Chapter 2.
"…And don't come back, you plaguesome brat!"
Solano kept himself from wincing as the old baker's tirade ended abruptly and the door slammed shut.
For a short portly Gnome the he has got quite a set of lungs on him.
When he was choosing the starting location he wanted to be as far from Julian and Fred Setti as it's possible. He wasn't sure he could face them right now without adding Player Killer to his resume. Xelod, the old secluded town in the middle of nowhere, seemed like a good choice at the time.
The townsfolk's reaction upon seeing him varied from the forced politeness to the outright hostility. The quests on the bulletin board were crossed off as 'completed' and the Major didn't bother to add new ones. The shopkeepers overcharged him; the innkeeper refused to rent him a room. When Solano tried to visit the smithy and repair the damaged weapons, he saw the sign 'closed until further notice.'
I knew about Kobolds' lack of popularity but hearing about it isn't the same as seeing it for yourself.
Quest Update : The Debt Collector.
Find Mulgrave and tell him what happened.
Solano picked up the crumpled piece of paper that used to be a message and returned to the outskirts of Xelod. He found Mulgrave's house and knocked at the door.
Mulgrave was Solano's sole source of quests and the only reason the Kobold didn't leave Xelod yet. The former mercenary was an exception to the rules. A foreigner and a sellsword, he was never completely accepted in Xelod, so he treaded a fellow outcast with a modicum of sympathy.
"The midget doesn't want to pay the debt? He has problems with my messenger?" Mulgrave always saw the traditional greetings as a waste of valuable time. "Let me grab my coat; I think it's time to pay a visit to the little weasel."
After a short walk back to the bakery Solano witnessed the brilliant display of intimidation skills. Mulgrave never made outright threats, just citing the laws of the country, but the baker was pale and shaking like a leaf when the mercenary stopped talking. The Gnome eagerly added ten percent to the sum of the debt, just to get rid of his visitors.
"Not bad for a day's work," Mulgrave chuckled while counting his money. "The midget is afraid of me, but I knew he'll do something stupid if I send you."
Quest Complete : The Debt Collector
Reward -
5 silver coins
+ 10 EXP (100/100)
You have reached Level 2! Stat Points to distribute - 5.
Solano knew he should be glad he finally reached a new Level. But after the first few assignments from Mulgrave he started having doubts that his employer is "just a simple mercenary". He seemed too shrewd, cunning and knowledgeable. Not to mention his ability to intimidate.
Of course, the only NPC willing to hire me turns to be a shady character. What else is new?
I bet the other new players don't find themselves in the situations as desperate as mine.
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After Razorfin's departure Darlene was torn between anger and embarrassment. She doubted the new players often find themselves in such a predicament.
I wonder if I managed to offend some Altherran deity.
Razorfin wasn't rude or condescending, just matter of fact. But the polite dismissal from NPC still hurt her pride.
"I appreciate the offer but there isn't much you can do to help," he said bluntly. "Drammarstadt needs more Healers – Madame Brianna and her assistants are stretched too thin. We need more builders to repair the city walls. A blacksmith can be a godsend. By the Crown of Stars, if we were joined by a seasoned warrior, I'd welcome him with open arms. But with your lack of strength and experience you'll be more hindrance than help. You barely fended off two weak Gnolls and were almost killed by the third one. If I could, I'd rather send you away from the town, but the only secret passage collapsed during the Second Blood War."
The fluttering of the semi-transparent wings announced the arrival of the familiar Fairy. She flew through the open window on the second floor of the inn, not bothering to use the front door.
"You look a little lost, my dear… is everything all right?"
That depends on your definition of the word "all right."
"Honey, whatever put you in this funk is going to keep gnawing at your brain unless you talk about it. If you are worried about privacy…" Brianna waved her tiny hand in the air and casted short spell, surrounding their table by the glowing dome.
Brianna the Healer activates the Cone of Silence.
Darlene tried to avoid the interrogation but the Fairy had a tenacity of a bulldog and the girl ended up telling her everything.
The Healer pursed her lips and tsked, "Ignore his grumblings, sweetie. He can't forbid you to fight. Razorfin needs every warm body he can throw at the Gnolls.
You may be inexperienced, but you certainly weren't a hindrance."
"Then what's his problem with me?"
"You came through the stone ring. I'm sorry to say but your kind tends to escape if the things get tough. I admit I had my worries at first… but I've seen you fighting. I don't care what the Elf thinks; you won't abandon us."
