Dawnbreak City, while the first city of any kind that they’d seen inside this game, came as a bit of a surprise, not for any unique features, but because of how ordinary it seemed. Those who were stepping through the gate for the first time glanced to the left and the right, then up at the roofs of the tall buildings that stood on either side of the wide street, their eyes narrowed into confused frowns.
“I don’t know why,” Riley said, echoing the thoughts of the others, “but I expected there to be… more.”
Azalea nodded her agreement. The Progenitors had reformed their group as soon as the city was within sight, both for protection and convenience. The fact that the streets of Dawnbreak City were a PvP zone wasn’t forgotten. In fact, the four of them, Oscar included, were in the front position, their eyes scanning for threats. “It looks like every other medieval city.”
“It’s like they used a generator,” Riley added. “This city has no personality to it.”
Caius offered no thoughts on this particular matter, his attention grabbed by two figures. He could just barely make them out, half-hidden as they were by the window of a tall, two-story building made of stone. He might not have noticed them at all if it weren’t for the surveillance tips that Oscar had shared with him, teaching him to be a better scout.
The two figures in the window weren’t the only ones watching them, either. Eyes peeked out from behind doors, around corners of buildings, and even quite a few were staring at them openly, standing off to the side of the road, watching the large force of players marching through their city. It made Caius feel as if he were part of some invading army, which, he reasoned, was partially true. But the residents had no reason to suspect them of anything save for the fact that they’d arrived with such a large group.
“Talk about a cold reception,” Riley said, grinning in spite of the tense air around him. “I thought we booked a tour guide? Where are they?”
A small smile curled the corner of Oscar’s mouth but faded quickly as he shook his head. Slinging his longbow over his shoulder, he pulled the hood more snugly over his head. “I’m going to scout ahead, just to make sure there’s no trouble.”
None of them offered any protest to this idea, and Oscar stepped off the road and vanished into the line of spectators. They didn’t seem to notice his movement, simply stepping back into the place where he’d exited. Only when he was out of sight of the group and spectators did he quicken his pace. He broke into a light jog, turning toward the wall of a nearby stone building. There was an advantage to his craft that a city provided, and it was one he hadn’t been able to take advantage of yet.
Quick as an alley-cat, he ran at the wall, hitting it at an angle and using the momentum to propel him upward. He scaled to the top of the building without a noise, then cast a quick glance around to see if anyone was looking his way. The rooftops were bare, however, and he stole across the roof of the building, his padded shoes making no disturbance on the wooden roof. He’d spotted two people that looked like trouble as soon as they’d arrived in the city, and he was determined to figure out more about them.
He wasn’t worried about an attack on the convoy just now. Sure, they were a valuable target, what with the four wagons packed with materials and items, but their guard was also up, and they were ready for any attempt to steal their treasure. And as they were nearly fifty strong, no sane guild of thieves would even consider attacking. No, Oscar wasn’t really scouting for threats. What he was after was much more important.
He knew which way to go thanks to information he’d acquired before hand, and found himself at the small section of false stone wall several hundred yards away from the gate in a very short time. He hesitated, remembering what he’d learned, then knocked on the false wall twice in quick succession. Then, after a pause of exactly three seconds, he knocked again, three times. At once, a large stone at eye level was pulled back, and two eyes appeared, glancing all around.
“Who knocks on the door of the desert spring?” It was a simple enough password, for those who managed to find their way here. Oscar offered the counter-phrase, which he’d been taught by another player using Contact.
“One who seeks the fountain and the bounties it offers.”
“Then welcome to the Oasis, traveler. Come and rest in the shade.”
The small section of stone slid back into place, hiding the eyes of the hidden player. Then, a second later, there was the faint sound of wood sliding against wood, and the entire section of false wall slid to the side, revealing a low-ceilinged room, built like a taproom, that occupied more space than the exterior dimensions seemed to allow. The beams that supported the ceiling were bare, and the room had plenty of nooks and crannies. Figures in a variety of nondescript clothing were spread about the space, and nearly all heads turned to face Oscar as he stepped inside.
He gave no sign of awareness at this increased scrutiny. Whether they were simply studying him or planning to attack, it didn’t matter. The system had just notified him that this room was a non-PvP zone, so he wasn’t worried about their stares. He was here on business, and that was all that mattered. He found who he was looking for quickly enough, even though none of the players’ names were visible above their head. He wondered if his too was hidden - if this was a trait of the zone he could learn - or if it was an ability they all had, but hadn’t shared with the outside world.
