Chapter 8: P.U.Fs and Nicknames

The fire had gone out by the time they returned to the camp. The Guide went to work throwing logs on the smoldering coals and getting it roaring again. He told them that some hot water and new clothes had been sent to their rooms and sent them away while he worked. Chase didn’t feel the need for a change of clothes but did as the Guide asked anyways. He watched Alexander and Amelie enter their rooms looking quite relieved to be back. This was a big day for them and no matter what happened all their energy would be spent reconciling their fate to themselves.

Might as well take a bath, Chase thought. A short soak would not be such a bad idea. This was the first time since he fled his old guild that he would have an opportunity to really relax.

Chase entered his room and shut the door behind him. In the corner of the room was a large brass tub which had not been there in the morning. There was a towel on the bed alongside a change of clothes. Ignoring the steaming water for a moment he picked up the clothes and examined them.

These take me back. The clothes were a uniform which all the players on the island wore. Both shirt and pants were dark blue with little adornments. The shirt had no buttons but was a pullover while the pants were meant to be loose and baggy. The only other addition was a black cloth belt which Chase remembered smacking people with in the dormitories when they were supposed to be sleeping and a pair of shoes by the door. Chase turned the shirt over to behold the symbol on the back.

A golden circle divided into four parts emblazoned the back of the shirt. In each quadrant was an image of life on the island. In the first panel was a student bearing a spear above their head with minimal features on their face as to make whether it was male or female. The second panel bore an open book sitting beside a stack of other books seemingly plucked from the library shelves by someone to begin a courageous studying session. Chase smirked at that one as a memory of being a boy and using the library as a place to play hide and go seek while the librarians tried to chase him away flitted through his mind.

The third quadrant was the picture of a pair of scales, both balanced and neither heavier than the other. Whether this meant one would find balance or would not be judged on the island was up for debate. Finally, in the last quadrant was a candle, its wick proudly lit for the world to see.

Illuminating the darkness of our ignorance, maybe? Chase rolled his eyes and tossed the shirt back to the bed and began to disrobe.

The bath did feel good, Chase had to admit. He slid as far down as he could until the hot water came up to his neck. He closed his eyes and inhaled the steam, allowing his mind to drift. More memories of the island and his first days after spawning came unbidden to him. Some were pleasant, others less so. He decided instead to took ahead toward the future. That old life belonged to another man, to a player who was dead. What would his new life hold?

Perhaps he could clear the island in less than a month. That was reasonable and would not be a cause of suspicion. The average time for adult players in mediocre shape was around 6 weeks so a month could be ideal. After that, what? Trek about the countryside looking for some easy monsters to kill? Earn some money? Train his new skills? Life could be easy for a player wholly focused on themselves. In a guild its all for one and one for all, Solomon used to say. There were times in his younger years with the Old Guard when he would dream about departing his Contract obsessed guild and buying a house along the coast somewhere. There were players who took on the fishing contract and whiled away their days catching fish and enjoying life. Why not take the relaxed route for his next go around? It was worth considering.

‘You must promise me that you will help guide these young ones.’

The words of the Emissary just before the sky had turned red in his dream and she had disappeared echoed in his head. What had she meant by that? And what had happened to the sky? He remembered the tendrils of darkness consuming him and shivered despite the hot bath.

I am hardly the right person to be babysitting a bunch of new players. He thought about Amelie and Alexander. He saw the young man crushing the head of the spider and Amelie listening intently to every word the Guide had told them. They would make fine teammates to whomever decided to snatch them up. Intelligence was highly sought after by new Guilds. There was even a chance an established Guild would discover them and let them join up. There was no better way for a new player to train their skills and begin stacking contracts.

Chase imagined a small house on the shore. Fishing lines strung up outside bearing the days catch. Days spent on a small boat hauling the sea for a meal, perhaps to sell some to the local merchants or passing players. He could even make an inn, hire some NPCs to wait tables and make beds. There was a little town not far from Moon Town which might be ideal. He was just wondering about the start up costs for such a venture when he was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

BANG BANG BANG

“Chase,” came the Guide through the door. “Lunch is ready. Hurry up.”

Keeping his ideas tucked away in the back of his mind Chase rose from the bath and dried himself with the towel. For a moment he considered returning to his old clothesbut then threw on the island garments.

“We were starting to think you got washed out to sea,” said the Guide as Chase joined them. Alexander and Amelie were blowing on spoonfuls of steaming beef stew and carefully munching on the meat.

Chase took a seat and accepted a bowl from the Guide.

“I came close. Thanks.” The stew was good. He slowly chewed a piece of beef and the flavor flooded his mouth. “This is marvelous, and tastes slightly familiar.”

“It is good, but it can hardly be familiar. This stew is a specialty from Chef Thaddeus in the training area. It’s only made here,” he added, not looking at Chase.

Chase stared into his bowl. “Ah, yes. Of course I’ve never had it before. It is tasty, however.”

