted Kaia with a friendly smile in return.

“Ah… hello,” mumbled Roald as he knew work was coming his way.

“Roald, I need you to head to the Northern Triangle while I’m away,” I said, having made up my mind days ago as his face showed his displeasure.

“You can’t be serious,” he replied with a moan. “In the dead of winter?”

“I could run there in less than two hours, if you’re a quarter as fast you’ll make it in a day,” I replied with a serious stare. “I know you’re a trade master by profession but I’ve been having you pull double duty as a diplomat for this very reason. This time I’ll need you to wear a diplomat’s hat and go out and seek an audience with the village elders of the Triangle.”

“And will I let them know this time that they can come to us for trade as well?” he said sarcastically as my words had continued to exasperate him.

“No, you’ll offer them the choice of receiving assistance from us,” I said clearly as his ears perked up in interest. “I wish to incorporate them into our territory. They will remain autonomous villages and retain complete freedom to do as they please but I wish to offer them protection and resources when requested or required. Simple terms.”

“Ah-h, S-sir Sigurd, that’s a rather serious proposal,” he stuttered as he tried to wrap his head around the matter. “Are you sure you don’t want to think this over some more? What would we have to gain, er… what would
you
have to gain from doing this?”

“Loyalty,” I said sternly.

“Loyalty you say… what good is the loyalty of the penniless?” he asked in turn with disdain clearly showing on his face. “They can offer us nothing in return, they can’t even feed themselves.”

“They cannot feed themselves because their environment works against them, they are ill-prepared and equipped to handle the situation they are in,” I quickly explained. “I will help provide for them, as they are our neighbors and when in a time of need, you lend a helping hand.”

“Ah, I see,” he mumbled as he thought out the situation. “And you ask nothing in return, in a signed treaty?”

“Hm, I want to know what they know,” I said somewhat confusingly. “If they hear talk on the seas, I want to know. If they hear whispers in the wind, I want to know. If the forests speak to them… I want to know. That is the only thing I will ask of them, that and their loyalty as a friendly neighbor.”

“Oh, well aren’t you a clever one,” he snickered as he replied. “So you want to establish an information network at minimal cost. Though if you don’t mind me making a suggestion… Andal would be far better suited for that purpose.”

“Andal comes after the Northern Triangle, work from the closest territory and then out,” I said calmly. “The North is changing and we need to stay a step ahead of the competition. There are powers in the other kingdoms that we cannot currently hope to match up against. A united front, a coalition of villages and towns will provide us with a fighting chance.”

“I see, do you wish for me to head to Andal immediately after?” he asked as Kaia and Valerie listened in without so much as a peep escaping their mouths or a peep in my direction.

“Let’s hold off on Andal until we see how it works with the Triangle,” I stated clearly as I began to stand up. “You have good judgment, if they are ready to sign a treaty then I leave the decision making to you. You can create the terms as you wish but whatever you do, make sure we aren’t seen as the ones taking advantage of them. We’re lending a hand, not exploiting.” 

“Finally a job worth doing,” he muttered and laughed. “Something of substance, I was beginning to think my life would amount to nothing more.”

Leaving their table, I returned to my stew that was now lukewarm as the conversation had taken a few minutes longer than planned. The reality of the Triangle was that the developers created a situation where the inhabitants couldn’t survive without adventurers. This wasn’t a typical case where hard work would get you through and the laziness of the villagers was the only thing holding them back. The system artificially constrained them.

“I don’t have much free time today but if you want a tour of the North, I can take you around in a little bit,” I said to Valerie as she finished her food.

“Your assistance isn’t necessary,” she said sharply.

“When would it ever be necessary?” I replied with a slight shake of my head. “It’s an offer if you would like to see some of the more interesting locales with the one person who happens to know the layout here better than any other individual in the game. I’m only offering to show you around, nothing more, nothing less.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said as I finished my stew.

Taking both of our bowls back to the kitchen, I dropped them in the large wooden sink that had been crafted with a barrel of water placed slightly above and to the side on an upright log.

