Ironfel hadn’t been the same since Jace Thorne had killed Drescher. What had already been a wild town was now utter chaos. There was no clear path of succession. Most of Drescher’s vast wealth had been deleted with him. The game allowed you to have a sort of “Will,” or some way to distribute gold within your party, but no one had been left alive to inherit it, so the game deleted all of the gold Drescher had. It was a necessary part of the game economy. Venturing into lucrative MIMs created a constant stream of new wealth that would destroy the exchange rate if advanced players didn’t lose millions monthly. Most of Drescher’s wealth had remained in the game to pay the hundreds of workers within the city, and with the money gone, their loyalties were up for grabs.
Drescher had maintained other forms of wealth represented by items, gems, and property, but it was now free for anyone strong enough to take it. When the gunrunner was in charge, he had restricted transactions so people could only do business with him or one of his NPCs.
No one had yet established control of the town, so transactions were open between anyone, and fortunes were won and lost in seconds as the PVP-Hostile zone had turned into a cyclical game of King of the Hill for the past few weeks. Individual businesses were claimed, including the Lion’s Den, but now the partying often turned to violence, and bloody death matches sprung up everywhere as millions of experience points changed hands daily.
Lexi wanted nothing to do with it. She knew the average experience level in a city like this was probably 11, with three-fourths of the players at 10 and then a handful of higher people in the mid-teens to balance it out. Her level 18 status would put her at the top of the food chain, but it would also more than likely make her a target. A checkpoint for the mine sat on the western edge of town, allowing you instant access to it through a travel node, but she chose to take the long way.
After materializing on the elevated travel node almost two kilometers from the city, she ignored the few hustlers who tried to sell her access to certain aspects of Ironfel or promised her protection. Instead, she transformed into a leopard and sprinted to the north, skirting around the city through a wasteland of rocks, crags, and a few sparse trees. The mine was dug into the low foothills bordering the northern part of the vast basin where Ironfel sat. At a run, Lexi could cover the three miles in about half the time a normal player would take to walk from the node into the city.
With a little infusion of mana, she could negate the feeling of fatigue that plagued characters during long combat sessions or runs. She never had to slow down; she only stopped running and resumed her erect human form when she approached a fenced-off area with four dwarf guards keeping watch. Their weapons were readied, shields raised toward the approaching animal, and they didn’t lose any apprehension when she transformed into a naked half-elf female. Lexi hated wearing clothes, as discarding them cost her an action when she wanted to turn back into a leopard quickly, but she understood modesty was often necessary when interacting with scripted NPCs, especially dwarves.
In her inventory, she kept several simple wraps. They were single lengths of white cloth that encircled her body loosely like a toga designed for a sexy Greek goddess Halloween costume. She remained barefoot as she closed the distance to the dwarves, who still kept their weapons trained on her. Two pointed spears while the other pair held axes and shields. They could see she had no weapons, but nobody traveled these dangerous lands without the ability to defend themselves, so they were taking no chances.
“Halt. What be ye doing here, lassy? These mines are not open to the public. Have ye an appointment?”
“Yes,” she replied. “I am here to see Pieter.” The game did not require last names, making it hard to be specific.
“Would ye be Lexi?” the lead dwarf asked.
She nodded.
“Aye, then ye are expected.” He was one of the dwarves with a spear, and he lifted it and stepped to the side. His partner did likewise, creating a path between them. The shield-bearing dwarves didn’t lower their guards but parted as one of them whistled past the iron gate. The bars opened inward slowly, and Lexi strode carefully through the guards. The leader kept a close eye on her but grunted and turned away once she passed him. She knew why. The armholes in her wrap left little to the imagination when viewed from the side, and even though she was a half-elf, the game let her design her avatar any way she wanted, and she had been generous with her curves.
“Ye best be keeping that dress wrapped a might tighter,” the dwarf said. “Me kin ain’t as keen toward women as your menfolk are. It is nigh onto dinner, and I don’t want the appetites of my men to turn.”
I’m that ugly? Lexi asked in her mind, but she cinched her clothing tighter anyway. {They have no taste, my dear,} James said.
The gate was eight feet high and set into a stone fence several feet thick. It stretched from a sheer cliff on the left toward a steep hill on the right in a broad arch several football fields in length. Inside, large, squat stone buildings filled the level ground, lit with torches in the fading light of early afternoon. Clouds rolled in from the west, and the landscape rose toward the sky, affecting an early sunset.
A two-story wooden building stood out from the other dwarven-made structures, and she instinctively headed in that direction. “Pieter didn’t say where to go?”
{Only to meet him here,} James replied. {I agree; that wooden building is the most likely place.
Lexi saw dwarves moving in and out of the shorter buildings, some holding tools, others weapons, but only humans and half-orcs entered the central wooden structure. Once she was past several of the initial buildings, which looked like barracks and an armory, she could see through the collection of structures to the mine beyond. The hills had been carved away to create this plateau, and they now rose as cliff faces with several openings carved into them. Stairs and scaffolding stood against the stone as a few tunnels started far off the ground.
