Jaxx yawned. He was sitting at the bar inside the Centaur’s Barrel, the inn where he and Toxotis were staying for the past week. The bar was polished mahogany, and gleamed from the constant attention it received from its protectors: the centaur maiden Hylonome and her father, Chiron. It seemed at all times one or the other was either standing behind the bar polishing something, or not far from it in the back room. They must sleep sometime: Jaxx had just never seen both gone at the same time.
It was early morning, and Jaxx had just descended from the room that he and Toxotis shared. He had awoken alone: Toxotis rarely stayed there, preferring the company of one of a bevy of young women that he spent time with. Jaxx had warned him, half-jokingly against fraternizing with married women. Toxotis had just grinned slyly at him and continued out the door. Truth be told, Jaxx was a bit glad. The room they shared was fairly small, just large enough for two small beds and a table with a washbasin on it. They were sharing because news that the Avatar was staying there had brought a bunch of new guests to the inn, and as Chiron refused to take any money from him, Jaxx felt that taking up two rooms would be too big of a sacrifice for the innkeeper and insisted on sharing with Toxotis.
About the only thing that Jaxx missed from the real world was true hot water plumbing. He could ask for a hot bath whenever he wanted, but as that involved carrying buckets of hot water from the kitchen up the stairs to the bathroom, he only indulged in that about once a week. The other days he contented himself with a small bucket of hot water and a wash cloth, writing an IOU to his body most mornings.
Jaxx loved the common room in the morning. The early sun shone through the windows along the front of the room flanking the doorway. The beams of light warmed the chill morning air as they illuminated the small dust particles floating in mid-air. The ever-present fire in the center of the room kept a hint of woodsmoke in the air and provided a pleasant warmth and aroma. Greece was fairly mountainous, and the temperature at night dropped pretty quickly. Jaxx still had to remind himself sometimes that this was a game, a virtual reality; it felt so real, sometimes he forgot. It had been happening more often lately. Probably, Jaxx figured, due to his burgeoning relationship with Hylonome. The more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to.
This was virgin territory for Jaxx: he had played dozens of games, some of them in virtual reality, but none as realistic as this full immersion Olympus Online. Due to the realism and the way that the NPCs were indistinguishable from real people, Jaxx was developing real personal relationships with them, especially Hylonome and Toxotis. He still wasn’t sure how he felt about this or how he would feel when this adventure came to an end. Logic dictated that he treat them as they truly existed: computer programs that were acquaintances, not friends. But no matter how he tried to keep his distance emotionally, he couldn’t help it. It would hurt when and if he couldn’t see them again, if something happened to them or they got hurt. Jaxx wasn’t sure that was a good thing. No matter what or how he played out the situation in his head, he couldn’t see a way for him to remain in the game permanently or see his friends forever. Eventually, no matter what, it would end. And it would hurt.
Like all the other times he had started to dwell on it, he pushed it aside in his head. There was literally nothing he could do right now, although he had resolved to speak to the developers after his immersion was over to see if he could stay longer. More and more, when comparing his life inside Olympus Online to his life in the real world, the real world came up short. The thought of returning to his boring job, or worse, living on the public dole on the UBI, was unbearable. The fact that he couldn’t really explain any of this to his friends inside the game also didn’t help.
Hylonome exited the back room behind the bar and came up across from him, holding a mug of tea and a light breakfast of fruit and bread. As she set the mug down, the vapors from the hot tea drifted up and he watched her face through them. She was very pretty, her large nose somehow enhancing her face rather than detracting from it. This morning she was wearing a soft leather shirt with thong ties in the front over bone buttons: it was dyed a soft red color and contrasted well with her cream colored skin. Large, dark eyes highlighted her face, and her long dark hair was tied back from her face and cascaded down her back. Large, firm breasts threatened to push the front of the shirt apart, and he couldn’t resist a peek down her shirt to admire her cleavage. Hylonome, of course, had picked up on his fascination with her chest early and now took every opportunity to tease him with it. Her father, the large and frightening centaur Chiron, thought it was hilarious and even pointed it out every now and then to make Jaxx’s face flame red. Roaring laughter accompanied it each time, from both him and her.
