Armor Class: 10
Attack Rating: 80
Damage Range: Unknown
Weapon Type(s): Horn, Hooves, Bite
Abilities: Charge, Animal Rage, The Prance of the Pony
Speciaclass="underline" This creature has been trained as a MOUNT.
Owner: Unknown
My eyes stuck on the final line. Owner: Unknown.
I looked to the tree line from where the unicorn appeared, but no one emerged. Where was the owner?
The unicorn pushed against the tree with its front hooves, desperate to pull loose. One large pink eye locked on me with rage.
My Phase ability timed out, and my avatar became solid again.
Time to go, I thought.
I spun around to run away and make some distance, but was blocked by a wall. No, not a wall. A massive humanoid who towered over me.
I think at that moment I squeaked in surprise, but I’m not admitting it now.
Before I could react to this new menace, the humanoid scooped me up in two massive arms and lifted me. I struggled, but the opposing strength was greater. My body became wedged between two huge green pectorals.
Held close, the humanoid’s face leered down at me.
“Hello, little Shadow,” he said. His voice rumbled from deep within his chest like the sound of a volcano ready to erupt.
“He-hello, Kragg,” I managed. The meaty arms were tightening and my avatar’s body made alarming popping noises.
Kragg, an Ogre-Beserker, was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the game’s universe. He had a reputation for being ruthless which lent to his success rating as a hunter. He always got his mark.
And I knew why he was here.
The ogre pulled me up closer to his face, mouth gaping wide in a grin. Hot breath gave my face a retched smelling steam-bath. I turned off my simulation-suit’s olfactory settings completely.
“Vivian Valesh,” Kragg said. “I never thought I’d catch you off-guard. At least not so easily as this.” He squeezed a little and something in my back cracked. “What’s a famous Shadow like you doing out here of all places? Hmm?” Another squeeze for emphasis.
“G-gold,” I sputtered. Which was true enough. I’d blown through all my reward money from my last big quest. Searching for high valued mats for the auction house offset my poverty.
Kragg looked over at the oak tree. The yellow unicorn had pulled itself out of the tree, but the goblin raider’s corpse was now stuck to its horn. The animal shook its head about, the goblin corpse flailing with it.
“Yeah,” Kragg said, “Good money now, in leather mats.” He spoke slow, almost ponderously. But I knew better than to thing it was because he was stupid. He was far from it. Instead, he was taking his time tormenting me. Enjoying these moments before my death.
He looked down at me, again. “But there is better money in collecting bounties. Far more thrilling, too. And you, little Shadow, have a sizable bounty on your pretty head.” Another squeeze, another crack.
“Maybe we can make a deal,” I said through clenched teeth. My health bar was dropping steadily. If I didn’t get out of this living vice I’d find myself in the newbie zone.
Kragg threw his head back and laughed, giving me a rather terrifying view of his mouth with its rows of sharpened teeth. “Funny, Shadow. No, no deals. Not for you. Perhaps if I was feeling generous, but you have something more than just a bounty I want.” He leaned closer. “That Cloak of Shadows you are wearing. A Legendary Item. Don’t get many bounties with those. Usually, after I kill a mark and loot their corpse, I find some interesting bits to sell on the auction house. But a Legendary Item? That there will fetch a high price on the black market. Even more than your bounty.”
He squeezed, and I kicked futilely at his prominent belly. I must have looked like a tiny temperamental child caught in an adult’s bear hug.
Fighting was not an option. But I had one trick up my sleeve.
I turned my head and set my eyes on a nearby hill, about fifty paces away. My screen wavered as my avatar began to lose consciousness.
Hold on a few more seconds.
The top of that hill was all I cared about in that moment.
Set Recall Point.
“Gonna put this death video up on the forums. For posterity,” Kragg said with grin. He was enjoying my final moments of high-level living.
Then the message I was practically dying for appeared.
Recall Point Set.
Finally!
Use Teleport Ability.
I then appeared on the top of the hill.
Suddenly free of Kragg’s grip, I collapsed to my knees on the ground. Air sucked back into my lungs, and I used a Health Boost to shoot my health bar back up to 100%. But I was still in immediate danger.
Stunned, Kragg looked down at his empty arms, then locked onto me. His face boiled with rage. “You FILTERED!” he shouted.
My language filters were set to maximum. It helps me pretend that my fellow players are as civil as I am.
Although I had escaped, it was only momentary. I needed to get some distance from this freak and fast.
The yellow unicorn was hopping about begging for an order to attack me again. Kragg had different plans.
Like a sumo wrestler preparing to fight, the ogre lifted one thick leg up in the air. The unicorn, ducking his head, scooted underneath. Kragg dropped into the saddle. He looked ridiculous. A giant, green, oversized ogre riding a mustard-yellow unicorn mount far to small by comparison.
But neither he, nor the unicorn, cared about aesthetics. They both locked angry eyes onto me. Kragg kicked the unicorn forward and the small creature who easily carried his weight, shot forward.
My instincts kicked in and pulled me out of the incredulous spectacle of the ogre and unicorn. Fight or flight?
Flight!
“Two can play at that game,” I said, and selected an icon from the bottom of my view-screen.
Summon Shadow Steed.
A beautiful black horse, with full rider’s tack, blinked into existence beside me. It was partially transparent, which was why I had given it the name Smoke.
Smoke noticed the incoming ogre/unicorn threat and nickered, tossing his head about in alarm.
I leapt up into the saddle, and without delay, kicked at his sides and lashed the reigns.
Smoke charged ahead and in moments we were at full speed. We raced away from the forest’s edge and into a dry grass plain.
After a few moments of exhilarating speed, I risked a glance behind us.
Kragg and his mount were closing fast. The ogre had brought out a large iron mallet from his inventory and gripped it in one hand. Its comically huge size was nearly as big as him.
I was dismayed. The unicorn was faster than Smoke!
As the distance between us evaporated, I felt a growing sense of dread. This would not work. I needed to buy more time, slow the green maniac down. Scanning the horizon I looked for anything that might help save my life.
Then I spotted something. Up ahead to the left was a trio of what looked to be raptors. They were loitering in the shade of a small copse of trees.
I angled Smoke in their direction, and he didn’t protest. With another look back to ensure my pursuers were still with me, I then focused on the raptors and called up the stats of one them.
Species: Raptor
Subspecies: Emerald Claw
Leveclass="underline" Unknown
Hit Points: 320
Mana: Nil
Armor Class: 15
Attack Rating: 30