patsoe

I wake up and dust off my leathers... That was quite a fight last night. I laugh to myself sitting up in my bed as I stretch out my back. Gurgox never stood a chance against me in my Demonic Gear and persistence. Turning my head to the left I see a message all too familiar with my every day morning routine:

"Fight, for the time will come when legends will fight no more..."

...Its carved into the side of my old rickety bed - A daily reminder to guard Alterra from the evil every day, to guide the new adventurers and keep them on the right path. My back is killing me, I must have taken a big hit from Gurgox after all.. 'Man.. when are the gods going to bless me with more furniture to brighten up the guild? All of a sudden, a second short stabbing pain in my back reminds me there are more pressing matters to at hand. A comfy bed will not follow for some time, so for now one of my health potions should fix it.

I move cautiously to the side and lower my legs out of my bed. The guild floor is cold, and eventually my eyes become accustomed to the darkness. Standing up, i walk over to a large bookcase in the far corner of the room, which stands well over 12 feet tall and is full of the old scrolls and ancient books of the f-nord clans. I open the draw and a red glow warms my face, momentarily lighting up the room, before fading into a dull red glow illuminating the old bookcase and its contents. There are a handful of old bottles full of my favourite special brew. Reaching in with my eager talons I take one of the bottles and dust off the label:

"Ellie's Magic Potions -
Feeling Tired? Had a hard day keeping the Alterra pests at bay?
Never fear! Knock one of these down your throat for instant refreshment - Made with natural ingredients, no Alterran chemicals.
Bulk orders available!!!"

I laugh quietly to myself and pop open the cork of the bottle. Good old Eliie. As I pop the cork, the bottle hisses and a red mist escapes into the room followed by a cherry blossom fragrance which makes me salivate. "Breakfast" and licking my beak, I gulp it down. I begin to feel better instanstly. I feel rejuvinated and my back is as good as new as the potion takes immediate effect. " I needed that, now I'm ready" I say to myself.

The quietness is just as expected, I look around me and in a nonchalant manner, take in the guild hall surroundings.

No surprise I think to myself; nobody here, only me. Its day 387. I have learnt so much since my first arrival into Alterra. I have no recollection of just how it happened, I just remember the blinding light and a warm aura embracing my body. It seemed such a long time ago.

In a ball of energy I emerged into a world, a beautiful clearing surrounded by dense forest, a market place for newcomers, with camp fires, and small tents for shelter and to share stories with other young adventurers. When I first arrived, I remembered asking another fellow adventurer "Where am I?" to which I was only told "Forest Haven" before the big grizzly bear wearing a purple starry robe vanished into thin air leaving me to continue my exploration of Forest Haven and make new aquaintences on my own.

Over time I have learnt that the characters vary in the land of Alterra; some nice and eager to help, others who would lure you into dark alley full of Alterran scum and waste no time in stabbing you in the back or leaving you there to be slaughtered by horde of zombies. Trust no one I remember thinking. Those times have changed, there are still many untrustworthy characters, but now I know who I can trust. My allegiances have grown over time across the land of Alterra. There are many who come to my aid. They hear my call, and come to me when times are hard. I know I can depend on them. A bond of friendship that can never be broken.

I remember the first time running through the magic portal into the world of unknown. It was my first taste of battle and I adored it like a kitten tasting cream for the first time. Zombies who dared to feast on my brains were struck down in epic fashion. Even as a fledgling, I was quick to learn how to use my bow and arrows, keeping my distance and making my shots count. The zombies fell one by one. Good was winning and evil felt my arrows raining down on them in heavy flurries. After that the rest is a blur. Countless quests, riches, and scars to show for it. The wonders my eyes have seen.. the battles won, the battles lost.

But all for what? The dark stoney walls around me are cold, damp, and lifeless. I'm the only one left.. Pantheon was once one of the first and greatest guilds, only a few single players remain in the guild. No more than 3 or 4 now and I don't ever see them. My Leader? Missing. The last time we spoke he told me he was on a quest for knowledge. He spoke of untold riches, and weapons so powerful, they could control the realm.

The mighty Godofra... My leader. My curiosity and the hope of seeing again is the only thing that drives me to carry on my quests, in a hope one day I may solve the puzzle of his sudden disapearance. What happened to him? Maybe he was consumed in his thirst for knowledge...

Reaching into my inventory sack I rummage for a memory of the past. I find it... I unwrap it out of its leather pouch, untie the old binding and pull out the memento. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I look at the old torn picture. The edges are rough, the parchment is clearly showing more signs of wear since the last time I admired it. Soon the memory will fade, just like its picture. I can just make it out by the soft light in the room.

The picture shows myself and Godofra, fighting back to back in AO3 surrounded by enemies. Little did they know we were just drawing them in for an ambush ready to shatter them with our screams. After that battle I remember God patting me on the back as we stood triumphant together surrounded by dead bodies of the aliens and mummies and began to search them for gold. God turned to me and said "You did good Pat". "Same to you brother" I said with a smile on my face. Nothing could stop us then... That was a well fought battle that day, good vs evil - good won that day, and in spectacular fashion. A glorious day to remember...

Suddenly I hear a rustling noise - something or someone behind me just by the throne!?! I turn spinning on the spot in anticipation-

"GOD....!?"

...A deep sigh, and slouching back I begin to carefully wrap the picture back into my inventory sack. The noise was just my pet bats scurrying around. They need feeding. I may as well head to the Consignment Shop in Balefort. If I can get some gold maybe I can visit Mount Fang and get some blood for my bats. I have many more quests to attend to, one of which is to find God - I fear a quest which could last for an eternity.

Reaching over I pick up my Crown of Persistence and lower it onto my head. I feel stronger, sharper, boosted and a warm tingling sensation grows from my feet up. Like a human candle, a glowing sparkle generates over my body lighting up the room. My blood pumps hard through my veins.. I think to myself - "I'm ready, I feel like today is going to be a good day..."

*SPECIAL THANKS TO REDRYDER FOR THE PICTURE MID-STORY*