Making sure that neither of his spawnmates had thought the interaction odd, Chase glanced at them both. They both seemed too concerned with filling their bellies to pay any mind to his and the Guide’s exchange. Amelie delicately ate the stew like a mother bird selecting the choicest morsels for her chicks, meanwhile Alexander was eating like it would be his last meal for a lifetime.

“More please,” Alexander thrust his bowl toward the Guide. Grease coated his mouth but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Glad one of you has an appetite,” The Guide smiled and ladled more stew into Alexanders waiting bowl. “Eat up. After this we are going to be beginning your third and final task.”

“Third?” Amelie looked up from her bowl with a confused expression. “I thought we had yet to begin the second task.”

“You already did the second task. It was gathering the mushrooms and the roots in your bag. Which everyone passed with flying colors I might add.”

“Just gathering the mushrooms?” Said Amelie. “Seems rather simple a task.”

The Guide shrugged. “The real training is after this. I am just here to teach you some basic concepts about the world, after this you will wish everything were so easy.”

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“What are these concepts exactly?” Asked Alexander between mouthfuls of stew.

The Guide winced at Alexander talking with what seemed like half a bowl of stew in his mouth.

“The first task is meant to get you to confront conflict. The three of you did better than most. The second was on gathering materials found in nature and using your bags as a real inventory. Esem is full of such plants and animals which may aid you on your journeys. Of course, the full range of concoctions you can make will depend upon your job status but that is for another time.”

“What exactly is a job status? You mentioned them before.” Said Amelie.

“Well, you will select a job before you leave the island. They determine what you are allowed to do and what path you will be taking. You will be learning all about them when you leave the forest. Right now we need to discuss your third task.”

The Guide rose to his feet, leaving the ladle sticking out of the large pot of stew. There was a wooden table about 20 feet away. Upon the table were several containers and boxes and what looked like small wooden bowls. The Guide motioned them all to join him.

Chase and Amelie placed their empty bowls on their wooden benches and walked over to the Guide. Alexander came a few seconds later, bowl still in hand.

“What’s all this?” Asked Alexander.

“In order to complete your final task and join the other players, you three will have to brew a very simple potion with the ingredients you gathered this morning.” The Guide patted what looked like a box but turned out to be a very ancient looking book. He opened it flat upon the wooden table and turned to a page near the middle of the book.

Alexander and Amelie gathered at either side of the Guide and peered over his shoulder, both squinting at the book. For the first time Chase thought perhaps neither had perfect eyesight and would need an examination when they got to the training area. While they were scanning what he knew to be the recipe for a Potion of Unwavering Focus, Chase examined the instruments on the table. A pair of mortar and pestles, a small pot for mixing ingredients, a scale, a pot of water, and various other devices Chase had forgotten the name for.

I hope these two enjoy this task, I always hated making potions, Chase thought to himself.

“Seems simple enough,” said Amelie brightly.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” said the Guide. “You can place your ingredients in these,” he pointed at a pair of small wooden boxes upon the table in between the book and the instruments. “And then get to work. I have to go check on something so I will leave you three to get to it.”

And so soon the three of them were alone. First they all produced their bags and emptied them into the boxes. Chase’s crescent roots were significantly fewer than the small mountain of mushrooms which his spawnmates had gathered. In fact their mushrooms were pouring over the edges of the box as they dumped them inside meanwhile Chase’s barely filled half of his own box.

“Impressive,” Said Chase. Amelie smiled but Alexander only grunted.

“Just some hard work done efficiently is all,” he place his thick finger upon a line of the recipe. “First step is to grind half an ounce of the roots. We will need to mix it with the mushrooms.”

Amelie quickly gathered the scale and slid it over to the box.

“How much for the mushrooms?” She asked.

“The recipe says two parts mushrooms for every one part roots. Chase, do you know how to balance that scale?”

“Huh? Oh.” Chase peered at the scale, trying to remember how they worked. “Yeah, its not too hard I think. We need the proper counter weight. Do we have any?”

Amelie rifled in one of the boxes and produced an assortment of what looked like small iron bars.

“Each one says a different weight…here we are.” She held up a small one and placed it on one of the scales. “This says one ounce.”

Alexander came over to her side and grabbed a hand full of Chase’s roots. He managed to grab nearly all of them with his large hand and carefully set them upon the scale. The weight left the ground as the roots piled upon the opposite side but didn’t quite level out.

He sighed and looked at Chase. “Looks like you didn’t gather enough for a full ounce. What were you doing over there? Just talking to the Guide?”

Chase saw he was trying to sound casual with his criticism but Alexander couldn’t keep the disdain out of his voice.

“We were chatting a bit,” said Chase awkwardly.

“It’s okay, Chase,” Said Amelie. She returned to the recipe and read it to her self. “We only need to recalculate the amounts. Alexander, is there a weight smaller than an ounce?”

