NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Light's End
Milo skulked in the shadows until he was forced to step into the lit street and make his way up to the square. There were people entering and leaving, but no one paid a bit of attention to him. While he had the unmistakable look of a new player with his rags and lack of armor, this wasn't uncommon in the area near Light’s End. Any player who started in or visited Shadowport made their way down here sooner or later. Dying and losing your starting gear was a common occurrence.
He made a slow circuit around the open area's perimeter, taking in the various buildings that ringed it. One or two might have been private homes. They were sturdily built of stone and had visible guards at the doors. Most of the rest were bars or brothels. There were a couple of notable exceptions.
A massive wooden building that included a livery stable had a sign that labeled it as 'Deep Mountain Excursions and Assaying.’ There was a line of people outside holding sacks or boxes, and in one case, a larger person in plate mail was pushing a wheelbarrow full of rocks.
The second strange building was extremely tall, reaching nearly to the roof. It looked like five buildings had been mashed together on top of each other, with different styles showing each time it had been expanded. The sign over the top simply said 'Guild Hall.’ A smaller sign said, 'Be-have or be-dead.' Milo noted it had no line to get inside.
The center of the area was a mess of small vendors, carts, and awnings. Milo had seen something similar in the habitat. There was an open area in D Section, where floors 31 to 33 were just one big open area. People went there to barter possessions, and there was always a brisk trade in old video games and consoles. Plans identified it as a sports center that had never been built. Instead, it was a market for all the junk anyone thought might be valuable. Ancient books, clothing, tools, bottled water, and freeze-dried foods. Some things had been traded or swapped hundreds of times there. Milo had gone there only twice when looking for some specific chips only found in older computers. He'd hated it. Too many people, and he could only try to run if something went wrong. He liked escape routes in the tunnels where no one else could follow.
He edged around the outside of the market and headed to the Light’s End Brothel. There was one door leading inside, which was open. Two men in leather armor stood outside. When they saw Milo approach, one nudged the other, said something, and they both laughed. "You look a bit young, kid, and a bit broke. Come back in a few years."
"I need to see Squint."
They stopped laughing. "No, you don't kid. I don't know who put you up to this stunt, but leave before you say anything else stupid." Milo wasn't sure what else to do other than hand over the note. He pulled it out of his pocket and showed it to the guard.
"Well, shit." One of the guards looked at the note and passed it to the other. " It's your funeral, kid. Follow me. I'll give you a word of advice, just agree with what he says, and if he yells "Kulag", you yell too.”
He was taken into a room in the back of the first floor. Several people were there, standing around the edges of the room. One person sat on a large red pillow in the center of the floor, eating a huge bowl of noodles. Lying on either side of him were huge cat-like creatures. They had purple fur so dark it was almost black. Muscles rippled under their skin as they rose, growling. Squint was a skinny man with short brown hair and eyes just a little too bright. He slurped down the last of the noodles and grinned at Milo. "Whoa, boys, enough with the growling. This is Milo, my buddy. He's the new scout in town. We're buddies, right, Milo? I got a message you had put the Eye of Wonder back into the statue of the 7th Fate. Good job on that. No one wants the world ending early."
Milo felt like he was missing a chapter in his own story, but he took the guard’s advice. "Thanks. And yeah, of course, we're buddies."
Squint smiled and looked at the cats. "See, guys. Told you so." He raised his fist in the air. "Kulag!" Everyone else did the same, including Milo. "Here's the deal, Milo. I may have some work for you soon. Work for everyone! Big things happening, just not sure when! We have to be ready. I can use a good scout. Does that sound good to you?" Milo just nodded and said, "Sure."
Squint searched around in a pile of junk next to his pillow. "Here, take this. Gives you passage across the bridge. I'll send a note when I need you. Maybe grow a bit bigger if you can. Stuff is mean here in Shadowport. Good talking to you, Milo." He tossed Milo a gambling chip that had a large 'k' carved into it. Milo pocketed it. Squint started eating a second bowl of noodles. The guard motioned for Milo to follow him. They went back out the front door.
The was visibly relieved to out from under the eye of his boss. "You got lucky, kid. Sometimes he gives the new guys missions down in the caves. We never see most of them again."
"Yeah, lucky, so what am I supposed to do now?"
The guards laughed. "Am I your mother, kid? How would I know? But here's some advice: Head over to the guild, see what jobs they have. Earn some coin and get some better gear. Because if Squint does have a job for you, you better take it. And he never hands out easy ones."
Milo turned away and wandered to the Guild building. Might as well get started and see what jobs they had. He was still confused about what was going on. What the hell was the 'Eye of Wonder' and what did it have to do with him?