Stealthcaster Read online
Page 7
The man appeared taken aback, not just by Solomon’s inquiries, but by the words and phrasing he was using. The man glanced around, then stepped closer to Solomon, leaning toward him.
“Yo,” he said quietly, the false, linguistic pretense now gone from his voice. “you a player, too, man?”
Sol’s eyes widened some as he looked at the bearded man before him, a sense of realization settling on him.
“A player? You’re a player?” he asked excitedly. So far, besides him, Megyn, and Ella, the entire world of Shyft had seemingly contained NPC after NPC after NPC. He was starting to wonder if there ever would be another player.
“Holy crap,” the man said. “Yeah, I’m a player. Jumped right in on launch day! So far we’re all starting off on Elderand, how the heck did you get down here already? Don’t tell me you finished the first quest?”
Solomon’s eyes darted left and right, looking at the Amazons around them, each of them staring at the pair in confusion, trying to decipher what these two men were talking about.
“Ella, Megyn, come here,” Solomon said, gesturing to his friends, and they walked over to join them as they turned away from the blank stares of the women warriors and headed for the trees. “This guy is a player,” he said excitedly. “An actual player!”
Megyn smiled widely. “Wow. What’s your name?” she asked.
The bearded man smiled. “You can call me Sir Lionel Reynard, I’m a Paladin of the Diamond Edge.” He dropped down onto a single armored knee, reaching out and grabbing Megyn’s hand, bringing it to his lips. “Very pleased to meet you, m’lady.”
Her cheeks flushed and she pulled her hand back. Sir Lionel repeated the motion with Ella’s hand, giving Ella a case of the giggles.
“Yeah, I’m not calling you Sir Lionel Reynard,” Solomon replied. “How about just Lionel?”
“As you wish,” the paladin replied, standing. “Man, I love his medievil crap.”
“Is the game open now?” Ella asked. “To everyone?”
Lionel shook his head as they approached the trees, leaving the Amazons to sift through the wreckage of the boat and dead bodies.
“Open beta,” he replied. “Supposedly only the first two thousand players. Even with that, though, Elderand is swarming.”
“I keep on hearing about this place Elderand,” Solomon said. “What is it?”
“From what I hear, it’s the largest city in this region,” Lionel replied. “It appears to be the central hub for incoming players, they are all gathering there before dispatching to other areas of this world.”
Sol, Ella, and Megyn all looked at each other curiously, then back to him.
“So what level are you?” Ella asked, looking at his armor.
“Just a level three right now,” Lionel replied. “I was hoping to complete a few quests to get to level five before heading back to the city.”
“And you’ve chosen your Paladin class already?” Solomon asked.
Lionel looked at him confused, standing with his back to the trees. “What do you mean? We chose classes and characters when we first entered the game. You can’t spawn into the city without going through that step.”
Solomon rolled his eyes, a look of frustration crossing his face.
“Why?” Lionel asked. “Did you three not choose your classes or characters?”
Solomon shook his head. “We got spawned into a closed beta,” he replied. “Things were… different. We just kind of appeared here in various places, and basically got the bodies you see us with. No choice in the matter.”
“Hm,” Lionel replied. “that doesn’t seem fair.”
“You think?” Solomon asked, the frustration moving from his face to his voice.
Megyn gestured toward Solomon to keep him quiet.
“Never mind Mister Butthurt,” she said. “Tell us about these quests. You say you were offered a quest when you were in the city?”
Lionel nodded. “Indeed. A feathered messenger arrived with a scroll wrapped around one of its legs. A scroll promising a quest to vanquish the enemy Sharak-Ku from the Gallowind Wood. We were to set sail down the river and meet up with a cadre of Amazon Warriors to join in the battle. The quest promised over 2,000 experience! Rare Ankheg armor and working with the Amazon to develop critical combat skills. My brothers and I thought it would be perfect.”
“Your… brothers?” Solomon asked.
Lionel’s face hardened and he nodded.
“I have two brothers who joined the beta with me. They were both on that ship. Both of them killed in the ambush.”
“How high in level were they?” Solomon asked.
