(a/n: Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait. Had lot of things going on and had to do some rewrites and such. Enjoy this new chapter!)
Ch.4: Sweet Caroline
Kane sighed heavily and reclined in his seat, kicking his feet up on the coffee table in front of him while staring blankly into the half empty cup of blood in his hands.
The Bronze Ox was devoid of life, save for the vampire assassin who sat alone on one of the four couches positioned around a polished coffee table in the upstairs sitting area. His raven hair, usually tied up in a knot or a braid, was now hanging down to his shoulders in a wild unkempt mess.
The vampire smoothed back his hair, trying to keep it out of his face. He looked down at his attire with a measure of distaste and annoyance. Here he was, an unemployed human turned video game vampire, sitting around dressed in a long sleeved white silk shirt and black trousers and boots, drinking blood alone in formerly digital fantasy inn.
What he wouldn't give to be dressed in normal clothes and not look like one of those guys on the cover of those old cheesy romance novels. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything else to wear. If he wanted new clothes, he'd have to get one of the elves to work on it or find a way to make his own.
That can wait for another time. They have more than enough issues on their plate already. As Kane took another sip, he reflected on current events.
For Kane and his brother, the last several days had been a lengthy process of experimentation with their new abilities. It had been a rather fun, albeit nerve wracking, few days. They started off with the smaller and least destructive spells and attacks, testing their destructive capabilities, which produced startling results. The two then tested their defensive abilities and even discovered that the [Message] spell still worked. That was a fun little adventure.
However, for the past two days Kane had wanted to get some peace and alone time. The inn's resident NPC's had become very attached to him and Gareth.
Wherever one of the brothers went, one of the elves, the maids or the wizard Neremyn, would eagerly follow them like a dutiful guard dog. It was sweet at first but then it got rather bothersome, with the NPC's trailing closely behind, jumping at every rustling bush and treating them like they were made of glass whenever the brother's insisted on doing something on their own.
Thankfully, Neremyn and a majority of the elf maids were currently outside occupying themselves with building the new fortifications for the inn.
Now that he's finally got his moment of peace and solitude, however, Kane wanted some company to stave off this increasing sense of boredom.
Fortunately, loud footsteps could be heard making their way up the stairs until Gareth appeared, carrying a big grey metal chest.
"Need a hand?" Kane asked.
"Nah, I got it," the bard said as he gently placed the chest onto coffee table in the middle of the circle of couches. The bard was no longer wearing his red cloak and feathered cap. Instead, the blond opted for a white shirt, green doublet and brown trousers. His long blond hair was slicked back, which caused it to flow down past his shoulders like a well-groomed golden waterfall.
Gareth sat down on the couch across from Kane and tapped the lock, causing it to click open and he opened the lid. The vampire sipped his half empty cup of blood, watching with a mixture of boredom and fascination as his brother reached into the chest, going elbow deep and rummaging around in the murky blackness within the magical container.
"Looking for something?" Kane asked after another sip.
"Just getting reacquainted with my old things," Gareth said, pulling out a tattered looking book from the chest. The bard opened the book, flipping through the pages slowly and carefully. "It's been a while since I was last logged in. I barely remember half of the stuff I owned in Yggdrasil. Now that we're in a totally new world with real powers, its fair to say that our items are real."
"Right," Kane agreed with a nod.
"Right, so it'll be useful to take stock of what we have and see what could be useful."
Kane nodded again. He had considered that. The two of them were no longer human and could do things that no ordinary human could possibly do. The tests that they ran with their characters in-game abilities attested to that. So it's not too much of a leap to assume that their items were also real magical items and weaponry.
Gareth closed the book gently and set it aside on the table. He reached in and sifted around the inside of the chest once more.
Kane leaned forward, setting his cup aside and resting his elbows on his knees. Propping his head up with his hands, the vampire watched as a growing sense of fascination and nostalgia as the bard unloaded more items.
Soon the table's surface became covered with a variety of items and weapons that Gareth had collected over the ten long years of playing Yggdrasil.
A small smile worked its way onto Gareth's face as he withdrew a dagger with an ornate silver grip from the depths of the chest. He pulled the dagger free from its sheath, revealing a flawless shiny blade.
"I remember this thing," the bard said, turning the dagger over in his hand and showed Kane the pommel.
The vampire vaguely recognized the pommel, which was a marble-sized ruby in the silvery grip of a bird's talons, but couldn't remember where it was from.
"Oh yeah," Kane said in remembrance, staring at the blade with wide eyes "That thing, I remember that time at that place we got that super awesome dagger."
