ARC 2

Chapter 19 The Waking Night of Change

Hours passed, and not one second of rest found me. First that weird quest [Star Cartographer] and its incredible reward for finding it; then when I had finally felt safe to log out, also in desperate need of answers, the button didn’t work.

To say it was unnerving was the understatement of the decade.

I was freaked.

What followed was hours of pacing in my room trying to think what I should do. But all that it came to was back to square on, and that was get out of the zone and look for a city.

Then I had tried my luck at sleeping... Nope. No.

That was not going to work, my mind was all over the place. Finally, I threw up my hands and slipped out the window in the middle of the night.

I slid down the roof and deftly jumped from the one beam to the next, before missing the final one and landing face first on the alley’s hard floor. Ooomfffh!

-10 HP

I flew up, glancing around. So much for doing that gracefully. I had completely forgot my agility and acrobatics were criminally low since my level reset in the frost zone.

Still, I glanced up and saw the ping.

+1 Athletics

I waited a moment to see if the game would throw some sarcasm my way. But for once it did not. Well, jumping around would help my acrobatics score, since athletics, swiftness and Blind awareness made up the Attribute.

Okay, since I didn’t have anything better to do, and sleep avoided me like the plague. Why not invest in an attribute or two. And made me think about Parkour runners. The way they could move with just real world support... Hmm, maybe training myself to jump good wasn’t such a proposition at all!

I ran forward and jumped from a box to the side of a wall, only to drop back down to the floor.

Then I sprinted down the rest of the silent alleyway and continued trying to jump from things and landing them as best I could. It wasn’t my most nimble time ever, let me tell you that. But thinking of that end goal, made me push harder!

An hour later, I huffed with the exertion. I had tried to sneak past the few people in the street as well to get my stealth a bit higher. But that went even worse than my acrobatics. Quite a few people spun around to me skulking around and I awkwardly sprung up and ran my hand through my hair.

“Be on your way stranger. It does no good to act suspiciously this time of night. Go before I call the guards.”

Well that was enough motivation to be more careful. So, I went to back to my alleyway and went back to jumping.

After another half an hour, I tapped my notifications.

[Congratulations are in order. You have discovered how to do mindless things over and over for no real reason at all!]

+ 7 Athletics

+ 5 Swiftness

+ 3 Blind Awareness

+ 1 Stealth

A vein in my forehead throbbed at the game’s sarcasm. But I brushed it off and considered my gains. The first one was nice, I only needed two more points in Athletics to gain a point in Acrobatics, which would help loads in my ability to jump from roof to roof and stuff like that. I quite enjoyed the attribute. The stealth I needed to work on. I didn’t know if it was the fact that my mind still flip flopped round and round. But, it definitely worked in my favour to figure it out then. Since, probably the only way to beat that primary quest was to sneak and jump like a pro.

I had to find a way to get that to go up quicker. Then, I thought back to last couple of days. Under heavy duress, I certainly gained a lot of stuff in my attributes. Normally, I wouldn’t have gone to those extremes of staying alive. Since respawning had been straightforward. But since my little trip through the skies and losing all my levels and tricking the game to drop me in a different zone... well, no way I was just not going to go silently to the Star Pools.

I chuckled. It was actually so weird how my current situation had changed the way I played. I actually took more care, had to think outside the box so many times to stay alive, and not to mention paying far more attention to my surroundings; which had led me to find strange hidden things.

It wasn’t a bad thing at all. Still, I did miss knowing what the heck I was doing.

But, it would not help thinking about that, now would it?

I turned around, ready for another round when I spotted several shadows in my peripheral vision.

I spoke up.

“Didn’t your mothers ever tell you it is rude to sneak up on someone?”

ping!

I ignored the notification and turned my head to the shadows.

“Ah, so you noticed us? I’m surprised. Won’t help you none, though.”

Oh, that voice. I shook my head in frustration.

“Tamry, what would your sister say?”

The man stepped out of the shadows.

“Zalia is not here, so, nothing. And this time you won’t catch me by surprise.”

I wanted to facepalm. Didn’t these sort ever think of not getting back at someone who showed you some big and fresh humble pie? No?

I sighed and readied my stance.

“Well, if she hears about this, then she won’t be happy.”

“If she hears about this, you mean.”