The sounds and smells from the wooden building drew her attention, and she pushed through the doors to find a large tavern. Dozens of characters were eating, many looking identical and were likely spawned NPCs controlled by Pieter. Though dwarves made up the majority of the workforce, humans were called into service, and several half-orcs also sat at tables eating and drinking. Ironfel had been famous for its level 15 half-orc guards. With most players under level 12, having dozens of the high-level brutes had kept Drescher safe, and many had wondered how expensive it had been to keep them around. Without a player to feed the city, it probably didn’t produce as many guards anymore.
Or, perhaps the brutes spawned in these hills, and Pieter was slowly collecting them, preparing for an invasion of the city to the south. Lexi knew that Pieter had been aligned with Drescher, and the mage probably missed the security that union had brought him. These half-orcs were only level 12 but would still be formidable in a fight.
Lexi was identified as an outsider almost immediately, though, since she had gotten past the guards, she wasn’t treated as hostile. All the workers wore hardened leather from head to toe, with heavy boots and tool belts. Lexi was barefoot, wearing a pristine white robe.
“Excuse me,” the deep voice of a female half-orc barmaid arrested her. “Can I help you with something?”
Lexi smiled up at the tall NPC. “I am here to see Pieter. He is expecting me.”
The hostess had guessed as much. “He is in the back at his private table.” She pointed to the left corner of the building, but Lexi couldn’t see anything right away.
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She thanked the woman and walked in that direction. The druid wasn’t convinced the crowd of primarily human men would find her figure as repulsive as the dwarves did and carefully kept her distance from the tables, but the hardened workers paid her little mind. She was ready to swat aside grasping hands with a clawed paw, but didn’t have to. Once she had made it halfway through the main floor, a corner table with a dedicated chandelier tucked behind a stairway opened up, and she saw the mage sitting alone.
Pieter was at level 13, an impressive feat for someone who had been killed about two weeks ago. The table was positioned relatively close to the kitchen exit, and a young woman with blonde hair pushed through the batwing doors, placed a wine glass on the mage’s table, and scampered back into the kitchen. The delivery of the drink drew Pieter out of his inventory, and he made eye contact with his visitor. The tall mage rose from the table to greet her.
“Welcome to my humble establishment,” he said with a slight bow. “I hope the dwarves weren’t too brash.”
“They said I was ugly,” Lexi said, keeping her distance from the table for now.
“Yes,” the man said with a smirk. “Absolutely hideous. I’m sure you are far more beautiful in real life.”
{I like him already,} James piped in.
Lexi didn’t react to the compliment but took a moment to regard the player. An avatar was fully customizable, so very few people chose to be unattractive. Obviously, there were levels you could go to, and players who decided to be dwarves or half-orcs usually didn’t spend too much time sculpting their faces. Pieter had gone with an odd choice. She had watched the video where Jace had killed him several times, and his previous incarnation had been a strict interpretation of the wizard Jafar from Disney’s Aladin. She could still see a bit of that now, but he had less angle to his face, and his beard was larger. She saw more Rasputin in him now.
“Please,” he motioned to an empty chair at his private table. “Have a seat. I understand you would like to discuss the Cave of Wonders,” he said once she settled across from him. “I’m afraid I can’t help you much. I’ve given up on that obsession. I fear it is only a trap.”
Lexi nodded; his change in appearance now made sense. Jafar had been singularly focused on getting the magical lamp, and with a module called The Cave of Wonders, most assumed that was the treasure lying inside, but it had been available for several months, and no one had cracked it yet. Now that Pieter had to remake his character, he took a different approach to the game.
Lexi sat down. “You have a new focus,” she said more than asked. “Let me guess: Jace Thorne.”
Pieter nodded, unsurprised. His death scene at the hand of the orc shaman had become a meme within the game. The lightning trap Jace had put in the level 50 crystal had injured Gwen and killed Axilia but annihilated him. It was difficult to generate enough damage in a single attack to vaporize a level 22 mage and to have it publicly broadcast to the entire game was even more unusual.
The mage looked hard at his druid guest before proceeding, wondering if he wasn’t being too free with his information. Everything in the game was worth something; he didn’t want to overshare. Lexi read this hesitation and decided to open up to him. His humiliation had been made public; hers had not. “I was at Stormhold when Jace released the armadillion,” she said.
Pieter raised his bushy eyebrows at this. “I was under the impression that everyone had died there. Don’t tell me you’ve already gotten to level 18.” Jace’s group had released the footage from the end of the fight with the armadillion, but what had gone on in the lower levels of the stronghold was a mystery.
Lexi shook her head. “I escaped. My PC companions thought they could fight the monster, and all the NPCs were scripted to defend the fortress to the death. It was one of the stipulations I had to agree to when I joined them.”
Pieter nodded. “And your NPCs were released with the others that became public a few days ago?”
The druid shook her head. “No, for whatever reason, he is holding my companions hostage. He hasn’t released them yet.”
