Chapter 76: Take me out!

The Hilgador is a monster which resembles the famed Hilgassen of Avalon. Both have rough, leathery skin, and both also share the unmistakeable violet eyes which players so often see peering at them in the dark of the night. Where they differ is in their overall body shape and mannerisms. Whereas the Hilgassen of Avalon is short and squat, the Hilgador is a thin creature, and has additional appendages which allow it to briskly climb trees and buildings. The Hilgador also is known to imitate other monsters and even players. Having heard a sound once, this monster is able to mimic whatever that sound is unless the reset window has not been passed and they are killed. This ability of their’s has served Historians and Detectives quite well as sometimes they can hear the ancient voices of the Hilgador’s victims which have been lost to time. Famously, one such Hilgador in Nabonoban was found who had an encounter with Gerold the Druid, that famous player of the early days of Esem who befriended the Ice Dragon, Wistletor, and was able to ride her across the skies. Centuries later, during a journey which included both Scientists and Researchers in Nabonoban, this Hilgador was captured and he managed to reveal Gerold’s secret as to how he tamed the Ice Dragon—a secret which had died with Gerold.

The Hilgador said (in Gerold’s voice): “Baby, I brought you all the sheep and chocolate I could. But I feel as though I am not getting anything of this relationship. Why not finally bring me up top to your world? I want to see the clouds with you.”

This was quite shocking to the Researchers, and after a period of time, it was decided to release this information despite the obvious dent to Gerold’s legacy. Though relationships between human and NPC’s do happen occasionally, this was the first human to monster intimate relationship that had ever been recorded.

Regardless, be wary when you encounter these violet eyes, as the Hilgador is not only a powerful monster capable of overcoming a well seasoned player, they may just remember an embarrassing moment of you life if you are not careful. Legacy, if you care about such things, is a powerful thing.

-Strange Stories of Esem and It’s Creatures by Burky the Historian. Circa SD878

“Xem,” said Chase dryly. “You’re looking great.”

The Antagonista looked at him with a sneer on her lips. She didn’t say a word.

Markon punched him again in the stomach.

“Quiet,” said Markon as Chase fell to the ground. “It’s the end of the line for you.”

“Chase!” Said Amelie. She knelt beside him, an arm over his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” wheezed Chase. He straightened himself back up and glowered at Markon. “You must enjoy doing that.”

Markon was rearing up his fist again when Xemnara raised a hand.

“Enough,” she said. “There will be time enough for that later.”

“Why are we here, Xem?” Said Claire.

“Why? Because I want to kill you all, that’s why. Do you see my face?”

“We didn’t do that to you,” said Amelie. She sounded strangely brave. “AION did. We played your game and won. How can you go back on that suddenly?”

“You didn’t win anything, dear,” said Xem, her voice dripping with malice. “You all cheated. And now you will pay the price.”

Astor and the other players had not said a word since Xemnara had arrived. They seemed scared of her, and kept their gazes on the ground. Only Markon kept his head up and looked between the guild and Xem as they spoke.

“You can’t just kill us,” said Chase. “I know the rules of Esem. Even an NPC like you must obey the laws of AION.”

“Markon?” Said Xem.

This time he back handed Chase. He saw a flash of light in his vision and his head whipped to the side. He tasted blood.

“She might have some rules, but I do not,” said Markon. He rubbed his knuckles as he spoke. “Call Lady Xemnara anything other than her proper title again and I’ll kill you.”

“Fine,” said Chase. He spit some blood out on the ground. “So what’s the plan? Are we getting murdered right here?”

“No,” said Xemnara. Her deformed face appeared to frown but Chase realized she was actually trying to smile. “I am not as bad as you may believe. Whereas AION believes in spawning you in Esem with no plan or help, I will give you all one more chance. Give yourselves to me, and I will spare you all. Become my followers, and you live.”

“Sign with you?” Said Alex. “You mean get those laser powers your other Followers have?”

“Yes,” said Xemnara. “Swear yourselves to me, sign a new contract, and you live. Well...”

“Well what?” Said Brent.

“You must give up someone, first,” said Xemnara almost coyly. “All my Followers did the same. There is a matter of a small sacrifice.”

“Kill one of our own?” Said Amelie, aghast.

Markon and the other Followers chuckled.

“I didn’t think so,” said Xemnara. She cast a withering glance at her players and they immediately shut up.

“Yeah, that’s a no go,” said Chase.

She needs us to agree to being killed, realized Chase. Despite what she said the rules of Esem were clear. She may be a powerful NPC, but she was still an NPC. Of course, was there anything stopping the players from doing the same?