Hey, now. That was quite the serious threat.

“You know, we don’t need to do this,” I said hoping that it didn’t lead to a fight, but clearly my charisma was waaay to low still.

“Nah, I think we do.”

Then came a glint of metal in the night as a dagger stabbed towards me.

I jumped to the side and frowned at the three of them holding knives.

“Your sister will be disappointed. Stabbing people at night.”

No words came back, as they started spreading out to encircle me. I glanced at all three. Tamry was the most muscular. The one to his right looked far more balanced. He was going to be a threat. The left one seemed more skittish.

I contemplated taking out my sword. But the alleyway didn’t seem too broad to go about swinging a big sword, so I flipped my skinning knife into my hand and immediately parried a stab from the skittish one.

It was then that things turned a bit rough as Tamry and the other fellow stabbed at the same time. I could only swing my wrist down to block as the other sliced through the side of my abdomen.

I grunted and stumbled back.

-50 hp.

Hmm, those weren’t just cheap daggers. They had something extra behind them.

I clutched my side as the three of them grinned.

“Not so tough without your tricks, are you?” Tamry chuckled with glee.

My tricks, eh?

Suddenly, I rushed the skittish one and kicked at his the knee as I deflected his dagger to the right. He yelped in pain and dropped to his knee. I jumped over the man, and spun around. Not trapped between the three any more.

That was when the well balanced guy rushed at me with several fast jabs. I parried one with my skinning knife and only barely stopped the second, the third, however got was aimed at my middle and in the awkward angle, I could only stop it from disembowelling me. Another laceration sprung open across my ribs. Deeper this time.

-75 hp

In my distraction, he scored another across my chest.

-55 hp

I jumped back, out of reach. In the matter of twenty seconds I had lost 180 health of my 345, more than half. That was far too quick. Those daggers were incredibly dangerous. The blood ran from my multiple wounds.

I walked back as they pursued me with measured steps. Even the skittish one was back on his feet.

Something caught my eye. A little glitter or something, so I flicked my gaze down for a brief moment and saw a rock. I quickly made a fast slice at the more balanced fighter, he swung up to block. But it was a feint as I kicked the rock with all my strength.

Luckily it struck him straight in the groin and he expelled all the air from his lungs as he dropped to his knees in clear pain.

I didn’t waste the chance as I run stepped on the man’s muscled shoulder and did a hard kick at Tamry’s face.

The shock in his eyes lasted only a fraction of a second before my shin hit his jaw. He flipped around landing heavily on the cobbled street.

I landed swiftly and grabbed his dagger,

“I’ll be taking this for the trouble!” before I looked at the skittish guy, who just raised his dagger in a non-threatening way.

“I don’t want to go on!”

With that I stood up and made a bow and said,

“I’ll be leaving, now.”

As I walked towards the alley way, I heard a scream.

“YOU COWARD!”

That’s rich. Coming from a guy who attacked me with two other thugs.

I glanced back, seeing them running after me. I hurried down the street and slipped into the next alley way before taking the first right and the left.

My breath came in puffs as I run as fast I could. The though bubbled forth that I could take them with my sword, but... I thought of Zalia. Reluctance of killing her brother was high on my list. So, I chose to slip away.

Shouts sounded close by.

“Drat...” I thought I had lost them.

I scrambled into another small alleyway, but then realized it was a dead end. Oops. The shouts came closer and I did the only thing I could.

I ran and jumped up to a window sill. My foot got grip and with all my strength, I launched myself up to the roof. Gripping the edge with just my finger tips. I heaved and swung my arm up to the elbow, before pressing myself up.

The moment I turned my legs onto the roof, I heard below.

“This one is empty! We have to find him!”

Moments passed as footsteps thudded in the street, before fading.

For the first time in what felt like minutes, I let my breath out in a whoosh.

“That was undesirable...”

I ran back across the roofs, only taking the easiest of jumps. I couldn’t risk landing on the ground again. Not with my health below halfway.

After about ten minutes, I reached my inn. I scrambled up the wall and into my room. Where I dropped to my bed.

Finally, I checked my notifications.

[You detected three hostiles trying to ambush you from the shadows!]

+2 Perception (Intelligence upgraded. +1!)

+1 Charisma

[Your fight, though raw and untrained, taught you how to stand and fight.]

