Word of the raid group’s arrival, surprisingly, seemed to move faster than the actual members of the group did. Whether it was one of the marching players using the Contact spell or exceptional scouts that reported the information to the residents of the city, they couldn’t be sure. All they knew was that, when they’d gotten within a day’s travel of Dawnbreak City, they began spotting other players. It was the first sign in nearly a month of players that existed outside the starting village.
“Looks like we’ve got a welcome party,” Oscar said quietly, walking over to where Caius was marching in the line. He pointed one arm toward a squad of four players on a nearby hilltop, and Caius nodded, indicating that he could see them. “They’ve been there for hours. Saw them when I went ahead on a scouting trip.”
“They didn’t try to attack you, did they?”
Oscar shook his head. “I don’t think they’d be that stupid. If I went down, that might spook the rest of you, and might make you decide to avoid going to the city after all.”
Of course, that was operating on the information that the other players had, he reflected. They only knew that a large group of about thirty players was marching on the city. They assumed that they were just making a trek, and had no way of knowing that their visit had another motive. Nearly all of Dawnbreak City was a PvP-enabled zone, so it was generally accepted that nobody would seriously consider coming here just for the fun of it. Naturally, the raid group knew this going in. One of the Sisters had a contact within the city, who had warned them ahead of time of the dangers.
“In a normal MMO, the devs wouldn’t allow players to take over a city,” Caius said. “Just another key difference between this game and its predecessors.”
“Well, we’ve got a raid group,” Oscar said. “And over half of us know the secret to combat in this game. It might get messy, but I think we can take them.”
“That’s assuming none of them have also figured out the secret.”
Oscar let out a snort of derision, gesturing toward the players on the hill. “As if. Look at that one with the bow. He’s posing like a video game character. And his quiver is so horribly positioned. I bet I could shoot him down before he even manages to nock an arrow.”
Even Caius smiled at that. “Well, best not to attack them just yet. We don’t want to make enemies of the guild that runs the city before we even get there. But if they attack us, feel free to make good on that promise.”
Oscar gave a mock salute, then grinned, and jogged away to continue his scouting. Caius moved back through the column to notify the other members of the command group, very few of whom seemed surprised. A few, like Oscar, had already noticed them. They all agreed that attacking just now would be a stupid idea.
“We might be here to sort out some of the problems we’ve been hearing about,” Caius explained to Centrogen, “but the last thing we want is to start an entire war. We’ve gotta be careful about this.”
Of course, not every member of the raid group was in on the plan. It wasn’t that the extras weren’t trusted, but Caius and the Sisters had agreed that, if they decided that they wanted to do something about the nasty rumors coming out of the city, they had to let everyone believe that they didn’t care one way or another how Dawnbreak was run. They knew that the city was currently owned and harassed by guilds of thieves and murderers, who terrorized the residents - both Terrian and Adventurers - and attacked people regularly, stealing items, Yemen, and generally griefing them.
As they passed the figures on the hilltop, the players watching them held their positions, which surprised Caius. He would have expected them to fall back as soon as they got a good look at the visitors, to return to the city and report on what they’d seen. That’s what he would have done, and he knew Oscar, the best scout in and around Silver Village, operated the same way. Maybe that just fell under the umbrella of knowledge and tactics that not everyone would think about.
He was broken out of his deep thoughts by Azalea, who approached from the rear of the group and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. When he looked at her with a questioning expression, curious about what was on her mind, he saw she had a thoughtful expression of her own.
“So what’s the plan when we get into the city?”
He shrugged slightly, not because he didn’t have an idea, but because this wasn’t a discussion he thought should be shared with outsiders within earshot. “Same as always. We’ll find merchants who are interested in buying our extra materials and loot. Then we’ll go sightseeing.”
A nearby player, one of those who’d been hired just to act as a guard on their trip to and from the city, looked around in confusion. But Azalea knew what he meant by the last sentence, and nodded solemnly. She cast a quick glance back in the direction of the hilltop where the watching players had been, a small frown creasing her forehead. Caius, noticing this, put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, dear,” he said. “There are enough of us here that nobody would dare challenge us. And once we’re done selling, we’ll stick to safe zones.”
