Lore for August:
The Art of Craft - Continue…
Part 1
When Katalina arrived she found me sitting with an ice pack on my head, trying to reduce a lump the size of a lemon… Fortunately there was no serious damage, just a strong pain in my forehead that would last several days…
The BP had disappeared… No doubt the thieves were already far away on another planet trying to create something that would unbalance the Entropy Quadrant… But Katalina made me happy:
-Listen… those criminals haven’t been able to leave the planet… a few hours ago Chief Socrates decreed the closure of the airspace for two days… Apparently a gang of pirates in Quad Wing are stalking the planet for some kind of commercial agreement or merchandise, that was not clear to me… In short, for two days no ship can enter or leave here…
Two days!!! That’s the time we have to find the thieves and recover the BP… But where do we start?
I had a copy of the bill of materials… Sinew adjusted, Simple II Conductors, Fine Lens… If the thieves were in a hurry, they should try to buy the stuff as soon as possible at the Auction House… That’s where we should see the materials…
An hour later we saw an order for Fine Lens and Adamite Crystal sold… both to a mysterious character: Byron Dillon Ameter… We already had a suspect…
We consulted the Entropia Life databases… This Byron had few entries in his achievements, so it was deduced that he was dedicated to other things, perhaps resales or rentals… Time to look for him…
The most sensible thing is to keep track of the Sinew… there was nothing in Auction, nor in any of the stores in NI or Greece… We also checked the direct buying and selling forum #nitrade… nothing… So they should try to get it directly on the land Chimera hunting…
In the last two days no adjusted sinew had appeared… Maybe he was about to fall into the loot…
We arrived at Misty Outpost… My head felt like it was about to explode as I heard the hunters talk and brag about his achievements… and a casual conversation put us on track…
-Of course I never saw anything like that… That guy dispatches the chimeras as if they were simple pleaks… of course, with that FEN mace… I wonder how he can see with those lenses… -said one of the hunters laughing…
FEN mace, glasses… it was almost clear… Still I asked the hunter… the answer put us on alert…
-That guy? He’s never seen him around here before… and besides, he’s a Turrelion.
He’s here, we already knew where Byron’s acolyte was… Time to hunt, but no chimeras…
Part 2
While we were heading to the hunting ground, we unexpectedly saw the appearance of a Sinew Adjusted on our tablets… and we heard in the distance the sound of the rare loot indicator… The guy was nearby…
We saw him in the distance… the hunter was there, finishing off the chimeras… no doubt the Turrelion or Byron would try to contact him to get the sinew…
We hid… among the tall grasses we saw the whole scene… The hunter was looking for another animal to kill when, suddenly, we saw him waver and collapse among the grasses, as if he were sick…
We approached carefully… We saw him trying to get up when, suddenly, his body convulsed and he fell… maybe he had been shot? Apparently he was unconscious, because he didn’t start the Revive process, nor did he try to activate the Fapper… We stayed on the prowl…
We heard footsteps, and Katalina pointed in a direction… We saw him…
The Turrelion was slowly approaching, with an Eron Soulreamer in hand… where the hell had he gotten that weapon???
No doubt he was coming to loot the hunter and steal his sinew, since apparently he hadn’t gotten any yet… Time to go for him…
Katalina and I got up in unison, with our weapons in hand and, despite the prohibitions outside PVP zones, we fired in unison…
The Turrelion moved like a cat as soon as it heard us… it dodged our shots with ease while throwing the rifle and drawing its FEN mace… With an agile jump it stood in front of us… Our weapons were already useless in close combat… It was time to draw our swords…
The duel was epic… despite our numerical superiority, the Turrelion’s ability was impressive… a minute later he managed to disarm Katalina and, with a strong blow, threw her a few meters totally stunned…
The Turrelion turned towards me… Its lens-hidden eyes were not visible, though I could feel its penetrating gaze sizing me up… With a gesture, a second FEN mace materialized in its other hand, and it began to move both mace masterfully…
I tried to parry his blows, but he hit me on my old Viceroy over and over again… In the end I bent the knee… in a few seconds that guy was going to send me to a Revive…
He advanced towards me with both maces…he looked at me from his tall stature and raised his arms to hit me…
A roar in the vicinity made him stop and alert… A nearby chimera!!! Attracted by the noise of our fight, a chimera was stalking us… we didn’t see it yet, but we heard it… The Turrelion looked at me for a second, and turned looking for danger…
From among a pile of foliage, a huge figure made a huge jump and fell on the Turrelion’s back… its claws began to slash at the being that, with great difficulty, was trying to defend itself from a monstrous chimera that was destroying it…
Amazing!!! That animal had appeared at the most opportune moment and had saved us…. If we were in Ancient Greece watching a classical play, this would be the perfect “Deux-ex-Machina”!!!