+2 Toughness

+1 Muscle Memory

+1 Hand to Hand

+1 Swiftness

[While in battle, you kept your wits about you and used the surroundings to your advantage in a tricky situation]

+1 Insight

+1 Blind Awareness

+1 Marksman

[Through perseverance, you trained your body to think vertically, to use elevation to change the situation.]

+3 Stealth

+ 2 Athletics (Acrobatics upgraded. +1)

+1 Grip

I smiled a stiff smile. Quite a haul... But it didn’t excite me as much at the moment. Zalia’s stepbrother tried to kill me. This was going to muddle the pool. I sighed. It didn’t help worrying. I would just have to see what happens.

I got up and pressed the one chair in the room under the door handle, securing it a bit. Then, I tied some bark around the window lock.

That, at least would give me time to respond if those guys showed up again. As I stared at the roof, I slowly drifted off to a troubled sleep...

A loud pounding broke me from my sleep.

“Wil! Open up! Please!”

I grogily stumbled to the door, as the frantic pounds kept reverberating through the room.

I got to the chair and asked,

“Are you alone?”

“Yes. Why? Nevermind, just open the door.” Zalia called through the wood.

With a flick of my palm, I removed the chair and unlatched the door. Zalia all but stormed into the room. Her eyes looking wild.

I quickly closed the door, securing it again.

“What happened?” I asked with a measured voice.

“What happened? I was going to ask you that. There are almost thirty towns people marching here with weapons, Wil. I heard them talking about taking you by force. I don’t know what is going on!” He hands shook and I gently helped her to the side of the bed.

“Tamry and his goons attacked me with daggers last night.” I said, knowing full well that the guy was still out for blood.

“What? No, he wouldn’t do that. He’s a jerk, but he wouldn’t...”

I pulled out the dagger and Zalia’s eyes got big.

“W-where did you find that?”

I huffed and said,

“Found it? No, I snatched it from Tamry after his friends had scored several hits on me.”

She, just stared and I lifted my shirt. The scars were still there, I could make a balm to make them disappear, but plant life was hard to find in a frozen waste.

Zalia clapped a hand to her mouth, and tears started brimming her eyes as she shook her head wordlessly.

I sat down next to her with a sigh. Yup. I was afraid this might happen. Still, I started rubbing her shoulder.

“It’s going to be okay.”

She continued shaking, as tears flowed down her cheeks.

Finally her shoulders squared and she took in a deep shuddering breath.

“I’m sorry, Wil. I’m so sorry... I will make this right with you, you have my word.”

I glanced and saw an utter and complete resolve in them that startled him. Only the slightest of nods came from me.

I pulled a breath to maybe say something when, loud footfalls sounded in the hall.

Jumping up, I grabbed Zalia’s hand and pulled her to the window, showing her to keep quiet with my index finger.

“WHICH ROOM IS HE?” sounded from the hall.

“That one. W-What are you going to do?”

“Shut your trap and step aside.”

They had found me. I hurriedly opened the window and pointed out and onto the roof.

Just as we exited the window, the door started shaking hard as someone tried to open it. The chair would only hold them out for a moment. So, we hurried out and I shut the window softly.

“OPEN UP YOU COWARD!”

There were cracking sounds as I closed the window and stared around, not knowing which way to go.

That is, until Zalia grabbed my hand and pulled me in a direction, going deeper under the ice covered mountain. That way surely led to a dead end, I tried to stop our momentum, but in a moment my gut felt at ease. Maybe something I didn’t know lurked that way. I followed her.

As silent as we could, we dashed across the rooftops.

Shouts echoed in the distance.

Finally, as we reached a bell tower close to where the back end of the ice walls came together, Zalia stopped and pulled me close to the tower wall. Slightly out of breath, she looked to me and whispered,

“Down there is a passage that goes deeper into the mountain to a chamber. However, there are natural chimneys that go up all the way to the surface if one knows where to look.”

I was about to ask a very dumb question, instead I shook my head wildly, making her tilt her head in question. I waved her off. Instead, I asked a more logical thing,

“So, I take it there is a reason we stopped here?”

“There is, the problem we face is, in the passage at the entrance there are several shall we say shops. And some of those shopkeepers are loyal to my brother.”

Ah, a stealth mission... So not my strong suit...yet. So far it had been... well luck.

