Chapter 12 Banished

It had taken a while to make it back to the sewers, I was not moving fast and would have to often stop. My body would start shaking and the world would go gray as my vision tunneled. I also felt an icy chill that seemed to have settled in my bones, if felt damn uncomfortable. I gritted my teeth and waited for the shakes to stop and the pain to subside and we would continue on. Not a fun journey, but as I thought about the others who would not be coming back I was happy to be able to walk out of here.

Once we made it to the sewage system the smell and the feeling of cold slimy water was enough to help me to dig deep and keep going. The brickwork of the sewage tunnels was stained a dark color by the water and other things, and the whole thing had an atmosphere that combined with the sound of the water to make me noxious on a whole new level. All things come to an end was my mantra and eventually we made it to the exit.

Once finally out of the sewage system I had a look at myself, the smell was terrible, and my clothing was filthy. It needed to be disposed of but walking naked through the morning crowds would get me arrested and hauled up to the gaol again. Fortunately for me and any who could see or smell me there was a bath area nearby. I was walking there, hoping to avoid the busy streets by using the alleys. In one such alley, I was accosted by a rough looking man with one eye the other eye was nothing more than a terrible scar.

He had a mean look in his eye and a dagger in his hand, but as he began to talk and walk over towards me he suddenly stopped moving and said, “By all that is, you stink like you have been rolling around in shit, go, go get away from me, get out of my alley you smelly bastard.” I watched as he stepped away from me, his knife waving at me to get away. I knew I had to be smelling bad if a thief would retreat instead of robbing me.

I left the alley and continued on, finally making it to the public wash. I entered the building thankful that it was empty, and went directly to the showers. I walked under the cool stream of water and let it sluice of me as I slowly undressed. Once stripped I grabbed the large bar of soap and began to scrub after about twenty minutes I felt clean, and my skin was pink from the rough body brush. I stared at my clothing I had attempted to wash it but it still had a stench to it.

Drying myself I went to the front and called the girl working the counter, looking at her I said, “Can you have my clothing sent out and cleaned, while I am in the baths?”

The girl nodded, it was not uncommon for people to have the clothing cleaned while they had a bath. I nodded back at her then entered the bathing area, it was a series of 3 pools, they each were about 20 by 30 feet, cold, warm and hot. I spent the next couple of hours swimming, soaking and floating on my back. It felt good, even if I could hear both Wazzic and Kabor making snide comments. The baths were clearly a nod to the Romans and I was glad that the game developers had included them.

After just relaxing and soaking for an hour I called Kabor over, I had a few questions that I wanted to be answered. How he could have the free range yet Tavana could not leave the graveyard, hell she could only appear once a month. Once I asked Kabor to explain it he obliged by sitting on the water cross-legged near my head as I floated on my back.

Kabor began by asking, “How did the girl die?”

I explained what I knew of the betrayal of her boyfriend with her sister and how they had murdered her. Kabor nodded and then suggested that “Her spirit is still here because of her violent end. The problem with her only appearing once a month and not being able to leave the graveyard is due to her being buried in the graveyard, a blessed and sanctified plot of ground.”

“You mean because your body is down in the Catacombs you’re not tied to any particular area?” I asked.

“Yep, I think that is how it works, I mean I am no expert, but from what I have heard and now experienced that seems to fit how things work. For you girlfriend to be able to materialize and roam around will take years, possibly centuries. Tough luck for you, eh.” Kabor finished talking with a smile.

Ghostly bugger. I sighed to myself, things could be worse, at least I knew she would be around. I paddled over to the edge and hopped out of the pool, wrapping a towel around my waist I went to see if my clothing was back. It was and with a smile and a handful of silver, I went to get dressed. It was amazing, the gear smelled fresh and was clean. The cleaning ingame was better than in the real world, not one stain to be found for which I was grateful.

After dressing I pulled the hood over my head and left the baths and started down towards the Waterworks. I enjoyed the city as I walked, it was reminiscent of a medieval city with canals and parks and baths in a climate that had the temperature around 70 Fahrenheit. The city was built on a series of rolling hills with a forest that had been thinned centuries ago surrounding it. The forest I had learned was called the wildwoods and had most of the land except the central plains and the mountains near the coast. When Humans had begun to arrive, they had found an abandoned wild land, with ruined cities that had been empty for thousands of years.

