Benvari Mountains (Emerilia Book 2) Page 4

  Will you accept?

  Y/N

  “Can I think about this for a bit? I’d need to talk to Deia and well, it’s kind of a big change,” Dave said.

  It was one hell of a chance. No Player had learned the skills of the Dwarven Master Smiths, ever. Dave had been shown that to grow, he needed to become stronger, to protect those he cared about.

  “Of course, lad. You may use the smithy as you like, but know that your obligations to me are complete.” Kol smiled. “You turned out to be a pretty good student.”

  Dave laughed and shook his head. Kol was a grouchy bastard, hard to those he was teaching and working with, but fair.

  “Don’t take too long, else I’m liable to forget all of this.” Kol clapped Dave on the back and headed toward the smithy.

  “Kol,” Dave said, turning, making the man stop as he was walking back.

  “What is it?” Kol asked.

  Dave didn’t say anything for a few moments. “Thanks—thanks for teaching me about smithing.” Dave smiled.

  Kol shook his head but Dave thought he saw the old Dwarf’s mouth twitch into a smile.

  “You’re going soft already!” Kol barked and headed into the smithy.

  Dave looked out over the forest below. Not a bad place to live. He smiled to himself, taking it in. He turned and walked between his house and the smithy, the furnaces and anvils in constant use as repairs were made and new items were being made.

  Going to have to see about moving it sometime soon. The smithy had grown in its abilities. With the Mithsia Mountains and Kufo’tel forest now arming up to defend their lands, they didn’t have much production to share with the rest of Opheir. Cliff-Hill’s smiths were more than happy to take up the slack but they were going to need more room to expand.

  People from all over Emerilia were coming to Cliff-Hill to learn smithing, from Demi-Humans to Dwarves and Orcs. All of them had applied to learn and work at the forge.

  Dwarven mountains were secluded spots, but Cliff-Hill bridged that gap.

  The gold they were earning from training made Dave think about opening training forges all over Emerilia to educate the general population. Not everyone could make a trip to a Dwarven mountain for a piece of forged metal.

  So much to do. He sighed, smiling at the thoughts of expansion.

  Heading in toward the compound, off of the main road and through the copse of trees, was a wagon with Wis’Zel driving it.

  He waved at Dave.

  Dave waved back, seeing a High Elf lady next to him.

  Suzy Markell

  High Elf

  Level 1

  “Suzy!” Dave yelled, sprinting over. In just moments, he made it to the side of the wagon and jumped up on her side.

  She pulled back and stared at him.

  “The hell you doing here, mini-Mom?” Dave asked, confused as all hell.

  “What did you have for lunch today?” Suzy fired back.

  “What the hell kind of question is that?” Dave frowned.

  “Just answer it, Austin.” She leaned forward, a fire in her eyes.

  “Wolf stew,” Dave said.

  “And in real life?” Suzy asked, her eyes thinning.

  Dave’s mouth worked as it was his time for his eyes to thin. “Wolf stew.”

  “The fuck is going on, Austin?” she demanded.

  “I guess the two of you know each other. Who is Austin?” Zel asked.

  “It was my name back in the simulation. Mind keeping that bit to yourself?” Dave asked.

  “My lips are sealed, boss.” Zel smiled and drew his fingers over his lips.

  “Come on, Suzy. We’ve got a few things to talk about.” Dave jumped down.

  Suzy followed.

  Well, this sure as hell made things a bit more interesting. I wonder what my body has been up to all this time.

  Chapter 4: Another Offer

  “All right—now you’ve got your funnel, you need your plasma and your push.” Induca watched Deia and what looked like four flaming tubes of different colored flames in front of her.

  Deia took a deep breath as sweat streaked down her forehead and back. The plasma cannon was a lot smaller than the one that she had created when fighting at the citadel, but it was still draining her Mana and keeping everything together was hard as hell. Even with her ability to manipulate fire with just thought.

