Lore for April. This lore is written from Dante’s perspective about cat´s lore… The first crossover between us…
The Tale of Waffles (Dante’s Perspective)…
Part 1
Several weeks have passed since the last events in NI… For now we continue with business, my friends have gone back to their chores and Katalina said she wanted to visit her parents, who were now in Monria… My in-laws… one day I will talk about the Katharine’s origins…
So when my business allowed I went for a walk around Ancient Greece… I thought I’d check out Thebes Market, see if I could find something nice to give her… Not a new armor, not a UL Pistol… something I always know about. give your partner…
I stopped near a clothing stall, in front of another that had handicrafts… I saw a Resa girl looking at what the vendor had and… I don’t know, I think I’ve seen her before… well, here it’s easy to always see the same people…
Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a man disguised with a kind of bear’s head began to declaim something…
“You all have to listen, we face a serious threat that could potentially disrupt your peaceful lives here. Sebastian had stolen ancient Tech from us, something that, in the wrong hands, could bring great chaos to everything. I heard rumors that the Lonely Ape told of a diary he kept of their endeavours. Once Sebastian heard about it he went crazy and in a rage of fury he ditched these pages to make sure his plans would never be known. Rumor has it that they are scattered across ancient Greece and the island.”
Wow…something about that Monkey Sebastian…Definitely, the genetic engineering of the Entropia quadrant has created curious beings…I have talked to him a few times while trading Elyssia Chips with him…But he said something about a destroyed diary, scattered pages, ancient technology.
He’s done… I felt it… A business opportunity with old technology… It’s time to keep hearing what he has to say…
In that time interval, the Man-Bear had disappeared… Wait! He is in front, and he is talking in a low voice with the Resa girl… I must sneak up on them to see what they are up to… I need to know more…
As I got closer I could only hear a few words:
“Meet me here at midnight and I’ll explain all the details.”
At that moment they separated and each one of them went in a different direction…
Well… if I’m going to get into this business of diary pages, I hope it won’t be as ruinous as the Toulan Pages… But the first thing is to come back at midnight and spy on these two, see what they’re up to…
Part 2
I spent the rest of the day in Ancient Greece… the market, the forum, the palaces… a great sightseeing until night fell… The hours passed slowly until midnight approached…
I stayed hidden around Thebes… There was nobody there, everything was quiet… Anyway, I put on some spectacles that I had recently gotten from a store… Their thermal vision would help me see who I was waiting for.
Yes!!.. Shortly before midnight, a thermal trace appeared near there… It came from the direction of the blacksmith’s house… I went there quickly and saw him…
Despite being muffled in a cloak, his bear head was unmistakable… well, it was my time, so I walked over.
The Man-Bear stopped abruptly, and looked in my direction.
-Who are you? Because you follow me? -He said.
-It doesn’t matter who I am… and you? What is this about the missing pages?
I stood in the shadows while he spoke… The Man-Bear looked in my direction…
-Okay, but at least let me see you…
It seemed right, so I stepped out of the shadows… His eyes looked up at me, widening in amazement.
-You!!! Are you!!!
I was surprised… That guy knew me???
-You’re Dante… the one who defeated the Gorgon along with his wife… and the one who helped in the NI animal crisis… - His look of admiration on him was very eloquent.
-Err… Yes… But how do you know me? -My surprise was genuine.
-In these times we need heroes… and you are one of them… -The night was cold, and the steam from his lips swirled on his bear head. – You are a living legend in Greece, Dante.
I felt overwhelmed… and I who thought I was someone anonymous, now it turns out that I have legions of admirers… But now it was time to get information… I asked the Man-Bear again… he was silent for a moment, and then he began to explain …
-Dante, you are one of the few who have heard my warning… It is necessary to obtain that diary, and above all to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands… After this morning, a few people have been interested in my story, among them some old colleagues , and they are willing to follow me in the search of the pages…
-Do you know where to look? – It was a logical question.
-I have some references, including some other dangerous animal - He said with an enigmatic smile.
-What animal?
-The king of white sharks… The Megalodon.
