7

As we took a break to let Clarence’s mules rest, Kirsten let Gaz and me inspect her gear. Along with her robe, her new staff was one of the few pieces of equipment she owned that gave stats or beneficial effects. The staff was a lot more intricate than it appeared from a distance. The wood was hard and polished and had the feel of marbled stone. There were no cracks against the matte surface, somehow sleek despite the fact it didn’t look glossy. The candle affixed to the top was simple in every way imaginable, nothing more than a misshapen mound of wax, and a heavy-gauge wick running down the center toward the base of the iron cage mounted to the top. In the kobold’s hands, the staff looked massive and unwieldy. For Kirsten, it was just the right height.

Robe of Minor Magic

Magical. Robe.

Dur: 98/100

Armor: 2

Weight: Light

The wearer of this robe gains 1% increased critical chance when casting spells, 1% less magic fatigue when casting spells, and 1% higher mana regeneration while wearing Robe of Minor Magic.

Ability: Mage Armor: Once per day, Robe of Minor Magic will automatically prevent one source of damage that would deal over half of the wearer’s maximum health in one hit. This ability blocks only the damage, not any additional effects from the attack. 24-hour cooldown once triggered.

Ring of the Pumpkin Sycophant

Magical. Ring.

Dur: 100/100

Weight: Light

The wielder of this ring proudly declares their allegiance to the mighty pumpkin, the most sovereign of all fruits and vegetables.

While wearing this ring, the wielder gains double the effect from consuming pumpkin-based consumable items.

Trinket of Anti-Tracking

Magical. Oddity.

The bearer of this trinket cannot be tracked through the use of Tracking.

Klayor’s Grand Candleholder

Magical. Staff. Archaic.

Dur: 96/100

Damage: 4-6 Crushing.

Speed: Slow.

Elemental Affinity: Fire +1.

Maximum Mana +2.

Requires Strength 5, Intellect 7, Willpower 5.

Passive Ability: Archaic: Archaic items never lose durability through normal means. Instead, imbued Archaic abilities can be used at the cost of durability. Archaic items can only be repaired by persons with Archaic Artificing.

Passive Ability: Wisdom’s Flame: When the wielder casts a fire spell, this item’s candle ignites for 10 seconds. When lit, Wisdom’s Flame increases the duration of the wielder’s channeled fire spells by one second for the duration of this effect.

Archaic Ability: Pyretic Conjecture: 2 durability. The wielder consumes all their remaining mana, generating half that amount (rounded up) per second for five seconds. While affected by Pyretic Conjecture, the wielder suffers fire damage equal to their intellect modifier every second for the duration of this effect. Non-heroic fire spells have their cooldowns halved (rounded down) for the duration of this effect. Casting a fire spell during this effect extends the effect by one second. If this effect lasts more than 10 seconds, the durability cost of this ability is refunded. 10 minute cooldown.

The text of the staff was in purple, an item rarity color we had yet to see and one commonly associated with epic items in a lot of MMOs. It was also the first item we had seen with requirements for use. Though I didn’t have the intellect to wield the weapon, nothing stopped me from holding it. I just assumed it would be little more than a meaty piece of wood in my hands. Though my armor was still unidentified, this was the second-best item we had looted so far. I clicked on the elemental affinity line of text, trying to expand it and see the mechanics of the effect, but nothing happened. I assumed it gave bonuses with either some or all fire-based spells.

Though Kirsten wouldn’t be using the staff’s archaic ability regularly while negating the durability cost, I was fascinated by the mechanic itself and a strange, but interesting alternate cost to activate the ability. With the nice boost to mana generation and the ability to spam additional spells during Pyretic Conjecture without having to worry about taking too much damage, this staff would be very powerful in Kirsten’s hands. With the quality of the item, Kirsten would have to consider learning some fire spells to get the most out of the weapon.

Gaz was equally impressed with the weapon, and both of us now had a new understanding of how the staff was in such good condition compared to everything else, ourselves excluded, that was more or less demolished in the explosion that saved us all from what was likely certain death.

Eventually, the road widened and it was paved with smoothed over flagstone, worn from ages of use. It was drastically different than the narrow roads choked by tall grass and neglect we had used up until this point. The seemingly endless expanse of uninhabited countryside was slowly giving way to distant farms set on large, well-maintained plots which must have fed the city.

The smell of brine tinged the cool air as we neared Brigstone, the massive city built right on the edge of Thrael. White seagulls flew overhead, surging ahead of us toward our destination. The Colos Ocean was a massive thing, branching along the entire eastern coast of the continent according to Clarence. Fishing, trade, and travel were all made possible from Brigstone’s massive port system which served as one of the main economic engines of the city.

As dusk approached, Clarence lit lanterns and hung them from hooks. He mended a frayed leather horse harness that had suffered years of hard use for a farmer traveling near us.