I turned to her and she said,

“Wil, I know you struggle with stealth still. But, we need to try, and I’ll be there to guide you.”

A sheepish nod, shrug or whatever it was became the only thing I could reply with.

“Good. Now, the moment we are on the ground, you move like I do and you look where you are stepping. Now, there are two routes into the area we want to be, the one to the left of the bell tower and the one the right. All the rooms between those two routes are my Uncle’s distilleries. We have to avoid those at all costs. We are going to try the left route.”

I nodded while Zalia talked me through it. Apparently, there quite a few walk ways in between the two tunnels, so we had to be absolutely vigilant in being aware of who were where.

We dropped to the building to the left side of the bell tower and I lowered Zalia to the road. It almost went wrong when my fingers slipped from the roofs edge on my way down. But I frantically grabbed at a window sill and huffed as I came to a stop. The last went smooth, so I stepped onto the road and stared across the walkway.

As Zalia said, there were two main entrances in the back wall. There were quite a few people for that early in the morning, which complicated matters.

But Zalia walked in front of me with quiet confidence. Indicating with her hand beside her hip to walk calmly.

A few stares levelled our way, but none looked suspicious. Thankfully.

Finally reaching what seemed to be the main tunnel into the mountain, it was split in the middle with a small natural rock pillar covered in the permanent ice. We walked to the left of it, when Zalia changed her motioning to slow down. Peeking around the corner, she swept a few locks of auburn hair away from her face and stared around the pillar to the right before motioning for me to come and look.

I stepped in softly next to her, her close proximity had me gulp a bit, but then she pointed to room carved into the rock. There were two people there, one carried an empty barrel into the room.

Thinking about the barrel, I noticed there were many of them outside and inside of the room.

Then Zalia, pointed again and two people were busy inside the room. She quickly moved over next to the barrels stacked there in the middle of the tunnel. We waited and she whispered.

“Those are two of the workers who helps fill the barrels with alcohol for my Uncle.”

As if that was enough information, she stopped speaking and glanced around the barrels showing me to wait.

And wait.

A minute later, she hurriedly stepped forward and I followed suite, all the while we kept the two workers in eyesight as they shifted and cranked stuff.

We reached another natural rock structure in the tunnel and kept to the left of it. Then stepped past a room, but Zalia showed no anxiousness there, so I followed. It was unoccupied for the moment.

We walked slowly until she grabbed my hand all of a sudden and rushed to a next stack of barrels in the tunnel. We melded to the wood and the sounds of several pairs of boots sounded on the other side.

The next thing I knew, Zalia slipped around the corner of the barrel and I hurriedly followed suite. She gave me a pointed stare, that clearly meant. Keep up!

As she stepped around the next barrel, I started towards her when,

Ping!

I slapped a hand to my chest at the sudden noise. If that had been out loud!! I blew out a breath and moved quickly to the next position. I hazarded a quick glance over and realized we were keep the obstruction between us and the people.

Zalia, stopped and clearly taking a few deep intakes of air. Uh-oh.

I moved close to her and barely breathed the words in her ear,

“Is something wrong?”

She shook her head, but pointed around the barrel to a room with several people in it and then forward, motioning we had to get across a bigger gap without being spotted.

Ah.

Looking over the barrel again, I could maybe make out three or four people in the room.

One held a ledger, pointing towards certain things and two of the others moved to meet the demands.

Next thing, a loud scrape of wood sounded right next to my face. A barrel lifted away and I practically fell back against the wood. A strong grip on my arm alluded to Zalia having caught before I tumbled back harder. She looked anxious, but I nodded at her and she returned it.

She motioned for me to stay down and quietly whispered.

“Be ready, okay?”

With that, I coiled my right leg under me in a spring ready to leap forward.

Then, with the flick of her wrist, be both sprung forward, dashing over the open tunnel towards the next natural pillar of rock.

As we rushed, I glanced over, and one of the people stepped outside of the room in our direction.

I gasped, but then I saw him looking down to his ledger.

As he lifted his gaze, we slipped behind the pillar, breathing raggedly for no other reason than the intense situation.

Zalia, only tried to regain her breath before she hurried forward. Before we got around the pillar she turned and whispered.