Pieter sipped at his wine as he thought about that. “So, you’ve come to me to ask about the Cave of Wonders so you can get the lamp and use your three wishes to bring down Jace and get your companions back.”
Lexi smirked. “We can get to that. But first, what is your plan to get back at Jace? I can see you aren’t sitting on your hands here. What is your angle?”
Lexi could tell from the look in his eyes that the mage did not fully trust her yet. Before he could respond, his private waitress arrived again, bringing a steaming plate of food. The leopard shapeshifter had excellent awareness and didn’t have to turn to sense the servant approaching them.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the young woman said. “I didn’t realize you had company, sir. Should I bring more food?”
Lexi froze briefly at the strange accent and then turned to regard the woman behind her fully. Her mouth dropped open. The waitress was slight with dark skin and bright blonde hair, not a typical combination in the realms. She knew of only one race of humans with this appearance. “Just a glass of wine, Dear,” she said, regaining her composure and speaking as if addressing Bianca. “I’ve already eaten.” She could still taste fresh venison in her mouth.
“Of course,” she said. The woman scampered forward, placed the food in front of her master, and then hurried back into the kitchen.
Lexi returned to Pieter. “You have a Celtigion servant. I didn’t think that was possible. Is she a bondmage?”
Pieter shook his head, a slight frown on his face. Lexi guessed he was hoping she wouldn’t notice. “No, she is not a bondmage. No magic at all that I can tell. Nor from her family.”
“You have her whole family?”
Pieter was about to respond, but the waitress returned, placed a large glass of red wine before Lexi, and quickly retreated. The mage waited for her to leave. “Her parents and an older brother. The Mongorian I traded with would have never given me a bondmage.”
“I’m surprised they would give you anything. It must have cost a fortune. Probably half of Drescher’s treasure store.”
Pieter frowned again. And Lexi stifled a laugh.
“Though,” Lexi continued. “I’m guessing you didn’t trade the gem that gives you access to the loyalty of the dwarves in this mine.”
The mage slammed his hand on the table. “Who are you? Who sent you? Do you work for Jace?”
The druid smiled. “I have a very observant and deductive operator.”
{Flattery will get you nowhere,} James chimed in.
“He monitors the game 24/7 and was once a great player himself. He doesn’t miss much. Let me see how much I already know. You were Drescher’s appraiser, and when your old boss gained equipment, you decided what he should keep and sell. With your help, he had amassed many powerful items. You kept most of them in Ironfel, and players are fighting over them as we speak, but you also hid several in public areas that you could return to if you ever died and needed to start your character over. You’ve since recovered most of it, including that Control wand you plan to use against me should this meeting go sideways.”
Pieter shifted uncomfortably in his seat, no doubt returning said wand to a holster in his robe.
Lexi pretended not to notice. “Undoubtedly, much of the wealth you squirreled away included gems and precious metals, and you traded an obscene amount of it to convince a Mongorian Khan to sell you a Celtigion family. This can only be an angle to get at Jace since his dragon mage is the only significant Celtigion NPC in the game.”
Pieter smiled as not all of his secrets were out.
“Then we have this mine. If you’ve played the game long enough, you know that every dwarven mine produces a special gemstone at one point. Whoever holds that stone rules the mine. Drescher controlled it before, using it and these hills to generate his half-orc guards. Now you are doing the same, only you can’t yet afford the resources to spawn them at level 15.”
“Not bad,” Pieter admitted.
“May I see the stone?” Lexi asked.
The mage thought for a moment and then shrugged his shoulders. “I suppose you’ve earned yourself that much.” He reached into the top of his wizard robe and retrieved a large gem on a chain around his neck.
Lexi inhaled sharply. “A cat’s eye chrysoberyl.” It was a rare gem on earth, and she had never heard of it in the game. They were commonly sold for $500 per carat, but that price increased exponentially when dealing with anything over 10 carats. Pieter’s gem was the size of her palm, easily worth over a million dollars.
{A bit bigger than the one I bought you,} James commented. He had bought her a cat’s eye ring for their 50th wedding anniversary.
Pieter nodded at her appreciation for his stone, which he quickly hid back inside his robe. “The dwarves will do anything I ask of them,” he said. “They knew Drescher had the stone before, so they obeyed him too. The mine isn’t prosperous and produces mostly iron with a little gold and silver, but the half-orcs are worth it. You need to pay the dwarves an obscene amount of gold for them to go into the hills and recruit the brutes, and level twelve is all I’ve been able to muster so far.”
“And the Celtigions?” she asked.
Pieter shook his head. “I will confirm what you already know, but I don’t plan on giving you new information. I assume you’ve come here to trade for information about the Cave of Wonders, yet you have offered me nothing. You know plenty about me, and I know nothing about you. So far, your negotiation tactics leave something to be desired. I’m not giving you anything for free.”
Lexi nodded. “You assume wrong. I am not coming here to get information on the Cave of Wonders. I’m coming here to invite you to help me pass it.”