Today is Day 20 of NaNoWriMo! I can't believe I've been doing this for 20 days straight. Some days I haven't done a lot of writing, but I still wrote something.
My total for day 19 of NaNoWriMo was 1,850 words. Very good day for a weekday. Let's see what I can come up with on a Friday :).
All passages were in order from yesterday's post, so here's what I wrote:
Zaro stopped following us and looked around intently. Rinneth and I also stopped walking. When I looked at her questionably she shrugged and we waited. Zaro’s antenna whiskers waved in a synchronizing pattern as he continued to look around. Then, he took off into the woods. Rinneth and I looked at each other and tore after him.
The Calacour set a fast pace that Rinneth and Nythe easily kept up with, but I struggled to do the same thanks to my plate armor. When I started to lag behind, I started to wish I had another class to switch to.
The forest thinned, and before I knew it, Rinneth and I were skidding to a halt when the trees disappear and the soil ground turned into a rock ledge. Zaro sat where the ledge dropped off and looked out at the vast land below.
“Wow,” Rinneth breathed as she ventured to the edge. “This view is amazing!”
I followed her and had to agree. Miles of terrain could be seen from here. But a tingling sensation kept me from marveling. Holy light… Rinneth watched me as I slowly circled the ledge, feeling out the light.
“This place is perfect,” I said. “The light is strong here.”
Rinneth ran back into the forest without a word and I listened as she crashed around. When she came back, a grin spread across her face. “This area would be perfect for a cathedral, or some other type of holy building.”
“Then it’s settled,” I announced. “I pick this spot and if Vamir and Ramos want another spot, I’ll pay for this one on my own.”
Zaro came up to me, purring, and I gave him a good rub as thanks.
“Let’s head back then,” Rinneth said. “We can let everyone know about this spot, make final decisions and payment, and then go searching for those map pieces.”
I agreed and the four of us headed back for the main building. Went we arrived the others were already waiting for us.
“Thuldren and I picked a spot and building type,” Erin told her immediately.
“Sorry for not includin’ ye,” Thuldren said. “We just got real excited.”
Rinneth laughed. “It’s fine. I was hoping you two would be able to make a choice on you own.” She looked at Vamir and Ramos. “What about you two?”
“We found a nice meadow with a stream and great deal of holy light,” Vamir said. “We’ve decided that would be a great spot for a small outdoor shrine. What about you Vesser?”
“Rinneth and I found a good altar spot near the top of the mountain,” I said. “I think a cathedral or similar building would be nice up there.”
“I’ll split costs with the two of you,” Ramos said. “Both spots sound ideal, and it’ll be good to have variety when gathering holy energy.”
“Then it’s settled,” Rinneth said. “Pick your buildings, pool in your money, and get the buildings moving. Then we can go out questing.”
“But what about the main guild hall building?” Erin asked. “It could use some work.”
“We’ll do it later,” she said. “Besides, our coin bags are hurting as it is.”
The group of us mumbled in agreement as we watched our gold stashes deplete quickly. Once the buildings were paid for Rinneth split us up into two groups, except for Erin. He opted to go on his own.
“I’ll take Vesser and Vamir with me to get information from Allyson. Ramos, you take Thuldren and Rial with you to speak with Jon.”
“And I’ll track down Fisma,” Erin said. “If we’re lucky we’ll be able to get a lead from one of the three and track down a map piece.”
We all agreed, Ramos and his group ported out together with the use of the teleport ability given to guild members, and then Erin ported out when the spell was ready again.
Instead of porting out immediately, Rinneth looked at Vamir and me. “A quick warning before we head out. Allyson is a bit difficult to deal with. She’s held her informant position a long time because of how good she is.”
I nodded. “We’ve heard of Allyson. She’s a Red Dragon that was raised by humans. In game, she runs a rogue class and a member of the assassin guild Thermopylae. We’re really going to get information from her?”
Rinneth nodded. “Her information is worth it.”
“What does this questline reward you with, anyways?” Vamir asked.
Rinneth smiled. “Gold, reputation, and a mount.”
I shook my head. “Of course a mount is involved.”
“I’m not going to complain,” Vamir said.
“You shouldn’t,” Rinneth said. “It’s super cool looking!”
“What is it?” I asked.
“A flaming molten horse!”
I stared at her with shock. “Wouldn’t that hurt to ride?”
She looked at me sternly. “It’s a game, dummy, of course it won’t hurt.”
Vamir snickered and I pinched my nose. That had been real stupid of me. I had a habit of getting so engrossed in immersion of the game, I’d forget we were playing a game sometimes. It didn’t help that I had seen quite a bit of change in my seven centuries of life. It made me yearn for a time this game was set it, even though I had never lived it before.
