Ember Wind: Online

The Sentient King

With the fall of the Necromancer, the head of the Lich known as Gakar was placed in the possession of the Guardians and returned to the Guildhall where it was to be mounted up upon the wall in the trophy room. A common practice for most guilds in any MMORPG, however, this particular setup was designed with a distinct hatred for Richer. All of his creations were aimed at a painting of him which hung upon the wall by only the blade of a thrown dagger.

The chilled and frozen winds of the northern lands washed over the crowd. Snow began to fall all around them. Tangurple removed his battered helmet and looked up. The clouds were pure white and seamless. An old and rather unforgettable memory returned to him at that moment. One of his past, back in the real world some years ago. A place he'd once called home. Far into the northern reaches of American territory where snowfall was common along with the chilled wind. The brisk feel dazed him. He remembered it so clearly.

"Where do you think the next town is?" Falcher's voice interrupted the trance as he asked Dailin and Creoft.

"I've got my fingers crossed that it's in the south," Creoft replied, chuckling. "I've never been one for snow."

Dailin nodded in understanding. "Then we better get a move on it. I don't want to be out in the cold when night falls."

"Agreed." Falcher then turned to Tangurple. "Tang! C'mon, we're leaving."

As the crowd of a thousand marched down the frostbitten cobblestone roads, the world seemed to enter a sense of tranquility. No mobs, monsters or the like approached the cobblestone road either out of fear of the en massed horde of humans, or just simply because there were none at the time. Regardless, leadership was paranoid.

"I don't like this" Dailin whispered to Creoft.

"Neither do I. Something ain't right. I sense a trap." He replied glancing at his sides from the corner of his eyes. "But what exactly would be damn near stupid enough to attack a thousand players?"

"I don't know. It's just too quiet for comfort."

Falcher overheard their discontent and joined in. "or maybe, for once we just get a break."

"What would make you think that? We're play toys in Richer's crazed world" Creoft said.

"He realized that he can't kill the good players with an army of this size behind them. If the Warden couldn't do it, what makes him think that goblins, giants or wolves could. Considering that those mobs, although could come en masse, are far from a challenge." Falcher reassured them. "If he is watching and is trying to kill us all, he'll do it when we sleep."

"That's... reassuring" Creoft swallowed extra spit.

"Then we sleep in shifts-"

"Won't do us any good. Like Creoft said, we're his play toys, he can shut us down at any minute. But that then raises the question, why hasn't he?" Falcher argued.

"I don't know, why hasn't he?" Creoft asked, now intrigued by Falcher's logic.