The Dragon's Wrath: Shadows in the Flame (36 page)

“Have either of you guys been to Cleftside?” I asked, as that appeared to be the opposing castle-town that mirrored Wesstown and was the settlement that currently held the forces of the
Triumvirate
. “Is the layout similar to here, if you’ve been?”

“Yeh we’ve been,” said Barik after a long period of silence from him. “It’s a… bigger place, larger walls, and more troops.”

“Large walls,” repeated Ethan as he demonstrated the difference with his hands. “Wesstown is a fort-town compared to Cleftside, that’s a real castle-town. Double the height and thickness with their walls.”

“And if war does break out with the NPCs launching a major offensive, do you think we’ll be the attackers or the defenders?” I questioned as my knowledge of the situation had been limited due to my sheltered existence in the North. I only knew what little had been shared with me.

“We’ll be the attackers,” said Ethan with a matter-of-fact tone of voice. “Our side has been losing territory every step of the way, they’re almost to our doorstep mate.”

“Wouldn’t we be the defenders then?” asked Valerie.

“Nah, we either push them back to their walls or we lose the region,” he explained with little fanfare. “They’re cashed up with the numbers to back while we’re sittin’ with a shonky lot of players. To say we’ve got the short stick, well it ain’t going to be an easy day.”

“Too right,” chimed in Barik, in complete agreeance.

“I’ll need to gather information then,” I stated. “Looks like I’ll have to visit Cleftside before the war officially breaks out.”

“Not happening,” said Ethan quickly. “Gates locked to outsiders, they aren’t letting anyone in unless you’ve got an issued pass.”

“Eh and Wesstown doesn’t do the same?” I mumbled as I thought over the situation. “I see why we’re losing already.”

After another thirty minutes of discussion, we decided to split up from the guys as Valerie and I were logging off for the night. We still weren’t on the friendliest of terms but it had warmed enough where she was now receptive. The short tour through the estuary region before we set out proved to be a step in the right direction, as she enjoyed the area considerably.

Walking back with her as we headed towards the inn where Emily had reserved the rooms, the crowded streets gave us little freedom to walk or talk along the way. Cutting through an alley between two rows of buildings, the three-story wooden constructs went as far as the eye could see.

Shops and other establishments were on the first floor, the ground floor, while residences were directly above. Hundreds of potential homes within view as notices were posted on street corners, “Rooms for rent available, inquire within.” This was a modern-styled town, more 1800s in appearance than the 1100s the North resembled.

What set it apart was the attire of the majority of the players and NPCs. Some players wore current clothing styles but most had their equipment on, leathers of all sorts and even a few armors crafted with bits of iron. If one thing truly stood out, it was the amount of money available here. These players all had a little bit of money to spend.

“I might need to explore the trade options here,” I mumbled as we walked down the dark alley, lost in my own mind and oblivious to the girl next to me.

“Is it always business or war with you?” she asked, breaking my train of thought as I had almost forgotten about her presence. “Or is business and war the same thing?”

“Oh they’re all interrelated, so I guess,” I replied without looking her way.

“What are you scheming then?” she questioned rather abruptly.

“Always with the negative connotations,” I whispered under my breath as I chuckled and looked up at the changing skyline. “Well to be honest with you, I’m trying to figure out how to best make my mark here with limited resources and manpower.”

“Perhaps I’ve been sheltered but what drives you to such lengths?” she asked as straightforwardly as possible. “I’ve been wondering, questioning really why Emily cares about any of this. I don’t understand her reasoning but you have some motive.”

“Do you want the philosophical reasoning or the emotional one?” I replied while stopping to lean against the corner of a wall, wanting to finish the conversation before we reentered the crowd. This was something I had been wondering myself over the past few days and only recently did I come to terms with it.

“I’m interested in both,” she said with a slight smile. “Maybe this time, you’ll share your opinion… it would be a shame if you decided to skim on the details, again.”

Turning my head up and leaning it against the wall, the line she used harks back to the first time we conversed. It was a curious line, one that maybe conveyed more meaning under the surface than the words themselves.

“Well there’s nothing special about the emotional response and motivation,” I began to explain while resting my hands on my thighs. “If someone wrongs you then your first reaction is to want to get even. The desire for revenge can burn from within as it seemingly provides you with the fuel to carry on through the most difficult of times.

