The Omen, page 18
part #5 of Eden's Gate Series
I looked up to the sky and considered if it were possible to make it back to Edgewood before morning. “I’m not sure it’s necessary… Maybe we can—“
“Traveling from here to Highcastle can be perilous at night,” the tamer assured me. “The higher-level bandits love to come out at night.”
Father, Sora projected.
Yes?
I’m exhausted. Please allow me to rest.
You don’t want to tell me what happened?
Later, please… I need rest. I can barely think after being tormented in that cage.
Remembering our encounter on our way to the Peace Temple, and given Sora’s distressed state, I decided it was best that we probably just stay the night. Very well. You’re free to go.
Thank you, Gunnar. Sora turned, and started running between the various buildings sprawled around Barbaros.
“Releasing her so soon?” Mylynzen observed.
“What are you going to do about our horses?” I asked, dismissing his observation. “You killed them!”
“You can retrieve them in the mess hall,” Mylynzen said nonchalantly.
“What?!” I snarled and twisted my lips in disgust. “We don’t want—“
“I’m just pushing your buttons,” Mylynzen interjected. “I’ll arrange something for you in return. Find me around here or back at the mess hall in the morning.”
I nodded reluctantly. I wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, and I couldn’t imagine that anything he would give us would satisfy the loss of Betsy and Sally, but I didn’t want to push things any further. Getting Sora had been my main concern.
“Show them their rooms, Jen,” Mylynzen said.
“Come…” the female Barbaros said before turning.
We followed the Barbaros until she led us to one of the largest buildings in the whole town. Rather than raw, unfinished, unsealed logs like most of the other buildings, this building had putty wedged between each of the logs that formed its walls, and the door was a thick layer of hard wood, presumably to keep out the noise. As soon as Jenzyn opened the door, the sound of wind instruments bounced into my ears.
The inside of the inn was much like the human inns I had been to, but was filled entirely with Barbaros people. Circular tables were scattered throughout the room, an innkeeper was standing behind a bar at the far wall, and people were grouped together drinking, leaving only a few tables opened. I noticed one particular table where a group of Barbaros were playing a card game, each of them holding two cards in their hands.
Jenzyn gave a nod to the innkeeper and pointed towards us. “These are the guests.”
The innkeeper raised an eyebrow but then gave a slight nod. I was impressed at how unaffected the Barbaros people were at us being humans and better yet that we had a dark elf with us. They seemed to be a good—yet strange—race.
Jenzyn led us upstairs and down a narrow hall, then pointed to the last four rooms. “These are yours. Use them how you see fit. They are locked from the inside only, so if you decided to go out, don’t leave your valuables inside.”
“Thanks,” I said.
Jeremy opened a door and peeked into one of the rooms. “I guess I’ll take this one.”
Sung pointed toward the one immediately beside it. “I’ll take this one, but I’m going to go explore some more.”
I nodded at him, and he headed off back down the stairs without even checking the room.
“I’ll take whatever one you’re not taking, Gunnar,” Keysia said.
“They’re all the same, right?” I questioned.
Jenzyn nodded. “Pretty much.”
“Then I’ll take the one beside Sung, I guess.”
“Alright,” Keysia acknowledged. “I’ll take the one at the far end.”
“Great.” I wasn’t sure what else to say to Jenzyn, so I just gave her a slight nod before reaching for my door handle. “I guess we’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow.” Jenzyn nodded back, but she didn’t seem to move as I opened the room and slipped inside.
When I closed my door, I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. I had gained a lot of experience, but it had been a stressful, stressful day. The dogs, the deceptive quest, the journey through the Peace Temple, losing Sora, and eating our own damn horses on top of it all. It was one of the most taxing days thus far in the game, and I really needed some rest.
The inside of the room was much like the first room I had ever encountered when I had visited the inn in Linden. There was a basic bed topped with hay, a chest, and a small table, but not much else. It was a place to sleep but offered no additional amenities.
