Heralds- The Proving Grounds, page 23
“Good. Then you can keep it.”
“Say what?” Jen raised a confused eyebrow.
“It’s in the game.” Jesse shrugged and hopped down from her crate. “I can’t change that. Can’t take it without killing you, which I don’t want to do. Especially not right now given that you’d be locked out for something that wasn’t your fault. I could sick a GM on you, but frankly we don’t have a lot of those and they’re really busy.” She stretched her hands high over her head. “Honestly, if someone’s going to have it I prefer it be you. Being willing to give it away is always a good sign. Saving my proverbial bacon before you had any idea who I was is also a good sign. Helping Toby was cool too, but not as cool as helping me.” She turned with a grin. “Besides, I like you. You’ll do good things with it. Just… try not to die, hmm?”
Jen bowed her head and sheathed the sword. “I’m honored to be spoken of so highly.”
“Yeah, yeah. And we might have need of it, frankly. When we get to the cap it will be time to take on the silly raid Miller set up. If you’re willing and available, I’ll make sure you get a spot.”
Well that sounded… entirely counter to her goals. But why were they concerned with running some raid? Did they need gear? Was Miller one of the devs on the other team? She had only met Hank so far. No matter what she managed to learn, there were always more questions. “Sure thing.” Jen nodded.
She didn’t think it would come to it, but as it stood Jesse had had a few chances to screw her over and hadn’t done so. That deserved a good turn. If she could help she would, assuming it wasn’t going to run counter to her other duties.
“Cool. And now, if you’ll excuse me,” Jesse gave a fancy bow, “I’m going to head out and try to get a few hours at least. Probably just watch some infomercials, but whatever. They can be very zen.”
Jen chuckled. “They really can. There’s always something more, which is kind of a happy message.”
“And yet everyone in them is completely inept. How does their world function? Can’t do a goddamn thing without something catching fire, but they all have such nice houses and piles of disposable income to buy titanium cookware. It’s amazing.” She waved. “Stay cool, Jen.” She wandered toward the church.
A quick glance showed she was one of only a handful of guild members online. Oddly enough, Tobin was around too. No sleep for anybody.
What had she meant about the GMs being lacking, and busy? Were that many people devoted to working on the event? That didn’t seem like a good idea. The game needed some looking after regardless. People got stuck in walls. It was a thing that happened. No wonder Jesse wasn’t a fan. This game was her livelihood. Maybe all the GMs were tied up with complaints. She could see that happening.
A soft ping denoted someone coming online. She opened the friends list. Had Jesse forgotten something? It was late for everyone else.
Poe had appeared.
She watched his location in the friends list. He had reappeared on the island but he wasn’t there long before he ventured out to places she was unfamiliar with. Once he left the island she hopped back there and used the table to keep a better watch, his green dot standing out.
It didn’t take long to figure out what he was up to. He was fighting. Leveling. They were coming fast with all the stored up experience. Pretty much a level for every mob for a few minutes. He had stopped moving. He must have just been hunting strong enough things to fight. She double tapped near his icon.
Jen stayed back while he fought a group of goblins. It wasn’t hard to find or track him, what with all the gong noises and flashing lights.
No doubt he was on at this hour to avoid people. Sam and Bulorn, most likely. Maybe her, too. Her ability to appear offline was probably the only reason he hadn’t left again immediately.
She frowned. The idea of being part of the problem didn’t appeal to her. But there was only one way to confirm that and change it if true. Yet she would have to risk making things worse.
“It’s rude to spy on people.”
Jen blinked a few times. Her back was to a fairly substantial tree, how did…
“I can see your name plate, Jeneve.”
Her shoulders slumped. Damn. She held up her hands as she wandered out. “Sorry, just… didn’t think you’d want company. But I was worried, too.”
“So you’re only politely invading my privacy?” He turned back to the mobs he had been fighting. He had a small army of skeletons running around while he tossed damage over time spells. The goblins didn’t seem pleased with any of it.
