Auntie toasts the VRMMORPG

2.60 Questing - Cavern of Squack

Three young guys passed the old-timers after Flora commanded the Mover to drift to the tunnel wall. While one blond guy with a cowboy hat nodded to the oldies, the others joked loudly amongst themselves, ripping each other about wet pants.

"I guess we can forget a stealthy approach, now," Eddie said when the group had overtaken them. "Let's follow and see how making a racket goes for them."

"Sure. Are you diverting me from the subject? I still don't understand want went wrong with your Hero's Entrance. Did System steal your ship?"

The tunnel opened into a cave. Footbridges with a few boats docked branched off the shore. Chubby green parrots wearing bandanas bustled on them while red parrots with pirate hats flew through the cave, carrying parcels.

Eddie signaled Flora to stop. "The ceiling in the tunnel is lower. I feel safer here until I know whether the boys trigger a reenactment of the movie Birds." Eddie said. "And no, I gave up my vessel willingly."

"Warning! Warning! Intruder alert!" A parrot with a yellow belly and azure feathers croaked.

Name: Narc Polly

Type: Pirate-Parrot of Squack's Crew

Level: 1

Rating: E

The owlish green dock-worker parrots closest to the look-out stopped their work and looked around. Immediately, they spotted the three guys climbing out of the water and waddled towards them.

Name: Docky Polly

Type: Pirate-Parrot of Squack's Crew

Level: 2

Rating: D

"Warning! Warning! Intruder alert!" The yellow and azure plumaged Polly bawled.

The cowboy-hat guy shot the Narc Polly, and it tumbled off the pole, but even more Docky Pollies took notice. They swarmed the poor guys.

"Oh, dear. Should we help them?" Flora asked. The birds weren't strong with an RGS of 1, but the boys had dozens of them pecking at them. It didn't help that the beaks were at the height of their crotches.

"Only when they ask for it. Kill stealing is bad form." Eddie answered.

"Did you make up the expression 'kill stealing'?" Flora said. That was the most macho combination of words she had heard in a long time.

"No." Eddie smirked. "In other RPGs, the guy−or girl or other− who gets the last hit was attributed the kill. So people were pretty miffed when they fought a few minutes, and then a rogue materialized and took the kill from them. In the Cetviwos, it's all about contribution. So if we go in with blazing blenders, we would probably contribute more than them, and the pirate-parrots won't count for their bounty-quest."

One of the guys yelped several octaves higher than his gender suggested. The cowboy hat rained bullets while hiding behind the third guy who spun around with a greatsword. "Yes, we would definitely steal their contribution."

Flora grinned. "Throwing the shade, Mr. Burn." She chirped, and Eddie winked at her.

"I'll show you how the pro's do it." Eddie pranced to the far end of the beach. "First lection: Never get surrounded."

Eddie swam to the far end of the cave. Nearby, two boats with Docky Pollies were tied to the dock, and a Narc Polly was sitting on a pole. His old-timey gun boomed, and the Narc Polly fell into the water before it could even open its beak.