“Honestly, I would have been upset had you agreed,” said Xemnara. “I would much rather watch you all die painfully.”

“I am guessing the contracts your followers have limit them in the same way, then,” said Chase.

A flash of annoyance crossed the Antagonista’s face.

“Meaning these contracts of yours has really enslaved them to you,” Chase continued. “I wonder if they realized that.”

“We aren’t slaves!” Said Astor, coming to his feet. His face was as red as his hair.

“Sure you aren’t,” said Chase. “Then why don’t you kill me?”

“Astor!” Hissed Markon. “Sit down.”

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“You’re a clever guy, Chase,” said Markon. “It’s true that we have some rules, but they are only the smallest of limitations. We have been given powers that even the Old Guard can not contend with.”

“Then how did Christie beat you the other day?” Said Brent.

“I let her,” said Markon. He appeared calm but clearly the question had gotten under his skin.

“Sure you did,” said Alex sarcastically.

“Enough,” said Xemnara. She threw her hood back up but it did little to stop her gleaming eyes from staring at them maliciously. “Let’s get this underway.”

Without a word the two players who had not spoken rose. One had what looked to be nose that had been broken many times and the other had a scar across his face which looked to be from a dagger long ago. Both men went into the forest behind some trees and then returned with a pair of crates.

“Right here,” said Xemnara, pointing beside her.

The two players did as she commanded, and despite appearing like simple crates they made a loud sound as they were set upon the ground. There was something heavy in each of them.

“In order to do this right, we will play another game. At the end of it, when you all lose, we will kill you,” explained Xemnara.

“What’s the game this time?” Said Chase. “Gonna send us to another world?”

“No,” she said. “Today we will be testing each of you. If only one of you win, then you all go free. How is that for fair?”

“I’ve heard that one before, Xemnara,” said Amelie.

Despite herself Xemnara glanced at the sky. It was a clear blue day without a cloud to be seen. She glowered as she returned her gaze to Amelie.

“Quiet, girl. You had your chance to end this already.”

Amelie shut her mouth, but looked determined despite Xemnara’s words. Chase wanted to know what the Antagonista meant by that but was prevented from talking by Markon.

“Each of you will participate in a single challenge. If one fails, the next person may try. Bisper, open your crate.”

Bisper, the man with the broken nose, nodded at Markon and bent over the crate. He needed only a single hand to rip the top of the crate free. He tossed the lid on the ground and stood back. Markon walked over and fished out a pair of objects. One looked like a club and the other was a small, white ball.

“This is baseball and a bat,” began Markon. “I will be—.”

“Sitting on it?” Said Thomas. He smiled cheekily despite being tied up to the tree still.

“Gag him,” said Markon to Astor.

“Hey! There’s no need for that!” Said Thomas.

“Shut up, kid,” said Astor. He walked over to Thomas and removed a cloth from his pocket.

“Alright! I’ll stop talking! Hey! Mhphm!”

When Astor came back Thomas was thrashing against the rope, trying to talk through the gag.

“Should have done that a long time ago,” muttered Alex. Claire punched him in the side to which he said, “I’m not wrong, Claire.”

“Didn’t take you for a baseball fan, Markon,” said Chase. “I don’t think we have enough people for a game, however.”

“We aren’t playing a game,” said Markon, leveling the bat at Chase. Suddenly he smirked and then tossed the bat on the ground. “I’ll be throwing the ball at you. And if anyone can hit it, then you win. Sound fair?”

“That’s it?” Said Brent, sounding confused. “We just got to hit the ball?”

“That’s it,” said Markon, shrugging his shoulders. “If any of you can hit it, then everyone walks free.”

Ethen had taken a seat on the ground since Xemnara arrived, and sat with a straight back and his arms crossed as he observed the proceedings.

“Very fair, I would say. Would AION do the same, Chase?”

“AION wouldn’t be playing such a dumb game, Ethan,” responded Chase. He picked up the bat and hefted it in his hands.

“Let me,” said Brent suddenly. “This seems familiar to me. Maybe in the Old World I was good at this.”

“How many tries do we get?” Said Chase, handing the bat over to Brent.

“As many as you want,” said Markon. His hand nearly engulfed the entire baseball and he chuckled.

Chase had only ever played baseball in Esem a single time. Solomon had become obsessed with the game in his mid twenties and forced the Old Guard to try out for a tournament which the Dark Lord had been holding. It had been a strange experience to play a game with other players instead of fighting them, but Chase had gone along with the idea. Most of the Old Guard had despised the idea, and in the end their baseball game had been one of the few times the Old Guard failed in a quest. Chase still remembered the look of disappointment on Solomon’s face when Karkren had been stricken out by a player half his age.