  She focused, twirling her hand as a cyan ball of what looked to be liquid fire formed in front of her. She guided it to the back of the firing tube. Already she could feel the varying air pressure that was pulling on the plasma ball and trying to pull her cannon apart.

  “Hold it,” Induca said.

  Deia strained and her Mana dropped like a stone. She was already having to use her armor’s power reserves to get her to this stage. Deia gritted her teeth and focused. An errant breeze increased the power of one of the inner tubes. Deia tried to correct but overdid it.

  She saw it going out of control and the plasma start to accelerate down the tube. She cut off her power. The air seemed to pop as her creation of fire disappeared.

  “Good,” Induca said as Deia panted.

  “Couldn’t even fire the thing.” Deia slumped onto the grass. She felt spent both physically and mentally.

  “It will get easier with time. The one that you used at the citadel was crude but effective. But it was almost an instant cast as you don’t have the control or the Mana reserves to control it. I know of plasma breath but adding in the tubes of fire is genius.” Induca shook her head.

  “I got the idea from the forums and the Internet. I was looking at weapons and the Humans have a lot of them on Earth. They’ve got these things called tanks and even theories of making other weapons that they call plasma cannons. They also have a ton of information on how the air reacts when it is heated and cooled. I messed around with a bit of plasma and Dave taught me about air pressures and worked with me to make a cannon that would force air through it. I’m still refining it, though.”

  “Color me impressed,” Induca said.

  “I said that you should look into more information about your skills,” Malsour said from the side of the sparring square, reading a book on his lap.

  Induca pouted and looked away from her brother, flicking her hair in frustration.

  Deia saw the corners of Malsour’s mouth turn upwards at her actions.

  “Is there anything else that you learned from this Internet?” Induca asked.

  Deia thought of the images and information that had been openly displayed on the Internet. It was no wonder that the Players were so much more advanced than the People of Emerilia. The free access to that kind of information was overwhelming. In Emerilia, knowledge was power. Many high-classed mages and fighters had several secrets that they kept to themselves so that no one could use it against them.

  It led to information being lost to the point where many descendants of some of the most powerful people in Emerilia had to try to learn a whole other discipline as their ancestors hid their secrets from the world, and even their families.

  The Elves were the worst for it. Different groups of Elves and even families within a community would horde information to try to get an edge over one another. The Elves lived for a long time and abhorred violence but they were paranoid as all hell from seeing so many wars, betrayals, and fights.

  “There was one. It was called an F-A-E.” Deia felt a presence behind her. Anna might use a two-handed claymore, but damn if she wasn’t sneaky.

  “Like the faeries?” Induca looked at Deia in confusion. The Fae kept to themselves in their mythical forests. People left them alone and they were fine with that.

  “No, it’s called a Fuel Air Explosive,” Deia said.

  “Quite the powerful invention.” Anna walked over to them.

  Deia looked up and saw a sad expression on Anna’s face.

  “How so?” Induca asked.

  “Deia.” Anna deflected the question.

  Anna might look as
if she were about thirty years old, but Deia had long ago understood that not everyone looked their own age. She sure as hell didn’t look a few centuries old compared to the Humans. It was all in the eyes. Anna—the only way to describe her eyes and her aura was ancient.

  “A projectile goes toward a target. It releases highly flammable gasses in its wake. They are ignited in stages. The projectile reaches the target, sowing this flammable liquid, and it ignites. It burns all of the air in a massive area, forcing the air around it to be ripped in. Think of it as a reversed air lance. Instead of the air being hurled into the thing you’re attacking, it is pulled out of it,” Deia said.

  “Many defenses can take being hit directly, but what happens when the air inside those defenses is all trying to escape outwards? What happens to the defenders when the air is ripped from their lungs?” Anna said.

  Induca looked at the two of them and shook her head. “I never thought about something like that,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “Negative magic.” Malsour looked right at Anna before his eyes flicked to Deia. “Using the properties of your magic to create change within the environment and with elements that are not under your magical control.”