Suddenly, Darlene had an epiphany, she finally understood everything. The reasons why she had yet to meet another player; the strange looks Fairy Healer gave her during the check-up.
Does it mean all the players erased their characters? Nobody was a sense of adventure to stay and fight for Drammarstadt?
You have been attacked by the Magical Plague.
Your body fends off the plague. Resistance to Magical Diseases 6/100
Maybe they were Humans and got fed up being killed by the plague again and again?
Darlene could say with certainty that the creators of Altherra weren't exaggerating; from the moment she started playing, the young Half-Alien was presented with one mystery after another.
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The Fairy turned out to be a fount of knowledge about the town's recent history.
The Gnolls always occupied the hills to the north of Drammarstadt, but they never were a serious threat because the tribes constantly fought each other, and the occasional raids were swiftly dealt with by the town guard. The situation quickly changed after some self-proclaimed Prophet managed to unite the feuding Gnoll tribes and turn them into a bloodthirsty, warlike Horde. Drammarstadt wasn't the first settlement that caught the Horde's attention; they were the only ones who could withstand the initial assault. When the Prophet and his army marched further to the south, one of his Chieftains was left behind to deal with the defiant town.
"Why didn't you ask for help?"
Brianna answered in a tired voice, "We tried. The Prophet intercepted all the messengers and catapulted their heads through the wall. We assumed he was just sending us a gruesome message, taunting us that we are on our own," she lowered her head, "It was a grave mistake; the heads were used as the carriers for the magical Plague."
The Plague targeted only Humans but it was enough to kill two thirds of the town's population. The old Major was dead, the town council was pretty much beheaded and the losses in the garrison were devastating.
Darlene suddenly remembered a little detail she had read about when she was choosing her Character class.
"What about the Priests? Shouldn't they do something to stop the Plague?"
"Our Priests planned to perform the Ritual of Cleansing on the night of full moon; if they succeeded we could at least bury our dead without contaminating the ground. Unfortunately, the Prophet anticipated this move. When the Priests were distracted by the preparations to the ritual, he launched a surprise attack. The infiltrators were killed but not before murdering all our clergy."
Bad news: Drammarstadt is a fantasy version of Alamo. Why couldn't I get a boring tutorial village with the biggest problem is the lack of money to buy basic supplies?
Seeing that the Healer was tired of talking about the past, Darlene asked if she can do something to change Razorfin's mind about her usefulness.
"The Elf respects strength. Show him that you can become stronger without pestering his warriors for training."
Quest – reach Level 5 without help from the Drammarstadt army.
Reward - unspecified.
Punishment - no.
After Darlene accepted the quest, Brianna added conspiratorially, "And don't bother checking the bulletin board. It wasn't updated since the beginning of the siege. If I were you I would visit the Old Cemetery."
Now we're getting somewhere.
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Darlene wasn't sure what to expect as she approached the wrought-iron gates of the Old Cemetery. Was it going to be infested with zombies? Or she was supposed to find a passage to a secret dungeon in one of the old crypts?
"Welcome, welcome… It's not often we receive visitors here," The Undertaker said in a raspy voice before opening the gate to let her in.
Brianna was reluctant to talk about The Undertaker, and warned Darlene that it's going to take some time to get used to him. After meeting the man in question, she could confirm the Healer wasn't overstating things. The Undertaker was the most intimidating person she has ever met since entering Altherra. Nine foot man in black suit and top hat looked like a long lost cousin of Lurch from Addams Family. The image was completed by the shovel he used to support himself. With the handle made from blue steel and the sharp broad blade covered with suspicious brown spots, it looked more like a weapon than the digging tool.
Darlene shivered at his penetrating gaze, absently noting that the graveyard had seen better days.
You have been attacked by the Magical Plague.
Your body fends off the plague. Resistance to Magical Diseases 9/100
"Ah, another unfortunate victim of the Plague," The Undertaker said sagely. "You know, that's the second outbreak of Plague I had the misfortune to witness. The last one was thirty years ago. Thirty-two years ago, to be precise."
"Which one is worse?"
"It's good question. The dead don't rise from the graves as they did thirty years ago. On the other hand, the corpses are piling up and I'm not allowed to give them a proper sendoff."
