The World Which Is

It’s two days before the ferry leaves. During that time, I’m kind of stuck in the club.

With Xander set on taking the journal, Brandon doesn’t want me roaming outside unescorted, and he can’t do it. He has to get supplies for the trip, he needs to let some folks know he’s going to be out of town, and see to it we have a spot on the ferry.

I’ve already gotten everything I’ll need, so it’s not like I have a reason to go out, short of exploring the city, and I can’t say I care to do that all that much.

I spend some of the time going over the maps in the journal, and even come across one with ‘The Knox’ marked on it. It’s south of Indianapolis, which is southwest of Toronto, according to one map of the east side of what used to be the United States. It was large enough to need two maps, each the size of a journal page folded over four times. There aren’t a lot of points marked on either of them, so I figure Aaron just marked the largest cities, and then he made more detailed maps of the areas he visited.

Or maybe those two he got from someone else. The city names are written in blockier letters than Aaron’s handwriting. I guess it makes sense he’d buy maps from others. He can’t have traveled the entire continent.

Maybe there’s some way to make duplicates. I do get an auto-mapping ability once I reach level 26, so maybe that and a high enough drawing skill does it?

I rearrange the maps based on the major cities on them. I have no idea how Aaron used to find anything in them the way they were shuffled.

I also introduce myself to some of the others in the club, which garners me chuckles and odd looks. I get the feeling that’s not something they do, but I’m not going to be the one acting like I’m better than anyone here.

And this way I can make sure I’m known as Dennis, instead of Aaron’s son. Just Dennis, I tell them, and figure they can decide why I don’t want Aaron’s surname associated to me on their own.

The team of non-humans is led by the orc, Wilfred. The bear like woman, she’s a Bogbear, is quick to warn me to never call him Will. She’s Renata. The scaled man is Patch, his species is Karlical, which I’ve never heard of, but considering how long that list is, doesn’t surprise me. All he’ll tell me about himself, is that he’s from South America. There’s a fourth one with them that morning, and even mentally I fight not to describe him with the animal he resembled, until he tells me he’s a rat. Ratican, he specifies, but so long as he’s not the butt of a joke, he doesn’t mind being referred to as a rat. He’s Maurice.

He’s a researcher, I find out, when I ask if any of them have the explorer class. Wilfred and Renata are the bruisers and Patch is their security. None of those are classes, I figure, but I don’t inquire further.

The older folks are colder toward me, and I can’t tell if it’s because of my age or the exchange with Xander. None of them are outright rude, but I’m definitely left with a ‘they’d rather I not be here’ sense.

Marygold is the friendliest of everyone here, which I figure she has no choice, seeing how she had to deal with all of them.

* * * * *

“Tell me you have space in your inventory,” Brandon says when he returns a little before lunchtime.

“I do.” I immediately shove the map I was studying in the journal as a large pack appears in his hand and he drops it on the table. “What’s that?”

“Camping equipment. You’re going to need your own.”

“Aren’t we traveling with a caravan?”

“Why do you think you wouldn’t need your own tent even then?”

“Maybe…I have my own?” God, do I sound lame. How did I not think to get a tent?

“No, you don’t. Even if you hadn’t implied you think you don’t need it with a caravan, you came here on Chuck’s. And for as horrible as the stories are about him, they all agree that his caravan’s one of the best one to travel with. I’ll bet that one of them offered you a tent and made it seem like they weren’t even put out by having to sleep under the stars.”

“What horrible stories?” I ask, surprised. I mean, Chuck is kind of intense, but—

“He eats monsters for breakfast. You too, if you get on his wrong side. His only volume is screaming, and it takes little for his pet to—”

“Silver’s not his pet.”

That stops Brandon short, and I put the pack in my inventory in the silence.

“Anyway.” He motions to Marygold. “As soon as we’ve eaten, we’re heading out. The ferry leaves at two, and we want to be on it early unless we want to be standing the entire time.”

* * * * *

We’re fifteen minutes out of Adelaide, walking along a narrow street lined with tenements when Brandon slows. He looks around.

