The Bathrobe Knight (12 page)

After finishing their little shopping expedition, Darwin was pretty happy with his loot. Kass was obviously
very
happy with her loot because she had the type of smile he had only seen on girls playing with kittens and puppies. She had not only gotten a new, slightly-longer dress that Darwin thought looked the same as the first one, but she had gotten a few Rings, Earrings, a new Staff and no less than three pairs of Boots. Apparently each pair of Boots added a special effect when going across specific terrain, but Darwin saw no real reason to have Boots for crossing the desert.

Due to the iron shortages, Darwin didn’t see any new weapons that he had liked, but he actually had fun talking with the Shopkeepers and helping Kass pick out a beautiful dark wood, Staff with a bright, rich blue sapphire as big as a clenched fist on the top and six streams of eight tiny sapphires no bigger than a fingernail coming down off it. It even came with +15 to Spirit and +10 to Concentration. The only problem was that it was 250 Gold, 150 more than she had wanted to spend, but Darwin had managed to assure her it was worth the investment. An act that made the Shopkeeper, a new friend of his, very happy.    

When they came back to the Armor merchant, they found the vendor ecstatic to see them. “Darwin! You won’t believe what I’ve made! It’s perfect! Come on! Come on! You have to try it out!” he said, almost tripping as he rushed to the door to greet Darwin.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming. So where is it?”

“It’s in the changing room. I had to contact the Tailor, the Enchanter, the Apothecary and the Jeweler to get this perfect, but you’re going to love it. I’ve never put together a finer piece of armor, or one as strange for that matter.”

In the changing room, his Bathrobe and Slippers were hung up for him to wear. The Bathrobe had gone from green to snow white. The back now had a black and gold drawing of a Spoon. He picked it up and examined it further. Enchanted Bathrobe of Valcrest, adds +15 to Power, Speed and Vitality. Reduces incoming Damage from all sources by 10%. +35 Damage when wielding Spoons. +10 Damage versus French Onion Soup.  
Is this game trying to make me dual-wield Spoons? 35 Damage is a lot but it needs to be way higher to tempt me . . .  
The Slippers were unchanged. He had been made to walk around barefoot for nothing.

As he was putting it on, he noticed little cloth button latches in the interior of the Bathrobe that would hold it securely on him.
Kass must have complained to him when I wasn’t watching about the Robe flying open that one time.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t tell if he looked ridiculous or amazing. He put on his snug Slippers and decided he needed to deck out and check his stats. He hadn’t checked them since the tutorial. He put on the new Rings he had gotten--the Captain’s Ring that Elmont had given him and the Ring of Power he had purchased-- and brought up his character menu.

-
       
Name: Darwin

-
       
Job Class: Novice

-
       
Power: 117 + 35

-
       
Speed: 117 + 25

-
       
Vitality: 83 + 25

-
       
Spirit: 49 + 0

-
       
Concentration: 78

-
       
Phys Damage Res: 43%

-
       
Elemental Damage Res: 41%

-
       
Increased Speed: 28.4%

-
       
Maximum Hit Points: 1370

Not too shabby at all
.
The items almost add a 30% bonus to my primary attributes, makes up for the fact that without Armor to reduce Damage taken, I might die in one hit from someone who has sunk a lot of points into power.

“Cool. You changed it to white,” she said, looking at the merchant for a reason.

“Of course I changed it white! I figured a young couple like you would like to match,” he said, drawing a blush out of Kass that made her face redder than a chili pepper.

“What, what makes you think we are a couple? Who would ever want to date this weirdo?”

“Oh, I didn’t know you didn’t like him. I’m sorry. My mistake. Anyways, how do you like the Bathrobe, Darwin?” The merchant gave Darwin a sympathetic look.

Darwin, who stood dumbfounded by the exchange, finally replied, “Oh, yeah, it’s great. You did amazing work. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay you.”

“Nonsense, that’s what the Coins are for. Now, I believe Elmont told you about our silver mine issue . . .”

“Right, right. I’ll go take care of that now! Have a good one,” Darwin said, walking out the door without waiting for Kass.

“Hey! I was still tal--don’t leave without me!”

“Oh? But I’m just some weirdo.”

“Good, so you know.” Kass smiled at him, almost as if she were sticking out her tongue too.

“. . .”

“Fine. You’re not some undatable weirdo . . .  it’s just I wouldn’t date you.”

    “Who says I would date you either? This is a video game after all. Who dates someone they met in a video game? Anyways, we’ve got to get you to Level 30, and we have to get this town a silver ore mine.”

    “Alright, I wonder if I’ll get a Class promotion at 30,” Kass said, the mood finally feeling light again.

I’ve been wondering that too. When and what will be my Class promotion?

Maddock:

The soft crinkling of well-cropped grass being trodden upon was the only sound that marked the stranger's passing. A find coat of dew coated the ground in the predawn morning causing stray tendrils to cling to the sides of a pair of tan Boots. Well worn, comfortable, and as inconspicuous as the rest of his garb. Nothing of the man's appearance gave either hint or indication of the man's intentions. Nothing he wore or the way he carried himself would give anyone a reason to give him a second glance if he were to pass through a large crowd.

Working his way to the top of a small grassy knoll just outside the town of Valcrest, he lowered himself into a crouched position and surveyed the scene below him. It had been growing rather quickly as of late as more and more players had chosen it as a bind point in order to gain access to the easily farmable mobs in the surrounding areas. The town’s positioning gave it perfect access to a variety of mobs whose levels ranged up into the mid-twenties. As a result, the town seemed to have prospered. Almost thrived, even, despite the rumors and varied reports that the Human race was struggling as a whole. By all accounts, their war against the White-Horns and Black-Wings had been a losing effort. The King was even reported to have almost completely emptied his coffers in hiring out NPCs to fight for them in the last battle.