Apparently the Priests warned the townsfolk that the victims of the Plague couldn't be properly buried before the town is Cleansed or the soil of Drammartstadt will be contaminated forever. That explained why The Undertaker allowed the Old Cemetery to fall into disrepair; he was too busy taking care of the corpses.
Darlene asked with worry, "Can the Gnolls do something to the Plague victims? Turn them into zombies?"
"It's impossible to do Necromantic rituals if you are outside the city walls. And if dogheads will get past the defenders, a few zombies will be the least of our problems."
Aren't you supposed to start talking why you are here?
Darlene explained her problems with Razorfin and mentioned Brianna's vague hints about the Old Cemetery. The Undertaker listened to her without emotion. Then he said, "I may be of help. But first, I must ask you to earn it by way of performing service for me."
She immediately replied, "Tell me what to do."
"Are you sure? Aren't you afraid of my... clients?"
"If they are truly dead, no."
The Undertaker smiled frighteningly, "I think we can work together."
Quest – restore the Old Cemetery to its former glory.
Reward – unspecified.
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It was a vicious and exhausting battle, but in the end Darlene triumphed over the combined forces of Dust, Grime, and Cobwebs. The girl's hard work didn't go unnoticed by the system; her Strength and Endurance were increasedby one point.
Now it's the time to find out if The Undertaker is willing to fulfill his part of a bargain.
Darlene had found the tall man in one of the unused crypts. The corpse of the old was lying on the stone slab in front of him. The Undertaker was pouring the black viscous fluid in the corpses' mouth through the funnel.
"The recipe of Rattler's Balsaming Fluid cost me two of my best coffins. It's not cheap, but I had yet to find a better way to preserve the corpses," let him talk. There was always a chance that The Undertaker reveals something useful. "I know what you're going to ask – why not just use magic? Let me tell you a little secret: to use magic to preserve corpses makes them more susceptible to Necromancy."
Darlene stored that information away for later use.
"But I digress; I doubt you came here to listen to listen to my ramblings."
Quest Complete : Show Some Respect For The Dead
Reward -
+ 500 Exp
+ 150 Reputation with The Undertaker. Current Reputation – Friendly (150/1000).
+ 10 Reputation with Drammarstadt. Current Reputation – Neutral (10/100)
The Undertaker grants you a random weapon.
You have reached Level 3! Stat Points to distribute - 10.
She already knew how to distribute the points. Two point to Strength, three points to Dexterity and five points to Endurance. It felt like a waste of points considering her Character Class but without access to mental magic Darlene was forced to focus on survival.
"So you want to get stronger, eh? Let me see your weapon."
The Undertaker wasn't impressed by Darlene's generic dagger.
"You call that a weapon?"
She snapped, "Yeah, well, it's not like I have anything better."
The Undertaker shook his head, "I'm not talking about the quality of it. You need a weapon made to keep enemies at distance. And I have exactly what you need."
Darlene sweatdropped when she saw the supposed weapon.
Old Shovel Handle
Two-handed weapon.
Damage: 2-6.
Durability: 11/20.
What did you expect from The Undertaker? The Shiny Sword of Shining?
"Now let me show you how to use it without injuring yourself."
He led Darlene out of the crypt and shoved the simple strikes, parries and crushing blows using the scarecrow as a training dummy. Then she was asked to repeat what she just saw. The Undertaker corrected her mistakes and insisted on the repetition of every move until it's done flawlessly.
You have unlocked a new Skill – Polearms (1/1000).
The impromptu lesson ended with a short spar. The Undertaker didn't even break a sweat despite bright sun and the black clothes.
"My clients don't always behave," he said with a shrug when he noticed Darlene's silent amazement, "I have to be extra persuasive if I want to them to stay in the graves instead of wandering around the cemetery."
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Darlene looked inside the First Aid tent but it was empty. Only thanks to a passing nurse the girl was able to find Brianna in the potions lab.
"Back already?" the Healer was standing in the middle of the lab, stirring the bubbling concoction in the cauldron.
If it tastes as bad as it looks, I don't envy the poor soul forced to drink it.
"So, how did it go with The Undertaker?"
Darlene took a deep breath and then started to describe her experiences at the Old Cemetery. The Healer nodded in the appropriate places.
"Was The Undertaker always…" Darlene cast around for a word to best describe her opinion of the man, "…strange?"
Brianna chuckled, "Define 'strange'."