“Level two, both of them. They spent the first week at the tavern while I connected with the Diamond Edge and began learning my skills. I even unlocked a coveted skill tree. That’s how I progressed to level three so quickly. I’m pretty sure that’s why I survived and the rest of them didn’t.”
Ella took a step forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, they’ll be respawning back in Elderand. If they were so low in level, they’ll see a drop in XP, but probably nothing critical.”
“That coming from the girl who never actually died,” Solomon interjected.
“Shut up, Sol,” Megyn hissed, slapping him on the back of the head.
“Oh, right,” he said briskly, “we’re trying to comfort him. I’m so bad at this.”
“You’re just bad in general,” Ella said.
“So what will you do from here?” Megyn asked, looking at Lionel. “Make your way back to the city?”
Lionel shook his head. “Not at all,” he replied. “I came down here to complete that quest, and complete the quest I intend to do. I assume those warrior maidens out there are the Amazons I’m supposed to meet?”
“Indeed they are,” Megyn replied. “And we are part of their war council as well.”
“You?” Lionel asked, seemingly shocked. “As normal players?”
“One of the benefits of being in the closed beta, I guess,” Solomon replied, trying not to look like he was boasting too much. As they stood there, he finally took an opportunity to take a long insightful look at Lionel Reynard.
Sir Lionel Reynard
Level: 03
(80% to next level)
Class: Paladin
Organization: Gold Cross
XP: 3125/3900
HP: 65/215
MP: 21/120
STR: 16 CON: 12 AGI: 10
CHA: 18 LUK: 10 DEX: 12
WIS: 12 INT: 14 STA: 14
Items:
Iron Broadsword
(+25% damage against evil alignment)
Shield
(+10% defense against evil alignment)
Blessed Chainmail
(+5% defense against evil alignment)
Skills:
Lay on Hands Level 01
(+20 HP per minute)
(Part of the Holy Warrior Skill Tree)
Blessed Blade Level 01
(+10% damage to evil alignment)
(+5% chance of critical hit)
(Part of the Holy Warrior Skill Tree)
Divine Protection Level 01
(+10% defense against evil alignment)
(Part of the Holy Warrior Skill Tree)
Solomon let out a low whistle.
“Not too shabby, tough guy,” he said, shaking his head. “Heck of a lot better than I was when I dropped out of the sky into this paradise.”
Lionel shrugged. “There are various class and race bonuses that take into effect, depending on what you choose.”
“Pretty sure I’ve got some race bonuses, too,” Ella replied, turning her hands over so Solomon could be reminded of her Dark Elf heritage.
“Would have been nice to have been given a choice at least,” Solomon said.
“You know,” Megyn said with a smile, “you sure do a lot of complaining for a guy who spends his entire life in a gorgeous game world, free of charge.”
“Plus an early jump on the beta. I’m betting it’ll be a while before Lionel here hits level five. You may even be level six or seven by then.” Tyson had roamed over to where they stood, back on the ledge overlooking the river. Lionel’s eyes grew wide and his fingers flexed slightly, searching for the broadsword that was still laying by the side of the river. Megyn stroked the wolf’s fur. “He’s harmless,” she said to the paladin, who didn’t seem convinced.
“You never did tell us what happened here,” Solomon said, nodding toward the boat. “Do you remember? Who ambushed you?”
Lionel glared back at the boat, seeming to measure his memories.
“They came from everywhere,” he said quietly. “The trees next to the river. The branches hanging above. They were even in the water itself. Snake people. I mean, some of them looked normal, except for some scattered scales. Some of them had snake heads. Two of them had full blown snake tails, just with human arms, torsos and heads. The stuff of nightmares.”
Solomon nodded.
“Welcome to the Sharak-Ku,” he said.
“Wait,” Lionel interjected. “Those were the Sharak-Ku? Those… snake things?”
Ella nodded. “One and the same.”
“I thought Sharak-Ku was like some… nomadic tribe or something. Headhunters. Nasty, sure, but just… people.”
“No such luck, hero,” Solomon replied.
“Speaking of which,” Megyn said, “how did you survive, anyway?”
