Trojan: An Epic LitRPG Adventure (Afterlife Online Book 3) Read online

  "What, join Talon's quest to talk to the devil? You wanna play the supporting role in that play?"

  She snorted. "You know me better than that, boss. I'm not talking about begging for allies, I'm talking about solving the problem. The real problem."

  "Fuck all!" snapped Stigg. He'd gone for the easy money but had missed the glasses completely. "I swear that coin was bent." I inspected my coin for uniformity just in case he was onto something.

  "That's what you always say," remarked the physicker coolly. "Step aside and watch how it's done." Caduceus took careful aim. "You see, the trick is not being an insufferable know-it-all." She skipped the coin off the floor. It rebounded off the wall and almost landed in a side glass. Instead, it skipped out and sank in the fore glass. She hopped up and down excitedly. Even Dune ignored her comment and laughed heartily.

  I glumly dropped my coin back into my inventory. "Apparently the real trick is getting lucky."

  The winner halted scooping up her winnings to smugly say, "I'd rather be lucky than good."

  "That's beers," reminded Dune.

  Stigg nodded. "All right, I'll get this round." He hurried to the bar to drown his sorrows.

  Errol and the pirates bellowed from a back table and exchanged silver and contraband at the result. From the convoluted exchanges, it appeared they had at least seven side wagers running on the match.

  "Hopcoin's overrated," I decided.

  Dune grinned. "I agree. That's why I suggested archery."

  "Even Kyle wouldn't challenge you in that department."

  Caduceus presented her haul and split it with the ranger. She made a point to loudly count the generous pot in front of me, which only encouraged the pirates' laughter. It was good to see them having fun, at least. The voyage had them in high spirits. The Wicked Crow wasn't as rickety and raucous as their Shorehome equivalent, but they'd found a home in the place nonetheless.

  That, of course, was part of the problem. If I didn't get these landlocked pirates on the open seas soon, they were bound to find themselves in deeper water after one of their drunken escapades.

  Dune twisted his lips thoughtfully and turned to Caduceus. "So you wanna solve the real problem?" he prodded.

  She nodded, full of beer and confidence. "I do."

  "You're talking about the public bounty Talon unlocked. Bringing in Cleric Vagram."

  She winked at him.

  "You guys got that quest too?" I asked.

  "Sure did. It became available to various questkeepers as soon as you were offered it. Same terms and everything."

  "That's not fair."

  "What's not fair?" he returned. "I don't see you hunting the dissenter."

  "Not yet. It's not gonna be easy. I've seen the guy fight."

  "Got your ass kicked, is how I heard it."

  "We've been reading up on him," said Caduceus. "Whatever's on the wiki, anyway. Each random encounter over the last month has filled in another juicy detail. A bit of a mental case who thinks he's on a divine mission. He runs heavenly light and has a pair of magical swords, but the real kicker is his gem-encrusted bronze cross. Super healing. Can raise the dead. Why do you think I want him so bad?"

  I nodded along. "A pretty accurate summation... except it ignores the hundred-strong catechists at his command. You should join the Black Hats. We're at war with them. I could offer you resources."

  Dune chewed his lip. "Do the individual priests have payouts too?" The physicker shook her head. "Then we're not concerned with them." She grinned in agreement.

  "Cutthroats." I sighed. "You know I wish you well whatever you do, Dune. I just don't think you've thought this—" I jumped when I realized Crux was standing inches from me. "Dude! Where'd you come from?"

  The others laughed until seeing the knife in the thief's hand. It was long and thin, just like Poe's.

  "I'm sorry," said Crux, face wrought with distress.

  I was so shocked at the betrayal that Dune moved faster than me. He swiped his longbow like a hatchet and brought it down on the master thief's hand. The blade clattered to the floor like a hopcoin. Stigg returned at just the right time. He wrapped an arm around Crux's neck while holding a pitcher of beer in the other.

  The Viking growled. "You picked the wrong crew to mess with, boy."

  "No!" he cried. "Wait!"

  "I'll snap your neck!"

