Heralds- The Proving Grounds, page 25
She stood up and made a show of stretching as she wandered a few steps toward the door.
No one moved to stop her.
And why would they? There were more from both guilds outside. The place was packed. She had to step carefully to make her way beyond the group without stepping on anyone.
One of the more attentive guards at the edge of the ruins turned to her as she made to walk by. “Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem. I just… have this issue with crowds. Need some fresh air.”
She couldn’t read the man’s expression for the helmet… but he nodded. “Alright, be careful. Don’t get too far. If anything happens we’ll be here. Just give a yell or start running this way.”
Jen bowed politely and walked toward the nearest set of trees. The people on this side seemed… nicer. Then again she was only judging them against Hank, who seemed to be stressed out. Was the event going that badly? Then again, it couldn’t be going badly enough to justify some of the things he was talking about. It was a game, not a police state.
Jesse had seemed… perturbed by the event, but not to the point that Hank was. Maybe they worked in different departments.
Jen started typing to Anna once she was out of sight.
To Annabelle: What’s up?
Jen was waiting on the reply long enough she started to doubt one was coming.
From Annabelle: I need a hand. You got time?
To Annabelle: I guess, sure. Details?
From Annabelle: Bit conspicuous typing this much. I’ll explain when you get here. It’s worth the time, I promise.
Huh. Cryptic. Well that was… different. Then again Anna was hanging out with Seven Eyes types who weren’t the nicest chaps to begin with.
She recalled to the island. It was empty… though now she had a strange nagging sense of being watched.
All in her head. Surely. Hank must have had better things to do than follow them around, and he seemed obsessed with Tobin anyway, not the Heralds.
The map room was similarly empty. It was zoomed into a distant corner of the world that seemed to be unpopulated. There was a green dot there.
Bulorn.
Well, that made sense.
Whatever. He wasn’t her problem right now. She zoomed the map out and moved it around some as she hunted for Annabelle.
Freeport. Of course she was in Freeport.
To Annabelle: Uh, kinda not welcome there.
From Annabelle: No worries. Got it all worked out. Sooner is better.
Bleh. Well at least she was immortal. That was handy. Annabelle’s location indicator was a little outside the city. Probably the same rock.
The mountain was familiar, and it still made her want to shiver. Anna was only a few feet away looking back at the city.
“Okay, here.” Jen tried to think warm thoughts as wind whipped by carrying snow flakes.
Anna almost jumped. She glanced back over her shoulder. “Oh, cool. That was fast. Sam?”
Jen shook her head. “She’s busy being dead at the moment.”
Sam’s voice sounded from the real world. “I heard that you asshole.”
“She says ‘hi.’ “
Anna frowned. “Eh… good enough. Not to belittle you or anything, I was just trying to swing numbers in our favor.”
Jen blinked a few times. “Are we… storming the place?”
“What? No.” Anna shook her head. “In fact we need to head in pretty soon.”
“So I need to drop my guild, then.”
“Might be better with it, actually.” She tilted her head a bit before nodding. “I said I was bringing help. But now we can sell them on you being a plant. They’re all about that sort of duplicity. They have people in a lot of guilds, but that one has been difficult for them.”
They were certainly duplicitous to Bulorn.
“Okay… so, what’s the plan here?”
“Freeport has been compromised. As we predicted days ago, the place only lasted so long. But they’ve been using it as a hub for crafting their stuff and storing their wealth and resources, so they need to move it all.” Anna started toward the town and waved for Jen to follow. “To avoid suspicion they want blue names without the Seven Eyes tag to do the actual transportation. A lot of people have it out for them at the moment. That’s where we come in.”
“Right… except why are we helping them? They’re jerks.”
“Rich jerks.” Anna grinned. “Most of the shipments they can stand to lose and not care much about are already on the road, but ours? They’re going to feel it. I figure we can use it ourselves, get kitted out to the nines. We’re both crafters after all.”
Applause appeared from not far off. “Bravo! I like her.”
Jen turned her head toward the sound. “Shouldn’t you be getting lunch, Alfred?”
“Ooo, rude. Fine. Be back in a minute.”
Anna was looking at Jen like she was schizophrenic.
She shrugged. “Sam.”
“Ah.” Anna nodded as they approached the gates. “Okay, let me do the talking.”
The guards at the gate certainly noticed her guild tag. They didn’t draw their weapons… but they were watching her closely.
Anna hooked a thumb at her. “Friend. All good. Told you I could get help.”
The guards exchanged glances. The one at the back shrugged. They were admitted, though Jen could still feel eyes on her.
Jakon, the same skinny leader of the Seven Eyes, was overseeing the loading of wagons in the middle of what used to be the square. His gray hair was still a mess, but his fine clothing had been replaced with light armor. Very pretty and intricate armor, of course, but still a sign that he didn’t feel safe enough to go without. Even in his home.
He turned slightly when he heard the gate. His eyes didn’t linger on them long. “I was promised assistance. Yet you brought Mary-Beth from girl scout troop twelve.”
Well he hadn’t changed much. “I thought we were troop seventeen.” Jen crossed her arms. This was no place to be passive or show weakness.
