When Felix said we could use a little bit of sunshine, it didn’t dawn on me at the time that we had been standing directly in it for hours already. He took me back to Birch Castle without divulging me in much else, and once inside the white stone walls of the city, led me off through stinking alleyways stuffed with trash, and to the other side of town.

At the base of a guard tower, where NPC troops are practicing swordplay with one another and shooting arrows into straw targets, Felix motions to a certain man leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed and a grim, crinkled expression on his face. With a shrug, I head over to the man.

The NPC’s name, Rupert, appears before my eyes when he says, “Good-day. Looking to enlist or just muddy my yard and guffaw at my men?”

I raise my eyebrows. Not a friendly way to start a conversation, and I’m curious to see how this NPC reacts to things I say. I’m feeling bold, maybe because I know it’s not a real, living person, but an AI. Sticking my thumbs in my belt and puffing my chest, I say, “They look stiffer than a wooden board and softer than kittens, these men.”

Rupert doesn’t miss a beat, understanding what I said and going along with it. “Aye, they’re rabble. All of them. But on the King’s command I am sworn to see them fit for battle,” he says begrudgingly. “Only the King doesn’t know it’ll take six months before they’re ready to raid the mines.”

“Raid the mines?” I ask.

“Aye,” says Rupert. He stands from the wall, seemingly more interested in our conversation. “Just off the mountain pass waits a den of evil sorcery deemed a threat to the stability of his Majesty’s kingdom. Dark arts brood down there. We aim to send a company down the tunnel shaft of Sunshine Mines, but my men aren’t going to be ready before the problem gets worse. The cult down there is recruiting new members every day while I can’t get my men more than a meal a day or find them a master wizard willing to enchant their equipment for free. These men don’t know it, but I shan’t think we’ll pull through.”

“What can I do to help?”

Rupert’s eyes widen as he smirks. “Unless you got the gold to outfit my men and hire them a master wizard, I think a pre-emptive strike on the cult to thin down their numbers and caution others not to join would do the trick. That is, if you think you’ve got either of those things.”

New quest available! Sunshine Mines

Requirement:

Donate 10,000 gold to Captain Rupert.

Or

Defeat the dark magicians within the mines.

Rewards:

10,000 experience

1,000 gold

(LV. 10) Bastard Sword

1 Captain’s Favor

“I will do my best to vanquish the evil at its source, good captain Rupert. Farewell.”

The NPC nods at me, pleased with my words, and I spin around enthusiastically to face Felix with a smile. He looks a little bored from my conversation with Rupert, but I can imagine it’s probably because he’s already heard it a million times. “Well, I definitely don’t have 10,000 gold, so I take it we’re going to clear a dungeon?”

“Yep,” he says as he turns, motioning me to follow him. “Let’s go meet with the others by the south gate. They’re waiting.”

A fit of curiosity and eagerness takes over me. This will be my first actual quest, I think, and the idea of going up against a mysterious cavern-dwelling cult I don’t know much about sounds exhilarating. Also, I can’t help but wonder what that captain’s favor does. There must be realistic limits to what I can ask for, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

Rubble’s big, muscular frame is the first thing I see as Felix and I walk up towards the gatehouse. Picking at his teeth with a toothpick, he kinda reminds me of a popular fantasy character from a game that came out before my time, but I still had the pleasure of experiencing. Black hair buzzed short on the sides, all he needs is a pair of black sunglasses, a mini-gun attached to his arm instead of a bow, and to tell me the planet is crying out in pain to complete his transformation.

He’s so big that I don’t even notice Rin until she steps out from behind him. Putting her hands together, she beams her violet eyes and pearly whites. I can’t help but notice her new equipment’s revealing features; a bright blue cotton dress fits her shapely frame tightly with a low enough cut bodice that emphasizes the brass pendant on her neck… and other things.

Rin’s smile fades to a smirk as she looks at me quizzically. I swallow hard. Look away, knowing my wandering gaze must have been spotted, but thankfully she doesn’t say anything right away.