He had gotten to know Hylonome better over the last week. Their instructions from the Priestess of Artemis, Adrasteia, had said for them to wait at the inn for a companion, possibly another Avatar, who would presumably have their next quest information. While it had been a pleasant interlude and allowed Jaxx and Toxotis to rest after their last adventure, which included multiple fights against monsters, Jaxx was starting to get a bit restless. This was the longest that he had gone without fighting or questing since he had joined Olympus Online, and just this morning he had gotten a notification window:
Notice! You have gone 5 days without earning experience. Earn experience within 2 days or your stats will begin to lose experience daily. The rate of experience loss will accelerate daily and must be earned back at the normal rate.
If Jaxx didn’t want to start losing XP, he needed to get out of the town and do some quests or find some monsters to fight. He planned to collar Toxotis when and if the ranger came into the inn and talk to him about going out of the village.
A thought struck him. Perhaps Hylonome or her father could help. “Hylonome,” Jaxx said.
“Yes, Jaxx?” Hylonome turned from cleaning the glasses that had gotten dirty the evening before.
“Would you or your father know of any tasks that myself and Toxotis could handle? Or would anyone in the village need assistance with anything?”
She smiled. “Getting restless?”
“A bit.” Jaxx smiled back. “Need to stretch my legs, and I would prefer to keep advancing and training my skills while we wait for our mysterious companion.” Jaxx had shared the Priestess’ instructions with the pair, and they had insisted that he and Toxotis stay at the Barrel at no charge while they waited.
“I am not aware personally, but then again I don’t talk much to the rest of the villagers. Not everyone is comfortable with demi-humans here just yet.” Demi-humans is how the centaurs labeled themselves, and Jaxx assumed the rest of them did as well. He hadn’t met any yet, but he was aware they existed. Some were friendly to humans, or at least neutral: the satyrs and minotaurs kept cordial relations with humans, although most kept to themselves. Others, like harpies, cyclops, and naga were less friendly and were more in the “monster” category. Privately, Jaxx considered anything that made a habit of eating humans as the latter.
Hylonome continued, “I will ask my father. He talks with other merchants that he does business with keeping the inn supplied. I do know that the Village Guard have been making wider patrols around this area since you revealed that there were monsters in existence close to the village boundaries.”
“That would be great,” Jaxx replied. “Perhaps Captain Adrastus would like some assistance. Now I just have to wait for Toxotis to show himself.” He must have let a bit of his frustration at his companion enter his tone, for Hylonome said, “Judge not your companion too harshly. I think part of his staying away is to allow you to have private time with me.”
Her tone was fond, and Jaxx knew that she liked Toxotis. Furthermore, her statement showed that she knew and reciprocated Jaxx’s feelings about her. She was still cautious around humans, but warming to him each time they talked. She was also a tease, and enjoyed flustering Jaxx at every opportunity.
“I will speak to my father about finding you and Toxotis a task or two to complete when he returns: he is away arranging for supplies for the Barrel,” she said next.
“Thank you, that would be great,” Jaxx replied. He finished his breakfast and his tea and then walked outside. The morning air was crisp, and he shivered a bit in the chill. He pulled his wolfskin cloak around him and the chill disappeared: one of the properties of Apollo’s cloak is that he was always comfortable; it dispelled chill and heat equally well. A few people were up and about in the early morning, and one and all they smiled and greeted him warmly. None had forgotten the council meeting where his status as an Avatar sent by the Gods was revealed, and all were grateful for the service that he and Toxotis had provided by slaying several groups of powerful monsters in the vicinity of the Village. Jaxx walked around the Village, which was laid out in a large circular pattern. The Barrel was situated inside the outer wall on the west end, with the other public buildings following the inside of the wall around the circle. The inner wall protected most of the private homes and was designed as a defensive measure in the event that the village was attacked. Jaxx approved of the design: a smaller circumference meant fewer men would be needed to man the walls and defend the people. Having the people living inside that wall saved time during an attack.
As he finished his walk and was approaching the Barrel, this time from the North, he saw Toxotis heading towards the inn from the opposite direction. The man looked a bit haggard: it was obvious he hadn’t slept much the night before. “Ho, Toxotis,” Jaxx said. Toxotis looked up and saw Jaxx, and smiled in greeting. Clasping arms in greeting, he said “Ho, Jaxx! How are you this morning?”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Better than you, from the looks of things,” Jaxx replied.