“When I found the Diamond Edge in Elderand, they taught me the Holy Warrior Skill Tree. Well, they helped me unlock it, anyway. I learned three spells, including Divine Protection. It gives me innate resistance to evil creatures. My armor and my shield are similar. The armor itself was blessed by the Diamond Edge. I’m guessing that combination of holy buffs repelled the evil enough to allow me to survive, even as the rest of the men and women on the bought were… were… slaughtered.”
“Well, good,” Solomon said. “We can use any perk we can get. If you really do have some built-in protection against evil, that could give us a tiny edge in this battle, and the way things are shaping up, every tiny edge will help.”
Once again, Lionel dropped to a single knee, lowering his head.
“My sword, my shield… my life are yours.”
Solomon looked down at him, then looked around.
“Awkwaaaard,” he said quietly, gesturing the paladin to stand. “Grab your sword and shield, good guy,” he continued, “and come with us. We’re going to get you back to Thorathon, we’ve still got a lot of work left to do.”
Chapter 10 - Ranging
* * *
The trees did little to block the early morning sun, rays of yellow slicing between the green leaves, creating a beautiful display of mixed light and shadow through even the thickest wood north of Thorathon. Megyn smiled as she stepped forward, clearing a large root, her foot settling onto the ground on the other side, pressing noiselessly against the dirt, moving like a wraith, between branches and under hanging leaves. Since she’d wholeheartedly embraced her role as a Ranger, she’d accepted the class, and associated class bonuses, including an additional stealth buff and a base increase to dexterity. She’d focused on stamina and dexterity with her last assignment of five stat points that came along with her fifth level, knowing that if she was going to spend a lot of her time out in the woods, she needed that combination to thrive.
A low crunch and rustle emerged from her right and she ducked and turned, smiling softly as Tyson moved out into the clearing next to her.
“You know, for a valiant, natural hunter, you sure make a lot of noise, stealthy,” she whispered and the animal cocked its head at her curiously. “Keep moving, just don’t give away my position.”
Megyn had awoken with the sunrise and ventured into the wood even before the rest of the Amazons were awake. Her goal was to return by breakfast, and hopefully return with breakfast, a pleasant surprise for the women who often went without so their trainees could eat.
Holding up her hand, she directed the wolf to stop and he did so, his muscles coiling and eyes narrowing, looking for whatever she was seeing. Along with her additional bonus for stealth, Megyn had acquired a reconnaissance skill as well, giving her some enhanced surveillance abilities, and a talent for looking at a creature and seeing its capabilities. As she looked out into the next clearing, she saw a small group of red foxes slowly walking through the trees, six of them in total. The one on the lead was a far larger fox than she had ever seen before, more the size of a medium-sized dog than a typical cat-sized animal she was used to.
Slowly and quietly she removed her bow from her shoulder and slipped an arrow from her quiver, looking keenly at the moving animal.
Red Fox
(Small and Swift hunter and killer)
HP: 14/15
MP: 0/0
Skills:
None
“Just a basic run-of-the-mill fox,” she whispered quietly to herself, pulling the bow string back to her ear, tracing the creature’s progression with the broad tip of her arrow. She held her breath, tensing her muscles, going through the motions in her head. Her finger snapped, the string sprang forward and the arrow drove hard through the fox’s neck, wiping its HP out in a single, swift strike. Even as a second fox was whirling toward her, mouth open and fangs bared, she had a second arrow nocked, and released that one, slamming the shaft into the forehead of the angry creature. Two of the remaining foxes snarled and bound into the woods, but the final two charged her, eyes gleaming green, saliva spraying from angry, barbed teeth. For the briefest moment, she’d felt bad about killing the small animals, but now as the last two charged at her, wailing, she reminded herself that they would have happily killed her if they’d ambushed her instead of the other way around.
Another arrow flew, striking one of the creature’s in its crimson chest, throwing it face first into the dirt. The final fox leaped, too close for her bow, and she let it fall, backpedaling, moving out of the way just in time, the fox grazing past her with its angry, vengeful lunge. In a moment, she had her short sword drawn as the red animal stiffened and whirled, baring back down on her again. It leaped, she feinted right, then darted left, slashing with the sword, and in a blink twenty HP was gone and the fox was gone with it.