Rubble tosses his meaty fists in the air and shouts, “Are you guys ready for this? About time we got this show on the road. I’ve been waiting for this all damn day!” He hits the back of my shoulder a bit hard, almost sending me to the dirt. “And with you up front playing rag doll, I’m hoping I’ll be able to stack my abilities enough to break 100 damage. Been too long since I’ve seen triple digits!”

“Uh, are you guys sure I’m going to be able to tank this?” I ask. “I still have level five gear, and I don’t think I’m very resistant to magic.”

“You’ll be fine,” Felix says with a swish of his black hair. “You’re stats are looking pretty decent, and they say that you can usually go 10 levels before you really need to upgrade gear.”

“Yeah,” Rin says. “Don’t worry so much.”

Out of the mention of my stats, I pull up my character advancement page just to make sure I’ve spent every point I can.

Aiden Rockwell

LV. 10 Warrior

HP: 361/361

STRENGTH: 17 (20)

FORTITUDE: 32

DEXTERITY: 15

WISDOM: 16

INTELLIGENCE:13

SWAY: 20

(LV. 5) Brand-new Leather Helm: +3 ARM

(LV. 5) Warrior’s Tunic: +5 ARM

(LV. 5) Brand-new Breeches: +4 ARM

(LV. 5) Brand-new Boots: +2 ARM

(LV. 5) Iron Short Sword: +5 DMG

(LV. 5) Shiny Buckler: +3 ARM

(LV. 3) Warrior’s Pendant: +3 STR

A groan of uncertainty escapes me. I’m still a little worried I won’t be able to pull my weight in our first party raid, but all I can say is, “If you guys say so…”

“We do,” Rin says with a smirk. I can feel the tug of her gorgeous eyes drawing my gaze into them, to scan her up and down. I feel like a compulsive child and have to look away, afraid that if I don’t I’ll either get lost in those mesmerizing violet pools or even worse; in big doo-doo.

Felix forms a party and invites the rest of us to it before we begin to make our way out of Birch Castle. We follow a gravel road a short distance before veering off onto grassy game trails that lead us up towards the foothills and the mountain range’s base, filling our journey with small talk as we go. Rubble is the most talkative, of course, but I get this strange feeling from the way Rin and Felix chat.

It's almost like she’s giving him the cold shoulder, coming across as short and snippy with him. It’s prevalent enough that I wonder if they have a disagreement about something. But before I have too much time to ponder it, we come upon the dark mouth of a cave between two massive walls of natural stone.

The mine’s entrance is supported by half-collapsed wooden poles and beams, suggesting that this mine is old and hasn’t seen any valuable ore come out if in quite awhile, but that doesn’t mean it is no longer a hot spot of activity. In fact, it’s the opposite. Players of all kinds of classes are gathered around small crackling fires and pop-up canvas tents.

I overhear a wizard and a monster hunter bartering over the value of a dragon’s leg, and whether or not it tastes more like chicken or beef. Just from that encounter, I realize three things. Monster Hunter looks like a downright nasty class to go up against. Wearing the furs, pelts, and skins of the creatures he’s slain as trophy armor, he looks like a suped-up ranger with a crossbow.

Secondly, Alloy was right when he said that the Five Roses Keep barely gets any attention at all. Compared to the big groups of players loitering outside these mines, the keep was entirely unoccupied except for me and the River Raiders. It would be a heck of a lot easier to party up with a group here. Not to mention, it only took us maybe 20 minutes to get to the entrance of this mine versus the half a day voyage.

The most important thing I realized? Dragons don’t give up their legs easily.

We speak with an NPC guard from Birch Castle just outside the crumbling opening to the mine to add our party to the dungeon que. Luckily, we came at just the right time and are allowed entrance within five minutes. Squeezing into the dark depths of the mineshaft, I hear the trickle of running mountain water and feel the cold wetness on the stones.

Within the first 20 steps we have to materialize torches from our inventory and light them up to see. The air in here is dark and oppressive, with a strange smell to it. The tunnel takes a turn to the left, then takes a hard downward ramp takes us deeper. The further we go, the worse the smell gets. Almost like someone left a barrel of rotten eggs open. When the ground flattens out again, the rocky walls widen and open up into a massive strip mine. Branches go off into five different directions, areas where the stone has been cleared out. The worst part is, I can’t see past 30 feet, and all I see is darkness down each tunnel.