“Free of charge for a friend of the road,” Clarence said.

The farmer, a male elf named Wraeorlin seemed out of place in this part of Thrael where humans seemed more rampant than any other race. He was tall and thin, but well built for what mass he did have. “Thank you, friend, that harness has been giving me trouble for years. How much longer do you plan on traveling this evening? I wouldn’t mind someone to share supper with.” Wraeorlin had a strong accent, soft, soothing, and deep. Now that I thought about it, Kirsten had a slightly similar accent in-game as well, slightly draped over her normal voice but far less distinguished than this man.

Clarence looked to the rest of us. Though I wanted to reach Brigstone as soon as possible, we wouldn’t make it to city tonight, and exhaustion from a day’s worth of walking was taking its toll. “I’m fine with stopping whenever, as long as we reach the city tomorrow,” I offered.

Gaz, who had spent most of the day in the wagon. “Not really my say, especially since I’ve been in this wagon all day.”

Clarence peered up into the sky, appraising the position of the sun. “I figure we’ll stop a little before nightfall to give us enough time to set up camp and get a fire going.”

“Perfect for me,” Wraeorlin replied, pulling his wagon alongside Clarence’s. The farmer’s horse acknowledged Clarence’s mules for a brief second, then ducked its head back down and continued to haul the farmer’s cart forward. Wraeorlin moved the burlap cover to the side, digging through his inventory.

“What do you have in mind for supper?” Clarence asked. “I’m a fan of stew, but then again I am a Goblin.”

Wraeorlin seemed to consider this, scratching the stubble on his angular chin. “I have potatoes, yams, cabbage, onion, and freshly smoked jerky. A stew would be lovely.”

We broke camp half an hour later, moving Clarence’s wagon off the road to a designated resting area where tents were perched on the grass and wagons were parked on the extended stone lot neighboring it. The clamor of conversation, distant resonation of instruments and singing, and a tapestry of different smells created a welcoming, cozy atmosphere that I soaked in after yet another day of long travel.

Wraeorlin prepared the cauldron and fire while Clarence tended to the animals, treating Wraeorlin’s horse after his mules were taken care of.

The stew was good, more filling than what we usually ate with the plethora of fresh veggies. It was more or less just a jumble of ingredients and spices we mixed in, but it was a hearty meal. I reached toward the cauldron, scooping out another ladle and refilling my bowl, still not quite full. Better to overeat then not eat enough when you’re on the road.

“So, what are you traveling to Brigstone for?” Wraeorlin asked through a mouthful of stew.

Clarence answered. “Business mostly. Hopefully we’ll sell some wares and find some interesting things to take back west.” It was the answer we had all rehearsed, the exact sequence of words we thought would draw the least suspicion. We didn’t need anyone to know that we were helping the Gods with some sort of mythical quest, nor did we need the attention that might bring trouble. The seal of Ectos, the emblem that would apparently allow us to recruit the help we’d need in Brigstone was safely locked away in Clarence’s wagon, but it was so important for how easy it would be to lose.

“I understand, I’m just here to sell my produce too. The local coalition charges a hefty cut, so I try to sell my produce myself. I’m not one for city life honestly, but my family can use the extra money.”

“You live nearby?” Kirsten asked.

“Fifteen miles past Briarthorn. Brigstone buyers pay a premium on quality produce, and the extra profit makes the journey worth it. Say, did you hear the rumors about Briarthorn? Some kind of bandit attack at the tavern. Some elf mage with burning blue eyes blew up the building.” Wraeorlin stopped talking and closed his mouth, a wave of worry washing over his face, only for a second before he recovered and renewed his friendly smile. It was as if he was seeing Kirsten for the first time now, putting the pieces together. She wasn’t wearing her robe, but the fading night sky painted with dark purples, oranges, and grays highlighted the soft radiant glow of her blue eyes with the power Ectos had imbued in her.

“Yes, it was me, but you don’t need to be afraid. We’re not the bandits. We were attacked, and we’re peaceful people,” Kirsten said.

Wraeorlin studied her intently. The tension in his body washed away, and he looked around our campsite, apparently content that no one was within earshot. “Rumor is that Inquisitors of the Faith from Brigstone were riding west to investigate. There are whispers that a Godsworn is awoken. I’d imagine that they’re going to come looking for you if they don’t hear everything they’d like to from the people of Briarthorn.”

“I’m an arcane mage, I’m not sure why they’d think I was a Godsworn,” Kirsten said. She never was a good liar, and I was worried Wraeorlin might take offense at the fabricated lie.

Clarence grimaced. “We didn’t see any riders, and we left Briarthorn yesterday. I assume by the fact that you’re not screaming for help or fleeing that you’re not scared of us.”

