I stood on the patio of my room panting and sweating. The guards were everywhere. A skinhead with armor that appeared to be formed out of used mud tires, marched past directly beneath me. He had a flamethrower pack on his back and the wand in his hand. He looked as if he were itching to use his toy. I noticed a sniper on each of the three nearest buildings and suspected the men in long coats and fedora hats were also part of Hermes security.

A truck roared past with gunmen in the bed. Each man had face paint and camo cargo pants on. They scanned the buildings and passing players with sneers on their faces. A man stepped out of the shadow of the Snatch and Pawn and held out a hand to halt the truck. The gunmen in the bed turned their guns toward the man. I heard the distinct clicking sounds of their weapons. He walked up to the truck with his hands up and leaned in the window. Then slipped an arm inside and a second later turned and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

"You have skill points to burn," Tootsie said and sat on the handrail looking down.

"Not enough to get out of this mess," I grumbled watching kids running toward the ballpark.

"You could spend them on apprenticing beginner skills and make some money back to pay him." Tootsie swayed her feet and fluttered her wings.

"Apprentice of what?" I cracked my neck and glared at the evil blue sun that was making the day too hot.

"Bomb tech, gunsmith, swordsmith, alchemy, runesmith, mechanic, armorer." Tootsie kept listing trades. "Lumberer, carpenter, programmer…"

"How long would it take me to make "Seven hundred thousand dollars if I did choose to do all of those?" I cut her off.

"All of them? I don't know, fourteen years, maybe." She shrugged.

"Not helpful Tootsie." I glowered.

"But if you focused on one or two," she thought for a moment, "maybe two years."

"Why would it take less time with fewer jobs?" I clucked.

Tootsie rolled her eyes, "because as you get better you make higher class items, and they sell for more."

I ground my teeth and watched a group of gunmen rob and shoot a player in the face below then waltz off like they just parked a car. This city was like the wild west everyone doing whatever they wanted. I wondered what the guards were even for.

"We should get going soon." Mia opened the door and leaned out. "The boys are getting restless and hungry, soon they will be trashing the place again."

I nodded and went back to leaning on the handrail.

"Are you alright Barker?" Mia lingered not quite closing the door behind her.

"I'm fine, just planning. I'll be there in a minute." I didn't look back, but I heard the door shut.

I sighed and continued watching the chaos below. Shady deals in alleys and violence in the streets. "How do I apprentice?"

"You just find a master and work his materials with him. Each time you make a new item you gain experience toward a level. Then simply sell the item to a merchant and it goes into the pool of items for other players to buy in the cities." Tootsie yawned.

"How does it get to the other cities?"

"How do you pull things out of that pouch at your hip? It's magic. You sell to one merchant, and they all have the item listed."

The glass door slid open behind me, "The boys are bored. We want to go downstairs for some food and drinks." Thurnar said, pulling at his braided beard. "We need some more coin though."

"Sit tight a while longer, Thurnar, I'm working some things out." I looked over my shoulder at him still leaning on my elbows.

He grumbled to himself and shut the door.

“So, I need craftsmen to teach me the skills, but I need to open the skills in my attributes to be able to learn them?”

“Precisely.” Tootsie cheered.

“But the craftsmen are NPCs in the cities.” I pointed out. “We can’t stay here.”

“Well at least get a couple of levels in a trade and when we get to another city you can work on it again,” Tootsie recommended.

“Better idea,” I stood and stretched my arms. I slid open the glass doors and walked back into the hotel room. The room was trashed, and all eyes were bloodshot and bored as they looked up at me. “I have a plan. If it works, it will get us out of debt and back on track.”

No one budged. Just blinking eyes. Mariel looked nervous.

“I expected a little more excitement.” I coughed.

“We all know your ideas really stink.” Tootsie buzzed.

I fought the urge to swat the hummingbird against the coffee table, “fine I will just spit it out then. We are going to kidnap the craftsmen I need for learning trades.”

Tootsie growled and rubbed her hands, “finally.” Her creepy grin could have scared off a Pitbull.

“You are going to kidnap craftsmen and make them train you?” Mia asked. Goar leaned in with a glint in his eye. Varren stopped kissing Agatha. Millie kept glaring at Varren.

“What do we do if they don’t want to train you?” Elrindel asked.

“We leave a trail of body parts until one of them changes his mind.” I locked eyes with the Elf.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.” Tootsie hummed.

“Everyone get ready. We make our move at dark when Shia wakes up. Scout out the talent for me. I want a full list by sundown.” I commanded.

Everyone stood but Mia. She sat watching me as the others left the room. “It seems as if you are taking a darker path than when I met you.” She spoke slow and deliberate. “It makes me wonder if you are the Rage Orc.” She watched me for a reaction, but I kept my face passive. “I hope I made the right decision. I hope you are going to do what is best for the people.”

I reached in my pouch and pulled out our remaining coin. “Take this and get us supplies. We will march out tonight.” She didn’t move. “I’m the same man you met Mia; I just have to do this for now. I will get everyone home safe. I promise.”

She stood and walked over slowly. “You better.” Her eyes searched mine. She took the coin and put it in her pouch. Then she kissed me. Not a long kiss. Just a peck, but her lips were soft, and her green eyes never left mine. Then she was gone, out the door and down the hall as I stood speechless.

“See how much more they like you when you are decisive?” Tootsie buzzed.

“Alright Tootsie, how about we use some soul points.” I clapped my four hands together.