“Which way should we go?” I ask.

“Well,” Rin says as she walks up and holds her torch out, “it’s random. The side chasms offer menial loot and mobs, but most people just push straight to the boss in search for that big experience boost. We’ll do the same, so long as we pick the right one. If I remember right, there’s a pattern. It should be this one.” Rin points at the tunnel of her choice, but Rubble shakes his head.

“No, no, no,” he says as he pulls up his belt and hobbles to the entrance of a tunnel. “Always follow your nose in this one.” Resting his hands on his knees, he takes a huge whiff that rumbles the back of his throat, arcing his back as he fills his lungs, then pauses for a moment before breathing out. “Not this one,” he says confidently. At the next opening, takes another large sniff that makes him full-on snort.

“I’m going have to start calling you Big Pig,” Felix says.

Rubble whips his head around, looking back at Felix completely aghast and offended. “Why don’t you believe me?”

Rin giggles. “No one said we didn’t believe you, big guy.”

“Come on, boy,” Felix jests as he slaps his legs. “Did you find any truffles? Get that snoot a hooverin, Mr. Oinkers.”

Rubble turns a little red, rolls his eyes and looks away as he mumbles to himself. I have to restrain myself from laughing, and manage a far bit better than Rin and Felix. One more sniff seems to convince Rubble that he’s found the correct way. He points down the shaft and says, “Here, you ungrateful buffoons. Smells like sulfur. It’ll take us to the Cult’s antechamber, and I’ll have no more of this piggy business or you’ll find yourself out of a ranger.”

With a smug grin, Felix looks to me and motions to the tunnel. “Go ahead, Aiden.”

With a nod, I take the party’s lead with my sword drawn, unsure what to expect. One thing I can’t deny, is that Rubble’s sniffer technique does seem to work. The further we go, the worse the stench gets.

“So, about this cult… Are they like a doomsday cult?” I ask.

I hear Rin’s voice come from behind me. “Not so much doomsday as devil worship.”

“Oh…” My mind begins to wonder what’s in store for me, but before I can get any more answers we’re stepping into a large room that tells me enough. This place reminds me of those old-time theaters with plays and stage performances, only we’re the ones soaking in all the attention. There are wooden pillars in a ‘u’ shape that hold up a shoddy balcony where four figures emerge from dark tunnels and loom over us from above, chanting in some strange language as they approach.

The cultist wearing a bright red cloak and the skull of a longhorn on his head grabs my attention first. He stops front and center from us. A white clergy stole draped around his shoulders has a strange eye symbol embroidered in black. And considering that the other three cultists are wearing hooded black robes with masks that look like regular skulls, I figure this one must be the leader. He points at us.

Tridain Ullendark: You dare enter our holy tunnels so close to the master’s gate?

Tridain Ullendark: Let this be a warning to you. Abandon this place or face the wrath of Dark Lord Maatholock!

Tridain Ullendark and his disciples begin a ritual!

The room seems to spring to life as the battle begins. The cultists, surrounding us from above, begin to glow in a reddish light. There’s a hole in the center of the room that I didn’t notice before, about the size of a well. Floating just above it, a big circular ball of red hellish energy erupts, forming a portal that, to my dismay, allows a hulking hand to pass through. The humanoid creature that thuds onto its feet in front of me is grotesque and twice as tall. Cragged black patches that look like cooled magma serve as plate armor with hooked spikes, and the massive two-handed great sword is covered with glowing runes along the blade.

The disciples of Dark Lord Maatholock summon a Demon Knight!

(LV. 14) Demon Knight

HP: 260/260

This stalwart minion of the dark lord is known for its unfaltering cruelty of lesser demons and humans alike.

A gasp escapes me as I see the size of that thing’s HP pool. It’s almost as big as mine!

Rubble is already loosing arrows at one of the lesser cultists, but at this angle he misses and hits the wooden balcony on his first few shots. Luckily, Rin is having better luck as she fires off charged blasts of rippling energy that zip through the air like mini cannon balls. Felix is shooting literally just that.

