Hero Read online

  Immediately the slaves brought clay cups full of some sort of drink to the three men. Jaxx grimaced a bit at the slaves’ actions and then smoothed his face. “Not your place,” he thought.

  Battus noticed. “Not to your liking?” motioning to the drink. “No, it’s fine,” Jaxx replied.

  Battus glanced at the slaves, then at Jaxx. “You are uncomfortable with the slaves?” he asked.

  Surprised at the depth of understanding, Jaxx said “Yes, we do not have slavery where I come from.”

  “And where is that, precisely? I am fairly well traveled and I do not know of any place that does not keep slaves.”

  Dammit. Jaxx knew that all ancient cultures practiced slavery, and that you could not apply modern morality on the subject when discussing it. Of course, that academic distance was far more comfortable than seeing it in action.

  “I am an Avatar, as confirmed by Apollo last night. That means, basically, that my mind was put into this body here by the Gods.” He didn’t know how the NPC would understand what it meant to be from another world.

  “And in your original body, where you came from, there is no slavery? Hmmm. I had never really considered what life would be like without slaves. They are a critical part of our lives here: they allow the men to protect our society from those who would destroy it. If we didn’t have slaves, our soldiers would be forced to farm and plant, and we would be wide open to barbarians.” Battus slowly got through the thought process, and he was obviously trying to imagine how such a world so alien to his own would function.

  “I am not here to judge,” Jaxx finally said to break the silence. “I am here to learn and improve myself.”

  Glad for the excuse to switch topics, Battus nodded. “Yes, that is why I asked Hwiksos to bring you to me. I am in charge of the military for our region: you might think of me as the commander of the hoplites for Triada. From your demonstration last night, I believe that I can help you to achieve your purpose set by the Gods.”

  “Yes!” exulted Jaxx in his mind. “This is what I needed.” Strongly suspecting that the game was helping him, he answered, “Thank you, I believe you are correct. I am in desperate need of training and equipment.”

  “You shall have training, and if you do well you may earn some superior equipment. However, we do not have enough to spare without getting something in return. I would like to ask if you would, after your training, undertake some tasks that have stymied us until now.”

  Standard stuff here. Jaxx felt comfortable with this line of dialogue. He would get training, some starter gear, and then would be tasked with some quests that were too hard for the locals to handle. Killing some monsters plaguing the farmers, no doubt.

  “I would be honored to help any way that I could. I feel uncomfortable with taking things without paying for them, in either coin or deed.” Jaxx had been playing RPG games for years, he could role-play with the best of them.

  Battus nodded to Hwiksos. “Take him out back and show him.”

  Feeling that the audience was at an end for now, Jaxx stood and bowed to Battus. “Thank you, Commander.” The honorific seemed to please the old man and he nodded with a smile.

  “Come on, Hero,” Hwiksos, ever the practical man, pulled Jaxx through the room and out the back of the house. In the enclosed yard behind the house, Jaxx saw several standard size training dummies made of wood and straw standing near the back fence. Red circles were painted on them in the head and chest regions. One held a shield. The ground was dirt, packed down with use, and several men were practicing sparring with wooden swords and bucklers. They stopped when they saw Hwiksos and Jaxx enter the training area.

  “Don’t stop training!” Hwiksos barked at the men. They quickly resumed, one of them stealing glances over at Jaxx. His training partner noticed and took advantage, landing a blow that knocked the man down.

  “Ha,” Hwiksos laughed. “Serves you right.” The man climbed to his feet sheepishly, still catching glances at Jaxx, and turned back to his spar. Jaxx noticed he was favoring the arm that had gotten whacked.

  Hwiksos handed Jaxx a wooden training sword and buckler from where he had retrieved it while Jaxx was looking at the two men. They were heavy and Jaxx inspected them.

  Heavy Training Short Sword

  Durability – 7/10

  Damage – 3-5 (bludgeoning)

  Weight – 8kg

  Description – A short, heavy wooden sword designed for sparring and practice.

  Heavy Training Wooden Buckler

  Durability – 5/10

  Block – 2 (based on agility)

  Weight – 10kg

  Description – A heavy, simple wooden shield. Despite the heavy construction, it feels flimsy.

  Jaxx equipped both items, noting the heaviness of both. He followed Hwiksos over to the far training dummy and listened.

  “Ok, have you had any training with the sword and shield before?” At Jaxx’s negative head shake, he continued. “What I thought. Ok, time to start training. I want you to alternate strikes, first with the sword, then with the shield. Hit the dummy in the chest with both. Remember, alternate.”

  A window popped up:

  Quest - Beginner’s Training

  Perform melee weapon training for 3 hours with the training equipment.

  Increase sword skill by 3. 0/3 completed.

  Increase shield skill by 3. 0/3 completed.

  Rewards

  100 XP

  1 gold piece

  Varied Armor Suitable for your Class and Level

  Accept? Yes/No

  “Here we go,” thought Jaxx. He thought “yes” and the window closed.