“Oh, we are.” Anna nodded before turning to Jakon. “She knows the place, knows your scheme, and is willing to help. No need to try and hide anything or issue bribes or threats. Time saver.”
Jakon turned to look them over now. “A Kingsmen, eh? Maybe you told them about us.”
“Honestly?” Jen shrugged. “I forgot you were up here. You didn’t exactly make me want to keep spending money here last time. And the location kinda sucks.”
Jakon stood taller. “The Kingsmen killed Bulorn, you know. I seem to recall he was a friend of yours.”
“That’s why I joined. To get in close.”
“I was promised two more sets of hands. I see one.”
Anna shook her head. “Kingsmen got her, too.”
Jakon narrowed his eyes a bit, but he turned away from them a moment later. “Your escorts are getting ready. This is your wagon.” He waved absently. “You have your orders. Try to remain inconspicuous, would you? This one is important.”
Anna nodded. “Thats why no one else would take it.”
“Sadly.” Jakon sighed. “Be ready to leave in ten.” He turned away from them and strode toward another wagon, already raising his voice at the men loading it.
Anna inclined her head toward the wagon and started walking. Jen followed.
“So… what, this is their gold? Weapons? Knowing these people maybe it’s scalps.”
“Something like that, yeah…”
Jen followed Anna around to the back of the wagon. The blond woman lifted up the tarp concealing the contents.
The wagon was full of all manner of containers, boxes, baskets, and barrels. Each of them was filled with little red vials.
Jen tilted her head. “Umm… potions? I don’t get it?”
“The black armor they wear is a special set designed around PVP encounters. It requires a particular ingredient…”
Jen blinked at the wagon. Sam had mentioned the armor earlier. “Wait, really? This is all from people?”
Anna nodded. “Innocent blood. A ton of it.”
25
“But… that’s crazy. How many people did they kill?”
“Keep your voice down.” Anna’s tone was sharp. “We’re on their side at the moment, remember?”
Jen nodded. “Sorry.”
“The stuff isn’t heavy and with what they do it isn’t hard to come by. Not all of this was farmed here, though some of it certainly was. The rest was brought back by members one or two at a time.”
Jen’s opinion of the Seven Eyes guild wasn’t very high… but it had managed to drop a couple notches in the last few moments.
Anna pulled the cover back down. “This isn’t all they’ve scraped up, obviously. They made a lot of gear already, some of it carted away like this. They also stored some blood in each of the wagons, but this is the lion’s share. We’re going to take it and use it. Should be plenty left over for allies, assuming they’re willing to use it. This will give our side a serious edge.”
Jen frowned. She had reservations about using the stuff, but there were bigger fish to fry at the moment. “About that… you got a phone number, or some out of game chat program?”
Anna appeared confused. “I mean, I guess. Why?”
Mentioning that Hank could and had been listening in would go over poorly… with Hank, if not Anna. “Just… don’t want any of our ‘guards’ to overhear if I say something to you. And Sam is locked out at the moment, too.”
“Mmm. Kay.”
Anna didn’t have any of the more popular VOIP programs ready to go, so she gave Jen her phone number instead. Jen texted the number to Sam, after getting Anna’s blessing to do so. Sam was out scrounging up something to eat.
About the time all of that was done Jakon was headed back toward them with a group of shady looking types. They didn’t have red names at the moment, but they wore the black armor of someone who should have one.
He waved at the armored Seven Eyes as he looked at Anna and Jen. “Your guards.” He then glanced at the soldiers and waved at Anna and Jen. “Your drivers. Keep the wagon in sight but avoid being seen if you can help it. Stay in earshot if nothing else. Being spotted will only draw attention with our guild tag. If someone runs across one of you… no witnesses.”
The soldiers saluted Jakon. They didn’t spare so much as a glance for Anna or Jen.
Jen felt so welcome.
Jakon held out a scrap of paper. “This is the route. You may have to deviate if there is opposition. Be ready to improvise, and give a yell if you’re in trouble. That’s what your guards are for. Making it to the destination is what matters.”
Anna held up her hands away from the paper. “I’m driving.”
Jen snatched the map and put it away in her inventory. “Great.”
Jakon shook his head. “I’d just like both of you to know that if you screw this up there’s no corner of the world that can hide you. Now, or after Tobin Ironblood has died and things are back to normal. We will hunt you, find you, and make your lives a living hell.”
Jen glanced aside to Anna. “Was that supposed to be motivating?”
“He means well, it’s just a stressful time.”
Jakon rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “If there was even one more of you, I’d kill one to show just how serious this is. Just go. You’re wasting time.”
The guards summoned horses as Anna and Jen climbed up onto the wagon. Jakon wandered off, grumbling to himself.
Jen chuckled softly. “We hang out with the nicest people.”
Anna shrugged. “We’re the ones always present. Maybe we’re the problem.”
“That’s just crazy talk.”
“We are pretty great.”
The guards made a neat circle around the wagon as it rolled across the town toward the gates. The place was already a ghost town. A few stragglers were digging through what little was left as the wagon rolled on by. No one paid them any mind.