  Anna nodded.

  “I thought that I would find you three out here.” Dwayne walked across the yard with a few other Stone Raiders who looked to be getting ready for a training session.

  “Hey, Dwayne.” Deia waved from her seat. Her Mana was coming back but with her massive reserves, it was going to take awhile for her bar to fill up.

  “I don’t think we’ve met before.” Dwayne reached out his hand toward Anna. “Dwayne Trebault.” He smiled.

  “I have heard of you, Mister Trebault.” Anna returned the smile.

  “How did you get stuck with these three miscreants?” Dwayne looked at the others, who smiled.

  They’d all become closer; even Malsour, who was always buried in his books, seemed to genuinely care about the Stone Raiders.

  It’s hard to admit but all of us feel a connection with them for the way that they stood up with us. Not one of them backed down and as soon as they respawned, they returned to the fight. They might look like a bunch of clowns but under it all, they’re some of the most determined fighters I’ve ever seen. They’ve turned their own deaths into a weapon. Death is no longer a barrier for them, so they use their deaths to their advantage. They won’t die easy and they’ll fight with everything they have but they’re resourceful, loyal, and kind.

  Her thoughts drifted to the invitation that she, Malsour, Induca, Dave, Lox, and Gurren had all been given. The Stone Raiders had done something that no other guild had ever done. They had started to accept the People of Emerilia into their ranks.

  Deia was interested in seeing what would happen but if the Stone Raiders could pull it off, she knew that there were enough people trying to make their fame and fortune adventuring with other people. Having a few Players in the mix would only be a good thing. She foresaw big changes, one of them being mixed parties of Players and People of Emerilia.

  “I was kind of dropped off and told to fend for myself. They don’t seem all that bad, though. Odd but interesting.” Anna smiled.

  Dwayne chuckled. “Well, it is good to meet you, Anna.” He bowed slightly and then looked to the others. “Something has turned up in the Endon kingdom, so we’re going to go deal with that. I was wondering if any of you have come to a decision. I know that we would all look forward to having you in our ranks. Even if it meant that you were hanging out in Cliff-Hill all the time.”

  Malsour and Induca looked to each other.

  “We’ve decided that we’re going to stick with Dave and Deia, if they want to party up with us,” Malsour said.

  Deia looked at the two of them. Malsour looked serious and Induca smiled at her. “Are you sure?” Deia asked.

  “You’ve got a lot to learn and we feel that being around you will be much more interesting that our normally aimless wandering,” Induca said.

  “Wow, hmm, thanks, guys, and I know Dave will be downright happy to hear that.” Deia smiled.

  “Well then, that sounds like one hell of a scary party.” Dwayne smiled. “We’d be over the moon if you joined us but in the end, no matter what, I hope that we can be friends.”

  Dwayne made motions with his hands, opening up his interface.

  Friend Request

  You have received a Friend Request from Dwayne Trebault.

  Do you accept?

  Y/N

  “Yes,” Deia said. The others did the same. She wondered how the others had gained interfaces but she guessed it mattered little. Malsour and Induca didn’t seem to have access to the Internet, which was, in Deia’s mind, one of the most useful parts of the interface.

  “Well, I’ll be seeing you around!” Dwayne waved to them and headed over to the mixed party that was ready to start their training.

  “Well, I think that is enough magical training for one day. I know that you want to whip Dave into shape with his Agility, so have fun with that. I’m going to find Kim and see what she’s up to,” Induca said.

  “Okay, thanks, Induca,” Deia said.

  “No worries.” Induca turned and started to head for the Stone Raiders’ camp. “You coming, Mal?”

  “Fine.” Malsour sighed. He followed his little sister, reading his book the entire way.

  Anna offered Deia her hand.

  “Thanks,” Deia said as Anna pulled her to her feet. The strength in the Demi-wolf made it feel like Anna could’ve easily picked her up with one hand.