The Demon Knight’s yellow glowing eyes settle on me as it roars and charges for me. With nothing but fear for my teammates fueling me, I match his charge and half the distance, ducking low under a wide swipe of its huge sword. As it recovers, I slash a big gash on its thigh as hard as I can, but the results are disappointing.

You hit the Demon Knight for 14 damage!

Jeeze! It’s armor bonus must be massive! My damage should max out around 35!

I avoid another swing by sidestepping, the rush of wind following its sword blows against my face. “Exactly how are we supposed to kill this thing?” I shout.

As Felix raises his flintlock to eye level, he says, “You don’t have to worry about the killing. Just focus on keeping the big guy’s attention away from us.”

Rin casts Ice Spear for 32 damage! Acolyte of Maatholock is stunned and slowed! Susceptibility to fire increased by 50%!

Rubble uses Deep Sight! Critical hit guaranteed!

Critical hit! Rubble hits the Acolyte of Maatholock for 61 damage!

My jaw drops open at the numbers my companions are dishing out, and I’m the same level as them! I can’t help but feel a little envious and wish that I could do that. But tank, I must. Too bad I’m too distracted by my battle log and not very good at it. A squeal escapes me as the demon’s sword makes a lateral cut across my belly, filling me with a queasy, painful sensation in the area.

The Demon Knight hits you for 67 damage! You have been cursed! (LV.1) 294/361 HP remaining!

Suddenly, I feel my senses slow. Everything around me becomes a shade darker like my vision is fading, and my sword seems a little bit heavier than it was just a moment ago. I twist and take a half step back, shouting out, “Am I the only one that’s trying to kill the demon?”

“Yeah,” I hear Rin say. From across the room, she’s just a blurry blotch of blue dress and magical light.

“That’s not the answer I was hoping for! How can I avoid the Demon Knight’s attacks when I can barely see?”

“Tuff it out,” Rubble shouts as he nocks not one, but two arrows. “We have to take out these cultists or they will keep summoning more!”

Rubble uses Twin Shot!

Rubble hits the Acolyte of Maatholock for 42 damage!

Rubble hits the Acolyte of Maatholock for 39 damage!

Rubble defeats the Acolyte of Maatholock! You gain 2,000 experience points!

“One down, two Acolytes and one big hoss to go!” Rubble shouts with furor.

As I land a lucky blow across the Demon Knight’s shin, I begin to think that maybe there is a good chance that we can make this. Even with the damper on my vision, I’m still able to make out the glowing runes on the big guy’s sword and sneak small amounts of damage in between each of his swings. The magicians above manage a few glancing blows with magic spells, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Luckily, they aren’t doing too much damage.

I bide my time, focusing on keeping the Demon knight’s sword off of me as the others begin taking sizable chunks off the second acolyte’s health bar. I can’t believe how fast this one seems to go down, and grants me with another 2,000 experience. I’m almost level 11, but the battle shifts when the others take aim on the final acolyte.

Tridain Ullendark: You don’t really think you have what it takes to defeat the dark lord’s servants, do you?

Tridain Ullendark: Fools!

Tridain Ullendark: I have studied the demon lords of darkness for the better part of a century!

Tridain Ullendark: Try all you might, but you’ll fall at their feet ere long!

Tridain Ullendark and his disciple begin a ritual!

“Don’t let them finish the ritual!” Felix yells. “The second demon is too strong for us. Rubble, take out the Acolyte. Rin, stun Tridain! Aiden, keep it up! I’ll top you off in a moment.”

“On it!” Rubble and Rin shout in near unison. I can’t help but be impressed with how Felix is handling this fight. With all the time we spent training yesterday and how he’s guiding each of us, I have a newfound respect for him as a leader.

Rubble uses Deep Sight! Critical hit guaranteed!

Rubble uses Twin Shot!

Critical hit! Rubble hits the Cultist Acolyte for 61 damage!

Critical hit! Rubble hits the Cultist Acolyte for 69 damage!

Rubble defeats the Cultist Acolyte! You gain 2,000 experience points!

“Boo yah!” Rubble shouts with glee. “I’m a one-hit wonder, baby! Give Tridain a little sugar, Rin!”