"I'm serious. Have you ever wondered what happened to him?"
"I had suspicions but nothing concrete. The Undertaker wasn't exactly forthcoming about his past. Nobody knows exactly where he lived and what he did before moving to Drammarstadt."
Why do I sense there is a "but" coming?
"About thirty years ago the Baron from one of the neighboring provinces got interested in the art of Necromancy. Unfortunately, his enthusiasm exceeded his skills. One of the rituals went wrong; as a consequence all the graveyards around begin spewing the undead. The King sent a team of heroes to deal with the amateur Necromancer and his creations. They stormed the castle only to discover that the Baron is already dead," Brianna made a dramatic pause, "I've read their reports. The Baron was six feet tall but whoever killed him was much taller. He was beheaded by the horizontal slash at the throat. Finally, the forensic Healer describes the blade used for decapitation as 'sharp wide blade, possibly the custom-made leaf-bladed spear.'"
Darlene nodded in understanding; Undertaker's sinister-looking shovel fit the description.
"The Undertaker takes his job very seriously, as you've already learned, and he'll take the dead walking around the cemetery in broad daylight as a personal affront," Brianna said with a faint smile, "The rest is still a mystery. Don't ask me how the man of his stature managed to sneak into the castle surrounded by the wandering zombies, kill the Baron and get away unnoticed."
Apparently, the town's Mages Guild still has not come to an agreement why the Undertaker stopped aging and wasn't affected by Plague like the rest of the humans. The popular theory claimed the changes within him were caused by the misfired Necromantic spell. The Head Artificer thought differently; he claimed the Undertaker's top hat is a powerful artefact. There was even a speculation that he was watched over by the Veiled Lady, the Goddess of Death.
Hidden Quest – learn the truth about the Undertaker's past.
Reward - unspecified.
Darlene perked up as soon as the Mages' Guild was mentioned.
This can be my chance to gain access to Psionic arts.
"If there's a Mages' Guild in Drammarstadt, why didn't the mages help to defend the city? What happened to them? Was it the Plague?"
Brianna explained that all the remaining magic users barricaded themselves inside the Town Hall. They used every ounce of their mana to keep the town's magical defences intact and block the attempts of Gnoll Shamans to send the curses through the walls.
Much to Darlene's disappointment, nobody in Drammarstadt practiced Psionicism, so it seemed she had hit another dead end.
The winged Healer noticed the Half-Alien's downcast expression. On an afterthought, she said, "There's a place you should check out. It's unlikely they'll share their little secrets with the outsiders, but if you want to get stronger you got to take some chances. I know I would."
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Darlene was walking through the old streets of the town, looking through the decrepit storefronts. The devastating combination of the war and the plague turned Drammarstadt into a ghost town. Most of the shops were closed and shuttered. Darlene checked a few that were still open. The prices were outrageous and there was nothing worth spending money on.
The Half-Alien had plenty of time to think over her past actions. Razorfin may be too hasty to dismiss her as a liability but he was right on money when he thought she is planning to abandon Altherra. She already clicked 'QUIT', and only the specifics of the game stopped her from erasing the character and starting anew.
Seeing the situation through the eyes of the locals, Darlene was forced to admit that her complaints were nothing more than a storm in a teacup.
I keep mocking the Tutorial villages. I get a real adventure instead, and look at me – whining like Bilbo Baggins who suddenly realized he forgot his handkerchiefs at home.
It took some time and effort to find the town square that fit Brianna's description. Twice Darlene had to stop and ask for directions.
Upon arrival she looked around and noticed a big colorful pavilion surrounded by the smaller tents and two rows of cages with lions and tigers.
Brianna sent me to the CIRCUS? Darlene thought in disbelief. Does she feel I need to lighten up, or what?
She was stopped by the memory that the tip about Old cemetery proved to be useful, so the girl decided to adopt a wait-and-see approach.
As if on cue, the high-pitched voice of a woman yelled, "Andrew, I thought you respected me!"
Darlene's curiosity forced her to take a peek inside the pavilion.
The Half-Giant with a familiar-looking red sash around his waist was slowly backing away from the female Dwarf warrior in the uniform of the Town Guard.
"Becky, I swear…"
"I'm not a fragile flower! My father was a Sergeant and he taught me everything he knew!"
It was amusing to see the walking mountain of muscle cowed by the glare of his miniature girlfriend. To be fair, Becky was tall for a female Dwarf but still barely reached Andrew's belly button, and her short sword was like a dagger in the Half-Giant's big hands.
