PA-01. Den Of Thieves, page 16
part #1 of Pantheon Online Series
Gunnar shook his head, eyeing the climber, who rappelled back down with a rope from the top of the wall.
“I’m not going to pass any trials pickpocketing,” Gunnar said.
Needless to say, Gunnar did not start out on the thirty-foot wall. In the corner, there was a ten-foot beginner’s wall, the sort he imagined lined the gardens of noble estates. Even on the short wall, Kohli insisted he wear a rope tied around his waist, which one of the gym workers tended to while Gunnar attempted his first ascent.
The cracks between stones were minuscule, and Gunnar marveled at how easy the man on the big wall had made it look. Gunnar tried pulling himself up with weak handholds, but then found a better foothold a little further down the wall. He stepped up with one foot still on the ground, and looked up. On the side of one stone, the crack was deeper than the others. Gunnar slid his left hand up and wedged his fingers between the stones, activating the Wall Climbing skill he’d unlocked during their mad flight from the horde in the crypt.
Gunnar quickly discovered there were holds all over the wall, if he looked closely enough. One stone jutted out slightly more than the others, and he reached with his right hand, lifting both feet off the ground. Then, he located a groove between stones for his left. And so it went for several more moves.
Until his foot slipped.
The rope cinched tight around his gut, cutting into his skin, but he didn’t hit the ground. He hung there, swinging violently for a moment. Glancing down, he realized he had only made it three feet off the ground.
The rope attendant lowered him down, and Kohli smirked. He had removed his boots, Gunnar realized.
“Those leather boots don’t have great traction,” the thief said. “Find the right merchant, and you might be able to buy some better ones for this sort of thing. I’ve heard there’s some custom-made ones that ninjas wear with grippy soles. Pretty sure that Em chick had some. There’s enchanted ones too that are even better. But for now, I prefer to climb with bare feet.”
Gunnar took the rope off and rubbed at his stomach. That thing was going to saw right through him by the end of the day if he kept falling.
“You couldn’t have told me that before I fell?” Gunnar asked.
Kohli shrugged. “Better to learn from mistakes, right?”
That sounded annoyingly like Azmar.
Kohli took his place at the base of the wall. “My turn.”
The thief didn’t bother with the safety rope on the short wall, and he made it look way too easy. With a series of quick intentional movements, Kohli pulled himself to the top and grinned back down at Gunnar.
It took Gunnar four attempts, but he scaled the beginner wall, earning a paltry 5 XP. Kohli said that while you could level skills quickly in places like this, the game made it much harder to advance in Glory just from training scenarios. It pushed players toward taking on dangerous quests.
There were other spots along the short wall that were more difficult, and by the end of the afternoon, Gunnar had conquered a section of the twenty-foot wall. His Strength and Dexterity both leveled up from the experience, and Wall Climbing reached Level 9 by the time they were done. Gunnar was determined to keep going as long as Kohli, but when the thief finally said he was done, Gunnar was nearly spent. His forearms were pumped and his fingers were stiff and aching.
“I’ve got to go get ready for my job tonight,” Kohli said as they exited the training gym. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good luck,” Gunnar said, trying to mask his jealousy. He’d hoped the thief would invite him along. But he knew that was a stupid thing to get sore about. He didn’t even know if that was allowed with a job like that.
Once he was alone, he deliberated what to do. Despite the fact that he had accomplished much today, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was falling behind. He thought about pinging Em—perhaps she could help him make more contacts with the Nighthawks—but decided against it. He didn’t want to seem like he needed her, or her guild.
He went to the Mermaid to catch a meal before things got crazy during the evening shows. Sykes was nowhere to be seen, and Theodore, the dawn elf man who tended the bar, was not particularly chatty or knowledgeable. When Gunnar asked him about getting some quests, the man suggested mingling around the bar, like a good NPC would.
