Chapter Eight - The calm that precedes the storm.
In which things look like they'll be okay. In which Ling meets Devious Flame. A prelude to the Great NPC Revolution.
Second Life
"Ling, why don't you just simply join our team?", Joydrop asked, straightforward and annoyed. "You never look very pleased when you go help your 'other friends', and isn't it tiresome to be coming and going between teams for almost a month?"
"Nay." Ling replied lazily, loosing an arrow from the bow she had borrowed from Joy. "It's true my 'other friends', as you call them, don't make me exactly relaxed, but I still like them. Plus, I agreed helping them, so I am taking responsibility."
"This is a game! You don't have to take it that seriously."
Thinking about the soap-opera that always unraveled around Prince, she thought quietly. You don't have an idea about what's taking a game too seriously...
"Just quit, Joy." Lovely Wei told her cousin. "It's not our business."
"Right..." Joy mumbled.
"Besides," Spring Nymph added. "it's not the game Ling takes seriously. It's her friends."
Ling felt touched. Nymph was so understanding! More than a big sister, she was like a mother to the other team members. As she was thinking about how lucky Vampire Garlic was for having her, he logged.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, girls. Jun's working overtime and won't log today."
Joy cursed. Ling laughed.
"So it's not today I meet the mythological Devious Flame? I'm starting to think he's just a made up story."
"He thinks the same about you." Wei assured. "He doesn't even believes that the wanderer profession exists. But it's fun you called him mythological..."
Before Ling could ask why, Vamp interrupted.
"But he did do a favor for us, as a sort of apology." He produced a few pages of parchment. "He translated all the engravings we found on the ruins using that relation of runes Ling made."
Vamp eyed each one of the girls carefully to build the suspense.
"The Wizard's Moving Castle Quest, here we go." The girls cheered, but Joy's eyes lingered on him a moment longer. Vampire Garlic snapped. "The wizard is NOT called Howl."
Joydrop looked dejected, but the team started the quest anyway.
Real Life
Ling reunited all her courage to take the phone. I'm not being miserable anymore, she told herself for the n-th time. I do miss my best friend, and I won't let the fact that he can't be more than my friend affect our friendship.
"Gui?"
"Ling!" He sounded happy to hear her. Ling's heart sunk, but she shook her head and took a deep breath.
"Let's do something together. It's been a century since we last had some fun."
Gui was surprised by the offer, but he realized he needed a distraction, and he needed it badly. Feng Lan wasn't even his girlfriend (yet), and he was letting her consume his time twenty-two hours a day. The other two were the hours he spend giving his lectures at the university, but sometimes even these hours he spent thinking of her.
"Yeah." He said. "Let's go."
"So, do you have a plan?" Gui asked when they met at the park.
"What do you mean, if I have a plan?"
"When we were kids you always had one. You always came up with something for us to do."
"Really? And did we always do what I planned? Geez, I was so bossy... how could you ever stand to hang around with me?"
"You WERE bossy?" He laughed.
Ling thought guiltily about ICIA.
"Okay, maybe I AM bossy... but today I don't have a plan."
"Right. Then what do you usually do when you're not working?"
"Or reading." She added.
"Or reading." He conceded.
"Well, I am a nature lover." Gui stared at her in disbelief. "Okay, maybe not exactly a nature lover... but I discovered I like climbing trees very much."
"Climbing trees?"
"Tree tops have a great wireless internet connection." Ling said innocently.
Of course, Gui thought. Because few powers in the universe could keep Ling away from a computer for more than an hour...
And so the two of them spent all morning climbing trees and doing taishi with the old people in the park and throwing stones at the lake and stepping in grass near signs of "Don't step in the grass".
When they were going home, Ling tugged Gui's sleeve.
"Gui..."
"What?"
"Can you buy me a cat?"
"A cat?"
"I always say that girls who worry too much about their cats should get a boyfriend, and if the reciprocal is true, girls who think too much about having a boyfriend should get a cat."
He took a few seconds to process that.
"Are you worrying about having a boyfriend?"
"Well..." Ling shrugged. "Sort of. And I'm unemployed, so I have to much free time... but no money to buy a cat and cat food."
"Ha ha... sure, consider it like my early Christmas present for you... But not today. How about we go to the pet shop next week?"
"Not the next, the next. I have my week fully scheduled with job interviews."