“Then when it becomes apparent that the ones who wronged you were manipulated by another, that blame was wrongly assigned and innocents had suffered for it, you may regret the actions but it can also serve to push you even further, to cause that rage and fury to ignite an even greater flame. To right the wrongs… to settle the matter once and for all.”

“That sounds rather juvenile,” she said curtly.

“In words yeah, but emotions can’t always be defined neatly by words. It’s a feeling that pervades one’s essence and can serve as a great tool to help one get through troubling times. The issue is that emotions can run in the other direction too, dragging one through the mud and into a deeper hole where all hope is seemingly lost.”

“And what of the philosophical reasoning?” she asked.

“When an individual or a collective of individuals behind the scenes or from a position of power begin to pull the strings, the little people are the ones who suffer for it. When the pawns are moved and sent into action, the masterminds sit back and watch as it all unfolds. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter to them as they are unharmed. They return to their lives as if everything is normal while the pawns are left to pick up the pieces.

“When you ask yourself, what if the opportunity one day presents itself where the puppet can usurp the puppet master, would you let the moment pass or take the chance to change the narrative? Are we forever destined to be puppets in someone’s scheme? I would like to think, that the story starts with me.”

“Pretentious aren’t we, to have the story start with you,” she mocked with a wry smile that gave away her position.

“You have your own story,” I replied with a wink. “We all have one.”

Pushing off the wall and standing up, I made my way through the crowd as she followed quietly behind. Separated only by a foot of distance, her demeanor had changed to a more positive one after our short discussion and it caught me by surprise. With every extended conversation, the barriers between us were slowly but steadily being eroded.

The only thing left now, was to get this war started.

Chapter 111: The Dotted Line

(Tuesday, February 22nd Game Day / Friday, May 21st Real Day)

Standing in line while Emily and Valerie were off looking for snacks, hundreds of players were ahead of me as everyone wanted to participate in the coming battle. The Regional Call to Arms had sounded off as the NPC faction inhabiting Wesstown officially declared war on the NPC factions in Cleftside. It was news to me that there were two powers inside Cleftside and it certainly explained their dominance.

Two powerful NPC families inhabiting one territory, cooperating to overtake and remove the smaller factions around them. Cleftside and Wesstown were separated by nearly forty miles of fields and forests according to the local maps but that didn’t stop them from wanting to solidify their claim of the local region. 

The House of Blacktomb and the House of Woodfall were fairly generic and unimportant names but they were the NPC families that controlled and ruled Cleftside. Of more importance was the
Triumvirate
’s backing of Woodfall. There was no infighting as of yet, at least that was of public knowledge. Though the possibility of a power struggle certainly played on my mind. In a time of war, tensions were high and mistakes were made. If toes were stepped on or lines were crossed, an alliance could crumble.

I was curious of course… but so far it was nothing more than a daydream.

“Would you look at that,” said a familiar voice from behind as she handed me some sort of portioned out roasted animal on a stick. “Only fifty or so people ahead of us, nice!”

Taking a bite out of what I believed was a small leg, the texture of the meat was different but not terrible. The flavor could have been better but as far as roasted meats went, it was actually somewhat decent. Though I had a sneaking suspicion that the meat belonged to a species of large rodent, based on the size and shape.

“Hm this isn’t half bad,” I mumbled as I continued to chew on the imagined rodent drumstick. “Anyways, yeah, line is moving pretty quick actually. Shouldn’t be long before we’re up.”

“So you enjoy the virtual version of a Eurasian Beaver,” explained Emily, after watching me take a few bites. “I stuck with the chicken myself.”

“How kind of you,” I mumbled as I finished the snack.

After ten minutes passed us by, we were finally at the front of the line as Emily stepped forward and was received first. One male and two female NPCs stood behind a table with sacks of magical parchment placed directly behind them, as they handed Emily the piece of paper and began to explain the basics to her.

“Next in-line,” called out the male as I stepped forward. Taking out a single blank piece of parchment, he looked me up and down quickly and then began to explain the details in short. “Details of the contract are provided inside. After you have signed and sworn an Oath to the cause, any action taken in order to subvert the powers that be will be seen as an act of treason. If you agree to the terms listed, sign with your desired name.”