Strange what comes back to you at moments like this, thought Chase.

“I’m ready,” said Brent.

“Good, stand over there.” Markon motioned to the far end of the clearing where they had entered. “And if you run—.”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Brent. “You’ll kill us all. What’s new.”

Brent walked to where Markon had indicated and got into a competent looking stance. His eyes narrowed at Markon as the big man took a position, the ball behind his back.

“Here is comes, boy,” said Markon. “Hit it, and everyone walks free!”

“I’ll knock it at your ugly mug!” Called back Brent.

Markon spit on the ground.

For a moment the big man only stood still, staring down Brent. Then he became a blur. His arm whipped around and he threw the ball with a grunt that sounded like a rhino about to charge. The ball moved so fast it was like a cannon ball.

Brent didn’t even swing.

The ball hit him in the chest, knocking his off his feet and onto the ground.

“Don’t!” Said Bill, coming up behind the guild. Claire had screamed and was about to run over to her friend. “Stay where you are. The boy ain’t dead, yet.”

Markon and the other followers were laughing. Brent gingerly picked himself up off the ground. He looked to be in some pain.

“You can try as many times as a you want,” called Markon. “Care for another one?”

Brent dusted himself off and tapped the bat on the ground a couple times.

“I was just warming up,” said Brent. “Do it again.”

Markon threw again, and again Brent was hit. This time the ball got him in the shoulder and he dropped the bat. Chase wondered whether his defense buffs were helping him at all.

“It;’s impossible, Chase,” said Claire desperately. “No one can hit a ball going that fast. He is only going to get himself hit.”

“I think that is the point, Claire,” said Chase honestly. “We aren’t meant to win this. The game is just a formality so that they can kill us.”

A look of horror crossed her face and Chase regretted his words.

“Tell Brent to stop, then.”

Brent shouted, “Again!”

Whoosh.

Brent swung this time, but too soon. The ball hit him in his exposed side and he gasped.

“Chase!” Said Amelie.

“Fine,” sighed Chase. He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Brent! No more! Let me try.”

“Again!”

Whoosh. WHUMP.

This time Brent cried out. The ball had hit him in the stomach.

“Not fast enough, boy,” rumbled Markon. He had a bag of baseballs laying beside him now that Bill had brought over from the chest. “You could say my first guild was a baseball team. I learned how to chuck a ball before I ever got my first contract mastered. There are probably only a couple people in Esem who could hit my fast ball.”

“Again!”

Brent was looking the worse for wear, but the fire in his eyes shone through the pain. He was breathing heavily, and despite being in obvious pain seemed determined.

“It’s your funeral,” sneered Bill. He whipped his hair around. “Do it again, Markon.”

Whoosh. WHUMP!

Brent did not cry out this time, the ball hit him square in the stomach and he merely kneeled, doubling over and dropping the bat.

“Enough!” Said Chase. “I’ll—.”

“My turn,” said Alex. He was already making a beeline for Brent. “C’mon, Brent. Give me the bat. You’re about to pass out.”

Though they were on the other side of the clearing Chase could clearly hear them argue.

“Piss off, Alex,” said Brent. “I got a couple more in me. I nearly got it that time.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I did,” said Brent. He coughed up some blood and gave a great sigh.

“Hand it over,” said Alex, his voice calming down. “You’re no use to us dead.”

“Dead? You realize we’re al going to die if we don’t hit this stupid ball?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Then let me do it,” said Brent. He came to his feet and though his legs shook he stood tall and defiant. He pointed the bat at Markon. “I think I’m wearing him down.”

At that statement the Followers all laughed. Even Xemnara appeared to shake slightly as she chuckled.

“Wearing him down?” Shouted Bill. “Are you mental?”

For the first time the Follower with the scar on his face spoke.

“I’ve never heard such foolishness before.”

“Let him try again if he wants,” said Markon over the others. “Chase, tell the fat one to move.”

Alex spun around, his face the picture of fury.

“You me calling fat?”

Suddenly Alex ripped the bat from Brent’s hands. Brent tried to grab it back but Alex unceremoniously pushed him away, eliciting a sharp breath from Claire who was standing beside Chase.

“Throw it!”

Whoosh.

Chase could still not follow the ball, but this time Markon seemed off. He had still been laughing when he threw it and perhaps his feet were misplaced. Alex swung right as he had thrown and throughout the clearing was the sound of wood cracking.

“He did it!” Shouted Thomas, free of his gag. The cloth was hanging around his neck and he kicked his feet with joy. “Take that, Markon! And you too, you stupid schlub!”