Shill paced back and forth as the sound of metal clashing against plate filled the open fields of the west. There was so much more to gain from the ruins of Andur Vita, yet here they were, butting heads like children. All because of her.
“The will of the queen my ass,” Shill mumbled. “She's nothing but a tyrant in the end. A damn dictator!"
A foot soldier was knocked back by a spell, slid on the grass and came to a stop right next to him. Newbie by the looks of it.
"Get up!" Shill kicked the man's helmet with his sabaton. "And time your fucking spells properly! It's not that hard." He gave an angry glance at Toshimir as the soldier rushed back to his line. It seemed to have gotten the message across, making the general approached him.
"Why are they this bad?" Shill cut straight to the point. "They can't even link their spell together. Subhuman trash."
Toshimir took a deep breath. "PvP and PvE are vastly different, and so are their tactics. We've been training for less than a week. This sort of thing takes time."
"We don't have time." Shill glanced up at him through squinted eyelids. Toshimir stood taller than him, both in game and in real life. "Amariana gave us but a week to kill seventeen thousand players and capture one entire fucking fortress city." He tapped his foot against the grass nervously. There was no telling what consequences failure had, so he'd rather not think about it. Worrying about that suicidal gambling buff Vin had used that was stuck on him now was bad enough. He always thought it optional and not something that could be forced onto others. Now he even had to be cautious in PvE and his contribution rewards suffered because of it.
"At the very least, they're better geared." Shill continued watching the troops try, and fail, to synchronise rushes and spear thrusts. "Has Sunlight gotten back to our request for a joint expedition against Moonholme yet?"
"Nee, their vice guild leader, sent me a box with dried rat droppings that spelled out: 'I'll only talk to Vin.'" Toshimir paused for a moment. "So yes, they've gotten back to us."
"Braindead ape." Shill bit his lower lip. Still salty that Glimmer withdrew from PvP, probably. “She’ll come around. There’s no way they don’t join in when they learn we’re doing the bulk of the work.”
"I could talk to him," Toshimir said. "You know… Ask for help in mending our relationship with Sunlight. If it's me maybe he'll-"
Shill grabbed Toshimir by the beard and pulled him down to eye level. "I've told you before and I'll tell you again. The moment you try to communicate with him, you're fired. Gone, with no chance to work in gaming again." He held the man's stare a while to get the point across. The propaganda and faux conferences Gateway had put out, and their monitoring tools were well known to them both. After how silently a big name like Vince had been swept under the rug… "Tell me you understand."
Toshimir straightened his back after Shill let go. There was a pause as he clenched his jaw and stared off into space, but in the end, he acted like any good dog should. "I understand. I'll get back to it then."
Shill went back to surveying his forces, spread across the vast green fields. They’d bought all the best players and armed them to the teeth with the best items, so why were they struggling so much? There was no logic to it.
“Tommy!” Shill screamed and the man rushed to his side, gold-lined robe fluttering. The luxurious trader’s outfit didn’t match his unkempt curly hair and appearance. “How many times have I told you to fix that hair? And your face… You look like you haven’t slept in months.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Tommy simply stared straight at him, eyelids half closed.
If there was one person Shill hadn’t managed to intimidate into submission, that was Tommy. Well, as long as his insubordination was so minor, it wasn’t worth it to push the issue. “How are the offensive’s logistics looking? Do we have everything we need?”
“I have not looked into it. In the previous expeditions, it was Vin–”
“If I hear the words “Vince used to do that” one more time I swear I’m gonna lose it,” Shill hissed. “I want torches, scrolls, bandages, rations, replacement gear, potions and orbs. Get it done.”
“Yes, guild leader.” Tommy started scribbling things down on his notebook as he walked away.
Perhaps now, Shill could get some rest. A headache was starting to take hold, and that made him even more irritable. He turned to leave, only to see Cecilia and an unknown player approaching. The golden cloth of the trading guild adorned her as well, but the other colours hinted at a rank much higher than Tommy’s within the organisation. The blonde woman only stopped after being uncomfortably close to him. Shill simply tilted his head a little to look at Cecilia, hoping for an explanation that never came.
“Pleased to meet you, leader of the Glimmer guild. I’m Eleana.” She wore a forced smile, then let it drop moments later. “I’m the Gateway agent responsible for all of Glimmer’s contracts.”
That made Shill forget his anger real fast. The arrival of this chick spelled bad news, but he decided to be cordial. “Likewise, miss Eleana! What a pleasant surprise to have you with us. Came to inspect our operations, I imagine?”
“The inner workings of your guild are yours to manage as you please. We’ve learned not to interfere." Eleana glanced at the soldiers briefly, before focusing on him again. "This is the fourth day without any raw or edited footage. Need I remind you of the weekly quota stated on your contract?"
Shill felt a knot form in his stomach. "Look, I'll be upfront. Due to some in-game… Circumstances, we won't be able to deliver on that for the time being."
"That's not an option." Eleana shook her head. "We poured a lot of funds into the ads for the Andur Vita exploration, and you want to delay it when you're ready to breach the gates?"
"I have no choice," Shill hissed. "There's a chance that Glimmer won't even exist if I don't finish this quest successfully."
"I don't care. Divert your forces, hire more players on your own dime. Do whatever it takes as long as you deliver viewership."
Shill bit his lower lip. This bitch was really pushing it. "What if I give you something bigger than Andur Vita then? Something grander that's gonna break every viewership record you've had before?"
Eleana paused at that. "Bold statement. What would that be?”
“I’m trying to enlist Sunlight and Asire himself to push deep into Darkblessed territory.” Shill debated for a moment, then leaned a little closer. “The target is Moonholme.”
Eleana raised her brows and seemed to betray a genuine emotion for the first time. “You really think you can take the city? It’s been Darkblessed territory for years and must be armed to the teeth.” She glanced to the side. “Is that what you’re training your force for?”
“Of course we can capture it,” Shill faked confidence. Reality wasn’t so simple, sadly. Without Sunlight’s help, their chances were next to none.
“Fine, I’ll bite," Eleana smiled. “And you’re positive this will boost viewership?”
Shill was asking himself the same. Lots of people would tune in to watch the exploration, so the initial boost was covered. Then the siege would have to last a long while and have climactic moments until victory. It had to be perfect… and it was his only out. "Yes," he settled. "I can give you numbers that you've not had before."
Eleana placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer. Her lips brushed against his ear. "Don't forget why we helped you get rid of your predecessor. If this falls through, the consequences will be severe for you." She leaned back and wore the same fake smile. "I'll inform my superiors of your proposal. I doubt they'll have an issue since you're willing to assume full responsibility." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Cecilia and Shill alone.
"It has to go perfectly," Shill said, more to himself than anyone else. "Not even one minor hiccup." He gazed at Cecilia solemnly and she nodded. "Too much hinges on this attack. We cannot afford to have Sunlight or anyone else causing problems."