Gareth rolled his eyes. "You don't remember, do you?"
"Nope," the vampire admitted.
"It's the dagger we got off that one party, the Falcon Knights, after the Black Marsh Keep dungeon raid."
Kane frowned and thought for a moment, wracking his brain for anything that might relate to that name. "Sounds familiar," he said after a few moments. "Who were they again?"
"You know, those paladins who thought they were the bees knees and tried picking a fight with Wilhelm over leadership of the Shining Crusade?"
Kane grinned "Bees knees?"
"Yeah and?"
The vampire chuckled "Who even says that anymore?"
"Plenty of people," Gareth said, almost defensively. "Look do you remember them or not?"
"Ok, no need to get your panties in a twist, grandpa" Kane said and thought for a moment. After a brief moment of silent contemplation, realization crossed his pale features.
"Oh yeah," the vampire said slowly "Those douchebags. Weren't those were the guys who tried killing me because I was a vampire?"
"That and you called them a bunch of cock pirates for being rude and constantly hitting on those elf girls, who, ironically, happened to be dudes."
Kane burst out laughing.
"Wilhelm had you two duel over their 'tarnished honor' and you won."
"That's right," The vampire assassin nodded, a wistful smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, I won the dagger as a reward and then I gave it to you, saying that it wasn't worth the effort. He went into some spiel about how it was forged by some fancy blacksmith and cost a shit ton of gold."
Kane sighed, "Man, that guy was such a tool. Heck of a fighter, but a massive tool."
The two chuckled. The bard sheathed the dagger and set on the growing pile of items on the table. As Gareth continued rooting around his seemingly bottomless storage chest full of memories, Kane became lost in thought.
Who would've thought that their current predicament would be because of a video game? While he wasn't a fan RPGs, the vampire enjoyed his time on Yggdrasil. It provided ten years of fun and memories with Gareth and their friends. Sure he was practically dragged along on a bunch of grueling quests, harassed by annoying players with humanoid characters and role-played through some embarrassing "adventures" with their party. But ultimately, the vampire treasured those memories, the good and the bad.
Life outside the game was rough for everyone. It was cold and bleak in the U.S. but it was even worse in some parts of the world. Games like Yggdrasil were among the few things that distracted people from the ugliness of reality and kept them sane…somewhat. There were people who spent their every waking moment of their lives online, trying to escape their misery and pain.
Kane knew a few of those types and it was absolutely heart wrenching to see but he understood where they were coming from. He was in their shoes at one point of his life. He had an unnatural amount of time online at one point in his life, trying to lose himself in the endless digital abyss of virtual reality. He barely managed to escape it, thanks to some friends and to his boss, who was concerned about him and the fact that he was missing work a lot.
The vampire's thoughts were interrupted when a green haired elf maid emerged from the stairs, carrying a tray of food and a pitcher of beer. The elf carried the tray to the table but saw the clutter and set it down on couch next to theirs. Kane watched the elf with some interest.
Only a week ago she was pixels and data. Now, she was a living breathing person. He could smell her blood, her sweat and the faint fading fragrance of the spices from the kitchen she used to prepare this meal.
For the first few days, Kane imagined that this was all just some lucid dream or some surprise update to Yggdrasil, to make it more lifelike and real. But as the days progressed, the vampire soon dropped those ideas and eventually made peace with the fact that this was their new reality. It wasn't too bad, it could've been way worse. He could've ended up alone in some scorching desert or in that new horror survival game that quickly overtook Yggdrasil in the States. He had his brother, they had a roof over their heads, and they had food and, best of all, a whole world that was rich with life and fresh clean air. All in all, he was truly lucky.
The green haired elf curtseyed and announced in a soft respectful voice "Your lunch, my lords."
Kane nodded at her. "Very good, Tina," he said his voice deep and velvety "you are dismissed."
The green haired elf's cheeks turned red and she scurried off without a word. Once she was gone, Gareth snorted with subdued laughter.
"What?" Kane asked, confused.
"Her name is Rina," the bard informed him, chuckling.
"Is it?" the vampire asked.
Gareth nodded, still chuckling.
Kane's face gained some color "You know I'm not good with names."
"I told you their names like five times! Use the stat menu if you get confused."
"I can't be bothered. Besides, I don't know how to pull that thing up."
"Okay, grandpa," Gareth chuckled.
The vampire mumbled a pitiful "shut up" as a smile grew on his face.
After the last little piece of available space on the coffee table was filled, the bard placed the chest on the floor by his feet and filled that space too.