A functional source of running water with a small pluggable channel cut into the bottom, it only had to be filled with water from the moat or river when low and provided easy access for my NPCs that worked here. It was only one of many systems that would be set up eventually.

The goal was to have a system of running water throughout the entire town.  I was envisioning a water wheel that would help move it all along as my bath houses when finished would need a consistent source. Channels could be built around the town but if I could only rely on gravity then something needed to lift that water up.

I wasn’t going to stand around with a bucket, that much was certain. There was so much work to be done and so little time as I left the inn and headed out into the center of the town. My trip to the Central Kingdoms would take me away from Dragon’s Breach for a week at the very least.

A lot of tasks would need to be delegated.

There was still a lot of preparation to be done.

And the boat trip would be a long one.

Chapter 110: Wesstown

(Wednesday, Feb. 16th Game Day / Wednesday, May 19th Real Day)

The raucous laughter of the crowd caught my attention as wooden mugs were slammed onto the counter top. An uproar followed as the dozens of patrons that littered my view celebrated something unbeknownst to me. The place was packed, shoulder to shoulder as nothing but players lined the tables, walls, and counters in every direction.

Pushing my way through the crowd, the dim interior lighting gave off a grungy feel that completely engulfed the entire place and reminded me of the dive bars back home. The interior wasn’t much better, rustic but modern and altogether completing a lousy viewing experience that hardly impressed. There was nothing pleasant about this place.

This was a dirty pub in a dirty town… this was Wesstown.

Situated on the western side of the central kingdoms in the middle of the continent, Wesstown was one of many towns and cities that lacked any redeeming features save for the crowds if one considered that a plus. Thousands upon thousands of players could be found roaming these forests, fields, and streets.

Far too many for my tastes… far too many shoulders to bump into, bodies to shove past, faces to look at. This pub smelled, a rancorous smell of human odor coming from bodies too far removed from their last shower. Hot too, a stifling atmosphere as sweat dripped off the man in front of me, down into a puddle beneath his feet. His pants and shirt soaked, he stood there by the fire as he tried to cool down with another drink, the crowd having pushed him into the worst of locations.

These weren’t my kind of people.

I missed the North already.

“Barik, Ethan!” I yelled as I spotted the two sitting at a crowded table in a corner of the massive pub. Waving to grab their attention as I made my way over with two females in tow, it was a fight to simply make our way through.

Pushing and nearly shoving to clear a path, Emily had been holding onto the back of my shirt with her left hand as Valerie held her right. The place was large enough that one could easily get lost and with these crowds, one could barely hear. A sad situation in reality.

“Ye made it Sigurd,” replied the dwarf with a firm handshake as I finally managed to clear a space for the three of us to squeeze in.

“Good to see ya mate,” said Ethan with a wink and a nod, as he resumed his people watching with a certain interest. There were a lot of males here but there were plenty of females too. If bars and clubs were a place to pick up a date for the night, an in-game bar was a hundred times better. We were all anonymous here… and that meant a lot.

“This here is Emily and Valerie,” I explained with an upturned palm pointing in each of their directions, introducing them to the crew over the loud noise of the crowd. “They helped me out up North, kind of owe them one. They’re also the ones who helped set me on the correct path.”

“Nice to meet ya,” said Barik loudly as he shook both of their hands in turn, leaning over the table as his smaller stature didn’t afford him the reach.

“Pleasure ladies,” said Ethan with a playboy’s smile as he leaned in near their ears to introduce himself. “Friends call me Ethan.”

Standing slightly off to the side as the four began to interact, I surveyed the crowd and looked for people of interest. This was the watering hole where people gathered, one of a dozen or more in this town. If I wanted to gather information then I needed to mingle with the crowds… local folks with a decent knowledge of the area were what I wanted.

It was already 11:14 PM local time for me and the gals, while the sun was still setting for the Aussies a day ahead. We would have to play late into the night if we wanted to keep up with them, though what type of play depended entirely on one’s success.

