CHAPTER 11: CHOOSING MY BATTLES
WC: 1695
When you think of pirates, they aren’t hulking axe-wielding maniacs, so I sort of took in the reality of my situation and stepped back before I realized he was winding up for a heavy attack with that massive axe.
HOLD BLOCK AND JUMP TO ROLL DODGE
I brought my puny arm and tiny shield up, and just as the freak with muscles on muscles swung the axe at my head and everything else, I made the slightest jumping motion (you know, not wanting to leap into him in any way). I rolled backward like those girls in the Olympics floor exercise—where they do a whole ling line of tumbling and then spring back the way they came. I did that like I’d been on the team roster for years.
A dexterous spring, one roll, and I popped back up on my feet two feet to the left of where my opponent’s axe touched the ground. He panted and bent over, disoriented, so I drew my sword and hit him twice—which only succeeded in pissing him off, because his health bar only dropped slightly.
Uh oh. He let out a battle cry and his health bar grew.
I backed up and roll-dodged again just to put some space between me and his craziness. I mean, I had a battered old sword and a child-sized shield, and was wearing a cloth bag on my head. I couldn’t scare the gulls off the beach, let alone an irate smuggler/ murderer. And time wasn’t slowing down when I really wanted it to!
I ran.
Yep. Just turned and ran out of the cave.
I got to the beach and found I could go into the water. Well, okay! That was a thing! I ran until I was waist-deep in the sea, and looked back, and noticed that the maniac wasn’t behind me. On the beach, in fact, the pairs of crew were still colliding over and over with the pairs of smugglers, neither group winning over the other, and the cave mouth appeared empty.
Fantastic. I went back up that direction thinking maybe I’d outsmarted the game and beaten the first boss without having to actually fight him. But when I got closer, he faded back into view and charged straight for me, still aggroed. Crap.
I swung my sword and bashed, and then roll-dodged. I got out of the way of the axe cleave, but when I pulled back to swing again, he thrusted the haft at me. I doubled over, the swirling circle showing in the periphery of my view. I was disoriented and unable to take any action. Oh God, and he was winding up for another heavy attack—one that would cleave me in two. I tried and tried to move, to bring my blocking arm up, and jump little tiny lumpy movements with my feet. Holy crap, nope. I wasn’t going to make it.
The axe started forward and I tried to close my eyes, but I guess you can’t do that in the game, because I was stuck watching as the thick blade came at my head.
Up popped my puny arm and tiny shield, to block the blow, and then my feet did their thing, and I rolled out of the way.
My heart pounded and I took a second to register that I was still alive, and then I ran back in there and struck with my sword. Quick blows—One! Two! Three! Block. Four! Five! Six! Block and dodge. Seven! Eight!
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU REACHED LEVEL 2
When the smuggler of my nightmares fell, he dropped to his knees and then pitched over sideways. It was all very theatrical and surprisingly realistic. I waited to make sure he wouldn’t get back up and that no one else was coming out of the cave before I crouched to loot.
34G
STEEL AXE
IRON HELM OF STAMINA
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Oh boy! New stuff!
I opened my menu and found that I had a skill point to spend! Awesome. I’d look at that when I had a whole minute to not crap my pants. I also noticed that my shield was just about broken and therefore giving me no defense points, and my new hat had a magical bonus that increased my stamina. Yes, please! I then equipped the axe because…why not?
I went toward the ship, and as soon as I crossed the gangplank the Captain and Wynn ran up behind me. “You found the ship!” Captain Misana said, happily. “Let’s get out of here!” She whistled and the crewmen who had been fighting on the beach ran into the cave and boarded the vessel. I followed the Captain and Wynn, and the crew raised anchor. Working as one, the sailors unfurled sails and pulled ropes. I did wonder to myself how the ship was moving at all…I mean, there wasn’t any wind inside the cave…but then, I’m not a sailor, and the game maybe didn’t have to follow the rules of real-world physics, so whatever. We left he cave mouth and passed the beach, (where all the smugglers were now lying on the ground dead) and headed back out to sea.
