NOVEL NEXT Chapter 46 - The Pantheon
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[System Notification: You Got Mail!]
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That was the first message I got when I put the balaclava on. The kids worked fast making the coin and were staying quiet. I was still in the marketplace, trying to sell whatever I could while I waited for the kids. Wearing the balaclava helped me stay hidden from any other Pantheon guild members or other trouble by finally blending into the city. I took the guild portal to get to a mailbox.
The guild was quiet. I peaked into the alchemy and tinker workshops and didn't see Triangle at either of them. Naiad wasn't here either.
[Team Chat]
[Boulder: Triangle, where are you? Naiad, do you know where he is?]
[Naiad: He wanted to go out and help make more money for you.]
[Triangle: :D ]
I laughed at the smiley face. Even though I felt scared, this guy bravely risked going out when he knew people were after him.
Or should I be scolding him for being foolish?
No. It's not my game. I had to join up with the kids now and their fun.
[Boulder: Thank you. Are you keeping hidden?]
[Naiad: No, we are sticking to crowds when getting to the merchants, but then it's back to the side streets.]
[Triangle: The rat map showed some secret ones.]
[Boulder: On my back to Fanamel now. Can we meet me near the Falafel 4F restaurant?]
[Naiad: No… I don't want to do that daily.]
[Boulder: I hear you. Not as a daily, just as a meeting point. I don't want a Pantheon player waiting at the portal to catch Triangle.]
[Triangle: What about your vision?]
[Boulder: I'll be fine. This is my mess to clean up. We'll meet up soon.]
I completely forgot about how my vision wasn't better yet. I turned in the quest and succeeded in it. My vision should've gone back to normal, reading the buff. It said I would have minor vision loss for a few days.
It was only a minor distraction that wouldn't stop me from the kids.
[Private message from:
[Naiad: Dad, how strong are these players?]
[Boulder: Strong. It would be best if we avoid them. If they do attack, ask for players nearby to help. I will be there soon.] ]
I left the guild and ran to the player terminal area to find a portal. Moving through Purge felt sluggish, even though it wasn't a crowded city. There weren't that many players here. I rarely bumped shoulders with one. The market was too wide and pointless as I crossed it to get to the four pillars where the pillars sat.
I confirmed the coins I had and walked over to see a new wayfaring wizard on the stand. I got next to the terminal when someone tapped my shoulder.
Behind me stood the previous wizard, the eavesdropper from before.
"Come with me," he said with a wave.
"No, I need to get to my kids," I focused back on the terminal, preparing to pay.
His hand grabbed mine. "I know." With exaggeration, he tilted his head to the other wizard. "Before we do, I want to talk to help."
He gripped my hand tighter. I wish I could see his face to read him better.
"I'm a friend and a parent too," he whispered.
With a sigh, I followed along. Hoping I wasn't being manipulated and distracted. We walked further away from the terminal area. Once we were out of earshot, the wayfaring wizard talked in a normal voice. "Name's Ajeesh. I still have one more spell this week to teleport you home."
"Then shouldn't you be up at the terminal?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I got off making sure I could help you. Price will only be two thousand instead of what I charged your daughter. You can pay me back later if you don't have the funds now."
"Woah… that's really nice of you. Why though?" I stopped walking, wanting to keep more in the public area where I could get help.
Ajeesh looked back. "As I said, I'm a parent. I also hate the new rules Pantheon is putting here. What they did in Strepil, setting up to do in Fanamel, and soon here… they're making a monopoly. Avoid Strepil, it's their hometown. Games aren't fun if only a few players own and control everything… That's why I can't go cheaper here in town. But I want to keep the community together as best as I can."
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I gave him an earnest smile because he was the player I wanted to become. "Thank you. I really appreciate it. Why is Alcender hunting alchemists?"
"If you don't work for the guild as a craftsman, you don't live as one. They are particularly picky on the number of alchemists per city. One between the two Fanamel and Strepil in the earth domains."
Triangle was Pantheon's mark then.
Ajeesh pointed to an alleyway, and I followed him. This one had a few insects that instantly got eaten by the crowned basilisks. Ajeesh carefully side stepped away from them. "I don't want to scare the creatures. I'll make the portal by us."
Ajeesh definitely didn't work with Alcender or the Pantheon. My nerves calmed down. "Yeah, let's trade contact information. Don't be shy to reach out."
I offered him my hand to shake to exchange information.
He took it. "You too, man. Do you have the plants?"
I dug through my inventory and pulled out the ones Naiad gave me earlier. "The same two my daughter used."
"Perfect. Get back and enjoy playing with your family."
"Thanks. I need to work more on listening to them," I confessed.
I gave Ajeesh the items, and he quickly made the portal. "If you want to get out of the city, you will need to get the quest done for the king."
The flowers and the mushroom floated up in the air above Ajeesh and his staff. If I had given him one from hell, the portal could fail. Between them, ribbons of yellow and green blurred together like watercolors.
"Jeez," I exclaimed, "I didn't know that. I thought you could just hop on a boat and leave?"