Rinneth used the teleport ability without warning, and we appeared in the trade district of Laxren. Before I could get a grip on our new location, Rinneth and Zaro were already walking off in search for Allyson. Vamir and I ran to catch up and the three of us wordless moved through the city until we came to a run down back alley with a sketchy pub. Fearlessly, Rinneth entered and ignored the gazes of the residents inside, her gaze too focused to notice. I, on the other hand, did notice the malice and distrust in their eyes. I did not like assassin guilds.
Rinneth approached a light-skinned woman with red hair and green eyes who sat alone in a corner. The woman wore rogue tier armor and played with a knife, either unaware of Rinneth’s approach or uncaring. Rinneth plopped down in the seat across from the rogue and the rogue smiled.
“Well, if it isn’t Rinneth,” she said, her gaze never leaving the dagger. “I hear you’ve been a busy lady as of late.”
“I’m not here for small talk, Allyson,” Rinneth said. “I’m here for information.”
“Yes, yes, like always.” Allyson looked up from her blade with a wicked grin. “And you’ll get it. I’m just interested in learning about your new pets right now.” Allyson looked at Vamir and me when we approached and grinned. “Well, well, well. Look at what we have here.”
“Why is she asking you about new pets?” I asked Rinneth. “You haven’t gotten any new ones recently, right?”
Allyson snickered and Rinneth sighed. “She’s talking about you guys, dumbass.”
“Huh?”
“He’s all looks and no brain, isn’t he?” Allyson said.
“Most men I know are,” Rinneth replied.
I wanted to be offended, but I had walked into that, and I still didn’t understand why I was being called a pet, so I really couldn’t be offended.
Rinneth leaned on the table. “Now, tell me what I want to know, Allyson.”
Allyson grinned. “You haven’t told me what you’re looking for, dearie.”
“What I’m always looking for,” Rinneth exasperated.
“Ah, yes, your map locations.” Allyson spun her dagger in her fingers. “I may know something, but I need my fee.”
Rinneth placed her hand on Zaro’s head. “You get paid after you give me information. That’s always our deal.”
Allyson grinned. “Not when some else pays higher, love.”
I rested my hand on the hilt of my swords. “Getting rough isn’t beneath me.”
“You will not hurt me,” Allyson taunted in Dragonic. “I am female.”
“If you are willing to try your luck, keep denying us what we want,” I responded back.
Allyson took a deep breath and studied me for a moment. “You actually would harm me.”
“It is a game,” Rinneth said. “Outside rules and instincts do not take hold here. But, if you insist on refusing to give me what I pay you for”--Rinneth looked around the room where others were starting to get a little too close for comfort--“and insist on fighting members of Maiden Sacrifice, then so be it.”
Allyson chewed her lip and then waved her hand. The players that had moved closer, retreated, and she spoke in common. “I don’t want to fight any of you. None of us are equipped to handle top rank PvPers, but I was paid to keep my mouth shut unless you paid higher. I don’t go back on my deals.”
Rinneth grinned. “Whoever said I wouldn’t pay higher?”
“I want half upfront.”
“I’ll give you half up front, if you give me the name of the person who paid you to keep quiet.”
Allyson grinned. “That I’m willing to do. The fee to top his payment is triple what you normally pay me.”
Rinneth dropped a bag of gold on the table. “Tell me what I want to know.”
Allyson pulled the bag to her side of the table. She opened the bag and, with typical Dragon fashion, happily touched the coins. Game or real life, our hoarding instincts were strong. “The player who paid me, was Quinn.”
Rinneth grunted. “Figures.”
“Who is Quinn?” Vamir asked.
“A high ranked PvEer,” Rinneth said. “The two of us have never seen eye to eye, and he has a tendency to try to get in my way.” She grinned. “But he doesn’t really get how resourceful I am.”
“Or how dirty she’s willing to get her hand,” Allyson said.
“I do take after my father.”
Allyson laughed. “Yes, the two of you are both pains in the ass.”
“Why do I have a feeling you two know each other, more than just in this game?” I asked.
The two laughed and then went back to conversing, irritating me.
“I know the location of two maps,” Allyson said. “Your fee only covers one map location, but”--she grinned--“I don’t like Quinn any more than you do, so I’ll give you the other location as well.”
“Does Quinn know both locations?” Rinneth asked.
Allyson giggled. “He knows neither. I gave him the location of the map I gave you information about last time.”
“Then why are you making Rinneth pay you extra?” I demanded to know.
Allyson sighed. “You really are all looks, aren’t you? Quinn paid me to keep quiet about any map location I find out about when it comes to talking to Rinneth. I told him I couldn't afford a permanent deal so we agreed Rinneth’s fee would just end up being higher. I never agreed to keep information away from Rinneth, or let him in on that Rinneth and I have a deal to make sure she’s one step ahead of everyone else with particular quest lines she pays me to gather information on.”
Vamir chuckled. “Very resourceful of you, Rinneth.”