Wraeorlin shook his head, taking another bite of hot stew. “I’m not scared of you, no. You strike me as very well educated, the lot of you. So, I don’t need to tell you that you don’t want to be involved with the Inquisitors and their methods of accomplishing tasks.”

“You don’t need to tell us that,” Clarence replied.

Wraeorlin wiped his mouth with the makeshift bib cloth he wore tucked into his shirt. “I might not look it, but I’m ninety years young. The only business I have with Inquisitors is if they want to buy my yams. Otherwise, I won’t be speaking with them. Your eyes though, I’ve never seen anything like that before, you might want to take measures to lay low during your time in Brigstone, at least until this can blow over, even if you’re not the Godsworn they’re looking for.”

“I think that’s a good idea. It’s been fifteen years since I’ve visited Brigstone,” Clarence admitted. “I honestly didn’t think the Inquisitors of the Faith were still prevalent.”

“Most of them are nothing more than glorified city guards these days, but I have a feeling that might change soon.” Wraeorlin looked around again, making sure our conversation was still private. “Are the Gods really coming back? Is it true?”

Clarence answered before Kirsten could. “This stays between us?”

“I’m prepared to make a blood oath of confidence if you require it, otherwise, I offer my word as my bond.”

“They’re fighting with the Titans in the Otherworld Realms. Edwin here,” Clarence said pointing to me, “Found the armor of Ectos. We returned it, defeating a servant of the Titan Xanrath along the way. We are trying to help Ectos and the other Gods win their battle in the Otherworld realms so their battle doesn’t come to Stratus.”

Wraeorlin leaned back, looking stunned. “My days of the military life are long behind me now. I have a family, a home to keep me cool and warm throughout the year, and all I could ever need. But if there is something I can do to help you, please let me know.”

I was concerned Clarence would give up such vital information to a friendly stranger, but maybe he had his reasons. Clarence finished off his third bowl of stew, setting it down and leaning back against a wheel of his wagon. “Your delicious contributions to this stew and your secrecy are more than enough.”

“Fair enough. Perhaps a meeting with the king would be beneficial to you, though I don’t know how you would go about arranging that.”

“We will seek aid from the Temple of Ectos first, branching out from there,” Clarence said. “This issue is immense enough on its own without the addition of Thraelian politics.”

We finished eating the meal, cleaned up and distributed the remaining stew to other nearby travelers, then settled in for the night, content with finishing the journey to Brigstone at sunrise.

“Why did you tell him all that?” Gaz asked, seemingly irritated with Clarence.

Clarence grinned. “He’s not going to tell anyone, you can count on that. Did you see his tattoo, left forearm?”

Gaz shook his head. “What does that have to do with any—”

“He was Vol’Lor Honorguard, protector of kings and ancients in Lunevale. His word is worth gold. He would be a useful ally as well, one we might wish to acquire later.”

Gaz relaxed, the anger draining from his body. “How does a man like that become a farmer?”

Clarence shrugged. “I would be very interested to hear that story. For now, we will enjoy his company on the road.”

“These Inquisitors of the Faith, who are they?” Kirsten asked.

“Don’t let their name fool you, they’re entirely secular, and their decree is to prevent the spread of Otherworldly power through the sovereign kingdoms at any cost. We’ll be avoiding them during our visit.”

Conversation faded, and I tried to fall asleep. Despite physical exhaustion, sleep evaded me. I was anxious to meet up with Monica, scared that this was all some sort of trick, scared that it wasn’t. This whole situation was too much to think about. After an hour of tossing and turning on my sleeping mat, I threw off my blanket and walked into the cool night air, savoring the strong breeze coming from the east. I found myself on the edge of wanting my blanket as the wind blew over my skin, sending gooseflesh across the exposed surface of my arms. I sat down on one of the large logs surrounding the remnants of our fire, little more than smoldering coals now, burning through their last bit of life.

“Can’t sleep?” It was Kirsten. She walked over and sat next to me, wrapped up in her blanket.

“No. You?”

She shook her head, scooting closer to me and resting her head on my shoulder. Her brown hair was hard to see in the darkness of night, but her eyes still glowed with that light-like intensity. I wrapped an arm around her back, giving her a light squeeze. “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

“Monica, this situation, Jason, the list goes on,” I sighed. “What’s keeping you up?”

“Do you think we’ll ever see him again? John, I mean. I… I love him.”

“I know. And yes, we will see him again. We all knew death was part of this game, like it is any game. He’ll find his way to Brigstone, we have to trust him to do that.”

Kirsten’s voice was shaking now. “Jerry lied about so much, how do we even know we respawn if we die? What if he’s already gone?”

“We don’t, but between the letter Monica sent us and everything else we’ve gathered, it’s safe to assume that we really will respawn. It wouldn’t provide good data for Stratus Labs if we just ceased to exist.” I regretted the words the second they left my mouth.