-How many are you? -I asked for
-About 10… They are good fighters, although their weapons are basic… understand… they are people without opportunities, and suddenly they can be heroes for the sake of NI…
-And with that unarmed troop you want to recover those secrets? – I felt sorry for the Bear Man and those who were going to accompany him… I made a decision.
-Listen… I’ll help you… I’ll provide good weapons and ammunition to your people, but I’ll take the lead… I’m gambling a small fortune on this expedition… - I don’t know what happened to me, suddenly I wanted those pages for myself.
The Bear Man looked at me for a long time, in silence… finally, he spoke…
-Okay, Dante… I’ll go see the last person I’m going to enlist, and then we’ll go to the rendezvous point… These are the coordinates and the time… Take the weapons there, and we’ll get going…
Without saying goodbye, I watched him walk away on the road to Thebes Market… For my part, I felt that I had embarked on a somewhat strange adventure, but perhaps profitable…
Part 3
The schedule placed me in a nearby coordinates in about half an hour… I sat on the steps near the port and waited…
Curiously, I saw a few people go by in the same direction… I imagined that they were the ones who were on the team… their will was not lacking, the armor was not bad, but… weapons were definitely not their forte if they wanted to face the Megalodon.
It was time… I got up and started walking in the direction of the coordinates… It was a fairly spacious house, but from the outside it looked like it had seen better days… It was in need of a good deal of repairs…
Indeed, I saw enter some of those who I saw pass before … I approached and entered the door.
A motley crowd of people, weapons and armor were there… in a corner was the Man-Bear chatting with a girl… The girl who was in the market… A Resa, what are you going to do…
Resa looked at me surprised, and suddenly I noticed that silence had fallen around me… I noticed 11 pairs of eyes looking at my armor, my weapons, everything…
But definitely, Resa was the one who captured my attention… Treacherous beings, I’ve only met one who was worthwhile and with whom I maintain friendship, Simon, and even so sometimes I wonder if one day he won’t take revenge for the enormous scar that I did on our first meeting…
-Who’s the Resa? She better not make any trouble on this hunt. I have a lot riding on this.
The Man-Bear turned and said:
-She Is a friend…
Suddenly I noticed the hilt of the sword that he carried on his back with a baldric… it was well made, but the metal was familiar to me…
-Make that yourself? - I asked for.
He didn’t say anything… he was staring at me, cautiously.
-Mind if I take a look? Don’t worry I ain’t like you, no honor in stealing a team mates weapon. You just need to know if it’s up to the task.
She hesitated for a moment, but she handed me the sword with some reluctance… I picked it up and saw that she was very well balanced… Pray or not, she is definitely a good crafter… But the metal…
-That made with Portal Guardian metal?- I asked…
She nodded silently… Durasteel… the images of the Pyramid, Desmond and everything that happened months before came back to my mind… and this Resa wearing the same metal that she cost us so much…
-Damn, why am I trusting my life with a Resa. Seems though you have no trouble taking care of yourself. I’m Dante. – I finally said.
-Harriot.
Well, I hope that’s her real name… I looked around, saw the pathetic weapons the team was carrying, and knew it was time to make the delivery. A good assortment of Ozpyn and Chikara weaponry materialized in the room… The team moved closer, each picking up one or more weapons, along with Cell and BLP clips…
When I saw that everyone was well armed and ammunition, I thought it convenient to give them a talk about what they were going to find.
-Let’s see, team… where we’re going is the PVP zone, even if it’s not lootable… But sometimes there are guys who are going to bother, and shoot at the hunters or miners, demanding a payment to stop getting in the way… So be alert to that… - I saw nods from some of them, while others patted their weapons with grim smiles.
-Healers… I see two… you are excused from shooting, but I need you 100% preventing us from dying… yes, I know, we resurrect, but in that interval the others must make an extra effort, and in the end they may all fall, so don’t miss out
The two healers checked their healing chips and returned some of the ammunition to their companions, since they weren’t going to need it… They kept the weapons just in case.
