Friend or Foe?
1216 Words
Despite having a large body, the Mountain troll was an expert climber. Its thick skin shrugged off all scratches as it scaled the southern side of the rocky terrain. Pieces of loose rock tumbled down as the troll dug its fingers into the cracks and crevices. Little by little, it pulled itself upward, grabbing hold of trees and ledges along the way.
Throughout this steep climb, Aaron and Zach held on to their dear lives. One slip would send them rolling down to their death. The Mountain Troll climbed steadily, without pause, paying no heed to the howling wind. Aaron could feel the chill creep up in his bones as they reached the snow-covered peaks, but the troll’s thick skin protected it against such extremities.
When they reached the top of the second highest peak, the wind had picked up. After setting them down under a leafless tree, the Mountain Troll disappeared from existence.
“Looks like...we made it...just in the nick of time,” Zach spoke through his chattering teeth. His whole body was shaking like a leaf.
“We have to find shelter,” Aaron replied, channelling his fire energy to keep himself warm. Though he could survive the cold by creating a fire zone around him, it wasn’t an ideal option for Zach. Being an Aquamancer meant that Zach was incredibly vulnerable to extreme heat.
The cold had already turned Zach’s fingers blue and his face had lost all colour. Neither of them had any warming potions on them.
Aaron was zooming on the digital map, searching for some shelter, when the weather started to change.
[*Inclement Weather Warning!*]
[Time: Evening
Weather: Severely cold and windy!
Sub-Zero temperatures detected!
Status effect: Chilled
Debuffs applied: 3
Debuff 1: Movement speed reduction: 70%
Debuff 2: Attack speed reduction: 70%
Debuff 3: Frost resistance: -100]
The situation was deteriorating rapidly now. Staying out in this freezing cold weather was a sure way to turn into a popsicle. Aaron kept his core temperature from dropping by constantly channelling his inner fire element. Zach, however, was beginning to feel the effects. In this critical situation, his true Aquamancer form was manifesting itself and his organic human body was turning transparent and watery all over again. His internal organs were once more visible!
“Ohh God, this shouldn’t be happening. My...lungs are gonna freeze solid.”
“There’s a grotto 200 meters north-east from here. We have to get moving!”
Aaron put a temporary marker on the map and activated the distance tracker. Zach followed behind as Aaron navigated his way through the snow-covered bushes and went around the pines scattered haphazardly across the path. It had started snowing now, bringing the temperatures down by a few more degrees.
“Just a bit more!” Aaron pulled Zach up as he slipped on a thin sheet of ice.
The intense snowfall had covered the ground in 5 inches of powdery white. Aaron’s body was able to naturally resist the low temperature and he was able to cut through the snow with relative ease. Zach, on the other hand, felt his feet sinking deep into the snowy layer. The Boots of Haste and Nimble Gloves partially negated the slowing effects of the chilly weather, but Zach’s fingers had started freezing solid.
Ploughing through the snow, the two friends eventually made it to the marked location before the weather could take a turn for the worst. The place was labelled as ‘Goblin’s Grotto’. Aaron knew the name wasn’t just for show and if they entered, they could expect to encounter a whole horde of goblins or even worse.
“I’ll go first. Stay behind me.”
Aaron’s Naginata was a cumbersome weapon in such closed spaces, so he put it away and turned up the heat. He was gonna try and clear this grotto with just his skills. With flames dancing on his fingertips, he walked into the dark unknown.
It was an old limestone cave, with a damp floor and uneven walls. The stalactite formations on the ceiling were probably several centuries old. This cave was definitely not the most hospitable place for human settlement.
Before long, Aaron bumped into the corpse of a half naked goblin, sliced in half by some bladed weapon. He immediately lit a torch. That wasn’t the only dead goblin. Over a dozen of these creatures lay down the trail, their limbs sliced off indiscriminately.
“What the hell!” Zach gasped in shock.
“Whatever killed these goblins knows what it was doing. We need to stay alert.”
“Haiiyagh!” A squeaky female voice pierced through the silence. “Fortification! Hercules Aura!”
“Who’s there?” Aaron called out, his fingers ready to cast.
The owner of the voice revealed herself immediately. “Illumination!”
The cave suddenly lit up with a bright silvery glow and Aaron caught a glimpse of a bright steel plate armour with a sun painted on top of the breastplate. The girl who appeared before them was dressed in full plate armour and armed with a large iron shield which protected her from head to toe. Her hair, dyed sapphire blue, had streaks of neon green flashing along the left. She hardly looked over 18 and, despite her angry expression, she didn’t look the least bit intimidating.
“Right...she must be a lost adventurer. There are always such NPCs in caves.” Zach casually walked up to the armoured girl and gave her a thumbs-up. “Don’t worry adventurer, we’ll take care of these pesky goblins. You did quite well yourself. Now leave the rest to the pros.”
The young girl seemed baffled by Zach’s reply. She stood there like a dummy and stared at him quizzically.
“Come on now, you are free to leave the cave,” Zach insisted, pointing her towards the exit. When she still refused to move, he rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Ugh, looks like this NPC is stuck. It must be another bug.”
“She’s not an NPC!”
Zach turned around abruptly and looked at Aaron. “What the hell do you mean?”
“I mean she is a real human player, just like us!” Aaron had used his Z-band’s scan feature while Zach was busy trying to get the girl to leave. The primary scan showed him the player name, level and team which this girl belonged to.
“You guys are seriously dumb. I can’t believe you made it this far.” A mocking female voice chimed in from the shadows.
From behind the blue-haired shieldbearer, emerged another female figure. She was taller than the younger one and seemed to be in great shape. Her dirty blonde hair was tied into a neat ponytail and her nails clipped to perfection. Just like the shield bearer, she was also dressed in full combat armour, but her breastplate was dented and bloody.
What shocked Aaron the most, were the two battleaxes she carried, one in each hand. Both the weapons were dripping with fresh blood.
“So, you’re the one who killed these goblins,” Aaron remarked, taking a good look at the girl.
She gave him a dead stare and replied, “I did, and you’re next in line.”
- Writer
