Chapter 4

Mili and I entered the town of Glisten on the small brick road that led in through the front and served as its main street. Small wooden buildings with shingled roofs lined the sides in an orderly fashion. I noticed a trader's shop, a forge near the middle, and an inn near the front.

After purchasing supplies from the local trader we headed for the comfort of the inn. As we opened the door we were greeted by a wave of warmth and the smell of hot food. The inside was a large room well furnished with tables and decorations. The wall on the left provided a huge hearth serving as a place for a few older players to warm themselves and talk. A light bed of straw covered the floor to give the place an old tavern look.

We moved through the crowd and found a small table where a hostess approached almost instantly. She looked tired, seeping her curly blonde hair back and dropping a few gold coins into the pocket of her worn apron.

"Welcome to the Snowfall Inn. What can I get for you?" she said kindly, restraining her irritation.

"We'll have whatever's on special," I answered. She went off toward the bar table in the back and Mili and I talked as we waited.

"What'll we do when we're done in this town?" Mili asked after a moment of silence.

I thought for a moment, "Well, as a solo player I usually just go from place to place and level up. We can do that as a team now, unless there's something you wanna do instead."

She shook her head, "Good enough for me."

A loud bang erupted from the doorway. The crowd turns to stare in shock as a player flies through the air and lands on the top of a table, spilling drinks and sending plates shattering on the ground.

He looks about fifteen, scrawny and weak, wearing only a tan shirt and dark brown pants. In the doorway stands a tall man with broad shoulders that are well protected beneath his heavy silver and gold plate armor. His short blonde hair is spiked perfectly like a hundred raised swords above his menacing brown eyes. He carries a sword and shield with the emblem of a golden rose.

With great difficulty the boy gets up from the table, his expression revealing both fear and determination.

The armored man raised his blade as he approached the boy. "You thought you would talk to me like that and walk away? You're low level trash to be gotten rid of. I am a Knight of the Rose. You shouldn't even look me in the eye!"

He kept moving closer and prepared to deal a death blow. I picked up an empty cup from our table and sent it across the room. It bounced harmlessly off his chest plate, but I wounded his ego.

"You fool!" he shouted at me, his eyes filled with hate.

"What crime has the boy committed?" I demanded.

"The boy got mouthy with me when I told him to give me the road. I am a Knight and he is to give me the road."

"If all the knights of your order ate like you they are not of honor. He has no reason to give move for you." I could feel anger rising in me, though I tried to stay focused. I had to keep his attention on me, not the boy.

The knight glared and readied himself to fight. "How dare you challenge my authority! You will both suffer for this!"

I thought for a second, trying to find the best way to solve the problem without anyone losing their life. "Prove your honor then. Fight me in a duel. If I win, the boy goes free. You win, do what you want with him, and me."

"This will be too easy," he said, pulling up a menu. He tapped it a few times and a screen appeared in front of me, a confirmation that I was going to duel. I accepted, and our health bars became visible over our heads for the crowd to see. The duels were less dangerous because when your health ran out you wouldn't die like you would in a real fight.

I unsheathed Nightfang and waited for his move. After a moment of stillness I ran and jumped onto a tabletop, moving toward him. I leapt off the edge and came at him from the air but was knocked away by the front of his shield. I landed and struggled to keep balanced. We fought intensely for a while. He was not as fast as I was, but his shield made up for it. I could tell the armor rating was high for him, keeping my damage output to nearly minimum.

He bashed my blade to the right and attempted to stab me but I dodged and the fight went on. He managed to bash me in the face and I stumbled back into a table with my head spinning. My vision struggled to go back into focus, but I could see my health bar lower a bit. His shield began to glow purple. As he went for another shield bash I spun to the left and evaded. His shield went back to normal. I had only escaped by a little. He had activated an ability that would have dealt me significant damage with my lower armor rating.

We continued fighting, his shield deflecting my stabs and slashes that would otherwise lower his health and bring me closer to winning. It was tough. I had to get a good hit in. I slashed repeatedly at the shield, forcing him to guard himself. As I went on I kept attacking faster, each slash faster than the last, increasing my speed. Then I willed my Break Force ability to activate. It normally was used to break another player's sword, but it increased my speed, attack power, and strength for a single strike. I knew it should be enough to overcome his shield's defense. I was right.

My blade began to glow a radiant blue and I slashed at his shield with a force that sent it spiraling across the room. Shock lit up in his eyes and I rammed Nightfang deep into his chest, then tore it out. His health bar lowered and a golden star appeared above my head, showing I had won the duel. The knight fell to his knees, staring at the blood that fell from the hole in his chest. He opens a menu with shaky hands and taps once, a small red bottle appearing in his hands. When he drinks it the health potion closes the hole in his chest, but he still had the gap in his polished plate armor. He was embarrassed, full of hate.

"You lost. Now leave, and honor the terms," I said.

He got to his feet and walked out with a trail of lost dignity behind him. The crowd watched happily for a moment and then returned to their business. Mili and I sat back down at our table, avoiding occasional glances from other players.

Reviews

[joshua deathdealer]

I really like the fighting sequence. The movements and emotions are well displayed. The ending made me laugh with the crowd watching happily and all. Nice work Marcus. xx