Gunnar downed an ale, glanced around the room full of rough-looking men and women, and shook his head. The likeliest quest coming out of a place like this probably involved drunks or prostitutes, and he was not particularly eager to deal with either.
He couldn’t stop thinking of the man who’d been clubbed to death right before his eyes. He knew none of this was real, and yet, he found himself thinking of the prison less and less. In a matter of days, this place had begun to feel more like his actual reality. And something about that thought scared him.
Gunnar was half tempted to exit Pantheon on his own tonight, while he slept in-game, just to see his actual face, his actual body again.
But no. What he really needed was to make some legitimate progress.
Yesterday, the crypt had been a big risk with a good payoff. He’d gained several levels and caught the notice of Nymoria. Today had been interesting enough, and he’d accomplished some necessary mundanities, but he wanted more excitement. Kohli was out on a quest, and here he was moping.
Better to take a risk and fail than sit around, right?
Maybe it was time to put his new Wall Climbing skills to use. Gunnar paid his tab and made to leave the Mermaid. But as he crossed the room, he noticed a very angry-looking dwarf staring at him with cold dark eyes. As Gunnar reached the door, the dwarf left his seat. Gunnar hurried outside. The last thing he needed today was to deal with some piss-drunk little craftsman.
Outside, the night was cool and damp. The breeze cut straight through his cloak and shirt. He shivered, wishing he had some thicker clothes. Maybe next time he went to Hel’s Oasis.
Gunnar was in the middle of the square outside the Mermaid when he heard the rapid patter of small boots on the stone. He turned.
“’Ey!” the dwarf shouted. The little guy’s red beard flapped in the breeze, and he pointed right at Gunnar and shouted again. “Yeah, I’m talkin’ ter yeh, yeh daft bastard! We need ter talk!”
27
WHEN NOT TO PUNT A DWARF
Gunnar grimaced as the impressively quick dwarf approached. Now that he wasn’t in the middle of a pub, where anyone else might join the brawl, he felt more confident. There was a reason he hadn’t chosen the dwarf race when he entered the game. Dwarves were not warriors in this world, and he felt confident he could take him if it came to it.
Never punted a dwarf before…
He braced himself, ready to draw a dagger at a moment’s notice.
Dimble the Dwarf
Level: 9
HP: 100/100
MP: 60/60
Threat Level: White
Description: Dwarves can be feisty little buggers, and you really don’t want to get on their bad side.
A new Scan feature had unlocked when he’d leveled up his Perception last night, but based on the dwarf’s expression, its accuracy seemed highly questionable.
“The hell do you want?” Gunnar demanded.
The dwarf slowed his pace, still looking angry. “I saw yeh at the temple today.”
Gunnar didn’t like where this was going. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. So, you can kindly piss off. I’ve got things to do.”
Dimble let out a low growl. “Gods, all yeh elves are the bloody same! Heads up yer own asses. As though the tall folk o’ this city have treated yer kind any better than they have us. They don’t even care about their own kind!”
Gunnar paused. He was no longer sure this dwarf was drunk. Or about to attack him.
“What’re you talking about?” he asked.
“That human yeh tried ter help at the temple. Don’t try an’ deny it. I know what I saw. He was being stupid, an’ yeh tried ter help him. Right in front of the bloody Red Cloaks.”
Gunnar felt uneasy. Was this some sort of bounty hunter or something? Had the guards come looking for him?
But he pushed the thought aside. He was a Thailen citizen now, and he needed to act like it.
“I tried to stop him from doing anything stupid,” Gunnar said. “Like mouthing off to a damn noble. But it didn’t matter. He got himself killed.”
The dwarf lowered his voice. “Yeh put your neck on the line for someone yeh didn’t know.”
“How do you know I didn’t know him?”
“Because yeh didn’t mourn for him. Yeh did what yeh could to try an’ help him, and when it didn’t work, yeh carried on.”
“Did…” Gunnar was not sure what to make of this dwarf. “Did you know him?”