I wasn’t sure where we were, being only vaguely familiar with the map, so I just watched the scenery go by until Captain Misana called, “Hey, friend!”
I turned toward her. “I never got to thank you for saving our lives. My crew and I owe you. If you ever need anything, I hope you’ll allow me to repay our debt.”
“Thanks, it’s not necessary,” I said.
“We will be in Majah in a few hours. Why don’t you get some rest. Take the key to my cabin.”
“Okay,” I said.
And the light faded immediately.
“Oh crap,” I muttered before the music stopped and everything went black.
When the light came back, I was on deck with Captain Misana. “Well, friend, I hope we meet again,” she said. “May the wind always be to your back.”
I didn’t see anyone else on the ship, so I headed down the gangplank and into the little port town. White letters appeared and disappeared, telling me I had entered a new place.
MAJAH
A few people walked the boardwalk, carrying goods or milling around talking. He vast majority were dressed in plain clothing, but from different places. I guessed there may be some clothing that would hint at what culture they were from, but it was very hard to distinguish. My first impression was that the town was a melting pot of traders and visitors from all over the world. All shades of skin and hair were present, and that was my best guess since I was still unfamiliar with the subtle differences between the people of Nevanno. Some wore silk robes like Wynn, while others looked more like mercenaries, in leather or metal armor, or more commonly, a combination of the two. Most people carried some sort of weapon. Even shop keeps had daggers or clubs hanging from their belts.
Walking through the town felt awkwardly unrealistic. As I passed most people stopped what they were doing and looked at me. It was probably so I would be alerted that I could speak with them, but it was just eerie. So different from the real world, where you could go weeks without another person even acknowledging your presence unless you attracted attention somehow.
“I see new faces every day,” a voice said from behind me, “and most I ignore. But you’re no refugee. What brings you to Majah, then, I wonder?”
I turned to see who was speaking. A man with mahogany brown leather armor trimmed with gold-colored metal leaned against a closed door on the side of a nearby building.
I initiated a conversation.
“Maybe you came to find work?”
“Yes, I’m here to find work,” I said.
“You’re in luck. I know two people who need a hand.”
Dum-du-dum. NEW QUEST: SPEAK WITH COMMANDER PRABHAT
NEW QUEST: SPEAK WITH ANNIEL
“Thanks!” I said.
Two new white dots appeared for me to follow, so I picked the one on the right and went that direction. I passed tents with tables out front and wares spread out in baskets, fish in barrels, herbs and produce in wooden boxes. Footsteps and horse hooves sounded as people passed me. The musty odor of mushrooms and spicy odor of herbs hit me as I passed a potion shop. Ooh, I wanted a potion. Maybe I should stop in?
I didn’t have much money, but I was always on the lookout for a five-finger discount. Hmm…which reminded me, I had a skill point to spend and I was ready to put it into my rogue skills and get started with the sneaky-sneaking and stabby-stabbing.
I went into the orange and burgundy tent.
“Welcome! I have the finest alchemy ingredients in Majah.”
“Uh, thanks,” I said. An older woman stood behind a table, staring out at the street, it seemed. Not paying attention to the back half of her tiny tent shop. I crouched and took a few steps. The eye was still red, letting me know she could see me.
I went around to the side of the tent and pressed into the back corner. Finally, the red eye turned gray and I crept around behind her, heading for the barrels and boxes along the back wall.
When my left glove tingled, I squeezed and in red letters, I saw:
ORANGE BUTTERFLY
HONEY
LAMB’S EARx2
I didn’t know how to pick them up though. I could see the words, but the inside of the barrel was dark, and nothing was tingling or anything to tell me what to do.
“I think it would be best if you left,” the shop keep said, tersely.
I took my hand off the barrel and left the tent. I mean, no part of me wanted to get into a fight with an old woman on my first day in town. Okay, stealing later, after I figured it out in a safer place. I had a quest marker to follow and that seemed as good a place to start as any.