  Crux squirmed in the red robe's grip. His black cloak twirled and the next thing we knew, the thief was behind him, knife once again in his hand. Stigg, befuddled by the bundle of cloth left in his headlock, stiffened as the blade touched his neck. To the berserker's credit, the pitcher hadn't spilled a drop of beer.

  "Wait," pleaded Crux.

  I threw both hands up. "Stop," I said. "Everyone stop."

  The crowd paused. Nearby banter quieted. Kyle and Trafford were oblivious, Izzy was passed out on a bench, and Errol and the pirates placed fresh wagers.

  I spoke calmly and concisely. "You're a pacifist, Crux. Isn't that right?"

  He nodded eagerly. "I'm not here to hurt anybody."

  Dune scowled. "Doesn't look that way, brother."

  Crux took a slow breath. Slowly, he lifted his hands away. He flipped the dagger and caught it by the blade, offering it up to me. No one made hasty movements as I took the weapon.

  [Assassin Needle]

  Ineffective in regular combat, this straight knife is ideal for surgical strikes, puncturing deep and true.

  +8 Agility

  +50% critical hit on sneak attack

  +25% stun on sneak attack

  +20% Sneak

  +20% Hide

  Stigg ogled the stats as I did. With a nervous chortle, he downed half the pitcher in six gulps. I was right there with him. I knew from personal experience just how deadly this crit/stun combo was.

  Caduceus brandished her bone pick. "How about we see how you like a weapon to your neck?"

  "Stop," I said. "He's a Black Hat." Dune clenched his jaw and nodded her off. We all watched the thief expectantly. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

  "That's what I was trying to do. I came to surrender the knife. To confess."

  I swallowed. The thief hadn't been the most upstanding adventurer today. For now, he seemed to be telling the truth. I finally caught Kyle's eye. I jerked my head to the door. He stood and helped Izzy to her feet.

  "Sorry for the hassle, Stigg. Dune." I placed a chunk of coin in his hand. "The rest of the beer tonight's on me."

  He scoffed. "And what about this guy?"

  "It's faction business. As much as I'd welcome your involvement, you don't want it."

  He frowned. He was a cocky and outspoken dude, but he was a bro. "It's okay, guys," he said, patting Stigg's back and lowering the physicker's bone pick. "No harm, no foul. You know how Talon's a drama magnet."

  I rolled my eyes. "Shall we, Crux?"

  The thief quietly strolled to the door. As I followed, the pirates bemoaned their disappointment. I wondered who lost money this time.

  The nighttime streets, once we gained distance from the bar, were quieter than usual. At least until Izzy burped.

  "Look, guys, I'm riding a unicorn!"

  Kyle held Izzy over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her eyes weren't even open.

  "Word is you're heading out in the morning," said the thief.

  I ignored the prompt. "Start talking."

  "All right. But it was never supposed to be a thing. I have no idea how it came to this."

  "Who sent you?"

  Crux sighed. "Hex and I are Shorehome transplants. You know that. We used to work for Papa Brugo."

  "You two are Brothers in Black?!?"

  "No. Yes. We were." He pouted. "I'm a thief, so I joined the biggest gang of thieves in my hometown. It was never a huge commitment, just a source of quests. I dragged my sister into it. When everything was going to hell in Shorehome, we fled."

  "Without submitting your resignation?"

  "Nothing was official. You
have to understand, no actual faction exists. To Papa Brugo's continual irritation, the Brothers in Black are nothing more than a loose association. You rep them and they rep you. Put that word on the street and that's all you need in Shorehome."

  Kyle butted in with a good question. "Did you know Poe was coming to kill us?"

  "No way," swore the thief. "He's an assassin. That's not me. I didn't lie about being a pacifist."

  "So what did you lie about?"

  "Look, man, I was already here. After Bishop Tannen was kicked out of the city, Brugo sent word that he wanted reports from the inside. Obviously what happens in Stronghold is very important to Shorehome. The crusaders can't get to them without going through here, right?"

  "So you were spying on us," I said flatly. "A Trojan horse welcomed into our ranks." I worked my jaw. "You are so lucky right now that Black Hat membership is sitting at fifty even, because if we had a single other member I would kick you out in a heartbeat."