I stepped towards the bed and sat down. Though my body was tired, I wasn’t particularly sleepy, perhaps from the trauma of the day. My mind was running a million miles an hour.
I hoped Sora was doing better now that she was back in the Otherworld, and I replayed the moment that I had with Keysia when we were in the Peace Temple.
Damn… That was a good time.
But what about the strange dream I’d had the night before? Now that I had time to sit and think about it alone, it made me doubt myself. I knew I still had lingering feelings for Adeelee, and was starting to feel strongly for Keysia, but why was I dreaming about Rachel? And why the hell did I come up with the vision of her decked out in that rogue gear? It all seemed so abnormal.
And what was Aaron going to say when we told him that his beloved Betsy had been killed? And the fact that we ate her? Should I even tell him? I wondered. Oh my god… disgusting. My head lunged forward a little bit, and I almost heaved again.
Knock, knock, knock.
I was startled by the sound, but figured it was Sung or one of the guildmates. I swallowed my bile as I tried to get my mind off of eating our pets, stood, and walked to the door. When I opened it, I was surprised to see Jenzyn there.
“Gunnar?” she asked. “That’s your name, right?”
“Yeah, what can I do for you?”
“Can we talk?”
“Ughh…” I raised an eyebrow and looked down at her. Her eyes were soft and her whiskered mouth was drooped into a sad frown. “Yeah, I guess. What’s up?”
She pointed behind me. “Inside your room?”
I glanced behind me then gave a subtle nod. I stepped back, let her step inside, then closed the door behind us. “What’s up?”
“I’m sorry. I know this may be inappropriate, but I had to ask you…”
“What?” I pressed.
“Trynzen… Your friend mentioned Trynzen.”
I felt my stomach clench. I really wasn’t in the mood to have any drama over Trynzen’s trinket. “Yeah… he said um—“
“Is he alive?” Jenzyn interrupted.
“My friend said it was a mistake.“
“Please,” Jenzyn insisted. “I can spot a lie when I see one. If he isn’t alive, just tell me.”
I swallowed and stared down at Jenzyn’s tiny spots that riddled her face and gave her a very young, freckled appearance. It was hard to judge how old a Barbaros was, but based on her demeanor and build, I had to guess she was around my age, or the equivalent in Barbaros years. “Why are you so concerned?”
“He’s my older brother…” She smiled, tilted her head down, and huffed. “Well, not my real brother, but my cousin. I used to call him my brother when we were growing up.” She looked up to me with wide, glowing eyes.
“And you don’t know where he is? I mean… I…” My voice trailed, still hesitating to reveal anything more than necessary...
Again, Jenzyn looked down and navigated over to my bed. She sat and placed her hands in her lap. “If you’ve met Trynzen, I’m sure you’ve noticed that he’s… different. He was born a leper.” She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “An unusual disease of some sort affects his body. He was always hunched over and in constant pain. Here in Barbarosia, where Barbaros are judged on their stature and strength, he was considered strange and undesirable.
“My uncle had two other Barbaros children, and he loved them all the same, despite Trynzen’s flaws. When Trynzen’s brothers would pick on him, uncle was there to scold them.” She took another deep breath. “But uncle died in a hunt, leaving Trynzen’s two brothers to care for him. That’s when the brothers began taking advantage of Trynzen, bullying him, using him.
“Despite his decrepit appearance, Trynzen was a strong fighter and wanted nothing more than to impress his brothers. They’d send him off on dangerous errands and quests that were far beyond his level, and kept whatever rewards he collected for themselves. They treated him more like a slave than a brother, and when in the city, they left him to himself so that they could go off and spend their gold.”
Jenzyn looked up to me. “I loved Trynzen though. He had a heart of gold and would bring me flowers any time he had the chance. He was a little slow and different… sure… but he was still a Barbaros.”
There was a moment of pause, and I tilted my head. “Okay, so where is this leading?”
“Trynzen’s brothers sent him on a quest—dangerous for Trynzen’s level—but Trynzen completed it, and returned to the city having suffered several injuries but with an item of great power.”