"Right. Look, it's my bus. See ya, Ling."
Second Life
All the great figures of Infinite City were reunited for a reunion.
Many things would be discussed, from Prince's plans for the Central Continent and the security of the capital, to less important matters such as designing blazons of arms to the the main teams in Infinite City and redecorating the castle walls. But the main reason for everyone to assemble was to hear the report from Lolidragon and Feng Wu Qing, now they were back from their trip to the other continents.
"Ling?" Yulian entered the room were the reunion was supposed to happen. "This reunion is for staff members only."
Ling put her most adorable smile, managing a faint copy of Yulian's death-smile.
"I am staff. It's in the second to last topic of this very reunion."
The mage checked the list of topics for the reunion and read aloud. "Top Secret."
Yulian had to be satisfied with that, because not long after someone entered the room dragging along the directionally-challenged Bloody Overlord, signalizing it was time for this official meeting to begin.
"And now," as tired as everyone in the room, Yulian organized a stack of papers. "Prince has an announcement to do to all of us."
"Huh?" The overlord woke up at once. "Announcement? About what?"
"It says ' Top Secret'". Yulian explained.
"Ah!" Prince sighed. "That." He cleared his voice a few times, as if to get everyone's attention.
"Everybody, I have an announcement to do. A few weeks ago a new division of the military department was created." Heads turned towards Wicked and White Bird, who looked slightly annoyed. "Besides giving training to our soldiers, strategizing is vital in order to win battles. And to come up with a good strategy, information is of uttermost importance."
Everyone was slightly surprised that Prince was actually making a speech before his announcement. It gave whatever he was about to say an air of importance. Ling felt touched.
"Therefore," the elf went on. "I gave Ling here permission to create Infinite City Intelligence Agency, ICIA, for short. Since then, she has been recruiting and raising funds for this organization, all in perfect secrecy. When her net of informers was properly spread, she started relating to me directly, but today it seemed appropriate to let all staff members of Infinite City to be acquainted with the results of Ling's work."
Prince quieted, passing the word to Ling. She waited a few seconds, enjoying the astounded looks she was receiving.
And then she proceeded to a detailed report on what she though it was convenient to let the world know of ICIA's activities.
"You... You've been half the time away from Infinite City, and yet you managed to plant spies in Infinite, Sun, Moon and Star Cities, find informants, check the background of most everyone who's somehow related to Prince, just to be sure that there aren't traitors among us, raise funds and prevent two rebellions from players that want to take the power from Prince...How did you do that?"
Someone finally asked. Ling smiled.
"I've been away? Yes. I've been indolent? Never. But you don't need to give me that much credit. I hand picked the agents from very capable people, so things would be accomplished with or without me to coordinate them."
When they heard this, everyone who was feeling tired from overwork sighed. If only they had had that idea first...
"But of course, I hope all of you know that no word about ICIA must be spoken outside this room. The efficacy of a secret service has much to do with the 'secret' part." She finalized.
And then it was time for Lolidragon and Wu Qing's report.
After the meeting with the great figures of Infinite City, Ling called an emergency meeting of the "great figures" of ICIA.
Ice Phoenix, Ming Huang, Jing and a few other people were reunited and looking expectantly to Ling. Their leader looked half worried, half annoyed, and not even close to talking.
"Hmm... Ling?" Phoenix called. The other girl seemed to wake from a daydream.
"Oh, yes. Sorry, where was I? I haven't told you why I called all of you here? Well, then... Folks," her tone was suddenly serious. "External Affairs has just reported that all five overlords are being targeted by assassins of uncommon strength and agility, and the Flower Overlord of Northern Continent has disappeared."
The agents that weren't present at Lolidragon's report gasped. Phoenix and Ming Huang only nodded. Ling proceeded.
"In order to clear things and achieve international cooperation, External Affairs is going to travel again and invite the overlords to a meeting here, in Infinite City." She scanned her audience. "What does it mean?"
One second. Two seconds.
"We have to uncover these assassins' identities." Jing said. Ling agreed, but didn't elaborate.
"It's ICIA's duty to check upon everyone who enters the city." Ming Huang said, suddenly.
Again, Ling agreed.
One second. Two seconds.
"Wait... does it mean... that we have to check upon the overlords and their parties?"
