Chapter 52: Picture Perfect

Name Brent Class Fighter,Lvl3 Marks

1

Guild Seven Banes SD 984

The wagon was unusually quiet as they made their way down the road. Brent looked around for something to do, or someone to talk to. The guild seemed preoccupied with their own thoughts, or too tired to talk, and so he decided to do something Amelie had been suggesting he try for weeks.

Brent summoned his journal and opened it to a blank page, which just so happened to be the very first page.

He grabbed an almost forgotten pen from his inventory and pressed it against the page in thought.

September 5th

I am going to start writing some in my journal. Amelie has been bugging me about it for some time so I figure I might as well.

He stared at the two sentences for some time, unsure where to go after that. Brent glanced at Claire sitting beside him. She was staring out the side of the wagon and had barely spoken a word to him for days.

It’s been three days since we were at the inn and met the Antagonista. Chase told me her name is Xemnata or Xemnara or something. I didn’t do her game or anything but ever since then the others have been acting weird. I mean, they saw AION, apparently, so there is that. Claire will barely talk to me at all and Alex is grumpy all the time. I mean, Alex is always like that but Claire usually has more to say. After we woke up and the inn was gone she grabbed my arm and started crying. She kept saying she was sorry about something but I couldn’t figure out why. When she realized that I was fine she wiped her tears away has been cold toward me ever since. Sometimes I hear her crying at night.

Brent looked around the wagon as though to make sure no one was seeing what he was writing. Thomas was sitting behind Amelie who was in the front seat beside Chase as he steered Moonshine. The little boy was hanging his head over the side of the wagon and watching the road go by.

For once I have something in common with Thomas. Neither of us went with the others to where ever they went for the event. I asked him the other day if I was imagining the change in the others and he agreed they were all acting odd. Of course this could be due to meeting the Antagonista (is that how you spell it?) but who knows. I hope we all get back to normal soon as the contract tournament is in three days.

Here’s what I really want to write about: my journey and my goals. This isn’t a diary though maybe I’ll write about some events when something important happens. Deska the Ogre Slayer wrote about his training and his achievements in his journal and had them published eventually. I want something like that. I am going to be the greatest fighter in the history of Esem so I might as well have a book to show people as well. I guess I’ll start at the beginning.

He turned the next page of his journal and began to write at the top.

My name is Brent. I spawned in Esem on January 30th, SD984. I spawned with two others on that day. Their names were Ellis and Claire. Ellis left the island before me and signed to be a fisherman for some reason. Claire and I became friends and have been training together for months now. We are both fighters, and before leaving the island we met some other players and decided to make a guild. We call ourselves The Seven Banes, which I think is cool but Claire thinks is melodramatic or something.

My goal is to be the greatest fighter to ever be spawned in Esem. I remember the first day I heard about the Old Guard. Master at arms Brix, back on training island, mentioned that when Karkren spawned he had been able to use a sword like some people used their hands. Naturally, he meant, with very little training. I went to the library and learned everything I could about them. I look up to all the Old Guard, but I want to surpass them. I want to be the greatest there ever was. Some people think I worship them, and Alex is always rolling his eyes whenever I bring them up, but I don’t really put them on a pedestal because I think they are the greatest.

I put them there because they are my target.

Brent read over what he had written. He smiled to himself as he got to the last line. He had never put that idea in words before but now that he saw it in ink on the page it felt real. He glanced around the wagon again and his thoughts drifted to his guild mates. He wondered what Marlon was up to back at Fort Lazerpail, how the contract tournament would go, and what to write about next.

My memory from the old world is about my brother.

His heart skipped a beat. He must have suppressed this when he spawned. no one had ever asked him what memory he brought from the Old World. To see it written so plainly astonished him.

With a sigh Brent closed his journal and made it disappear. The wagon hit a rock and everyone was jostled and looked around at the disturbance.

“Sorry guys,” said Chase from the drivers seat. “Didn’t see that one.”

“Quite alright, Chase,” said Amelie brightly. She turned around in her seat and smiled at everyone, but Brent thought he saw some stress behind her eyes. “Is anyone hungry? I have some fruit in my inventory.”

“I’m not hungry,” said Brent when no one else said anything. To be honest, Alex was looking a bit green and Claire didn’t seem to be listening. Usually she just ignored Amelie but this time she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

“Very well,” said Amelie, turning back around. “Chase, may I ask you something?”

“What’s up,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

Brent stared up at the cloudless sky and then shut his eyes. He barely listened to their conversation but allowed their words to creep into his subconscious. Now that he thought about it he was kind of hungry.

“I was reading about a strange phenomenon to other day,” began Amelie. She said the words carefully as though not wanting to reveal too much. “I wasn’t really sure whether it was magic or something else.”

“Does it have a name?” Said Chase.

“It’s called a ‘glitch.’”

Chase was quiet for a moment.

“Have you heard about that?” Said Amelie after Chase didn’t respond.

“Glitch? Um, yes. I’ve heard about those before.”

“Well, what are they exactly?”