“What kind of item?” I asked. My ears were burning as I wondered if it was the same item around my neck.
Jenzyn shook her head. “I’m not sure. But Trynzen insisted on keeping the item, and when his brothers attacked, he ran off and hasn’t been seen for years. As far as anyone knows, he’s dead.”
Not dead… I thought, but Highcastle prison was probably worse than death. “So what do you want me to do about it?” I sounded a little cold, but I hadn’t forgotten that she had been involved in feeding me our horses not too long ago.
“Tell me where Trynzen is. Is he alive? Is he dead? Tell me something. Let me be at peace knowing that my brother… ugh… cousin…” She rattled her head. “Just tell me where he is.”
I felt confused about the situation. The story of Trynzen and their family ties were starting to hit me in the emotional part of my brain, but I didn’t entirely trust Jenzyn. At the same time, I wondered if it were an opportunity for profit. “What’s in it for me?”
“Tell me where Trynzen is, and I’ll pay you once I find him,” Jenzyn said. “Bring him back here, and I’ll give you a great reward.” She huffed. “Or just let me know he’s alive out of the kindness of your heart…”
“Bring him back here, and you’ll pay me, huh?” I wasn’t sure how I could possibly get Trynzen out of jail, but I figured there was no foul in inquiring how much was on offer. “How much are we talking?”
“I’ll give you 10,000 gold.” Jenzyn tilted her head. “And Trynzen’s item. I’m sure his brother would give you double that or more for it. Will you help?”
You’ve received a quest offer: The Missing Barbaros
Jenzyn would like you to return Trynzen to Barbarosia.
Optional: Return Trynzen’s trinket to his brothers.
Reward: 10,000 gold, 5,000 XP
Do you accept this quest? Accept/Decline
My stomach tingled with excitement. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the large quest gold that could be awarded or the fact that I could get double or more by selling the pendant I was wearing. It would be a massive help towards building our castle in Edgewood.
But… I had to consider that I might be offered yet another deceptive quest. If Jenzyn was running around with Mylynzen, then maybe she was some freak trying to track down Trynzen to steal the item or kill him. I wasn’t sure.
I scratched the back of my head and decided it wasn’t worth it. It was a lot of money to pass up, but there was just too much going on for me to risk being tricked. And with the heat in Highcastle combined with the difficulty getting him released—it didn’t seem like a good idea. “I’m sorry. I don’t know where Trynzen is.”
“Please,” Jenzyn pleaded. “Your friend is the first person I’ve heard speak his name since he went missing. I know you know where he is.” She looked down and shook her head from left to right. “He’s had such a bad run in life… If he could just come back and have a few happy years.”
“Wouldn’t his brothers just treat him bad again?”
Jenzyn shook her head. “I don’t know. But they’re older now. Surely there’s more good in them.” She looked up to me. “Is he happy? I suppose if he’s happy, maybe it’s better to leave him where he is.” She stood up and took a step towards the door. “Maybe you’re right. If he’s alive and doing well, bringing him back to his home might be a bad idea. I just wanted to know that he’s okay. What could be worse than living in a place where you’re looked at as nothing more than a leper?”
My head slumped. I knew the filthy jail that Trynzen was sitting in. He was alone and eating stale food rations. The guards were taunting, abusing him, and he lived across from a smelly carcass. If he had lived through a lifetime of abuse, it was pretty cruel that he was sitting in the worst of spots to live. No matter what could happen to him in Barbaros, surely it couldn’t be worse than Highcastle jail.
I thought back to why Trynzen told us that he had went to jail in the first place. He said he had tried to escape his brothers and ended up in the Freelands. Some way or another he wound up in someone’s house where he tried to get food but ended up harming the guy instead.
I let out a deep sigh. “Trynzen is alive.”
Jenzyn’s head jerked towards me. “Really?”
“He’s in Highcastle prison.”
“What?! Prison?”