  “Do you mind if I walk with you?” Anna asked.

  “Not at all.” Deia smiled. She was interested in the woman Bob called his daughter.

  “So, what made you decide to become a Player?” Anna asked as they walked.

  “Going with the easy questions first, huh?” Deia laughed. “Well, I guess that’s because of Dave.”

  “Just because of Dave?”

  “No, not just because of him, but he is a large part. If I’m to continue to be by his side, then being a POE will strain things to the point where we can’t do anything because he’ll be so scared of me dying. He’s a good man and he cares for others but I could see that care turning into fear. Becoming a Player makes it so that never comes between us.”

  “I’m sorry, but what is a POE?”

  “Oh, sorry, it’s a Person or People of Emerilia. Something that the Players use.” Deia shrugged.

  “Oh, okay, so what are the other reasons?”

  “Well, the sheer amount of information and opportunities I get. There’s nothing quite like it. I’ve lived for over three hundred years and I have never met a man like Dave or these other Players. Sure, there are terrible times and not all of them are good, but Bob was right: Dave and I can act as bridges between the two groups. If we can get them to unite, then the whole of Emerilia will change.”

  “Old man is stealing my plans,” Anna muttered to herself. “What is Dave like?”

  “Well, I’m a bit biased on that, but he’s a driven man. First and foremost, when he has a goal in mind, he will focus his efforts to attain that goal. Honestly, he forgets to eat and sleep quite a bit.” Deia sighed. “He’s smart and he cares for those around him. Become his friend and he’ll do anything for you. That said, he doesn’t just buddy up with everyone. He might be a Player himself but in the beginning, he had a real problem with the Stone Raiders and Golden Sabres leaders because of how they acted. Got Josh to apologize to the people in the smithy and then Kol beat health and safety into Josh for an entire day. Even Cassie, who was…” Deia tried to think of a nice way to say it but shrugged. “A bitch…turned out to be not that bad. When Players just think that you’re an NPC, then they get uppity as hell and don’t really give a crap.

  “After fighting with us, I think we’ve changed a lot of the Sabres’ view on POEs. At least I hope so. She even came over the other day to apologize to Dave, and she offered us both a place within the
Sabres. Neither of us is really interested in joining a guild that is so closely attached to the Lady of Light, though Cassie is a nice woman. Even if Dave didn’t like her in the beginning, he forgave her for being a bitch and we became friends with her.”

  “What do you think Dave wants from this?” Anna asked.

  Deia laughed and smiled, thinking of her Dave as they walked down the main road that curved through Cliff-Hill on its way to Omal.

  “Honestly, I think that Dave just wants to learn, to explore, and to see the world. On Earth, he was one of the most powerful men in existence, yet he had few friends he could call his own and even less people he could trust. Everyone wanted something from him and all those he cared for left him. He stopped doing what he loved—he stopped building things; he stopped striving to move forward. Dave is a man with big dreams, dreams that I can’t even come to understand. However, I will do everything I can to make sure that he is never as lonely ever again and be by his side as he reaches those dreams. What does he want? He doesn’t really want anything. He’s got freedom that he never had before, friends—even me.” Deia gave Anna a sly smile; Anna couldn’t help but laugh.

  “With us at his back, I expect that my fiancé is going to do things that no one can really predict.”

  They walked onto the road that cut through the copse of trees separating Dave’s compound from the main road.

  “So, what do you want?” Anna asked.

  “I want to be able to protect the people I care about. I want to figure out who my mother is. I want to see what the rest of this world has to offer and I want to see the Affinities Pantheon ripped from their towers and made to answer for the crimes that they have committed.” Deia’s words got more heated and angry as she talked.

  Anna simply nodded as they made it to Dave and Deia’s home.

  “Thank you for being so candid. I think I see now why my father said to stay here awhile. It has been a long time since I met so many interesting people.” Anna’s eyes drifted away, as if seeing some sad memory.