  With that, Hwiksos stepped back and motioned for Jaxx to begin.

  Jaxx squared off with the dummy and raised his sword while holding the heavy shield in his left hand. He swung, feeling the awkward weight and unfamiliar handle twist the sword in his grasp. The sword impacted on the left arm of the dummy, nowhere near the target area. He raised the sword to swing again, trying to adjust his grip while keeping the shield up.

  Thwap! An impact hit his back, staggering him. Looking back, he saw Hwiksos standing there with another practice sword. “I said, alternate!” he said.

  Squaring up again, Jaxx began hitting the dummy, missing most of the time and trying not to be overbalanced with his feet while swinging the sword and shield. As he worked, he noted the yellow of his stamina bar going down steadily. He felt no real discomfort, other than the awkward positioning, and he was grateful that little things like back pain were not part of the game.

  As his stamina bar depleted to 2 after about an hour of swinging, Jaxx stopped and rested to allow his stamina to recover. He saw a couple of popups appear and disappear as he glanced at them:

  Short sword + 1

  Shields + 1

  He was pleased to see evidence of improvement. He took a minute to look at his character sheet:

  Name

  Jaxx

  Race

  Human

  Level

  3

  XP to Next Level

  400

  Strength

  5

  Intellect

  0

  Agility

  3

  Stamina

  3

  Constitution

  5

  Charisma

  1

  Rage Capacity

  12

  Skills

  Dodge – Beginner - 7

  2H Spear – Beginner - 6

  Improvisation – Beginner – 3

  Fire Starting – Beginner – 1

  1H Sword – Beginner – 1

  Shield – Beginner - 1

  Concentrating on his skills, it expanded into a more detailed view:

  Skills

  Dodge – Level 7

  Dodge is the ability to avoid blows in combat. Each successful combat session where you successfully dodge at least one attack will raise this by +1. Only one level will be achieved per
combat session. Current affect – 7% more likely to dodge an attack by an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to dodge by 5%. Agility level increases Dodge.

  2H Spear – Level 6

  Your chance to land a blow with a 2H spear is increased by 6% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases chance to hit with a weapon.

  Improvisation – Level 3

  Improvisation is the ability to make something from nothing. 3% increased chance to put together a viable item from raw materials.

  Fire Starting – Level 1

  The ability to start fires is a gift straight from Prometheus himself. Higher levels allow you to start fires in adverse conditions. 1% increased chance to start fires.

  1H Sword – Level 1

  You chance to land a blow with a 1H sword is increased by 1% against an attacker of the same or lower level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to hit by 5%. Agility increases the chance to hit with a weapon.

  Shield – Level 1

  Your chance to block a blow with an equipped shield increased by 1% from an enemy at or below your level. Your chance to land a blow with a shield increased by 1% against an attacker at or below your level. Each enemy level above yours reduces the chance to block and hit by 5%. Agility increases chance to hit and block with shields.

  Jaxx nodded to himself. Certain things were starting to make sense. Ok, so according to this, his skills with his weapons and presumably, professions if he ever trained them, would increase once per combat or training session. He interpreted “session” as one use of his stamina bar. Considering his stamina increased with each level, he figured that it would naturally take longer to train his skills as his level increased.

  He also noted the importance of agility to his combat stats. His base stats as a Barbarian class had him increasing in Strength and Constitution by 2 points a level vs 1 point in everything else. As this would increase his damage per hit (from Strength), according to his skills he should prioritize agility on his gear, in order to give him a better chance to hit with his weapons.

  Once his stamina refilled, he continued training as he had been told. He completed 3 sets of training, each about an hour or so, with short rests to recover his stamina. After the third hour, the quest window popped up again:

  Quest - Beginner’s Training – Complete!

  Perform melee weapon training for 3 hours with the training equipment.

  Increase sword skill by 3. 3/3 completed.

  Increase shield skill by 3. 3/3 completed.

  Received Rewards

  100 XP

  1 gold piece

  Varied Armor Suitable for your Class and Level

  Level up!

  Level 4

  Hwiksos came over the clapped Jaxx on the back. “Well done,” he said. “Here is something you can use.” He handed Jaxx a set of boots.

  Standard Leather Boots

  Durability – 15/15

  Weight – 2kg

  Armor – 3

  Agility - +2

  Description – A sturdy set of leather boots. Nothing special, but a lot better than bare feet.

  Jaxx smiled. A lot better, indeed. “Thank you, Hwiksos. These are exactly what I needed.”

  “Yes, indeed. A man needs a good set of boots in order to fight in comfort. How did you like the sword and shield?”

  “It was fine,” Jaxx said. “But, honestly I’m more comfortable with a 2 handed weapon. Shields don’t feel right to me.”