Part 3:
I ran towards Katalina, who was recovering from the terrible blow that the Turrelion had given her… Meanwhile, the chimera was struggling with the Turrelion… The Turrelion had one arm hanging useless, and its cloak and clothes were torn showing many lacerations… The animal crouched as if if it were a Kiana, ready to jump…
-Hey!!! ugly bug!!! – Katalina, already recovered, called the animal.
It diverted its attention from the Turrelion and the hunter and turned to us… Be careful… Although we had a good memory of “Snow”, this animal was completely wild.
The Turrelion took advantage of the circumstance and stood up… It looked in our direction and immediately ran limping in the opposite direction where we were… Leaving the unconscious hunter abandoned with the newly obtained sinew…
The chimera looked at us, then looked at the unconscious hunter, expectantly… and suddenly, Katalina took something out of one of the pockets of her clothes… A handful of Nutrio Bars… She threw them in the animal’s direction…
The chimera caught the Nutrios in flight between its strong jaws and, when she realized that it was food, with a great jump it entered the bushes, disappearing from our sight…
Katalina and I went back to the hunter’s body… we got him to regain consciousness, and we applied the Fapper…
A few hours later we were back at the barracks… We had got the hunter to safety and, in gratitude, he gave us a very good price for the sinew, so now it is no longer available for sale… Possibly we can use that circumstance in our benefit…
Once our wounds were healed, we went back to the tablets and connected to the Auction House… Byron had bought more necessary ingredients… He only needed the two Sinews and the Blazard…
For the Blazards, the thing was clear: In the Screechers sweat circles there could be business, since they gave that drop… We went straight to Crystal Peak…
We asked the sweat circles and the occasional hunters there… and one of the sweaters pointed us to a nearby area where a guy was asking everyone about Blazard… It was possible that it was Byron…
We saw him… he was closing the deal with one of the hunters… he was paying him… without a doubt, he already had the Blazards!!!
-Byron!!! Damn thief, come here if you dare!!! - I yelled at him in a fit of desperation as he ran in his direction.
Byron looked at me… and looked at the sky… A Quad Wing approached him and from the ground we saw the figure of the Turrelion in the cockpit… He didn’t give more time, with an incredible jump for Byron’s short stature, he climbed on the hatch without the need for the Quad to finish landing… It rose and accelerated incredibly… It was a quad Wing, yes, but different… perhaps one of the few UL units that existed and that had a little more speed without being warp units…
Byron had escaped us… And the worst was yet to come…
Our tablets flickered… unbelievably a new Adjusted Sinew had appeared… a minute later it was up for auction… and as we headed back to Misty Outpost, the sinew was sold to… Byron Dillon Ameter…
He already had all the ingredients except a Sinew Adjusted… Which we happened to have… Maybe we could set him up.
Part 4:
While we rested for a moment in the Stel barracks, Denver passed us by… One of the last Stel recruits, who looked at Katalina and me as if we were mythical heroes… Let’s see, the adventure with the Gorgon and our collaboration with the crisis of animal possession had created an aura of invincible heroes around us…
I greeted Denver and at that moment I knew that if we asked him, he would help us without question… So I called him:
-Hey Denver, wait… - I said. He turned and looked at me like someone looking at a higher being.
-Mr. Dante, hello sir, how are you? – He looked nervous.
Katalina looked at me and she knew something was running through my mind…she nodded.
-Listen Denver… We have a crisis on us, and we need your collaboration… Could you help us?
Denver looked at us in amazement, puffed out his chest like a conscript at his first parade, and said:
-Sir, yes, sir!!!… Willing to help, sir!!!… mmm… what to do, sir?
Actually, there wasn’t much he had to do, but Katalina and I needed an external element that wouldn’t arouse suspicion…
-You see… We have a top-level investigation in hand… It is necessary to make a sale on #nitrade, but our names cannot appear… Therefore, you will make the sale for us and show up at the delivery… that’s all.
Denver was full of gratitude for having had him… it was an honor to help two heroes of Next Island in an investigation, he had always wanted to dedicate himself to the investigation, etc, etc, etc… All this he said as he opened his terminal, entered the forum and announced the sale we had prepared:
[#nitrade] [Denver]: SELL [Advanced Sinew Adjusted] 400 peds… PM
The price was exaggerated for everyone, nobody would buy it… except someone who was in a hurry, as in this case our “friends” Byron and the Turrellion.
There were a couple of private ones who tried to buy it but doing sales… that if the MU was very high, that if it was crazy, etc, etc…
The third private was our man:
[#nitrade] [Byron]: hi…last price?
[#nitrade] [Denver]: Yes… I need money… 
[#nitrade] [Byron]: It’s very expensive, but I need the sinew… okay, well?