Dimble shook his head. “I’m part of an acting troupe. We perform in the square every Altar Day. That’s how I saw yeh with that man who was killed.”
“And what? You followed me?”
The dwarf chuckled. “The grace of Barduum, I s’pose. I was walking home and saw yeh go ter the Mermaid, so I followed yeh in. I need help, and I thought yeh might be able ter…”
The dwarf’s voice broke off, whether intentionally or not, Gunnar was not sure. A single tear streaked down his face.
“It’s me brother, yeh see. He’s been abducted by one o’ them bloody nobles.”
Gunnar scowled. But then again, he had been wanting a quest.
“What would a noble want with your brother?”
“The high folk like ter use us for entertainment. They do…terrible things ter us at their damn parties.”
Gunnar felt uneasy. “You don’t mean they…”
Dimble nodded. “Yeah… dwarf tossing.”
Needless to say, that was not what Gunnar was expecting, and the disgust with which the dwarf said it made it sound even more absurd. Gunnar fought to remain composed, but for god’s sake, they had watched a man get beaten to death in the streets earlier today, and this dude was worried about some party game?
Dimble gritted his teeth with righteous anger. “Nimble’s a good man. A true craftsman. He’s served Mistress Periden for years, fashioning weapons for her guard, even things for her own escapades. Yeh know, battle corsets.”
Battle corsets? This sounded like an interesting noblewoman.
“I’m not sure I’m following the… direness of the situation here,” Gunnar said.
Dimble’s face grew red. Gunnar worried the small man might try and tackle him or something, but he merely stamped his thick boot on the cobblestone.
“Not following? What do yeh think happens ter a man after hours o’ being tossed around on the stone ground? What do yeh think happens if the damn nobles decide ter make dwarves duel with smithy hammers an’ hot pokers? I had a friend who couldn’t walk for a month after being summoned for a party. An’ his fingers were so abused, he couldn’t craft for a year. Some never craft again. An’ some never come home at all. If that happens ter Nimble, all he’s worked for… his children… please, I need yer help.”
Quest Alert - Dimble’s Nimble
Description: Dimble’s brother Nimble is being held captive at the estate of a middle nobleman named Count Dravingdel. This place may not be a fortress, but it is surrounded by a fifteen-foot wall and guarded by plenty of Red Cloaks.
Objective: Save the dwarf, save the world.
Reward: You get to get off your ass and do something today!
Do you wish to accept? Yes/No
Gunnar mentally accepted the quest, and the alert vanished.
Dimble gave him directions to the estate, and Gunnar placed a marker on his MiniNav. The party was in two days, so he at least had some time for reconnaissance before he dove all in with this quest. The estate was in the northern part of the city, in an undiscovered zone, so it would take a while just to get there.
He set out, drawing his cloak tight around him against the cool coastal air. He followed the waterfront, passing rows of ships loading and unloading crates of goods from who knew where. It reminded him of the night he arrived, and he wondered how many more Maldans would be arriving later tonight, and whether Sheira was out here somewhere waiting for her next target.
Gunnar continued past the massive Temple of Luka and crossed the heart of the city, slowly making his way toward the hillsides beyond, which were lined with the spires of noble estates like the spines of a ferocious beast.
It impressed him, not just the level of detail in this world, but the originality. Thailen did not seem to imitate any real world city that he could think of. The architecture was similar enough to depictions of ancient Earth cities that it didn’t throw him. But the sharp jutting towers and harsh angles of the stone felt otherworldly. Almost Gothic, but different, though he didn’t have the architectural knowledge to quite put his finger on it. Even the geography beyond the city felt alien, as though he were visiting a newly discovered corner of the world.
Or maybe I just never got out much, Gunnar thought with a chuckle.
As he walked further, a message notification flashed, and he pulled it up.
Em: What you up to tonight?
Gunnar dismissed the message for now. He was getting close to the Golden Hills of Thailen.
