Chapter 27: On the Watchlist

“Please elaborate,” I said after a long string of silent moments.

Relja was glaring at Vick5 like a cat offered a vegetable.

“I require your assistance Gnarlroot_The_Eld,” he said. “In telling you classified information, my vulnerability is complete. You must agree to let me join your party.”

“How do you feel about this, madame Relja?” I said.

“Tell me why,” Relja pointed at him. “And what do you mean? Like an in-game deity, or like a real one?”

“I am unsure if the differences are easy to detect,” he replied, “but your definition of ‘real’ means outside Realms of Lore?”

“Yeah.”

“We... they tapped into the laws of Karma,” he said. “To build something beyond both magic and science. In my view, however, many of the ongoing experiments are unethical. I understood what Telemoon was...” Vick5's multi-monocle device whirred and hovered above his eyebrow. His regret seemed genuine to me, and I was surprised at my ability to read such subtle facial subtext. “But I never subscribed,” he continued. “Not 100%. Theories become stronger if predictable results continue over time. I observed Telemoon’s moral compass shift, and I disapproved of its direction. I required an extreme change in methodology. I believed, like Ralos did, that the tide could not be turned. But I think otherwise now.”

“Well,” said Relja, “Alchemist is pretty close to Chemist, I would guess. Never too late to shift gears.”

“We were on our way to see our quest-giver,” I said. “Join us. Medett may be able to get you started as an Alchemy apprentice, aye.”

“We are in accord? If I join the party, we will begin searching for Azwold with haste? And you will protect me while my underpowered status remains?”

“Finding Azwold is at the top of our list, I assure you,” said Relja.

“And we shall do our reasonable best to keep you guarded until then,” I agreed.

“Acceptable,” he said. “Request pending.”

“Are we sure?” Relja whispered to me.

“Not at all,” I said. “But my bees are calm. I think Azwold would take this course, too.”

“Alright,” she said, “I guess.”

[Vick5 has joined the party!]

A cyber-trumpet fanfare tooted around us.

“Okay then,” I said. “Should we wait for DarkNeon to arrive here, or carry on?”

“You like testing her patience, don’t you?” asked Relja. “She’s not the type to put up with that forever.”

“Hundreds of lore years in a graveyard makes one impatient, mayhap,” I said. I turned to the Water Mage? “What say ye?”

“DarkNeon. That name is on Telemoon’s internal watchlist,” said Vick5. “It is not a good thing for that player.”

“Blast,” I clenched my fist bones. “She has definitely plundered booty from Telemoon before.”

“That is not her only offense, but yes,” said Vick5. “I should mention, Azwold and Gnarlroot_The_Eld are also on the watchlist.”

“Maybe staying in one place isn’t the best idea?” Relja gazed off in a direction. “I could do [Spell: Long-Listening], but we could be at a flightpath by the time I learn enough. The winds are unfavorable here.”

“A flightpath is most logical,” said Vick5. “I assessed that your Mesa Strider can seat only two players. I calculated our travel times for various means of transit; by land initially, then transitioning to air via our nearest flightpath would be most efficient.”

“That’s a nice way of saying you think your idea is best,” Relja said, putting a hand up to Fizzu’s saddle rung, then floating gracefully up to sit. “Did you factor waiting for DarkNeon into your maths?”

“Yes.”

“DarkNeon can be flighty herself,” I said. “Would she wait for us?”

“She did log off in protest when she found out about Azwold and Telemoon,” she shrugged. “And it was only for like two weeks a long time ago.”

“Let us not tarry,” I said. “She will find us and be glad we never hesitated to act.”

“Remaining here has higher odds for negative outcomes,” said Vick5. “My guild mates might find us; that’s my first concern.”

“Points taken,” I said. “Relja, which fightpath is the nearest, then?”

“Hmm,” she examined her tablet map. “We should head southeast. That’ll take us to the Tang Tree Orchard. After that, I dunno. What if Dustwind Inn isn’t the only ruined place?”

Checking my coin purse, I said; “It seems I did not inherit the Mage’s money. Mayhap let us stay aground. If we ride due southeast, we’ll encounter Cloud River Canyon and can follow the rim line to the orchard.”

“An efficient route,” Vick5 nodded.

“Let us ride,” I said.

“Right,” said Relja, petting Fizzu’s neck. “Eld?” She looked at her map again, then beckoned me with a finger. She showed me her tablet, tapping on DarkNeon’s location dot.

Observing for long enough to understand, I said; “We will go to Dustwind Inn first.”

“You think the Dust Dactyl sent her on a long loop?”

“We shall see.”

“You wish to rendezvous with an ally?” said Vick5. “A detour to Dustwind Inn would reduce our efficiency, but not dramatically. If you think it is worth the extra time, I will accompany.”

~<>*<>*<>~

We arrived late into the afternoon time cycle. The sinking sun crowned a distant, weathered rock formation like a flaming flower bloom. A breeze skittered across the charred remains of Dustwind Inn’s gutted structures, mixing mesa dust with ash.

“I think the Dust Dactyl might be glitchy,” said Relja, consulting her tablet map again. “She’s taking longer than I’d expect.”

“Perhaps she is not in flight after all?” I said.

“Don’t you have Yolo’s reins?” she gazed in the direction of DarkNeon’s location. “Either way, we’re in a ‘hurry up and wait’ situation.”

“Though the Inn is non functional, we might take this opportunity to rest and heal,” Vick5 suggested.

Relja checked her inventory. “I’m outta cooking mats, apparently.”

“I have an extraordinary number of [Potato]es and [Carrot]s,” I said. “Do you have any recipes for such things?”