“Ahead is smaller tunnel that leads directly to the chamber with the chutes. But, I will have to go check if anyone that shouldn’t see us is walking there right now. We have another option. But it takes us even closer to my Uncle’s distilleries.”

“Okay so what happens if there is someone we have to avoid?” I whispered back.

“Then, we have no choice. Let’s go.”

Zalia motioned for me to wait, then she stepped towards the tunnel. A few seconds later she came scurrying back and motioned seriously for me to quickly go around the pillar.

I didn’t hesitate as I followed her towards a different tunnel.

As I glanced back, I saw three men at the barrels where had been only a short while ago. They were stamping some of the barrels and ledger guy marked it on, well, his ledger.

We hurried past the room where those men had come from and when I glanced back towards the tunnel we had been hoping to go to. A group of men came walking out as we slipped into another tunnel through the ice and rock.

As Zalia led, she stepped into a left passage and just as I followed, she turned back, her eyes big as saucers as she hurriedly pushed me against the opposite wall with hand.

“Run.” She mouthed. “Go left and then left again!”

I quickly scrambled around the corner just as I heard.

“Zalia. Didn’t expect you here. Have you considered my offer yet?” A deep voice sounded from across from Zalia. She stood frozen as she frantically motioned for me to go behind her back.

With a few steps backwards, Zalia said,

“U-Uncle. How have you been?”

The man’s voice made a tsk sound.

“It’s just like you to ignore my question. I won’t ask it again.”

“I-I’ve been thinking, Uncle. You need any more hands here.”

The man scoffed and said,

“Ha, and that’s for you to decide?”

I already highly disliked the guy. With quiet steps I moved further back and saw a bigger tunnel leading back to the town. Luckily it bent. And I checked to the other side, a smaller tunnel and moved there.

Zalia’s response got lost with my sudden movement. But, as I moved quickly deeper into the smaller tunnel, I got to where it joined with one again. Looking left, I heard a shout from another man.

“UNCLE. WE HAVEN’T FOUND HIM.” The rushing footfalls made it clear someone was running closer. Then they stopped. “Oh, it’s you. Why is Zalia here?”

From the sneer in his voice, I immediately recognized Tamry’s voice.

“That is my business. And who are you talking about?” Zalia said, her voice a bit strained.

“Your stranger friend, someone caught him saying to one of Uncle’s rivals that he was planning to destroy our whole supply.”

I could hear Zalia’s huff.

“And this stranger, the first in years, just happen to go straight to Uncle’s rivals on arriving just a day before?”

Oh, I could practically hear Tamry’s fury boil. But, before he could burst out. His Uncle silenced them both.

“Enough! Zalia, it is not your business. And we are going talk about the offer, even if you want to ignore it. You have a duty to the town. And Tamry, did you make sure to post guards at the entrance to the town. We can’t have him leave.”

“Yes, he can’t get out.”

“Good. Now, Zalia, if you can excuse us, we have business to attend. We will talk later.” His last words carried a thread in them.

I touched, a hand to my chest. To think, I would have tried to leave out the front...Two sets of footsteps receded and I walked into the tunnel looking towards a worried Zalia. Then she spotted me and relief washed over features.

Hurrying towards me, she said.

“It’s worse than I thought. If Uncle is involved... We have to get out of here. It’s not safe in Frosgard.”

“Tamry’s explanation was... um interesting.”

Zalia just rolled her eyes.

“Tell me about it.” She had some mirth in her eyes. But, then a small frown creased her brow. “I do not believe Uncle would believe that reason either. If that is so, then his reason for taking into custody must be... something else.”

She was right. It worried me too.

With a shake of her head, swinging her auburn locks bouncing around, she swept pass me, leading the way.

Moments later we got to another fork. And as I looked left, I could see the pillar we had been hiding behind early down the tunnel. Zalia, pointed forward and to the right as we stepped around another natural pillar. She then looked around and motioned for me to look as well.

There, in another room in the rock, sat a guard. Dipping in and out of sleep.

Zalia turned to me and whispered.

“We have to step really really quiet in the next part. Also, make sure you don’t kick a rock accidentally. The inner chamber is down that main tunnel. So, the guard even though not affiliated with my Uncle, will think it is highly suspicious that we are here. So be careful and place your feet where I do, okay?”

I gulped a bit, but said,

“Okay.” It came out as squeak and Zalia glared at me for a moment, before I firmed my voice and repeated the word properly.