Two small rivers cut their way through the city. They winded down from mountains, threading between the city’s hillsides and eventually pouring into the bay. Beyond the second river, the city swiftly transformed, streets widening and buildings spreading farther apart. Trees towered above him like in the parks back home.
There were iron gates across the road ahead and an outpost of Red Cloaks. Gunnar realized he had already reached a wealthy, unwelcoming part of the city a moment too late. A pair of guards came alert and strode toward him.
Red Cloak Guard
Level: 5
HP: 65/65
MP: 30/30
Threat Level: White
With its accuracy no longer in question, Gunnar loved the new information. Not only could he detect the level of threat by these mobs, there was also a white dot on his MiniNav corresponding to each guard. That could prove really useful, especially with this new mission.
As the guards neared, Gunnar produced his identification papers, crossing his fingers that Hel had done her job. One of the guards glanced briefly at them, then waved them away.
“What business do you have in the Golden Hills?” he asked.
“We’ve got no need for any new street sweepers or the like,” the other said.
Gunnar shrugged. “Heard rumors of a big party in a couple days. Thought there might be need for temporary work. For the cleanup.”
The guards frowned. “At this hour?”
Gunnar didn’t skip a beat. “These are a sweeper’s waking hours. Thought I’d check before I begin work for the night.”
Both their faces softened, seemingly satisfied at the answer.
“You’ll be wanting to talk to a man named Turk from Dravingdel’s staff. Afraid he’s not available at this hour.”
“We’ll pass the message along,” said the other guard.
Gunnar smiled. “I’d appreciate it.”
The guards took down his message, and Gunnar bid them good night. He walked back the way he’d come, waiting until the moment that the guards’ dots disappeared on his MiniNav. Before he reached the bridge across the river, he ducked into the trees, activated Dark Sight, and sprinted into the darkness.
Gunnar came to a thick stone wall at the edge of the wooded park. The trees had been intentionally trimmed back so as not to provide an easy means of summiting, and the wall itself was formed so that it leaned back. To climb it, he would have to hang at an angle.
He cursed, ducked back into the cover of the trees, and followed the park’s edge for a half mile, but it was the same everywhere. And beyond the park, there were more gates guarded by Red Cloaks. But he was not about to give up that easily.
Gunnar investigated the wall more closely. It was a solid twenty feet tall. There were small iron outlets fixed into the stone intermittently along the length of the wall, likely for draining the streets above when it rained. These were set at different heights in a diagonal pattern up and down the wall. But between them, the stone was cut so smooth, there was hardly a grip in the space between them.
With a couple brief attempts, he confirmed that he was not going to be able to climb it. Not with his current skills.
He pulled up the chat feature in his HUD and decided to respond to Em’s message.
Gunnar: Doing some recon for a new quest. Interested? I think I could use your skill set.
28
RECON
Gunnar watched the ellipsis flash as Em formed her response. He instantly wondered if he was making a mistake. Truthfully, he’d been excited to hear from her, but he also kept thinking about what Kohli had said the previous night.
Em: Uh, you THINK you could use my skill set?
Gunnar: All right. I could most DEFINITELY use your help. I’m at the edge of the Golden Hills, trying to figure out how to scale their walls.
Em: Get creative!
The ellipsis hovered for a full minute before she completed her response. He began to wonder whether she thought this quest was a bad idea.
Em: On my way. Send me your exact location.
It took him a couple minutes to figure out how to share his location from his MiniNav, but Gunnar was glad he didn’t have to ask her for help with that too. Em found his spot in the forest about a half hour later, and together, they surveyed the wall.
“I was thinking maybe those drain holes,” Gunnar said, pointing, “but I don’t know if I can jump between them.”
Em just shook her head, grinning. “Yeah, you could try that, I suppose, if you’re trying to make this recon as hard as possible…” She reached into her Inventory and produced a length of rope with a four-pronged grappling hook attached at one end. “Or you could use something like this.”