As I quickly glanced at the blank parchment, numerous system messages appeared on the screen detailing everything that one needed to know. Too much to read all at once, I turned slightly to face Emily as she said a rather strange thing.

“Alliance One,” she said to the female behind the table as she confirmed with a nod and a slight smile.

“Thank you for joining the cause Alliance One, may the tides of war be in our favor,” stated the female NPC.

Before I could say anything, the NPC in front of me tapped the parchment and asked me for my name, wanting to speed things up as hundreds of players remained waiting behind us. Ignoring the man, I decided to first ask Emily what she was thinking.

“What the hell?” I blurted out as I stared at her. “You didn’t seriously just use that as your registered name for the battle?
Alliance One
? Seriously?”

“You’ve declared and registered,
what the hell
, as your name,” said the male NPC as he was about to stamp my document.

“Hey no!” I yelled as I snatched the parchment away from him. Staring at both of them as if they were tripping on some medieval drugs, I was completely baffled by their reactions as they stared at me. As if I were the one who was insane.

“No, that’s not my name, what the hell is wrong with you people.”

“Thank you for joining the cause Alliance Two, may the tides of war be in our favor,” stated the other female NPC.

Turning to my right, Valerie had finished registering as well as both girls gave me a funny look. After they disparaged me with their eyes, they turned and walked away as I was left holding up the line with an angry male NPC standing in front of me.

“Alliance Zero,” I muttered as I had been suckered into a stupid naming scheme. Handing the parchment over to the NPC, I was now stuck with it.

“Yeah, thanks, move on now,” said the male NPC as he stamped and handed the parchment back to me. Waving at me to shoo, I ignored his deviant behavior and chased after the two girls while reading the details of the contract.

[You have sworn an Oath to the House of Harmont for the duration of the Call to Arms. Once bound to an Oath, an Adventurer must abide by the rules of the contract or face the appropriate penalties.]

[Switching to support of the House of Woodfall or Blacktomb, or sabotaging the efforts of the House of Harmont will be seen as act of betrayal and will result in a severe penalty to the Adventurer’s Reputation Stat, ranging from minus fifty to minus two-hundred Reputation Points depending on the severity of the crime. The actions must be witnessed in order for the penalty to come into effect.]

[Having sworn allegiance, the Adventurer will also be known amongst Inhabitants of the World as a Traitor and will suffer in matters requiring Trust for the foreseeable future.]

[The battlefield will be established within the next 2:37 minutes at the location provided. The first stage of the battle will occur at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, February the 23rd and will cease at sundown. The second stage will resume at sunup the following day and will continue until the war is concluded or terms are otherwise made.]

[In the event that the Adventurer falls in combat, he or she will be removed from the field of battle and will not be allowed re-entry for twenty-four hours starting at the time of death. The Adventurer will resurrect automatically at the assigned capital, Wesstown.]

[After the restriction has been lifted, if the battle is still on-going, the Adventurer may return to the field to once again collect and earn rewards.]

[The current rewards available to the Adventurer are as follows: a Majority Kill confers a bonus of five silver coins, while a Majority Assist confers a bonus of two silver coins. Participation in a Kill confers a bonus of fifty copper coins. The rewards for a Kill, Assist, or Participation are doubled in the case of a downing of a Known Threat. By extension, the bonus is again doubled for the removal of a Notable Threat. Furthermore, the bonus is then tripled in the case of eliminating an Exceptional Threat.]

[Majority Kill is assigned to an Adventurer based on Majority Percentage of Damage Done to a Target. Majority Assist is assigned based on second highest Percentage of Damage Done to a Target. Participation is granted for involvement in a Kill.]

[Hidden Bonuses are available for the direct sabotage of the enemy’s army but is only available to those who have yet to fall in combat. In the event that all Adventurers are eliminated on one side or the other, the remaining Inhabitant-filled army will march or retreat depending on their situation.]

[In order to reach Victory Conditions, one army must reach the capital of the enemy force and either destroy the settlement or force the faction(s) to surrender. If a capital is destroyed, the victors will receive double the payout of their rewards while the conquered will have their bonus reduced in half. If a capital is destroyed, it will no longer be an inhabitable settlement and any services provided within will be lost.]