Humans had slowly spread across the empty land and over time they had settled much of the western continent, the eastern areas still remained wild and wooded. The distances were vast and no one had yet explored that far east. Who knows what treasures could be found, but until people managed to get there it was a mystery. Along the western coastline were islands, many of them large and unexplored, the wildwoods covering them in an impregnable blanket. The game had only been live for a short while and much was still unknown about everything.

I had let my thoughts wander as I walked and soon I was at the Waterworks. I stepped inside and made my way to what I called the staff office, knocking on the door I entered once I heard a muffled voice say, “Come in.”

Walking into the room I immediately had the attention of all present, pulling out the scroll I placed it on a table and then sat down. I raised my hand as I was bombarded with questions and said, “One at a time please.” That was ignored and the questions came fast at me. I resolved the situation by just stopping and after a couple of minutes, they all stopped too.

“Now, if we can start again, one at a time with the questions or I can just tell you what happened and then you can ask any questions.” I finished talking and looked around at the instructors, several were looking a little pissed at me, but that did not bother me. Most were waiting for me to tell the tale and so I began. I did not spare the memory of the BBD, he was stupid and had cost 3 other people their lives. Once I was finished the story there was a stunned silence, broken by someone saying, “What rubbish, pure BS, a black shadow that kills.”

After listening to the debate that broke out I stood up and said, “Hey my quest reward please.” The discussion stopped and one of the instructors walked over and held up his hand. Speaking softly, he said, “The quest is completed, you returned the scroll and brought us news that we needed to know. You will receive 500 xp and a bag of tools from the armory. Thank you, Anon, you are dismissed.”

I left as fast as I could, I went straight to the armory, they were already expecting me, once inside I was handed a large bag and then shuffled back out. Fast and efficient, was what happened, ungrateful bastards is what I thought. Shrugging my shoulders, I headed to my room, I was tired and wanted to sleep. Opening the door who should I see waiting for me but my old friend, the cute sergeant from the city watch.

I looked at her and she looked at me and we stared at each other for a moment. Now I like to think I am reasonably attractive to the fairer sex, but I doubt that is what she is here for. Sadly, I was proven correct when she threw a hastily packed bag at me and said, “I have grabbed you gear, let’s go.”

“Listen we have to stop meeting like this” I said, and then said, “I am not going anywhere but to bed, now you can sit and wait for me, or tell me what this is about, or come for a cuddle, at this point I am too tired to care.”

Unfortunately, there was another option which I found out as she cast a powerful stun on me and then had two of her goons pick me up and carry me out of the waterworks. As we left the room she threw a blanket over me, which hid the fact two men were carrying another from everyone, except for those who looked. Man, this sucks I thought and then to my surprise I fell asleep. I awoke laying on a rough bench, in the background, I could hear Langshank and the King embroiled in a discussion that once again involved me.

The King wanted to make me disappear, the forever afterlife kind of disappearance. Langshank, however, had other plans and eventually the King agreed. It would seem I would be transferred to one of the colony islands farther north up the coast. Apparently, it had been settled a while back, but the settlers would disappear fairly often and eventually they stopped arriving at the island. The crown had managed to establish a garrison at the port, and a couple of small villages near the coastline. The rest of the island was covered with a remnant of the Wildwoods.

Once the decision was made I was half carried half dragged down the halls till we hit a small room attended by two Mages. There was also a portal there that led to my destination. Langshank pulled out a scroll and pressed it into my pocket and said, “There is a good lad, not to worry you are expected there, remember you are a King's Squire. Off with you now.”

With that he pushed me through the portal and with a bang I fell against a table in the room I had materialized in. I glanced around as I staggered to my feet, there was one mage and a young page waiting. He seemed both surprised and afraid when he saw me. Coming up to me he said, “Are you Squire Anon, sent from the capital?”

I nodded and spoke hoarsely, do you have some water here, I have not had a drink in hours.” The page nodded and said, “Follow me, we will hit the kitchen first and get you a drink, the damn water is terrible to many minerals in it, but we have some pretty good mead here.”

We left the room and I asked, “What is your name?”

“My name is Belgrad, son of Hoover the islands regent and watch commander.”