“I don’t know that much,” said Chase slowly. “A glitch is something that happens in Esem by accident. As in, AION didn’t intend it to occur, but I guess he made a mistake and so there it is.”

“That’s not very clear.”

“Um, right, well, actually I know of a glitch I can tell you about.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Yes?” Amelie sounded like she was breathless, and Brent imagined she was leaning forward and hanging on their leader’s every word.

“A couple hundred years ago there was a player who was exploring one of the areas of Esem. He was in a big desert and there weren’t any other players around. The story goes he was about to die and was ready to end it all when he found a hole in the ground.”

“The hole was the glitch?”

“No,” said Chase patiently, “I’m not done yet. The player found the hole and then jumped inside, I guess to kill himself. Well, he didn’t die, but instead when he opened his eyes he was in Avalon somewhere. The hole had teleported him to another area, which should have been impossible. The only way to cross to another area is to go though the Gates of Esem, and then travel though the Hub to your next destination.”

“So the glitch allowed him to circumvent the rules?”

“Exactly. Not only could he travel to Avalon but he discovered he could easily get back to the desert, and even found glitches to get him to Great Nexia and even Tangamar.”

“Amazing,” said Amelie, understanding coming over her. “So glitches can have many different effects.”

“Chase,” said Alex, intrigue in his voice. “What ever happened to those glitches the player found in the desert?”

“Well, apparently he made the mistake of telling too many people what he had discovered. When the Dark Lord found out that players were avoiding paying his traveling tax between areas he went to the desert and shut it down. He buried the hole in such a way that no one would ever be able to use it. And then he found the player who had discovered the glitch, and the many who had used it after him, and had them all executed publicly. Oscuro was designed to be thorough,” he added with a shrug.

Brent opened his eyes at last.

“I’ve never read about that,” he said. “I thought I read everything there is about Oscuro.”

“He forbade the recording of glitches like that,” said Chase, turning his head slightly to be heard. “The only reason I know about it is because we found some documents about it in Darkcradle castle after we…defeated him.”

The wagon grew silent, remembering the truth over the Dark Lord’s supposed defeat. Brent hadn’t brought it up to Chase ever since he told them the truth that Oscuro had never actually died and that that was the reason the Old Guard had wanted Chase dead. The story sounded so grandiose and strange Brent really had no idea what to think of it.

They continued making their way down the road and eventually came to the entrance of a forest. The goblin forest they had lived in for months resembled this one only slightly. Whereas the goblin forest was hilly and most of the trees crested ravines and gully’s, this one was mostly flat, and the trees stretched endlessly to all sides of them.

When they had been traveling for sometime, Brent thought he heard voices in the trees.

“What’s that?” Said Brent, resting his hand on his sword pommel. “Can you hear something?”

“I don’t hear anything,” said Chase in the front.

“I can hear it too,” said Thomas, perking up for the first time in miles. “Sounds like voices.”

Chase stopped the wagon with a flick of his wrist. Sure enough, the sounds of voices echoing amongst the trees soon filled the air.

“Another event?” Ventured Amelie, a bit of dread creeping into her voice.

“Doubtful,” said Chase. He dismounted and scanned the trees around them, all the while retrieving his bow and quiver from his inventory. “How about he get Moonshine off the road and go investigate?”

“Finally,” said Brent. “I was going to die from boredom back here.”

“Everyone come on,” said Chase, glancing at Alex who appeared ready to stay with the wagon. “We will be in and out in no time.”

“Must we?” Groaned Alex, but he dismounted all the same, causing the wagon to shake greatly for a moment. “I’m still not over the Xemnara stuff.”

“Yes, we must,” insisted Chase, rolling his eyes. “I swear you’ve been acting so strange since the inn.”

Alex grumbled something unintelligible and Brent stifled a laugh. His friend had come a long was since signing to be a fighter but was unable to shake this attitude.

“It’ll be fine, Alex,” said Amelie.

Alex looked away from her and didn’t say a word.

Those two got problems, too, thought Brent. What had gone on during that game?

The noises got progressively louder the further they pushed into the forest, and Brent began to make out individual words. It didn’t sound like a goblin or anything, but maybe a frustrated player yelling at someone.

“Doesn’t sound like an NPC,” Brent said to Chase. They were both at the front while the others crept along behind them.

Chase frowned in concentration as he listened to the voice.

“That voice…it sounds familiar,” said Chase. He knocked an arrow to his bowstring and held it there.

“Someone you know? Knew, I mean.”

“We shall see.”

The shouts grew louder, and Brent readied his blade, pulling it an inch out of his scabbard. He began to feel his blood pumping, and the thrill of an imminent fight coursed through his veins. When this feeling overcame him he felt unstoppable, and it was every thing he could do to stop himself from charging the rest of the way.

They came to a clearing at last, and the voices ceased their talking. Chase cleared his throat.

“Who is there?” Called Chase. “We heard you from the road. Is everything alright?”

There was silence for a moment, and then a man spoke.