Rin casts Ice Spear for 42 damage!

Tridain resists stun and slow!

Susceptibility to fire increased by 50%!

Everyone in the room hesitates when we realize we’re in deep trouble.

The Cultists summon a Dark Imp!

The Demon Knight hits you for 66 damage! You have been cursed! (Lv. 2) 113/361 HP remaining!

Two more hits and I’m done for! Not to mention, the curse’s effects have doubled. I’m terribly tired, and the whole world has been overtaken in a sheet of black that only the glow of magic seems to be able to penetrate. Faintly, I can still see the Demon Knight’s sword and Rin’s spells whizzing through the air, but what steals my attention the most is the appearance of a second portal right above the first.

Against the red light of the portal, I can see the silhouette of a creature with a horned head, wings, and long tail come through.

“Old Gods damn it!” Felix shouts in character as the familiar crack and flash of his flintlock fill the air. “Rubble, switch your attention to the demons or they will overtake Aiden.”

Felix hits Tridain Ullendark for 27 damage!

Rubble hits the Dark Imp for 53 damage!

Rin casts Flamethrower for 70 damage! Tridain Ullendark is burning!

Tridain Ullendark burns for 44 damage!

That last message appears in my log three times, meaning Rin’s total damage is over 200! That Ice Spear / Flamethrower combo is amazing! Tridain Ullendark goes down with a bloodcurdling scream as the fires disintegrate him into a pile of ash. A whopping 4,000 experience points flash across my HUD and Felix pops off a Milk of the Poppy, restoring me for 84 HP.

Congratulations! You have reached level 11! 1 attribute point has been awarded!

Needless to say, things are looking good!

I catch the Demon Knight’s sword with my buckler, negating all damage as it glances to the side. Moving in quickly for a jab in the creature’s gut, I take down its health pool to 2/3rds and relish the moment. I’m so deeply concentrated and it feels like we’re unstoppable!

The Dark Imp casts fireball! Rin takes 67 damage! 53/120 HP remaining!

The words, “oh no” slip from my mouth as Rin groans at the explosive impact, falling to the floor. She spits curses hotter than the fireball that hit her and climbs back to her feet, raging. One more hit like that could kill her!

All at once, everyone seems to understand where we need to focus our next attacks. The Demon Knight reels his sword-hand back and slashes powerfully. I take the hit and feel sick as I watch my HP drop to 56. My vision fades to nearly pure blackness, a range I guesstimate at only five feet, as the curse reaches it maximum effect at level three. I can see the sword slicing through the air in front of me, but not the demon who’s holding it! But a little voice inside me tells me I have to keep moving. I have to save Rin!

I hit the ground, roll between the Demon Knight’s two massive feet, then launch myself into the air as high as I can get off the ground, hoping to Felix’s old gods that the imp hasn’t moved since where I saw it last, and activating every ability I have at my disposal as the tip of my sword connects with the flying devil.

You use Complete Defense! Armor increased by 25%!

Rubble uses Twin Shot!

Rubble hits the Dark Imp for 45 damage!

Rubble hits the Dark Imp for 47 damage!

You use Bloodbath!

You use Imbue Shield! Sway added to magic resistance and armor!

Critical hit! You hit the Dark Imp for 40 damage!

You defeated the Dark Imp and gained 3,000 experience points!

Soaked in the blood of your enemy, you feel renewed strength! The Dark Imp’s max HP of 150 has been transferred to you! 206/361 HP remaining!

The red imp screeches as its wings beat the last few times before it hits the ground at my feet. I feel relief wash over me at my renewed HP, only to feel a bubbling anger when I’m struck from behind. Jaunting forward and away from the Demon Knight I can no longer see, I whip myself around a slash my sword out wildly and helplessly at the darkness that surrounds me.

“What do I do?” I cry out as I stumble into something hard against my back. I assume it’s one of the wooden pillars under the balcony and quickly try to get behind it, only to feel the whoosh of the Demon Knight’s sword I barely avoided.

“Don’t attack, just kite him!” Rin yells.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Run around the entire room in a really big circle!”

How am I supposed to do that when I can’t see where I’m going?!