“Like I’m going to cease to exist if I fail Ectos.” She didn’t ask it as a question, she was treating it as a statement of fact. “Is that bad data? The Storyweaver AI sure wants me to be scared for my life, more than the rest of you apparently.”

“That’s not what I meant. We’re going to do everything we can to save you, Kirsten. There’s no question. We will get you out of this.”

“I miss so much. I miss John. I miss my job at Walmart, I miss my parents and my sister. I miss my apartment. And I’m scared I’m never going to see any of it again.”

I kissed the top of her head. I loved Kirsten. Not in a romantic way, but as one of my best friends in the world. I would get her out of this situation. I chuckled. “I miss Gary and Rachel and Burger Planet the most.”

That got her to laugh. “Oh stop, anything is better than Burger Planet. You’re having fun here. In a way, we all are. If it wasn’t for the fact that our lives were stolen from us, this would be a really great game,” she considered.

“I guess it is.”

“I wonder what we’re doing in real life right now.”

“Who knows? The more I think about it, the more utterly mind breaking it becomes to comprehend, so I’m just focusing on taking this one day at a time. Are you excited about that new staff you looted from the kobold?”

“Yeah, it’s good, I just don’t know how to go about trying to learn a fire spell or two to get the most out of its abilities.”

“What’s your health up to anyway now?”

“Thirty-five health now with fifteen mana.”

The number caught me off guard. As a tank character, I had 44 health, and that was with my Brawn trait. Kirsten had much more health than I expected, especially as a mage. “You moved your endurance all the way to seven?” I had seen her gear, moving endurance to seven was the only way she could have that much health.

“Yeah. Pyretic Conjecture will deal five damage every second to me while it’s active. The ability is too good not to use in hard fights, and this way I should be able to stay alive without Gaz needing to focus me so hard with his heals.”

“Yeah, and you won’t have to up your endurance again for quite a while. Did you talk to Clarence about learning fire spells?”

“He can’t teach me. I’ll need to try to learn them myself, find a new mentor in Brigstone, or buy a spellbook. From what I’ve gathered, the spellbooks are a one-time consumable that teaches the imbued spell. Some of the rarer ones even come in higher ranks from the start without costing points to upgrade.”

“That’s huge,” I said, considering. Somehow I got the feeling there wouldn’t be many Warpguard spell or ability books lying around.

“I’m going to use Pyretic Conjecture with Starspike for hard fights. If I can eventually learn a useful fire spell and depend on Gaz to heal me, the archaic durability cost of the ability will be refunded and I’ll only have to worry about the cooldown.”

“That’s the instant arcane missile that applies that curse?”

“That’s the one.” She shared the ability with me.

Starspike (Rank 2): Arcane. Instant. 4 mana. The character launches an arcane missile dealing 6 damage. Upon hit, Starspike applies Astral Fire (Rank 0) to its target.

Astral Fire (Rank 0): Arcane. Instant. Godsworn-Influenced. 0 Mana. The afflicted character is cursed for 5 seconds. While cursed, the character takes an additional 10% arcane damage from all sources. Additional afflictions of Astral Fire renew this curse’s duration. Astral Fire cannot stack.

It was the first spell or ability I’d seen with another spell imbued within it. Interestingly enough, Kirsten couldn’t cast Astral Fire by itself. Starspike was the first and only spell she had learned since becoming Godsworn to Ectos.

I reviewed her revised character sheet which hadn’t changed significantly since the last time I saw it. Kirsten was listed as a Godsworn Elf, almost as if it was a class like the one I had acquired. Only there never was a prompt for her to accept the class, it was simply given to her when she had accepted Ectos’s deal to bring Clarence back from the dead. Kirsten spent a few minutes looking over my character sheet as well, but at this point she was familiar with my build, having worked with Gaz and John for hours with the information we had on hand.

“I’m going to try to get to sleep now,” I said through a heavy yawn, the exhaustion finally catching up with me.

“That’s a good idea. Me too. Thanks for talking with me, Edwin.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a hug before we climbed back into the wagon.

As we returned to our sleeping places and settled in for the night, the sound of buzzing insects and waning conversation in the distance lulled me into a deep, peaceful sleep.

We were up before sunrise. The sun, not quite topping the horizon was casting a dull amber glow on the fleeting night sky. Clarence, unwilling to skip out on morning coffee and breakfast despite only a few hours travel remaining, was already hard at work on his cauldron. He conjured his Grow: Fruit spell, conjuring the pumpkin to enhance his brew. I couldn’t blame him for wanting the coffee so badly. Despite an incredibly nice night of rest, I was craving it myself. It was incredible how Stratus Online captured the subtle nuances of my entire being.

