Chapter Text
Well, things could be worse, Jim thought as he looked down the side of a cliff. He was so high up, all he could see were clouds when he looked down. They weren’t the light fluffy looking clouds either, but dark and heavy, rumbling as lighting passed through them.
The road they were following was narrow. Only two people could walk side by side, just wide enough for a wagon. This wasn’t the ideal place for their group. While it could be argued that the path could be advantageous for them as it limited how many enemies could come at them on the ground, in reality, they had to worry about traps above them they could not see and aerial creatures. They would have a hard time fighting with limited space to move. Spock and their black mage, Astiana, would be doing the brunt of the work, and their maneuverability was going to be basically nonexistent.
As such, Jim wanted time to prepare more, but seemingly unaware of their predicament, their “leader” had them keep the previous formation with the carriage in the center. Jim felt like he was banging his head against the wall to keep from speaking out. “Blend in,” he told himself, repeating it like a mantra over and over in his head. He didn’t think it was helping, especially after the 1,000th time he said it.
Still, things were too quiet. He never should have been able to reach the 1000th time. They had been traveling for a while now, yet there hadn’t been a single attack. It was setting Jim on edge. He didn’t put it past this game to go in for the long haul, to attack when characters started to waver in focus. It was just rare. That is also why Jim had sent in a request to see if this was a quest created by the Vulcans who had taken over for Spock after he had left the project. After a rather lengthy message from the Vulcan’s monitoring them in the game, which Jim skimmed through, the answer was no. It was an unregistered quest. Jim didn’t know what to expect. It did, however, confirm one thing. This mission was strange, and it might be a lead after all.
The cat-like thing, whose name was Dubiety, purred, rubbing its head against Jim’s as if hearing his troubled thoughts. It was kind of nice and reminded him of Istaya whom he had left behind. He rubbed its head tentatively in case it decided to be fickle and bite him. Dubiety may have been cute, but it did not help their situation. What actions could he take to make things go smoother?
“We are in for quite the troublesome journey,” Fiora Nightengale commented quietly.
Jim’s eyebrows drew together, looking at the man who had spoken. His eyes were looking up above, so Jim followed his gaze, frowning at what he saw. He should have brought Istaya after all.
Above them were nests. Large ones. Bigger than a house nestled on ledges or peeking out from caves. They were made of stones, trees, bones, and any other material that could be found, and blended in well with the dry earthy mountains they were traversing through. There were only two things that made nests that big. Dragons and Rocs. Neither was good, but Jim was praying it was the later. Rocs they may have a chance. Dragons there were screwed. A party raid was needed to take down a single dragon and it took hours of cooperation from tens of players. Their hide was strong, and they were magic resistant. Even if it were smaller than the bosses players faced, with this many, any advantage from size reduction was dashed. Rocs were easier to handle. They were still magic and physical resistant, but much less so than dragons. They were faster but had lower intelligence. It could be possible to outmaneuver them and escape if need be.
Jim deliberated the likely choice. Dragons were not known for living in communities, at least not in the game. Either way, he should prepare to withstand fire-based attacks, but even then, something was off. Nests surrounded them from above and below, so why was it they hadn’t seen or heard anything? Both creatures were territorial and yet they were this far into the territory.
“Watch the back for me,” he said to Fiora before running up to catch up to Spock in front of the line, jumping over the cart to do so.
“Careful!” the sorcerer shouted, shooting Jim an scolding look. Jim brushed it off.
“Sp—Selek,” Jim hastily corrected in a low tone. While it may have been quiet, it may not stay that way if Jim decided to start yelling, drawing the attention of any possible creature in the area.
“I noticed it,” Spock replied, staring at the nests with scientific curiosity shimmering in his eyes. “It’s fascinating. It appears the nests have been abandoned.”
“You think it’s part of the mission design?” Jim asked. Their conversation drew a few eyes, but no one slowed or commented, so Jim had to play it cool.
“Possibly, however, it is rare to engage in a quest for such length of time only to have no activity. This quest may be an abandoned idea or flaw in the game, something that should be reported to the administrators if it continues to act outside of the normal parameters for quests. I am sure we can receive a hefty sum for the error.”