After listening for a while, Darlene came to conclusion that their lover's spat was caused by the classic case of the overprotective boyfriend. The Half-Giant kept flattening the Gnolls who dared to come too close to his beloved. Becky saw it as an insult to her pride and the implication that she can't take care of herself.
"I hate to see you hurt…"
"And I don't want to be the laughing stock of the barracks! If you want a porcelain doll hiding behind your back while the mighty Iron Andrew is doing all the fighting, find another girl!"
Dammit! I'm in the middle of the besieged town and still manage to stumble upon a scene from the romantic sitcom.
Becky stomped away in a huff ignoring Iron Andrew's weak excuses. He left soon after her, looking rather dejected.
Quest – reunite the separated couple
Reward -
+ 40 Exp
+ 20 Reputation with the Circus of Skaara
I must talk with another artist to find out how to help them. I doubt I'll learn anything useful from the depressed giant-sized Romeo.
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When Darlene decided to find another artist to talk to, she learned it's easier said than done. She methodically searched the tents, only to find them empty.
When she noticed that the walls of the covered wagons were plastered with posters, she decided to make a break.
It might be a good idea to memorize names and faces of the artists in case I run into one of them.
WILLIAM THE TRICKSHOT. The tall masked bowman in green hunting hat stood in front of a shooting practice target riddled with arrow holes.
FEARLESS HARRIET. The red-haired woman in revealing tight black outfit was surrounded by the white tigers.
PUG THE CLOWN. The cheerful-looking midget with round painted face stood upside down on the back of a shaggy pony.
IRON ANDREW. The familiar Half-Giant was bending the beam of steel, looking much more heroic than he was with Becky.
FLYING FOXES. A group of acrobats formed a human pyramid on tightrope.
When Darlene moved to the next poster, she received a system message.
You have unlocked a new Skill – Observation Lvl 1 (1/1000).
By Observing a target one will get information about the said object.
Perhaps it was the new skill at work or simply luck or perhaps it was simply luck but she noticed the small black tent close to the edge of the encampment had lights on.
When the girl peeked inside she saw a tall dark-skinned bearded man reclining on the bed of nails. Darlene immediately recognized the man who saved her life with a flying kick.
The man put aside the scroll he was reading and invited her in.
"Any particular reason you decided to visit the Circus of Skaara?"
Darlene had to repeat her talk with Brianna the Healer about getting stronger.
"And she sent you here?"
"Madam Brianna doesn't explain much, just tells me where to go. So far she hadn't steered me wrong."
Singh nodded in approval, "Brianna is a wise woman. I have a question though - why do you want to get stronger?"
"Gnolls will attack again, and when it happens, I don't want to be useless. I want to go down swinging."
Singh's eyes searched her face looking for deceit.
"Fair enough," he said, "If you were seeking power for the power's sake, or hoping to earn somebody's approval, you are unworthy."
Darlene asked if it means he is going to help her.
"It's against my beliefs to part with the knowledge for free. Right now I don't see what you can possibly offer to me do to earn it. I must meditate on this. Meanwhile feel free to browse around," he added, "And if you figure out why Madame Brianna thought we can help you, seek me out again."
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They met purely by accident.
When Darlene was ready to give up leave the circus after the fruitless search, the old Lizardman stuck his head out of the central pavilion.
"Visitorsss? We don't get many of thossse anymore," his voice was like a hiss, the yellow eyes looked at her with suspicion. "There isssn't much to look at."
Darlene remembered her new Observation skill and tried to put it to good use.
Baragon the Firetooth
Lizardman Rogue
Lvl - ?
LP: -?
She replied, "Don't sell yourself short. I think the posters I've seen are impressive."
"Interesssted in our hissstory?" Baragon put aside the mop and the bucket he was carrying. "Let me show you the oldessst posssters – free of charge."
Darlene let him lead her to the small tent elegantly adorned with colorful circles and animal inspired designs. Baragon offered her a seat and opened the iron-bound chest, carefully taking out several tubes full of rolled posters.
"Good old timesss. We had the bessst troupe in the country," he unrolled the posters one by one, showing them to the girl and telling the amusing stories about the artists.