After we had finished our breakfast with Wraeorlin, Clarence gave out the remainder of the coffee to other campers in our vicinity. We weren’t even close to being the first ones up, and many travelers had already departed, prepared to finish their trek to Brigstone while the morning was still young. Had it not been for the small fortune we held, Clarence might have sold the coffee instead of just given it away, but he seemed especially cheery this morning.

“Thank you for the coffee. I must be going, but I wish you all the best on the road, and I hope our paths intertwine again,” Wraeorlin said, bowing before us ceremoniously.

“You as well, friend. Safe travels. If you ever decide to take up the adventuring life again, look for us. We’d be happy to have a man of your talents in our party,” Clarence offered.

The tall elf smiled with humble appreciation. “I don’t think it’s likely, but anything can happen. Be safe out there.” With that, he flicked the reins to his horse and pulled back onto the road and toward our mutual destination. It was only after he had left that we realized he had left a note affixed to Clarence’s wagon.

My sincerest gratitude for your companionship and for making the road to Brigstone a welcoming place. May we meet again.

Your new friend,

Wraeorlin.

“I can’t wait to get some new gear after we meet up with Monica,” Gaz said, finishing his bowl of porridge. He was looking much better now, like the hangover had worn off. We all needed a bath from days of travel, but that wasn’t going to happen until we could get situated in Brigstone, preferably at the Iron Calf Inn where Monica would be waiting.

“You and me both,” I said. “I’m going to try to sell Jason’s sword and get a one-handed weapon and decent shield. Might try to get my armor repaired as well if I can find someone willing and able to work on it.”

“If we divide the gold five ways then take a twenty percent hold for the company coffers, we should have plenty to gear up for whatever comes next. Hmm, might want to make that thirty or forty percent we hold so we can save up for our Guildstone.”

Kirsten walked over, stowing her dishes in Clarence’s magic dish box, the Stratus equivalent of a modern-day dishwasher. “That includes John’s share?”

“Absolutely, we’ll safeguard his gold until he can make it back to us. I wish they gave us an in-game calculator,” Gaz grumbled.

I did the math in my head, welcoming the opportunity to put my mind to use. With 700 gold and change, 700 to make it easier, we’d hold 40% to save for the party. That math was easy enough: 280 gold withheld. With 280 out of the pot, that left 420 gold to split five ways. 84 gold each, John’s share included. “I’m getting eighty-four gold each if we’re saving forty percent, two-hundred-eighty gold withheld,” I reported. “Whatever change is left after that can just go into our savings.”

“That’s what I’m getting too,” Kirsten said.

“Clarence, would you say that’s enough gold to get some good magic gear?” Gaz asked.

Clarence pondered this. “Perhaps. It’s just a matter of finding exactly what you’re looking for. Brigstone is huge, but despite that, magic items aren’t that common amongst most traders. What rarities we do manage to find will likely be held by collectors or merchants that know the worth of their items. Powerful, non-magical gear should be easily accessible though.”

Gaz seemed happy enough with the answer. “We’ll do the best we can with what we have. Either way, we’re over twenty-five percent of the way to founding our Guild Charter. Jerry didn’t include instructions on how to purchase a Guildstone, but I’m sure we’ll figure that out before we raise the thousand gold.”

Kirsten grinned. “That’s assuming we don’t find our own Guildstone and skip out on the cost of buying it outright. Jerry did mention that was a possibility in his letter.”

That would be an incredible windfall. 1,000 gold seemed like a fortune. It was a fortune, especially to low-level characters like ourselves. With no idea on the level-cap of Stratus Online, it was safe to assume we were nowhere near the level cap having only played for a fraction of the time we were allotted to complete the game. Despite losing John temporarily, I had the feeling we were a lot better off than most other groups in the game with us.

Getting a Guildstone as soon as possible was a huge priority though. It would allow us to attract other player groups to our cause and increase our chances of winning this twisted competition. I didn’t like the idea of anyone left stranded after the dust settled, even the likes of Jason, but he had already made his decision.

The sun rose over the horizon by the time we were packed up and ready to leave. We would have plenty of time to meet with Monica and start exploring the city. Ideally, Monica would have a ton of information and quests to embark on. We could get her to go with us to the Temple of Ectos for some extra muscle if we needed it as well, especially if these Inquisitors were running rampant and searching for Kirsten. It seemed like a stretch, but I didn’t like how many people were still talking about the incident in Briarthorn. It was spreading like wildfire throughout the travels on the road with us, and Kirsten decided to spend the remainder of the trip in Clarence’s wagon to avoid suspicion.

As we walked alongside Clarence’s wagon, trade carts farther in front of us pulled to the side, clearing the way as a group of riders passed with discourteous speed. They wore large-brimmed leather hats stained midnight black and composite plate mail in the same style. Weapons were tied to the saddles of their horses, and they wore swords, daggers, and maces on heavy belts. They paid little attention to the travelers and merchants as they raced toward Briarthorn at a reckless pace.