Anna must have noticed Jen looking. “Wagons have been leaving all day. Ours won’t be the last, by design. It is, however, probably the most dangerous to escort. I volunteered and I was the only one that did. We have the same number of guards but ours are the highest levels they have. Though their gear looks the same to throw off any suspicion as we leave.”
Jen shook her head. She didn’t need to speak much beyond a whisper for Anna to hear her. “So they don’t even trust each other.”
“Not much reason to. In some organizations the only way to progress is to make an opening. Having this kind of power on hand would certainly give a pretender a leg up.”
“And this is a guild?”
“After all their losses? More like a loose association of bad eggs.” Anna shrugged. “They either work together or get taken down individually.”
“You’d think they’d just disband. They’ve got to be hemorrhaging members.”
“On the contrary, recruitment is at an all time high. It just takes time to properly vet people. Those that make it are moving wagons or working on sight B.”
Jen raised an eyebrow. “Say what?”
Anna smiled. “They are the only organized group to take a swipe at Tobin Ironblood. Practically got him, too. Regardless of what side you favor in this thing, that shows planning and leadership that’s sorely lacking in the world right now. People are scrambling just to stay alive let alone make any headway. Meanwhile the Seven Eyes had the manpower and resources to organize and orchestrate a sneak attack. If not for a last minute save by the Kingsmen Reserve Corps, arguably a rogue element, they probably would have pulled it off.”
“Huh.” Jen turned her eyes back to the ground in front of the wagon. “I guess.”
“People like order. A lot of people subscribe to crazy conspiracy theories because they prefer to think there is an evil order out to get them rather than no order at all. That concept is scary. Hence, they like to see things falling into place.”
“And in this case they’ll just make the evil order.” Jen rolled her eyes.
“Again, you can argue that. Keep in mind Tobin Ironblood was painted as the aggressor when this thing got started.”
“He’s been sucking at that job.”
“True. But John Q. Public off in random Citysville that’s never seen Tobin with his own two eyes doesn’t know that.”
Jen blinked a few times. It made entirely too much sense. She knew better because she was a player on a different stage.
The wagon rolled out of the gates. The riders spread out some.
Anna shook the reins to make the horses pick up the pace. “And Tobin’s people have been sticking to themselves as they work to level. Strange, given they aren’t actually out conquering anything. Maybe they have some other goal? Who knows?”
Jen frowned. “Maybe they’re planning to run a raid.”
“A raid? Why?” Anna glanced aside at Jen. “That’s silly. What could they hope to accomplish with that? They’ll never gear up a whole raid group in time. And even if they did, they’d get one clear if they somehow managed it. Not enough loot to bother with. I mean that’s really not going to increase their footing on the world stage.”
Jen shrugged. “Dunno why. Heard it somewhere.” Jesse had said something about it but that was confidential for now. She shouldn’t have said as much as she had with the chance of prying ears.
If they wanted to run a raid, fine. She would be happy to cheer them on. She had no idea why they would bother, but some people just like raiding.
Meanwhile this event was falling apart and there were no doubt countless upset players that couldn’t play at the moment due to the lockouts.
The more she thought about it, the more Jen was inclined to see Jesse win rather than Hank. At least she wasn’t giving off a creep vibe and seemed to understand why people were upset.
Maybe Sam was right.
Stranger things had happened.
She turned her head when she heard a knock at the door. She was looking right at Anna. “One second.”
“Okay.”
Jen pulled her headset off. Sam had a bag in one hand and her phone already in the other. “Yo. Food.” She held up the bag.
She had gone to the same sandwich place. They really needed a few more restaurants around here that delivered. Chinese would be nice. Italian maybe.
Jen returned to her spot. She put the headset back on as she sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled the gloves off while she ate. She was seated in the game so it didn’t really matter much that she wasn’t prepared to move.
Sam had a tendency to eat like she was afraid her food would be taken away. Like a puppy from a large litter. She was done long before Jen was halfway through her own.
“Okay, paging Anna.”
In the game Anna looked down at nothing for a moment before glancing aside at Jen. “This a telemarketer?”
Jen shook her head.
“Mmm.” Anna visibly moved her hands to operate a phone Jen couldn’t see in the fanciful medieval world.
Sam filled Anna in while Jen finished her supper. She heard the occasional bit of echo in the game, but for the most part she only heard Sam’s side of the conversation. Anna didn’t say much, and had a hand up in front of her face in game where the microphone was built into the headset.
She glanced aside at Jen a few times but didn’t say anything. Sam had opened with Hank’s weird actions, some of which Anna had witnessed.
Sam finished by suggesting, in no uncertain terms, that their wagon should end up in the hands of the Kingsmen. Anna’s reaction was hard to read. She was good at keeping a neutral expression. Not someone to play poker against.
The game world wasn’t exactly world sized. It’s difficult to make a game that is without a whole lot of empty wasted space no one will care much about. As such they were down out of the mountains and back into more temperate weather as Jen was finishing her meal.
“She’s on board, I think.” Sam’s voice was off to Jen’s right while Anna was visibly on her left. “I’m going to see if I can log in. Then we can find a use for this stuff you guys are hijacking.”