“It’s not the fighting I’m worried about,” she confided, meeting his eyes. “I’m used to that now. I just don’t like that the city has turned so nasty.”
She spoke as if she’d been born there, and was saddened to see the place fall so low. Caius resisted the urge to laugh, but only with effort. “Look at it this way. I’m sure the criminals are shaking in their boots, knowing that the Slayer is coming for them. Maybe they’ll all run away before we get in.”
At the mention of her newest title, she flushed a bright pink and pointedly looked away. She still hadn’t gotten used to the reactions of other players when they saw her title. She’d tried everything she could think of to get rid of it, but it remained where it was, a line of golden text just under her character’s name. There was no hiding it, and while she may have acquiesced to that fact, she still hated the attention she was getting for it.
“I just hope that doesn’t cause us trouble while we’re here,” she said quietly, her cheeks still flaming. “I don’t want to risk losing any items or people just because people want to challenge me to a fight.”
Sadly, it wasn’t a baseless assumption. Already, four different people had challenged her upon seeing her title, and she’d beaten two of them. The others, Caius and Riley had stepped in to resolve, because she’d been busy. She was getting rather famous around Silver Village, Caius thought with an inward laugh. Not just for her food, either, though it was still near the top.
“We’ll get through this as quickly as we can,” he promised her. “Then we’ll rush back home and reassure your adoring customers that they can still get their sweets.”
That finally made her smile, and some of the tension seemed to fade from her face. “Thanks, Caius. I’m glad I decided to try this game with you.”
“Same here, kiddo,” he said, using one of his fonder nicknames for him in real life. “See you in the big city.”
“They’re only an hour away,” a quiet voice whispered in Killer’s ear. The lone bandit, for he was truly alone after his guild had disbanded out of fear, was leaning against one of the many battlements that lined the outer wall of Dawnbreak City. The fortification wasn’t high as such things were concerned. The true defense was around the inner city, several meters high and several feet thick. This only served as a checkpoint for incoming strangers.
“How many are there?” he asked. “Is it true that the Slayer is among them?”
“That’s what they’re saying,” the informant reported. “I had a few of my men waiting for their arrival. They couldn’t confirm the Slayer’s presence, but he recognized that swordsman from her guild, and if our information is to be believed, he never travels without her.”
“If your information is to be believed,” Killer hissed back, laying emphasis on the first word. “So? How many of them are there?”
“Nearly fifty members in their entire raid group,” the informant replied. If he was offended by Killer’s remark, there was no sign of it in his voice. His face, of course, was hidden by both the deep hood he wore, and the dim lighting of the night sky above them. “Most are confirmed mercenaries, however. I do not believe they will pose a threat should you wish to attack.”
Killer made no attempt to dissuade the informant from making this assumption. The less predictable his goal was, the better. “Very well. Your information is good.”
A contract screen appeared in front of his eyes, listing a 500 Yemon price. Killer accepted the transaction, and the informant moved away. So uncanny, he thought, how the man moved with virtually no sound. Apart from the squeaking of the door’s hinges, there was no evidence to suggest that someone was departing from the wall. Letting out a long sigh, Killer stood straight, peering out on the plains that stretched to the far south. An hour away. He’d be able to see signs of them soon.
Rumors were that the two guilds making the trip were all accomplished fighters. Some believed there was even a B-Rank among them. Killer wasn’t sure what he believed. Oftentimes, rumors weren’t worth the air they were carried on. But if there were enough rumors to say that these visitors were a threat to the city and the way it operated, he was inclined to listen. As much as he loathed relying on others, he’d have to gather more information. This wouldn’t be the first informant he met with, he thought. He had to learn as much as he could if he was going to pull off this score.
A bell rang in the distance, marking the midnight hour. Killer let out a long sigh, then turned toward the door himself. He couldn’t get much accomplished standing here on the wall. He’d have a quick meeting with his new allies, then they could witness the arrival of these southerners, and see what kind of a plan they could come up with.
Tensions are starting to heat up!
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