  His features strained. "It wasn't like that. When Brugo made the request, it wasn't about you. I wasn't even a Black Hat yet. There was no sabotage. No subterfuge. It was a simple repeatable quest string for public information, which was otherwise hard to come by without access to the hub."

  Despite his belated honesty, I was fuming. I felt betrayed. Crux was prescient enough to see that.

  "Look," he said, "I deserve it. I deserve everything you wanna do to me. But I'm being straight with you. I wanted to come clean before you left town. To tell you that Hex and I really dig what you're doing in Oldtown. We respect you. You're a good leader, and you can trust us. I swear it."

  "Sounds righteous to me," said Kyle.

  Izzy burped up some vomit.

  "Jeez, baby, take a healing potion." I produced a small vial and upended the red liquid into her mouth.

  In moments she shook off the haze and beat on Kyle's back. "Let me down, you lug."

  "You're welcome," he snorted.

  She nodded, confused. Then she turned to me. "Did you just call me baby?"

  I gulped. "Um... Iz?"

  "Better." She resumed walking with us as if nothing had happened.

  "So you wanna be one of us?" I asked.

  Crux nodded enthusiastically.

  "Good, then prove it. Tell me everything you know."

  "Gladly."

  "Did Brugo order the hit?"

  He licked his lips in exasperation. "I would tell you if I knew. I don't know anything about that."

  "But Poe's from Shorehome."

  "Certainly. A freelancer who publicly advertises. He could've been hired from anywhere, though. I don't personally see what Brugo would gain, not that I'm vouching for him or anything."

  I frowned. My inside information was going to be limited.

  "And you never compromised the Black Hats?" asked Izzy.

  He shook his head. "No way. The first time anything felt wrong was this morning. I received a quest to meet Loras."

  That didn't sound normal at all. "Had you informed Brugo that we were headed to Oakengard?"

  "There wasn't time. You broadcast it to the faction, anyway. The quest notification didn't pop up until we were in Oakengard. Loras must've sensed our intrusion. We were waiting upstairs while you met the Trinity. One of the keeper guards slyly offered me the quest to meet Loras. It was an official quest, from a saint, that instructed me to keep it to myself." He lowered his head. "I only stole the silver as cover for my absence when you came looking for me. The real reason for my detour was to meet Loras."

  I didn't mask my shock as we walked through the Foot on our way to the Dragonperch drawbridge. It was late enough that we weren't bothered. "You ever meet with him before?"

  "Never. I don't even know if it had anything to do with Brugo."

  "And what did the saint want?"

  Crux swallowed uncomfortably. "Well, he wanted me to kill you. He was the one that gave me that overpowered dagger. I objected. I repeated the word pacifist ten times. He didn't want to hear it."

  It sounded about right. The daggers packed a punch. A saint cleaning house would have the resources to hand out OP candy.

  "He also gave me this." Crux gifted me a metal object.

  [Sanctum Bronze Key]

  Simple key of gleaming bronze applicable to a single sanctum.

  "He wanted me to loot your tower," explained the thief.

  Holy shit. We'd lived in Dragonperch for six weeks and half the tower was still locked to us. This key might only open a door or two, but that was better than nothing. Crux handing it over willingly almost proved his loyalty.

  "Those keepers gave me a side quest," he added grimly. "They gave me a quest and then they took my fucking sister. I'm dedicated to family. Her... and you guys, if you'll have me. I'll do anything I can to make it up to you."

  I nodded absently. Izzy cut in. "Do you have a deadline for looting and assassinating and otherwise betraying your guild?"

  He winced under her glare. "Not entirely. Loras is aware I don't have access to Dragonperch, and obviously I can't use the dagger before I use the key."

  I chuckled. "That would kind of kill your cover."

  "So let's use that," suggested the pixie. "Pretend you're still one of them."

  "I pretty much have to anyway," he conceded. "Who knows what they'll do to my sister if I don't?"

  I winced. Putting it in that context, Crux was taking a huge risk by not betraying us. His sister was perfect leverage, but he was going against her captors by talking to us. No wonder he'd been so lost in thought today. We stopped as the tower drawbridge lowered over the Albula River.

  I held out my hand. "I did promise to get her back."