At the bar, its shelves bare of any bottles or decorations save for a few books, sat a Half-Elf figure with round glasses and a baggy, ill-fitting robe. It hung on his frame as if to portray that he was skin and bone, but Oscar could see the well-formed muscles underneath. He was a scholar but had also clearly leveled his vitality and strength scores.
“Welcome to the Oasis,” the figure said, not looking up from the book he was perusing. His feet were propped up on the bar, Oscar noticed. Very casual. “What brings you to our hidden tavern?”
“Not much of a tavern,” Oscar pointed out, finally giving a quick glance around the room. None of the other people in the room met his eyes, glancing away as his eyes swept over them. One seemed mildly surprised, as if he wasnt expecting to be spotted. “I don’t see a drop of alcohol here.”
“Well, we haven’t figured out how to make it just yet,” the half-elf said with a smirk. “And you’d be hard-pressed to find a Terrian merchant brave enough to sell it.”
“So even Terrian merchants are being robbed, then?”
“Surely you know I cannot answer that question for free, my new friend. We survive on the trade of information, after all. You must pay for answers here, either by coin or by rumor.”
In spite of himself, Oscar felt a grin spread across his face. “Hey, that was a cool line.”
His grin was matched on the informant’s face, and they shared a rare moment of glee that broke character. But in an instant, the expression was gone. “So. Which do you offer?”
“A bit of both,” Oscar replied, falling back into the grave manner of his character. “I’ll be asking quite a lot of you today, and it would help if you knew I was serious from the start.”
He opened a Contract window with the other avatar. His name came up as Jun. Of course, Oscar knew the character’s name long before he’d arrived in Dawnbreak. He put up four thousand Yemon, then submitted it. In spite of his cool air, Jun’s eyebrows rose a few inches to indicate his surprise. He accepted the payment at once, but Oscar was convinced nobody else in the room noticed the reaction. “Very well. What is it you would like to know?”
“Who are the three biggest guilds in this city?” Oscar asked straight away. “I only want to know about those that are engaged in thievery and assault. Bandit guilds, I believe they’re being called?”
“Indeed they are. Well, the top three will probably be Attraxia, Dominus, and The Legion. The Shadow Bandits used to be on that list, but they’ve had a recent downfall.”
“Interesting,” Oscar said quietly. “What happened to the Shadow Bandits? Last I heard, they controlled about a third of the city.”
“Oh, the rumors are everywhere on that bunch,” Jun said. “Some say they fell to infighting.”
“But they didn’t, did they?”
“No, they did not. A small guild, only two players, wiped them out about a week or two ago.”
Now it was Oscar’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Just two people? They must be good if they were able to take out an entire guild on their own.”
“Yes, it’s stirred up quite a bit of interest, that case. Nobody knows who they are, of course. Even my folk haven’t been able to find them. Apart from occasional glimpses, we hardly ever see them. No clue where their base is, if they have one.”
“Well, they’d have to at least have a hiding spot if they’re seen so little,” Oscar thought aloud. “So you know what they look like, then?”
Jun nodded. “One of them is a tall, skinny cat-man. The other is a fox-girl. Full nine tails and all.”
“Sounds like a typical gaming duo,” Oscar reminisced. If these two were able to take on an entire guild and win, then they definitely knew the secret to the game. “And here I thought Azalea taking on the raid boss by herself was an impressive feat.”
“So it’s true, then? Your guildmate earned the Slayer title by defeating a raid boss by herself?”
Oscar let out a laugh. “You know it’s true. I told as much to one of your informants who visited Silver Village.”
“Yes, I did hear something about that. I take it that he was the one who gave you our location?”
Oscar nodded. “He told me how to find you after I gave him some good information on monster hunting spots. Free of charge, of course.”
“Nothing is free, my new friend,” Jun said with a coy smile. “We all pay a price, be it now or later, be it in coin or in blood.”
Damn, this guy had a lot of good lines, Oscar thought, filing that one away for future use. He must be something like a scholar in real life. Maybe he was a philosopher or a novelist. “Right. Well, back to what I’ve already paid for.”
“Of course. What else would you like to know?”
Oscar glanced around the room again, but this time he made sure to make the action as subtle as he could. Only when he was sure that there were no other players in easy earshot did he speak, leaning across the bar and lowering his voice. “Where can I find the base of these three guilds?”
A tavern without ale? What kind of blasphemy is this!?
Hey don't forget they're still new to this game. Give it time, I'm sure they'll have plenty to drink xD