“That was your first look at the Inquisitors,” Clarence said once all of them had passed.

“What do you think they’re doing?” Gaz asked.

Clarence grimaced. “Investigating. Talking to witnesses, maybe other things. We need to blend in once we’re inside Brigstone though. They’ll be looking for us, and I’m sure the Mayor of Briarthorn will be more than happy to give them our physical descriptions and tell them we were on our way to their beloved city.”

“It’s like someone kicked the hornet’s nest,” Gaz grumbled.

A little shaken by the encounter, we traveled onward, trying to formulate a plan to hide Kirsten once we were in Brigstone. Somehow, I didn’t feel like it would go well if the Inquisitors found her. Her eyes, no matter how beautiful, were a dead giveaway as to her identity that matched the rumors proliferating through the trade route and undoubtedly through the city of Brigstone. Clarence would stick out like a sore thumb too. After all, how many well-dressed goblin mages do you see running around civilized parts of the game world? For us, that number was one.

The city walls materialized in the distance, small and shrunken against the ocean lining the outside. It was only after traveling for another fifteen minutes that I began to appreciate the true scale of Brigstone. It wasn’t getting bigger, at least not yet. The city walls, looking small before, were impossibly tall now that we were less than a mile out. The empty country-side was replaced by numerous farmsteads, separated only by crudely hewn fences.

“Is this normal?” Gaz asked, looking at the line of carts forming in front of us. We must have still been a quarter mile away from the entrance.

Clarence frowned. “Getting in was easy last time. I fear they have a security checkpoint set up. We’ll never get passed. Inquisitors can’t be bribed, not in such a public place. Kirsten and I will never make it through. You two, on the other hand, shouldn’t have an issue.”

“No way, we’re not splitting the party,” I said.

Gaz didn’t look happy about it either. “We might not have a choice. Clarence, do you think you can find another way into the city?”

“Perhaps. You need to meet with Monica then go to the Temple of Ectos. Tell them we’re outside of the city and need help getting in. Perhaps they have connections that can assist us. In the meantime, I’ll work on a way to disguise us for entry. Let’s get you ready.”

“Are you okay with this, Kirsten?” I asked.

“Yes, we’ll figure this out.”

Clarence took my two-hand sword, stowing it back in the wagon before I could strap it to my backpack. “You can’t take anything with God or Titanic influence into the city in case the Inquisitors running customs can detect the magic. You’ll want to stick to your broadsword, I’m afraid. Edwin, don’t pull your armor out of the Astral Dimension unless you absolutely need it.”

He was right. I pulled up the item’s stats as I strapped the sword to my belt, tightening it an extra notch so the weapon’s weight wouldn’t pull down my traveling pants. The blade wasn’t as sharp as it had been. There were chips along the edge, and the handguard felt loose.

Steel Broadsword (Battered)

Non-Magical. Sword. Versatile.

Dur: 40/100

Damage: 4-11 Piercing. 6-13 Slashing.

Speed: Moderate

-10% damage while battered.

No Attributes.

It was far from ideal, and without repairs, I would be at a noticeable disadvantage in my damage-dealing capabilities. Clarence drew his dining knife from the sheath on his belt, carving a slot into a stale loaf of bread. He put the Seal of Ectos into the slot, stuffing the segment of bread he had cut back into place. Concentrating, he ran his hands over the surface, casting a modified version of Mend to make the bread whole again. It was as if the seal was baked into the loaf. Clarence wrapped the resulting combination in burlap cloth, and I added it to my backpack. Gaz had taken the liberty of equipping his chainmail armor in case we ran into trouble in the city. My armor was more conveniently stored for immediate use if I needed it.

After a few more minutes, we were ready to go. I checked my bag’s contents one last time: the bread hiding the Seal of Ectos, three packs of dry rations, a large waterskin, 84 gold, my Anti-Tracking talisman from Boom-Boom, my Bag of Breading, and two pieces of magic parchment and a cheap quill and splotchy inkwell. The parchment was by far the coolest of the items we carried. Clarence had taken four pieces of it and cast a spell on them: Mirror Entity. in this case, anything written on one copy of the linked items would appear on the other. Clarence wasn’t sure on the exact range the magic would stop functioning, but he seemed confident that we’d be able to use the parchment to communicate without needing the costly player mail function while we were in Brigstone. It would be an invaluable tool if it worked as planned.

To illustrate the function, Clarence sketched a symbol on one of his pieces of parchment. “I’ll use the copy with the symbol to write messages to you, and you’ll write on the copy without it to write messages to us. Got it?”

I nodded. “So, the plan is meet with Monica first, then go to the Temple of Ectos and see if they have a way to get you in?” I asked, reconfirming.

“Yeah,” Kirsten said.

