Chapter 40: The Decision
“Let me get this straight,” said Alex. “Last night you had a dream about the Emissary.”
“Right,” nodded Chase.
“And she told you that we are in danger.”
“Yes.”
“And that we should run?”
“Correct.”
“Okay,” said Alex. He rubbed his chin as he looked at their leader. No one was sitting, and the entire guild was standing in the middle of the courtyard. “And your decision is to do nothing?”
“I still think that Fort Lazerpail is the safest place we can possibly be,” explained Chase to the confused group. “I don’t think she knows that we are here, anyways. To be honest, I don’t know where else we could go right now that could be safer. None of us have passed the first contract so that means we have to stay in Avalon. Only players with a second contract mark are allowed leave their first area.”
“Sure,” said Claire, chiming in. She had her arms crossed and looked very unconvinced by his words. “But what exactly is it that we are in danger from?”
“Well, I have an idea,” said Chase slowly. “What else would she be warning us about other than the Antagonista?”
The name of this mysterious enemy hung around the group like a dark cloud passing over them. Amelie looked at the faces of her guild mates and saw the expressions of confusion and exasperation.
“The Antagonista is looking for us, specifically?” Said Alex doubtfully. “First of all we don’t even really know what that thing is. Secondly, this was just a dream. Maybe it wasn’t the Emissary in the first place.”
“I know it sounds like a stretch,” admitted Chase. “I seriously doubt that a few new players would be a target for this thing. But in the end I think we should remain here for the time being. At least until summer ends. The Fort has more magic protecting it than just the front door. Dredman made sure of that.”
“You’re right that the Antagonista would have nothing to do with us,” said Claire cryptically. Amelie saw Brent look at her with a warning but she ignored him. “But what if it is coming after Spade?”
This idea settled about the group with shock. Marlon and Thomas looked quizzically at one another, Brent gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. Amelie saw Alex frown in puzzlement, and Chase stared at the ground in shame.
“Why would the Antagonista be—,” began Marlon, but Chase raised a hand and he stopped talking.
“Very well,” said Chase. “Claire is right, and I think there is something I need to tell you. But first I think we all need to sit down, and I need a drink.”
The guild did as he suggested, and soon they were all gathered by the wall where the shade had now stretched to fit them all together. Marlon had retrieved a wine skin from the back room and Chase was thoughtfully sipping the alcohol as he looked at them. Once he caught Amelie’s eye and quickly looked away. Whatever he was going to tell them was causing him a great amount of pain she could tell.
“Before I begin, allow me to say that I have already told Claire and Brent. I only told them because they asked and I was planning on telling the rest of you later, if that is any consolation.”
“Just spit it out, Chase,” said Thomas. He was sitting between Alex and Brent and they both rolled their eyes at his words. “Whatever you did can’t be as bad as it seems, right?”
“Well, it’s not what I did,” he said carefully. “It’s what me and the Old Guard didn’t do.”
Over the next half hour Chase told his story to the guild. There were times of shock, horror, and even some laughter from Thomas after Chase mentioned shooting Lord Oscuro in the eyeball.
“That’s so mean!” Guffawed Thomas. “Right in the eye? I can’t believe the entire world is free because you shot an old man in the eye.”
“He wasn’t an old man, Thomas. He was a super powerful NPC who was placed here by AION for players to overcome.”
“Sure, Chase. Sure.”
By the time Chase finished his story even Thomas was quiet. All of this was news to Amelie and even though her knowledge of the implications that the dark lord was still alive were slim, she knew that such a lie spread across all of Esem over a period of 15 years must have had far reaching consequences.
“So,” finished Chase after everyone had digested his words. “That’s why the Antagonista might be coming for me. I can’t be sure, of course, but the only reason it might want me is for information about Lord Oscuro.”
“What kind of information, exactly?” said Marlon. He was stroking his beard in that manner which meant he was frustrated but too curious to complain.
“Hard to say,” said Chase. “Where we put him, perhaps. Who knows what this thing already knows, or what it can do. I assume if that is the reason it might want me then it’s to bring back Oscuro to fight along side it.”
“I see,” said Marlon. “And I assume that would be bad? Couldn’t the Old Guard just take him out again? It’s been years, I assume all of your old guild mates are vastly more powerful now.”
“True,” shrugged Chase. “They are certainly stronger, and perhaps they could take him out considering they did it the first time. But if if he allies with the Antagonista what then? Could be really bad.”
“So what should we do, Chase?” Said Amelie. “Are we going to stay here or what?”
“I think it would be best,” said Chase. “We can only travel in Avalon until we all pass our first contract, after all. And I can’t think of a safer place than here. On the road we could be sitting ducks. At least we have the fort and the forest here, right?”
Amelie felt confusion come over her, but decided to wait until later to ask Chase what ‘sitting ducks’ was.
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“So the plan is still on,” said Alex. “I guess I agree with your reasoning, but we will definitely have to be on our toes when training outside the fort.”