[#nitrade] [Denver]: I’m a bit far, but it’s here…
Denver had given some coordinates previously set by Katalina, in order to move away from populated areas… We had to resolve this discreetly among ourselves…
Denver went to the PT to present himself in the vicinity of the meeting area… For our part, Katalina and I went a little further and we walked closer little by little, paying attention to what was happening…
We were about to end all this…
Part 5:
We were lurking at the rendezvous point…a lost outpost with all instruments except the TP. Denver was looking everywhere, when suddenly two bright blue lights appeared: Two Teleporting chip arrivals… they were Byron and the Turrellion.
Denver’s role was over, now it was our turn. As soon as they finished appearing, Katalina and I emerged with our Armatrixes in hand, pointed in their direction.
-Stop there!!! Quiet!!! Drop your weapons!!! – We tried to appear threatening, but in a place where death is fleeting and Revive is next door, it was useless.
Sure enough… with a strong blow from the FEN mace, Denver was knocked out while Byron unsheathed two Katsuichi… He caught us by surprise as we didn’t expect such a stocky guy and not so tall to be so agile: He leaned on his bent knee Turrelion, using it as a springboard, and jumped on us…
Our astonishment was our undoing: he cleanly cut our Armatrix in half, leaving us unarmed… and facing the Turrellion, we already knew we couldn’t compete in close combat… It was a losing fight… time to use swords…
Less than five minutes later, Katalina and I were unarmed, on our knees and with our hands on our necks… Gods, we have fought many times not only against animals, but also humanoids, robots and other beings, and it was the first time since my distant mentoring that from the beginning we knew was a useless fight… That Byron guy was definitely a guy experienced in PVP with melee weapons, and the Turrellion… well, he was a master with maces…
Byron aimed at our heads with two Piron… and we were next to the Revive… Dying was not the solution, since we would appear next to it again and start again… That was going to be long.
The Turrellion was holding Denver, already awake but still dazed… he had tied his hands and feet with plastic ties and was also on his knees… He was looking at us with fear.
With the other hand, he was equipping an S.I. Knife close to Denver’s face. Byron spoke.
-Well… The sinew you announced… where is it? – Byron rested the barrels of his weapons on our necks.
-Sir, don’t say anything…- Denver was trying to stir, but he was well tied up…
Byron looked at the Turrellion and nodded… the being made a movement with the S.I. Knife, and a long, deep gash appeared on Denver’s right cheek… An agonized scream pierced our ears.
-Enough, Byron, leave the boy alone! - Denver looked at me trying to appear strong while the blood dripped from his jaw.
-No… give me the sinew and let’s make the weapon… only then will I leave the boy… - Another gesture to the Turrellion.
This one didn’t think about it… he directed the tip of the S.I Knife upwards and blew out Denver’s right eye… gods, the pain should be unbearable judging by the screams…
Katalina looked at me sadly… Denver would be cured, but the agony must be immense… and this could last for hours… Denver didn’t deserve that…
-No… Sir… Don’t give him the sinew… - Denver looked at me with his only bloodshot eye…
Another flick of the knife, and Denver’s mouth fell open from ear to ear, like some kind of grotesque hogglo… moreover, the depth of the cut had severed the tongue, which fell to the ground in spurts of blood… It wasn’t screaming anymore, now they were muffled sounds of panic and pain…
-In accordance!!! In accordance!!! Stop, damn!!!.. - I couldn’t take it anymore…
Byron looked at the Turrellion, which let go of the now inert Denver… he walked over to me and grabbed me hard, dragging me to the instruments…
-The Sinew, and let’s get this over with… -Byron kept pointing at Katalina…
-Listen… that weapon shouldn’t be manufactured, it could…
-I’m not interested in what it could be… I’m only interested in what they’re going to pay me for it… That robot promised me a million peds!!! Byron said…
a robot? Did you say a robot? The incident with the planetary teleporter and General Kratos came to my mind… Suddenly I had a bad feeling…
-Listen… if there are robots involved it’s a bad thing… Was it in Calypso? -I was trying to find out everything.
-Yes… it was in Calypso… but it came from someone from Monria… Who cares? Money is money… -Byron was losing patience…
Monria… maybe that AI from DSEC-9? This could be of great interest…
-When the robots invade this, not even a hundred million peds will save you, stupid… -I told him with all my hatred…
–Come on, the sinew…
I opened the storage and handed him the sinew… the turrelion gave me a strong blow that made me fall to the ground… Byron approached the machine, turned on the terminal, looked at the list and…
A torrent of insults came from his mouth… Apparently he wasn’t level enough to successfully craft the weapon… He turned to me…
-Listen, Dante… I know you have the right level, so you craft the weapon…
-Don’t dream of it, Byron…
-Okay, it’s time for my friend Turrelion to start playing with your wife…- He looked in Katalina’s direction…
Not!!! Not that!!!
