Chapter 5: Fights and Fiefdoms

“I have always thought that hands on experience is the best way to prepare and learn for the future. Don’t you agree?” Asks Zim with the a malicious grin sitting on his face.

“Ohh I don’t know about tha-“ I try to protest

“GO!” Shouts Zim releasing the giant rat.

I want to argue against him and demand that he explain how I use my stealth ability, but at the moment I have much larger problems. The Massive rat is nearly halfway to my position and I have only just managed to pull my wits together. Now think, how am I going to fight this thing, how strong is it and most importantly how am I going to stay alive through the following battle? I haven’t had any experience in the past with fighting rats in this world so I don’t think I can answer that one and the last question was really kind of rhetorical, but I might have a idea of at least how to start responding to the middle (or second) one. With the rat having only 10 feet at maximum to reach me I’ll have to act fast. I focus as hard as I can (which is really quite hard) and manage to pull up the most basic of information on the dreaded rat with my essence sight ability and am now starting to run away from the beast so I’ll have time to read it. It probably won’’t take long as I can only see one 3 word sentence.

Level 2 rat.

This is not good news as the rat is of a higher level, but (curse my inexperience at this game) I don’t know how much of an impact that is going to make. I don’t think I would have much of a chance of escaping the rat, which is gaining on me slowly but surely, even if I knew how to use my stealth ability so as I see it my only option is to stand and fight.

I turn and have my attention drawn to a foot long ball of fur and claws shooting towards my stomach. I don’t have time to do anything more sophisticated so a punch from my left hand sends the rat sprawling. A red bar has appeared above the rat’s head and I lost about an eighth of its total upon hitting the ground. The rat looks like it is straining to get up and it’s tail is twitching rapidly. I’ll have to act fast if I don’t want to loose some health of my own. I leap towards the fallen animal holding my knife in front of me and reinforcing my right hand with my left to ensure that the rat’s hide will not hinder my blade. I twist my face into a grimace and yell at the top of my lungs. As my knife first comes into contact with the creature it resists puncture and a shudder rolls through my arm to my shoulder. Thankfully, it only last for a few heartbeats before I feel my blade slide through the body and hit the stone beneath.

I see the health bar above the dying creatures head quickly turn all gray and the rat’s body slowly fades to nothingness leaving only 3 items that look like a pelt, meat and a tail which are hovering, bouncing and slowly spinning above the ground. I can barely manage to sit down as the adrenaline leaves my system and my breath slowly stabilizes.

Zim’s voice behind me interrupts my calming period. “You should pick up that pelt and meat. The tail too. You’ll get a few coppers for the pelt in the village, you can cook the meat and I will buy that tail off you for 2 copper. Think of it as my apology for kicking that rock at you. Oh, and it’s the only apology that you’re going to get so be grateful.”

I snap out of my daze and snatch up the spinning items.

3 Items placed in inventory! A system message proudly announces. Following where it disappears to, I am able to access an almost blank window with only a 5 by 4 grid of squares and a piece of text on the top that reads: Inventory. There is also a figure picture of me with several slots next to it that have my knife, cloak, shirt, belt, etc… Only the top 3 slots of the grid are filled, with the aforementioned pelt, meat and tail. If I focus on any of these items the name appears under it. This also applies to my “simple stone knife” and “simple cloth cloak”.

This is a very interesting menu, but I should revisit it later. I also need to give Zim my rat tail and receive my 2 “copper” which I think is money “in game”. Now if it’s just like everything else in game I just have to focus on it and I can make it appear in my hand to give it to Zim. On a side note I wonder if I’ll have to use some of my inventory slots for the money. That also begs the question of how I’m going to manage later in my progression with only 20 slots. I would guess that there is a way to increase that #. Probably by buying a bag or something.

Ahhhhh, getting side tracked. I really, really, really need to work on that. I have probably been standing here for like 5 minutes blankly staring at window while Zim gets more and more annoyed. Ok, focus on the object. Success! It disappears from my inventory and assumedly goes to my hand. Exit the window. Also a success and toss the rat tail, which appeared in my hand as expected at a thoroughly bored looking Zim.

He catches it and over dramatically sighs “Are you done yet or would you prefer to read all the books in the great library?”

“Sorry. I was looking through my inventory. Did you know that-“

“Yes. If you managed to learn it, even in that unbearably long period of time, then I know. Here are your 2 copper.” He tosses me 2 coins of a reddish orange color towards me and I reach out to grab them, but before I can they disappear in front of my eyes. At the same time a section of text pulses blue and gets bigger and smaller rapidly. I direct my gaze at the text and read/look. It isn’t actually text it would seem, but 5 numbers and 5 symbols. One of the symbols is the same reddish orange color that the coins were and looks remarkably similar. It is a plain circle with an cut out square in the middle and a slightly raised rim around the outside and the square. The same basic design holds true for the other 4 symbols as well, but they are silvery, whitish yellow, greenish and blue. Next to both the silver and what I assume is gold are grayed out zeros. The same holds true for the green and blue coins, but I don’t even want to guess at what those are. Next to the “copper”, on the other hand, is a blue number 2.

It looks like I won’t have to store my money in my inventory. I still take a look at my inventory to check of course, but found only the meat and pelt along with all my other accessories.

As per the usual, my train of thought is rudely interrupted with more of Zim’s decisions. “Ok, I have decided that you are ready to bravely start in this new world. I will be taking you to the village where you will find advice and quests. What you do from there is up to you.”

Then everything blurs into a white mesh.