“Pleasure to meet you, I hope we can share a bottle someday,” I said. I was watching him carefully, measuring his reaction to my friendly overtures. Something was a little off, this being sent to the island and his reactions since meeting me.

He shrugged and said, “Perhaps, here we are, this bottle here, take it, it’s mead. Now we must go to my father and introduce you, then assign you a room here at the keep.”

I followed as he led the way, it was bad form, if I was an assassin he would be dead, guess I had picked up a few things from the Waterworks I thought. We arrived at a solid looking door, the guards on duty banged on it and then opened it up, I followed Belgrad in and stopped a couple of feet from the dais that had a small throne on it. I bowed my head and greeted the regent who was looking at me with careful eyes.

Hoover then pulled a scroll from his arm pocket and read, “Hoover, Regent of the Green Island Caraway. We have sent you our Squire Anon, he is on break from his studies as a reward for completing a difficult quest, accord unto him all civility as befits his station. We will inform you when it is our desire for Anon to return to the capital, in the meantime allow this young man to explore the island and enjoy his time away from the capital. With fond regards Langshank, Knight of the Kings privy circle.”

Hoover looked at me and then asked, “So whom did you piss off young man, this scroll is a letter of banishment and I would not expect that you will return anytime soon, by all that is, your only level 5, have you even chosen your class or pathway? We do not have trainers on the island if you have not you well be classless until you return to the mainland. This is an uncommon punishment for completing a difficult quest don’t you think.”

I stopped and thought for a moment, he was right I was so screwed, without access to class trainers, the best I could hope to do was increase my weapons skill, and the 4 basic spells I had learned. I bowed my head and spoke, “Do you want to hear the truth knowing it has banished me, or should we pretend this is a reward?” I glanced up at Hoover and saw a small smile appear and then vanish.

“Well-spoken Squire, you are one with your wits, perhaps it is best to simply take the message at its token value. Enough of that now, Belgrad will show you to your quarters, as a king’s squire you are my guest, and will sup at my table with my knights. Your days are free although I may call upon you for your, wisdom at times.” He nodded and that was that I was dismissed.

Belgrad led me down to the area near the dining hall and showed me my room, a simple room not unlike what I had enjoyed at the Waterworks. The keep had a bathing area one level down and had some kind of central heat system. The meals were at 8 bells in the morning, 12 at noon and 6 in the evening, if I was in the keep I was expected to show up. For the evening meal. Other than that, my days were free.

I thanked Belgrad and then slowly unpacked my bags which had been delivered while I met the regent, Hoover. I did not have much to show for my time playing so far, only level 5 with no hope of choosing a class or pathway. I was also banished to an island far from the capital, and would apparently be here for a while. I think I understood why, if what I had seen was made public there would be panic, really the only option would be to evacuate the capital, but that would never happen.

All I can do is make the best of it I thought as I sat there. I glanced around and noted that Kabor was absent, I was not sure I would see the young ghost again, could he find me away from the capital? I called out “Wazzic and was not surprised to see him materialize on the bed, he was sitting cross-legged with his back to the wall.

“Wazzic, do you know where Kabor is,” I asked. Seeing him shake his head, I smiled and said, “That being the case, get off your red ass and go find him, if at all possible lead him here. Now.”

With a scowl, he went poof and disappeared, I hoped he could find Kabor and bring him to me, I liked the gnomish ghost. Sitting back in the bed I began to meditate and think on how Kabor had attacked me, I really wanted to see what I could do with this unrecognized magic. It might be all I had.

The days went by, I met all the locals at the keep and slowly got to know Hoover, he was a good guy and it was a damn shame he was stuck here, in this backwater. Wazzic remained gone and my practice continued. One night after struggling with it for an hour I suddenly saw golden motes floating through the air all around me, I had my daggers put away and had no night vision, yet my dark room was lit up with a soft golden glow from the motes, I could actually see better than with my dagger equipped.

I slowly began to concentrate on gathering the motes of magic, and then once I had a small handful I pointed my hand at the far stone wall and fired. The golden discharge slowly left my hand and drifted towards the wall, once it hit it I heard a soft pfft sound. I started to smile and then laugh, I had done it, not enough power to kill a flea but it was a beginning. Tomorrow the training would begin in earnest, weapons in the morning and spells in the afternoon.