-Ok!! Ok!!.. but leave her alone… Give me the materials - I said with regret.
Byron smiled, took the materials and handed them to me along with the BluePrint…one shot, the Turrelion knife to my neck, Byron’s pistol to the back of Katalina’s head, Denver moving feebly as blood ran from his ruined face and his tongue cut out… and the future of the Entropy Quadrant at stake… I pressed the “Start” button… the machine began to make the only click… the lights blinked.
No… There are things greater than Katalina, than Denver, than me… Sometimes we must make sacrifices…
With a quick gesture, slide the control to Red… Condition only…
-Nooooooooooooo!!! – Byron’s scream was heartbreaking… It was almost impossible for a single hit from a high-level BP, in red, to give anything…
The machine stopped… And a swirl of lights in a double helix enveloped me… HOF??? Discovery???
“Near Success” appeared on the machine… over 20k peds in residue, no weapons… and the only BP with a single attempt that would never appear again vanished…
-Damn, damn, damn!!! What have you done? -Byron screamed like a man possessed. With a gesture he cocked the gun and prepared to blow Katalina’s head off.
BLAM!!! A sound of a gunshot, and the Piron fell to the ground… Drawing strength from his agony of pain, Denver had sat up and, with his Elysian Prototype (L) noob weapon, struck Byron’s elbow… Byron was stunned, staring. incredulous his broken arm.
I didn’t think twice… I jerked my head back and slammed it into the Turrelion’s face, which stumbled backwards, tripped and fell down the Outpost stairs…
Everything had changed… Denver continued to empty the weapon on Byron while blood flooded his chest and his tongueless mouth, open from ear to ear, emitted disjointed sounds… One of the bullets hit Byron’s helmet and, although it did not pierce it, , the impact had to be like a hammer blow, because Byron collapsed unconscious… Denver struggled to his feet and sat on top of Byron, holding him to prevent his escape when he woke up.
For my part, I threw myself down the stairs on the Turrelion’s back and began to hit its kidneys… The being stirred and tried to grab me by the neck… to fall on my unconscious… Katalina was holding a huge piece of Zinc that she had crashed into the head of the Turrellion.
It was all over…
Epilogue:
That same afternoon we returned to the barracks… we brought two “robot spies” to be brought to justice, and Planetary Chief Socrates decided what to do… Also, one of them was an illegal Turrellion here, so we would have to contact with Cyrene and the ambassador, to avoid diplomatic problems…
We put Denver in the infirmary and looked for the best Fapper around… In his immense agony, Denver squeezed my hand and looked at me with his one eye with gratitude… He felt good for having helped two “heroes” of Next Island.
A few hours later Denver appeared, already with his mouth healed and his tongue intact, but… He still had the scar on his cheek that entered the lower part of a black patch that hid his right eye…
-Denver!!! What happened??? He has not healed the eye well ??? -I said with concern.
-Sir, everything is fine, it’s just that… I asked the doctor to leave the scar and the eye to be glaucous - He said while lifting the patch… the eyeball was already intact, but the pupil was light blue almost white, as in people who previously suffered from infectious eye diseases…
-But man, why did you do that??? - I could not get over my astonishment…
-Sir… With a scar and a patch, the girls will see me as a tough guy - He smiled as he told me - And so I can tell adventures without them thinking I’m exaggerating…
Demon of a boy!!! Able to go one-eyed and slash-faced so he can show off to the girls… well, deep down we both know he can fully heal whenever he wants with the right Fapper… He walked down a hallway waving to other recruits who looked at him with awe and respect , as if he were already a VIP…
I felt a hand on my shoulder… Katalina…
-Hello love…-he told me softly as he hugged me – What do you think?
-Well, I think I’ve won 20K peds… I think the only BluePrint of that epic weapon has been lost… We have conjured a danger, but I won’t be able to put the BP on our trophy shelf in FOMA Alpha West 11D… -I said half jokingly half seriously… Katalina knows how I like to collect trophies; she sometimes says that our apartment looks like a charnel house, with so many bones and animal heads…
Katalina gave me a mischievous look… and she put in my hands one of those old Julklapp boxes, those blue gift boxes with a red bow… a gift?
I opened the box, and couldn’t believe my eyes… A facsimile reproduction of the Fenix Fury BluePrint… An almost perfect imitation… what the hell?
-Katalina… what is…? – I managed to say.
-Well, a cheap copy for you to put in FOMA’s apartment… let’s see if I can get you to remove a bone or a head from that cemetery - She said between laughs…
I absolutely love this girl…