Dex Warrior (Libertas Online)

28: Siege

Rest never comes. As dusk transforms into a dark but moonlit night, the camp is buzzing with activity. NPC's given menial tasks work on harvesting clutches of the long prairie grass, long and straight sticks between five and six feet long, and dumping them inside one of the bigger tents. With these ingredients, Felix, Rubble and I toil away for the better part of three hours. Using rope, we create the ourselves a second, albeit smaller and much more useless, army.

When thirty of the straw dummies are finished, we emerge from our tent and drive their stakes into the ground sporadically around the bonfire and the outer perimeter of our camp. Two rows are placed in battle formation just outside our camp, between us and Starlight. As I push my last one into the dirt, Rin approaches me. She's been our watch-woman all the while, and by the way her eyes glimmer in the moonlight I almost wonder if she's been crying.

"Hey, greenie," She says with a smile. There is a bit of somberness in her tone of voice, but not enough to convince me she really was in tears just a while ago. "You ready to do this?"

I take a big gulp of air, my heart kicking up the pace as I realize just how close we are to attacking. "As ready as I can be. What about yourself?"

Rin weaves her fingers in front of her and nods. "I'm ready to end this. Ready to move on to more important matters: the Shield."

I'm shocked. "I thought you didn't really believe me."

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I'd rather trust your judgement and be wrong than be a skeptic and be wrong. When we get this guild started, I'll help you prioritize training spies and get them doing their thing quickly as possible, and when we find out who is behind the mutiny I will help you convince your captain the threat is real. It's just a matter of time."

Her sudden wholehearted determination and her certainty that we are going to find something, is puzzling to me. It's just seems like such a change of mind for her, but I'm grateful for it. But before we get that far, there's something I have to do. People far and wide are depending on me in this one final act, and by Rothgar's holy flame I'm going to pull it off. I take one final look at my equipment and stats to make sure I've spent every point I can.

Aiden Rockwell

LV. 21 Warrior

HP: 450/450

STRENGTH: 15 (18)

FORTITUDE: 20 (25)

DEXTERITY: 44 (51)

WISDOM: 20

INTELLIGENCE:18

SWAY: 35

(LV. 20) Iron Sallet: +12 ARM

(LV. 20) Iron Cuirass: +20 ARM +3 STR +3 FORT

(LV. 20) Guardian's Kecks: +16 ARM, +2 FORT

(LV. 20) Iron Sabatons: +10 ARM

(LV. 10) The Rose Sabre (A Class Backsword Sabre)

+20 Damage

Special Feature: Substitutes STR for DEX and doubles class speed.

Magic Action: Extends to 10 feet in length for one attack. 60 second recast.

(LV. 20) Iron Hoplon: +10 ARM, +2 DEX

(LV. 15) Warding Pendant: +10 MR

(LV. 15) Thief's Ring: +5 DEX

There's no time like now to get started. Everyone knows the plan and their roles in it. From behind a tent, I crouch low and begin my departure from camp and into the tall grass, low enough that it covers my entire body. My new armor is a bit more bulky than the last set, but with the added speed boost the Rose Sabre gives me, I find myself reaching the forest's edge quickly.