“Are you friend or foe? If you are looking for an easy mark then you have found three terrifying Deadly Solo’s and we shall not fall so lightly.”

Chase glanced at Brent and sighed.

“You can put your sword away,” he muttered. Chase returned the arrow to his quiver and cupped his hands around his mouth.

“We are friends,” called Chase. “We just heard you from the road.”

“Then approach us carefully,” said the man. “Hands where I can see them!”

Brent wanted to ask what a Deadly Solo was but instead quietly followed Chase into the clearing. There were three men there, and they seemed to have been arguing. Two of them were clearly NPCs, as their vacant eyed and slightly bored expressions revealed. They were dressed simply in warrior leathers and had swords strapped to their backs. The player was standing tall with his hands on his hips, trying to look menacing and yet failing dramatically. He was slightly taller than Alex, yet had none of his weight. His shoulders were slim and his long hair framed a soft face where a pair of spectacles perched as he peered at them with worry.

“Hello,” said the man as the guild came into view. His eyes slightly bulged as he saw all six of them. “My name is Hagden. I work for the AION Post. To whom am I addressing?”

“My name is Chase, and this is my guild,” said Chase as he motioned towards Brent and the others. “We are The Seven Banes.”

“I see,” said Hagden,” adjusting his spectacles. “You say you heard us from the road?”

“Yes. We wanted to make sure you all were all right.”

Hagden sighed.

“Well, if you must know,” said the man, seeming to relax some. “I was sent here to get some information on the recent influx of goblins which have entered the forest. They migrate here every year at the end of the summer yet seem to be making their journey earlier this year.”

Chase glanced at the pair of NPCs who seemed to not be listening to the conversation. They stared listlessly at the trees and occasionally moved their feet as though to get more comfortable.

“And the yelling?” Said Alex, stepping up beside Chase.

“Ah, well, you see,” said Hagden with a frown. He motioned toward the two NPCs. “I hired two of these schlubs back in the city. The Post actually put up the money for them, and I was assured they were top tier mercenary NPCs. So far they have been next to no help whatsoever.”

“Mercenary NPCs?” Said Chase, looking over the pair. He seemed to grow a bit uneasy when Hagden had called them schlubs. “They aren’t known to be able to retrieve things. Good at protecting but not so much for a mission such as yours. You should have gotten a tracker NPC if that was your aim.”

The reporter huffed and rolled his eyes.

“Yes, well, as you can see my warrior days are far behind me and the Post decided I needed the extra protection. I was a fighter, oh, twenty years ago and as soon as that was over decided never again.”

“Alright, Hagden,” said Chase, holding his hands up. “Didn’t mean to upset you.”

The man narrowed his eyes.

“Say, do I know you? You sound quite familiar to me.”

“Me?” Chase gave a strained laugh and Brent stared at the ground. “I just spawned a few months ago.”

“Alright, well,” Hagden looked suspiciously at Chase and then shrugged his shoulders. “Look, I have an idea. You all look like a capable bunch. Could I trouble you to capture a goblin for me? I can reward you with 20 gold. I have been out here far too long and want to get back to where I belong in my office where there aren’t any bugs and the schlubs aren’t so, so…stupid.”

Brent saw one of the NPCs white knuckling the handle of his sword whist the other one kicked a stone. Neither said a word.

“Just a single goblin?” Asked Alex. “Sounds easy enough. 20 gold is a bit light, however.”

“Well, it’s what I got, unfortunately. The Post may be the most prestigious newspaper in Esem yet they never pay their ground reporters well. I know,” said Hagden, snapping his fingers.

The guild watched as he opened his inventory and removed a large camera complete with a big, circular flash at the top.

“How about I take your picture for you? You’re all new, right? Years from now when The Seven Lames are famous you can look back on this photograph and remember when it all began. Deal?”

“The Seven BANES,” said Claire in frustration.

“Pardon, madam,” said Hagden, not looking at her. “How about it? Deal?”

Brent glanced at Chase and shrugged.

“I think a photograph would be lovely,” said Amelie. “I only wish Marlon was with us.”

“We could just slap a leaf beard on one of the schlubs and say it was him,” joked Thomas. He yelped as Chase smacked him on the head.

“Don’t use that word,” hissed Chase. “Alright, Hagden, we will get you your goblin.”

“Excellent,” Hagden said in satisfaction. “Once you do, bring it back so I can get a picture and jot some notes down. Shouldn’t take an hour.”

They left a beaming Hagden with his two mercenary NPCs. Chase told them to spread out so that they could attract a goblin. He made sure Amelie was with him, and paired Alex with Thomas.

“Claire and Brent, you two go together,” said Chase, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Whichever team catches a goblin first gets the 20 gold, okay?”

Brent liked the idea, but his good humor evaporated once he and Claire had wondered off. She didn’t say a word to him.

“Think we can do it, Claire?” Said Brent.

“Sure, Brent,” she said, sounding small and sad.

“Relax, Claire, no one is gonna die catching a single goblin.”

He wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard her sniff and wipe a tear from her eyes.