CHAPTER 12: SEARCH AND RESCUE

WC: 1248

When I got to my destination, a tall guy with a brass-colored breastplate and pauldrons stood overlooking the beach near where the ship had dropped me off. His dark blue cape fluttered around him in the sea breeze. The hem brushed against his calves, which were also strapped in brass greaves. He held his Spartan-looking helmet under one arm while he spoke to a man in plain fisherman clothes who was moving a rowboat into the water.

“Commander?” I said, squeezing my hand to initiate the conversation.

QUEST COMPLETE: SPEAK WITH COMMANDER PRABHAT

89G

SEA’S BENEVOLENCE

“Hello, did Saariq send you? He’s an odd one, but he means well.”

Commander Prabhat turned to me, his face wrinkled with worry. “We were expecting a ship of refugees to arrive yesterday, but have received word that wreckage washed up on the beach. I sent my men to investigate but haven’t heard back from them. We could use a hand searching for survivors.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll look for survivors.”

NEW QUEST: SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS ON THE BEACH

More dots appeared, so I just picked a direction and started combing the beach at a slight jog. I could sprint but it drained my stamina bar so fast. Better to save it in case I ran into something hostile—angry gulls or something. With no stamina, I couldn’t block or roll, and it felt like those were two of my best moves…which I guess I was okay with, since I was aiming to be a thief, not a warrior.

The quest marker took me down to the water line and a pile of trash and timbers on the sand. Crabs and snakes crawled through fallen palm fronds and scattered debris.

“You there!” A voice called from somewhere in the pile of rubble. “Help me!”

I ran to aid the person in trouble. The quest dot disappeared as I got close.

“Thank the stars,” the voice said.

Just under the palm fronds, a young man sat cross-legged on the ground. He wore a white tunic that went to his knees, and baggy gray pants that had patches on both knees. “Are you okay?” I asked him.

“Our ship wrecked on the shoals last night. I woke on the beach in the morning light, and I heard animals grunting and fighting, so I crawled here and waited, afraid to find out what was making all the noise.”

Hm. I wasn’t sure what else to ask. I still had other dots to check out, so maybe I should just go on? “What can I do to help you?” I decided I should try to make sure he was safe.

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“Which way is it to the port?”

I pointed the way I’d come. “Up there, follow the coast and when you see the road, take that into Majah.”

“Thank you, friend. May the light of the stars guide you.” He ran up the beach toward the town. Well, okay! I had one refugee, and two more dots to check. Easy peasy. I jogged off toward the next one.

Since I had zero familiarity with the place I was exploring, I was at the mercy of where the markers pointed. I was headed northwest, but didn’t know much more. I wasn’t sure how far away the remaining refugees were, so I kept an eye on my quest marker and between glances, I took in what I could of the scenery.

The island was warm and peaceful, with a rhythmic ocean wave sound joining in the instrumental music that played. I hadn’t noticed that when I was in the town. Maybe the sounds were different depending on where you were traveling? Either way, the background music felt exotic and soothing, which very much fit with the look and feel of the island.

The white quest marker started moving all of a sudden, which meant I was getting close and potentially would run right by if I didn’t slow down and scan a little wider.

I searched in a nearby pile of debris but only found some abandoned home goods. A bowl, some coins (which I picked up), and spilled fruits. I continued my search into the next pile of rubble. When the dot disappeared, I looked around in circles, but didn’t see anyone. Instead, I found a journal on the ground.

I was so happy to be going to our new home, but a storm blew us off course and then we ran aground. I made it to shore but there was no way to light a fire in the rain. I hear animals growling in the dark. I don’t know if I’m safe here…

I searched a few steps further down the beach and saw red stains on the sand, and a few steps beyond that, I found a body. A woman in a plain dress, face down in the sand. There was nothing I could do for her, so I kept walking, looking for the last marker.

It looked just ahead, judging by how it had started moving. I was so focused on finding the last dot that I didn’t watch where I was going and as I went over a little hill of sand, an ominous grunting sounded behind me. And it was following me!

I turned to see what it was, and the best way to describe the creature was to say it was a sort of bird (because it had two scaly bird legs, a beak, and feathers) but it was like a giant parrot with tiny useless wings, and thick ostrich legs that looked like they could stomp me into a puddle. The thick red and gray beak was bigger than my head, and when it was opened, I could see how strong and sharp it was. And the bird was moving fast. As if it knew my thoughts it leaned forward and snapped at me, taking some of my health bar.

Roll, roll, turn and slash. I didn’t think I could outrun it like I did the piraterminator. Besides, I was getting used to wielding a weapon. And it’s not like it hurt getting hit.

The bird leaned in again and screeched loudly. I noticed the swirling circle above my head, indicating I was disoriented. Damn. I took two more pretty hard hits—one from a bite, and the other a two-footed kick that ate up a good chunk of my health bar. It took a moment before I was able to move again. I put up my left arm to block while it wound up for another kick attack.

An icon stuck around on top of my health bar. It had a white square with a red teardrop shape on it. Blood? I was bleeding? But I looked down and didn’t see anything. My clothes were the same. My body felt and looked the same. Damn, my health bar kept dropping though. While I was holding my defensive stance, waiting for the strike.

When the bird did bounce off my block it bobbed around disoriented and I capitalized on the opportunity. I slashed it twice and then did a heavy attack, which laid it out on the ground, where it bounced and then went still after I hit it a couple more times.

15G

LEATHER SHOES

I took a moment to look at my new gear and equip what gave me more defense, then I kept going toward the last dot before I discovered anything more dangerous on the beach.