Noticing a lone female struggling to get a drink at the bar, I figured my opportunity to begin gathering data had arrived. Leaving the girls with the guys at the table without a word, I entered the crowd and began to make my way through to the front. Clever positioning and a little show of strength got me through the worst of the blockades while a polite greeting took me the rest of the way.

A foot away from the girl that was failing to get the attention of the barkeep as she was blocked by a large man standing in front of her, I slipped in next to her and waved at the NPC running the show. Even with my Reputation stat not quite as influential here as in the North, they still seemed to recognize my importance over the other players despite having no prior interactions. Invisible stats that triggered responses, it was nice to have.

“Yah wha’ ya want!?” he shouted over the noise of the crowd while leaning over the counter as far as he could. Ignoring the girl to my right who was clearly upset at this point, I figured I would get the standard drink for now.

“A pint of ale,” I yelled back as I put my index finger up.

The man nodded as he understood but before he turned and walked away, I interrupted him with an open hand signaling for him to wait. Tapping the shoulder of the flustered girl on my right, I leaned over and asked her a quick question.

“What are you having!?” I said loudly to her as I turned my head to the side with my ear positioned somewhat in front of her face. In turn she placed her hand on my shoulder as she leaned in and with her lips nearly touching my ear, she replied without hesitation.

“A lager!” she shouted over the noise.

Turning back to the barkeep, I put up two fingers as I shook my head.

“Sorry! Make it two lagers!”

With the bartender attending to our drinks, I turned my attention to the cute redhead next to me. She was a short one, maybe 5’2” at the most without boots on and had a slightly rounded face to match the curvy yet slim body below. My intention wasn’t to play pick-up artist but if things rolled that way, I wasn’t entirely turned off to the idea. I was a single guy after all and we were at a bar. The whole thing reminded me of old times.

“Thanks!” she said clearly as she leaned her face in next to mine. “I’ve been waiting forever! I usually don’t have to wait this long!”

“Yeah, it’s a little crowded today!” I replied while keeping the distance between us as close as possible. Working my way closer as a few guys walked by and bumped her, I used the opportunity to extend an arm around her as I shifted positions with her. Moving her towards the side of the bar with myself on the outside, she no longer had to deal with the other patrons constantly knocking into her.

“I know!” she shouted back after we had finished repositioning. “Wednesday night is always crazy! I was waiting on my friends but I don’t think they can make it inside!”

Laughing in my head at the corny line, I had heard the same thing dozens if not hundreds of times before. There were always guys and girls that came alone but pretended as if they were waiting on others. Sometimes they actually did come with friends but were ditched or abandoned as their friends left to chase their targets. Either way, she was here to socialize and I wasn’t one to judge. Fun came in a variety of ways, anyways.

Receiving our drinks, I suggested we head outside to the gallery where it was less crowded so we could actually hear ourselves talk. Taking her out, it only took fifteen minutes and three more lagers to gather enough information from her to figure she wasn’t going to be of much use. The only thing of interest was that she mentioned she was part of a large guild that happened to be on my list. She was a member of a guild that was in direct competition with the guild
Triumvirate
.

Another fifteen minutes had passed as the girl told me she had to get going while asking if I could walk her back. I knew where this was heading and I gave it some consideration, but then I thought of Katherine and immediately felt guilty.

Angered by the feeling of guilt over an NPC that didn’t exist, my mood had been ruined as I walked the girl back to her room. She was angling to have me come up with her as I declined with an excuse that my friends were waiting for me at the bar.

That was the end of that.

“Man… what the fuck,” I mumbled as I entered the pub that was a mere five minute walk away. Making my way back to the corner table where the four had been sitting and conversing, I now had a new name on my friend’s list for a future meeting. She wasn’t too upset that I turned her down. Maybe my excuse and delivery worked too well.

“You’re back,” said Emily as she gave me a suspicious look.

“Alive and well,” I joked with a quick raise of my eyebrows and a smirk.

