TQG 45. Disaster

“She’s better off being a rogue than an assassin anyway,” Tarisha said, demonstrating the next sequence.

I tried to copy her, spinning and leaping and losing my balance.  I landed wrong and fell on my bottom, losing one health.  I simply laughed at my failure.  “I think she’s better off too, but that’s because I hate assassins.  Why do you think she’s better off?”

“Among other reasons, the natives have negative reactions to assassins that they don’t have to rogues,” Tarisha explained.  “Unlocking the Assassin class is the easiest way to gain access to the Assassin’s Guild, of course, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.  Taking their missions is lucrative, but--”

“But you have to kill people!” I exclaimed, dusting myself off and trying again.  “I wish I could find everyone who’d ever killed a native and give them all the [Mark of Cain] like Severus got when he tried to kill me!”

“I was going to say but there are consequences for completing the mission, and there are consequences for not completing the mission as well.  Especially if the target is an important Native, like a shopkeeper or a quest giver,” Tarisha explained.  “Even if the native’s position is replaced, it resets all of the reputation players have formed with them and it makes many players very upset with the assassin who--”

“They should be upset!” I said, trying the routine again.  This time I completed the spinning leap without falling, but I was still not nearly as graceful as Tarisha.  “It’s murder.”

“Right, of course you’d feel that way, Lord Hail,” Tarisha agreed.  “But that’s why I ultimately feel that your friend is better off as a simple rogue.  It’s still a powerful class, even if it’s only a basic class, and it’s more versatile.  Its ambush abilities lag slightly behind the assassins, but its sustained damage is ultimately higher.  And this way she would have to actually go looking for the Assassin’s Guild to get one of their quests, rather than simply having the Guild contact her.”

“I told her I didn’t think I could be friends with an assassin, and she made the decision right then,” I told Tarisha.  “And I told her and her friends from <Ragtag Muffin> some lies just like you said, for in case they decide to do what Mark did.”

“It’s called disinformation, and I know.  I was there, remember?” she pointed out.

“Right,” I agreed, and I tried the dance steps again.  We were in the training area of the Guild Hall.  The rest of my Dawn Guard was off doing other things while I was in the safety of that building, but Tarisha was helping me train.  We were working on Dance at the moment, but Dance helped with my footwork and mobility for combat, even if it was listed under the general skills tab.  “Were you there when she kissed me too?”

“She what?” Tarisha demanded.

“On the cheek.  I was really surprised.  I guess you weren’t looking,” I said.  “Then she stealthed away like nothing had happened.  I don’t get it.  Why’d she do that?”

Tarisha giggled.  “She must have a little crush on you.  It’s pretty sweet.  I suppose it’s harmless, but I’ll have to talk with her about it all the same.”

“Should I kiss her back?” I asked.

“I’m not certain that’s a good idea.  If she has a crush on you it’s probably harmless.  Do you like her that way as well?” Tarisha asked.

“She’s my best friend who’s not an adult,” I answered.  “I don’t know.  I don’t want to marry her or anything.”

“If you don’t have strong feelings for her then it might be best not to encourage her crush,” Tarisha explained.  “As I said, I’ll talk with her.  It’s, well, to be honest I’m not entirely certain what would happen if you and a traveler fell in love with each other.  In the worst case scenario we might need to get a psychologist involved.  However, most of the documented instances are one sided, where the digital entity isn’t self-aware, as you are, Lord Hail.  It could make for a messy situation.”

“I don’t see what the problem is,” I said, twirling about again as I practiced getting my footwork just right.  “Love is love, isn’t it?”

“Do you love Sophia?”

“I think I just like her as a friend,” I admitted.

“Then it could be a problem if she fell in love with you.  You don’t really have to understand why, just take my word for it,” Tarisha said.  “But don’t worry.  I’ll talk with her and get things straightened out.”

“I don’t mind that she kissed me,” I admitted.  “It was a surprise, but kind of nice.”

“Even so, please don’t kiss her back until I’ve had a chance to talk with her,” Tarisha requested.  “It is probably harmless, but if it’s not then I don’t want you encouraging her or breaking her heart.”

“Okay, whatever,” I said.  “Although if she tries to kiss me again, I think I’m going to let her.”