“What are you going to do while we’re gone?” Gaz asked.

“Lay low, hopefully stay in range so the Mirror Entity spell still works. We’ll find a nice place to camp well off the main road and I suppose I’ll try to teach Kirsten some more magic, though I suspect I’ll be learning a thing or two from her eventually, especially with her new powers.”

“Be careful, both of you.” Kirsten wrapped us in a hug.

“We always are,” I said, flashing her a reassuring grin. “Even more so now. We’ll try to give you guys a status update once we’re inside and have met with Monica. We should have a better idea of how active the Inquisitors are too. I’m thinking the Temple of Ectos will be willing to try to give us the assistance we need to get you both into the city safely.”

“Travel through separately. It’s a bit paranoid, but we can’t be too careful,” Clarence said.

It wasn’t a bad idea, especially since Gaz and I were likely mentioned in the rumors of Briarthorn that had put Brigstone into a frenzy. A human and dwarf traveling separately wouldn’t draw much attention, especially in a place like this. We said our final goodbyes and started toward the city, walking to the left with the rest of the pedestrian traffic.

The travelers with carts and wagons alongside us were starting to complain about the delay, especially since this was one of the only ways into the city. The foot traffic was moving much faster than the wagon line, presumably because the Inquisitors and city guard were being especially thorough with their searches of vehicles entering Brigstone.

Now that we were closer, the city walls were a spectacle to behold, at least a hundred feet tall and built from orange and gray stone. Archers and guards walked along the tops of the walls, spectating the wagons entering the city and whatever waited for us on the inside. The portcullis, a behemoth mass of ironwork was drawn up into the middle of the reinforced wall, well-oiled and lethal-looking spikes with locking mechanisms hanging menacingly overhead. The gate must have weighed thousands and thousands of pounds, and it was a wonder how it was being held in place. Two massive door halves were swung and locked back at the entrance which was about fifty feet across, presumably acting as a second line of defense for the city if the portcullis failed.

There were city guards all over the entrance, directing wagons and carts to inspection stations where more of the Inquisitors wearing their strange hats and armor stood, searching with critical eyes. The inspection stations were thorough. As we passed, I saw guards sifting through barrels and crates, hounds sniffing for chemical contraband, and Inquisitors conducting full body searches on people who looked utterly forgettable and unthreatening.

Gaz and I had split up fifteen minutes ago, now at least fifty people apart in the line. Most of the people entering the city with this entrance were simple, most of them presumably farmers or humble merchants from the more remote parts of Thrael. A few wagons stuck out amongst the median theme of simplicity, the craftsmanship, size, and horses pulling them exuberating an aura of captured wealth.

“Prepare to have your bags and pockets inspected! Please cooperate fully and we will get you into Brigstone as quickly as possible!” a portly guard called out in a gruff accent, more similar to the region of Thrael we started in than Briarthorn strangely enough. The guard gripped a hefty spear in one hand, leaning on it, presumably from being tired, bored, or both. He had sweat beading down his forehead, staining the black iron edges of his helmet with white streaks as it evaporated. Rust and brine coated his armor in which looked like simple chain mail in uneven splotches of disunity. He wore a green and black tabard draped over the chain, tied at the waist with a length of dyed cord.

Most of the guards wore similar armor and wielded a similar spear, but a few stood out with nicer helmets, swords instead of spears; these men were presumably higher ranks. Aside from one dwarf, one elf, and one man of a race we hadn’t encountered, the city guard consisted almost entirely of humans as we had come to expect after probing Clarence for all he knew about this city.

“You there!” a guard shouted. In a huge crowd of people, everyone seemed to become ‘you’ for a split second. “I don’t have all day and neither do the rest of these fine people.” By the tone of his voice, he was becoming irritated and impatient, and I wondered what inconsiderate jerk was holding up the line until I realized it was me. Grimacing, I walked forward, apologizing as my focus was pulled away from the sights of the city gate and toward the singular guard barking out concise orders. “Bag on the table please and turn out your pockets. Sword off too, I’ll need to inspect it for contraband. You’re coming from the west. Did you pass through Briarthorn?”

“I passed through, didn’t stay though. I’ve only heard what everyone else on the road is talking about.” For a second, I was worried the weapon was outlawed in Brigstone, but I realized he was just searching for anything out of the ordinary. Even a common guard would be able to spot that Jason’s sword wasn’t normal by any means. It was a good call to leave it with Clarence for the time being.

I unbuckled my belt, pulling off my sword and setting it on the table in front of him with my bag. I was worried about having such a considerable sum of gold, I realized it would attract attention. Maybe it would have been best to leave the majority of it with Clarence, but he had seemed so thorough with everything else and apparently was concerned about this part.

