EFate: An MMO Story

Alistair's office was much the same as it had been when Eric had left only an hour before. With the exception of a few new papers lying on the table, everything else was exactly as it had been earlier. Closing the door behind him, Eric cleared his throat to gain Alistair's attention.

"Yes?" Alistair asked without looking up. "What do you need, Kystfyr?"

"You told me to see you after I finished recruiting four other members to my party."

"You're finished recruiting members already?" Alistair asked, looking up at Eric with surprise. "How did you get four strong members so quickly? Even if you decided to take on Lark, there shouldn't be three fighters close to your own level here in Tonbura outside of your original party members. Did you just recruit anyone who would join?" Alistair asked, his tone turning harsh.

Eric shook his head. "No, sir. I used the Whisper spell to contact Astrid Feathershot, Aria Magisong, and Turk Behorde. They'll be joining me as members of my party alongside Lark."

Hearing this, Alistair's gaze softened, although a trace of surprise was still visible on his face. "You've learned the Whisper spell?"

"Yes, sir. This morning."

"That certainly makes things easier. Now then, your party is well balanced. Turk Behorde is a strong fighter who can secure the frontline alongside Lark, and Astrid Feathershot is probably the most talented archer I've laid eyes on in over twenty years. I'm assuming Magisong is a healer or a fighter of some sort?"

"Yes, she's a healer and a mage," Eric confirmed.

"And you've decided to accept Lark into your party?"

"Yes," Eric intoned again, his voice taking on a slightly harder quality as he spoke. "But, I did it because of her skill, not for whatever reason you may have for pushing me to accept a Novanalban. I trust you, which is why I'm willing to go along with your plan. But don't think I'm not aware you have deeper motives behind suggesting I recruit Lark," he stated, finally voicing the concerns he'd been stewing over for the past hour.

While Lark was strong, that was more than likely not the true reason for Alistair's recommendation of her. There were plenty of strong otherworlders who could fill Lark's spot, and even strong Novanalbans with combat experience such as Kifax Catclaw. And yet, Alistair had gone out of his way to recommend he take on Lark. Why? Eric wasn't sure. Despite this, he had still chosen to accept Lark after seeing her skill. He wasn't sure what Alistair's true motive was just yet, but the old militia captain had yet to lead him wrong. Rather than declining and losing both a strong fighter and some of Alistair's goodwill, Eric had chosen to accept Lark into his party.

Alistair blinked slightly at this, a small crack appearing in his normally stony mask. Taking a moment to settle his composure, he stared at the young half-elf. "I'm glad to hear that you trust your liege lord. I can promise you that no matter the motivations behind my suggestion, Lark will be an asset you can rely upon. In return, I merely ask that you treat her with respect and that you do your utmost to ensure her safety."

"I can do that," Eric replied, his demeanour turning deferential once more.

"Good. Now that your party has been formed, it's time for you to prepare for your first assault. As a new adventurer, I don't expect you to know what a proper party requires, so I've prepared a list of items that you should procure before your first assault. Each member of your party should have their own set of these items," Alistair said, handing a small piece of paper over to Eric as he returned the conversation to its original topic.

Before Eric could speak up to ask about the list however, Alistair cut him off. "I see that you're a little dubious about some of the items. The first few should all be fairly self-explanatory. They're normal items for explorers such as rope and torches that you can pick up at the general store here in Tonbura. The last few are what you need to focus on. The quality of the weapons and armour of most of the otherworlders and militia are pitiful when compared to the army, or the main forces of the Ironfrost Horde. You would do well to ensure that your entire party is outfitted in Soldier-level armour and equipped with Uncommon quality or higher weapons. You should all have a bow and fifty arrows a piece as well, although Miss Feathershot will likely want more."

"Why do we all need bows, sir? Turk and Lark I can understand, but Aria and myself will both be relying on magic for ranged combat. We don't really need to carry bows, do we?" Eric asked.

"Your inexperience is showing," Alistair chided. "The easiest way to defeat a mage is to exhaust their mana. Force them to keep you at bay using spells, and once their mana is depleted, you can simply take them out at your leisure. However, if a mage alternates between magic attacks and arrows, they can buy time for their mana to regenerate, and for their allies to come rescue them. It also allows mages to be useful in zones with anti-magic properties. Make sense?"

"Yes," Eric replied.

"Alright. For your party, I'm going to make an exception and hand out the rewards for the Battle of Lichfrost now. I'll be paying you, Behorde, Magisong, and Feathershot from my own coffers, so don't go spreading this information, I can't afford to pay the entire militia force right now. Use this money to purchase the materials you need. I've included some extra funds for Lark's gear as well. As for the items I promised you at your knighting ceremony, those are still being worked upon, but I shall get them to you as soon as possible," Alistair said, handing Eric a large pouch that made a pleasant jingling sound as he caught it. "Do you have any more questions?"

"Just one. What should we call our party?

"Are you not going with Riptide? I was under the impression that that was what your group called itself."

"It is," Eric admitted. "But the others might not appreciate me using that name. I was wondering if you had any suggestions."

Alistair looked pensive for a moment, his eyes going blank as he contemplated Eric's words. "In my experience. The best names are those that were earned through action and deed. If you choose a grandiose name and fail to live up to it, you will be scorned. But if you earn a title through deed, the people themselves will happily call it out."

"Now, if you have no more questions?"

"No, sir!"

"I expect results, Kystfyr," Alistair said, catching Eric's eye as he stood to leave.

"Of course, Commander."

"Good. You're dismissed."

With that, Eric left the room once more. Stretching widely in the sun, he deposited the coins into his inventory before logging off. It had been a long day, and there was still much to do, but a man had to eat!