"Precisely." Ling let the notion sink. "We've just entered the big leagues, agents. We have four of the five most influential players of Second Life, who are scattered all around the virtual world. We don't have money for passages, and even if we had, we don't have time for ships. The overlords will be here in two weeks. And we have a throughout investigation to do."
Ming Huang cursed.
"That's impossible." He complained.
"I know. But it's our job to do the impossible. I'm dividing you in five teams. Four teams will dig information on the overlords and their parties. The remaining one will conduct an investigation directly on the assassins. This task has failed multiple times, but maybe the five investigations together will lead to a new conclusion. Do whatever it takes to find useful information."
They understood, and left one by one. Only Phoenix lingered behind.
"And you, Ling? What will you be doing?"
Ling smiled at her. Phoenix was a good agent, but she lacked the confidence that all Ling did had a purpose.
"I'll try to find a ride for the agents. But I can't guarantee anything. And I'll do some external investigation."
"External..."
"Secret service, Phoenix. Emphasis on 'secret'."
"Ling?"
The wanderer was so lost in her mind, trying to find a loose tread to unravel Second Life's web of conspiracy that she barely listened.
"Ling!" Joydrop called louder. "Are you sure you are okay? You so distracted you've been even missing your attacks."
"Sorry, Joy... I really have a lot on my mind right now."
Nymph patted her shoulder sympathetically.
"Maybe is there something we could do to help?"
Ling shook her head and seemed lost in thought. Then she surprised everyone by asking quite suddenly.
"Does any of you know about a way to travel between the continents that is faster and cheaper than the ships provided by the game?"
Spring Nymph and Joydrop only stared at her, but surprisingly Wei spoke up.
"How about leviathan riding?"
"What?" The three other girls asked.
"Well, some players say that when you try to catch leviathans – you know, sea monsters in general - with a fishing rod, they bite the bait, but pull you for miles and miles before the line breaks and you get lost in the ocean." Seeing that for the other girls she wasn't making any sense, she added. "Theoretically one could be pulled by a leviathan all the way between two continents in no more than a day. Theoretically."
Ling contemplated the idea. It was so crazy it could work. She would suggest it to Phoenix.
The air quivered in front of the girls and Vampire Garlic appeared, logging late as always.
"Hi, love." He said to Nymph. "Hi, Wei. Joy. And... Ling! I didn't expect to see you here tonight."
"Why not? Didn't I say that I'd be coming? I want to see the Moving Castle so badly."
"Yes, but... you never come when... I mean, you've never seen each other..."
"Vamp, you're not making any sense!" Nymph complained.
Vampire Garlic looked at the four girls.
"Devious Flame is logging tonight."
"Oh!" They all exclaimed.
"So he actually exists!" Ling mused.
"Yes, and you're finally going to meet him." Joy and Wei cheered.
As they talked, the air quivered again, and out of nowhere appeared a tall, slender boy with fiery red hair falling straight past his shoulders, and eyes so blue that Ling couldn't help thinking the boy had exaggerated when he created the character. Oh, and he was strikingly handsome, too.
"Hey, folks. What's up with your surprised faces? The way you all look, one would think that I've never logged into Second Life before..." Devious Flame started. Then he noticed Ling. "Are you the notorious wanderer my friends have been telling me about?"
"Yes. I'm Ling. And you were supposed to be Loki."
He tilted his head, the turned and asked Wei and Joy.
"Which one of you told her?"
"Not me." Joy raised her hands defensively.
"I was going to." Wei confessed. "But I never had the chance."
He turned back to Ling.
"How did you know?"
"Well... You look exactly the same as I always pictured the Norse god Loki. Slender, rather than bulky, since he was smart, rather than strong. Blue eyes because he is Norse. And fiery red hair, since in some stories he was also a fire god. And it fits your name. 'Devious' is sort of the stronger character trait in Loki. And – don't get offended – your looks is also deceptive because you seem too scrawny to be a warrior. 'Flame' is for the fire god part."
Devious Flame looked impressed.
"You are quite something, miss wanderer."
Ling smiled her Monalisa smile.
"You ain't seen nothing yet".
Chapter End
When I was about to keep on writing, I realized that the second half of Chapter Eight was better suited to be Chapter Nine, then I stopped writing. I hope I'll write the next chapter soon (July is, indeed, the sweetest month of the year...). Meanwhile, please review.