-And now, the animals… According to our friend the Man-Bear, the Megalodon is hiding something, or watching something… But it doesn’t come out of its lair until a good amount of other great white sharks have died, so… kill many to make him come out, and at that moment make a circle around him and fry him…
Several satisfied laughs were heard; They were impatient to get into action.
-One last thing: when we are with the Megalodon, leave aside the other sharks, they will only be a distraction that will take us away from the central objective… Our healer friends will be ready…
I looked at the Man-Bear… Our eyes met for a moment, and he gave an almost imperceptible nod. I addressed the group.
-Okay guys… Time to go to the Great White Shark’s lair.
Part 4
The next morning we arrived at the TP near the beaches where the PVP zone began… There were some settlers there, with long-range weapons and baleful eyes, they would undoubtedly wait for someone to go hunting to annoy him and demand payment for leaving him alone…
As soon as I appeared they looked at me, sizing me up… But their smiles disappeared when my companions appeared, with the weapons I had given them… They began to dissimulate and some left the place… We were not easy prey, no…
-Stay strong. Stick together, surround it and focus your firepower on the Megalodon. Ignore the other sharks in the area. Harriot, get up front where I can see you. We have a healers on standby so just fight with all you’ve got.
A short harangue to lift your spirits…
We adjusted the water/air filters in our helmets and started swimming… We couldn’t go by ship or TP since we had to kill some sharks to force the appearance of the Megalodon…
Soon we were surrounded by White Sharks, and we started shooting at will… Those critters had good loot, and some even had their “Global loot” indicators flashing.
And without warning, perhaps too soon, the Megalodon appeared… No doubt someone had passed by before and killed White Sharks, since it seemed to be lying in wait… Immediately, we concentrated our fire on it, ignoring the other animals, while the two of us healers were swimming around us doing their job.
Harriot had some difficulties with his sword… It is not a good weapon to fight against the resistance of the water, but still he hit the Megalodon again and again with great accuracy… It is good, yes…
Our onslaught began to bear fruit… the Megalodon was weakening by the minute, and suddenly, it lay still on its belly… It was dead…
We approach, we touch him and…
The huge whirlpool of “Rare loot” engulfed us all… apart from a good loot, it seemed to have something else… everyone on the team cheered and shouted for joy…
-Let’s not celebrate too early, we still need to check if what we came for is here. –I said… I didn’t want to give false hope…
The Man-Bear approached with a S.I. Knife, and with an expert cut opened the belly of the Megalodon… among the open viscera and remains of previous meals, something out of place appeared: a large sheet of paper, completely laminated and covered with a tight writing…
There was one of the famous diary pages…
Suddenly, more White Sharks appeared and began to surround us… There was no time to lose, I put the page in my armor and went to the team:
-I hope you’re all ready for another round of sharks. We need to fight our way back to land. If you see one person struggling, help them out. That goes for you too Resa! If we get separated, meet back at the house.
The rest of the afternoon was spent swimming to shore while we killed more White Sharks… We even got some new “Global Loot”…
We finally set foot on solid ground… Tired, injured, but with a smile on our face for a job well done… Suddenly I felt very thirsty:
-I don’t know about the rest of you but I need a drink after that. Carolines?”
Part 5
We were finally back… Caroline’s is the perfect place for post-work drinks, especially one like ours.
I mentally saw the result of the expedition: The weapons and ammunition spent was a good amount of Peds, but the hunting of the White Sharks at the beginning of the hunt and when returning to the beach had left us a good booty… My part was substantial and it more than covered the expenses… very much.
So I decided to be generous… I could let them keep the weapons, whatever state they were in, and pay for a few good rounds of drinks along the way… We’d see the topic of the page later…
-A round for my team, after today’s profitable hunt I can spare that much.
Even Harriot dared to have a drink or two, under the watchful eyes of everyone. The conversations about the hunt created a good camaraderie between all of us…
Finally, The Man-Bear looked at me… it was time… I took the laminated page and got ready to read the content… everyone looked at me expectantly…
-Day 50, Experiment 12.