The two brothers took some time eating their lunch before Gareth resumed his dig through his storage chest. Every few items brought up an old memory or a funny story, which made the two brothers smile and created a warm nostalgic atmosphere. This warm and cheerful atmosphere evaporated with the next item withdrawn from the item chest.
Gareth's cheerful smile flickered and faded. "Oh…" he said, lifting the item up.
Kane's smile faded as well. In the bard's hand was a glowing blue-white crystal the size of a brick. The two stared at the crystal for a long silent moment, until Gareth spoke.
"Huh…didn't think I'd see this again," the bard said, hefting the crystal in his hand. "Never knew you could take these out of the guild base."
"I guess…" Kane said, slowly, scratching his chin "Though I could've sworn…" he trailed off, trying to remember when he retrieved that particular sealing crystal. Aside from a handful of hard earned items and weapons, the crystal in Gareth's hand was one of the bard's most prized possessions in Yggdrasil.
Contained within its shiny, crystalline form is his NPC's data.
Back in the day, before everything went to shit, the two brothers were among the founding members of one of the largest guilds comprised of westerners in Yggdrasil.
The DMMO-RPG was the home to numerous guilds. These guilds varied in size, ranging from small groups comprised of a dozen friends to enormous factions that could number in the hundreds, even thousands. Gareth and Kane's guild, known as the Emerald Legion, was one such guild.
They started off as a small time group of role-playing adventurers but as Yggdrasil and the competition grew more bitter and intense, their numbers skyrocketed. Of course, that was partially because of one of their early additions.
Kane scowled at the memory of that slimy asshole. Funny how the one who helped the guild flourish was also the one who destroyed Gareth's in game reputation. Despite his hatred, the vampire couldn't help but admire how the guild changed and how it survived under his leadership.
At some point or other, all players learned that it really paid to have friends. Competition on the DMMO-RPG was fierce and with how people were treated due to character race or some other trait, people quickly latched onto the "strength in numbers" strategy. It was because of this, the Emerald Legion became what it was. Although they didn't even come close to cracking the top one hundred guilds list, the Legion survived its share of hard times and showed that it was a force to be reckoned with.
They stood shoulder-to-shoulder with another Western based guild, the Shining Crusade, fighting off PK guilds and clearing some serious dungeons. One of those dungeons later became the Legion's headquarters, which helped put them on the map. After winning themselves a rather spacious and neat dungeon base, the senior most members of the Legion earned the right to oversee its day-to-today operations and create NPCs to act as guardians. It was a fun but rather intensive process.
Kane didn't get to make one because he was away on IRL business. Even if he were available, he would've declined the offer anyway. Creating an NPC was too time consuming. But Gareth, on the other hand, jumped at the chance. The bard helped a mutual friend of theirs, a player named Alice, design and customize her NPC and set to work on his soon afterward.
It was during this time of change when things went down the tubes. The vampire shook his head free of those thoughts and returned his attention to the crystal in his brother's hand. Kane knew that he gathered up everything he and his brother left behind at the vault in their guild base but he could've sworn that the crystal wasn't among them. Even if they were put into sealing crystals or broken down into pure data, guild base and floor guardian NPCs are restricted from leaving their designated areas.
This was due to two reasons. First was due to technical reasons. Floor guardian NPCs and their data were closely tied to their floor and dungeon. If anyone tried to move them, even without the protocols that kept them boxed in, removing them would cause all sorts of problems for the servers. Some would think it odd or some sort of design flaw. However, keeping NPCs, especially high-leveled ones, within their pre-approved spaces was not only due to technical reasons.
The second and more important reason was due to gameplay issues. In the past, it was possible to aggravate and lure a raid boss or floor guardian from their dungeon. Kane remembered overhearing discussions about the possible implications of doing such a thing, like how far it could go and the damage it could cause to players. The topic was debated and discussed for some time but never really went anywhere. That was until someone actually went and did it.
On an ordinary day in Yggdrasil, a small time party full of dingbats snuck into an incredibly dangerous dungeon in Muspelheim and had led the raid boss on a violent rampage through a neutral town as a joke. This particular town was one of a number of places where players could buy or sell items, take up a quest or just hang out in peace and safety without being killed or ambushed. This little prank caused a lot of powerless players to lose a shit ton a lot of gold, levels and items. It very nearly wrecked the game itself, as the gargantuan fire demon continued to rampage for several hours, killing more players and causing all sorts of chaos, before finally being vanquished.