“I hope you’re right. I’d rather not lose levels because we were unprepared.” Jim felt goosebumps on the back of his neck. Was it him or was the temperature dropping?
“Tell me, travelers,” the sorcerer spoke up, his tone friendly, but something about it sent chills down Jim’s spine. “Why did you all decided to help a poor soul like me traverse a dangerous place like this. Surely you must be afraid of dying?”
“It’s not like we’re doing it for charity. We’re getting something out of it,” Necro Luna spat out like she couldn’t be troubled to answer nicely. Her foul behavior was grating on Jim’s nerves. As an experienced player, Jim knew it was a prompt, a choice that affected how the game would play out later. It was either a chance to improve the relationship with the NPC or choose a path like the old choose your own adventure stories.
“I see,” Reygon smiled, nodding his head. “Great wealth cannot come without great risk!” he proclaimed loudly. “Wouldn’t you all agree?”
“Indeed, you are right, sir!” Fallen Anarchist chimed. “But do not forget about honor as well! A champion without honor is just scum.”
“Of course, of course. Anyone else?” Reygon prodded.
“D-Don’t forget kindness,” Astiana gave her child-like answer that made even Jim’s eyes roll a bit.
“Aye. A kind heart does warm the cockles. Aren’t I lucky to receive such kindness from such a lovely lady.” He smiled kindly at Astiana then looked at Jim and Spock. “What of you two?”
Jim looked at Spock then back at the man, responding, “A possible challenge.” Spock nodded, agreeing though he wasn’t sure if that’s the answer Spock would have chosen.
“Very good. Very good,” Reygon answered. He breathed in deeply closing his eyes and stopping the carriage. “It’s good to know where everyone stands.”
The ground around them crumbled, deteriorating where the players stood. “Or where they will fall.” There was no place to go, no place to run, and no place to grab onto. They began to fall into the abyss below, and everything turned dark.
When Jim regained consciousness, or what was really 10 seconds of a dark screen, Jim felt disoriented, the world spinning out of focus for a few seconds as the stunned status effect wore off.
They were underground, laying in water a few inches deep. The cavern was lit with luminous mushrooms, giving the cave a soft blue glow, just enough to see, but not well or far. Jim had to strain his eyes to see Spock’s face. Spock was slowly coming to as well as the other party members.
“I didn’t expect that,” came a muttered reply.
“Yeah,” Jim agreed, standing. He would admit that it took him by surprise. “Everyone here.”
“Present.”
“Here.”
“Well and able to continue!”
“I believe so, Rapier.” Spock’s response made Jim smile. It sounded like Spock was on the bridge delivering an answer to his captain, sounding crisp, prompt, and formal. He knew Spock wasn’t comfortable with “bending the truth” which made the awkward delivery kind of adorable.
“Alright,” Jim rubbed his hands together. “Our objectives haven’t updated, so for now, let's explore the map and see if we can find some information… if that’s alright with you. Astiana,” Jim added politely, cursing himself for slipping into command so easily.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Astiana stood up as well, wiping off her clothes. “So, um, Fiora Nightengale, could you provide more light?”
Fiora’s eyes glowed softly like the luminous mushrooms around him. It reminded Jim of a predator caught on a night camera the way his eyes glowed. “I do not have a spell that can provide night vision or lighten the area. That is more concurrent with mage’s abilities,” he answered.
“I purchased cat-eye potions in the market,” Spock answered. “However, the potion effect duration is only an hour and I have only four potions.”
“I have three cat-eye potions too,” Jim said. “Anyone else?”
“I have procured many torches over the length of my journey’s. Enough to last us many moons,” Fallen Anarchist chimed in.
Eventually, they decided to go with the torches for now, having Astiana hold it to light the way. The reason, though Astiana volunteered and no one objected, was that no one thought much of her capabilities. Holding a torch put a limit on what commands you could use in battle. Using potions like cat-eyes allowed the user to see in the dark while keeping their hands free to engage in combat. A torch, on the other hand, took up a weapon slot even though it was categorized as an item. To use both hands, a player would have to put the torch way, casting them back into darkness, and the user would have to fight in the dark.
They started their journey down the dark cave, moving slowly and searching for possible hidden paths that may diverge from their current paths. It was straightforward, the mushrooms barely lighting their way.