“It’s worrisome, true,” said Chase. “After sun fall no one is allowed outside the fort, okay? If this Antagonista is anything like Lord Oscuro then the light of day is not its preferred time to travel during, got it?”
Nods of agreement went around the group and Alex said ‘yessir’. The shock of Chase’s story seemed to wear off suddenly and the guild began to go about their various activities, albeit with less gusto that usual. Marlon got up to go back to his potions and his book and Claire and Brent went over to the squat rack. Chase patted Thomas on the shoulder and told him he would finally teach him some serious sword play since they had the free time which caused Thomas to whoop in excitement and go to the training chest to get the practice swords.
Amelie looked around at all the others. They seemed content to follow Chase’s decision, and for now, that was good enough for her as well. The idea that Chase was a target for the Antagonista did not sit well with her, but considering the options staying at the fort did seem like the best course of action for now. She only wished there was some way to inform Ghelion about Chase’s dream.
Days passed and soon the news of the dream and the Old Guard’s deception fell the the back of everyone’s mind. Training and reading and meals shared together became the highlights of each day. Amelie would typically awaken with the others and have breakfast, and then wish the Fighters, Chase, and Thomas farewell as they left the fort for their daily Goblin hunt. After which she would spend some time tidying up the fort. Marlon had found a broom in a lonely room and together they would straighten up the fort which the others had usually left in shambles. Somehow Thomas’ room always had a growing collection of sticks and Alex’s smelled like sweat such that cleaning it was quite the chore. Amelie wasn’t sure whether the others knew that she and Marlon had made this daily chore a habit but once Claire had awkwardly thanked her for cleaning the dishes after a meal when she had found Amelie scrubbing out the bowls with a brush.
After the cleaning Amelie would usually make sure that Moonshine was fed and watered and then walked around the courtyard for a while. Sometimes she wanted to try and ride him but Marlon had cautioned against their only healer potentially fracturing her skull. She would then practice the magic that she had learned as the sun slowly crept over the battlements until the weather grew too hot and she would retreat inside to read along side Marlon as he experimented with his plants.
“Chase, look at this,” she had said one morning just before he was about to escort the Fighters out on their hunt. She thrust her journal before him.
Mage II
Level 1: 25% essence
Level 2: 5% intelligence
“Well look at that,” said Chase. He then spoke to the whole ground. “Amelie just hit level 2! Good job, I knew you would be a fast one. I’ll try to find something fresh to eat tonight in celebration. I saw some wild turkeys the other day I’ll see whether I can snag one.”
The guild congratulated and slapped her on the back. All seemed genuinely happy for her achievement but for Alex, who moped by the door pretending to check his sword for dents.
“C’mon, Alex,” said Thomas cheekily. “Stop looking so sad, you’ll make level 2 any day now.”
Alex cast a furious look at the little boys direction and then stormed off. Chase gently slapped Thomas on the side of the head and told him not to bother Alex like that again. Amelie sighed as she watched them leave, knowing they wouldn’t be back for hours. Though she did like her alone time, the fort seemed very empty when they weren’t around.
One day over a week later the Fighter’s returned early because of the heat. It was the first week of April and Chase said that it was a spring time heat wave and it would be best to train in the shade for a while. Despite the heat Amelie decided that she would take her book outside not least because Marlon’s latest concoction was stinking up the small room they both liked to read in. She found Claire and Brent practicing their sword forms and Chase was showing Thomas how to throw knives. Alex, once again, was sitting by himself against the wall.
“Everything alright, Alex?”
“Yes. No. I guess.” Alex sighed. “Why is it that Chase trains Thomas with us? We could be making much faster progress if he allowed us to train together without him. He is too young to be with us, I have told Chase a thousand times.”
“Thomas being trained is interfering with your own training?”
“No, but when we train group work Chase just throws him in and expect us to deal with him. I don’t understand. He is our weakest link. In a fight all we will be doing is protecting him. And Marlon, too,” he added under his breath.
Amelie followed his gaze to where the white haired old man was pouring over a tome, apparently having escaped the room and the incredible smell as well, one hand holding a page flat while the other held a curious red and blue plant which seemed to be flailing of its own accord.
“Everyone has a role,” said Amelie calmly. “In a fight, Marlon would have done his job if he prepared us with the proper potions we need to survive. His job happens before the battle but it does happen.”
“Fine. And what about Thomas?” He jabbed a thick finger toward where Chase was showing the young boy how to throw a dagger into a barrel. “What does he do during a fight? Or does his job come before the battle, too? He’s too weak to carry our packs and refuses to sharpen my sword. I told him the other day that if he doesn’t stop pranking us and start focusing on an actual role in our guild he will be our weakest link and he will get himself hurt.”
He will get himself hurt, Amelie repeated in her mind. She did not like the way he said that but put the thought away. She chose her words thoughtfully, and remembered all those weeks ago on the training island when Chase told her that others may bring their issues to her, and what she should do when they did.