Toxotis smiled his easy grin. “Ah, but it was worth it as always! Would you stop me from spreading my blessings to my eager admirers?” Toxotis was determined to take advantage of the fame that the duo enjoyed. Jaxx laughed. “As long as angry husbands don’t show up looking for a fight, I say enjoy yourself. But I will not stand in the face of righteous indignation should it come looking for you.”
Toxotis feigned outrage. “My friend, you know that I am an honorable man, and would never disrupt the sanctity of a happy marriage.”
“What about an unhappy one?” Jaxx asked. Toxotis winked and didn’t answer. Probably better, Jaxx figured.
“I have asked Hylonome to check with Chiron to see if there are any quests or tasks for us to do while we wait,” Jaxx said. “Yes,” Toxotis replied. “I figured you would at some point, but I’m surprised it took this long. Perhaps you were distracted by yon fair maiden?” As a ‘local’ Toxotis wasn’t really interested in pursuing romantic pursuits with demi-humans. He wasn’t against it, but it amused him greatly at Jaxx’s interest in Hylonome and never missed an opportunity to tease Jaxx about it.
Jaxx didn’t respond. He knew the teasing was good-natured and in jest, but he was till a bit senstive when it came to his relationship with Hylonome. Part of it, he knew, was he still didn’t know himself how he really felt.
“I will be ready and willing to accompany you on whatever task the good Chiron sets us,” Toxotis said. “After a nap.”
Jaxx laughed again. “Of course, my friend. You need to rest after your…exertions.”
The two entered the Inn and Toxotis headed up to their room, presumably to sleep. The rest of the inn’s patrons were beginning to wake, and Hylonome was busy serving their breakfast orders for food and drink. Many of the guests raised their glasses in greeting to Jaxx, and he spoke with several over their breakfasts as he enjoyed another mug of tea. Most of the conversations were either Jaxx recounting their fights with the various monsters that they had encountered, or the nature of Jaxx’s original world. The people knew he was from somewhere else and had been brought here by the Gods and were curious about it. Jaxx answered as best he could in terms that he thought they could understand. For simplicity, he allowed them to think that it was simply another world like their own. Various other worlds were known to be ruled by different Gods and Titans, such as Tarturas, or the Underworld, or any of the various afterlifes in Greek legend. Jaxx had been surprised to learn that not all of the dead went to the Underworld ruled by Hades: depending on who told it, some went to the Elysian Fields, or the Blessed Isles, or the Asfodel Meadows. The Greeks, being sea-people, also considered other worlds to include islands full of different people: for example, the various islands that Odysseus encounterd on his Odyssey. Jaxx had spent many fascinating hours listening to stories about these worlds during the past week at the inn.
Eventually, Jaxx tired of conversation and headed upstairs to their room. Entering, he heard Toxotis softly snoring in his bed. Jaxx took off his boots and hung his wolfskin cloak on the wall. The room was warm enough now that he didn’t need to use it as a blanket. In the corner stood the Spear of Artemis, the fantastic weapon given to him by the Goddess Artemis. Other than some light sparring, he had not yet gotten an opportunity to use it in battle. He lay down and after a few minutes, fell asleep.
Hours later, he awoke to find Toxotis gone. The man could move very quietly when he wanted to. Dressing, Jaxx headed downstairs to find his friend sitting at their customary table in the corner of the common room, eating some sort of stew and drinking a mug of honeyed ale. Jaxx joined him, after indicating to Hylonome for some of the same. As he sat, Jaxx felt the floor tremble and looked up to see Chiron walking towards them. Chiron always struck him like a force of nature. It was like hearing thunder and looking up to see a massive storm speeding toward you: you always wanted to brace yourself and take shelter, if possible. Chiron was a massive centaur, easily 8ft tall from hooves to crown, and massively built. He wore his customary apron, which was a contrast to his dark skin and impressive musculature. His arms, longer than a human, bulged with muscles. Chiron had once threatened, half-joking, to rip Jaxx’s arms off and beat him to death with them. Jaxx had no doubt the centaur could deliver with little effort.
“My friends!” Chiron boomed. His voice always filled the room with a bass rumble, and other guests eating their dinners looked up at the noise. “Good evening Jaxx, and Toxotis! Staying free of trouble?” He eyed Toxotis at the last. Jaxx wasn’t fully aware of the history between them, but he gathered that Toxotis had been a bit of a wild sort prior to meeting Jaxx. Judging by his activity of late, perhaps after meeting him as well.
“Yes,” Jaxx answered. “How are you?”