Another 15 minutes of awkward walking, a soft orange light lit the end of the tunnel. Jim drew his sword and Spock notched an arrow. The others prepared as well as they approached. The end of the cave led to a larger cavern. Candles were stationed around the walls to light the room, exposing the creatures that were surrounding what looked to be an alter.
There was a large amount of them maybe 50 or so. They were humanoid with pale, almost translucent skin. Their bodies were unnaturally thin and lanky, and they lacked eyes. In place of ears, they ha two flaps of skin on either side of the head that quivered to the sound of movement. Their teeth were long, black, and sharp.
The altar was primitive. The stone table was covered in moss with 4 purple-green candles lit on the four corners. Symbols were painted on the cave walls behind the priest who held a skull over his head. The priest was slightly different, his body covered in various amounts of mud and dirt. Jim couldn’t make out any specific design or pattern from the splatters, but he didn’t think it was just lack of hygiene either. He lowered the skull over a baby who wailed on the altar.
Upon their arrival, the inhabitants all turned to face them, releasing a high pitched screech that made Jim and the over cover their ears in pain.
“We must stop this demonic ritual!” Fallen Anarchist yelled, charging ahead. He brandished his broadsword, charging into the mass of shrieking creatures.
“Idiot,” Necro Luna murmured, then cast a spell. Four moving black magic circles appeared on the ground. Seconds later a skeletal hand burst out of the ground. A skeleton followed, dressed in leather armor and equipped with a rusted sword and shield. The skeletal gladiators charged ahead too, joining the fighting with Fallen Anarchist.
Astiana clumsily cast a large spread fire spell, covering the area, catching Fallen Anarchist and the gladiators within its radius. Both players shot her an annoyed look as both took some damage from the attack.
Fiora cast supporting magic to enhance the party’s abilities and standing away from the battle.
Jim was going to join the battle as well, but Spock’s lack of activity stopped him. Spock was watching the battle, and slowly the Vulcan lowered his bow. Even I-Chaya did not participate, staying at Spock’s side.
So Jim tried to see what Spock was seeing that kept him from attacking. Watching the battle, Jim realized how one-sided the battle was. The creatures were fighting back, but the attacks were clumsy. They held no weapons and they did not seem suited for close range combat either, not that they could get close. Fallen Anarchist sliced through them with a mighty swing, many were burned alive from the fire, and the rest were taken down by the skeletal gladiators.
It didn’t sit well with Jim on how easy it was. How low a level were they to be defeated with such ease?
It didn’t even take three minutes to clear the room. The cave was littered with the inhabitants’ bodies, and like players normally did, Fallen Anarchist, Astiana, Neco Luna, and Fiora Nightengale went to each body to collect and harvest items before searching the room for treasure.
Spock bypassed the chaos, approaching the altar to get a better look, Jim stayed nearby, fighting the urge to harvest materials himself, yet something put Jim off enough to follow through on that itch.
“Rapier, do your observations align with my own?” Spock asked, quietly enough for only Jim to hear. Spock had walked around the altar where the priest had stood, eying the contents of a shelf carved into the backside of the alter.
Jim kneeled and examined the contents on the shelf. There were five stone bowls, filled with various ingredients. Putting small samples into his inventory, he received information on each item. Every single one of them was consistent with a high-grade healing item. He turned his attention to the baby on the altar. It had stopped wailing. Black splotches were visible just under the skin, heavily concentrated in the chest area. There was no outside damage, but it had somehow died from natural causes during the battle.
“It wasn’t a ritual,” Jim replied, standing, running a hand through his hair. “Shit.”
“Sir Selek, Sir Rapier, are you prepared to move forward?” Fallen Anarchist called for them.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Spock was still staring at the infant, his face unreadable even to Jim, but could feel Spock’s distress, hidden behind shields and Vulcan control. Gently, Jim intertwined their fingers offering quiet support and pulled him forward. “Come on, they’re waiting.”
Pulling his hand away, Spock went to rejoin the others, not saying a word. Jim couldn’t blame him. Even he felt uneasy about all this. However, what was done was done. It couldn’t be changed now.
Jim joined them, taking one last look over his shoulder at the carnage before venturing further into the cave.