"You're out of touch. The boats and ports got closed down a few days ago. They've stopped because of the Pantheon guild sticking their noses in some grand war game."
The portal was ready finally, and I stepped near it. "Thanks again, Ajeesh."
"Good luck."
I stepped through the portal. The world's colors run and blur together around me as became engulfed by the magic. Sharp yellows and browns, and blacks highlighted with whites until solid lines formed as I landed back in the Peace Prairie. I removed the balaclava, glad to have simple communication again with this realm, where my family was.
Naiad and Triangle were still too far away from me.
The giant tree that once stood next to this field, the one Lady Branchelot climbed out of, had fallen over. The dam beavers were hulling parts of it to their home. I pulled out my shield and sprinted past all of them, running as fast as I could.
The buckteeth creatures sprayed water up at me, but I ignored them, charged through, determined to get on the other side so I could summon my horse. The summons worked as the horse sensed my speed, trotting alongside me with its orange plume.
"Take me home, boy," I said as I got on.
The horse shifted gears as it took off to a gallop through Clingeo Grove like it knew the place. I could see the green sprouts popping up through the forest. Hope returning for a new life, one that Naiad was working on.
I raced my mount as fast as I could past more mobs and distractions. Determined to get to the gates of the city. Its stamina emptied halfway to the city. I got off, walking alongside it, waiting for it to recharge, to go again.
[Guild Chat]
[Boulder: I'm getting close, back in the Middle Realm.]
[Naiad: Okay. Triangle, stay here!]
[Triangle: :P]
There were more guard at attention at the city. The guard waved at me as I came near. "Name, guild, and class?"
I kept my mouth shut from blurting out the first thing that came to my mind. "Boulder of the Shrimp guild, and I'm gossiper, but the adventuring type. "
The guard snorted, looking me up and down and back to a book in his hands, scanning the pages. "Talking to some monsters out there?"
"Nah, just myself. Got any good news?" I leaned against my horse to catch my breath.
"Good? Ha!" the guard barked out a laugh. "Nothing like that. Just get going, you're approved. Show this paper to anyone who questions you."
The paper held the city guard's approval to enter and declared I was a resident of the capital and welcome to stay, but level one approval to leave. This was a recent change, one I hope wouldn't impede on Naiad and Triangle's quests.
Walking through there was a line of people trying to get out, but rejected by the guards.
"You don't have enough materials to hunt out there," grunted another guard. "Go to the training area, buy better gear, and potions."
Of course, potions, where only Triangle and Alcender owned this market. Alcender wore the balaclava at the time I talked about having an herbalist in my guild. His guild could already be here and hunting Triangle.
My finger twitched away with fear. I walked faster.
Multiple copies of the same paper covered the board along the road where players posted requests. An order from the King and Queen declaring all terminals and passages closed, in agreement with The Pantheon Guild, defenders of the Middle Realm.
I tore one off, sticking it in my inventory for later. The marketplace and restaurant weren't far from here. There was still a small collection of players in the main streets, but more people kept their hoods up and their faces down. The vibrant life of the city toned down as the Pantheon guild locked it away.
They were trying to ruin my son's joy, too.
A shadow moved across my narrow vision, making me jump. It darted across to another street and toward the shopping distract. I reached for my axe, but I used common sense to avoid enraging the guards.
There was no way I was getting followed… unless the guards who worked for the King and Queen, reported to the Pantheon guild, too. They might've heard a Shrimp Guild member was here. I grimaced, debating on what to do.
Taking the side streets would be safer, but I would move slower. I had to get to my kids fast by sticking to the main streets. I pulled my hood up, blending in with the rest of the crowd. It didn't stop me from twisting my head around like an owl, keeping an eye out for an attack or see if someone was following me. Every dark spot in my eye and shadow threatened my goal and ability to fight. Once I got the kids safe, fixing my vision would be my next to-do.
The shops in the city had fewer customers. Most of the players gathered around the market exchange, arguing about something. On the other side of the market would be the Falafel. Over a thousand players, and a good third of them wore their hoods. We all looked like hooligans hiding something.
[Team Chat]
[Naiad: I'm here, but I don't see you.]
[Boulder: I'm almost there. Hold on.]
[Naiad: Hurry! Triangle got tired of waiting and ran off to buy herbs.]
"Crap," I said aloud.
He was a kid, trying to have fun in the game. He was also the biggest target right now.
He was also alone, with an entire guild chasing after him.
Where I tried blending in, Naiad stood next to the food stood stand with her brilliant pink hair out. It was a welcoming sight as I breathed a sigh of relief. I ran up to her and hugged her.
She went as stiff as a board, squirming. "Hey! Oh, dad!"
She turned and hugged me back. "That's enough. We need to hurry!"
"You're right." I let her go to turn around to go back to the market. "Where did he go to get these herbs?"
She grabbed my arm. "Not that way! He went to his NPC quest giver, hiding back this way."
"His NPC?" I failed to hide my fear in my voice.
"I'm sorry. He didn't listen and took off."
"It's not your fault. Get us there quick though and we have to get him out of there fast."