In the aftermath, a massive update was installed to the game in order to prevent such a thing from happening again. Even if players tried to hack or modify the game in order to recreate that little stunt, they run the risk of exposing themselves and crashing the server. It was a rather bizarre way to keep players in line, but very few dared to try. Those few who did were promptly banned from the game. Forever.
Although the vampire's memory for names wasn't worth shit, he knew for a fact that he didn't take the crystal from the castle vault. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't have, he couldn't find it anywhere and had assumed that was deleted or sold to another guild member.
So how did it end up in Gareth's storage chest?
After a long moment of silent examination of the crystal, Gareth looked at his brother and smiled warmly. "Thank you," the bard said softly "I was worried that Oswald would've deleted her."
"No problem" Kane said, shrugging.
"Seriously, it means a lot to me. Really."
Kane shrugged and then he paused. "Her?" the vampire asked.
Gareth nodded "Yeah, she was going to be a guardian on one of the upper floors, near the Astral Tower or the Celestial Observatory but Oswald butted in and had someone else's NPC installed."
"Typical" Kane murmured bitterly but perked up. A grin formed on his marble white face. "Soooo," the vampire said sweetly "What's her name? Your little cyber girlfriend, I mean. Is it Alice Junior? Alice 2.0?"
"It's Caroline," Gareth said, blushing a bit. "You know like the song Grandpa Max used to sing when we were kids."
"You mean…" Kane hummed the tune and Gareth nodded in confirmation. "Not a bad name" the vampire remarked.
The two gazed at the crystal for a moment, unsure what to do. Gareth turned the crystal over in his hand.
"Ten years…" the bard said softly. "Ten long years…we had some good times huh?"
"Yeah," Kane said, reclining in his chair "Honestly, it was kind of rough during the first two but it got better."
"Yeah, and who would've thought that we end up as our in-game characters."
Kane smiled "Crazy isn't it? I mean, a week ago I was having a Jack and Coke and browsing the want ads online in my tiny apartment in Ohio. Now, I'm drinking blood and am being waited on by elves in the middle of a forest in another world."
Gareth snorted, "A week ago, I was at my desk at work pushing papers and counting down the minutes until I could get home, have a nice cold drink and finish my marathon of classic fantasy films. Now, I'm a blond, I'm probably unemployed now, sitting here with a bottomless box full of a decade's worth of magical items and weapons that I got from a video game. A video game that…" Gareth trailed off. His flawless face became gloomy and downcast.
"…that nearly ruined my life," Kane finished in his head.
Though their childhood was distant and rather hazy in some parts, Kane distinctly remembered that Gareth had trouble making friends when they were kids. He was always shy and struggled to find ways to connect with people. That is, until Yggdrasil.
In Yggdrasil, Gareth was more outgoing and comfortable with himself. He was able to befriend a number of other players who were just as nerdy and excited about the game as he was.
Kane showed up a little after the initial launch, having been persuaded to join by former friends and co-workers who hyped the game up to no end. Incidentally, the vampire found his brother during a big PVP battle between a dozen different parties.
Though it had been a long time since they last spoke, Kane could hear Gareth's distinct voice over the chaotic, and albeit overdramatic, cacophony of voices from other players. They found each other afterward and joined forces. It was because of Gareth that Kane even bothered to stay on for as long as he did. Had things gone differently years ago, the vampire would've ditched Yggdrasil in favor of a zombie game that had just been released at the time. He never regretted the decision to stay.
The vampire set aside his cup, got up and moved over to Gareth's couch and sat down beside his brother. He put an arm around the saddened bard.
"Listen" the vampire said in a firm voice. "I know it sounds kind of obvious and maybe a little insensitive of me to say but, you should just forget about what happened."
"But-"
"Just shut up and listen."
Gareth looked at Kane.
"What happened has happened, there's nothing you can do about it," the vampire explained, "I know what happened to you and it sucked, royally. If I'd been there-"
"Then we both would've been kicked out and lost all our items and gold," Gareth pointed out gloomily.
"True, but not before giving ol' Oswald and his creepy little harem of brownnosers what they deserved."
The bard shrugged "I guess."
"I know that doesn't mean much but trust me when I say this: I'm sorry for not being there to back you up. But don't worry, from here on out, whatever it is we do, we do together."
The bard snorted and a wide grin took form on his face.
"No homo right?" Gareth asked.
"Yeah, no homo," Kane laughed, slapping his brother on the back.
Kane released his brother from his embrace and stood. "Now, as of this moment, I don't want you moping or crying about the past" he said as he circled the cluttered coffee table. "Got it?"
"I don't mope. I wasn't crying either," Gareth mumbled.
"Got it?"
"Yes, fine jeez!"