“He got into some trouble with the law in the Freelands and ended up there. That’s all I know.”
“Oh, Eden’s Gate, no!” Jenzyn cried. She leaned her head into a palm then quickly looked up. “Please help me, Gunnar! As a Barbaros, there’s no way I can get the humans there to set him free. Please, please, get him out of prison!”
“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do that,” I said. “King Rutherford isn’t keen on releasing prisoners, and he’s under tight guard.”
“There has to be a way!” Her eyes tilted to the side then she stared back up at me. “Look, I’ll make it worth your while. I’ve only got about 20,000 gold to my name, but it’s all yours if you can bring him back to me. Can you at least try?”
You’ve received a quest offer: #FreeTrynzen
Jenzyn would like you to return Trynzen to Barbarosia.
Optional: Return Trynzen’s trinket to his brothers.
Reward: 20,000 gold, 5,000 XP
Do you accept this quest? Accept/Decline
20,000 gold? I thought. Holy shit! That was a hell of a lot of money. I wondered if there was some potential that I could persuade the King into releasing his prisoner. He owed a lot to me after I brought him Shashana’s Venom. Maybe he’d even offer me a quest to secure his freedom like he had with Jeremy.
“If you won’t go, I’ll go,” Jenzyn said. “Even if I die, I’ll fight to get my brother back. He doesn’t deserve to rot in jail after all he’s been through.”
I raised my palm and sighed a little. “I’ll give it a try, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
You have accepted the quest: #FreeTrynzen!
“Thank you,” she said. “Bring him back here, and I’ll reward you. I run with Mylynzen, so find me or him if you manage to get Trynzen released. We rarely stray from Barbarosia unless we’re on the hunt for a creature to tame.”
“Got it,” I said.
Jenzyn smiled widely before turning and slipping out the door.
I got myself comfortable on the bed again, and lay down on my back as I considered all the things I had to do. I needed to level, grow Edgewood Village, and I had a few quests backlogged. I needed to get the ingredients for the Bloodthirsty Blade, attempt to free Trynzen, and maybe one day I’d be able to do the strange quest that required me to learn Levitation—that one was far off, for sure. All the while, I wanted to get in a position where I could fight in the Arena again and still had the Bloodletters to think about. I could still barely wrap my head around what the Faithsworn had done, and this idea that the dragons flying overhead were an omen that things were about to get a lot worse.
My mind was racing.
Knock, knock, knock.
I jerked back up and wondered if Jenzyn had returned to ask me something else. “Yeah, just a minute,” I said as I strode across the room. I cracked the door open, peeked outside, and was stunned as I pulled it all the way back.
Standing in front of my room was the brown-robed genius himself, smiling and holding his arms neatly in front of him. “Hey, Gunnar.”
“Dr. Winston?”
Chapter Twenty
2/4/0001
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Oh, just came to have a little chat.” He raised his eyebrows and turned to his side. “Maybe I should ask you what you’re doing here? I’m surprised to see that you’re in Barbarosia. A lot of players like to stay close to home while they level. You seem to be getting around a lot.”
“It’s a long story…”
He shrugged lightly. “Mind if I come in?”
“Uh, no… Come on in.” I stepped aside to let him enter then shut the door behind him.
Dr. Winston walked inside and moved his hands so that they were cupped behind his back, then proceeded to walk towards the far wall. He lifted a finger and rubbed it across the rough wood of the room, then smiled as if something humored him. “Did you read the patch notes earlier today?”
I had actually forgotten about the patch until he mentioned it, but I nodded in acknowledgement. “Yeah, I read them.”
“Thoughts?”
“It’s been a busy day, so I haven’t put my thought into them, but the changes sounded good. I haven’t even looked at my menus since, really.”
Dr. Winston nodded. “That’s a shame. I was hoping to get some feedback from you, but no matter. You can let me know later. What about bugs or glitches in the game? I noticed you haven’t summoned me for anything else since you were stuck in the Sands.” He winked. “Looks like you figured that little problem out.”