“It doesn’t sound as good when you say it.”
He smiled a bit. “You know, I rolled a necromancer because it’s supposed to be the best class for soloing. I didn’t intend to ever work with anyone if I could help it. Then out of the blue I’m a Herald. Part of a big game changing event where I have to work with people. How often does that happen? Pretty much never. I tried to steel my nerves, talk myself into giving it my best. My all. First thing that happens?” He scowled a bit as he cast purple fire at a goblin. Probably more fire than necessary. It burned away to dust and bones. “I screwed it up.”
Jen wandered closer and sat on a large round rock sticking out of the ground. The goblins were level twenty six. She wouldn’t get a thing for smacking them and Poe clearly had it handled. “That wasn’t your fault.”
“Wasn’t it?” He pointed at the skeletons wailing on goblins. “I made those, just like I made the ones that killed those people. I didn’t mean to make so many, but still. I can’t tell you how or why, but it must have something to do with being a Herald. I just… I couldn’t control them.”
“But you didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
He shook his head. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions. What matters is the result.” He threw out a few more purple bursts, smoke this time. It swirled around the goblins and they coughed and wheezed in response. “Honestly, I wouldn’t even be here if not for what you said. You and Kail. But mostly Sam.”
Jen tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “Sam?” She’d said something… quite rude when the rest were trying to be supportive. Maybe reverse psychology worked better on Poe.
“Yes. I’m a bit surprised she had those words in her. It’s not the face she shows at all.”
Sam had definitely not sent what she said she had. “Huh.”
He shrugged. “It all got me thinking. I’m not… ready to do anything important. I’m still afraid of what I might do. Of things getting out of hand again. I don’t have enough control. But when all this is done? I think I may play again. Figured if I showed up at night I wouldn’t run into anyone. I’m not really good with people. The whole… talking thing. Interacting.”
Jen laughed softly. “You’re doing fine. I don’t think anyone is really good at it. Some of us just fake it better than others. We’re all always full of doubts and reservations, as far as I know. I know I am.”
He glanced aside at her. “You seem so confident. Kail, too. Bulorn to the point of being irritating.”
“No arguments.” She shrugged. “But I mean… you just do your best, you know? You might fail, and there might be consequences, but that’s how we learn things. Risk and reward. That’s all I ask of people. If someone’s asking more they’re probably leading a cult.”
“Heh. I don’t think it’s that easy.”
“Maybe not, but that’s how I handle it.” She yawned. It was already stupid late… she might get a few hours. “Look, I’m glad you’re okay but it’s like… entirely too late here. I’m going to crash. You planning to show up tomorrow?”
“No.” He shook his head. “And I’d appreciate you not mentioning I was here.”
“No one is mad at you or anything, but if that’s what you want.” She shrugged.
“Thanks.”
She nodded and hit the button to recall to the island.
23
The alarm went off at 7 a.m. just like she knew it would.
That didn’t make it any less irritating. Though that was its job. If it was calm and soothing it wouldn’t work.
“Bleh.” She sat up and threw off the light blanket she used in the summer. They kept the AC blaring for some reason. It got cold at night in the dorm even though it could be uncomfortably hot outside during the day. Good insulation? Someone in another part of the world setting the temperature on the AC? Questions she had never gotten an answer to.
At least the coffee was ready this time. That was nice. She’d had the forethought to set it up last night while she was wandering around perfectly awake.
She’d probably be a bit fuzzy for a few hours. Getting by on three or four hours of sleep wasn’t exactly something she was good at, and she didn’t really want more practice.
Stupid insomnia.
She had seen some amazing infomercials though. There were a few minutes there she was looking for her wallet intent on buying some goopy stuff you put in your tires to prevent flats until she remembered she didn’t have a car. It seemed like a really good idea though.
At 8:30 a.m. she knocked on Sam’s door.
Hissing was the only response.