[Notation: A destroyed capital will not be inhabitable but the territory will remain claimable and can be used for the purposes of rebuilding.]

[Adventurers can check their standings as Named Threats on the Leaderboard, visible at any time during or after the battle through their Menu. Other details can also be viewed on the Leaderboard, such as Kills, Assists, and Participation. Individual Bounties can be issued by Adventurers with the proper Standing.]

Stopping slightly behind the girls, my mind was attempting to run the numbers on the amount of gold that could potentially be earned in such a scenario. If my understanding was correct, a basic kill, assist, and participation credit started at five silver, two silver, and fifty copper coins respectively. Doubling that meant ten, four, and one silver if we killed or somehow removed a Known Threat. From there it went to twenty silver, eight, and two for a Notable Threat and then lastly it was sixty silver, twenty-four silver, and six silver for eliminating an Exceptional Threat.

That was a hell of a lot of money.

And it could be doubled if the enemy capital was razed… in addition to hidden bonuses for sabotaging the enemy army, whatever that meant. The only issue was that if you died you wouldn’t be allowed to return to the fight for twenty-four hours and seeing how each battle was approximately four-hours long with four-hour breaks in between, you could miss anywhere from four or five battles if you died early on.

“Hey have you read the details?” I inquired as I tapped both of their shoulders from behind. “The payout is ridiculous down here for mercenaries.”

“I know,” said Emily with a very peculiar grin. “I told you we should come. It’s been setup as a way to get players involved and reward them for the effort. These battles will take a lot of our time.”

After hearing her comment and seeing her grin it all made sense to me. She knew ahead of time that this was coming and already knew how the details worked, the reason she went with the weird alias was because if we made it to the top of the leaderboards, we would find ourselves a target. Having our real names would defeat the purpose.

She was a few steps ahead of me.

“Still, what kind of naming sense is Alliance Number,” I said with a moan as it became obvious to me that she had never been included in any discussions related to deciding a name. If she had been, I pitied the results if she happened to be a senior member.

“Shush Alliance Three,” she mocked with her tongue out.

“That’s not my name,” I replied as fake confusion spread across my face. Quickly shifting into a Carlton dance I decided to play a little as I sang out the same phrase in repeat. “That’s not my name, that’s not my name, that’s not my name!”

“Hah! Okay Stacey, or is it Jane?” she retorted immediately while laughing. “But you’re not quiet.”

“But I am a riot,” I said while slowing my dance moves down, much to the amusement of the girls, mainly Emily though. “Anyways, my name isn’t Three, I decided to go with Zero.”

“Eh why zero?” she asked with a droop. As if it was the worst number I could have picked, which made little sense to me as the original scheme was about as special as my qualifications for special needs after far too many traumatic brain injuries.

“Zero is a nonentity, unimportant and with little to no influence,” I explained casually as I continued to dance and skip down the crowded street, oblivious to the stares as my mind was more focused on dominating the leaderboards in a couple of hours. “At least, that’s the definition in the informal sense, roughly.”

“Why do I get the feeling your self-deprecating sense of humor is a total façade?” asked Valerie as she tilted her head slightly to the left and gave me a funny eye.

“I have an issue with modesty?” I replied with a shrug.

“At least he’s honest,” chimed in Emily.

Reading over the contents of the contract once more in case I happened to misunderstand something, I was fairly positive that the best course of action would be to farm the inexperienced players from the edge of the field. Avoiding the center of the battle if at all possible, while mainly trying to stay alive for as long as possible.

If one could kill a single player every five minutes, after four hours of such activity he or she would have a pot of two gold and forty silver coins. If this continued for an extended amount of time… all of my NPC-Recruiter issues would be solved. The draft would be taken care of in a single day.

“What do you guys say to farming players?” I asked honestly.

“Why would we do that?” replied Emily. “Isn’t our goal to win this war so as to hurt
Triumvirate
and stall their activities in the region?”

She was right of course but I couldn’t help but think that our efforts would be wasted by simply participating in a losing battle. The other side was far superior according to every forum thread and personal opinion found in-game. We would have to wait and see how the first battle goes but… my gut feeling was that we were in for a losing fight.