Just like that, Zalia started sneaking across the gap. Her footsteps were so graceful... like a leopard moving without making the slightest sounds. Still, I had to do it as best I could. I watched intently every movement she made. And just as I was about to step forward.

Another, ping! sounded.

Those frikken pings were going to cause a panic attack if they kept coming at such inopportune moments. I ignored it again. There just wasn’t time to check them.

So, I moved forward and started placing my foot where Zalia had placed hers. While my footfalls actually made a sound, it was thankfully not loud enough to bother the snoozing guard.

Then, I placed my next.

It was like a dance routine, I realized. Just much slower. The movements Zalia were making flowed so naturally.

I tried to imitate them as best I could. Sloppily was the term.

We got closer to the small side tunnel Zalia had been aiming for. But then I just had to go and get distracted by what was down the bigger tunnel.

A big round chamber met my gaze and bright turquoise notes of light bubbles swirled around the centre in an upward spiral.

My foot scraped and small pebble rolled down the sloped floor.

That caused my eyes to pop open as it went towards the guard.

Immediately, I just left moving slowly for walking a brisk pace, grabbing Zalia and pulling her into the small tunnel before.

“Uh, ha. Is anyone there?” The guard called into the passage.

We stuck to the wall, trying to hide in the shadows. The guard walked up and stared into our tunnel before he disappeared out of sight.

Zalia stared at me in shock. But I just ignored her and moved deeper into the tunnel.

We came to a somewhat round natural space with an ice stalagmite in the middle.

Many small chutes dotted the walls and the roof of it.

Zalia strode forward and quietly said,

“Most of these are just a maze going into the mountain. I tested most of them, and barring the few that went deeper, I found one that went topside.”

Now that was something.

“And how people know of it?”

Zalia shrugged and said,

“Probably just me. It’s not like the rest of the towns people have my thirst for exploration, if fact, I don’t know of a single one apart from the herbalist and she is twice my age and normally the one who sends me to find rare plants in the forest. So, no I do not think someone else knows of it.”

“You are a women of many different facets.”

She smiled cutely at me and then she said,

“As much as it is fun talking with you, we have to leave before anyone notices us.”

I wholeheartedly agreed.

She started clambering up the stalagmite and pushed of into a chute going in what I assumed to be the west?

I followed her, and within seconds realized, I was broader shouldered than her and the chute was quite tiny. I squeezed into it, ignoring the big that it was terrifying to be in such a small space.

I crawled with my elbows pressed into my ribs and more than once my body screamed for me to get out of there. But, I gritted my teeth and pressed on.

Somewhere, Zalia disappeared and as I reached a dead end, I panicked.

Claustrophobia tightened around me and I was about to hurriedly backtrack, when a chilly hand touched my cheek and I swung my head to the side to look up, and back.

Above me sat Zalia in a much broader section of the chute that led almost hundred and fifty degrees away from the current section. I sighed in relief and turned my body around to slither up to Zalia.

As I huffed and puffed next to her, she just giggled. Her grin was totally at my expense. My eyes narrowed at her and she giggled even more before moving forward.

Like I was going to exchange quite a lot of words with my fellow developers about the weird side mechanics they placed in the game, just so I felt a very big desire to exchange some pointed words with the little red head at that moment.

But, I followed her nonetheless.

About ten minutes later, the howling of wind started singing through the small tunnel.

It was quite beautiful actually.

Then we reached an area where quite a bit of snow had fallen in. Zalia, didn’t waste any time to go there and look up and nod.

“Okay, that is our way out. Just be aware, the wind up there is going be a lot harsher than on the valley floor. We can’t dally there for long.”

I nodded and pulled my sabre-tooth fur cloak around me tighter.

With that, she started digging into the snow and I followed suit. Within minutes light started coming through, before the top finally gave way and fell between us. I popped my head outside and the rushing snow carrying wind met me.

Suddenly, I chastised myself for not buying that better shirt!

The freezing temperature combined with the wind didn’t bode well for my exposure at all.

Still, I didn’t have another choice. So I climbed up and gave a hand down and helped Zalia up into the cold wind.

“Looks like the winds are picking up. Our timing may be bad.”

“I agree,” I said looking out. “We better hurry.”