A small wind kicked up and over the rise causing the man to wrap his heavy Traveling Cloak a little tighter around him. This late at night--or early in the morning depending on how you looked at it--the town was still shrouded in darkness. It was too early yet for merchants to be hawking their wares in the market or craftsmen to begin working the forges within their various shops. There were a few small explosions of light around the center of the town where the bind point was located indicating that a few players were still awake and screwing around.  Somewhere below him the sound of a Dog momentarily barking drifted up towards him before settling itself down again. Otherwise, everything sat silent, stretched out below him. Even the rowdiest of the town's bars had kicked out their drunkest of patrons and closed their doors for the night.

Taking a deep breath of cool night air and slowly exhaling, the man watched his breath slightly fog up the air in front of him. It billowed out of his nose and mouth and rose up to circle around his head in a cloud before disappearing upward into the air. He carefully considered his options. He could either move forward or go back. Simple choices in life. Choices were always simple: yes or no, backward or forward, right or wrong. Consequences were the hard part. Having to deal with the results of one's actions and what came next. Watching how it affected those around you. Living with the knowledge that it was your choice that brought you here. That's what complicated things. Choices were the easy part.

Raising  a hand up above his shoulder, he waved forward with his hand, the motion indicating that everything was clear. It was also the signal for the rest of the group that waited down below to join him on the top of the hill. Out of the darkness he could suddenly hear the clangor of steel weapons as they bounced against Armor, metal on metal. The soft creaking of leather accompanied it as the group slowly made its way forward. The man never took his sight off the city below him, his eyes constantly dancing back and forth across its expanse looking for any signs of life.

"You're ready for this, then." The voice was low and quiet behind him. It wasn't a question.

Maddock nodded in response anyway from where he still sat in a crouch.
"Choices are easy,"
he thought to himself as he rose and began walking down the rise and toward Valcrest's main gate at a quickened pace.

          As he approached the large wooden gates of the town, one of the two Guards in Chainmail with Spears standing duty approached him, blocking his path. “Greetings, citizen. What is the nature of your visit to Valcrest?”

Maddock slowed to a stop before the Guard and reached up to pull back the hood of his cloak revealing the face of a Human. The dark stubble on his cheeks showed that he hadn't shaved lately. It was hard to tell whether it was the beginnings of a beard or a scraggly five-o’clock shadow.

"I'm here to kill you and all the merchants in the city. I plan on completely emptying out the shops of any useful materials, looting all the Coin from the town's coffers, and disappearing into the night without ever being caught." He grinned broadly as he said it, showing a perfect row of teeth.

The two Guards exchanged a look between them that Maddock caught easily. Before the Guard who had approached him could turn back around, he slammed the heel of his hand into the Guard's chest, knocking him backwards, staggering off balance. Maddock seized the Spear from the Guard's outstretched hand, turned it backwards, and rammed the butt of the weapon into the man's face sending him to the ground unconscious. Taking two quick steps forward, he flipped the Spear around as he went and lunged it business-end first into the throat of the second Guard before he could react. The body thumped as it hit the ground with a slight rattle of the Chainmail.

"Consequences,"
he thought to himself as he used the Spear to smash out the lanterns hanging from either side of the gate, casting the area into darkness.
"That's the sign. Point of no return."
He turned back to finish off the first Guard before he could awaken and cry for help.

Turning back to the town, he shoved the gates open and sauntered inside. The town was still cloaked in darkness and no alarm had been given. Despite the hour, it was easy to follow the path right through the center of town towards the merchants’ quarters. Like all towns built up without thought, it was easy to pick apart the layout with what little scouting he had done from the hill above. He vaguely remembered someone calling him crazy for agreeing to raid an actual town without properly scouting it first. But they were all the same. This was a cake-walk, not a siege.

Behind him, he could hear the sounds of his Guildmates passing through the main gates now. He pulled the hood of his cloak back up over his head and stopped to wait. The party quickly approached him and slowed to a halt. A small figure with obvious curves, despite the dark Robes she wore, stepped forward. The massive black Staff she carried with her was even taller than she was. A gnarled black wood embossed with flakes of gold curled upwards till it ended in a dragon's skull. Two dark rubies that seemed to suck light out of the darkness, rather than reflect it back, sat embedded in its eyes.

"Elaine," Maddock softly spoke, "I'm leaving it up to you to deal with the scrubs playing around at the bindstone. I know how well you get along with others. Try not to make too much of a mess. Remember, we don't want to burn the place down. Not yet, anyway."

The small girl practically cooed as she set off towards the square.

Turning to the others, he said, "As soon as she drops a spell the whole town will know we're here, so try to make it quick and get into position before then. I don't want to spend all night fighting my way out this place if--"

Maddock trailed off as a thunderous boom shook ground. He could feel it in his chest and braced himself for the accompanying rush of air he knew from experience was coming next. He could actually hear the wooden buildings groan in protest as boards shook and window panes rattled as the gust rushed by.

Turning towards the square he caught sight of the last half of Elaine's spell. A massive pillar of fire rose up from where he knew the town bind point to be. It quickly rose up above the roof tops before coalescing into the form of a massive winged Serpent. Turning over and over upon itself in the air the shape seemed to take on a life of its own, soaring upwards and casting a nightmarish glow upon the surrounding blocks of buildings.