“I brought breakfast. They say they serve it all day now but we both know that’s not true. Not the good stuff.” Only silence. “It’s going to get cold. And stale. Well, more stale. Staler? I’m not an English major.”
There was some rustling on the other side of the door. The lock clicked and the door creaked open ever so slightly.
Sam’s hair was a mess, her eyes were bleary, and she still had that shiny thing in her nose which was high in the air for a moment before she nodded a few times and opened the door all the way. “Your offering is acceptable, mortal. Enter.”
The room was a wreck on the inside. That was nothing new. It was exactly the same size as Jen’s though laid out the opposite way. There was always a strange mirror universe feeling coming over here.
Sam snatched the bag from Jen’s hand and scurried back to her bed like a rodent. She sat on the unmade pile of blankets and sheets as she practically tore the bag open. The place was going to get covered in crumbs with behavior like that… and probably ants.
One of the biscuits was gone before she looked up. Suspicion played over her features. “This is awfully nice of you.”
“I’m a nice person.”
“Hmm.” Sam glanced down at the bag and removed the second paper wrapped bundle. “Compared to some, I suppose. That doesn’t mean you don’t want something.”
“I wanted you to get up before eleven.” Jen wiggled her eyebrows. “Mission accomplished.”
Sam stared at Jen with narrowed eyes for a few moments. “Tricksy hobbitses.” She gnawed on her breakfast.
Jen glanced around the room. She didn’t come over often, so any change seemed big. Much like her own space, most of the room was “clear” in that it was set up for use with the VR sensors and gear. Sam was a bit of a pack rat though, so the edges of the room were piled high with stuff. Boxes. Books. Video cases surrounding the TV. A lot of empty water bottles she should have taken out ages ago.
In short… messy.
“You don’t approve?” Sam’s voice was a bit condescending but it was ruined by talking around a mouthful of biscuit.
“I am mostly worried things are going to fall on you when you’re not paying attention. Keep your phone close in case you’re buried alive in here.”
“Pfft.”
Jen sat down in Sam’s office chair. Turnabout was fair play. She spun around a few times. Sam’s gear was stacked on the desk on top of a pile of books. There were a pair of butter knives and the wooden handle unscrewed from a plunger lying at the bottom of it all. Her mighty weapons. At least Jen’s sword was a sword. “What’s the plan for today?”
“So far it involves becoming conscious and eating. I’ll let you know when that changes.”
“Nothing like aiming high.” She spun the chair again and picked up one of the butter knives. She had no idea how Sam did the dagger twirling trick or if it was something her character did inside the game. “Hey… I heard a weird rumor. Seems that even some of the devs aren’t happy with this event.”
Sam shrugged. “So?”
“So what if it’s… I dunno… broken somehow, and they’re just trying to see it through? Like triage?”
“Why would they do something like that so close to launch? They’ll be judged on how the game starts until it stops.”
“Yeah. The whole thing is… weird.”
“Well, I’ve updated my plans for the day.”
“Oh?”
“I’m going to end the event to make you happy.”
Jen rolled her eyes. “Nothing at all to do with titles or infamy or whatnot?”
“Of course not. I mean, those will be nice bonuses though.”
They appeared on the island less than half an hour later. Sam was already there when Jen arrived, but she seemed to be waiting patiently. It took a few minutes to wander from building to building.
Sam was outside the map room. “You ready for this? Time to power to fifty. Get a world first.”
“Can we? I think Hank said we can’t. And it’s not even clear if we can get titles from the event.”
“Hmm… even so, level cap is my goal. Then knifing Tobin. Maybe not in that order.”
A soft chuckle preceded Anna appearing in the door to the map room. “It’s good to have goals. Great positive energy… aimed at killing, I guess? A bit weird.”
Sam narrowed her eyes at the blond woman. “Someone has to knife him. Might as well be me. Been leveling with it in mind. Poisoner spec. I can lock down targets for nearly a minute… unless they’re raging apparently. Usually plenty of time, and damage over time to keep hitting even if I die or have to run.”