“I am well!” Straight to the point, Chiron continued. “Hylonome tells me that you are looking for something to fill your time. Tired of laying about and consuming my food and drink?” The gleam in his eye betrayed his playfulness. Toxotis, knowing Chiron better than Jaxx, replied, “Not at all. We enjoy the free food and drink, and are thinking of retiring here because of it.”
Chiron glowered, then smiled and clapped Toxotis on the back, nearly knocking the man from his chair. “Well, layabouts, I do have something that you can help with. I was speaking with Hippalus, who supplies the ale and some food for my inn, and he said that he was having a problem that perhaps you two could help with.”
Jaxx tensed with excitement. A quest! Or at least something to do! The strength of his excitement was telling: perhaps he was more bored than he had thought. “What is the nature of the problem” he asked.
“I shall let him tell you himself,” boomed Chiron. Of course, half the room was listening now whether they truly wanted to or not. “Best not expose the man’s troubles to the public.” Chiron glanced around, and those people listening suddenly found their dinners more interesting when they met the centaur’s eyes.
Jaxx exchanged smiles with Toxotis, who seemed as interested as Jaxx in the possibility of a new adventure. Despite his words, Jaxx knew that Toxotis was getting bored with waiting too.
“Sounds great,” Jaxx said. “When would he like to meet?”
“Tomorrow morning, after breakfast,” Chiron replied. “That sounds good,” Jaxx agreed. A glance at Toxotis revealed the ranger’s agreement as well.
“Well, I must help Hylonome with the evening’s tasks,” said Chiron and he turned and walked off, shaking the table of everyone he walked by on the way to the kitchen.
Jaxx turned to Toxotis, excited. “This sounds like it will be fun.”
Toxotis agreed, deadpanning, “Well, I suppose I can take a night or two off. But you will have to console the weeping women who will be disappointed by my absence.”
Jaxx laughed. Toxotis could always turn anything serious into a joke. “Yes, I’m sure they will be heartbroken. Whatever will they do?” Laughing together, they signaled for another round of ales.
The next morning, both Jaxx and Toxotis rose early. Jaxx had had a rough time falling asleep, as he was excited at the thought of going on another adventure. They came down the stairs and sat at the bar, which was empty of any other guests. The hearth was banked, orange coals still glowing but without any fresh wood. Chiron came out from the kitchen, and he noticed Jaxx’s face as Jaxx realized that Hylonome was not there. “Easy, friend,” he laughed. “She is just sleeping. You will see her later.” Embarassed that his feelings were so transparent, he laughed too.
“Thank you, Chiron, I was worried when I didn’t see her. She is always here in the mornings.”
“And far more easy on the eyes than me, eh?” laughed the centaur. Despite the differences between his daughter and Jaxx, he seemed to be handling the growing friendship between her and Jaxx well. Part of the conversations that Jaxx and Hylonome had had the past week were about her childhood and growing up amongst the centaurs. Her people lived in the Kingdom of Thessaly, near Mt Peleon, and were fairly isolated from other races. They were generally standoffish and while they were not warlike or conquerors, they vigorously defended their homeland. According to Hylonome, they generally did not mix, socially or sexually, with other races. These details showed Jaxx just how unique that Chiron and she were, and he wondered just how the two had ended up here, in a village full of humans to run an inn. That portion of her past Hylonome had not yet revealed, and Jaxx wasn’t quite ready to quiz Chiron about it.
“So I suppose you two lazy dogs are ready to go on a little adventure, eh? Alright, go talk to my friend Hippalus, and he will tell you what he would like for you to do.”
“Where can we find him?” asked Toxotis.
“He is in the outer circle of the village, near the main gate on the east side. He has a small warehouse where he stores his goods, and you can find him there most times. He lives above it.” Chiron explained.
“I know where that is,” Toxotis said. He stood, wiping his hands on his leathers and grabbing his bow and arrow quiver. He too had gotten a gift from the Goddess Artemis, and he rarely let it out of his sight. Jaxx stood as well, dressed in his greaves, cloak, and grabbed his spear that was leaning against the bar. Both clasped hands with Chiron and then headed for the door. As they exited, Jaxx paused and looked at Toxotis. His friend’s eyes reflected the excitement that Jaxx himself felt. “Lets go!” Jaxx said, and the duo headed off down the street to the right towards Hippalus’ warehouse.