It’s only us. For as big as Toronto is reputed to be, from my little experience with it, unless I was on a principal road, there weren’t a lot of people around. I mean, I can hear them in the distance, but it’s some ways away.

He shakes his head when I open my mouth.

I try to work out what has his attention.

Perception Check Successful

The message appears with my eye catching on something poking out from the side of the building ahead, then I realize it’s an elbow covered with black cloth. Brandon is looking over his shoulder, so I tap him and nod to the hidden person. He responds with a nod behind us.

Perception Check Successful

All I make out is the jerk of a head moving back, but it’s enough to tell me where that one is. It’s probably also a sign they realize they’ve been noticed.

A series of whistles sound, and four people step out from alleys. Two before and two behind. Their dark leather armor and the swords they’re holding are enough I don’t have to ask what their intentions are.

I switch to my armor and equip my sword and shield, then turn my back to Brandon.

“Armor?” I ask, since he’s still wearing the jeans and shirt.

“I don’t need that against people.”

I remind myself he took on the four muggers basically on his own and don’t question the decision.

“I don’t want to fight,” I tell them. “Is there any chance you can tell us what you want and we can settle this amicably?”

“Really?” Brandon says and I feel his gaze on me.

“We’ve been paid to get your journal,” the one on my left says. “You hand it over and we have no reason to do anything to either of you.”

“Don’t,” Brandon warns as I sigh. “You hand it to them and they’re still going to try to kill us, but then one is going to run off while we’re busy and Xander gets it, no matter how this turns out.”

“You’re really willing to kill?” I ask them. “Even with the punishment?”

“We’re only punished if we’re caught. And the dead can’t say much.”

Brandon snorts.

I nod. “Okay then, come take it from me.” I step away from Brandon for the maneuvering room, and the one I’ve been talking to runs at me.

I do my best.

I really do.

I even manage to block and parry a few of his attacks before my sword flies out of my hand. By then my health is around halfway gone and the only thought, as I get to my feet, is that I’m going to have to go through both repair kits fixing all the holes in my armor.

Yeah, the thought I’m not going to have to worry about repairs only crosses my mind after that. I consider running, but Brandon is in no better shape than I am. Which is impressive, considering he’s taking on three of them, and managed to knock one unconscious.

I equip my knife and the guy before me smirks. I did land two hits, but they didn’t make it through his armor.

He steps forward and I ready myself to block, hoping for—

The sound hits so hard I stagger.

You have been Debuffed: Stunned

The icon appears, but it’s white instead of a color. That means it’s maintained. The sound’s like that cat I heard screaming once, only so much louder and painful.

The man before me shakes himself, tries to take a step and nearly falls.

The sound stops, and the icon turns red.

“I just want to be sure of something,” a woman says, as I try to muster the concentration to will the debuff away. “But the three of you in black, ganging up on the good-looking fighter, are the bad guys here.”

“You are so dead, bitch,” someone replies.

“Good enough for me.” The next sound that comes from her is nicer, then I realize its music, a violin, as the debuff vanishes.

You have been buffed: Strength of the Underdog

I’m going to have to query the system about that one later, but its effect is immediate as the violinist plays. My health bar pulses as it fills and increases in size. When I step toward my still disoriented assailant, my steps feel surer. He swings and I easily block, then I slam my shield against the side of his head and he’s sent off his feet.

The icon is already turning green, so I don’t have much time. I kick him in the face as hard as I can as he’s struggled to get up, and he’s on his back, unmoving. I run to help Brandon, who kicks one away, while the other holds him in a bear hug from the back.

“Deal with him,” he tells me, elbowing the one holding him.

He’s already to his feet and steady, so the debuff isn’t affecting him anymore. Still, I can’t tell if it’s him, or the buff that causes it, but it’s like he’s not quite moving at full speed as we close the distance. I see his punch coming, block it, reverse my grip on the knife, and slam the pommel into his stomach, and he staggers back.