The vampire gave the bard a look and he gestured to himself "Look at us! A new world with hot new faces and freaking super powers! We have a clean slate; past and future all squeaky clean! No need to worry about taxes or pollution! Those chodes at the guild can eat a bag of donkey dicks for all I care, except for Alice, the twins and Mike, God rest that glorious bastard. Yggdrasil's gone now anyways. The past is behind us and we got a vast and endless horizon ahead of us now. We just won the friggin' lottery and got a massive upgrade! So there's no reason to mope. This is something to celebrate!"
Kane saw that the gloom on Gareth's was all but gone now. The bard nodded slowly.
"Yeah, you're right," the blond admitted, though there was still a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
"You're damn right I'm right," Kane said, walking by and playfully punching his brother in the arm "I can't remember when I was wrong. Except for that time back when we were dealing with those whack jobs from that European guild. Though, in my defense, nobody knows what goes on in those guys' heads. Not even Wilhelm could get a read on them, and he's one of them!"
Gareth rolled his eyes.
Kane sat back down at his couch and began drumming the table. "So, in order to celebrate our newfound freedom, I suggest that we do something new and get out of this boring little popsicle stand for a bit!"
"And do what?"
"Go exploring!" Kane declared, "Lets travel a little bit and see what this world has to offer. Maybe we can follow that road beyond the trees and see where it leads."
"I guess so…" Gareth said, scratching his chin. "But what about the inn? What if it gets, I don't know, attacked while we're away."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what if we're not the only ones here and what if these other people have powers. What if there are bandits or monsters here? I already have this feeling that we're not alone in these woods. What if there are people here who are as strong as us, maybe even stronger! Neremyn and the others won't stand a chance."
Kane frowned and considered his brother's words. The vampire had considered that possibility and never really gave it as much thought. If Gareth were right, then none of the elves, or the dwarves for that matter, would last long. Sure they were fairly high level but nowhere near as high as the two brothers. They could put up a reasonable fight but they would eventually get crushed or worse, captured.
A thought came to Kane's mind. His ruby eyes drifted back toward the crystal in his brother's hand. Gareth frowned in confusion and looked at the crystal. It took him a moment but it finally dawned on him.
"She might be strong enough" Gareth speculated, "She's nearly as powerful as the old floor guardians. She's nearly as strong as we are, give or take a few levels."
"That sounds like a good bet," Kane said. "Well then…open it up"
"How?" the bard asked. "I mean its not like it has a button or a switch."
"Maybe you can open it the way you usually open those things on Yggdrasil" Kane suggested.
Gareth nodded and swallowed. He squeezed the crystal in his hand and the light within the crystal grew brighter. Instead of it shattering, as it usually does when activated, a translucent menu screen popped open above the crystal. The bard blinked and Kane joined his brother's side.
"Warning: Insufficient data" the menu read. "Please input the needed data to so that the object can be properly rendered."
Kane frowned "What data?"
Gareth swiped right on the screen, bringing up a page displaying the NPC's data, complete with a several tabs devoted its abilities, skills and items. Gareth began reviewing the data. Carefully going through each tab and reviewing the work he had done in the past. Kane whistled in appreciation.
"Not bad" the vampire said, nodding at the list of stats and items she was given "Really fits the angel thing you got going."
"Thanks" Gareth replied, his eyes roving about the screen, looking for the incomplete section "You have no idea how much time I had poured into this."
"I can imagine."
After some lengthy scrolling and careful inspection, the two finally discovered what was missing: background information. From the looks of things, Gareth had stopped partway through writing the NPC's background information and personality traits. It's not necessarily a major programming error or a game-breaking mistake. A player can forgo the personality and background of an NPC but it takes half the fun out of it and makes for a very boring experience.
Fortunately, it seems that most of the work was done and needed some touching up and minor additions. The two cleared some space on the table, transferring most of the scattered items to the other three couches. Once there was space enough to work, Gareth placed the crystal on the table. This allowed the object to rest on an even surface, gave the two brothers even space to view the screen and allowed the two to operate said screen like an old touch screen device. The two rolled up their sleeves and went to work.
Time crawled by slowly as the bard and the assassin read through the original block of text and discussed what could be improved and what could be added. Although background information isn't really all that critical for an NPC but they weren't in a video game anymore. There's no telling what effect this lengthy bit of text could have on the NPC or on them.