"The Circusss of Ssskaara alwaysss attracted the bessst artistsss," Baragon said proudly, "but the lassst generation wasss ssspecial," the Lizardman carefully touched the poster of the cheerful midget, "Pug was a sssoul of our troupe. He held everybody togessser; his jokesss made you laugh and cry at the sssame time," he moved to the poster of red-haired woman, "Harriet was one of a kind; nobody underssstood animalsss better. And her husssband William could throw a bent fork and hit the bullssseye," Baragon let out a mournful hiss, "Guessss where they are now? Dead, dead and dead! The bessst and brightessst artists are ssstolen by the godforsssaken Plague!"
As if on cue, immediately after Baragon mentioned the Plague the girl saw the system message.
You have been attacked by the Magical Plague.
Your body fends off the plague. Resistance to Magical Diseases 11/100
To take his mind off the losses, Darlene asked the Lizardman why there are no posters of him.
"I wondered if you'll notice," Baragon rummaged through the chest and took out a smaller tube with a single poster inside.
BARAGON THE FIRETOOTH. A much younger Lizardman was holding a flaming torch between the teeth and waving to the public.
"I juggled torchesss usssing nothing but teeth and tail," Baragon smiled wistfully and showed the yellowish broken teeth, "The public was ecssstatic. But it's all in the passst. The old artisssts mussst alwaysss know when it'sss the right time to retire and let the fresh blood take over. Abysss knowsss, I feel older than my Great Grandmother's shed ssskin."
Damn, I guess my distraction didn't work as well as I thought.
"Sssometimes I wonder why I bother to keep everything intact. The circusss can't sssurvive with three artisssts left. I can asss well quit," his head drooped down and his voice sank to a whisper.
Darlene could see that she overstayed her welcome. She went out of the tent, leaving the old Lizardman alone with his load of anguish.
These people are supposed to make me stronger? What a joke.
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Like all the ground-shattering events in Fielding Prep, the fallout between Tom Sloane and his best friends started with a small disagreement. They felt that Tommaso the Half-Elven Adventurer was slowing the trio down.
Adventurer was a jack of all trades, so his skills were rising painfully slow, his spells were weak, and he was getting killed easily. But Sloane's family stubbornness prevents him from seeing the sensible solution - to erase Tommaso and start with a better character.
Julian and Fred were mulling it over in the café, when they overheard the passing customer. He was loudly complaining about 'lousy bitch' forcing him to erase his Barbarian over a stupid bet.
In a light bulb moment, they came with a Plan. If Tom doesn't have enough common sense to get rid of the faulty character, it's their duty to help him. Julian claimed he knew how to make sure their friend wasn't going to win the bet. Fred thought the Plan was perfect.
The next day they cornered Tom and started with a casual talk about Altherra. Julian was carefully nudging the conversation towards the last dungeon they explored and the weakness of Tom's character that resulted in the failure of the boss battle, with Fred adding some good-natured ribbing.
Looking back, Fred saw the Plan as the most idiotic thing he ever did since he asked out Meredith to get Amber jealous. There was no way Plan could work without damaging their relationship. As his Dad told him once, "Son, if you want to tell your business partner he is a lousy golfer, you don't do it by breaking his favorite club."
The problem with Julian was that he never knows when to stop. Usually they had Tom to play devil's advocate, but this time Tom was the target of Julian's scheme, and Pat was too laid back to protest when the stakes were upped.
"I don't see how I can lose, but if it happens, not only I agree to erase Tommaso, I'll play for a year as a character of your choosing. In the end of the year if I manage to raise his level higher than Tommaso's, it'll be my turn to erase YOUR characters. Agreed?"
It took Julian shaking Tom's hand to remember that the bet was rigged.
Since that fateful day, they didn't exchange a single word with one another. Fred was at loss at what to do. The monstrosity created by Julian to replace the Adventurer pretty much killed any hopes for reconciliation.
And what he could possibly say to defend himself? "Yes, the bet was rigged because we planned the character assassination, but things got out of hand?" King Claudius had the better chance pleading his case to Hamlet.
Fred wondered if Tom gave up on Altherra completely. Trying to turn the imbalanced Kobold into something worthwhile is a wasted effort. Tom is stubborn but not to the extent of being willfully blind.
At least that's what Fred told himself whenever he felt empty because Tom was no longer around.
A/N: I've edited the previous chapter and changed the names of Fielding characters as Roentgen doesn't want any of his characters being used since he's getting the story published as an original work.