She remained there, crouched in the trees, a hand pressed to the dirt, her eyes closed so she could listen for any other approaching creatures. Silently, she activated Wilderness Instinct a new skill she’d learned along with her acceptance of the Ranger class. It didn’t take long before she heard something— several somethings actually, a low, frantic rustling within the tree roots, something low to the ground, bellies sliding on dirt, lithe bodies slipping past the expanding trunks of trees. Crouching and slipping forward, she pushed aside a thick group of ferns, and found herself staring directly into the eyes of a large snake.
Swarm of Poisonous Snakes
A horde of venomous, slithering serpents
Level: 6
HP: 145/145
MP: 00/00
Skills
Venomous Bite
(-2 HP Per Minute)
She gasped and threw herself into a frantic backpedal as the serpents rushed from the low grass, hissing, their tongues flicking with malice. Planting her rear foot she swept her short sword around in a tight arc, cleaving through a pair of charging serpents. The two snakes were thrown to the ground, lifeless, the large HP pool depleted by a few points. Megyn glanced around at the snakes, which were rushing out and fanning around her, a large group of attacking reptiles that all shared a single HP pool, which now stood at 142. She heard something behind her at the last minute and whirled around, hacking with her sword again, taking down another slithering body.
For several moments, she relished in the added dexterity and agility points Wilderness Instincts gave her, slipping left and right, jumping over lunging serpentine attacks, taking them down one
, two, and in one especially effective swipe, four at a time. It took some work, but Megyn stood in the clearing, both hands on the hilt of her sword, her breath coming in swift, tight gasps. She was surrounded by snake corpses, scattered in a wide arc around her, and she’d finally seen the hit point counter tick down to zero. A second later the alert of her 85 XP points gained triggered and she knew she’d finally overcome the horde.
She glanced over her shoulder and through the trees, she could see the rising smoke from Thorathon Village, and she knew just how close she was to the Amazon home. Were these snakes sent by the Sharak-Ku? If so, they were treading dangerously close to Thorathon. Close enough that it made Megyn nervous. She had just a moment to consider the ramifications of this when the trees rustling again, and another shape lunged out, but this was no swarm of snakes, this was a single, gigantic serpent, emerged from the trees, mouth opened wide.
Megyn’s eyes bolted to the creature, at least thirty feet long and five feet around, the creature’s shifting, sinewy body pressed through the narrow saplings, its sheer bulk snapping branches and twisting the trunks of trees out of its way.
It had a wide, triangular head, twin black eyes and a snapping pink tongue, it’s rigid underbelly moving with the disturbing motions of its slither. All along its back and sides were rows upon rows of layered scales, hued in mottled greens and browns, an ornate pattern woven through the color of the snake’s skin. Seeing the muscular movement of its slither on a beast so large made Megyn’s stomach lurch as she stepped away, trying to give the beast some room.
Giant Constrictor Snake
Level: 6
HP: 140/140
MP: 0/0
Skills
None
Solomon had told her about running into one of these things in the Tomb, and she remembered the goose flesh racing up and down her skin when she thought about a snake that large. This one appeared to be even larger as it drew up before her, mouth opening even wider, the forked tongue slipping out, at least the width of Tyson’s. It hissed loud, long and angry, poised to strike. The snake’s massive skull lurched forward, fangs snapping as Megyn darted forward and to the right, narrowly sliding under the lunging strike. Immediately, she whirled around, swiping with her sword, the blade biting into the rough, scaly skin of the large reptile, digging away six HP with the single strike. As she moved, the beast’s tail whipped up and left, catching her in the side and sending her sprawling into the grass and dirt. The sword jumped from her fingers as she rolled aggressively over the tough ground, spinning away and landing off in the long grass. Even as she scrambled to get upright, the snake was coming at her again, a long and vicious hiss bursting from its lipless mouth. She tried to maneuver, but the snake was down and around her before she could move around it, and suddenly the large creature had wound its twisting body around her, the rough scales and slick muscle tightening, the pressure coming all around her.