  “I figured that, looking at you, but you needed to get the basics down on how to train your skills. Here, try this.” With that, Hwiksos handed a stout 2 Handed spear to Jaxx. It was tall, as tall as Jaxx, with a sharp stone head that looked like knapped flint. It was held to the shaft with a sturdy cord wrap around the base of the spear head. The edges gleamed in the sun when he turned the weapon to inspect it.

  Sturdy Stone-Headed Spear

  Durability – 20/20

  Weight – 3kg

  Damage – 10-15 (piercing)

  Description – A basic stone headed spear. Well made, but it’s not bronze. What did you expect for free?

  A bit disturbed by the increasingly personal and snarky descriptions on things, he nonetheless hefted the spear and found the balance well made. The edges were razor sharp when he tested them. Even though it was a low-quality spear, it felt better in his hands than the sword and shield had. “At least,” Jaxx thought, “until I can get me an axe or a big sword.”

  Hwiksos grunted. “The edges will chip and shatter if thrown or hit against metal or stone, but in flesh they should do well. A few quick whacks with a knap-stone will have the edges sharp again, but each time you do so will reduce the durability.” He handed Jaxx a small, smooth stone that filled his hand.

  “Oh yes, one last thing, here is an old bag that I had laying around.”

  Small Leather Bag

  Durability – 10/10

  Weight – 1 kg

  Capacity – 8 slots

  Description – Too new to have been “laying around.” This should hold enough to get you in trouble.

  Jaxx smiled. Exactly what he needed. “Thank you, Hwiksos. These will definitely come in handy.”

  Jaxx tucked the knap stone into the bag and tied the back to his waste. Accessing his inventory, he saw a small display, 8 slots, with a small stone in it. Some other items caught his eye – some rations and some wineskins full of liquid. Also, a flint and steel fire starting kit, a blanket, and a couple of torches. Exactly the type of stuff that he would need to go somewhere outside of town.

  Jaxx looked at Hwiksos, raising his eyebrow. “Am I going somewhere?” he asked.

  Hwiksos grinned. “You will not get as much benefit from practice in the yard as you will in the wilds. And you promised to help the town. I am capable, but I cannot leave the town for fear of bandit attacks. We need you to go.”

  “Go where?” Jaxx asked. He had a sudden vision of wiping out bandits and earning XP and loot.

  “We are having trouble with wolves raiding the livestock,” Hwiksos said. Noting Jaxx’s disappointed look, he continued, “Fear not, for if it is adventure you seek, you shall have it. We have had sightings of a mighty Alpha Wolf leading the packs. We believe it is under the leadership of this creature that the packs have become bolder and more vicious.” At the end of his words, a quest window opened for Jaxx:

  Quest – Culling the Wolf Packs

  Difficulty – Medium

  Find and eliminate the wolf pack that has been decimating the village goats and sheep. Rumors of a mighty Alpha Wolf could make this a dangerous proposition.

  Kill 10 wolves – Reward – 500 xp, 50 silver, 200 reputation with Triata Village, Uncommon weapon (2H)

  Optional – Kill the Alpha Wolf – reward – 2,000 xp, 2 gold, Wolf Skin Cloak (uncommon)

  “This is more like it,” Jaxx thought. Not bad rewards, but he reflected that the huge reward for killing the Alpha likely meant that it would be borderline impossible for him right now. Hopefully he would level up on the lesser wolves.

  Jaxx hit “accept” and then said, “Great! Where should I start?”

  Hwiksos nodded like he expected that answer, and said “Last reports of the wolves was to the North. May the Gods be with you. I would suggest you visit Acron before setting out. He may be able to offer a blessing from Apollo.”

  Jaxx nodded. This was good advice. A buff from the priest of Apollo might indeed help him. “Thank you, my friend,” he said. “Where can I find Acron?”

  Hwiksos laughed. “At the Shrine to Apollo, of course!” He pointed across the square at the gleaming white marble building.

  Jaxx laughed with him. “Of course.” They clasped arms, and then Jaxx turned and set off towards the Shrine. He crossed the square and entered the front of the Shrine. It was a small, white marble building with 2 fluted columns in the front. The roof
was a slab of white stone, and the floor was swept clean of dirt. As he entered, he felt a cool breeze moving through the open-style floorplan.

  He found Acron inside, kneeling in prayer before what to Jaxx looked like a small alter. A small raised slab of white stone, upon which was a bronze statue of the God Apollo. Apollo was the typical Greek God muscular, wearing a linen toga and holding a bow in one hand and 3 arrows in his other fist. His golden features were perfect and youthful, and a trick of the light made his eyes seem to glow a bit brighter than the shadow caused by the curls on his brow. The eyes seemed to regard Jaxx as he approached.

  “Councilor Acron?” Jaxx spoke softly, not wanting to startle the Priest.

  Acron turned and regarded Jaxx, smiling. “Jaxx the Hero! I have been expecting you!” He rose and bowed to Jaxx.