Rescue (The Stork Tower Book 4) Read online

  She arrived in a Dragonblood Dryad clearing and quickly looked around to make sure she was safe. Her sweep was interrupted by a message informing her that another million Experience Points had been deposited in her character from the tax gathered on her landholding. She dismissed the message and checked the glade a second time. Nothing was in the area, so she sent out a call, just like she would to Gèng except her intent was focussed on a conversation with Mìng. She said, “Mìng, I’ve just arrived.”

  In her mind was a faint response, “I will come.” And with the words, she felt the direction Mìng’s answer had come from.

  She said, “No. I will come to you. You keep moving to the next Dryad Larva. I’ll ask for a response as I get closer.”

  The response came back, “Good. It will save time.”

  Leah was about to head out when she remembered the spell True Images that Utsal had given her. She was about to cast it then considered the way others would analyse her play. She decided against it and set off in the direction of Mìng. The first hundred or so paces was slow going, and she began to experiment with her ability to partially Mist. Although it was difficult at first, she was soon walking at a constant pace and Misting parts of her body before they made contact with shrubs, bushes, low-lying branches or trees. She found the concentration required was enormous and there were many times when she made a mistake and hit a limb or her head on a tree branch. At other times she began to un-Mist too late and stumbled as her foot or arm failed to materialise.

  Another consequence was the speed at which her BSP was used up. She was not low, but still, she kept an eye on it. She had been travelling for almost an hour and sent a sixth message to Mìng. The direction to Mìng had changed significantly; she was close. After several messages, she soon caught up. Mìng shared that she had managed to help another nine Larvae during the night and early morning, followed by another in the last hour. Mìng added that a meal of platinum, copper and mithryl would help her continue to grow quickly. As Leah took a sample of the suggested metals from her bag, she checked that Mìng had been able to find enough creatures to eat.

  “I have had enough. I wonder if it would be worthwhile to have more growth potion?”

  “Let’s wait a while; the notes were quite clear that one portion was enough.”

  Mìng chewed the samples as they walked and Leah listened as Mìng explained the names she had given the Dryads and some of the names she was considering for the remaining larvae.

  When they arrived at the next clearing, Mìng helped the larva enter the pupal stage. After a moment’s thought Leah said, “Although I am concerned for the larvae I do not think I am being productive. You are more than capable of finding and healing the other larvae. I suggest that I make my way toward the Elfaun city and reconnoitre. If necessary, I can call you. I want to investigate what is meant by the phrase, ‘to claim the city’.”

  “The plan is good. We have helped twenty-four larvae, and I still sense another thirty-five. How will you find the city?”

  “I’ll ride Mĕi. I suspect the city is well hidden and if I cannot find it, I will have Mĕi return me to where I first entered the valley. I'll then follow the first trail in the opposite direction.”

  The decision made, Leah changed Mĕi from her statue, and after letting her hunt for a while, Leah equipped the saddle and they were soon several hundred paces above the trees. Leah and Mĕi covered the valley several times and at several different heights before Leah decided to return to the first entry point and search on the ground. Leah turned Mĕi around and they headed straight toward the edge of the enclosed valley. Leah realised her mistake only after the damage was done — although she could not see the Elfauns, they could see her. Without warning a large wooden bolt shot from a cluster of tall trees. It ripped through Mĕi, bursting her heart before exiting through her back and just missing Leah.

  All Leah’s concentration was needed as she put aside her grief, calmed her mind, and turned to Mist just before Mĕi’s body speared into the ground. She realised that without all the practice she had done in the last few days she wouldn’t have been able to make the transition and would have died with Mĕi, and Leah could plainly see that Mĕi was dead. It was only the certainty that Mĕi would return that kept Leah from allowing grief to distract her. Instead, she quickly unequipped the saddle and moved in Mist form toward whoever had just tried to kill her. Before moving more than a few paces a message appeared:

  Atherleah. Your pet Chimera, Mĕi, has died. Pets in Dunyanin can resurrect after 48 realtime hours should their owner want to continue the relationship. When resurrected, the pet will appear as a statue in the player’s bag. (Note: The 48 hours are calculated in real hours)

  Do you wish to continue with Mĕi as a pet?

  [Y] [N]

  “Yes.”

  As the message disappeared, Leah could hear Elfauns coming in her direction. She ignored them and continued moving until she found a ballista mounted in the fork of a large tree. She Misted up and became corporeal on the branch above the large crossbow. Knowing full well that it would bring the Elfauns back to investigate, she cast Dragon Fire at the wooden contraption and returned to her Mist form while she watched it burn. Although tempted to attack the Elfauns, she reminded herself that it was more important to find their city and this was her best chance of discovering it.

  There were four Elfaun scouts in the party and Leah had to wait ten minutes after they returned before one of them stepped away from the others and started running along a well-defined path in the direction of the valley’s edge — Leah followed.

  Leah had been trailing the scout for half a league when the trail joined a larger path. Looking up, Leah couldn’t see a break in the canopy and she realised that she could have passed over even larger trails and never noticed them from above. The scout was nearing the edge of the valley, and Leah wondered how any city of a significant size could be hidden in the next section of forest. She knew from her trips over the valley that the forest cleared as the terrain rose toward the steep rock of the mountains.