“Mm. I bet,” chimed in Valerie as she swirled the remaining ale around in her mug. “Short with red hair and a big bust, I presume that’s your taste?”

Holding in my laughter, I decided to join in the game and have a little fun. Eyeing the girl in front of me, she really did look the same as when I had last seen her at the meeting. It took a few glances to refresh my memory but she truly was one and the same, only this time she didn’t have large dark sunglasses covering her eyes.

“Actually, I prefer tall brunettes,” I said with a nonchalance as I grabbed an empty chair and squeezed myself in. “A natural beauty, pretty but not over the top. One that can dress modestly without much makeup and still be presentable. Has a sharp sense of humor, maybe even a dry sense of humor that could compliment mine. Intelligence is a standard necessity along with decent morals and ethics. Hm, what else… oh, green eyes, definitely. Green eyes are a big plus as well.”

Emily blushed for a split-second as Ethan and Barik both concealed their laughter as the girl I was describing was sitting across from us. As I gave her a wink, she didn’t appear to catch on as the description seemed to go right over her head.

“Mm. That’s awfully detailed,” she said after a few seconds had passed, pausing to tilt her head while raising her glass. “Best of luck to you in finding someone that matches that description, I believe you’ll be needing it.”

Bursting out into laughter as her response was perfect, everyone else joined in except for Valerie as she was either playing it off as cool as a cucumber or she didn’t realize she was being funny. Either way, it turned the atmosphere into a happy one as we all enjoyed the moment for what it was.

“You’re a joke and a half Sigurd,” said Ethan as he leaned back in his chair and resumed his people watching.

“It seemed appropriate,” I said with a shrug.

“
Uhm
, to clue you in on what you missed,” Emily started to explain after clearing her throat, intending to change the topic as she seemed a little uncomfortable with the previous course of discussion. “Everyone here is already familiar with the large guilds that have been fighting over these past months and it looks like the NPCs have finally started to move. They’ve been seeking recruits in the region.”

“Recruits?” I asked a bit perplexed by the statement.

“Mercenaries mate,” chimed in Ethan.

“Hm, well that redhead is a member of
Accipe Hoc
,” I stated casually as I stared at the center of the table. “It’s one of the largest guilds in these parts and they’ve been fighting with
Triumvirate
for over a month real-time now.”

“Is that so?” inquired Valerie with a curious expression. “You mean to say, you weren’t actually playing and were… dare I say it, working?”

“What’s the name mean?” asked Emily with a confused expression. “I don’t get all the Latin guild names.”

“Take this, or take that,” I explained quickly as I turned my attention back to Valerie. Bowing slightly as I replied to her, I tried to play it out as best as I could. “I’m always on the job my lady, no opportunity shall be wasted under my watch.”

“Mm. Lovely,” she retorted as she finished the last of her ale.

“So do you think we should join up with a large guild?” Emily questioned with some seriousness, as she folded her hands and placed them on the table.

“Eh I don’t know, I’m liking the sound of mercenary honestly,” I said with little to no emotion showing. “If that’s the correct term… we’ll be paid by the NPC faction to fight this war and we’ll remain anonymous as far as the bigger guilds go. I don’t want to be found out here. The last thing I need is for word to spread that I’m over twenty-four hours away from Dragon’s Breach when I’ve got hundreds of enemies in the North.”

“Fair point,” said Emily. “Then we’ll do the mercenary route.”

As we combed over the finer details to prepare for our involvement, the main issue was when the real fighting would begin. According to Emily the system itself was largely automated and would make its own decisions when the time was appropriate. Of course the system was created by game designers… so my line of thinking there led me to believe that preferences were installed into the game’s brain to lean towards a weekend release.

Purely hypothetical but I was expecting a Friday or Saturday start.

“Alright! I’m off,” said Emily as she pushed off the table and stood up. “I’ve got work in the morning, see you guys later!”

Glancing at Valerie, she appeared to be looking at her menu as her eyes were fixated on a spot that didn’t have anything of interest. Usually she would leave when Emily left but this time, she seemed content to stay and hang out.