I danced about in the guild’s basement for another twenty minutes before challenging Tarisha to another duel.  I lost, of course, but I could feel my skill improving.  Soon, I would be on her level.  And then I would pay her back for all minus one health blows she’d given me!

~~~~~~~~~~

Much of the rubble had been cleared away, but the work had yet to begin on rebuilding the castle.  Randal’s submission had been selected, yet work was being delayed due to the need to lay a new foundation to support the elegant towers he would have Grandfather building.  The ceremony would be held in the courtyard, but first, another parade.  And this time I was in it.

While my involvement in the Busting of the Raid wasn’t widely known thanks to the confidentiality contracts the raiders of <The Endolphins> were required to sign, nobody thought it strange that I was being celebrated as well.  I rode on the back of Tarisha’s wyvern in its new two-person saddle.

My clothes were a mixture of Native fashion and Traveler practicality.  A fancy blue doublet that provided terrible stats, and my [Nagaskin Cloak] which was still Bee Eye Ess, despite the levels I had gotten since I had earned it.  Thousands of Travelers and Natives alike turned out to see us ride past, and I waved and cheered at them as they celebrated our success.

When finally we arrived at the castle, I was suffering from [Hoarseness].  I was still suffering from it, in fact, when I knelt before my grandfather and offered my oath of fealty as Earl Jeoran.  A theater had been erected for the knighting ceremony, but my oath was to precede that in order to give legitimacy to the knights I would be creating.  And so I knelt before my grandfather and recited the words I had memorized.

“I, Earl Hail Jeoran, pledge my life, my honor, and all of my holdings in defense of the kingdom of Yuikon, and its rightful king Rain Teoran.  I swear to uphold its laws and lawful traditions, to succor not its enemies, and to make every decision with the prosperity of its people forefront in my mind,” I recited.

“In times of plenty, I pledge my just and even handed guidance to my lands.  In times of want, I pledge my wealth to the sustenance of my people.  In times of war, I pledge the steel of my blade, the iron of my blood, and the leadership of my warriors to the defense of this great kingdom and its rightful king.”

“Against the forces of darkness and the adversary of Thedum I pledge my unending resistance.  To those who walk in the light, I pledge friendship and brotherhood and shelter from the dark.”

“I, Earl Hail Jeoran, make these oaths of my own free will and without hesitation before the witness of my king, my people, and my god, Thedum.”

The crowd cheered when I completed my recitation without flubbing the lines too badly, and Grandfather nodded proudly.

“Earl Hail Jeoran, I accept your oath and grant you the lands of North Shire and Thorn March in perpetuity as your hereditary property,” Grandfather said, and I learned for the first time the lands which I would steward.  “You may take upon yourself five thousand sworn retainers and in times of war lead ten times that into battle.  In times of peace may you make just and wise judgments upon those subjects living within your lands and be a just steward of the lands and people of Yuikon who owe you fealty as Lord.  And may you and those who owe you fealty always stand in the light and against the darkness.  For the glory of Yuikon!”

“For the glory of Yuikon!” I cheered as loudly as my throat allowed, joined as I was by all of the Natives present, and a good number of the Travelers as well.

Then began the truly boring bit.  The knighting of three hundred plus Travelers.  My father was conspicuously absent, having both already been knighted long ago and also having a ‘prior speaking engagement’ which prevented his attendance.  I did not really understand it, except that he would be talking to ‘some high school kids’ about ‘the reality of pro-gaming.’

Father’s seneschal had divided the groups evenly, giving some consideration to the requests of the members.  I had insisted upon knighting Tarisha of Miami, Randal the Axeman, and the mage who had kept me safe during the second fight against the elemental knight.  Otherwise, most of the soon-to-be-knights in my line were those who had explicitly requested it, with some of the overflow having gone into Malkios’s line.

I truly didn’t understand why everyone wanted to be knighted by me.  It made no sense, as Grandfather was the king.  But even if receiving their knighthood from me had been viewed as a disappointment, the number I had to knight would be the same.  The decision had been made to split the applicants equally long before the requests had been made.

The [Hoarseness] hadn’t faded, but I continued to repeat the words of the ceremony.

“In the hour of need, you, Afk-fir-teh-boss, rose up to face the forces of darkness and push them back from the heart of our capital.  Standing together with your brothers and sisters, you displayed valor and strength of arms in the conquest of destruction of [Zhesa Castle Raid].  In honor of your gallantry, I, Earl Hail Jeoran, hereby grant you the title of [Royal Knight].  May your magic continue to serve in the defense of the people of the realm as you strike ever against the dark.”

To be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to remember any of the names or the weapons of choice of the men and women I was knighting except for the cards that a servant was slipping me in between.  The event turned into a blur.  A long, agonizingly boring blur that stretched on eternally with no hope for a swift end.  I lost count of how many knights I knighted, and before long I was also suffering from a [Sore Arm].  I would have given anything for the agonizing ceremony to end.

Except for what actually happened.

I was knighting LootGoblin420 when the crowd gasped collectively.  I turned to my left and watched in horror as the player Grandfather was knighting, having equipped his gear directly from his inventory, struck the king down.  One blow wasn’t enough, but by the time Malkios could intervene it was too late.

“Grandfather!” I called.

“Call me Nial the [Kingslayer]!” the tall man shouted, raising his sword in triumph.

“Nial, you idiot,” someone in the audience shouted.

“Your Majesty!” Malkios shouted.

In a flash, Malkios was dressed in full plate, a greatsword in his hand as he charged the regicide.  I too equipped my adventuring gear and charged forward, but while Malkios met the warrior on equal terms, a casual slash from the raider activated my [Blessing of Thedum] and I vanished into white light.