The two spent some time spit balling ideas, making minor adjustments, fixing some bad grammar and misspelling, while trying to craft a functional and friendly NPC. Taking turns typing and implementing agreed changes and additions, the two worked slowly and diligently. They were occasionally interrupted by the occasional appearance by Rina, who brought them word on the progress of the fortification efforts outside and topping off Kane's cup with fresh blood. The elf's cheeks reddened when she tended to the vampire, which caused the two brothers to share odd looks.
After what seemed like hours, Gareth typed out the last line and sat back sighing in satisfaction.
"Done," the bard declared at last.
Kane leaned forward, and scanned the translucent screen and read their work aloud. "Caroline is a powerful angel who once guarded the Astral Tower but is now the Supervisor of the Bronze Ox Inn and its entire staff."
He mumbled through the section about her appearance and picked up closer to her personality and mannerisms.
"She is the definition of a genteel woman. She carries herself with distinction and a quiet grace. Even in the heat of battle, Caroline keeps a cool head and stands resolute against her foes. Despite her refined exterior and manners, she is not above getting her hands dirty and dealing with obstacles personally. She is determined and will let nothing stand between her and her goals. Although she is a harsh taskmaster and often enough comes off as cold and aloof to strangers, the angelic noble woman greatly values her subordinates and comrades. She has a strong sense of justice and won't tolerate…"
Kane got bored and mumbled through the rest of the text until he came the end.
"Well?" Gareth asked. The bard was off to the side, sneaking a bite from the remnants of his already cooled lunch while the vampire inspected their work.
The vampire flicked the screen, scrolling through the lengthy background details, checking for inconsistencies and mistakes. Exhausted by the hours of writing and rewriting copious amounts of text, Kane was eager to be done. However, he did feel that the background information was lacking in something…important.
"Looks good but…it needs one last thing," Kane said, tapping the screen and began adding some new lines near the end.
"What're you doing?" the bard asked, concerned.
"Just applying the finishing touches," the vampire answered plainly.
The finishing touch read as thus:
"Caroline is eternally loyal to Kane and Gareth. She lives to serve them and enforce their will. Her loyalty to Kane comes from a strong sense of duty and honor. Meanwhile, her loyalty to Gareth stems from her deep abiding admiration and affection for her lord and maker."
"Aaaand now, we're done," Kane said, absentmindedly hitting 'Enter' on the screen.
"Wait!" Gareth rushed to see the changes made by his brother but the translucent screen disappeared before he could see.
The bard looked at his brother.
"What did you-?" the question died in his throat when the crystal began to glow brighter and brighter, filling the sitting area with a blinding blue-white light.
The crystal cracked then shattered into a million glittering pieces, which quickly faded away like dying embers. Kane shielded his stinging eyes, automatically hissing at the almost divine light.
Gareth watched in awe and worry as the light began to dim and take form. In a matter of moments the light died. Kane lowered his hands and watched through narrowed eyes.
An awful thought came to mind and the vampire placed a hand behind his back and concentrated. A moment later he felt the familiar weight of his black bladed dagger Death's Fang appear in his hand. A hint of relief filled him. Took him some time and a lot of trial and error to learn to summon his weapon without a keyboard. Fortunately, all that hard work seemed to have paid off.
Normally, Kane would wait and see how things go. However, this was no longer a game. He can't afford to relax as much as he used to in these unknown situations. If their work succeeded then the two had just added a powerful figure into their roster. If it didn't and if it went berserk, well… It helps to be prepared.
Once the light had finally died, the two brothers saw a woman, hovering a foot above the table. Clad in a flowing blue dress, the woman was slender and statuesque. For a second, the vampire thought she was a statue. Her face was flawless and pale as marble. Her hair was a light, almost snowy, shade of blond.
The woman's eyes fluttered open, revealing a matching pair of sky blue eyes. She descended and softly landed on the table. Gazing about, she studied her surroundings carefully until her eyes landed on Gareth and Kane. The woman hopped off the table and landed on the floor, making no sound.
After smoothing out her skirts, the woman bowed her head and knelt before the two.
"My lord Gareth," Caroline said, her voice was soft as silk "My lord Kane, how may I be of service to you? Whatever it be, name it and I'll see it done."
Kane and Gareth shared a look. The vampire shrugged, not really sure what to say or do at this point. Gareth shrugged as well, feeling equally uncertain. After a few moments of awkward silence, the two turned their attention back to Caroline.
"It is good to see you, Caroline" Gareth spoke, his voice warm and rich, though to Kane it sounded like he was doing an overdone impression of a nobleman from a medieval fantasy film. "We have much work to do and we hope that you would be able to aid us."