The guard turned out my bag, spilling the contents across the table and sifting through. He picked unwrapped the loaf of bread from its cloth bundle, knocking his fist against the hard, unappetizing surface. As he opened my gold pouch and fingered through the coins, he looked at me with a new found interest, as if he was just seeing me for the first time. “What is your business in Brigstone this morning, Mr…” he waited for me to supply my name.

I needed an Alias, and I didn’t have time to be especially creative. Clarence and Kirsten had likely told the Mayor of Briarthorn our names, probably not thinking there was any harm in the truth. These guards might be looking for an Edwin, a Kirsten, Clarence, and Gaz. “Ben,” I supplied, keeping a straight face. An internal monologue started forming in my head, the things I would tell this guard if I was telling the truth instead of the onslaught of lies I was about to fabricate.

My name is Edwin, and I’m one of the ones you’re looking for.

The name didn’t faze him, and he didn’t seem suspicious. “And your business, Mr. Ben?”

“Meeting a woman to discuss business, maybe pleasure if I’m lucky.” I flashed him an easy smile. It was truthful for the most part. It wasn’t a secret to any of my friends that I had a crush on Monica. If she was as hot in-game as she was in real life, I was sure that crush, at least in part, would transfer to the world of Stratus Online.

“Anything you’d like to tell me about this gold you’re carrying? From the look of your clothes, it looks like it might not belong to you.”

It was given to me by the God Ectos as a reward for returning a core crystal to him in a temple a little less than a week’s travel away from Brigstone.

I was prepared for the question to some extent. “It’s my gold. The woman I’m meeting isn’t cheap.” From what I said, I accidentally made Monica sound like a common whore rather than a woman I respected. It was too late to alter my answer now.

“Ha. The only cheap woman is a dead woman.” I was somewhat taken aback by the guard’s incredibly sexist remark but decided it would be best not to confront him about it. “And the sword? Not such a great weapon for personal defense on the road,” he continued. From what I had gathered from earlier, my interrogation, or whatever this was at this point, was taking longer than most. The people behind me shifted from foot to foot impatiently, anxious to get past security and get on with their business in Brigstone.

“I have the sword, but the truth is I’m not so great with it. I prefer to underdress so people don’t take an unhealthy interest in me while I’m on the road, especially as a solo traveler.”

I’m actually infused with the power of a God, the same sort of energy all of you are out here looking for. Oh, and I can summon a full suit of mystical plate armor out of thin air like some kind of parlor trick.

“A good strategy, but this blade looks like it’s seen plenty of use.” He didn’t phrase it as a question, but I could see he was interested in my answer. He had a look of cautious disbelief on his face, disbelief he likely expected me to dispel or I would graduate to whatever security procedure was next if I didn’t pass this test.

My real sword is cursed by the Titan Xanrath, you wouldn’t believe how I acquired it.

“It has, and that serves two functions. First, I got a good deal on the blade because it’s in such bad shape, I’m quite frugal you see. Second, it goes along with the humble appearance I’m trying to maintain and helps me avoid attention.”

“I see…” the guard said, looking somewhat content with my answer. “And this bread? Hardest loaf I’ve seen in a while, wouldn’t be much good for eating. Tell you what, I’d be happy to take it off your hands and feed it to the horses, what do you say?” From the look on his face, it looked like he would be more than happy to take it from me for all the wrong reasons. Perhaps he was onto me. I sighed internally. Why stop lying now when I was in this deep? I sized the guard up, scanning the nearby reinforcements and trying to calculate my chances of escaping if this man tried to arrest me. Without my armor, they weren’t even close to good.

“It was cooked in Western Thrael, a gift for the woman I’m meeting. It might seem stale, but the interior is quite delicious, I can assure you.” I shouldn’t have mentioned how good the bread was, I didn’t need to give this guard any reason to confiscate the loaf, especially due to the importance of what was stowed in it.

“Gennin, would you come here for one moment? Bring your hound, please,” the guard called to another man holding a bulky dog with a long snout and droopy ears on the end of a short leash.

Gennin obliged, walking over. He took the loaf of bread and held it in front of the dog’s nose, giving the animal time to sniff it from end to end. Apparently content it wasn’t stuffed with drugs, the dog turned away, surprisingly uninterested in the food. Maybe the bread was just that stale.

“Normally we’d cut this open to see if it’s holding something it shouldn’t be, but since it’s a gift for your lady, I think it’s best we leave it intact. Have a nice stay in Brigstone and thank you for your cooperation.”

I was whisked through, and the guard who had questioned me waved the next person to him for inspection.

New Skill Learned!

Persuasion

New Skill Learned!

Deception

I would check my character sheet later, sure that both of my new skills would be filed in the non-combat section. I was interested in seeing how non-combat skills worked in regards to progression, but it would have to wait. As I walked through the gate, the complexity and life of Brigstone’s interior blew me away.