“Today I will learn to reprogram the robots of Next Island. I tried to approach Julianna but she shooed me away when I got close. I did however manage to find a Julianna that hadn’t been finished yet. On my time at the ancient ruins I had come to see as my home, I had found what I could only describe as a glowing ball.
It was small in size, not much bigger than my palm.
Maybe I could use this to reprogram Julianna to get rid of the pesky boar piglets.”
What? What’s this? The diary of a crazy monkey obsessed with boar pidgets? Yes, okay, it talks about a sphere and the robots of the Julianna series, but… that’s it, nothing of a danger for the entire planet…
I looked around me… some laughter sounded among my companions, who looked at me with some sarcasm… From my point of view, this was a failure.
-Well, that was not what I expected at all… -I said as I handed the page back to Man-Bear, who was looking at it with regret…
Well, at least, let’s drink and forget this mess… For the next hour, the trays of drinks kept arriving… At one point, Harriot looked at his communicator, and went out one of the doors of the place… Anyway, no It has been so terrible working with a Resa…
The Man-Bear approached me…
Dante, you see…
-Shut up, shut up… and this is what is going to cause the worst in Next Island? - I was getting angry…
-Listen, Dante – he said calmly – It’s just one of the pages, in the others there may be information that…
-Forget it - I cut him off - I’m out of this mess you’ve made.
He looked at me sadly, as if he felt he should deal alone with whatever he was looking for… After a moment of silence, he spoke…
-Okay… In any case, thanks for the help, and the boys will also appreciate it, since they have new weapons, and they have hunted together with a hero… Anyway, could you do something for me? – He asked me expectantly…
-Okay… tell me…
-Well… if in your travels and adventures you hear something more about the pages of the diary, at least let me know and tell me where, so I can continue the search…
I liked this guy… at least he is tenacious with his convictions, even if I thought he was wrong…
-Okay… I’ll let you know if I see anything that makes me think that the end of Next Island is near because of a few pages of a crazy monkey… -Deep down, I was cruel…
-Thank you, Dante… and, um… perhaps the rumors of the last few days indicate that the end is near…
-Rumours? what rumours? -I said interested.
-Haven’t you heard what happened in the northern cities of Ancient Greece?
-No…
-There are people who have gotten sick, and have died…
-Dead, yes of course, until the next Revive. -I said in a mocking tone…
-No Dante, you’re wrong… The revives couldn’t do anything… They died completely… -He said with a fearful tone…
I couldn’t believe it… the revive technology failing? What the hell was going on?
-It can’t be…- I said incredulously.
-Yes Dante, believe it… some talk about a Pandemic that could spread… Others say it’s the fault of the Gods… and I know that this diary has the answers… Be careful, Dante…
Epilogue…
He leaned out onto the stone balcony… looked down and saw the new souls arriving… well, there was work again… Since in Ancient Greece no one died, only five guys had arrived a few weeks ago…
He looked into the distance to the confines of his kingdom… A dark, silent kingdom, but at least it had always had subjects, until those travelers from other kingdoms appeared, who were able to emulate Zeus himself and resurrect the dead…
He wondered if Zeus did not consider it blasphemous to raise the dead… The behavior of the travelers in that matter was heretical: The living had their world, and the dead theirs, and no one except the Father of the Gods should have prerogatives to change that… And his other brother, would think the same as him…
Because of them, now his work was non-existent… A king who gets bored can be dangerous, because he needs new challenges…
He reflected… The distribution of the world had not been as fair to him as it was to his brothers, but he could not complain… He had servants, pets, a beautiful queen by his side and, before, lots of subjects… now they no longer came… He flow had decreased, until now, a few days ago… Something had changed, although he still didn’t know what…
He caressed the three heads next to him, who were staring at his master… Then, the three heads ran away… in one body… Cerberus…
Meanwhile, he looked beyond, in the distance, to the Stygian lagoon, where Charon was going back to look for more souls…. His dark boat moved away in a silence broken only by the thump of the oar in the Waters of Oblivion.
He smiled… He turned around and went down a few steps towards his palace… Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, had work again…