“Huh.” Jen glanced Sam up and down. “Is that why you haven’t been teleporting around like other rogues?”
“Pfft. Shadow is all show, no substance. Shadow step is all they really get. I’ll take lethality over flash any day of the week and twice on Sundays.”
“On the note of lethality…” Anna reached behind her and pulled out a pair of swords. “Been working up weapon smithing in my free time. Didn’t want my level or yours to get too far ahead of everyone else. These should be about right.”
Sam’s eyes widened as she took hold of the sword. “I take back most of the mean things I said about you.”
“Most?” Anna smiled and held out the second sword to Jen.
Jen took it and bowed her head. “Thanks.” She made a show of checking the stats… but she already knew there wasn’t much point. She held it back toward Anna. “Been trying to keep up my gear as I can. Seems the sword I have is pretty much on par, maybe someone else would get more use out of it.”
Anna raised an eyebrow for a moment, but she shrugged and took it back. “Alright. Not sure where you’re getting even gear, though. Feel free to share.”
Sam was replacing her old sword with the new one. “She found out the baddies have merchants in Morblina. She’s still guilded so she can walk around in there. Apparently they didn’t set them to ‘Scrooge.’ ”
“Huh. Clever.” Anna nodded slowly. “The merchants in Freeport are still penny pinchers. Don’t expect that will change.”
“I say we use her as a mule to sell stuff.”
Jen narrowed her eyes at Sam. “Oh, like me walking in and out of the place to sell ten times a day wouldn’t be suspicious at all.”
“Not after I knife Tobin. Nobody will care.”
Anna shook her head but there was a smile playing over her lips. “Such optimism about murder. I’m so conflicted.”
“Why? He’ll respawn. Bulorn is a dick and he was wrong about some things, but not that. Tobin dies and everyone is free. Seems like the thing to do if you want people to be happy.”
“I… guess so?”
“You’re supposed to be evil. Go with the murder vibe.”
“You’re right. My apologies.”
“Ugh. You suck at being evil.” Sam shook her head.
“I’m sorry.”
Sam hung her head in disgust, her shoulders slumped. “Pathetic. Just pathetic.”
Jen grinned. “Well I think she’s a wonderful villain.”
Anna bowed her head. “Thank you.”
Sam just shook her lowered head. “I hate all of you.”
A lower voice joined them out of nowhere. “I hope that doesn’t include me.”
Hank appeared a few steps away at the center of the open space between the buildings. He gave a nod.
Jen waved. “Hey. Where have you been? We should probably report or something.”
“I’m up to speed.” He shrugged. The humor he had before seemed… lacking. “I just needed to pop in and tell you that Tobin is off limits until further notice. Something has come up and… well, it’s a code thing. I don’t really have time to get into it. Just leave him be for now.” He raised a hand as if he was going to tap a button Jen couldn’t see, but he paused and tilted his head. “Actually, new plan. I want you to follow him and keep him safe. Just in case any real threats appear. I doubt they will with his entourage and all, but there’s always the off chance.”
Sam’s eyes had gone wide. “What?”
He turned bleary eyes to her. He might have slept less than Jen. “I don’t think my instructions were unclear. Is there a problem?”
Anna shook her head as she stepped in front of Sam. “Nope. Recon, defense if needed. We got it.”
He nodded. “Good.” His eyes were still on them when he vanished from sight.
Anna tilted her head. “That was weird, right?”
Jen nodded a few times. “Very weird.”
Sam grumbled. “Keep him safe? Really?”
“Hmm.” Anna lowered her voice. “For the sake of the event? Sure, I guess. I’m a little more concerned with him ‘being up to speed.’ How much is he watching? And yet no mention of you guys breaking the game to be hidden? Does he not know, or not care?”
Jen frowned. “Huh.” It did seem like the sort of thing a GM should mention, even if he was okay with it.