The angelic woman's head bobbed. "I shall do everything within my power to make sure your will becomes reality, my lords," she swore solemnly. "If I need to vanquish a thousand foes, consider it done. If you need me to lay down my life for you, I shall do so without hesitation."
Gareth's eyes widened a little and he glanced nervously at Kane. Kane's eyebrows shot up. The vampire never really saw someone swear to take a bullet for another person so seriously and in person. If she was truly this serious then it's a very good idea for the both of them to tread carefully around her and watch they say. Judging from her tone and expression, she was a hundred percent being serious.
"There's no need for that," Kane spoke, trying to put on regal airs. "Your loyalty and your service shall suffice."
She nodded and looked up at the two. She gazed at Gareth and the vampire noticed the woman's cheeks turning rosy and her expression softened. When she looked at Kane, the dreamy look on her face was replaced by a solemn dutiful expression.
"So far so good." Kane thought, "Maybe this will work out after all."
"As Supervisor of the Bronze Ox Inn, what shall I do for you, my lords?" Caroline inquired.
"Arise," Gareth said, "You don't need to kneel. A simple bow or a curtsy will do."
The angelic woman thanked her maker and rose to her full height, which put her eye to eye with the bard that stood before her.
The brothers were silent. They wanted her to oversee and supervise the other NPCs and the inn while they explore this new world but they don't know how capable she truly was. Even if what they wrote came to be, Kane still wanted to see if she was an able leader and could protect the inn while they were gone.
As the two brothers tried thinking of a task to assign Caroline, a rather awkward silence began to develop between the three.
Gareth had his hands behind his back, twiddling his thumbs and trying not to meet Caroline's gaze. Meanwhile, Kane looked about, trying to come up with an order. Caroline stood before them, regal looking and hands clasped together in front of her, her eyes fixated on Gareth.
His mind blank, Kane was about to order the NPC to help them clean up Gareth's items, which were currently occupying three couches, when a series of heavy footsteps thumped up the stairs.
Judging from the scent of mead, sweat and metal, the vampire new who it was. He did his best to not look relieved by this incoming interruption.
Osric Gomrael, the dwarf chef and head of the fortification construction efforts, appeared at the top of the stairs. He walked toward the two brothers but paused at the sight of Caroline. The dwarf grew tense, as he looked at the tall slender woman. Confusion and uncertainty were plain on his face. However, Kane noticed the dwarf's expression lost all confusion, slowly shifting to a blank hazy look, before finally settling on recognition. The dwarf's body became less tense.
"Gomrael," Gareth said, noting the dwarf's presence "May I introduce you to-"
"Lady Caroline!" The dwarf said, cheerfully. A wide smile appeared on his hairy face. "I had a feeling that you'd be up here"
Gareth and Kane shot each other confused looks.
"Ah Gomrael, it is good to see you" Caroline said casually, as if speaking to an old friend. "What is it you want? Lords Gareth and Kane were about to give me a new task."
"Forgive me, but I wish to report in on the progress of our fortifications," he said.
"How goes it?" The bard asked, feeling very confused and creeped out.
"It goes well, sir," the dwarf answered proudly "If all goes as it should, we shall be done by tomorrow afternoon."
Before either Gareth or Kane could reply, Caroline let out a disapproving snort. The two glanced at each other then to the angelic woman, whose brows were knitted together in a scowl.
"Something on your mind, Caroline?" Gareth asked.
"Forgive me, my lord," she said, lowering her head. "I don't wish to be rude or belittle the efforts of Gomrael or my other subordinates, but I think it prudent that the fortifications be completed by tonight. I know that our staff is fully capable of completing the task within this timeframe and are willing."
Gareth hesitated. The bard had wanted to have the NPCs pace themselves so that they don't overwork themselves. But when the bard turned to the dwarf, Gomrael nodded.
"We can finish it up by tonight, if that's what you wish," the dwarf said sincerely, looking a little bashful.
"Are you certain?" Kane asked, a frown appearing on his face. "Don't you have…other duties to attend to? You and the others have worked so hard this week and have done so much already, perhaps you would like to rest."
Shock flickered across the dwarf's expression and he shook his head quickly. "Oh no, no! We are not in the least bit tired, Lord Kane. It is as Lady Caroline always tells us: 'we shall never falter nor fail in our duty and devotion to the Supreme Beings.' Whatever it may be my lords we'll carry it out to the letter, giving it our all. You need only say the word."
Silence fell on the sitting area once more as Kane considered the dwarf's words. After a moment of considering, the vampire nodded reluctantly. "Very well then," he said, standing a little taller "Carry on with the fortifications and please ensure that you give our thanks to the rest of the crew."