Chase allowed the two of them to set about doing the math. As it turned out there was a smaller weight which, after removing a few of the roots was the perfect amount. Their potion would be smaller than the recipe was describing but it would still work. In the back of his mind Chase found himself marveling at not just his spawn mates intelligence but more so their enthusiasm in a task which he himself found very boring. It was like watching a pair of avid hunters ambush a deer after a long hunt.

“What should I do?” Asked Chase.

Alexander handed him his empty bowl of stew.

“A refill would be nice.”

When the Guide returned an hour later they had their small pot of mushrooms and roots boiling on the fire. Alexander and Amelie had taken the reigns and found all the additional ingredients in the boxes on the table. Together they had measured, weighed, and even assorted all the items into a more efficient arrangement so that the Guide whistled slowly when he saw all they had done.

“Well done,” he said looking over their work. He gave the potion a couple stirs with the wooden spoon they had been using. The potion was a dark green color and was simmering for its final stretch of the recipe. “The color is perfect and it smells just as it should.”

“We had to make a smaller batch because we didn’t have enough crescent roots,” said Alexander. He took the spoon back from the Guide and gently began a counter clockwise rotation. “Will the potion still work?”

“Of course. Potions of Unwavering Focus are fairly easy to make. They only require a couple ingredients. More advanced potions require specific amounts and the recipe should be adhered to strictly but we can get away with the reduced crescent roots here.” The Guide winked at Chase. “I know we didn’t gather a lot of roots but I told Chase it wasn’t too necessary.”

Alexander didn’t acknowledge the Guide’s excuse for Chase’s meager performance gathering roots. He merely grunted and kept stirring the potion. For the first time since spawning Chase felt mild annoyance at the young man.

“What does this potion do, anyways?” Asked Alexander.

“Just what it says. Brewed properly it gives the user increased focus and attention. It’s helpful for anyone performing a delicate task. Most players take them early in the morning and its fairly ubiquitous as anyone can make them. I heard they are nicked named ‘P.U.Fs’ for short.”

Amelie looked up from where she was sitting, potion book on her lap. She had been pouring over it for sometime now.

“Mr Guide? I’m reading about a potion called Kingsbury Candelabra. What exactly is it?”

The Guide stroked his beard. “The only one I really know about is this one. What’s the main ingredient?”

“Um,” Amelie looked back down at the book and squinted. “Milstrap powder.”

“Ah, I think its an explosive in that case. Only advanced Alchemist class players are allowed to attempt such potions.”

“Allowed? What do you mean? It doesn’t seem like that challenging of a potion to be honest.”

The Guide sat down and began packing his pipe.

“Well, its pointless me telling you too much because I really am not designed to tell you too much, but basically only players who have a certain job are capable of making certain things work.”

“You mean if I tried this without the proper job it wouldn’t work?”

“Right. You could throw all the right ingredients in the pot and stew it perfectly and in the end have only a discolored soup for your troubles.”

“Sounds annoying,” muttered Alexander.

“It’s how AION designed the world, I’m afraid. You will get locked into a contract with one job for a period of time. If you complete the contract then you can choose a new one.”

“And what’s the benefit of choosing a job?”

The Guide smiled and motioned for Alexander to take the pot off the fire. He puffed on his pipe and sat there for a while looking into space.

“I suppose the benefits would include fame, power, riches and abilities which you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams.”

Chase tried to look surprised but Amelie and Alexander were staring at the guide, eyes wide.

The Guide didn’t smile but grinned at their reactions.

“AION didn’t make a boring world for you to live in. Whatever you can imagine in Esem can become your reality. Most won’t ever seize their chance at greatness, some,” he glanced at Chase, “come close but fall short at the finish line. Whatever you decide to do after today, I implore you to think big. Huge. Spin gigantic dreams and aim as high as you can. Only one thing.”

The Guide used his pipe to point above him, straight into the air.

“Aim for the sky, and you will find not only AION, but all the answers you are all looking for.”

Despite himself Chase felt chills run up his spine. His spawnmates seemed unsure how to react, but there was a feeling of wonder. And for the rest of the evening they simply sat around the fire and chatted excitedly. Nothing too important was said and the Guide refused to answer anymore questions as “everything and more will be answered tomorrow when we go to the training area.” As the blue sky gave way to the stars and night came to embrace them Chase thought he saw a set of gleaming eyes in the forest.

Hello, thought Chase, giving a small wave. There was a rustling and the eyes disappeared. Chase smiled to himself. Seems that Jojo is fully respawned, just like me. I hope that both our futures are bright and wonderful.

“What are you smiling at?” Amelie asked him. She tilted her head in an endearing way.

“I was just thinking how happy I am to be here.” Chase looked at her and then at Alexander. “And I am glad we spawned together. I think we should stay friends for as long as we can. What do you think, Alexander?”

Amelie returned his smile and then looked at Alexander.

To his surprise, a very serious look had come over the young mans face. His eyes gleamed like Jojo’s had in the darkness. He offered his hand to Chase.

“You can call me Alex.”