…

When we appear I nearly bite my tongue from the shock. I am beginning to get so used to the barren wilderness and suddenly I have been thrust back into a bustling city. A very large building with tiered roofs stands right in front of me and I appear to be standing in a large city square. The square is lined with smaller buildings that look like shops and in the center of the square is a large fountain. The water is very odd looking in a place like this. It is the first blue that I have seen while in this new world and nothing here is even remotely like it, but moving on. “People” or demons rather are hurrying to and fro carrying large burdens or yelling loudly into the clouds.

“Fire bugs, get your fire bugs here. Best price in the city. Use a firebug to light your way. Fire bugs-“

“Does anyone want to buy a basilisk scale. I really need to get rid of it so I’m offering half the usual price.”

“Get the best positions for all your raids and long journeys. Comes with flask. These portions are top notch. Made by master Dagmuth himself”

I personally am drawn towards a tent propped up inside the square with nice looking knives, shields and all sorts of other deadly weapons. My feet start carrying me forward almost unconsciously and I may be drooling. Hmm, I wonder when I got such a thirst for sharp pointy things of war. I haven't taken 3 steps before a coarse hand grabs the hood of my cloak and yanks back sharply.

“2 measly copper won’t buy you anything in that shop. In fact 2 copper won’t buy you anything almost anywhere.That is why our first stop is going to be a place where you can sell that rat pelt and rat hide. You won’t get much for it but it’ll be a start. Also, just so you know, 10 coppers makes a silver and 10 silvers makes a gold. And finally, when we are done with that I am going to take you to a few places where you can make some money. I don’t usually do that, but you impressed me today.”

With that, Zim took me by the arm with his calloused hand and started dragging me through the streets. This town is quite impressive too. It looks pretty well laid out with all the streets going predictably east to west or north to south. We are passing several pubs and lots of shops, plus something that looks like a military training center and barracks. I make a mental note to stop by later and see if the people there will train me. Zim sees me eyeing the structure -which has a jogging track, several areas with straw scarecrows (dummies for training maybe?) large racks of weapons, 5 neatly lined up buildings that remind me of half sunken tubes and a larger square building- and gives me an odd expression that, while conveying interest, gives away nothing as to whether he thinks that it is a good place or not.

We finally come to a stop in front of a relatively spacious shop that has a sign hanging in front of the door with a picture of a bear pelt on it. He stops just before the door.

“There will be a lot of shops that will say they offer you the best deals for pelts and meats, but you should always go here first. The owner will never cheat you on the price and if you hang around here you might learn a thing or two.” This last part was said with a meaningful expression.

Yea I get the message. This place can give me some new skills or something like that and it would be in my best interests to keep coming here. I nod as Zim opens the door, accompanied by the tinkle of a bell placed on the inside.

Inside is a dust filled shop with a counter in the back and several racks with pelts and clothes hanging on them. Behind the counter is a man in his late forties by the looks of it, running a needle through a piece of leather so fast it blurs. As the door closes and the bell jingles once again he finally looks up. A big smile appears on his face and he rushes out from behind the counter revealing that he is wearing fine leather with some copper buttons and a light fur coat which is a strange striped orange and red. As he is coming up Zim also smiles, albeit in a bit more gruff manner and they pat each others backs.

“Hello Roth” says Zim in a happy voice

“Hey Zim, how are you? You don’t come down to town nearly enough”

“Yes, that is probably true. I just don’t like to spend the mana if I don’t have a good reason.”

Finally noticing the “good reason” Roth finally turns to me. “Oh, hi. Sorry I ignored you. Terrible of me. I’m Roth and I run the local tannery. What can I do for you, friend of Zim.”

“Call me Blade. I have a pelt off a rat that this one” I jerk a thumb in Zim’s general direction “set on me. I also have some meat if you're interested.”

“Yes, yes of course. I can’t believe that he did that to you too. It’s completely unreasonable, Right? I died 4 times and the bastard made me respawn right up at the mountain top and the gigantic beast would kill me again. After a while I managed to wear down it’s health and got a good punch in with a rock.”

“You didn’t use your knife? Why is that?”

“I guess zim hasn’t told you about deaths yet. Well when you die its a complete reset for your character and you respawn at level one, in whatever noob location you set your spawn point at. You lose all your stuff too, so as a tip from an old player: Leave a decent set of armor along with some food and a weapon at where ever you choose to set a respawn point or it’ll be even harder to get back to the level you started at. You don't loose any of your money if you put it in a bank. Little costly, but a good trade if you ask me. How many times did you die before you were able to murder that bastard?”

At this point Zim interjects with a slightly smug tone to his voice. “She did it first try without even dying once. And to top that off she CLIMBED the cliff face to get up. Didn’t need me to take her up the trail.”

“Which was a sucky decision in the end. I almost died when he kicked a freaking bolder at me and I had to jump for another handhold. I wouldn’t have made it either except for the fact that my instincts pushed out my wings and I managed to glide a little farther.”

“What! The first time! How did you do it. And flying! FLYING! You have to tell me all about it. I’ll-I’ll double, no triple your pay on the rat pelt. Give you the skills to cook the meat too. Though on a side note, unless you have your cooking skills really, and I mean really high, cooked rat meat is only to be used in extreme life or death emergency.” He shakes his head and gags slightly. It would seem that Roth has encountered rat meat in the past. I will definitely take his advice into consideration. Rat meat sounds really disgusting.

While I have been having this little mental scrutiny session Roth and Zim both look at me expectantly. “uh OK. It started in the early morning when I got up from my ‘sleep’ off those god forsaken, pointy rocks. I waited for like an hour for Zim, but he wasn’t showing so I decided to climb the cliffs. Just as something to do. You understand….

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