Pulling with all his might Cloud was starting to freak out, too scared to look behind him. What got him? A hidden monster? A Pker? Gurgling could be heard, as well as intensely heavy breathing. At this point Cloud froze. He firmed his stance, feet shoulder width apart he was ready to face his doom. Ever so slowly he turned his head to look over his shoulder, a wraith of a human lay on the ground looking up at him from under their hood. “H-he-elp...”
At last the old woman shoved a worn letter into his hands before she perished in the alley. Within moments her form began to pixelate and fade into the ground. Cloud chuckled to himself, really he was afraid of a dieing old NPC. And then he felt sad and pathetic, poor woman, but in her dieing moments she was still stronger than him. Looking down at the letter on the front read a half destroyed name.
T'tring
Letter of a dead woman
An old woman has travelled far to deliver a letter but had not the strength to present it herself. In her dieing moments she has entrusted the delivery of the letter to a stranger. Find the woman’s relative and present them with the letter.
Difficulty Level: F
Quest Requirements: An honest appearance, an avatar that has little alteration from the player.
Meet the old woman in her dieing moments.
Cloud felt lucky he had barely been playing the game for a couple minutes and already he got a quest. With this he could get some money or hopefully a cool item.
Inspecting the name on the letter Cloud could barely make out the letters Ma____ Burnade. Looking to check that no one had seen the letter or the embarrassing situation, Cloud shoved the letter into his inventory while checking what else he had.
You have accepted the quest.
As a newbie he started with standard grey pants and shirt a well as an empty canteen and ten pieces of rye bread. Looking at the rye bread Cloud was disgusted, why should he ever eat that? He only liked white bread with peanut butter and jam he vowed to never so much as touch the rye. Walking back to the fountain he looked in before he followed others examples and filled his canteen with the water spilling from a spout carved to look like a toad. Returning his canteen to his inventory, Cloud headed to a busy looking building that turned out to be an inn.
The noise from the inn bombarded Cloud as he entered, over the clamour he could hear a melody being played sweetly accompanied by a gentle and expressive voice. If cloud had known of the benefits that a bard could give he may have listened but being young he was only interested in hit music, especially Eminem, which happened to be his favourite. But as he had no such knowledge he ignored the bard and in effect the buffs he may have gained.
Approaching the bar tender he sat on a stool and ordered a beer. He had never had one before but what better way to try.
“Pipsqueak like you shouldn't be drinking how about an apple juice?”
“No I said Beer not apple juice.” Cloud was annoyed he was old enough to be out on his own and stay up late without a bed time so he wasn't a pipsqueak anymore he was a man.
“okay here you go little man” glaring at the bartender when he was serving another customer, Cloud pulled out the letter to see if he could decipher more of the letters. While concentrating on the letter the bartender had returned. “what you got there?”
“Oh, nothing” a little surprised by the bartenders sudden appearance Cloud automatically acted secretive, putting the letter away again. Though he already dislike the bartender he pasted an amiable smile on his face and leaned in. “hey I was wondering, do you know a M. Burnade?”
“well sure I do boy, He's the drunkard that comes in ever night.....speak of the devil.”
Cloud quickly turned in his seat toward the door. Stumbling through came an older man, about forty was his guess. His clothing was old and tattered, his face lined with wrinkles and a scruffy beard barely hid a scar across his throat; giving him a macabre smile below his grim expression.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Hey, Mangus. This by here's been looking for you.” The bartender called him over while preparing a whiskey for the man.
With a dismissive look Mangus addressed the bartender. “My usual.” he said as he grinned at the tumbler he was presented. Cloud sat there glaring at the man, not saying a word. Who would be so rude as to just ignore someone like that? Cloud wondered. He had come here in all honestness to give this man something and he is outright ignored. Finishing the rest of his juice he got up to leave.
“Boy, the man is right here for you to speak with.” The bar tender called.
Cloud turned to reply, “he may be here for me to speak with, but I am clearly not here to him.” With the Cloud left to exit the game. The bartender stared in astonishment, how could such a young boy show such understanding. Magnus' gleeful grin at his drink turned sour to a brooding grimace at Cloud's parting words.
*******
*Beep........Beep
Henry looked down at his pager, alerting him that the Console had powered down. Rushing he closed his stock program and hurried to the guest room, or rather his brother's room. Opening the door he found Derec emerging from the unit. “Hey, how's the game?”
To this Derec gave a very childish grin of excitement. “The best Henry, Jason is going to be so jealous when he hears of this. I mean the graphics are amazing and it's such a cool system. I must be the lucky to get this so early cause I've never heard of it on the radio yet.”
Henry looked away trying to hide his smile. Derec, so childlike in the body of a teenager, was just too
funny. But within seconds his smile faded, how long would this go on for?
“Yes it is quite new, and your case is special so you have the opportunity to play. Anyway dinner will be ready in a couple minutes so go wash your hands and then you can help me by setting the table.”
“Okay Henry.”
Exiting Derec's room, Henry thought about the situation. He wanted to take care of Derec, and he would do so as long as he could. But what came of the moment he couldn't? If he didn't have the means to do so, or he wasn't here at all?
“Henry. Where do I find the knives and forks?” Derec called as he entered from the hallway. “Mmmm whatcha cooking, smells good.”
“This is my mother's favourite, chicken stir fry.”
“Mmmm, how much longer? I'm so hungry.”
“Just a moment.” Turning off the plate Henry brought the meal to the table. “Now Derec let me talk to you before you stuff your face and run off okay?”
“okay.” Derec replied, eagerly inspecting his portion, looking expectantly at the pan when he deemed it too little.
“That's enough for now, finish it first then I'll give you some more.” Derec nodded will shovelling another forkful in his mouth. “Now Derec I know I spoke to you earlier when we first arrived home but I need to check how you're handling this all.”
“I'm fine.” He returned though averting his eyes.
“I know you may say that but I know that's not true. There's no way you could be taking in what I tell you has happened and just accept it though you yourself have no recollection of the events. Furthermore how you reacted to playing the game shows how you really don't accept the time you have lost, though your very own body is evidence to that fact.” Henry finished to face silence, Derec sat with his head down his meal half finished.
“Yeah, yeah. Can I go now?” Sighing Henry gave him permission. In truth he wasn't sure he shouldn't have kept him there and had the conversation. But Dr. Hans had told him to let it come back slowly, even to let Derec hold on to the idea that nothing had changed. Half way to the door, conversation forgotten, Derec paused. “Henry, how do you get someone to talk to you?”
“You make it so that they can't avoid the conversation. What is this about?”
“Nothing really just Magnus Burnade won't talk to me.” With that he was out the room and down the hall before Henry could wonder who Magnus Burnade was.