Then I know it was me as the buff vanishes in spite of the music still going on. He comes at me fast, and his fist gets by all my attempts to not be where they’re going to hit except the last one, which is funny, since I can barely stand at that point.

The smile on his face is nasty as he raises his fist, only to go flying back.

“I think you’ve had enough fun,” Brandon snarls. “It’s my time to play with him.”

Brandon looks in worse shape than I feel, but he makes quick work of the attacker, throwing in one final kick at the unconscious man.

Then the music stop and I nearly fall.

I’m panting hard, like all this fighting is hitting me at once, which, considering my stamina’s now lower than my health, might be the case.

“Are you two okay?” she asks, and I look up. There’s a faint accent to her words. French, I think. She holds the violin at her side and the bow in her other hand forward, like it’s a sword. She’s my height, her hair’s white and short. Her clothing has the ruggedness I saw the people in Chuck’s caravan wearing, but seems cut to allow her better motion.

“Thanks,” I manage to say between pants.

“You, are a lifesaver,” Brandon says.

“I’m glad I decided to avoid the major roads. I didn’t realize the thugs here were quite that nasty.”

“Those aren’t thugs,” Brandon says. “I didn’t think he’d go so far as to hire professionals.” He straightens and winces as he stretches.

She looks him over and smiles. Well, he is good looking.

“Professional what?” I ask.

Brandon stares at me. “Killers. What did you think I might mean? That they did professional dancing to go along with the lady’s expert music?”

She blushes.

Killers. “Why?” Is all I can form as the idea Xander wants me dead hits.

“Why don’t you sit?” She’s next to me, then leads me to the wall. “You too. This is going to work better if you’re still.”

When Brandon’s at my side, she puts the bow to her violin and plays something gentle. At first, I think it’s a lullaby, and she’s trying to put us to sleep, then I notice the slow increase in my health and stamina.

“It’s the best I can do, I’m afraid,” she said over the music. “I haven’t reached the point where I can play high power healing.”

“It was looking like we were going to miss our ferry,” Brandon says. “And that Underdog buff literally saved my life, so you don’t need to apologize for anything.”

“Yeah,” I say, when he looks at me.

Xander tried to have me killed.

All I did. All I fucking did was tell him no. And he sent killers after me. What kind of fucking person does that?

“Dennis?” The concern in Brandon’s voice breaks me out of my anger and I shake the rest loose. Being pissed isn’t going to do anyone any good.

“I’m okay. I mean I’m better.” I smile at her. “Thanks for the save. I’m Dennis, he’s Brandon.”

“Silver,” she replies and for a second, I can’t believe the coincidence. Part of me wonders if she could be… No, that Silver’s a he, and come on, what’s more likely? That a woman with white hair would call herself Silver, or that Chuck’s companion could transform into a woman and then come save my ass.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Brandon asks, and I shake myself again.

“Yeah, sorry. It’s just that I met another Silver recently.”

“She as good looking as our rescuer?”

“He,” I reply while she blushes hard. Of course, now I look her over again. She’s slim, but not thin. Her face is heart-shaped, her lips full, nice blue eyes. Somehow, she blushes harder once he notices me looking, and I look away.

Brandon grins at me, and now I’m the one blushing.

“Did you find anything about that Knox place?” I ask so I don’t have to think about how I stared at her, and he caught me doing it.

“Why would you think I’d look into it?”

“Call it a hunch. If it helps, I found a map with it on it.”

“Why would that help?” Brandon asks, tone suspicious.

Instead of answering him, I look at Silver, who’s back to her naturally lightly tanned coloring. “I know we don’t actually know each other, and you probably have plans already, but seeing how you saved our lives, and I think someone who can heal us is going to be of help with what I’m planning, would you be interested in going on an adventure with me?”

She blushes again.

“What are you planning?” Brandon asks, and this time, there’s eagerness in his voice.

“Xander tried to have me killed to get whatever is in The Knox. I say we pay him back by going there, finding it and dropping it off at the first explorer club we find so he can get news of it.”

“Yes!” then his expression dropped. “Oh Fuck. We’re going to need more help.”