  It was only as the scout disappeared from view that Leah saw a tunnel dug into the rising earth. She wondered how far it went for she couldn’t imagine the Elfauns being comfortable living under the earth. She paused and shared both her location and what she had discovered with Mìng. She moved towards the tunnel entrance but found she was not able to move closer than three paces from the entrance way. A message appeared:

  This tunnel is one of only two entries to the hidden canyon which is home to the ancient Elfaun civilisation. Millenia in the past the Elfaun Mages grew powerful and overthrew the rightful King. To protect their power they erected wards to guard the entrances of the ancient city. The wards work in both directions. Only Elfauns and their slaves are allowed to pass through the wards into the city, and none except those dedicated to the current rulers are permitted to leave. It is rumoured that in ancient times an Elfaun of noble descent escaped the wards in the hope of finding help to overthrow the mages. He was successful in passing out of the canyon with the aid of a stolen mage medallion. He travelled for many months but failed to find a champion who would help him. At that time a plague swept through all of Vatan. He caught the disease and was buried in an unmarked grave in a northern monastery. Find his remains and the medallion, for the key to the ancient city still lies around his neck.

  Leah stood quietly for several minutes, thinking about the message and its implications. She reviewed the clues she had skimmed and could see how they led to a particular monastery and even to the correct unmarked grave. She thought through the scenario from several angles and then with a grin stepped back into the thicker foliage and sat down to wait. She had been waiting for almost an hour when she heard the sound of a scout running towards the hidden entrance to the city. She stood, and as the Elfaun came into view, Leah stepped out and said in her Elfaun, “I’d like to offer you a chance to discuss our differences without fighting. What do you say?”

 
The only acknowledgement the scout gave was to reach for his sword and attack. She was prepared, and as his sword swung across her body she blocked the attack with Adalet and drove Baris through his shoulder. Leah blocked his next attack and wounded the other arm before extending her teeth and claws to end the Elfaun by replenishing her BSP.

  She then activated her vampire skill of Impersonation and felt herself shrink and take on the form of the scout. She grabbed his sword and walked toward the tunnel entrance. As she passed through the barrier, she felt her body tingle as the wards checked that she was an Elfaun or a slave. She felt the barrier suddenly begin to harden; she pushed harder, and it gave way, letting her through. As she stepped into tunnel itself a message appeared:

  Level 5 Dungeon (Trail) Achievement: First 1 (5, Painite)

  Atherleah (Level 287), you have entered a Trial:

  Claim the Elfaun City

  You are the first player to access this Trial. This is your fifth, 'First 1 (Painite)’ achievement.

  Reward 1: 5000 x 269 = 4035000 (+200%) Experience Points (2100000/2100000) (2071460/2150000)

  Reward 2: + 4% to all future Experience

  Reward 3: 5 x 1 Diamond = 5 Diamond

  Reward 4: Increased probability of valuable drop. Luck is increased by 7.5% whenever you are in this Dungeon. During your first time in the Dungeon, the probability of all drops is increased to 0.5.

  Fame: 5000 Fame Points (173760)

  A Commemorative Plaque has been placed in your bag.

  Note: This achievement will be published on the Dunyanin achievement forum.

  She had taken only a few steps when, with a flash of light, an elf appeared, he towered over her Elfaun size and stood directly in front of her. Leah walked through the figure without looking up and continued down the tunnel. The elf called out, “Come on Atherleah, that’s no way to treat a friend.”

  Leah turned around and grinned. “Emil, I didn’t see you up there. How was your leave? Are you back at work, or is this a social call?”

  “I have been recalled. It seems that my replacement was more suited to a management position; she had the occasional difficulty dealing with our clientele.”

  “That’s not true, Emil.”

  He looked shocked and said, “How so?”

  “It wasn’t occasional. Every time she talked to me she had difficulty.”

  “You may have a point, but I can’t comment. I arrived back just ten minutes ago and hadn’t even caught up with what has been happening when suddenly here you are, doing it again. I bet you can guess what this visit is about.”

  “Unfortunately Emil, it can only be a social visit. My lawyer assures me that the suit is on hold while Dunyanin’s lawyers dilly dally. He said that I am not supposed to discuss any official gameplay without both his presence and that of an independent arbitration facilitator who’s been appointed by the court. These conditions were ordered by the judge.”

  “Lawyer? Arbitration? Judge? What has been happening? Despite the circumstances that caused it, I really did take a holiday, I completely unplugged. I’ve been gone less than thirty hours, and already we are talking about arbitration? Look, I obviously need to get caught up on what has been happening, but can you and I work this out like we have in the past?”

  “That would be great, but we—and by that, I do not mean you and me, I mean Dunyanin and myself—we are at an impasse.”

  “Forget what’s been happening for the moment. Right now, you shouldn’t have been able to pass the wards.”

  “I can’t discuss this.”

  “And that is only one of three or four issues I was handed that we need to discuss.”

  “Please make an appointment with my lawyer.”

  “Come on, Atherleah. I know you. This isn’t you. What do you want from me?”