The Demon Knight hits you for 45 damage! You have been cursed! (LV. 3 MAX) 106/361 HP remaining!

This whole dungeon is a bust and I’m about to die! But with Rin watching and the Shield’s fate on the line, all I can do is groan and run aimlessly away from where I think the Demon Knight is, flailing my arms around as I scream and try to use my sword as a blind man’s cane. “I have had it with these gods-damed demons in this gods-damned mine!”

The others burst out laughing and I can’t decide whether I should be irritated or laugh myself. I can only imagine what I look like as I stumble around the room smacking into wooden beams and stone walls. I guess it’s not always sunny in Sunshine Mines.

Felix uses Milk of the Poppy! Aiden gains 84 HP! 190/376 HP remaining!

Rin uses Charged Bolt and hits the Demon Knight for 80 damage!

Rubble uses Deep Sight!

Critical hit! Rubble hits the Demon Knight for 66 damage!

Rubble defeats the Demon Knight!

You gain 4,000 experience!

You have completed Sunshine Mines!

You gain 10,000 experience points!

Congratulations!You have reached level 12!

Congratulations! Rubble has reached level 13!

Congratulations! Rin has reached level 13!

You have unlocked a new ability! Choose between the following:

Plunging Strike: A deadly leap and downward swing adds double your sway to your damage.

Or

Double Back: Make the call and focus on Defense as you jaunt backwards. You and your entire party adds your sway to Armor and Magical Resistance for 30 seconds.

Felix uses Minor Favor and removes your curse!

My vision returns to me with a striking image of Rin, absolutely beaming the most gorgeous smile I’ve ever seen. “Congrats everyone!” She says. “That was close.”

Rubble pumps his meaty fists in the air. “Yeah, baby! You too! And Aiden, taking two levels in the same run! You must have been close before we even came in here.”

I nod, too overwhelmingly exhausted physically and mentally to speak. While I’m happy we made it through there’s this lingering feeling of guilt I can’t seem to shake. Both Rin and I almost died, and I would feel terrible if either happened.

Rin seems to sense the dread plaguing my mind. She walks up to me and gives me a playful punch on the shoulder. “You looked like a chicken with your head cut off, back there.” I laugh it off, feeling slightly embarrassed even though I know she means well. But suddenly, her face goes serious and confused. For a moment, I think I’ve done something wrong, but then she turns to Felix. “Hey, why didn’t you use Minor Favor sooner? Could have saved Aiden some running around, maybe not risked his life so much.”

Felix tries to keep his cool as he brushes a few stray black hairs off his face, but I can see his cheeks turn a shade of pink. “And miss out on all that awesome chicken running? Ha.” There’s a moment of awkward silence when no one else laughs with him. He swallows, then turns to me and says, “Sorry, man. I guess I just forgot about it for a minute.”

Part of me feels really weird about the whole thing. I’d like to think that he genuinely did forget about his ability, but the way he tried to nonchalantly shrug it off, and how he looks like he’s embarrassed makes me a little suspicious if there wasn’t some dubious intent to get a good laugh at my expense. But without any previous example or any other reason to believe than to try to cover up his mistakes, I have to believe it was just a genuine mistake.

With a shrug, I say, “It’s all right, Felix. I didn’t do so well either. I should have known when that imp first appeared that I should get a few swings off on it to keep its attention. Won’t happen again.”

Felix nods, relieved. “Same here.”

With that out of the way, Rubble decides to release a loud groan out of nowhere as he stretches his back, breaking the silence. “Let’s get out of here,” he says. “Take the whole rest of the day off and grab some ale, huh? We’ll finish getting to 15 tomorrow.”

Everyone agrees that a break sounds great, and we decide to head for the Wizard’s Den. While we could push on and run the dungeon again, one run of Sunshine Mines was definitely enough for me today. Besides, I’ve now got a quest to turn in to Rupert and a Captain’s Favor to use.

As we appear on the surface world, I remember that I still have an ability to choose. While Double Back isn’t that much different from Complete Defense, I still choose it because it extends my defensive sway bonus to all the members of my party. After today, I want to do everything I can to keep the others from dying.