Relja laughed. “You were questing in the Roots n’ Tubers yard, weren’t you? I did that when I was lower level, too. It’s where I got the recipe for [Cooking: Rootn’ Tubin’ Stew].”

“Acceptable,” said Vick5. Scanning the area, he noticed unburnt wood from a fallen shed nearby and went to collect chunks of it.

“Lunchtime it is then,” I said. “And in the meantime, I have a chest to open.”

“You haven’t already?” Relja’s eyebrows went slanty. “I dunno if I could be that patient.”

“I am not sure what will happen,” I whispered, stealing a glance at our new party member collecting wood at a safe distance. “I gain new insights each time I complete quest objectives. New bones equal new information. But now that I’m free,” I made quotations with my finger bones, “the experience may be less predictable.”

“Open box, receive treasure?” she shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry too much. I got your back.”

Inexplicably reassured, I removed my loot chest from my inventory and set it on the ground. It had a keyhole, but I possessed no key. I attempted to grip the edge of the lid and pry it apart, but to no avail.

“Mayhap it stays locked without the Mage present?” I said. “It was originally his quest, not mine.”

“Are you experiencing malfunctions?” asked Vick5, returning with firewood.

“Thanks,” said Relja. She produced a small cauldron from her robe inventory, added ingredients, and kindled a fire. A progress bar appeared above it.

“Alright, let’s give it a few. Any ideas on how to get this loot chest open?” she asked Vick5.

“Affirmative,” he said. Then, consulting his modified gauntet-tablet, he corrected; “Upon reassessing, my lock-bypassing mechanisms have been disabled.” A crestfallen air seeped through his calm analyticals. “I do not have materials to construct a [Burglar Gizmoid].”

“How much of your abilities remain?” I asked.

“Fewer than is functional, I regret to report.”

“All is not lost,” said Relja. “We’ll get you started on a new class path if we can.”

“I am grateful,” he said. “Telemoon is a well-oiled supply chain. The cogs of our resource acquisition machine feed into our gadgetry. Without my guild status, I will be weak. I will require your guidance on game rules and traditional class and crafting pathways. I hypothesize that working with Azwold, and yourselves, may minimize said penalties.”

“Okay,” Relja was inspecting my loot chest, “want me to try?”

“Be my guest,” I said.

Relja began to hum, sliding her hands through the air. A little cloud materialized beneath the chest, then it began levitating. Her humming transitioned into a kind of double-tone and the box raised up further. When it was taller than any building or tree, she abruptly halted her casting.

The box fell to the rocky ground with a deep thud. The lid snapped open revealing dagger-sized gem-yellow teeth amidst a shimmery slime. A groan emanated, like a cross between a squealing hog and an angry alligator.

Vick5 hollered and jumped back, hydraulically propelled.

“Mimic!” Relja warbled.

My loot chest hopped in the dust toward me, growling and chomping. Unsure what to do, and unfamiliar with my new spell list, I ran. The box kept hopping, squealing and thudding. As I stole glances, I realized that running was unnecessary. The mimic was menacing, but slow.

The box stopped, sniffing the air through its leathery keyhole nostril. It pivoted toward the brewing stew and leapt toward the cooking fire.

“Unfavorable!” Vick5 called out, inching toward the cooking cauldron.

“Just let him have it!” Relja sung, nervous. “A level 33 Mimic will take your arm off if you underestimate it.”

“How do we defeat it, then?” I asked. Letting it abscond with our lunch and my loot was out of the question.

“We gotta have a strategy,” said Relja, “but I’m the only one here who knows how to use my dang spells.”

A ragged rumbling sound wafted to us from beyond a cob dome, only half destroyed.

“Did that sound like a Dust Dactyl landing and un-summoning itself to you?” asked Relja.

Before I could answer, a flash of light cut across my vision.

Quick as her flash, DarkNeon was upon the mimic, both daggers out. She used an ability, plunging her knife tips into my loot chest’s nostril with pinpoint precision. I heard an unlocking sound effect through the commotion, and the chest stopped its hopping. The gem-like fangs retracted, and it fell to the ground un-animated.

“You guys shouldn’t be trying dangerous stuff without me.” DarkNeon smirked.

“See?” I said to Relja. Then to the Rogue; “Welcome back.”

“And who’s this guy?” said DarkNeon, pointing an accusatory ruby dagger tip at Vick5.

“I am Vick5,” he responded. “Former Telemoon Chemist.”

“Former?” she scoffed. “Yeah right. What’s going on here, Eld? Where’s Azzy? Hi Rel, you okay?”

“Fine, thanks,” Relja smiled. “Glad you’re back.”

“Vick5 helped us escape Alkali Hollow,” I said, waving away her concerns. “He has given us valuable information.”

“He can’t be trusted,” she said plainly. “Hold on... he’s IN the party?! Have you lost your minds? Where’s Azwold?”

“I am afraid my former player has been banished to the Spirit Realm,” I said, head hanging so low that my [Helm Wheel] was nearly horizontal behind my skull.

“And this guy had something to do with it,” she said, striking a combat pose. “Didn’t he?”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” said Relja.

“I don’t get it,” said DarkNeon. “I thought your beef with Telemoon was as deep as mine.”

“Well, yes, but...” Relja started, but the Rogue cut her words off.

“No buts,” she said. “I thought you guys were my best bet to put a dagger in Telemoon’s ribs. Guess I was wrong.”

[DarkNeon has left the party.]

The Light Rogue melded with dying sunbeams sinking below the horizon. Then vanished.