  Steel entered Leah's tone and raising her voice just a little, she said, “Justice! Equity! Restitution! Accountability! Transparency! And the list goes on! But I’ll let you in on a secret, one that you’ve missed while you were ‘unplugged’. Dunyanin has very little chance of achieving my list of intangibles. And that isn’t only because the foundation of our relationship was washed away by that over-bearing, pompous, self-important, jack-ass; but because you—and now I do mean you—you and the other developers, you no longer have total control of your systems, if you ever had it.”

  “I see. Well, no I don’t, and that is the problem. I realise that one of us has no idea what is going on, and that is me. Atherleah, I was recalled just over an hour ago, and I literally walked in the proverbial virtual door ten-minutes ago. They told me you were just sitting there, calmly waiting at some entrance tunnel, doing nothing, even though you were blocked by some inaccessible wards. I want you to know I figured out your plan about ten-seconds too late. I almost had the block in place when you triggered the lowering of the wards.”

  “To be honest Emil, I was pretty sure you were out of the loop, or I would have waited elsewhere.”

  “So you knew we didn’t want players to get through without the medallion? Atherleah, in the terms and conditions we specifically explain that players may have their gameplay reversed if they purposefully use glitches in software for personal advantage.”

  “Really, Emil? I think that’s the first time you’ve been maliciously dishonest with me. I’ve actually read the terms and conditions. I had to. They are very clear that there is a both a perceived and an operational difference between glitches and exploits. That difference extends to the consequences for when players use them. What I did, I exploited the game in a way that was unintended by the developers but was totally within the spirit and rules of Dunyanin. It’s the same type of exploit as in Orumeck’s Cavern, and in my journey to Çaresiz, only this time it was intentional. You didn’t threaten me then because you knew you were caught flatfooted, but at least you owned the miscalculation.

  “The terms say something along the lines of ‘When a player exploits a legitimate function of the Dunyanin World in an unintended way then Dunyanin reserves the right to amend the conditions to prevent further similar exploits. Such creative play is supported by Dunyanin as it helps to improve our world and the playing experience. It is a celebrated consequence of the developers’ aim for players to play an integral part in creating an emergent narrative for the world. Players are encouraged to report such opportunities but are not obliged to do so as both experimentation and exploration are characteristics encouraged in those who play in Dunyanin.’”

  Emil looked embarrassed and said, “Okay. That is all true, my mistake. So what do we do now?”

  “You leave me be. Go find out what has occurred and then find the integrity I admired in the previous incarnation of Emil. After that, talk with my lawyer. Goodbye!”

  Leah turned and walked down the tunnel. She hated walking away from Emil, as she understood the pressure he was under. But with everything that was going on, it wasn’t simply a forgive and forget scenario. She half expected him to call her back, but when he didn’t, she continued down the tunnel which extended further into the mountain.

  The tunnel was dark, but Elfaun’s apparently possessed some of the elf characteristics as she could see enough to move quickly. She was aided in that the tunnel was straight and regular in size. After half an hour it began to head slightly upwards, and less than five minutes later she could see the light of the exit ahead of her. She stopped short of the end and checked her time. She had less than twenty minutes remaining as an Elfaun. She hoped it was enough to find a safe place to observe the city and look for a way to claim it.

  As she approached the end, she could see some Elfaun warriors standing guard. They were facing away from the tunnel as if they had no fear of an attack from behind. Beyond them, she could just make out the start of a long canyon. The portion she could see appeared to be used as farmland. There were regular rows of what looked like a grain crop. Elfauns, of a type of she hadn’t seen before, were working in the field.

  COMMON ELFAUN (Level 6
7) 5600 HP (5000EP)

  She decided that bold was the best approach and stepped through the tunnel, between the warriors, and continued down the path which headed deeper into the canyon. As she passed them, she heard one say, “Typical scout, just because they work for the Mages they think they are better than us.”

  “Be quiet, he can hear you.”

  She didn’t catch the rest of the conversation but kept walking. Leah could see further into the canyon now. The ground was covered with farmland and orchards. As she moved further in, the city became visible. It was carved from the rock walls. Close to the tunnel, there was bare rock, but further in, she could see pathways, steps, doorways and other openings. Eventually, in the distance, these extended upwards for hundreds of paces. Elfaun of all sorts could be seen across the whole face of the mountain. In one or two places she could see large stone bridges which joined one side of the canyon with the other. Hanging plants and small gardens filled any space which wasn’t used for travel.

  Her time was almost up when she saw a small path leading from the main trail to the left-hand side of the canyon. She moved left and found the beginning of stairway carved into the rock. This close to the tunnel, the carvings were all close to the ground and spread out just like the edges of a normal city. She couldn’t see many Elfaun at all, and she hurried up the stairs searching for an opening that she could hide in. Ahead of her, she could see a smaller than usual opening that looked as if it was still being built or excavated. She poked her head in, and seeing it was empty, she ducked inside. As soon as she entered the room, she received a message. She ignored it for a moment because she first wanted to change back into her half-elf, half-human form. The ceiling in the small hollow was only a couple of hands above the height of the Scout Elfaun, so she sat down before ending Impersonation.