“First of all, I do not think that you should be telling Thomas to sharpen your sword. That job is yours. If Chase ordered him to then he would have to do it but, I am sorry Alex, you are not the leader. In reality you even spawned after Thomas,” Amelie raised at hand when Alex furiously snapped his head at her, “and, though you are older and wiser then Thomas you do not have any authority over him.”
“Then what should I do?” Said Alex cooly.
“Be a brother to him, not a leader. Give him some attention that isn’t yelling at him or telling him to be quiet. Be a friend and someone he can rely on. If you do this, then I think he will respect you more and may even listen to what you say.”
Alex seemed to mull this suggestion over in his mind. He didn’t seem too pleased but finally breathed a less pained sigh than before and stood up. The bench groaned again.
“I guess it’s up to me then. I will treat our weakest link like a little brother. I will train him to be the best thief he can be. I will be his friend and help him any way I can.” Alex looked deep into Amelie’s eyes as though expecting her to share in his self righteousness. “And I will do it all for the guild, and not for myself.”
Alex returned to the courtyard without another word. With a straight back he slowly trudged to where Thomas was examining a dagger while Spade was retrieving a pair of daggers protruding from the barrel. Thomas looked up as Alex’s shadow engulfed him. Alex reached down and ruffled the boys head as one might a pet dog. Amelie could not hear what was said but when Alex turned to walk away she could make out a look of confusion upon the little boys face.
The coming days and weeks would not be without some such talk with Alex about he and another guild member or some other difficulty he was having. The longer he stayed around the other guild members the more he seemed to rub them the wrong way. Either he was too helpful and intruded on the others space or he was a surly grump for half the day and refused to speak with anyone. Chase thought that he was just having trouble fitting into his new job, and that was true for all to see. Even after the third week at the fort he was the only one not to make it to level 2. Thomas learned the hard way not to tease him about his levels as one night at dinner while they were gathered about the campfire in the courtyard Thomas made the mistake of bringing up his lagging performance being tied to his weight.
“Say it again, Thomas, and I’ll toss you off the battlements.”
The circle immediately fell quiet and watched to see what the pair would do. Thomas had not anticipated such a blunt and possibly violent reaction from Alex and just sat there with his spoon halfway to his mouth.
“Alex, maybe—.” Began Chase, but Alex had already stormed off and went inside. Claire punched Thomas in the shoulder and scolded him for saying such things.
“Ouch!”
“You know he is sensitive about the level thing,” said Claire. “And if you upset him tonight then tomorrow me and Brent are gonna have to carry him against the goblins, okay? So shut up about it.”
“Hurts, don’t it?” Chuckled Marlon as he watched Thomas rub his arm. “Our Claire has quite the punch.”
“You watch it too, Marlon,” said Claire, but after the compliment she didn’t seem nearly so upset and just set herself to finishing her food as her face turned red.
Amelie decided to find Alex as Chase had taken no mind of the altercation and was simply laying on his back and staring at the night sky. She knew that he was still worried about the dream he had had but he didn’t care to share his troubles with any of the guild members, at least not with her. Some days he seemed to drift away entirely even during conversations.
She found him in the small room where she and Marlon liked to read. He had found where she did dishes and was viciously scrubbing them. He did not hear her as she came in.
“Alex?” She said, gently knocking on the door.
“Huh?” He half turned around until he saw her. “Oh, its you. Just saw these here and decided to clean them.”
“Thanks, Alex.”
He didn’t seem to want to talk but just as she was preparing to leave him alone he looked over her shoulder.
“Do you wanna know why the Dream Emissary told me to have people call me ‘Alexander’ and not just ‘Alex’?”
“Sure,” she said, and took the seat that Marlon usually sat in while making his potions. She watched Alex’s broad back as he scrubbed the dishes and waited for him to continue.
“My Emissary was a man,” he said. “Unlike Chase’s which is a woman, I guess. When I was choosing names he gave me a few options, just like everyone else. But when I picked Alexander he said that was a name for a strong and loyal man. He told me to not allow anyone to call me just Alex unless I trusted them and thought of them as a friend.”
“I see,” said Amelie, remembering the day he had told Chase and her to use the shortened version of his name. He had been so stubborn about using the full name that she had grown very curious as to what the reason was. “That makes sense, I guess. Thanks for telling me.”
Alex shrugged.
“Figured I might as well tell someone,” he muttered. “Look, I’m not upset with Thomas. I’m only upset with myself. I don’t like how I handled that just now, and I’ll apologize to Thomas before I go to bed, okay?”
They chatted for a while longer as Alex finished the dishes, and when he was done they both returned to the camp fire where an awkward silence reigned until Alex finally spoke.
“Honestly, Thomas, I don’t think I could even reach the top of the battlements so you’re fine.”
The night howled with laughter, and the sparks from the flame flew high into the night sky.