Gomrael's expression seemed to glow. "No need sir," he said with a wide smile "It is an honor and a privilege to serve the Supreme Beings. Serving you both is reward enough."
On the outside, Kane smiled but internally, the vampire was unsettled by the fanatical zeal that was apparent in the dwarf's gaze and in his voice. He worried that if he ordered Gomrael to kill a hundred children, or make an off color joke about such a topic, the dwarf would do so with an honest to God smile on his lips. They had to find a way to deal with this, otherwise the NPCs might do something very regretful.
"One problem at a time," Kane thought wearily.
The dwarf bowed low and respectfully before he marched off to enact their orders. Caroline, meanwhile, was still waiting for hers.
Gareth, having finally got an idea, cleared his throat and gave his order to Caroline.
"I want you to oversee the final stages of the fortifications and ensure that they are done on schedule," the bard told the newly created NPC. "They need to be able to protect the clearing and the inn from possible invaders."
"Fret not Lord Gareth," Caroline said with a toothy grin. Her eyes bore into her lord's own eyes. "I shall see to it that this inn shall be impenetrable."
"Good," Gareth said with a nod, trying his best not to stare too deeply into the lovely woman's eyes.
The fair-haired woman curtseyed and glided to the stairs.
Before departing, she turned to Gareth one last time and said, her voice soft and honey sweet. "If you have need of me, please do not hesitate to call upon me, Lord Gareth."
Gareth blinked, his cheeks growing warm. "I-I'll do that" he managed to say.
Caroline let out a light, melodic giggle and departed.
Once they heard the distant sound of the inn's front door close, the two brothers relaxed, letting out sighs of relief.
"That could've gone better," Gareth said, wiping some sweat from his brow.
"It could've been a hell of a lot worse, that's for sure," Kane pointed out as he made his concealed weapon vanish in a puff of black smoke.
"A-are we overworking them?" the bard asked as he began pacing by their table "Do we have to worry about them trying to kill us in our sleep for overworking them."
"I tried to get them to slow down and take a break yesterday but they seem to take that as an insult to their honor. So, I think it might be best to keep them busy."
"And what was that?" Gareth asked, gesturing toward the stairs.
"What's what?"
"You know, 'please call upon me' and all those weird looks, I mean what was all that about?"
Kane grinned, "I think someone's got a crush on you."
Gareth's face flushed. "W-why would she? What was it that you wrote in those 'finishing touches' you added on at the last minute?"
"Nothing, just a little spiel about how she's loyal to me out of a strong sense of duty, and to you out of…" Realization dawned on the vampire. "…a deep sense of admiration and affection. Aw shit."
The bard's eyes bulged. "You did what? Oh no. That's just…wrong. She's not a character on a screen anymore. She's a living breathing person. She is a person with a hell of a lot of firepower, may I remind you, and you just made her fall in love with me. I'm not looking to get involved in a Fatal Attraction sort of situation."
Horror filled the vampire's face. "Oh shit," he breathed, realizing the gravity of his mistake. "I-I was only trying to ensure that she stayed loyal to us. I didn't really think that 'admiration and affection' would translate into this! No, no, there's no need to panic. There's no way she'd hurt you. You're both angels and she seems to all gaga around you. If anything, she's more than likely to try to kill me than you."
"Maybe she won't do anything but…we can't say anything for sure. Remember what she said about us ordering her to kill a thousand foes and how she'll do it without question."
"Which is probably why we should probably follow through with our little excursion." The vampire assassin said, scratching his chin.
"What if they go ballistic and try to keep us from leaving?" Gareth reasoned. "Remember, on day one and how they said they were glad to have me back after being gone so long?"
"I know, but we're like gods to these guys. I doubt they'll do anything to hurt or impede us. Besides, we'll just say that we're doing recon and will be back in a few days. I'm fast as shit and you have the [Gate] spell. We'll just pop out for a bit, explore, get some space and fresh air, and be back before they get stir crazy."
Gareth gave his brother a look but considered his plan. After a few moments, the bard threw up his hands and said "Fine!"
The handsome bard flopped face down on the couch and let out a heavy sigh. Burying his face in the soft leather of the seat cushions, Gareth muffled out the words "I need a vacation."
To which Kane wholeheartedly agreed.
(a/n: Well, what do you think? Again, sorry for the wait and for a slightly shorter and slow chapter. Last chapter was a little interlude/diversion that show other parts of the New World and characters who will become more prominent later on. Don't worry, those chapters won't be a common occurrence. From here on out, we're following these two guys. Until next time, see you around!)