  His expression softened and he took my hand. "Thank you, Talon. Thank you. I mean it."

  I flipped the key in my hand. "Why don't we go see what this bad boy opens?"

  We stepped onto the drawbridge but Crux didn't follow. I gave him a questioning look.

  "I... I don't want to see what it opens," said the thief. "I don't want you to think this is some ploy to get inside your tower and into the storeroom. I want you to know you can trust me."

  I took a long breath to measure him. "I think I'm a pretty good judge of character, Crux. Come on in. You earned it."

  Izzy arched a conspiratorial eyebrow. "Besides, you might need to report on some progress to keep Hex safe."

  The deception dawned on the thief and he agreed. The four of us entered and went straight to the locked door.

  There were two storerooms on the ground floor. The first had been converted to a stable for Bandit and moved downstairs to the brewery, which itself had moved to the guildhall. The second storeroom was locked. Everybody watched in anticipation as I slid the bronze key into the keyhole.

  [Sanctum Bronze Key] applied

  The item permanently deleted from my inventory. With the popping of a magic seal, the door clicked open. An atmospheric glow lit up a room containing weapons, armor, and supplies.

  "An armory," whispered Kyle in awe.

  We strolled among the displayed equipment. All the materials were exotic: scorched blacksteel, cherry-colored heartwood, even select pieces of angelstone.

  "The quality's top of the line," observed Izzy. "I don't see us swapping out our legendary weapons anytime soon, but this puts Stronghold shopkeepers to shame."

  "No," I agreed. "This is meant for outfitting an army." I turned to them. "A Black Hat army. With this equipment, even level-5 soldiers can be effective."

  Kyle whistled. "That's heavy. But do we need an army?"

  I cocked my head. "I suppose that depends on the responses from Shorehome and Oakengard."

  Crux remained by the door, taking a general inventory of the place without getting too close. He probably didn't want me to suspect him of thievery. With his sticky fingers, I was thankful for the consideration.

  I didn't want to stay down here too long myself. It was late and we had a huge quest in the morning. We weren't bound to get upgrades f
rom the armory without a detailed inventory, and there was more of the tower to explore, but a curious object did catch my eye.

  A large saddle rested on a wooden support. The leather was intricately stamped but otherwise modest. No jewels or precious metals signified it as an artifact. Even its description was obscure.

  [Dusty Saddle]

  A well-used war saddle of ancient design.

  Despite the lackluster appearance, I was impressed by its sheer size. That and the fact it was the only one in the armory signified its importance. I reverently traced a finger across the concave seat. "This can't be what I think it is," I whispered.

  Izzy examined it. "Well, the tower is named Dragonperch. And there's a restored statue of Magnus Dragonrider on the roof."

  I blinked slowly. None of us wanted to jinx it by saying it aloud, but we all knew it was possible.

  "Bros, you're not gonna believe this," interrupted Kyle. We turned as he held up a dove pearl. "It makes sense that such a utilitarian pearl would be stored here, but didn't we just get one of these?"

  He handed it to me and I grumbled. "Just our luck. We lose the bone pearl and get two dove pearls in its place. And we can't trade it back to the Wild King 'cause he already has one."

  Izzy snorted. "We can't, we can't rightly return Theoderic's gift."

  I failed to see the humor.

  -- Cutscene --

  An everyday thirty-something in Silicon Valley jerked against his straps. He didn't look like a tech guy because he wasn't one. Trimmed red stubble, a physique that was athletic but not strapping, T-shirt and jeans dead center between fashionista and professional dad. He liked Netflix and superhero movies, but he balanced his interests with a wife, son, and a healthy penchant for cycling.

  About the only extraordinary thing about him was the fact that he was hooked into a state-of-the-art digital-reality interface.

  Which wasn't to say it was like the movies. The man wasn't twirling around a zero-gravity harness pantomiming virtual actions with exaggerated fervor. In fact, his sedentary status was quite the opposite of a photo opportunity. He lay in a simple bed, partially sedated; waist, head, and limbs strapped into place for safety. Conventional electrodes on his body monitored heart rate and other vitals. Even the cutting-edge device itself resembled nothing more than a mini CAT-scan machine that slid over the subject's head.